How has golf affected your life off of the course?

[Pigems]

It’s my therapy. It’s my meditation.

 

Others find peace with yoga or running or smoking dope or going to museums.

 

Me and a golf ball. No classes or social status, the ball never cared where I grew up or who my parents were.

 

I don’t get to blame anyone else out there for a bad shot. It’s just you and a ball.

 

Outside of a few people and my dogs it’s the most important thing in my life and it keeps me sane.

 

Couldn’t have put it any better, well said man. :)

[daegyu]

Golf gives me so much to look forward to. Waiting for the ups guy to drop off a new club. Looking forward to going to the local golf shop for something as small as putting on new grips. Having trouble sleeping because you're playing a new course with some friends in the morning. Buying 12 gatorades from the cute cart girl even though you have a 64oz hydroflask full of water. Golf is great.

[cowbomb02]

my wife has another reason to complain at me... :)

[MountainGoat]

It has taught me that sometimes it doesn't matter how dedicated you are or how much you study and practice. With some activities, you just stink, anyway. Frankly, this is not a lesson I was interested in learning.

[Rapatt95]

Sore back. Hands in pain. Hurt ego. Frustrated brain.

 

On the flip side, after a brutal day at work I look forward to smacking some balls around.

 

I’m only 22, my back hurts when I lay in bed, my right wrist is developing carpal tunnel I think, my shoulder is shot, both my knees crack when I pick my ball up out of the hole, and here I am at work counting the hours until I’ll be at the course with one of my buddies afterwards

[Kenny Lee Puckett]

Sore back. Hands in pain. Hurt ego. Frustrated brain.

 

On the flip side, after a brutal day at work I look forward to smacking some balls around.

 

I’m only 22, my back hurts when I lay in bed, my right wrist is developing carpal tunnel I think, my shoulder is shot, both my knees crack when I pick my ball up out of the hole, and here I am at work counting the hours until I'll be at the course with one of my buddies afterwards

Great avatar kid. And get all the friends out there playing that you can. You are the newest custodians of our game.

[Rapatt95]

Sore back. Hands in pain. Hurt ego. Frustrated brain.

 

On the flip side, after a brutal day at work I look forward to smacking some balls around.

 

I’m only 22, my back hurts when I lay in bed, my right wrist is developing carpal tunnel I think, my shoulder is shot, both my knees crack when I pick my ball up out of the hole, and here I am at work counting the hours until I'll be at the course with one of my buddies afterwards

Great avatar kid. And get all the friends out there playing that you can. You are the newest custodians of our game.

 

Hey thanks! I designed it myself in a digital editing course

[dcopp7]

Basically my wife gets pissed everytime I'd rather go play then do something like go pick out patio furniture.

 

Don't get me started about how she hates me watching Sunday tourney coverage on TV

[cardoustie]

the highlite is golfing Sunday morning and then watching it on TV later in the day. Not well received generally

 

As many have said, golf is therapy to a degree. You and a ball vs. the course and nature. It's always an epic battle and it changes daily

 

Range time is yoga for me. Sore hands and back, lots of sweat and hard work. Gets my mind off of other issues in life that can wear a person down

 

I do spend far too much money on golf in terms of membership fees and equipment (curse you evil 3 woods and high end shafts), but there are far FAR worse hobbies to have in this life

[markjay1]

Golf has significantly increased my frustration off the course because when I'm not playing I always wish I was.

[64degreewedge]

I toss and turn at night worrying about the few shots where I took a deep divot or when I bladed a wedge. I keep thinking to myself "The young girls on the LPGA tour would NEVER do that". I often lament that when I play tennis, a bad shot goes out, or into the net, etc. and you don't need to worry about where it landed. Also, I have to remind myself that when I'm in social circles not to talk about golf so much.

[mefnocerous]

I find myself lacking common interest with people who don't look for every opportunity to find an open tee time somewhere in town

[new2g0lf]

Golf has helped me appreciate that things are not always what they seem at the surface. In my earlier years I dismissed golf as an old persons sport, something one does when they can no longer compete at other "real" sports.

 

When I took up golf six years ago I figured it would be easy; the ball just sits there, you just stand there, there's no time limit, no 300 lb guys chasing you and all the pro's hit the ball 300 yards while barely looking like they tried. Boy was I wrong, golf is by far harder than any other sport I've ever played. It isn't as physically demanding as marathon running or punishing as football but the hand eye coordination and body coordination to hit good shots is far more difficult than anything else I've attemtped.

 

Even putting, which everyone believes they are a mini-golf pro can be difficult and it just gets harder from there.

[Man_O_War]

divorced for 3 years and remarried to golf.. I can't see how not to enjoy the freedom by myself and how i can enjoy with a possible nag that i like so big decision...stay single, enjoy the cold nights alone,

[Gem]

divorced for 3 years and remarried to golf.. I can't see how not to enjoy the freedom by myself and how i can enjoy with a possible nag that i like so big decision...stay single, enjoy the cold nights alone,

 

Buy a water bottle for the bed, you won't regret it :D

[tokeyb]

As others have mentioned, golf is therapy for me. It is both extremely maddening, but is also extremely intoxicating. ...And I'll add that golf is probably the one thing that helps me bond with friends and / or form new friendships, etc. Finally, golf is the only endeavor I've ever undertaken in my life that has taken me so long to become relatively proficient at...I have had to work and work and work to get better.

...

 

Now that I've said that, though, why is it that taking time for golf is considered a bad thing when taking time to run, or train for triathlons, or working out, or for mental / spiritual breaks are considered good things? Is it because golf is mostly a "rich white guy" endeavor (and thus inherently bad)?

 

I second your thoughts, and absolutely hear you on 'golf guilt'. When living in DC, it cost so much money and took so long and felt so effing privileged that I didn't talk about it and didn't play much. Moving back to the Midwest, where all kinds of people play, and public courses are the norm,has really helped me get over it. Here it's about the self challenge and the comraderie, not the status.

[Reb58]

Golf helps keep me calm when things go haywire, mostly at work and helps me stop fretting the small stuff.

[touch]

Excluding the basement, 8 rooms have something golf related in them and that's not counting the golf ball closet.

 

Golf ball closet? Specifically just for golf balls? I bet it is a walk in too. You have a piece of furniture in the golf ball closet that has a crystal tray on top of it?

On that tray are Sharpie's in every color manufactured. Is the stock (golf ball boxes) in there all in alphabetized?

[Londoner]

I think it made me taller.

[deetsal]

My wife, 3ed by the way, asked me, "what do you guys talk about for 5 hours". " Golf" I said. "How the heck can you talk golf for 5 hours". My response was " how do you fill the other 19 without talking about golf, that's the hard part".

[Man_O_War]

divorced for 3 years and remarried to golf.. I can't see how not to enjoy the freedom by myself and how i can enjoy with a possible nag that i like so big decision...stay single, enjoy the cold nights alone,

 

Buy a water bottle for the bed, you won't regret it :D

 

lol. good one

[North Butte]

Golf helps keep me calm when things go haywire, mostly at work and helps me stop fretting the small stuff.

 

I will say this. If something from work or home or any other Real Life problem even crosses my mind during a round of golf...well, that must be some real heavy s--- because golf is just about the only time I don't obsess over the problems of the day, whatever they might be.

[tehuti]

I already didn’t practice playing bass and guitar enough. Now that I am obsessed with golf again I spend precious practice time at the driving range instead.

[deadsolid...shank]

Met my best friend on the course.

 

Biggest thing for me is it's fills that competitive niche that I really can't get anywhere else now as I get older.

[slimeone]

Apparently I dress like I just walked off the links

[sheldonjhacker]

Golf has made me humble, because it's the only sport that hasn't come easy for me.

 

Golf has taught me the importance of staying in the present, and hones my decision-making skills-which positively effect other aspects of my life.

 

Unfortunately, all my past girlfriends busted my balls about playing "too much" golf. My next girlfriend will love golf...or else she'll be my ex-gf. :nyam:

[uitar9]

Finally found something both the wife and I are both passionate about.

[ChipNRun]

I teach at a university business school. Last year I taught a 1-credit-hour weekend course called Golf As Fundraising. The athletic department noticed it, and I have been appointed to the planning committee for the school's annual benefit golf scramble.

 

Golf examples are useful in class. In Strategy class, we sometimes do a case involving an old-line private country club that's having to let in outside events so it doesn't go broke.

 

In International Management, we cover the globalization of golf equipment manufacturing. We use golfdom in three topic areas: intellectual property and patent theft, international supply chain, and strategic alliances.

[MrJones]

I think about golf all the time. I'm constantly looking forward to my next round or practice session. When the time changes, and it gets dark early, I get somewhat depressed as I can't get out to the course after work anymore. My golf buddies and I talk/text about golf all week.

 

If you ask anyone that knows me they know exactly what (and usually where) I'm going to be doing every Saturday and Sunday morning.

 

the highlite is golfing Sunday morning and then watching it on TV later in the day. Not well received generally

 

I LOVE Sundays like this. Play, come home, clean up, eat a little lunch, and spend the day watching the last round of a good tournament.

[J_Birdie]

I get nagged less because I’m around less. Golf has greatly improved my life