What’s the longest amount of time you’ve gone without swinging a club?

[mrmikeac]

Hey Everyone,

 

It’s been a long time since I’ve swung a club (Oct 2020 to be exact) 

Prior to taking this time off, I played off 6.

My clubs have been calling me by my full name for a long time and due to a change at work, it looks like I can pick it up again! (thank God) 

 

I’m really just trying to get the courage to get back to the range but I’m afraid of what my swing might look like....yikes 

 

Just curious, has anyone taken a prolonged period of time off of golf before getting back into it? If so, how long did it take you to get back into your rhythm? 
 

Thanks all! It’s good to be back! 

[jordan2240]

When I was working and raising kids, I would go several years without touching a club.  After I retired and started playing golf with some regularity (2 or 3 times per week normally), I set a net up in my basement, and pretty much swing a club nearly every day unless I'm on a trip.  Mostly I do that for exercise, as it hasn't seemed to help my game (yet).  As for getting back into rhythm, I never had any, but always played surprising well after a layoff, only to get worse the more I played because I started thinking about it too much.

[lefthack]

Up until last summer I was lucky to get out once a year. My daughter was born in 2000 and I didn't play from '01 until about 2008. Half that time I lived across the street from an OGA course. But only a few friends play.

 

It's become my #1 thing now, so I am playing 3 times a week if it's dry out. Baring major issues, I'll be playing for a while. 

[lefthack]

Just now, lefthack said:

Up until last summer I was lucky to get out once a year. My daughter was born in 2000 and I didn't play from '01 until about 2008. Half that time I lived across the street from an OGA course. But only a few friends play.

 

It's become my #1 thing now, so I am playing 3 times a week if it's dry out. Baring major issues, I'll be playing for a while. 

 

<edit> I was about scratch in college ('89) and my goal is to get close to that again.

[b.mattay]

Every year I have October to mid-April off with Canadian winters! Just get out and play again, without any expectations. Go rip it around and have fun! Personally, I don't find it to be a big deal at all to get into rhythm again. I've been under par the first round of the year for the past 4 years. 

[golfandfishing]

Longest without literally touching a club - probably 4 or 5 months. I’ll occasionally roll a few putts in the hallway or hit some plastic balls in the yard with my son (4). He will also want to go to the range now and then and last summer we had a TopGolf pass so we went almost weekly, but 95% of the swings are his. So I still “touch” a club at least monthly I guess even if it is just 4 or 5 swings in the yard. 
 

without playing?  I’ve basically dropped actual golf from my life somehow and yes, the time and effort it takes to play reasonably again is a barrier. I’d say if I wanted to play respectfully again I’d need 2 range sessions, a trip around the par 3 course and then 1 full round.  If I could get those in within say 10 days I’d be able to play to a 4ish on the next round if it happened soon after. It would take one almighty alignment of the stars of work, family, weather, rates and several other things for that to occur though - getting to the golf course 5/6 times in 2 weeks?  Forget it. 

[MtlJeff]

 My longest was ~ 19 years from the time i was born until 19yrs old

 

After that longest without touching a club probably 2 weeks when i went to China

 

Longest without hitting an actual ball, was roughly 3 months last year during Covid and this year also due to Covid

[Roody]

Since I live in NY, I get a forced break from golf every winter. I try to get onto a simulator at least once or twice during the break, but that's about it. The break is usually for about 4-5 months.

 

I might be able to squeeze in a round or two here and there during the winter when it warms up "enough". But those rounds are really more about getting outside, swinging the club a little, and enjoying the day. You don't really start getting the real swing back until late April/early May when you start to string at least 1-2 rounds a week together. 

 

And I find every year it's always the chipping and other short game stuff that takes the longest to "come back". 

[Soloman1]

I didn't touch a club from 2000 until 2012. World economic and the collapse of civilization from Y2K kept me in a bunker. That, and a herniated disc.

[GolfLiker]

I had a meltdown round in Fall of 2013 that was so bad I had zero desire to pick up a club until spring 2015

[Bucken77]

Due to a back injury I went 7 years. That kinda sucked

[Vinsanity23]

Didn't start playing seriously until after college, so 22. Since then, never more than a few days between swings.

[Hawkeye77]

I guess whatever was the longest winter since about 1970. 

[MrJones]

18 hours ago, mrmikeac said:

Hey Everyone,

 

It’s been a long time since I’ve swung a club (Oct 2020 to be exact) 

Prior to taking this time off, I played off 6.

My clubs have been calling me by my full name for a long time and due to a change at work, it looks like I can pick it up again! (thank God) 

 

I’m really just trying to get the courage to get back to the range but I’m afraid of what my swing might look like....yikes 

 

Just curious, has anyone taken a prolonged period of time off of golf before getting back into it? If so, how long did it take you to get back into your rhythm? 
 

Thanks all! It’s good to be back! 

I'm almost in the exact same boat but I had to stop back in August of 2018. For there till 2021 I played 5 times with about 8 months being the longest time in between rounds. I'd finally gotten my cap down below 5 and was having rounds under par right before I had to quit.

 

Since I've been back I've been shooting in the mid to high 80's most of the time. My full swing feels good but my short game is awful and for a long time I'd completely lost my feel with the putter.

 

I'm hoping to get back in the 70's score-wise but I know the amount of practice and play time it took me before to get to low single digit and I just don't have that much time.

 

But man, do I enjoy golf more than ever. Doesn't matter how I play, just glad to be playing.

[Old Timer]

A couple of years when I was in San Diego. Working long hours and only having one day to play and the courses back then took close to 5 hours on a Sunday. So I took up tennis for that time period. When that two years was up I retired and started playing three times a week and some thirty years later I still playing three times a week.

[mrmikeac]

Absolutely loving the feedback on here guys! Thank you! 
 

I haven’t taken more than 2 weeks off in well over 6 years, prior to taking this much time off I would be at the range 4-5 times a week and on the course every other day in between so this is something new for me lol

Edited April 20, 2021 by mrmikeac

[phizzy30]

3 years.  I was very sick during that time.  First 3 years of dialysis I was able to get around the course and skip some holes here and there.  The last 3 years I couldn't do it anymore.  Dark times.  So glad I got my transplant after 6 years total.  Now I golf every chance I get which is 2 days a week and a bucket of balls once a week on the range.   

[Medson]

Between my daughter was born and she turned 6 yo, I played probably 1-2 times a year and maybe go to the range couple of times a year. 
 

After she turned 6 yo, I immediately got her into group lessons. Since then, I have been playing pretty much every week. 

[LeoLeo99]

I played just a lot from 1978 to 1988.  Then got serious with a woman and got married, had kids, etc.  Only played about 5 times in 10 years.  Got divorced and some guys at my new job played so I got interested again but we never played. I even lugged my clubs down to North Carolina for a business trip but we never got a chance to play.  Started to play a few times a year just in case guys from work wanted to play.  New job my new boss said he played and wanted to play with me.  Had been about 20 years now since my hiatus began so we went out.  My boss and a woman at work and me.  They basically said it would be a crime that someone that hit the ball like me didn't play more often. I started playing with another avid golfer.  Showed up with my Staff blades and Pittsburgh Persimmon.  Bought some modern clubs and my boss would get me to play with him and we'd sneak out of work whenever we could to play.  That got the bug back in me and now I play as often about once or twice a week as I can and get a bit grumpy and irritable when work gets in the way.  

[shoot4par]

2 years and change.... no enthusiasm for it after the game fell off a cliff. Other than that a lot when the season allowed, I'd play a lot. 

Edited April 21, 2021 by shoot4par

[dugue4]

In the last 15 ish years, until last November, I played maybe twice.  My sister-in-law borrowed my clubs for her company golf tournament back in august, when I finally got them back in November, I thought I really should start playing again. 

[Stinger83]

Year and a half after a TFCC tear in my lead wrist around 2015

[lefty1978]

7 years.

[Moonlightgrm]

I played all sports in my childhood with my primary focus on baseball and golf. I entered college in 1975 with my focus on baseball. Therefore, I did not pick up a golf club until the summer of 1979. I was amazed at how far I could “suddenly” hit a golf ball. From tee to green my golf game had improved but it took at least a year to develop my short game and putting. FYI, I was an 8-handicap my senior year of high school playing #4 man on the golf team. I was a better baseball player at that age. Upon my return to golf after my 4-year hiatus, it took me a couple of years to get down to scratch. I’m 63-years old now and haven’t taken any breaks from this great game. I am happy playing to a 4-handicap at present. Golf gets harder when we become brittle. 

[Chief Penguin]

After college, I went about six years without touching a golf club.  I was working abroad, traveling a lot, then working a lot, and then I moved to California and didn’t have room in my car for bringing the clubs.  Finally, I brought them back with me from a trip home, but it took a couple more years before I took them to play with my future father-in-law in AZ and got hooked on the game again.

[TomRUtah]

14 years!  Mostly due to life events, and then not playing became a habit.  I got back into it toward the end of 2019.  I'm a knucklehead for all of the lost time and opportunities to improve.  I try to play once or twice a week and hit the range and practice green double that.

[MikeW2]

From 2014 to 2019 played one day a year, a yearly tradition with college friends. Life, kids, the diversion of all our expendable cash into AAU basketball severely limited my golf addiction. While I did lose distance off the tee my scores stayed pretty respectable much to the dismay of teammates. Last year started getting back into it, regained distance and played better than i ever had.

[AndersUK]

Physically, about 1 week.  In my mind, about 30 seconds.

[gazav]

About 2 years, son and daughter born 14 months apart and family duties became more important.  Both have clubs now and get to play or practice every week.  But that was a long 2 years....

[platgof]

A month, it was horrible!  I bought so much golf junk!