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HBirdman80

HBirdman80

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During discussion on one of the Legacy threads I mentioned I was saving my golfing background story until the official launch. JB responded Legacy was about the future and suggested I start a new thread, so here it is!

But instead of just talking about me (which is boring), I thought I'd make a thread for people who want to share how they got into the great game of golf or wound up here in the great THP community.

I'll share first (obviously). My story goes back generations (4 to be exact). My great grandfather wanted to join the Wilmington (Delaware) Country Club. He was not allowed to join because he was a member of the 'wrong' religion. He was not pleased; despite being a brigadier general (serving in both World Wars) and a respected member of the community, he couldn't play golf where he wanted because he was a Jew.

He and a group of his friends in similar situations decided to form their own club, the Brandywine Country Club (http://www.brandywinecountryclub.net). 2.5 years later he suffered a heart attack while playing at the club. The golfing experience allowed my great grandfather and grandfather (who didn't always have a great relationship) to bond. They were both very good golfers, winning multiple tournaments. My grandfather passed that experience down to my father who (to my mom's dismay) bought me my first set of golf clubs when I was about 9.

Sadly genetics didn't work for me and I'm not nearly the golfer they were. During my first lesson I broke my dad's nose when I followed through with a baseball style swing and caught dad with my 7-iron. Despite that, dad encouraged me and joined a course close enough to our house that I could ride my bike to play. It turned out I was very talented in other sports and shifted my focus to those. Injuries from those sports resulted in me being forced to give up golf for a while, though I eventually began playing infrequently.

This spring my grandmother was diagnosed with a terminal illness with months to live. She had always encouraged my golfing (she played with grandpa) and had always said I never took time for myself or spent any money on myself. So I decided to get serious about golfing so she could see me doing something we both loved before she passed; I started researching for a club to joint and for new equipment. That search led me to THP and is how I wound up here, and I am glad I did.

Now time for the soapbox: it doesn't matter your gender, race, religion, creed, finances, etc., golf is a uniquely equalizing and social sport...I've played with billionaires and broke guys trying to make a tour, men and women, from Alaska to Florida to Europe and all points in between, and it has given me great joy. The only constant is that the player be a decent human being. And for me, my family's golf experience taught me that it doesn't matter what people tell you or if you're discriminated against, nothing is out of reach of your creativity, hard work, and determination. And that's why golf is so wonderful.

So that's my story! And now it is your turn. How did you get here? How did you get into golf? How did you wind up at THP? I'm looking forward to reading the stories that make golf such a wonderful sport and THP a great community.
 
My story with golf really started when I was 9 years old. I found a small headed driver for cheap at a garage sell and asked my dad if I could get it. Then from there friends of family and coworkers of my dad gave me some hand me down clubs and that gave me a mixed set of assorted clubs. For the next couple years I smacked balls into my grandparents field and no one wanted to actually take me golfing, no one in my family golfed they were all hillbillies from western PA and immigrated to the steel town of Warren, OH. Finally convinced my dad to take me and my cousin golfing on my 11th Birthday at the local par 3. For the next couple years I maybe played about 10 rounds a year and a local tournament. Once I got to high school I was a freshman playing with all seniors, I thought I was great and that I would be just like the captain who shot par or under pretty much every round. I ended up going from a 52 average to 49 to 43 to 46 lol. My senior season was a disaster played in some NOPGA's but shot some disgusting and humiliating rounds of 122 and 137, I would go on to shoot anywhere from 40 to 57 in matches my senior season. I played with hand me down clubs which were like 1993 Lynx parallax and a Vokey and CG10 I got cheap at a garage sale. I didn't come from one of those privileged schools were the golf coach new what he was talking about or family that bought clubs and drove me to lessons, my family saw it as more of a hobby. After graduating in 2012, I decided that I was going to study Turfgrass Management at THE Ohio State University- Agricultural Technical Institute and worked at Avalon Lakes Golf and Country Club that summer after graduation, during that summer I found out I was allergic to grass and trees lol. I ended up spending only one semester at OSU, because I realized that I wouldn't be able to golf much if I chose to pursue a job at an elite club. During that Christmas break I starting using golfwrx.com and up until recently I really haven't been on this site much, but it is refreshing to know that not every claims to carry their driver 350 yards into the wind. I currently work at Dick's in the golf shop and love getting to talk to golfers of all ages, abilities and social statuses. I try to play about 3 times a week when I am not in school (go to Kent-Trumbull now for Business-Management) I plan on playing this game until I am physically unable to. I think my dream job would be working in golf sales and being able to grow the game among the youth in my community.
 
lvgolfer said:
My story with golf really started when I was 9 years old. I found a small headed driver for cheap at a garage sell and asked my dad if I could get it. Then from there friends of family and coworkers of my dad gave me some hand me down clubs and that gave me a mixed set of assorted clubs. For the next couple years I smacked balls into my grandparents field and no one wanted to actually take me golfing, no one in my family golfed they were all hillbillies from western PA and immigrated to the steel town of Warren, OH. Finally convinced my dad to take me and my cousin golfing on my 11th Birthday at the local par 3. For the next couple years I maybe played about 10 rounds a year and a local tournament. Once I got to high school I was a freshman playing with all seniors, I thought I was great and that I would be just like the captain who shot par or under pretty much every round. I ended up going from a 52 average to 49 to 43 to 46 lol. My senior season was a disaster played in some NOPGA's but shot some disgusting and humiliating rounds of 122 and 137, I would go on to shoot anywhere from 40 to 57 in matches my senior season. I played with hand me down clubs which were like 1993 Lynx parallax and a Vokey and CG10 I got cheap at a garage sale. I didn't come from one of those privileged schools were the golf coach new what he was talking about or family that bought clubs and drove me to lessons, my family saw it as more of a hobby. After graduating in 2012, I decided that I was going to study Turfgrass Management at THE Ohio State University- Agricultural Technical Institute and worked at Avalon Lakes Golf and Country Club that summer after graduation, during that summer I found out I was allergic to grass and trees lol. I ended up spending only one semester at OSU, because I realized that I wouldn't be able to golf much if I chose to pursue a job at an elite club. During that Christmas break I starting using golfwrx.com and up until recently I really haven't been on this site much, but it is refreshing to know that not every claims to carry their driver 350 yards into the wind. I currently work at Dick's in the golf shop and love getting to talk to golfers of all ages, abilities and social statuses. I try to play about 3 times a week when I am not in school (go to Kent-Trumbull now for Business-Management) I plan on playing this game until I am physically unable to. I think my dream job would be working in golf sales and being able to grow the game among the youth in my community.
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Awesome story! Thanks for sharing. I hope you manage to realize your dream in golf sales!
 
Great thread Dan! Enjoyed reading your story buddy.

Golf began for me in the 9th grade when I had to choose a sport for high school. I was overweight with little athletic ability....I had played recreational followed by club/select soccer from age 5-12 before stopping for some reason I can't remember. I sucked in high school (breaking 50 on 9 was good and 44 - 45 was a great score for me) playing at no longer than 6,000 yards. Played throughout high school and then a little bit when I was in the military before dropping it when we had kids. Picked it up again seriously 3 1/2 years ago when the water sports scene was getting a bit tiresome.

Found THP in February 2011 when searching for reviews on irons and they've been stuck with me here ever since. The rest is history......errrrr the rest is MY legacy.
 
#Cookie said:
Great thread Dan! Enjoyed reading your story buddy.

Golf began for me in the 9th grade when I had to choose a sport for high school. I was overweight with little athletic ability....I had played recreational followed by club/select soccer from age 5-12 before stopping for some reason I can't remember. I sucked in high school (breaking 50 on 9 was good and 44 - 45 was a great score for me) playing at no longer than 6,000 yards. Played throughout high school and then a little bit when I was in the military before dropping it when we had kids. Picked it up again seriously 3 1/2 years ago when the water sports scene was getting a bit tiresome.

Found THP in February 2011 when searching for reviews on irons and they've been stuck with me here ever since. The rest is history......errrrr the rest is MY legacy.
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Thanks! I figured everyone has some kind of story of how they got into golf and got to THP and I think learning about people's past is fun, interesting, and helps you understand them as people better.

And thanks to JB for the idea of the new thread!
 
Nice thread, Dan. My story is pretty bland. I was a senior in college at UC Santa Barbara and found golf as kind of a "drinking activity." Besides drinking, I surfed in college, and you can't really drink when you surf, so I picked up a set of clubs from Target and a few of my buddies started to play. One guy was pretty good, so he showed us the basics, but really we just had a lot of fun. I started to get into it more, but then I went to law school and didn't have the time or funds for golf. I grew up on distance running and after law school, I started to get back into that. But after a few years of being plagued by injuries, decided to get into golf again. Now it's a great opportunity for me to get outside and have something besides family and work to focus on.

I stumbled on THP when I was looking for golf course reviews a couple years ago. There were some really good threads on golf and equipment (I remember thinking, "people actually get fit for golf clubs?") and I love talking golf, so it was an instant match. I've definitely learned a ton about the game from THP and made a bunch of friends, so will keep that going.
 
Good thread. I started playing when I was 15, I wanted to spend time with my dad and it seemed to be the only way. I got interested quickly and strove to be better. I would shoot in the low 50's and eventually the mid 40's. I went to MSU for a golf camp and actually won my flight in the final tournament of the week I still have that trophy. I thought ok I can do this and began to get serious about it. I tried out for my high school golf team and that's when my dreams were crushed. I didn't make the team and went back to ask the coach why, he told me kid you have no natural ability. Who says that to a 16 yr old kid? Ugh anyways that next year he was gone and a new coach took over so I tried out again, I made the team that year, but never really played well. Instead of using what that guy said as a motivator, I kinda just gave up. I quit playing for nearly 10 years before I picked up the game again.

I played with a couple friends and my dad here and there through my 20's but after getting married and kids my time for golf was very limited, plus I didn't have many local buddies who played. I'm about 4 years back at it playing frequently, I have my good days and my bad days. I found THP looking for reviews on new irons as all my equipment was old and have been here since. I posted a few messages on other forums and never got responses. I posted here and got a response within minutes, thats when I knew THP was the place for me.
 
I started playing when I was 23 and just about to leave the Navy. Several friends/co-workers tried to get me to play for 2 years but I kept pushing them off until one day a shipmate of mine had played a few times with his dad and our duty station hosted a golf tournament every month from April thru Oct. One of them was a 9 hole night golf tourney with food and all you can drink included in the price. He asked me to play and of course I said I never played before. We both started going to the driving range and playing rounds on Andrews AFB. I figured this can't be too hard, I play baseball/softball so the swings have to be similar and hitting a ball that isn't moving has to be easier than one that is moving. Boy was I wrong, however I was hooked from the first day on the range.

I took almost 3 years off shortly after 9/11 happened due to work load. I started playing again in 2004/2005 then stopped playing again in late 2006 after I met my now wife. We got engaged after only a few months of dating and between church, wedding planning and traveling I didn't have much time to practice or play. I started playing again in 2010 a few times here and there and more serious playing again in 2011. I play about 20 rounds year or so.
 
Y'all have got some great stories.... and some good family history to go back to. And you've got physical talent towards the game or some other sport... I'm not so lucky. I've got absolutely no physical talent whatsoever. I talking I'm not even good at power drinking. It's that bad.

I played golf for my first time after I joined the USAF. My plane was broke in like 1992 or 1993 and we were sitting on the ground at Torrejon Spain (after the base had been closed and most everything was pulled out so there was nothing literally to do...). One of the guys on my crew went to what was left of the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation building and found the base golf course was still open. He went to play and I tagged along not knowing what was going on or what I was doing. I enjoyed it. I continued to play off and on as I could afford it, bought a set of knock off copies of Big Berthas, and played AT golf... never improving.

Several years later I stopped playing golf when my wife of 16 years died. Heck, I stopped doing everything for a time and didn't care about anything. Several years beyond that I'm interested in golf again and still playing AT it.

I found THP when I was looking for reviews on clubs to replace the cloned clubs I had for years. I'm trying to play at least once per week after work (which is doable until it's too dark later this fall because I live over 1 hr from work)... I'm wanting a ClicGear 3.5, new shoes, clubs, etc... but my wife keeps me in line saying "NO! We can't afford it..." Unfortunately she has absolutely no interest in golf and wonders why I even bother... but she realizes I'm having fun with it and that I could have worse hobbies.
 
It wasn't until my discharge from active duty and getting my first civilian career job, that I paid any attention to golf. I quickly noticed that many of my peers in higher positions were playing in charity events and with clients. So I thought it a good career move to get a set of clubs and start learning to hit the ball. It wasn't until sometime later that I became somewhat of a golf addict. My wife's niece recently graduated with a business degree and she asked my advice. I told her to learn to play golf, more deals are devised in the 19th hole than any boardroom. What started as a professional necessity is now one of the lasting pleasures of my aging life.

CAA-Beat is a long time friend and golfing buddy, he introduced me to this site. Something for which I am genuinely grateful.
 
Bit of a random/odd beginning for me..

I was sitting at my ex's kitchen table having breakfast when her half-sisters boyfriend walked in with his clubs and said "I'm going to the golf course", he walked out and for some reason my first thought was "golf.. I'd kinda like to check that out". I've been hooked ever since.

I found THP by googling reviews or searching for a good golf forum to join(I love forums). Great place, great people. I rarely have to look elsewhere for something that hasn't already been discussed on here.
 
Found it by accident and never left :act-up:
 
Around 11 years old one afternoon I was messing around outside and saw my dads clubs. I picked up the 4 iron and started swinging it in the yard. Little did I know he played righty and I was trying to use it left handed at the time. Started hitting worm burners with the back of dad's 4 iron across the back yard. He came home and found me in the middle of a round. Asked if I wanted a few clubs of my own. He got me a lefty starter set. I played through high school and college. Stopped playing when I moved out on my own until my wife wanted to go to a range one afternoon (Taught her to play in college). From that day forward the fire lit up and has been burning brighter than ever before. Found THP in November last year doing my own research on the S55 irons. Saw the granddaddy play out and joined the Albatross Club the day after. Got to play the Indy Invitational this year and had tons of fun. I wonder what 2015 will bring...
 
Me and a mate found an old set of clubs in his garage. He had a lot of land out the back, and we were bored, so off we went to hit some golf balls. Being left handed i used the back of the clubs to hit the ball, which is obviously impossible. However, I soon became hooked, I sourced some free clubs from a customer in my parents' pub, and started playing with a left handed grip (but at least using the face of the club to hit the ball now). As I became more and more hooked, I strted teaching myself, mainly from Golf World articles. It soon became clear that a lot of the stuff with my grip didn't work... left shoulder higher tun the right, 2 knuckles visible on the left hand etc etc, so I switched to an orthodox right handed grip, and 25 years later I play to single figures (just LOL).
 
Philly Golf Guy said:
Nice thread, Dan. My story is pretty bland. I was a senior in college at UC Santa Barbara and found golf as kind of a "drinking activity." Besides drinking, I surfed in college, and you can't really drink when you surf, so I picked up a set of clubs from Target and a few of my buddies started to play. One guy was pretty good, so he showed us the basics, but really we just had a lot of fun. I started to get into it more, but then I went to law school and didn't have the time or funds for golf. I grew up on distance running and after law school, I started to get back into that. But after a few years of being plagued by injuries, decided to get into golf again. Now it's a great opportunity for me to get outside and have something besides family and work to focus on.

I stumbled on THP when I was looking for golf course reviews a couple years ago. There were some really good threads on golf and equipment (I remember thinking, "people actually get fit for golf clubs?") and I love talking golf, so it was an instant match. I've definitely learned a ton about the game from THP and made a bunch of friends, so will keep that going.
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Man, you and I did law school completely differently! My third year I went to class twice a week and played golf about three times a week (and hung out on South Beach the rest of the time)!
 
Scorpion12 said:
Y'all have got some great stories.... and some good family history to go back to. And you've got physical talent towards the game or some other sport... I'm not so lucky. I've got absolutely no physical talent whatsoever. I talking I'm not even good at power drinking. It's that bad.

I played golf for my first time after I joined the USAF. My plane was broke in like 1992 or 1993 and we were sitting on the ground at Torrejon Spain (after the base had been closed and most everything was pulled out so there was nothing literally to do...). One of the guys on my crew went to what was left of the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation building and found the base golf course was still open. He went to play and I tagged along not knowing what was going on or what I was doing. I enjoyed it. I continued to play off and on as I could afford it, bought a set of knock off copies of Big Berthas, and played AT golf... never improving.

Several years later I stopped playing golf when my wife of 16 years died. Heck, I stopped doing everything for a time and didn't care about anything. Several years beyond that I'm interested in golf again and still playing AT it.

I found THP when I was looking for reviews on clubs to replace the cloned clubs I had for years. I'm trying to play at least once per week after work (which is doable until it's too dark later this fall because I live over 1 hr from work)... I'm wanting a ClicGear 3.5, new shoes, clubs, etc... but my wife keeps me in line saying "NO! We can't afford it..." Unfortunately she has absolutely no interest in golf and wonders why I even bother... but she realizes I'm having fun with it and that I could have worse hobbies.
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Great story! What were you flying in the USAF?
 
Golf for me started early. In elementary school my brother and I both got pitching wedges for christmas one year, and it went from there. Grandparents on my mother's side of the family lived outside a small town on a farm. Many Sundays were sent chipping and pitching around their farm site. Hit a couple barns, hit a couple trucks, eventually the shots got straighter.

My only real rounds of golf in my youth were with my grandparents. Neither of my parents play (much to my dismay, they could use a hobby in their retirement). In my late teens I started playing rounds with my friends, and the round numbers hovered around 5 or 6 a year until around the age of 27 or 28.

Ended up catching on playing with a guy who used to work where I did, and got in with a group of guys in their 50's and 60's. Signed up for a membership and started playing 60-80 rounds a year, rain or shine, snow or wind.

The thing I have always hoped to get out of golf, was friendship with more people my age. Strangely enough, I don't know many people my own age who golf here. Still searching for those 3 other avid golfers my age to get out for rounds with regularly unfortunately.

How did I get to THP? Embarassed to say I found the site because you could test sets of clubs. For a couple years I never got past the front/main page. It took me a long time to find the forum side. Very happy I did. It has changed my life, with the camaraderie, and all of the knowledge that gets shared. Being in a small town, finding unbiased reliable golf information is a difficult thing... but luckily I have THP for that!
 
The more I read, the more I love this thread. Thanks to those that have shared thus far!
 
HBirdman80 said:
During discussion on one of the Legacy threads I mentioned I was saving my golfing background story until the official launch. JB responded Legacy was about the future and suggested I start a new thread, so here it is!

But instead of just talking about me (which is boring), I thought I'd make a thread for people who want to share how they got into the great game of golf or wound up here in the great THP community.

I'll share first (obviously). My story goes back generations (4 to be exact). My great grandfather wanted to join the Wilmington (Delaware) Country Club. He was not allowed to join because he was a member of the 'wrong' religion. He was not pleased; despite being a brigadier general (serving in both World Wars) and a respected member of the community, he couldn't play golf where he wanted because he was a Jew.

He and a group of his friends in similar situations decided to form their own club, the Brandywine Country Club (http://www.brandywinecountryclub.net). 2.5 years later he suffered a heart attack while playing at the club. The golfing experience allowed my great grandfather and grandfather (who didn't always have a great relationship) to bond. They were both very good golfers, winning multiple tournaments. My grandfather passed that experience down to my father who (to my mom's dismay) bought me my first set of golf clubs when I was about 9.

Sadly genetics didn't work for me and I'm not nearly the golfer they were. During my first lesson I broke my dad's nose when I followed through with a baseball style swing and caught dad with my 7-iron. Despite that, dad encouraged me and joined a course close enough to our house that I could ride my bike to play. It turned out I was very talented in other sports and shifted my focus to those. Injuries from those sports resulted in me being forced to give up golf for a while, though I eventually began playing infrequently.

This spring my grandmother was diagnosed with a terminal illness with months to live. She had always encouraged my golfing (she played with grandpa) and had always said I never took time for myself or spent any money on myself. So I decided to get serious about golfing so she could see me doing something we both loved before she passed; I started researching for a club to joint and for new equipment. That search led me to THP and is how I wound up here, and I am glad I did.

Now time for the soapbox: it doesn't matter your gender, race, religion, creed, finances, etc., golf is a uniquely equalizing and social sport...I've played with billionaires and broke guys trying to make a tour, men and women, from Alaska to Florida to Europe and all points in between, and it has given me great joy. The only constant is that the player be a decent human being. And for me, my family's golf experience taught me that it doesn't matter what people tell you or if you're discriminated against, nothing is out of reach of your creativity, hard work, and determination. And that's why golf is so wonderful.

So that's my story! And now it is your turn. How did you get here? How did you get into golf? How did you wind up at THP? I'm looking forward to reading the stories that make golf such a wonderful sport and THP a great community.
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This is exactly how the country club I grew up at was started. The premier cc at the time would not accept Jews so they bought a bunch of land and created one of the finest cc in the Midwest . Sad to see this stuff go on.

Crow valley country club is the name.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
How I came to become a golfer:
My Dad took me to Maggie Valley, North Carolina for my Aunt/Uncles 40th wedding anniversary / family reunion. I had gone to the range with him a few times but this was really my first time on the course; he bought me a set of Dunlop ladies clubs from a garage sale about a month prior and they were having an 18-hole shotgun start as part of the celebration.

By the back 9 I was hitting the ball straight and having a blast. When I got back I asked to go to the range several times per week and we would play the 9-hole course at Harbor Links on Long Island before I was relatively consistent enough for the 18 hole course. I went to Nike Golf Camp and placed 2nd in the championship (my good friend/neighbor came in first - I hit the ball longer than him but his wedge game has always been amazing). Became addicted to the point my first real job was a caddy at a private club in Garden City, LI; talking golf, reading greens, and being outside all the while being able to play for free on Mondays.

Played my Junior and Senior year on my High School team and I played D3 Golf at The University Of Scranton for 3 years; by the time senior year rolled around I was honestly burnt out from playing 18-27 holes every day and range time in between with school and socializing. I proceeded to give the game up for about 4 years and picked it up again in 2011; now I go to the range 2-3 times a week and try to play every weekend. I do not see me getting burnt out again as I now feel it is my release/escape.

As for how I found this amazing place:
I was online researching drivers to replace my R5 XL and stumbled upon this place - didn't become a member for a bit and trolled for awhile. Since then I have purchased the Albatross Membeship 2X, Gone to one of the outings in Atlantic City, and won the Martin Kaymer shoe contest!

I am definitely here to stay and continue to spread the word!

-Ryan
 
My mother and father were married in 1969 , and I was born in 1972


No , one day at work we typed in " hacker" .. And than I saw this . Of all the forums I have to say , every one on here is genuine and honest . No 350 yard 7 irons and plus 20 handicaps that all play on tour. I love just basic old amateur golfers like myself
 
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Great thread Dan!

My first introduction to golf was volunteering at the 1995 Ryder Cup at Oak Hill. I worked at the beer tents and got to watch some pretty incredible golf and was amazed at the atmosphere. Not having anyone in the family play golf, I had no idea this went on. Still I was a baseball guy and after college moved on to softball.

When I first moved to Boston, to make extra money I caddied at Blue Hills Country Club on the weekends with a good friend of mine from college. He was a golfer growing up and was actually on the golf team at our alma mater. He dragged me out to play when the course was closed on Mondays as we were allowed to play for free. I had to find a used set of Triumph golf clubs that were tough to hit in order to play. Still it didn't catch on for me.

It wasn't until I took a position handling the State of Hawaii retirement plan that golf took for me. Everytime we met with the contacts they wanted to play. Couple that with a throwing shoulder that was deteriorating from a nasty injury I had in college and it was the perfect storm. That was 8.5 years ago. I quit playing softball about 2 years after I started really playing and haven't looked back since.

What I quickly found was that I knew absolutely nothing about the game and wanted to learn more. Equipment, swing, golf terminology. To this day, I still consider myself a newbie and during one of my searches in 2011 - I stumbled upon THP. I started to figure the site out, but I was caught up in college basketball. In late 2012, I circled back and I am glad I did.
 
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I found golf early on, around 5 or 6. We didn't live in a great neighborhood & it was easy to get into trouble. Hustling and running dope was the daily norm & my mom worried I would fall into the wrong crowd. With mom working two jobs & no dad around, I had a lot of time on my hands at an early age. One of the jobs my mom worked at was a restaurant as a waitress and the owner quickly became my "grandpa". He golfed and instead of me walking home and being by myself after school or worse getting into trouble, he would pick me up and I would go to the course with him. I never played, but his influence and exposure to the game hooked me instantly. Fast forward to 86 I believe when Jack won the Master's and I was really hooked. Unfortunately we didn't have the money to get me going in golf so soccer and football were the sports of choice that I played. I can honestly say golf saved my life. If not for golf and that initial exposure who knows what my path would have been as a youth in the barrio.

Fast forward to 98 or so & a friend who played wanted me to play with him. I only played par 3 courses up to this point & not very well. I did not even have my own set of clubs. I borrowed his dad's clubs and off we went. First round of golf were with a set of Spalding blades, a putter I cant remember and Tommy Armour woods. I don't remember what I shot that day (it was high I know that) but I was instantly hooked. What hooked me was the fact that I would never master this game, it would take all the athletic talent I had to hit a ball that isn't moving & the creativity around the greens. After that day I was hooked and never looked back.

I found THP in 2012. I lurked around for a while and what brought me here was that I was searching for golf ball reviews. My golf equipment knowledge was ZERO and I was seeking out others with educated opinions on the game and equipment. My beloved TM TP3 golf ball was going away and I was searching for a replacement. What I found blew me away. At that time there were a couple of people with "internet muscles", but I dismissed them bc I've always been one to not get too bent out of shape dealing with internet message board idiots. Quickly found out that THP was better than the rest and I was hooked. This place has brought so much personal joy & growth for me it's hard to describe. It's more than the golf, its about the family. Sure THP forced me to get better bc I owed that to myself and to any future partner I may have at an event, but I love more than anything that I can PM, text or call any of the numerous friends I have made here and they all would be willing to help if needed.
 
I started playing as a youngster using an old cut-down iron that my dad had damaged when he hit a hidden root playing in a competition - he had it tidied up and re-gripped and I started swinging the club in the back garden using the plastic airflow balls that were considered the 'practice' balls at that time

From there I had a few lessons and joined the same club as my dad and played after school when I had got any homework completed...he wouldn't take me to the course unless I finished my school work first - I still remember the par 3 7th hole where I came within inches of a hole-in-one. Typing this has got me thinking I should maybe see about playing a round at that course again to see if it plays like I remember.....

Unfortunately my dad had to give up playing due to health reasons so I couldn't play for a while as I wasn't old enough to drive, but even when I was old enough, I was playing a lot of football and badminton so golf didn't really enter into my head

It wasn't until I started a previous job that I got back into playing again, as my boss and a number of other colleagues all played, so when your boss tells you to bring your clubs in on a particular day as we are all finishing early to go for a round you don't really argue :D
With various changes over the years, golf took a back seat at times, but with close friends that I have now, we try to get out a bit more and play at our home course, but also try a few different courses when we can, and with the UK contingent that has built up over here it is always nice to be able to have our own little events at some nice courses here

How did I find THP...?

Like a few people I expect, I found this site whilst looking for golf information, and despite being just a few miles away from the biggest groups of folks, I have hung around and read more than I have posted as I still feel a little bit of an outsider at times, but I guess that is only natural when I don't get to play rounds with you folks - would love to change that one day though (I do have some sneaky plans floating round in my head but not sure I can pull them off without Jen killing me... :beat-up:)
 
My life in golf started because of my Dad.
He would take me to "Pat's Par 3" in our hometown of Ypsilanti, Michigan, which has now become one of the premier ranges and fitting locations in the Midwest: Miles Of Golf.
I would hit from his bucket and then just run around the range and play while he finished. My Dad was the sole breadwinner until I was 5. I was the youngest of 5 kids, so my Mom stayed home to raise us. In 1966, when they moved to Ypsi, he was making all of $6600 a year as a teacher and coach. This meant, most weekends, and summers, he worked extra jobs to earn money. He wasn't home on the weekends much.

So, one summer, he took me on to Pat's Par 3 course and I played my first "round". What a great place to learn the game! He taught me the rules, etiquette, all of it on this par 3 course. I can still remember the day he gave me my own bag- it was a small canvas golf bag. It was new, not a hand-me-down! I was SO happy! I had a 3W, then 3, 5, 7, & 9 irons, and a putter. I can still see what they looked like! One day, after a few years of only playing at Pat's, I drove the longest Par 3 they had. He told me I was ready for the real courses!

My Dad then became the head golf coach. I would go to as many practices as possible JUST to drive the cart and get a hostess pie from the Pro after practice. He would let me play a couple holes here-and-there. In the meantime, we had an open lot next to our house and I would chip to the various trees and hit whiffle golf balls back-and-forth.

My Dad entered me into the Ann Arbor Junior Open when I was 13. I still only had a few clubs in my bag. I was tied for the lead of the 2nd Flight after the first two rounds! I was hooked! I played in the final group on the third day and BLEW-UP! My nerves got the best of me. I shot 80-81-88. Finished third in the flight.

I played sparsely once HS started. I was playing three sports and golf was not one of them until I transferred my Sr year. I played on the golf team that year and was the fifth guy. We had three scratch golfers and me dragging the rear. I went to college to play hoops and didn't play much golf until the end of my Fr year when I heard we could play for free at a local CC.

My buddies from HS and I got jobs in the summers of college at 2 different CCs- me at Washtenaw CC, them at Barton Hills in AA. We would rotate each Monday playing those two courses for money. Loved it! Just loved it! Continued playing in college when I transferred to App State and had my first hole-in-one during our fraternity tournament! Moved to Charlotte after school and played 2-3 times per week! I used to take my vacations to Palm Coast, Fl, where my parents retired and my Father and I would play golf every day. The best memories of golf are with my Dad. Tuna sandwiches at the turn! I'm blessed to have those memories with him... Anyway...

I coached HS golf for years and loved it! I don't play as often as I'd like now with three little ones. I don't shoot in the 70's anymore either. I found THP because I was always searching for pics of the latest equipment. I posted some comments, then went to the Dallas Invitational, and made a few acquaintances. Drove four hours to Dallas with BHilton and had never met him before he got in my car that day!!! My wife thought it was strange! I was hooked once I met the guys in Dallas.

I'm on here every day, at some point, perusing, but, since I drive a lot for work, I don't post a whole bunch. This is a great place. All golf nuts! I'm still hoping to get a round of golf in with the Dallas boys again, and get to a big event in 2015. Going to events definitely has spurned more involvement because I know who some people are behind their forum names. Thanks for the thread! It's been fun to read!


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