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How did you get in to golf?

KEV

KEV

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I know this has been discussed but this week my daughter has been in her first ever golf camp and it got me thinking about how I got started.

My dad was not a big golfer, he only went out a couple times a year, but he got stuck taking me out to a little par 3 course when he was going to play with a buddy. All it took was watching them that one time to instantly get me hooked. I begged for clubs and my parents finally broke down and bought me the cheapest 4 club set they could find. I had zero coaching but would spend hours in the backyard hitting plastic balls around and making up holes. I then talked them in to getting me a Golf Digest subscription and that's how I finally learned the proper fundamentals of the swing. I've still never had a lesson and while I'm a little jealous of my daughter getting the chance to get help from the start I'm not sure I would change a thing.

How did you all get started?
 
Tiger Woods Effect.

From that point it was just a roller coaster of not being able "get" this game because mastering Golf is impossible. I just couldn't get the basic fundamentals down despite lessons and lots of practice.

But each time I quit or took an extended break I always wanted to be a decent golfer. I'm finally at the point where I'm decent and have a sport to play well into my 70s/80s.
 
I had never golfed before my first year of college. I found out through some of my high school friends that the local course offered a student membership fee of $100 and couldn't resist. Liked it right away but only played several times a year until the last three years or so when I joined another club. I was never good but it was really fun taking a rip at a ball and watching it go a really long way, one in 10-15 were straight, the others banana slices. I've taken a lot off of my swing, read that as I've gotten older and out of shape, but gained a little more directional control when I can focus and swing well. I remember thinking several years back that I wanted a sport I could play forever and I chose golf.

I actually joined the new club 6 years ago I think, but three years ago I made an effort to get more involved and play more. Subbed in for Monday night league for a year and then grabbed a partner to play full time last year.

I've only had a couple lessons, should have had many more, but I'm heading in next week for a touch up and then we'll see from there what they can do with my swing.
 
My girlfriend got me back into golf after not having played since I was about 10. I got her on a motorcycle (well on the back but considering her own now!), she got me into golf, both of those are a win in my book!
 
I thought it might be a good way to relax and get some exercise. Asked a friend to let me tag along for nine holes a couple times and found it relaxing, good exercise and also fun. Hooked almost at once.

I was 30-something years old at the time. Growing up I never knew a single soul who played golf, nor did I ever see a golf course in person until the first time I went along with my friend to play. Never even watched any golf on TV before starting to play.
 
My roommate in the Marine Corps was always going, went along one day and got hooked. Gave it up for about 15 years from the time I was 28 to 43 and then got back into it. A lot had changed in those 15 years but love it all over again.
 
I used to play as a kid with my brother. We were into loads of sports and golf was just another one we tried and enjoyed.
We played pretty well, I was off 12 and him 8 by the time we were 16 and 18 respectively.

Stopped playing as I couldn’t keep all sports going due to time and football and tennis were the 2 I was beat at so kept this up for years.

Was re-introduced to golf last August when I went to Marbella on holiday. My father in law is an avid golfer and he asked me to play while we were out there. I was reluctant at trying as I am now 44 and hadn’t swung a club properly since I was 16 but my wife persuaded me to go.
Well, 2 rounds of 112 and 104 got me right back into it.

Fast forward 11 months and I am fully back in, playing regularly, got fitted for a full bag of clubs and already back to playing off 12, and starting to break 80! This is me back in for good now as my knees are **** and the Tennis and Football have gone.
 
I ordered a set of Cobra FP irons and a Taylormade r7 quad off of Ebay for about $200 back in 2012 to join my college buds who asked me to join their group. We were all godawful (still are!), but we had a blast and the game just took hold of us. Could be that we were all either former baseball or hockey players and it got our competitive juices flowing again. I was a casual 5-round a year player until about 2015 when I officially "retired" from boxing and needed a new sport. Played a round at We-ko-Pa on my honeymoon that year and I've been hooked ever since. Theres just something about getting better at this game but knowing you'll never quite perfect it.

A funny side note: I searched 'golf' in my gmail to see how far back it was since I bought that first set and racked up 3000+ hits since 2012. That's a lot of spending, woo-boy!

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
 
I was ready for a change from baseball when I was 14 years old. Quit the Junior High baseball team and wnet out for and made the golf team and have been playing ever since. About 40 years now.
 
My Dad played a few times a week throughout the Summer. I always wanted to go with but he never took me with. Some friends of mine started hitting balls in the local park and I started there. We lived out in the country with a large pasture area. I started banging balls back and forth there. Eventually, my Dad joined me. Then, he finally took me out a few times. Bought me a membership at a small rural course. I want to say it was $50 for a jr Summer membership. We would get dropped off in the morning and picked up 5-6 hours later. By the time I was 16, my Dad would finally take me out a few times a year with him.

As far as my kids go. They just flat out refuse to even try the game. I really wish they would, but I don't want to force them. Not to get too deep, but I was hoping they would just want to spend the time with me. But, these days, there are so many other activities/distractions. Saddens me a bit, but what can you do.
 
I went some when I was in high school to a par 3 course with a hodgepodge set. One night, some guy there gave me his old clubs and I tried to learn to play on my own for a year or so and then gave up; wrestling, soccer and girls were more important. After college in '95, the guys at work played a ton and invited me. I remember shooting 131 that day and didn't think I would ever play again. Somehow I caught the bug, took lessons, bought clubs and started playing.
 
My Grandpa got me into golf. He would play with my Dad and I would go along with and carry his bag. Every once in a while I would get to hit the ball and just got the bug because of that. My Grandpa hit the ball at most 205 yards but always straight. When I got into High School and played with him I would hit way past him, miss the green, chip on and 2-3 putt for bogey or double. My Grandpa would hit it short and straight, hit the the green or come up a bit short. chip and putt for par or bogey. End of the round always would beat me by 5-6 strokes. Man I miss him, I'd like to show him Ive become a better golfer in my 30's
 
Dad.

He used to take me with him when I got to about 12-13. When I got my drivers license I became him and his buddies 4th, easy getting on the card being the designated driver and all. Gave it up when he passed away, then 15 years later a good friend started playing and kept bugging me to go with him. Finally did last July got hooked again and now a play once a week.
 
My father and one of his friends decided to get back into golf about the time I was 8 years old. He (they) introduced me and I was working at our city course by junior high school.
 
Tiger effect and got too old for basketball. Me and my friends got tired of b-ball injuries, we picked up golf. Since around 1998, been playing on and off. Took about a 7 year hiatus after marriage and 2 kids.

BTW OP, I wish my 12 year old son had you enthusiasm for golf at a young age. It also helps when you have a parent that can teach you the basics when starting. My friends and I learned from the Golf Channel and golf magazines.
 
Girlfriend in High-schools brother asked me to go out and play. Had a blast. Took 12 lessons and played every week. Then wife and kids came. Fastforward 35 years, and the wife decided to learn due to work tournaments. I got back in. Totally hooked now!
 
Played when I was young with my dad. Then got back into it about 6 years ago, but job and kid and life got in the way, and trying to start back up now.
 
I used to play Tiger Woods PGA Tour throughout my high school years - hands down my favorite Playstation game ever, but never felt the need to play golf in real life. I remember thinking to myself that "real" golf was too hard and I'd never be good at it.

Then when I was 25 or 26, my brother forced me to go out to tiny course near our hometown. He told me that if nothing else I needed to get outside and have a few beers in a golf cart. My first two drives were terrible - probably hit them 10 feet off the tee, but then my second shot on the Par 5 second hole - I hit dead center and crushed it. I still remember the feeling I got when I hit that shot....I've never looked back since that moment. It made realize I could do it with just a little hard work and determination.
 
CobraX51 said:
Tiger Woods Effect.

From that point it was just a roller coaster of not being able "get" this game because mastering Golf is impossible. I just couldn't get the basic fundamentals down despite lessons and lots of practice.

But each time I quit or took an extended break I always wanted to be a decent golfer. I'm finally at the point where I'm decent and have a sport to play well into my 70s/80s.
Click to expand...

Tiger had a huge impact on me too. I started playing shortly before he came on the scene. I remember going from sitting at a buddies house cheering for Greg Norman to wanting no one other than Tiger to win a few years later. Anytime he was on TV I was watching.
 
Golfed with my Dad when I was younger. Actually had a nice natural swing apparently.

Then I turned 16 and discovered booze and girls, so basically quit golf for awhile.

Played Baseball until mid 2o's and then slow pitch from then on. Which influenced how I swung later in the future.

Picked up some cheap clubs when I was in my late 20's, and played 2-3 times a year.

Was 35 and made it my goal to break 100, then 90, then 80. I'm now a golf junkie and golf 100 rounds a year, and am striving to get rid of my Over the top swing forever. I'm having success at the range, but it still creeps in a bit on the course. Afew more hundred rounds and I may be there, lol.

THP is Heaven for a guy like me!
 
My dad, summer nights were a ton of fun just running out right after dinner trying to get a quick 9 in. Our course was originally 9 holes, then they added what is now holes 6-14 a long time ago, so 1-5 & 15-18 is considered the "old 9" and is a very common track to play if you want to get a quick 9 in.
 
radiman said:
My Dad played a few times a week throughout the Summer. I always wanted to go with but he never took me with. Some friends of mine started hitting balls in the local park and I started there. We lived out in the country with a large pasture area. I started banging balls back and forth there. Eventually, my Dad joined me. Then, he finally took me out a few times. Bought me a membership at a small rural course. I want to say it was $50 for a jr Summer membership. We would get dropped off in the morning and picked up 5-6 hours later. By the time I was 16, my Dad would finally take me out a few times a year with him.

As far as my kids go. They just flat out refuse to even try the game. I really wish they would, but I don't want to force them. Not to get too deep, but I was hoping they would just want to spend the time with me. But, these days, there are so many other activities/distractions. Saddens me a bit, but what can you do.
Click to expand...

You mentioning that you would get dropped off and picked up reminds me of one of my favorite golf memories. When I was 12 my parents got divorced and we moved to an apartment about 10 blocks from a par 3 course. When my mom would go to work almost every day my little brother and I would take our clubs over and play anywhere between 18-36 holes of golf and afterward get a fountain Pepsi. For some reason that course seemed to have the best Pepsi!

I would keep a pencil from every round and I think one summer I had over 300 pencils stashed. That's about all we had to do and we made the most of it.
 
Chi Chi Rodriguez

I used to watch golf on television when I was younger (9 or 10), Chi Chi doing his little routine after making putts was fascinating to me. Basketball, Baseball and Football were the sports of choice when I was younger so I didn't play golf.

Then.....In the early 2000's (2001) I started working at a manufacturing facility and the workers played golf all the time, they told me I should give it a try. One day we went outside the facility on the lawn out back and hit a few shots with the clubs of one of the workers, needless to say I barely touched the ball on my first swing. That weekend I bought me a full set of clubs from a local sporting goods store. I begin taking lessons, learning more about the game and playing a lot.

It's been almost 20 years now and once a year I meet those same guys for a week, somewhere warm, fellowship, enjoy life and........Golf.
 
Stribs said:
PE class in middle school
Click to expand...

Oh man I completely forgot about golf in PE! I wanted to kick everyone's butt so bad in that!
 
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