How has golf affected your life off of the course?

[Scooterboy59]

Yes it allows a competitive outlet, just wish I could play more tournaments.

I have met all kinds of great people.

It gives me a mental break for life. It's just me and the course.

It's provided income.

Where could a poor old country boy have played with a World Series, Super Bowl, Nascar and Pga tour winners. If not for golf.

This is the greatest game you can choose to play.

[MountainGoat]

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.

 

I agree with this except for the last four words. In my case, it drives me insane.

[Mcgeeno]

From a young age it taught me to be honest no matter what the outcome might be. That philosophy has had both positive and negative consequences when applied to life in general...

 

Good post!

 

My dad used to say its the best babysitter he ever could have paid for.

 

300 dollar junior membership as a kid, my parents would drop me off and I would be there all summer long each day. I learned how to treat my elders, how to be respectful of people, how to be quiet when neccessary,

 

I'm sure we all have the stories of losing our temper as a junior golfer. I remember I snapped a club once when I skulled a wedge and my dad didnt get mad at me but the look of disappointment on his face said it all. I saved for weeks to pay for my own reshafted wedge as he wouldnt give me a penny to help haha.

 

I even learned about money. I remember saving up dimes in order to buy my first set of clubs on my own. The owner of the course had worked out a deal secretly with my parents that once I got to half he would let me have them.

 

You learn how to be gracious in defeat and humble in victory. I lost a playoff with my dad on the bag in front of 50+ people and it hurt. My dad later told my mom it was the proudest day of my life with how I behaved during and after.

 

Golf got me my first job. I was hitting range balls and the kid who was supposed to pick the range didnt show up so the owner threw me the keys to the ball picker and offered me a job on the spot.

 

 

Some of the relationships I built 20+ years ago are still strong to this day because of the bonds built on the golf course.

 

I could go on and on, but I think there is no better sport in the world for making good human beings.

[Jack Pearsall]

He doesn’t know but assumes that it has. Not going to get all pillow holding boohoo but golf can be analogous to just about anything, like The Godfather or The Big Lebowski.

 

Time and perspective are everything.

 

[rich_s2]

The groupies get tedious and winning a few skins a week has allowed me to live the life of a rockstar at times. That and I cant walk by a mirror without simulating my transition.

[TexasCarlos]

I think more than anything, golf has taught me to never bite off more than I can chew. Knowing its better to punch out and get up and down vs trying a low percentage shot and ruining a scorecard, similarly in life its important to know what you can handle and be successful in and not mistake hubris for "escaping the comfort zone". All in all I think its taught me just how valuable consistency can be. If your'e a reliable worker and your directors can see you as an asset who can be called upon, soon you'll join their ranks vs the guy who hits the occasional home run. Lastly, as crazy as club ho'ing and trying to squeeze in 2 rounds a week with a girlfriend and a dog can be, it very much keeps me sane.

[gregcindyh]

Yes it has, I went from making fun of golf until my mid 30’s I got the bug. I changed careers from being a small business owner to now I’m a college golf coach and in the PGA program at 60 years young!

[SixtySomePing]

Yes it has, I went from making fun of golf until my mid 30’s I got the bug. I changed careers from being a small business owner to now I’m a college golf coach and in the PGA program at 60 years young!

That's an amazing story greg...

[TrentWunstel]

As others have mentioned, golf is therapy for me. It is both extremely maddening, but is also extremely intoxicating. Also, after several knee surgeries, golf is about the only physical activity I'm really able to do much anymore. 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 am a "natural" when it comes to a whole lot of things, but not golf. I have had to work and work and work to get better.

 

So it helps ME a lot. However, I do think that has hurt me a bit in my family life and in my career. My wife and kids are generally OK with me going out to play golf, but they'd rather me not do it. I do a pretty good job of managing it, and being mostly present when I am at home, etc. But it is undeniable that the time i take for me to play golf is to some degree time taken from my family (even if it is time that I need). And for work / career, I would just say that golf is on my mind a lot, and when opportunities to play present themselves I try to take advantage. Thus, that at times takes away from my focus on work / career. I've had by essentially any measure a very successful career, and I have a very good marriage, and my kids are doing well, etc....so any "harm" from golf appears to be either minimal or non-existent. But, certainly, if I didn't take a few hours every week to play golf it would likely result in more time at home / work.

 

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)?

As someone who participated in Ironman for many years, I can confidently say, no other sport ruins marriages and family more than triathlon. Two workouts per day on average, and then you are usually always tired and need at least 10 hours of sleep per night to be competitive. Most friends that still participate at any serious level in long course or either divorced, or married a triathlete and do not have kids. It can also take a toll on your career much more than golf. No business deals are done on your 14 mile Thursday night run.... Enjoy golf and no need to feel guilty!!!! IMHO

[Golfer4Life]

Not really. My life is great with or without golf. Golf is a game as life is not.

[Jacked_Loft]

Golf has been a big part of my life for 47 years, and it has provided for my family and myself for the last 20 of them.

 

Can't say if golf has effected my life, as I don't know life without golf.

[Double Mocha Man]

Not really. My life is great with or without golf. Golf is a game as life is not.

 

With all due respect I disagree. Life is a game, too. You either play it well or you play it poorly. Outlook, positivity, cheerfulness, camaraderie, attitude, graciousness, good will, appreciation... a glass of wine at sunset with good friends at the neighborhood lounge.

[Solidstrike]

You’ve got it backwards. The post should be titled, “how has your life off the course affected your golf game.” ;-).

 

Seriously though, time and money. Many of us have full time careers and families. The negative impact of golf is how it has to take priority sometimes.

 

On a weekend morning do you spend money taking your family to do something fun or spend money on yourself and half a day away from them? Sometimes you need half a day for yourself, but that comes at a cost beyond dollars and cents.

[gregcindyh]

Yes it has, I went from making fun of golf until my mid 30’s I got the bug. I changed careers from being a small business owner to now I’m a college golf coach and in the PGA program at 60 years young!

That's an amazing story greg...

Thanks!

[Tcann32]

Since starting the game, I seem to have contracted some intermittent illness where I get the sniffles at work, every time it’s nice outside.. lol

 

Golf is a good fit for me. I enjoy social aspects in life and all that good stuff, but I’m also someone who needs their solitude, and a few hours on the course early in the morning is a perfect way for me to get that. Some people fish, hunt, etc. for the same reasons I golf.

 

Golf is an obsession, and it’s affected my life as such, so take that for what it’s worth lol.

[11forgedblades]

My life has/had been connected to the game for the last 20 years. My last 2 previous jobs were as an assistant superintendent so I spend countless hours there. Then after finally moving on from the golf industry I move in with my girlfriend who's house is literally on a golf course (back yard fence is attached to #7 teebox). So I am woken up by mowers and green rolling/ cup cutting all of the time, but I wouldn't change a thing! Love it.

[blarkin97]

Yes.....this site keeps me from being productive at work in any capacity

 

^^^^^^Thinking to myself while reading this thread at work :rofl:

[caeye0710]

Luckily my wife is an avid golfer and a low single digit at that. We play almost every Saturday or Sunday in order to give the grandparents time with the kiddo (win-win). On the rare occasion I do play with buddies when they can get out, rather than saying: "No", she says "I'm jealous. That means I get to go play tomorrow."

[dropkicked]

Discussions are had on the course and deals are signed off of it. This game truly brings strangers together in fascinating ways.

 

[Barfolomew]

Divorce, bankruptcy, deportation and jail.... love golf

[Sean2]

It has maintained my sanity, after a fashion.

[Pworld]

Golf has improved my life.

-gave me something outside of my career to focus on.

-Its my happy place. The one place i disconnect from the world and live in the moment.

-its my time with nature

-me and my lady have bonded with her getting into the game. It also has helped her work on some of her weaknesses like patience, ego, etc.

-It has made me work on patience, consistency, persistence, and discipline in all aspects of life. Especially when i devoted to really improve my game especially my short game.

-It has allowed me to meet so many people from walks of life i would not have met where i come from.

[Nwpowell]

Has made me become more patient and don’t get so upset over the little things.

[Stinger83]

It's definitely helped my social life and career. I have had friends, customers and contacts made on the golf course (or at the water cooler talking about it.) In my experience golf and hunting brings men together like nothing else can.....except maybe fantasy football.

[LeftDaddy]

Revisiting this thread has been interesting. I posted on page 1 back in 2017. Back then I was in a great job, but just didn’t love the culture, etc. Now I’m in a different but still great job/company. The “attitude” toward things like golf is a bit different/better. And frankly, I’ve started to become a little more “healthy” selfish. What I mean is that I’ve always been the type of person who put others first. Thus, golf by its nature made that tough at times. Hard to put the job or family first if you are gone for several hours.

Now, though, I’ve started to realize that I’m “worth” investing some of my own time into, and by God just about the only thing I find “therapeutic” in that way is golf. In a vacuum, golf would be extremely good for me in so many ways. I can’t really think of too many ways it would be bad for just me. Now, move outside the vacuum, it does steal my time from others. But I’ve given to others for so long, and still do quite a lot, so I’ve begun to realize that it is the one place where I get a little selfish in my life, and doggonit there is nothing wrong with that. Queue Jack Handey.

Even on the family front, where I had a little more “golf guilt”...I put in a lot of time for my wife and kids. There is nothing wrong with taking a few hours a week to go play golf, given my level of commitment to them otherwise.

Oh, one last thing. Golf and business mix less and less these days. Earlier in my career we would take clients out to play golf, or use golf as a way to “make friends” with potential partners, etc. Even though I am now more “in charge” of some of those relationships, we just don’t use golf in that way anymore. Not as many people seem to play golf, and for those that do, there is definitely a stigma associated with a bunch of “rich white guy businessmen” playing golf during work hours. It is now almost purely a personal/social endeavor for me. And I’m fine with that, but at least in my business circles, there is zero positive to being decent at golf and being able to host clients at a nice club.

[shinobi]

if i'm not playing golf, you can assume i'm watching it on tv.

[golfwave]

It adds color to my skin so I'm not pasty white.

[bking556]

It does that for me too. Except my left hand and feet, those are still pasty white. The rest is somewhere between red and pink.

[DavidH88]

like many others before me here on this topic have said, Golf is my pressure release valve and my only form of exercise i can do well. With me also having Autism, golf for me is a game of respect, curtesy and honesty. Golf has also taught me traits like time keeping, decision making and the biggest thing to me problem solving.

Though it has many positives in my life i still get mad when people and not just golfers break the rules for example the social distancing atm. I do get upset on the course when I am rushed. In which i do let other quicker players play through. Luckily my mum and dad go to the course with me to keep me save and calm (again a autism trait)

so for me Golf and being taught well by my family has helped me become a hard working and good person ?

[Zen_Golfer]

Golf led to me read the book, "Zen Golf". Zen Golf made be realize that when it comes to religion, if Im anything, Im a Buddhist. That led me to begin a daily Buddhist practice of meditation and led me to start attending weekly service at a local Buddhist temple.

That has completely changed my life and how I view and react to things around me. Had it not been golf golf, I never would have read that book and I probably wouldnt be the person that I am today.