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How did you get into golf

I had a running addiction for 30 years. At age 62 my knees started to protest and I decided to preserve what cartilage I had left so I took up another addicting sport. Been at it for 14 years now and still learning how to play the game.
 
Surprised I'm the first to say but long story, short: pandemic lockdown
 
Married a superintendent's daughter. Had never played until we were engaged. Thought I might should learn the game some.
 
My deadbeat dad introduced me one summer vacation, but, it didn’t take until I left coaching football and needed an outlet. Since then, it’s been nonstop.
 
USAF Retired said:
Welcome to THP

In 1984, I was stationed at Dyess AFB TX and the first sergeant asked if I’d join the intramural golf team.

Got hooked fast and been at it ever since.

Do you live in Wisconsin? We just left River Falls for Texas. I grew up in Price County

#OnWisconsin
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Lincoln county for me. Bowl eligible thank goodness.
 
LIMEY13 said:
Lincoln county for me. Bowl eligible thank goodness.
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Small world

I went to Prentice HS

My uncle taught middle school science in Merrill and cousins graduated there
 
USAF Retired said:
Small world

I went to Prentice HS

My uncle taught middle school science in Merrill and cousins graduated there
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Close, Tomahawk. Worked in Merrill for 11 years after the Marines.
 
LIMEY13 said:
Close, Tomahawk. Worked in Merrill for 11 years after the Marines.
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We played baseball in the tomahawk baseball leagues growing up with the Tripoli team.

I worked at PCA when I retired from the Air Force for 4.5 years Hated it😂

My last name is Heikkinen, Tweet is my uncle, my cousin Eric graduated in 1983, Erik Halvorson is my cousin also.
 
Welcome to THP

Back in 1998 a buddies dad needed to fill a foursome for their local charity farmers golf outing. My buddy and I had never played before but we agreed. So with my KMart set of clubs I borrowed from a cousin we started hitting the range. The local HS golf coach was on the range one night and came over and gave us some tips (he was a former teacher for us in high school). The bug bit and I got hooked. Took golf in college as my PE credit and the rest is history.
 
USAF Retired said:
We played baseball in the tomahawk baseball leagues growing up with the Tripoli team.

I worked at PCA when I retired from the Air Force for 4.5 years Hated it😂

My last name is Heikkinen, Tweet is my uncle, my cousin Eric graduated in 1983, Erik Halvorson is my cousin also.
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Small world, I think I graduated with a Dan in 88. I have golfed with your Uncle on a couple of occasions, in fun night scrambles. He would know my daughter well, as she is the bartender at the course.
 
I started playing around for fun back in the Tiger Woods hey day. Me and some friends would mostly play a pitch and putt maybe once every other month. Maybe two or three times a year we would actually go play 18 holes.

Fast forward to Covid, and that’s when I really picked up the game. I was playing hockey at the time and all of the rinks shut down. I needed some sort of competitive outlet to not go crazy and I came across an amateur golf tournament series. I played my first tournament where I shot 115 and finish dead last. I was hooked! I started taking some lessons and practicing. I bought my first set of clubs. I came across THP, and I haven’t looked back.
 
Short of it: I got very sick and my doctor told me (jokingly - but the premise was serious) to take up golf or I could face life threatening issues. - so I did.

We can discuss the long of it on the golf course! :)
 
Business Development opportunities... my industry uses golf outings a lot for charity events, business relationships, fundraisers, etc.

I get to play a lot of golf on someone elses dime throughout the year. Whether scrambles or regular rounds, I'm able to expense the cost - or the people I'm playing with are.
 
My father was a golfer and would take me and my two younger sisters to the driving range with him. I don't recall exactly at what age he got me started, but I was still in grade school.
 
I was 51 year old and never played - it looked like a very dumb sport. I met this tall, beautiful Blonde and on our first date she asked. Do you golf? I replied No.
She said " if you are going to date me you need to learn how" So I took a few lessons and we played a few courses - I really like hitting that little white ball. After about a year of dating her, she turned into a frighting Bi Polar Witch. Sex was great but had to dump her - but I kept the game. That was 26 years ago.
 
When I was a kid I grew up about a mile from a golf course. My friends and I used to hunt golf balls in the orchard and around the river and sell them to the pro shop for candy money. We were poor so none of us could afford to get into golfing. But I always wanted to.

Fast forward to my early 30's and a friend talked me into playing a round at a local course. I rented a set of clubs since I didn't have any. Shot a 128 and really enjoyed it. So I bought some clubs and started playing more. I did stop playing for quite a few years with other obligations getting the way. But since I retired a few years ago I got back into it.
 
I played sports in high school, basketball, football and track. I gravitated to tennis and loved that game, but was having difficulty finding people to play with regularly who would be fun to match up with. At 28 years old, a friend asked me to go play golf. I had never played and was instantly hooked.
 
Moved next to a course and my Aunt bought me a hodge podge set of clubs. I was only one in family that played for quite some time. Dad took it up later.
 
1976. I was 17. My oldest brother took me golfing. I was hooked.
 
I was playing baseball. My coach had a thing against us playing golf.

A couple of guys took me to a local 9 hole, par 3 course where I shot a mid 30s score. I used their clubs.

That next weekend I went again, by myself. Rented the clubs.

A few days later I purchased a very old, used set if clubs at a swap meet.

I was hooked, and the journey began.
 
Like the OP, my uncle introduced me to golf in the early 1960s. My dad was a hunter and a fisherman so he didn't play. About the same time a nine hole course opened in the small South Carolina town where I lived. My buddies and I played during the summer as a change of pace from football, basketball and track. I became a serious player in my twenties, joined a country club and was hooked for life.
 
My roommate in college started playing and convinced me to go to the driving range one day. He was just learning the game and teaching me what he learned, so we really had no idea what we were doing. That trip to the range was so much fun though, we started going all the time. I was a broke college student, but saved what little I could and found a John Daly starter set for a little over $100. Then we started going to the course and I was hooked. One of the local courses had a student membership and I could play 18 for like $10. I played horribly, but have some really great memories. It was a fun time.
 
Like most, with my dad when I was about 5 or so. I always did good a mini golf putting.
My mom's best friend was married to a driving range pro named John Anselmo. Royal Palms GC in Bakersfield, Ca. mid 60's.
If you recognize the name, he was Tigers very first teacher ( after Earl ) many years later.
Played a bit until I reached Jr High, the started surfing all the time.
Got back into golf in my mid 20's, again playing with my dad. I think Nicklaus' 86 Masters win was a catalyst, and got some of my surf buddies interested in playing as well.
 
My dad took me out to the driving range and we played a bit on short par 3 dirt track. I was hooked
 
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