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How did you get started playing golf?

Pears

Pears

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Wondering how you got introduced to golf and who introduced you to it?



For me, I was 9-10 yrs old (Im 40 now) and my Grandma got me into it and gave me my first set of clubs. She would bring me to all the local courses, we used to go probably once a week. I then got older, got married, had kids and golf stopped for me until a few years ago.
Moral of the story is, I will never forget who showed and taught me the game of golf and am very proud of the story I have. My Grandma will be turning 81 this year and still gets out every week with a friend of hers to a local par 3.

Everyone got introduced to this game somehow, I'm curious how you got started and who your influence was. Never forget where you came from.
 
I got introduced as a kid playing occasionally with my dad. But didn't really start playing until college.
 
At about age 9 I started taking a city bus to a par 3 course and stayed there all day during the summer months.
 
I was in Marine Corps and my roommate was always going. Just started tagging along.
 
My son got interested when he was 11, so I picked it up as well. I didn't realize how addicting this game would become.
 
I was in the Army and the other senior NCO's played.
 
I used to go to the course and "caddie" (pulled the cart) for my father when I was about 10. Played a little in high school so I wouldn't have to take field hockey. Started playing last year after I retired to Myrtle Beach to meet people and enjoy the outdoors. Found a wonderful group to play with and really enjoy it.
 
Started playing in 1998 or 1999. Got asked to play in what we call the Farmers Open, just a bunch of farmers getting together for a golf outing once a year to raise money for a scholarship. Well I got hooked! I even took a golf course in college that counted as my PE credit.
 
My dad was in sales when I was growing up and was playing in a lot of outings. I expressed interest so we signed me up for an after-school intramural type program. I loved it from the start and took lessons the following summer. The rest is history :)
 
I started playing right after college with a brother in law who wore cut off blue jean shorts and loved to play. He got down into single digits pretty quick. Me not so much but he loved playing and I did too.
 
A lot of nice stories in here, thank you for sharing!
 
I can't remember exactly how old I was. but I was definitely still in grade school when my father would take the family to the driving range. Neither of my sisters showed real interest in the game so eventually it was me my father started taking to the course with him. Being short at the time my first real set of clubs was a women's set (Ruth Jessen) that he bought for me as opposed to cutting down an old set of clubs.
 
Back in my mid 20s, the husband of my wife's friend asked me to go check out the driving range across the street from his house one night that we were invited over for dinner. Boy I sucked. But man was hitting (haha, who am I kidding, MISSING) those balls was super fun. Zero doubt in my mind that had we not gone to their house that day OR if they lived a mile in any direction, I never pick up the game.
 
My dad took my brother and me to various Putt-Putts (real and knock-offs) and the old Lakewood Par-3 Course in High Point, NC, as kids.
 
My parents both played. I started in the mid 60's a age 6 or so.
 
MrsOG actually got me started. She's Filipino and had always viewed golf as a rich man's game. Shortly after we got married, she asked me to take her to play. There was a 9 hole, par 3 course on Hickam AFB where I was stationed at the time and we went out to play it. I think we probably rented clubs the very first time, then I borrowed a set from a friend that I used for a short while, then we went to buy our first sets at KMart. They were both Northwestern 3/8 sets.

I probably played that par 3 course 4-5 days a week for 3 months before I set foot on a par 72 course, but it was great. I still wish I lived there sometimes so I could let my kids play on that par 3 course.
 
I was 22 before I ever touched a club. My sister married one of Lee Trevino’s cousins( I never met Lee) he drugged me to the course one day and I was hooked. I thought to myself, what a dummy, I thought the guys in HS were sissy’s playing golf. What a DA was I back then....lol


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I grew up in FL with golf-crazed parents, who were certain I could be the next Nicklaus. Played and won junior tourneys and HS team matches under protest. Parents were pissed when I got full-ride scholarships for soccer and football (not golf).

Happily stopped playing until I was living in MI after college. My ex and I decided to “play golf” one Sunday, enjoyed it and started again. Played into my late 30s until my athletically abused body started failing. Two metal hips, a bunch of other hardware and 20 yrs later (aka last year) I started again.
 
I was in 6th grade and my parents were trying to keep my busy in the summer. Local club (warrington CC in PA) was offering 5 weeks of lessons for $10 week. Was fun and I loved it. Was a great course, but now is torn down and a large home development.
 
20 year old Airman, newly assigned to my 1st permanent duty station. I was the Guinea pig, the 1st young GI in a newly created R&D scientific field assigned to my base. Everyone else in my laser lab were either old civilian physicists, engineers, opthamalogists, etc or a couple old colenols. Certainly not peers to hang with.

I had never tried golf, but the course and range were right out the back door of the laser lab and I was walking to and from work everyday right along hole #1 and it looked fun. Especially to a guy just trying to save enough to buy a car so he could get off base and enjoy 'the things' 20 Year old guys were interested in after being cooped up for 15 months in basic and tech school.

Golf started with me going to the course just to catch lunch. Within a week, the guy running the course, Dean Wright, asked if I'd like to try golf and he loaned me some clubs to take over to practice area. I really started getting into it immediately. Checking out golf books, bought a starter set etc... Golf was hard but Dean's son Mike, younger than me, would be dropped at the course by the school bus every afternoon, and would practice with me while waiting for his dad to close up the course each evening. Mike was good and sought an eventual career in golf and helped me greatly those initial few months. Neither he nor his dad nor his teacher cared tbat I paid attention during his lessons. Very soon Mike started letting me play nines with him while he waited. He was just an awesome kid.

I credit Dean Wright and his generosity with getting a bored young airmen hooked for life on golf. Very soon his son made it big in the sport too. Mr Hogan hired him to be golf director/head pro at Shady Oaks when he wasn't much older than I was when I first met the Wrights. He was with Mr Hogan helping him practice to the end, saw him play his final shot I believe.
 
Absolutely love this! I really enjoy reading all the responses. Thank you for taking the time.
 
We had a really nice 18 hole par 3 course the next town over growing up and they had a golf school I went to. Then once I got a bit older I caddied at another local club.
 
I had a friend in elementary school who played (his brother won state) and we played a game putting through the house trying to hit a particular chair leg somewhere in the house (sometimes down stairs) it was a lot of fun. Eventually moved to hitting wedges in the park. Years later I eventually was with my parents in Palm Springs and played 9 holes for the first time. Didn’t golf again for 10 years.


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It was during the collapse of the economy of 2009. I was laid off and could not find a job for over 7 months.
My friend who was in the same situation asked me to go play a round with him since we didn't have much to do and I've been hooked since.
I remember borrowing friends' uncle's clubs; they were Big 5 clubs and super ghetto AF. It was one particular hole that got me hooked. It was a 110 yard par 3, I think I hit a 7 iron... completely bladed it, hit the pin and almost holing it. Of course 4 putted for a double. That was it. I'm not much better than then... hahahaha
 
Started playing when I was 14 after deciding the Junior High baseball team I made was no fun. My dad suggested I go out for the golf team and the rest is history. 53 now.
 
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