I saw this tweet from @darrenrovell yesterday “Round of golf in the US (through May) down 4.9%, days open are down 3.5% (Source: PGA PerformanceTrak) and I thought it came at perfect timing.

This morning kicks off a three-day holiday weekend. Millions of us around the country will luck at our clubs this weekend, think about it and never pick them up. We have our reasons of course: golf is hard, golf is expensive, we don’t have 4 hours to log a full round, who would I play with? I encourage you to push through whatever excuse stands in your way.

Need to save money? Call all the courses in the area and find the best twilight rate. Search online for coupons or sponsor deals Or, just play 9.

Only have a couple hours? Play 9. Hit the range. Play early in the a.m. and walk fast.

Not having fun anymore? Schedule a lesson this weekend. I can attest – the games more fun when you take a few lessons and start to understand what you’re trying to do.

The fact that golf rounds are down can be attributed to many things, including the incredibly soggy spring. But, there’s no reason we can’t change those numbers by the end of summer. Golf is a great game. People should be out there playing. If you don’t have a partner or foursome…introduce your children to the game or invite a buddy out for a round.

The next three days are yours for the taking. Happy Fourth of July to all of you. Don’t be afraid to celebrate with a tee, a white ball and that bag of clubs you’ve been neglecting.