Why did you start playing golf?

[JustOne]

Six years since this question was asked on the forum......

Having never played I was invited to play in a golf society day and shot 99
Apparently (so I was told) that was amazing... so I played the next day and shot 108

I was so infuriated that I had gotten worse that I played again and shot 106, then 115, then 101 etc etc

Played EVERY DAY for 18 months after that

 

[Imurg]

A knackered knee meant I had to stop cricket and needed a sport.
Had dabbled with golf the previous couple of years but in '93 decided to go "full time".
The rest has been sublime, ridiculous and often hysterical...

 

[Grant85]

I played a bit as a child, but never really stuck to it and didn't have many family members who played or could give any guidance or tuition. Playing involved getting dropped off during the summer holidays and spending about 5 hours messing about and maybe playing 14 holes. Me and my brother always had a set of second hand and cast offs that we could share and even split into 2 bags.

GF's dad invited me for a game on the Royal Wedding day... William and Kate. While the girls watched the wedding. Had probably played once in 10 years before that day (a work outing at the Dukes).

I don't remember playing that well on the Royal Wedding day, but played a few reasonable shots and possibly exceeded my expectations. Looking back, it was a huge godsend that we were playing at Kinghorn - which was a pretty short and playable course. I'm sure if we'd been playing at the Dukes, or similar length place, I would have lost interest very quickly.

Anyway, tried to play a few games through the summer but didn't have any friends who were too into golf. Got a few games with some guys I knew, but once their football training started, that was them out of golf. And played a few solo rounds at council courses.

So in July, having only really started playing on 29th April, I joined a golf club as I realised that was the only way I could play regularly.

I'd guess I am fairly untypical in terms of becoming a member somewhere as a total novice, never really having broken 100 and with no friends or family at the club.

 

[chrisd]

A natural progression. I played football until I snapped an ACL at about 30, played tennis until I could get no better/fitter then at about 47 played golf.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

Always fancied playing it, never moved in the right circles. Thankfully a couple of clients took pity on me, and took me to the driving range and a 9 hole course.

Never mastered the game, but the odd time I hit an okay shot its a buzz, so makes me keep coming back.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I enjoyed watching it in TV, so my Dad took my sister and I to the pitch & putt.
I was hooked from then on!

 

[ArnoldArmChewer]

When I was at college a couple of guys decided we should go and give golf a try which we duly did, got the bug and started buying one club at a time (Macgregor MT blades), after about three months one of the other guys (who was a fair bit older than us) asked if he could join us for a round, he pitched up with the scruffiest golf bag you have ever seen, oh how were laughed ! He then proceeded to smash his golf ball down the middle of the fairway to a place I don't think any of us had reached in 3. It was then I heard 'I play off scratch' for the very first time and I immediately understood what it meant. John turned out to be a really nice guy and often helped us out with advice, as to the scruffy he bag his view was that the bag doesn't lower your score so why waste money on it.

And for the younger readers that was back in the day (if you could afford it) when you unwrapped your English sized ball on the 1st tee before hooking it away into the bushes.

I seem to remember a ball with hexagonal dimples about the time when we switched to the USA sized ball, I think it might have been a Bridgestone ??

 

[IanM]

When I started at Nat West, everyone played golf....so my manager made it clear that I was expected to play too! So a half set of Dunlop Blue Flash were duly purchased from the Surrey Ad small ads page from bloke in Hindhead..... off to Hoebridge Range and Par 3 to learn to play and the old pro at Guildford (wish I remember his name, it was mid 1980s)

It coincided with watching Seve win at St Andrews in 84 and the period of Brits winning at Augusta and the Ryder Cup wins.... a great period

 

[bluewolf]

I burst my eardrum doing a deep air dive in a quarry in North Wales. Couldn't dive for 12 months or more. A mate at work invited me to play in the Works golf society comp at Standish GC. Bought a set of Golden Bear clubs from Costco and practiced for a week before playing. Broke 100 first time on a course. Not sure I've improved that much in the intervening 9 years.............

 

[cliveb]

I've always been rubbish at sport. Football, cricket, tennis - you name it, I was hopeless.
About 20 years ago, my wife (who had played golf on and off for years) said to me: "We need to find something we can do together. You must either play golf or ride horses".
The choice was a no-brainer - the last time I'd sat on a horse was at a fete when I was about 8 years old, and it was terrifying.
So I've been playing golf for nearly 20 years now. (Only started playing seriously 5 years ago when I retired).
And I'm still rubbish at all sport.
(Caveat - I'm sort of a half-decent skier).

 

[ferenezejohn]

I had played a handful of times while mixing it with road running and cross country.
It was the norm to play after a 20 mile training run on a Sunday.
At 39 I decided to ease off the running and recharge the batteries for turning vet age 40 and win a few things.
I then developed arthritis in both feet which took almost a year to get a medication that worked, hence running career ended, plus all the anti-inflammatory *** messed up my stomach was only after the damage was done the docs told me I should have been on meds to protect my stomach.
Golf it was then, but to be honest I never had the temperament slow play really gets to me big time.

 

[Deleted member 23270]

I found all other sports just too easy

 

[jim8flog]

My brother and I had spent a lot of time playing lots of sports together and he introduced me to pitch and putt, there was one in Farnham where he lived and we went from there.

We both had previously spent loads of time on Woking's 18 hole putting course as children.

 

[Crow]

I seem to remember a ball with hexagonal dimples about the time when we switched to the USA sized ball, I think it might have been a Bridgestone ??

There have been a few but I'd guess it was the Uniroyal Plus 6.

 

[User20205]

Just started for the glory & the groupies!!

 

[Deleted member 23270]

Just started for the glory & the groupies!!

Any luck yet?

 

[Bigfoot]

We had no cricket match on a Sunday and three were off for a game and asked me if I fancied joining them. They supplied the clubs and off I went.

 

[harpo_72]

I spent some of my childhood in Vancouver. I was around 7 when my grandfather and his 2nd wife visited us.
Didn’t get to play until I was 16, and even then I did it off my own back .. bought my gear, walked to the club and paid my fees..
After my degree I had a proper chance to feed my addiction.

 

[ArnoldArmChewer]

There have been a few but I'd guess it was the Uniroyal Plus 6.

View attachment 29632

That's the kiddy !!!!

 

[ArnoldArmChewer]

I've always been rubbish at sport. Football, cricket, tennis - you name it, I was hopeless.
About 20 years ago, my wife (who had played golf on and off for years) said to me: "We need to find something we can do together. You must either play golf or ride horses".
The choice was a no-brainer - the last time I'd sat on a horse was at a fete when I was about 8 years old, and it was terrifying.
So I've been playing golf for nearly 20 years now. (Only started playing seriously 5 years ago when I retired).
And I'm still rubbish at all sport.
(Caveat - I'm sort of a half-decent skier).

Having done a bit of very basic cross country riding/showjumping I can tell you a 5 iron to the ankles is a lot less painful that coming off 8' up in the air at 20mph with a hoof in the ribs