Parental Handicap Increase - How much did your handicap increase with children being born?

[bigolherschel]

My average round increased by about 15 strokes - ironically I haven’t been able to play enough rounds to see an impact on my actual handicap. 
 

Awful ball striking, no touch, etc. I play the game for the good strikes and I’ve been chunking hybrids (didn’t even know that was possible). 
 

In other words, trying to break 85 has since slipped to barely breaking 100. With all of that said, it’s been worth every bad shot to be a parent. 
 

How about you guys? 

[MrJones]

Those first few years are rough. You basically don't sleep for the first year unless you're lucky. I barely played the first year my youngest was born.

 

But it's all worth it. My boys weren't really into golf when they were younger but now that they're college age they're wanting to play. I have a lot of great guys I play golf with and some really good buddies but playing golf with my boys is the best.

[BlackDiamondPar5]

I was never a good golfer so I've always been about bogey.  Anyway my son couldn't wait to golf on a real golf course so I took him to a par 3 when he was 5 or 6 with his own clubs and he was hooked.    Now at 26 he has a single digit HC, belongs to a nice country club and takes his old man golfing 🙂

Edited April 23, 2021 by BlackDiamondPar5

[third-times-a-charm]

Mine went down by 3, and I played more golf than before having kids.

[Hawkeye77]

I bought my Ping Eye 2+ and started taking lessons for the first time in my life the spring before our first was born. My wife walked and played until the beginning of her 9th month - best she ever played up to then!

 

I got better and made more productive use of my golf time. Wife and I introduced girls to golf at early ages. When my two girls were in Little League I bid my league partner goodbye from April through first part of July, that’s when golf took the big hit. 
 

Then my oldest daughter wanted to focus on golf in 8th grade, grades 9-12 we played a ton. 
 

It’s different for everyone but take the long view. I love golf, grew up loving it, but love my family more. It all works out if your life is in balance. 

I’ll add that the biggest gains for me in handicap reduction have been as I’ve gotten older so you aren’t necessarily losing ground to golf improvement by having to play less at a younger age. 

 

 

 

Edited April 23, 2021 by Hawkeye77

[Medson]

I used to play every week before my kid was born. Then, I maybe played once or twice a year (mainly with friends) for the first a few years. 
 

Time or lack of time was the main issue. I can never find a big chunk of time to myself. Even if I did, I just wanted to sleep. 
 

After the kid got older, we started to play more together. I’m back to once a week or once every 2 weeks. 

[MtlJeff]

My daughter was born April 2018, that year was pretty tough on golf. I played OK but since a few of our tournaments (and qualifiers for later tournaments) are early in the season i basically didn't play in any of them. I played in our club championship that year but didn't make the top 10. 

 

The first year is really hard because you are not sleeping at all, and it's hard to watch the baby alone for long stretches. So leaving your wife alone all day = not good. So i basically didn't practice all year , showed up 5 minutes before each tee time, and left right after.

 

By 2019 season i was back . I could stay 30 minutes after my round and hit balls etc. When your baby is sleeping through nights it's so much easier for everyone. 

 

2019 was one of my best seasons ever. I played in one of the top groups in the province in our Quebec Interclub event for example. In 2020 i also played well, finished 5th or 6th in our CC (one of the top non-juniors) and did well in some other events

[ZacR88]

I pretty much stopped golfing when my daughter was born. Hard to find time to play much when they are young. 

 

Fast forward 6 years and now I am golfing with her twice a week and my handicap is the lowest its ever been. 

 

[lefthack]

I all but stopped when my daughter was born. She turns 21 this year, so I have time now. 

 

<edit> I lived across the street from an OGA course that I only played twice.

Edited April 24, 2021 by lefthack

[naval2006]

I fully agree with @Hawkeye77 age is worse than baby kids for your golf. You find out the hard way. And @MtlJeff says, the first year is the worst for golf, especially if spend the day like a sleepless zombie.  So hang in there for a short while. 

[YouDaHamHider]

On 4/23/2021 at 2:21 PM, bigolherschel said:

My average round increased by about 15 strokes - ironically I haven’t been able to play enough rounds to see an impact on my actual handicap. 
 

Awful ball striking, no touch, etc. I play the game for the good strikes and I’ve been chunking hybrids (didn’t even know that was possible). 
 

In other words, trying to break 85 has since slipped to barely breaking 100. With all of that said, it’s been worth every bad shot to be a parent. 
 

How about you guys? 

I started to golf just before finding out we were expecting a child. He's 3 in July and since he was born I've come down from 22 to 8. I do A LOT around the house and with the partner and kid when I'm not golfing. 

[moose623]

After my first was born I barely played. Mostly range and short game practice bc I could justify an hour against 4-5 hours. 
 

now I just had my second I am really not playing. Two has made it even harder bc the kids outnumber the wife.  I look back and wonder how I thought one kid was hard but it’s all relative. There’s probably someone with 3 kids making fun of me for thinking 2 is hard. 
 

I still get to practice but nothing beats course time. Luckily my oldest (4 years old) has taken a little interest and likes to steer the cart so I can get 9 in on weekend afternoons with him 

[Baitkiller]

Had three at 18 month intervals.  Didn't play at all for 5 years.

Oldest had no interest in golf but the other two do. Once they started playing I did as well. I was never really good anyway so once I found my short game again I was back in business. 

[berndgeurts]

On 4/23/2021 at 3:59 PM, third-times-a-charm said:

Mine went down by 3, and I played more golf than before having kids.

Me too. Mainly because of all the compensation for my night shifts in the hospital.

[Saltydawg15]

Mine went down, especially after the twins. It was a sh!t show in my house so I would head up to the range to get away. Wife was all for it.

 

before I am called a terrible father, she did have a full time nanny.

[BTP]

Had my first born early in 2020 before the whole pandemic so didn't get out too much but when I did my handicap pretty much stayed the same. Now early 2021 I am getting out 2-3x per week mainly since my job allows me flexible scheduling and my handicap is still about the same. I haven't really gotten any better or any worse but I've been able to post some low rounds. I am still hitting good shots with the occasional bad miss/bad swing and short game seems to be holding steady.

 

For me golf is my therapy and my wife understands that so I am fortunate to have good family and do what I enjoy. My father and brother also play so it's nice to spend time with them and I look forward to bringing my daughter on the course one day.

[NoTalentLefty]

Went from a 5-6 to a 16 back to a 12 . Marriage has limited me to a round a week. Can practice but I hate it now. Playing was the way I improved. 

[GoTime]

10 minutes ago, NoTalentLefty said:

Went from a 5-6 to a 16 back to a 12 . Marriage has limited me to a round a week. Can practice but I hate it now. Playing was the way I improved. 

 

Marriage has limited you to once a week? That's brutal dude.

[Z1ggy16]

So far it hasn't dropped and i have a 9 month old. I think though that's only because I am playing less.. Unless I correct the ship within the next few rounds, my index might jump up a few strokes.

 

I'm not putting pressure on myself though. I went from practicing/playing any day it was sunny to Im lucky to play twice a month. Can't have the same expectations if your play and practice drops by 500%.

[stevopagolf]

About the same as COVID.  3 shots for the baby 6.7 to 9.6 index.  9.7 index to 12.7 for the pandemic and not being able to get on a course due to over crowding and no tee times.

 

Joined a club hoping to get back to 9.7

 

Baby was definitely a highlight and worth the loss of golf.  COVID not so much.....

[thed0n]

9 to 16, can only play 1 round a week now.  With the Pandemic, most of the putting and short game areas are shut too, that has really hurt my game as well.