COMMUNITY

I first got serious with it in the summer of 2008. I had quit soccer a year earlier, which I'd played my entire childhood and had gotten good at but was burnt out on. I also stopped putting forth interest to pursue tennis despite the fact it was the sport I had the best natural ability in. So I needed a new sport that summer, and my mom was not gonna let me play video games the entire summer. I chose golf, since I enjoyed watching it, had hit several buckets at driving ranges previously in my life, and wanted to play it.

I did a summer series of lessons at my old home course in Denver, got hooked on it, and we began playing the Par 3 course every Monday as apart of the series. I would go out to a 9 hole executive course another day during the week, and I was hooked. Haven't stopped since then, and it's my college major.

I started playing around 2001 when I was around 30. One of my first rounds was with my inlaws and they beat me by 30-40 shots. I started to get serious after that because I didn't want to embarrass myself.

My son really started a couple of years ago- he is now 9. He thinks golf is ok even though he has some talent for the game. I try not to push him into golf, but I also make him play 9 holes on the weekend just to keep him at it. It's a balancing act for me because he has ability so I don't want him to waste it, but I try very hard not to make him so it because I want him to do it.

Best solution thus far is bribery- we play and he gets a slushy on the way home and when no one is around I let him drive the cart.

Our one and only course was a nine hole mountain course in southeast Kentucky. All the men worked in the coal mines by day and most of them after work they play golf. That's all there was to do. Everyone was self taught no lessons. My dad and his brothers were pretty good at it so when I got up around 10 years old dad started taking me along. I would use the women's tee because sometimes you had to hit the ball across the hollows and I couldn't hit it that far. My dad taught me what he new worked for him. I never took a lesson so still today my grip is wrong,my swing is wrong every part of my game is ugly. But I can still make pars and sometimes a birdie. I just love the game.

It all started when I was 33 when after my third knee rehab my orthopedic surgeon "advised" me that is was time for me to take up a new sport for competition. Since hockey and basketball were eliminated I kind of gravitated toward the one sport that was similar to the one that I would leave behind. Went out and bought a set of clubs off the rack, set of Wilson Swinglites, and went out to play. Still remember that I shot a 116 first time out but more importantly my friends trounced me. I am not going to say I was hooked like the rest of you but it kept me from going crazy. Never took lessons as I was always a feel player. I got good enough to actually play in our local county amateur tournaments and even made the cut one year. There is still a sense of competition for me each time I go out but in the long run after 30 plus years, the main benefits have been it is a sport where I can still play and have met some terrific people.

Never played as a child. Was never even an option. Did a lot of competitive bass fishing but it is VERY time consuming and expensive.

At 40 I played in a charity scramble with my sons, brother in law, and father in-law. Got some stance and ball placement advice from the BIL. Only hit a few decent shots during the round, but that was enough to hook me. Had a few lessons along the way but am enjoying figuring it out without them. Best advice I have ever received on my swing was " watch the pros, if you are doing something none of them are doing, stop doing it"

One of my sons can play left or right handed and the swing flows out of him. Sadly he is more interested in hunting and fishing to put any effort into developing his game. Maybe one day.

Funny story.

Youngest son during a Saturday morning Golf camp.

60 something year old instructor, husky voice, short hair. Think Pat from SNL.

Son (age 7), politely asked " should I address you as Sir or madam?"

She smiled, said madam was fine. Pretty sure it wasn't her first time.....

My Mom actually started taking lessons with me at the local county course .... it was a summer series too. After a couple of years, we started playing 9 holes every Friday night during the season with my Dad and my best friend. That lasted for 12 or 13 years before I moved away ....

Ha ! I had to bribe him with the amusement park just to get him to go to camp ....

I was very blessed to have grown up about 200 yards from a local muni. I was born with a hockey stick in one hand and a golf club in the other. I started both when I was 3. My grandfather, father and uncle we all avid hockey players and golfers, so I literally had no hope of avoiding those two things.I used to hit balls on my grandparents property until it was dark, and then head down into the lower garage to practice my wrist shot and stick handling. I even had sticks and clubs in the house 24/7. Too bad I wasn't that good at either lol. Eventually (in my 20's), golf completely took over and here we are. Certified golf nut.

Just like Arnie's Dad . . . . "Hold the club like this, and don't ever change it."

Cheers to that !

On this very topic I just put my son in the First Tee and set him up for weekly lessons with the pro at our club.

Even my eldest (12) wants to get lessons with her brother.

Gotta love it !