Are the Crunchy Life and Golf Mutually Exclusive?

Little did I know that the day I met my wife at Pusser's Bar and Grill in downtown Annapolis would mark the beginning of a transformation in how I take care of myself and my future family physically.

While marriage brings a whole host of transformations to the couple's life, I want to focus on what we started doing for our physical health. 

Only during the last few years did I start considering where my food is coming from and what is actually in it, all because of my wife. Not only food, but our household cleaning products, toiletries, clothes, etc. 

Next thing I knew I was rubbing beef tallow on my face at night while also cooking with it, drinking raw milk, using cloth diapers for our kiddos, filtering our water, making homemade cleaning products, baking a lot of sourdough, buying organic/grass fed, you name it. It did not take much convincing for me to get on this bandwagon. A little bit of research, a few podcasts, and a couple books later, and I had officially been indoctrinated by the crunchy life people (CLP for short) and began looking at health much more holistically. If you’re interested in my recommendations for books or podcasts about these topics shoot me an email at contact@gusgolf.com.

The Lord blessed us with our first child almost two years ago and our second shortly after, prompting great urgency on my part to adopt a lifestyle free from as many toxins as possible and one that supplies the greatest amount of nutrition to our family. 

Now, what does this have to do with golf? Well, golf courses are one of the most toxin ridden places a person spends time at for recreation. 

Most golf courses are treated with an alarming amount of pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides—many of which are known to be toxic to humans. These chemicals are used to keep fairways pristine and greens rolling fast, but at what cost?

Studies show that prolonged exposure to these chemicals can lead to:

-Hormonal imbalances
-Neurological disorders
-Respiratory issues
-Skin irritation and allergies

Did you know there is only 1 golf course in the United States that is 100% organic? The Vineyard Golf Club  

While I'm not saying to never step foot on a golf course again because I certainly would not follow that advice. Maybe don't kiss your ball, like ever, not just when the sign is hanging that says "Don't kiss your ball, chemicals applied". Try not to touch your face. Maybe don't spend a ton of time digging through the tall grass that mosquito joe sprayed with chemicals the night before. 

One time I was on a golf course at dusk coming up the #9 fairway and a mosquito joe truck comes barreling down the tree line right towards me with a massive cloud of spray emitting from the back of it. He kindly turned it off once he noticed me but I still had to walk through the cancer cloud to get back to the parking lot. 

It might be time for a holistic/crunchy golf brand to enter the chat. Here’s what my imagination produces for the idea of a crunchy golfer. He shows up to his permacultural golf course like this one where the animals and plants live in a holistic ecosystem that works with nature rather than against it. He made sure to bring his homemade bug spray made from witch hazel and essential oils because mosquito joe definitely doesn’t visit this course. He has on his polyester free and 100% natural fiber outfit paired with his wide toe box grounding golf shoes. Before he heads out off the #1 tee he made sure to apply his Vanman tallow and zinc sunscreen. Between holes he pets the cows roaming the fields and snags a couple non-toxic blackberries. 

Let me know what crunchy golf looks like to you! 

MAHA

-Evan