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The Scandinavian Secret: Why does Sweden churn out so many great golfers?

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Bill Shamleffer:
A very interesting article - for many reasons - in today's Wall Street Journal.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120718283035984931.html?mod=sports

Here is a sample:
Golf had a slow start in Sweden, beginning as an elitist sport. Five decades after the first golf club in the country was founded at the turn of the 20th century, only 7,000 players were divided among 38 clubs.

FAMILY FARE

In the 1960s, however, the country's golf federation began promoting the game as an inexpensive family sport. Today, some 600,000 Swedes are registered golfers, with 90,000 under the age of 21. The country counts 480 golf clubs. No municipal courses exist because none are needed; the private clubs are open to all. Since there are so many players, membership fees are minimal, averaging $500 a year for adults and $200 for children. If that's too much, players can pay a daily green fee.

Phil_the_Author:
Because Bermuda greens can only be built where it is warm...  :o

Mike_Cirba:
Bill,

A real emphasis on providing great junior programs and government supported public golf.

Joe Bausch:
Are there things in common between program(s), etc, in place in Sweden with those in South Korea?  Is it just a huge (not Hugh Wilson!) statistical anomaly that accounts for the high percentage of South Koreans on the LPGA tour?

Mark Bourgeois:
I think the WSJ is a little late to this insight.  Hasn't the participation rate among Sweden's youth taken a troubling turn downward?

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