first in golf
I actually saw this on a license plate from South Carolina the other day. I think this officially signifies that the "get people to pay extra money to the DMV" campaign is in full force.
I have several problems with this license plate.
First, is South Carolina really "first in golf"? What makes them think they can get away with making a claim like this? As far as I know, golf was invented in Scotland like 600 years ago. I suppose there may have been some guys in South Carolina before that who wore funny clothes and spiky shoes. Maybe they somehow influenced the Scots. But the proof of such will be hard to document. And I'm fairly certain that the people at the South Carolina DMV do not have said documentation.
Second, who cares? Okay, I realize that South Carolina is engaged in a heated rivalry with a certain similarly-named rival to the north. And I also realize that this certain rival has already laid claim to "First in Flight." Fine, this is a legitimate claim (but don't tell the people of Ohio, whose license plates claim their state as "Birthplace of Aviation." I'm wondering how far this is going to go. "Texas - Birthplace of American Airlines Layover."). But to falsely imply that someone in your state invented golf? Even if it were true, it would be lame. To my knowledge, this is the only license plate to commemorate the invention of any sport. We don't see Massachusetts people bragging about being "First in Basketball," and that would actually be true.
Third, does South Carolina even have any good golf courses? I'm no golf expert (is
that an understatement!), but the ones I've always heard of are Pebble Beach, Augusta, St. Andrews, that one that Donald Trump owns. I'm pretty sure these are not in South Carolina. I've never heard anyone extolling the virtues of the Beech Creek Golf Club in Sumter.
Fourth, South Carolina has so many other wonderful things to offer. Why brag about being First in Golf when your state is home to "
South of the Border"? How about "First in Strange, Outlandish, and Sometimes Disturbing Roadside Attractions"? Let's get our priorities straight here.