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How did golf change your life for the better?

davidrichards

davidrichards

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I was introduced by my dad to golf and it's molded me into the person I am today and given me a lifetime of happy memories.

How has golf changed your life for the better?

I'm writing a blog post on this for a website Ivygolf.com and would love to include some of your stories in my article.

Edit: For anyone who's interest here's a link to the article: https://ivygolf.com/why-play-golf/ Thanks for the responses!
 
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Its fulfilled my need for self-inflicted agony?
 
Golf gave me an outlet to be competitive as I grow older and allows me to grateful to enjoy the green spaces Around my area. The serenity of seeing wildlife in the midst of the game is an added bonus.
 
I started taking lessons in 2018 and taking it more seriously so I could play golf with my dad, who was obsessed with golf. Unfortunately he passed last year but we got in a couple great dad-son bonding rounds before.

Now I’m really excited to play with my kids as they get older. My son shows some promise at 9 and my daughter just made the golf team so I’m really excited that this is something we can hopefully do for the rest of our lives.

I also really like how hard it is. It gives me a lot of satisfaction in being somewhat competent at something that is really difficult. My family makes fun of me for always complaining about participation trophies and how I go on about “back in my day, they never gave out bs trophies for participating“ and how I’m getting old and cranky. Haha
 
Its taught me patience, forgivness and how to give it my best shot and accept whatever the results are. IMO, theres a lot of lessons that one can learn in golf which are very useful in life.
 
I picked up the game late in life after my first son was born. He will be turning 4 in March and I am happy to say he loves golf. My favorite time on the course is when he goes with me. It’s our time together as he is a momma’s boy except when daddy is going to play golf. I love watching him swing his little wedge and putter and even though I play horribly because he is so distracting at this age, it is still the best part of the game for me.
 
I spend more time with my dad than I probably otherwise would since he’s my main playing partner.
 
shanewu said:
I spend more time with my dad than I probably otherwise would since he’s my main playing partner.
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almost the same here...gets me out with my brother more since he won’t play other sports.
 
I can partake in a threesome, foursome, fivesome, or moresome and not risk a divorce or breaking a law.:ROFLMAO:

Really though, exercising patience when not making my desired shot, having fun with friends... I got to play in Spain one time, another time in Germany.
 
I learned the game from my dad, he loved teaching young kids. Whether it be baseball, bowling, or golf he loved working with the youth. Being that my dad passed away at 59, I cherished the times I had with him on the golf course. There where great times.
 
Playing golf was originally a family outing; we would go out together and spend quality time building new skills in sport while also working on patience, planning, and managing expectations. We would camp at the course for a weekend, and those are some of the best summer memories I have from growing up.
 
chile said:
almost the same here...gets me out with my brother more since he won’t play other sports.
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My dad and I hope my twin brother will join us at some point but we aren’t too optimistic. We grew up playing tennis and that’s still my brother’s main extracurricular activity.
 
I got into golf as the first in family. My father learned to play from playing with me. I took my golf game into business and developed a great clientel who enjoyed golf and playing business golf with me. My first trip to Scotland was with clients and my first trip to Ireland was with clients. Golf opened doors that would have been shut to me.
 
I get to have a nice long walk out in the sunshine once a week and tell bad jokes. I also get to hear the newest "dad" jokes.
 
Picked up the game in junior high. Caddied at the country club and played competitive golf in HS. It has been a part of me ever since.
 
I played when I was younger but then started playing hockey in my late 20s to late 30s. After 3 shoulder surgeries and 1 hip surgery I started playing golf again. It gives me the competitive outlet I need as well as a stress reliever. When I’m playing golf I’m not thinking about anything else that is going on in my life.


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What has golf produced for me? I've deleted a bunch of responses because they all ring pretty hollow. I cannot list them adequately.

It's the catalyst of, outside family, the most important relationships in my life.
It's the great neutralizer where play outshines age/paycheck/education/etc.

It gave me an opportunity to play at an elite level without being an elite turd.
It provided me an opportunity to learn, educate, and support the success of others.

I really want to delete that and try again but I wont.
 
It gives me a chance to breathe, to escape everything in the world and just enjoy life. Even if it's frustrating to not play your best, that's the beauty because even then, you're not thinking about what else is going wrong. It's given me friends I didn't have before. I talk to @LLIB and most if the guys from the Hogan event almost everyday!
 
Long story short.
Started playing when I was around 8/9 years old. At 12 years old(1983) I got my working papers and went to the local country club to caddy. The caddy master taught me and a buddy how to caddy on Easter Sunday with ice on half of the course. Caddied for 3 summers there.
At 15 years old (1986) half way through the summer I got a job as a dishwasher at a restaurant my brother worked. The same day I got the job my neighbor who worked at another country club across town was leaving to go to school and asked if I wanted his job as a bag rat (cleaning clubs). I hit the jackpot. $3 an hour cash under the table and golf any day after 4pm. Called the restaurant to tell them I quit the same day they hired me. Met my 2 best friends the next day when I went to the new job.
Fast forward- My one friend who I talked to daily set me up on a blind date 16 years ago with this girl he worked with. Met my wife from the date and have a son.

So basically if it wasn't for golf at 15 years old I would have taken a job washing dishes and don't know where I'd be in life right now.

Funny thing is my son asked me yesterday when did I met my friends. When I told him I was 15 when we met and think about he(my son) is only 11 and to imagine in 4 more years meeting 2 people and being best friends 35 years later.
 
It didn’t make my life better until late 2018. That’s when I found this place and got picked for an event and met some awesome guys I still talk to almost every day. I’ve met a few others that I consider friends. I’ve played new courses and been places I never would have went on my own. It’s made me come out of my comfort zone which is a good thing.
 
I need outdoor activity pursuits and working with my hands. Also getting older building a network of friends gets harder. Golf has given me a game/sport with fun equipment and social engagement with others that I can pursue into my senior years. It is a nice fit for me at this point in my life.
 
I needed a new hobby after I was done playing soccer. I've always played some form of sport since I've been a kid and although Golf was extremely frustrating/stressful. I finally found something where I can enjoy playing, still frustrating at times, but overall it's enjoyable.
 
Golf has given me the ability to make new friends, teach myself humility, and give me a purpose driven area for constant improvement.
 
Golf has provided a passion for my wife that she and I share. I introduced her to the game and she fell in love with it.
Our shared passion for the game has brought us even closer than we were before.
 
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