How has golf affected your life off of the course?

[tehuti]

Now that I’m playing again it’s difficult to enjoy my other obsession - hiking. So as soon as I get a decent push cart I’ll be doing my walking on golf courses instead of trails.

 

Also, I seem to find all sorts of excuses to “swing by” Roger Dunn or the PGA Tour Superstore for no particular reason.

[GolfNuts4]

Golf has drastically affected my life. It is core to my friendships, an activity for me with the boys, as well as my wife. It is why I chose my home, where I live and how I spend my disposable income. It is core to my life, it is a game that teaches me so much about, life, people, adversity and pure joy. I cannot think of any other activity that has provided me so much. I cannot imagine not having golf in my life.

[disco111]

Golf - Affected Life.....................

 

Well for starters, my vocabulary has increased (made 2 sailors blush just the other day). Got into the Guinness record book (almost), for the longest putter throw. Have learned to close out distracting noise (wife jabbering at me). Realized I don't need a sparring partner as I've found I fight with myself quite well. I've managed to come to terms with a drinking problem, I just don't think it's a problem. I've found new sources for equipment (thrift stores). All this and more from golf and just think if you spell golf backwards it's flog..............

[rxk9fan]

Golf...it both giveth and taketh away :-)

I can't say that it has helped my relationship with my wife (though she accepts it and me).

I can say that it has further bonded friendships that will last a lifetime.

 

I can't say that golf has increased the time I commit to my work.

I can say that golf clears my soul so that my time at work is more compassionate.

 

I can't say that I would rather be in a pew than on the course come Sunday morning.

I can say that there are mornings of dew and fresh cut grass that look like they were touched by God.

[Psyber]

Time..... Love the game but takes just way too long....... Too much time wasted on this game.... But boy do I enjoy it.

Never understood this. I mean do you really have something better to be doing with that time? If so why even play golf?

[North Butte]

Time..... Love the game but takes just way too long....... Too much time wasted on this game.... But boy do I enjoy it.

Never understood this. I mean do you really have something better to be doing with that time? If so why even play golf?

 

My attitude toward a lot of things about golf is explained by the fact that I'd never touched a club or set foot on a golf course in my life until I was in my 30's and looking for a way to get regular physical activity while not being bored senseless walking or running or bicycling.

 

So anything that involves walking and hitting the golf ball I'm all for. Anything that involves standing around waiting, riding in a golf cart, hitting balls on a driving range and so forth are a waste of my precious time.

 

 

Kind of like the old quote about "Millions for defense, not one cent for tribute". Three hours spent in a round of walking golf is something I work into my schedule in every possible way. Even a single hour of hanging around a golf course doing something else, I avoid.

[DavePelz4]

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?

 

Hard to believe but it's not a walk in but has 4 level of shelves. The top 2 are currently filled with double dozens of KSigs, the next is the variety shelf with Bridgestone e6's, Wilson 50's and a bunch of other random balls. The bottom shelf and the floor is the found ball section where balls are collected that will be donated to a local junior program. I'm guess there are probably 1,000 balls in the closet if not more.

[BeerPerHole]

I agree with the "lighter wallet" effect.

 

Physically, I have worked a lot more flexibility into my workouts. If it wasn't for golf I'd be tighter than a drum with beach muscles...

 

It has given me something to gather with friends around. Most of my buddies play so that's nice.

[dkimbooo]

Instead of reading video game forums, I read golf forums.

[XYB34A]

35 years ago. i was a beginning contract salesman for Lowe's (they dont have those anymore). the store manager gave me money and told me to take 3 contractors out to play golf. i shot 144. I lost a dozen ball in 8 holes. I had to borrow a ball to play the 9th and lost that. I bought 2 dozen balls at the turn. the 3 contractors laughed and laughed and we did have fun. when we finished. each one of them gave me a purchase order for house packages. big houses. i made almost 4000 dollars in mid 1980s dollars in commission. think what that would be now. i made friends, bought two of ben hogan books. bought a brand new set of Ben Hogan clubs. bought Taylor Made Metal woods. starting playing every weekend, then 9 holes after work. and withing two years shot in the low 80s. within 5 years i could break par. and spent the next 30 years averaging 74. I have since had surgery on my wrist, my left knee and a knee replacement on my right knee.

 

had a ton of fun with my son's playing golf. and got divorced from their mother because i wasnt home enough. with them. she did have a drug problem though.

 

I havent played for about a year and half. I was released today by the knee replacement Dr. I will be playing again by the time its warm again. GOLF has been very very good to me.

[MidwestGolfBum]

Golf has become an integral part of my life over the past 4-6 years and thinking about it helps to remind me why I play this game.

• I know that when I'm having a crap day of work I can go to the club and find somebody to play a few holes with or just practice alone with some music and take my mind off of it for a while which does help to keep me a little more sane. My employees play golf, outside of a few, and are thankful that I happily let them go out and enjoy their time on the course, no matter if it's alone, with friends, family, or tournament rounds. I also take those who do play out for a few rounds a year as a way to show appreciation for what they do, as well as getting out to enjoy each other's company in a very relaxed setting.
  
• My Thursday afternoons are booked for our men's day throughout the season, and becomes a nice way to break up the week and gives the ability to blow off some steam with my buddies.
  
• I can take customers out to play and even if they aren't overly skilled at playing, they always enjoy the time spent out of the office and I'm typically able to learn so much more about them. I have payed my club dues several times over because of the business that I have been able to get because of taking customers out to play as well as cementing relationships with them leading to more business down the road.
  
• Being able to play with my girlfriend has improved our relationship because it get's us outside and active. Also, since she worked for a state golf association for a while and rarely got the chance to play and is happy to get the chance to play more often again. She also understands my love of the game and encourages me to play. Being able to include her younger sister, who loves the game, is also a great way to score points with both the girlfriend as well as gaining a cheerleader for me when I inevitably do something stupid and upset my better half.
  
• Getting out to play with my father is much more a way for us to get out and give each other a hard time which we don't get to do much given we are business partners. The golf course is about the only place where we are spending a majority of time together not talking about business and provides a nice balance for he and I. It also gets him out of the house for a while, which I know my mother enjoys.
  
• I also try to stay somewhat fit so that I can stay in "golf shape" to continue to play this crazy game for years to come.
  

I'm sure that I would be able to find another thing to do to fill all of the things that golf does for me, but I certainly don't think that I would want to.

[jimb6golf]

Golf is therapy for me especially during range time when it's just me and the ball. Helps to reduce stress levels. Golf occupies any free time as I'm practicing, swinging, putting, fixing clubs, reading this site, watching YouTube or something else golf related. This site is my home page at work too. Can't get enough. Oh and always thinking of new clubs that I can buy or swing thoughts that I can practice. Slightly obsessive but fun. Has resulted in surgeries on both knees and my shoulder as well as a very bad back too which is unfortunate though. Great game!!

[RPryor]

I stopped caring about work and all I think about is golf. Everything I do is geared towards golf. I don't clean my house but every night after I play I clean my clubs. I can't help but make practice swings wherever I'm at.

[Sean2]

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.

 

I experience no guilt whatsoever. Golf is much more than a game to me. Yes, I suffer the slings and arrows just like anyone who plays this game, but there is something ineffable about golf. Writ large it's like a Zen koan, each individual round is like a mini-lifetime, and I have had the fortune to experience multiple reincarnations. Golf is therapy for me. It is also exercise, camaraderie, combined with a passion to get better.

 

Golf is always a journey, never a destination, because golf is a game that won't allow for perfection so that destination is never reached. It does however, provide the opportunity to live in the present moment, to focus on the journey, so that at some point, while we strive to get better, we also accept what it gives us and are grateful for that.

[MtlJeff]

Golf hasn't changed my personal life all that much, biggest difference i would say is with work. When people know you are a really good golfer (for casual golfers who play 10 rounds a year which is most people, a scratch player is a sight to behold), a lot of people want to play with you and you get to make some connections you wouldn't otherwise make

 

When i was starting at my company, kind of a lower level manager, i got to play with Exec VP's, Senior VP's etc at some of our partners. You make some great connections as said and that helps you.

 

Even now that i've been in my industry a long time, it's still fun because you still get invited to things. Like i got invited to play in a fun tournament in Vegas last year by one of our vendors. I don't know that it really helps my career any more....but it still makes me more "known" i guess to some people. Because there's a lot of golf outtings, partners who sponsor tournaments etc

[boggyman]

My back hurts when golf season intersects with bowling league. And my wallet is lighter.

As do the hamstrings, especially after 18 and league bowling g on same day! Agreed on wallet also.

[bigred90gt]

It has taken away vacation and “play money” funds in unimaginable quantities. But, in the last couple of miserable years of my first marriage, it offered me refuge from the place I just didn’t want to be; home. I spent 4-5 days a week at the course, including a good 15 hours every Sunday.

 

I am happy to say that I am very happily married to my second wife now (the right one) and I rarely even get to the course anymore because I’d rather spend my time with her. When I do, she is usually Riding along with me. She doesn’t play, but that’s 4 more hours we get to spend together, and she enjoys being outdoors with me.

[deadsolid...shank]

It has taken away vacation and “play money” funds in unimaginable quantities. But, in the last couple of miserable years of my first marriage, it offered me refuge from the place I just didn’t want to be; home. I spent 4-5 days a week at the course, including a good 15 hours every Sunday.

 

I am happy to say that I am very happily married to my second wife now (the right one) and I rarely even get to the course anymore because I’d rather spend my time with her. When I do, she is usually Riding along with me. She doesn’t play, but that’s 4 more hours we get to spend together, and she enjoys being outdoors with me.

 

Good for you BigRed. Nice to find that particular person.

 

After 30+ years I get encouraged to go play by the Mrs just so I’m not around to bother her!

[BeerPerHole]

It has taken away vacation and “play money” funds in unimaginable quantities. But, in the last couple of miserable years of my first marriage, it offered me refuge from the place I just didn’t want to be; home. I spent 4-5 days a week at the course, including a good 15 hours every Sunday.

 

I am happy to say that I am very happily married to my second wife now (the right one) and I rarely even get to the course anymore because I’d rather spend my time with her. When I do, she is usually Riding along with me. She doesn’t play, but that’s 4 more hours we get to spend together, and she enjoys being outdoors with me.

I can relate. After my first marriage I met my current wife. She was a golfer when we met. If you can...see if your wife wants to take up the game. It's like a big layer of icing on your cake. Man...ain't it nice to find a nice lady?

[jamesg.nz]

Golf makes me more relaxed and as others have said it's good therapy. It has also bought me and my Dad closer and we can talk about golf stuff (which suits my wife).

[TigerWoodsIV]

It definitely has. Even if it's just friends, I made a few great friends back in high school on the golf team. It's great to relax and get outside. Getting yourself away from a screen these days is valuable. I'm sure it's done other things, but if you're a serious golfer, there's no way it hasn't affected you off the course somehow.

 

Oh, and it's also given me a ton of injuries... Guess that's the bad part, but wrists and elbows have not been kind at various points in my golf career.

[BB28403]

Golf has been a constant in my life for over 30 years. The only negative is all the money spent. But, as my wife points out, if I were a bar fly, or hung out at strip clubs, I would probably spend a lot more, with no positive return.

 

So your wife wouldn't complain if you hung out at strip clubs? Interesting

[thewral]

I find myself having a lot less money to spend on much anything else.

[SnapHooker_307]

When I'm out checking grades on a project, I try to visualize what a ball would do if I putt. It has actually made a few dips and flat spots seem more apparent.

[Ping Zings]

I stopped caring about work and all I think about is golf. Everything I do is geared towards golf. I don't clean my house but every night after I play I clean my clubs. I can't help but make practice swings wherever I'm at.

 

:rofl:

[North Butte]

I was totally sedentary and weighed 220-something pounds when I started playing golf. Now after a quarter a century of continued poor eating habits I'm older and...not fatter. I weigh around 203. Lord knows how big I'd be if I had not started spending 3-1/2 hours, 120-140 times a year walking around a golf course.

[scotty2131]

Not to get too heavy on this thread, but I can say that golf has pretty much saved my life. I picked up playing seriously a few years ago when I was having a pretty difficult time and in an odd transition point in my life. I've struggled with depression and anxiety for the last 10-15 years, and having something that I love doing (even during the blow up rounds) has truly saved my mental health. There are few things I enjoy more than playing a quick 9 after work during the week, and taking time by myself to appreciate a sunset and remember how lucky I am to be able to get out and play this great game. Everyone's always in such a rush nowadays, those 2ish hours I get on an empty course as the summer sun goes down make me truly grateful to be alive.

[3jacker]

Golf has made me a golfer.

It has caused me to live in the "golf bubble" for too many years, mainly this

affected my fashion sense. Luckily, I broke out of that in my late 20s.

It has caused much pain and disappointment in my life. Also a couple of damaged rotator

cuffs. But I wouldn't trade it for the world and am eternally grateful my dad

introduced me to the game in my early teens.

[CJPenny]

I wrote my college Common App essay on how golf had shaped me as a person. Got me into an Ivy (as a non-recruit) so that's something.

[BB28403]

I wrote my college Common App essay on how golf had shaped me as a person. Got me into an Ivy (as a non-recruit) so that's something.

 

Round up takes care of IVY

Use a little Benedryl too, it should clear right up .

 

;)