Golf and shooting sports share a number of similarities. Get your friends together for a new experience and some friendly competition.
With more than 25.1 million estimated participants across the United States, golf is one of the most popular recreational activities Americans participate in every year, especially when you look at Americans above high school age. But another popular activity that has seen gains in participation in recent years is recreational shooting, also referred to as the shooting sports According to the U.S. Department of Interior, there are more than 32 million target shooters in the United States, making it even more popular than golf. Interestingly, the qualities of golf that appeal to many people are also the same qualities that attract millions to the shooting sports. So, if you enjoy a day on the links, but haven’t given a day at the range a chance, you’re missing out.
Golf & Sporting Clays
One of the most common comparisons to shooting and golf is found in the competitive structure of sporting clays. Sporting clays is a shooting competition where competitors, often grouped like golfers, travel from station to station (like golf, hole to hole) and attempt to shoot a set number of moving disc-like targets (called clays). At each station, clays of differing sizes are thrown from different angles and distances to offer different shot presentations, all with varying degrees of difficulty, much like each hole on a golf course presents a different challenge to the golfer. Sporting clays has often been called “golf with guns” and continues to be one of the fastest growing and enjoyable games for those involved in the shooting sports.
One of the great things about sporting clays is you can be a shooter of any level and still have fun and not slow down the group.. In sporting clays, each shooter has the same number of targets to hit at each station, and they simply add up their score by counting the clays they hit. There is no looking for lost balls or waiting on the player or players whose longest drive looks like a chip shot and is lying 100 feet out from the green.
Chances are there’s a sporting clays course not far from where you live, and they are always welcoming folks new to the sport.
Other Common Comparisons
Sporting clays isn’t the only shooting competition that those who love golf might find appealing. In the shotgun sports, in addition to sporting clays, there are also skeet, 5-stand, trap, helice and other types of competition that may take less time during the day or offer distinct types of shooting fun. But there’s also target competition or simple target shooting with rifles and handguns that also have broad followings. There is even 3-Gun, a fast-paced and exciting shooting skills competition that combines a participant’s ability with all three firearms. 3-Gun has enjoyed a surge of popularity in recent years and a number of outdoor ranges offer local competitions for all skill levels on a regular basis.
Regardless of what type of shooting you decide you’d like to try, let’s look at a few of the other common aspects of golf and recreational shooting that will appeal to anyone who enjoys either (or both) activities.
Competition – Whether your goal is to go out and do better than your friends or simply to achieve a personal best on the course, the competitive drive that fires up a golfer is the same drive found in shooters. Becoming more accurate, hitting more targets and doing better each time is the goal of every shooter, just as lower scores, longer drives and more accurate putts shape the hopes of many golfers.
Exercise – Some people love high-aerobic activities like running, biking, swimming and the like. Awesome for them. But others simply want to get out of the easy chair, walk around and enjoy an activity that provides both mental and physical benefits without stressing their heart and lungs to exhaustion or risking an injury more physical sports such as football or boxing present. Golf and shooting can both be enjoyed in a way that provides those benefits without the strain of some sports.
Any One Can Enjoy – For that same reason, golf and shooting are two activities that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, skill levels and for the most part even physical ability. This makes them sports you can participate in from the time you are a child to well into your 70s, 80s and maybe even beyond.
Get Social – Both golf and shooting are great sports to enjoy with friends, family and even business associates or clients. Each allows time to talk between shots and share in a common, competitive activity that makes for lasting relationships and even better memories.
Get Outside – While shooting can be enjoyed at an indoor range, many recreational target or competitive opportunities are spent outdoors providing the chance for a person to enjoy some sunshine and fresh clean air, while reaping all of the other mental and physical benefits of making a change from our typical indoor environments.
The Shooting Edge
Both activities provide a lot of the same, great benefits. However, two advantages that recreational shooting has over golf are time and sometimes cost. A round of skeet or simply taking time at the range to improve marksmanship skills can be done in as little as an hour, whereas 18 holes of golf can take upwards of five hours (or more) depending on how crowded the course is. Cost can also be a factor as greens fees on a number of in-demand golf courses can run well over $100 and that’s before the cost of a cart (if used) is factored in. Meanwhile, range time can be had for as little as $20 per hour at many public ranges, making a quick shooting session, a more affordable option if you already have all of your ammunition.
Regardless of your motivations for golfing, there’s a good chance if you try shooting, you’ll soon find that you feel just as at home on the range as you do on the back nine. Don’t just take our word for it. There are plenty of resorts across the United States that think golf and guns are a match made in outdoor sports heaven. If you’re looking to go on vacation, play a few rounds, and try your hand at shotgun sports, check these resorts out.
The OMNI Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Virginia
U.S. Presidents have been playing here since 1892 and the historic Homestead Shooting Club hosted the first-ever U.S. Open Sporting Clays Championship in 1992. A visit here will have you experiencing the best of both the golf and shooting worlds.
The Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri
Also known as the “American’s Sportsman Lodge”, you’ll find a nine-hole par 3 course that’s so challenging it hosts a PGA Tour Champions tournament. Once you’re finished on the green, head over to the Bass Pro Shops Shooting Academy to try trap, skeet, or sporting clays.
The Nemacolin in Farmington, Pennsylvania
Home to Pete Dye’s, the ‘Picasso’ of golf course design, Mystic Rock course, the Nemacolin offers a first-class golf experience. Additionally, the 140-acre Nemacolin Field Complex boasts a top sporting clay facility as well as five-stand and guided hunts.
The American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin
Play at the Straits Course at Whistling Straits that has been the host of three PGA championships or visit the exclusive River Wildlife club, a 500-acre wilderness preserve to shoot trap, five-stand, or to give pheasant hunting a try.
The Coeur d’Alene Resort in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Home of the Floating Green and once described as “America’s most beautiful resort golf course” by Golf Digest, you can be sure you will have an incredible golf experience here. Keeping with the luxury theme, the Coeur d’Alene offers a clay shooting experience at the Double Barrel Ranch where you can enjoy sporting clays and five-stand.
