Paige Spiranac has long been one of the loudest voices calling out hypocrisy in golf. Be it about dress codes, double standards, or the sport’s old-school culture. In fact, she said that it was this hypocrisy that drove her to abandon her professional golf career and turn into a social media influencer. According to her, golf is elitist, stuffy, and exclusive, which she is not. Now, she has raised another concern on a similar topic.

“I love golf. I want everyone to play and I’m excited about all the new people getting into the game. I feel that should be the attitude everyone should have if you truly love the game,” Paige Spiranac wrote in an X post.

“I’m so tired of hearing “shrink” and hating on this new culture of golf fans. This condescending and belittling behavior of new golfers is gross to me. You’re not better than someone else or morally superior because you’ve played longer. Golf doesn’t need to be stuffy and exclusive to preserve what we all love about the game so much. It’s about community. Part of the growth is educating and helping new players learn. Stop gatekeeping golf.”

🤔 golf trivia

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01/10

How Many Kiwi Golfers Have Won a Major?

3451

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The 33-year-old is referring to the attitude among some local and traditional golfers who want the game to stay small, quiet, and protected from outsiders. This “Shrink the Game” movement has gained a lot of momentum in recent years. It became a movement as golf grew increasingly popular, with many players and influencers taking up the sport. As a result, the courses have become overcrowded. Besides that, green fees have skyrocketed, and there’s a perceived decline in etiquette.

On the other hand, advocates like Paige Spiranac argue that it curbs inclusivity. This kind of thinking can affect the sport in multiple ways. For instance, newcomers may feel unwelcome or hesitate to book tee times. In fact, they might avoid public courses altogether if they think they are being judged before they even learn the basics. This means that fewer people stick with the game long enough to become lifelong players or fans.

Some golfers want this “shrink” culture, as many long-time players have seen their tee times disappear. To add to that, prices at local courses have increased significantly. While this has attracted more people to the game, it has also made playing golf a little more inaccessible, which in turn means that newcomers are the ones who bear the brunt of it.

Many professional golfers, including Rory McIlroy, share this view of Paige Spiranac. When ESPN asked Jason Kelce to be part of the Masters Par-3 Contest, many fans were against his appearance there. Many critics said that Kelce’s addition affected the contest’s tradition. However, the Northern Irishman said that it actually encouraged more participation.

As more high-profile voices like Paige Spiranac continue to support efforts to make golf more accessible, the debate over tradition versus inclusivity is unlikely to fade anytime soon.