how and why did you start playing golf?

[Hoot151]

I raced motocross until I was 20. A blown up knee ended my career and I needed a PE credit for college; I chose golf because it wouldn't require running. At the same time my best friend in college was a golfer. I've been hooked for 24 years.

[LUMA]

Pretty simple really. Golf was very present in my family, I was 7, I was naturally good at it, I loved it.

I've done many things in life but golf always seemed to remain a back seat constant and still does to this day.

[madlife5]

I grew up in the Caribbean and never even thought of playing golf. We played Cricket, Football (soccer) and Basketball. I didn’t even watch golf on TV. In fact if I was flipping through channels and saw golf I would probably curse at the boring idiotic thing on screen and move right on. Came to the US for college and never bothered with it then either.

I started golf in 2012 when a girlfriend prospect suggested we hit the driving range(of course I went J) and decided to invite some mutual friends- two of whom were avid golfers. I told them it was my first time and they bet me I couldn’t properly hit 5 out of 10 balls and handed me a 9 iron. After observing them hit for while and a few practice swings… I shanked the first 2, decent hit on 3, flushed 4 and nuked the last. My swing form was terrible but it turns out it came sort of naturally to me. I was hooked from then on. They say people who have “Stick sport” (cricket) experience pick up the game quickly.

In 2012 my score were in the 90s and 100s for the more difficult courses. Mostly in the 80s in 2013 and I have high hopes for 2014- I’d like to be in the 70s consistently, but more importantly I want to kick all my buddys’ tails this year!! Been working a lot on my short game and putting during winter.

I credit my progress thus far to a few lessons with a pro, video swing analysis at Golf Galaxy, many YouTube videos. Favorite instructors include Mark Crossfield, the Me and My Golf guys, Shawnn Clement.

[madlife5]

[quote name='alam' timestamp='1392162849' post='8647711']
I can't stop thinking about it during work or around the house and mentally playing shots in my mind, doing practice swings in elevators, bathrooms, etc. (you guys know exactly what I'm talking about). I love this game!
[/quote]

Haha, good to know I'm not the only one! I actually got to bed with a specific swing thought on my mind.

[Obee]

I hurt my shoulder playing college baseball when I was 20. Had played golf maybe two dozen times in high school and my freshman year in college. Once my baseball career was done, I figured: Maybe I'll try to become a pro golfer....

So I took at it with a vengeance from that point on. Have loved every minute of it and I'm 46 now.

[SLIMER39]

Only golfer in my family also.
About 12 or so years ago I was a tournament softball player, I was able to travel to different states to play.
One tournament we played in was in St. George Utah. Tournament started on Thursday the teams sponsor and I went early
to check out the fields and to get familiar with the area a bit coming from East L.A
We stayed in a hotel in Mesquite and since we got there early jumped online to see what local do in Mesquite.
BAM came across this course called Wolf Creek mentioned it to the sponsor (he was a golfer) and there we go.
Rented some clubs and played a round and instantantly fell in love with the game. Loved the fact that your outside having a few beers
with some friends and chasing a little ball around. 12 years later in hooked and looking forward to introducing the wonderful game to my son.
I've met some great friends along the way and now for the past 8 years have an annual golf trip to either Mesquite or La Quinta.

[Spoon]

dad a lifetime golfer. been getting me into the game since before i was born:)
BUT never obliged always found it too boring and seeing him watch golf
all the time in TV made no sense and seeing him with a club more than holding
mums hand was odd. practicing swings in the patio, porch and sometimes bedroom was weird.

tried the game when i was 18, happiest day of his life but disappointed him after quitting after one summer.
took it again when i was 30 and never looked back. was hooked in a different way and have never stopped.
im 37 now. dad provided all my clubs and would buy me clubs to encourage me. pay for all my lessons just to
keep me going.

funny as i am now exactly like my dad. hell I'm a worse club ho than he ever was and I'm in Golfwrx!

he was and did:
in most of my range sessions with golf coach.
paid for most of my gear when i was a beginner
taught me fundamentals but in retrospect never should have listened as todays teaching drill was tomorrows blasphemy.

we played together 2-3 times a week, he was my coach and is my best friend. as cheesy as it sounds its true.

dad got a stroke last may and i miss the times we spent bonding on the course. he's doing therapy and looking forward
til i start coaching him:)

so in short, i started golf because my dad shared it with me!

[SLIMER39]

[quote name='Spoon' timestamp='1392351643' post='8665017']
dad a lifetime golfer. been getting me into the game since before i was born:)
BUT never obliged always found it too boring and seeing him watch golf
all the time in TV made no sense and seeing him with a club more than holding
mums hand was odd. practicing swings in the patio, porch and sometimes bedroom was weird.

tried the game when i was 18, happiest day of his life but disappointed him after quitting after one summer.
took it again when i was 30 and never looked back. was hooked in a different way and have never stopped.
im 37 now. dad provided all my clubs and would buy me clubs to encourage me. pay for all my lessons just to
keep me going.

funny as i am now exactly like my dad. hell I'm a worse club ho than he ever was and I'm in Golfwrx!

he was and did:
in most of my range sessions with golf coach.
paid for most of my gear when i was a beginner
taught me fundamentals but in retrospect never should have listened as todays teaching drill was tomorrows blasphemy.

we played together 2-3 times a week, he was my coach and is my best friend. as cheesy as it sounds its true.

dad got a stroke last may and i miss the times we spent bonding on the course. he's doing therapy and looking forward
til i start coaching him:)

so in short, i started golf because my dad shared it with me!
[/quote]


Hope ur dad gets well soon.

[Exist]

One Sunday morning around 20 years ago a mate and I were suffering hang overs and boredom. He suggested we play golf. I must admit I was apprehensive as I thought it was an old mans game. Anyway, we went to this par 3 course down the road and hired some clubs for my first hit. And I loved it, couldn't wait to do it again!!!

[backtees]

I grew up in a very sporty family and was a multi sports athlete playing tennis, icehocky, handball and even won a national title (handball).

Then i broke my knee really badly and after the 3rd surgery they told me to give up stop-and-go-sports. That's why i started to play golf.

The only thing I regret is that I didn't start earlier to play on a regular base (played a bit of golf as a kid, but not as intense as I had not time besides the other sports)

[Flop Shot Master]

Im still in highschool, but i like having everything planed out. I figured a cant play baseball and race motocross for a very long time, but you can play golf forever. So when i get old and gray, i have something to do.

[billyhandsomeface]

My dad always told me golf was for rich people who didn't work. I wanted to play, but he never showed interest. In high school a friend of mine played and asked if I wanted to go ride in the cart with him. When he told me we could drink I was in. I didn't realize this was all a ruse to get me to play, but he asked me if I wanted to hit on the second hole. I was always good at sports, but that shot was horrible. It was like a Rubik's Cube. I couldn't stop. His dad loaned me some sticks and I never looked back. I wish I would have started earlier, but better late than never. Now if I could just get that handicap to the single digits.....

[BigBob]

When I turned 40 I stopped playing squash, That was always my cut off point beyond 40 on the squash court is injury territory. I then needed to do something else tried golf and was hooked. Took me a few years to break 80 then another few to break 70 only done that a handful of times and not done for a long time. Had a few seasons as a single figure club player a loved it. Now happy to break 90 any day of the week. At 63 + I'm never going to get flexible enough to have a great swing so I now just play with what I've got. Still love the game and I'm also the first of my family to play.

[atouchoverrated]

My grandparent's in England/ Wales were avid golfers. I played in a tournament in Wales when I was 7 but that was my first and only golfing experience until I was 13. I wrestled and played baseball until that point in time. A buddy of mine in middle school started to get into golf (right around the time Tiger came on the scene). We would hit up the local par 3 course that just opened in my home town and hit balls and play.

I played a lot during my high school years but didn't really play much in College due to none of my friends playing. About 6 years ago I started getting back into it and now I'm a weekend warrior who wishes he could play more.

[putts4bogey]

I started playing because of charity events. My company sponsored a few events each year, but I didn't play. After a few of these, a co-sponsor challenged me to play and invited me to join their group. I had to buy clubs, shoes, etc. to play. I played poorly, but was hooked on the game from there.

[tjumper78]

when i broke up with my ex-gf, i had so much free time on weekends.
my best friend and my dad took me out to a course, and i enjoyed the round even though i sucked.
from there, my golf journey started.

[Jack Pearsall]

My father introduced us. We were all hooked as kids looking and grabbing at his clubs. He was a good ball striker and taught us pretty decently. We caddied for money, sold found balls. Usual stuff. My older brother and Jack played as much as we could.

They didnt have kid clubs back then that we ever saw...
Patty Berg you wankers!!!!!!

[dcsocal]

Been playing seriously for almost one year this May. I played baseball in college and my golf outings were limited to the yearly alumni golf tournament where I mostly found myself mocking the game and being an overall slap d#+#+ on the course. Got some clones for Christmas my senior year about 4 years ago and didn't take them out of the box save for the rare range session until about last May when my brother in law invited me to the local executive. Hit a couple flush and had my ego stroked a bit lol with the "that's a pretty nice swing" remarks and was hooked.

I tend to be hooked on things very easily and golf is no different. I love the game and I am very glad I was introduced to it now rather than later as the growing pains can be frustrating to say the least. Me and my old teammates play at least once a week and allows us a time to make a ton of new memories post-college.

I've even got my dad interested which has me pretty pumped about some good ol' father son time. Such a great game.

[DevilDog]

I started around age 11. Next door neighbor kid same age as me had a Dad who played and the kid wanted me to play with him. Back in those days, in summer, a kid could play 18 holes at the Munis walking for 50 cents for 18 holes. I didn't have clubs and another neighbor had an old set of hickory shafted irons and woods. He told me I could play with them and that's what I learned to play with it in 1960s. Two years later, I took what money I had saved and got MacGregor pro line irons and woods. Played those irons for 20+ years. I got Toney Penna woods later I played with for years too.

[Kakski83]

Played multiple sorts growing up due to an older brother. My next door neighbor who I use to cut his grass decided it would be a great idea to teach me golf. I use to hit through his yard over the street into the school yard. He use to stand by the street and waive me on when no cars were going thru. Played all through high school and eventually college. Its funny in the past my friends looked at golf as being a sub par sport. Now they all want me to teach them the fundamentals. Looking back I am the only one out of them that still has my picture hanging in the hall of fame for my high school.

I believe a lot of who I am came from learning the game. Playing as a single or with my Dad taught me a lot about life when I was younger. Playing as a single and meeting random golfers can really open up some doors.

[xrt99]

A cut down 3, 5 and 9 iron at age 9...the addiction began

[Lancejoker]

I took up golf for family reasons. I used to play football and baseball with my dad all the time. He would play in golf tournaments with his company. At the time I never understood the game or what a challenge it is. I just saw someone hitting a ball a long way just to walk and hit it again.
Anyway,my dad's older than all of my friend's dads and it got to a point where he couldn't throw a baseball or take football anymore so in trying to spend more time with him,I picked up a golf club one day when he was hitting balls in the field beside our house. That was 20 years ago. Got to a point where we were playing every Sunday and I got more addicted then he ever was. I took a couple years off because of a bad knee but I'm playing again and he's pretty happy about it.

[knock it close]

My dad was a golf professional so I've been playing golf from a very young age, played baseball up until age 15 and played hockey until I went to University last year, now its pretty much all golf with the occasional drop in game of hockey.

[OrangeCrush]

Former hockey player who spent his mid-late teens just hitting the ball VERY far at the range and at 21 was finally convinced to take it to the course. 1st hole uphill 305yd uphill Par 4, drove the ball to 15yds from the green, took NINE more shots to get it in the hole. I NEVER hit an iron before that day in my life! I shot a 87 for 9 holes. Got down to mid 60's the next time and by the end of that summer was mid 50's. Been hooked ever since!

[tsmithers]

When I was 13 years old my father started taking me to play golf with him during weekdays. He owned his own business so he would take the day off and take me to the course and I would ride along with him. When we reached the 150 marker he would put a ball down and hand me a 5 iron and I would play the whole from there as a par 4. Those are some of the best memories from my childhood. Just hanging with my father and playing golf. From that point on I loved the game and started playing with my friends at the age of 15. I played football, baseball and basketball in school. I so wish I played on the golf team instead. And that is how I started playing golf.

[Franmann]

Grew up across the street from the eleventh hole of a country club. My mom picked me up a set of sticks from a garage sale. I was eight. I would go out later in the evening after the last groups had gone through. Hit balls till dark.

[IrishGolfer14]

Senior year of high school my best friend got a job as a caddy. He started getting into golf so eventually I played with him using a set of old MacGregors that were in our garage. I was obviously terrible but on #6 from 200 out I pulled my 3 wood( not sure why I thought it was a good idea) and I knocked it onto the green. From that point on I was hooked. I hit a green from 200 yards my first time playing and 4 years later I can't do it again!

[ahopkins13]

I was 14 or 15 and a buddy invited me to go with him, as his grandpa ran the club house and we could play for free. I kinda got hooked after the first round, i saved my money and bought a cheap set of Northwestern clubs and bag. My grandparents used to buy my pool membership every summer and I talked them into paying for golf.

I played a ton from 14-18 then slowed down in college as i couldnt afford it. Played maybe 5 times in 10 years after that. Then 2 years ago i started work for a company that had a employee appreciation golf outing. I wasnt going to play but got talked into it. Fell back in love with the game. I have more money now so i could afford it and got hooked again. Golf course is less than 2 miles from my house so its easy to get to. The wife golfed with me a lot until last year when she got pregnant.