Left Handed Canadian Golfers - Why So Many?

Certainly the most famous
one from Canada

It has a lot to do with the fact that our season is so short. For a lot of Canadians, golf is a part time seasonal sport.

...it's hard to putt in a snowstorm

It has even more to do with the reality that Canadians are more likely to play ice hockey than golf. They are more likely to take up hockey first. They get comfortable with holding a hockey stick and a lot of right handed players shoot left.

...we call it hockey
...it's hard to skate in a field

In fact, the following sequence will help explain the large number of left handed golfers in this country.

1. Road hockey
2. Ice hockey
3. Baseball (usually softball before hardball)
4. Golf

If you can recall your first attempt at swinging a golf club, it felt about as natural as walking on a tightrope blindfolded. So the hockey player will often choose what is more familiar to them.

It is not uncommon on Canadian golf courses to see 3 and sometimes 4 golfers playing left handed. John the Golf Course Guy usually does an unofficial survey upon arriving at the tee with left handed golfers. He asks, "Curiosity. What hand do you write with?" If they respond with the right one, the conversation usually continues on about how they play hockey and baseball, how they tried playing right handed and then switched never to return.

I have heard it said that one of the major golf retailers in Canada, sell more left handed clubs than right. That may be true. The selection is almost as large as the right handed section.

A lot of Americans have difficulty understanding why a large number of Canadians play left handed. I always remember the chat conversation I had with a U. S. fireman while playing on Pokerstars. He said he had a coworker from Canada that he plays golf with. I replied with, "I bet he plays left handed." He said, "Yah, what's that all about?" and I continued to explain briefly the sequence of hockey then golf. He now understands why.

People who work at U. S. golf courses immediately recognize the left handed golfer as being not from around here. They usually respond with "Oh, so you're Canadian!"

...I have the greatest respect for all the firefighters everywhere
...I remember once watching a boxcar melt in a lumberyard fire
...fires are real scary

...Thank you for what you do for us