Written by Ever since the formation of modern sports in the 19th century, certain sports have been assigned to particular socio-economic groups. Non-contact sports have been associated with the upper classes while the ‘rougher’ sports were relegated to the lower classes who were considered more uncouth and less refined. This situation has reinforced the class distinctions and even diverted resources away from those in need.
Cultural expression of the economic relationship to sport has deemed football, for example, as designated for the ‘working-class’ and therefore carrying the distinction of a sports culture for the less privileged, while sports such as horseracing and golf are linked intrinsically to private schooling, universities, and tradition. That ‘lower-class culture’ has therefore prevailed in certain sports by allowing a percieved ‘hooligan’ element to establish, opening the door to inappropriate behavior.
Just as Horse-racing is touted the “sport of kings”, Golf is one such sport elevated to inaccessible heights by an exclusive culture. If you’ll remember, the 1996 Adam Sandler movie “Happy Gilmore” was centred around a ‘common’ man, an ice-hockey player who discovered a talent for golf. His struggles for acceptance by the stronghold of traditional upper-class culture were more of a battle for him than learning the actual sport.
The Augusta National Golf Club has been accused of allowing socioeconomic status to impact on how minorities are treated. Traditionally considered a ‘gentleman’s game’, this status has allegedly dictated for them that its players should be white men. There have been clear examples of this discrimination throughout the history of ‘The Masters’, predominantly that lower-classed African-American men were only used as caddies for the white men playing in the golf tournament. Worryingly this wasn’t just a preference for the golfers at Augusta, the use of black caddies was a rule within the club until as late as 1983, when golfers were given leave to hire a caddie of their own choice. This rule was so entrenched that Masters’ chairman and co-founder Clifford Roberts was alleged to have said, “As long as I’m alive, the golfers will be white and the caddies will be black.” When asked about first African American player Lee Elder playing in the tournament, Roberts was quoted as saying, “To make an exception would be practicing discrimination in reverse.”
In 2019 the Delhi Golf Club (DGC) caused a scandal by barring award-winning golfer Rashid Khan and nine other golfers from entering the club. The reason for this, the DGC has “banned caddie-turned-golfers from playing at the club”.
Though we as a society need to be careful to shatter the illusions of classism in certain sports it is clear from what we see televised that certain events appeal to different layers of the social strata. What can help to erode this ‘class-based culture’ is the disruption of the tradition of private schooling being the entry pathway to certain sports and public schooling diverting to a different arena. Inclusivity and access to coaching and equipment at a more reasonable cost is a huge step forward also in levelling the playing field for our upcoming sporting hopefuls and the development of a new culture where wealth and color are not determining factors to access.
Sport and the Working Classes.pdf (drexel.edu)
The Relationship between Sport and Social Class. | The Universal Game (wordpress.com)
Denied entry, golfer alleges classism at Delhi Golf Club | Cities News,The Indian Express
Welcome to Augusta: Home to Racism, Classism, Sexism…….and Golf. | by Michael Margulis | Medium
Black Lives Matter: Dealing with golf’s ugly history and contradictions (telegram.com)
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