I have another love-hate relationship. It’s becoming a pattern, isn’t it? First yoga, now golf. Similar to yoga, golf is slow, it’s hard, and boy, it can be painful – in more ways than one. My first try at golf was maybe 30 years ago. It wasn’t pretty then, and it’s, well, not so ugly now at 50 plus, but any thoughts I had then of joining the ranks of Canadian LPGA golfers like Nancy Lopez or Annika Sorentam, vanished quickly that day.
Hope and patience
Without high hopes, we have nothing. That’s what kept me going then on my first day on the golf course, and it’s what keeps me going now – in everything I do. I have to believe I can do something, or that something is possible, even for little old me. Yes, I missed my PGA Tour golf card moment by a long shot, but I can still learn, practice, get better, and enjoy the game, even when I’m trapped in a bunker that I can’t get out of or when I shank a ball the opposite direction.
Photo caption: Me in the bunker (actually, it’s not, I have dark hair, and she actually looks like she got that sucker out of the bunker).
I won’t lie, the game is slow (just like yoga). If you expect to set up, swing (and miss) and be done your game in an hour, you’re in for a shock. But, if you have 2-3 hours to spare for a 9-hole game or 4-5 hours to spare for an 18-hole golf course, situated on a beautiful ravine, surrounded by trees, with someone driving up in cart and handing you a nice cold one – then golf may be your thing. If you want to hang with your golf-loving significant other or friend on a nice sunny morning after a jolt of espresso to wake you up, then you may want to give golf a try.
It’s worth the time to learn to play (if for no other reason than keep up with others)
Patience is a virtue. My mother had that in spades. She introduced me to a game she loved so much, and I want to continue to enjoy it in her memory. More about my lovely mom in a future blog – she was certainly an inspiration.
In golf, it may seem like you watch your ball, and everyone else’s, sit on the green more than anything else. There’s truth to that, but you get out of it what you put in. Like everything in life. Enjoy the scenery, the weather, and take the time to learn to swing and putt. If you’ve always wanted to try your hand at golf, but have been a little nervous, we’ve got you covered with a great golf series for beginners and a great refresher for experienced players.
My friend John Berkovich has joined The Spunky Skipper, in writing a series of golf-related articles that I’m sure you’ll enjoy, whether you’re 50 or 70. He was media director of the Great Lakes Tour and PGA Tour Canada, and assisted the major professional golf tours in the USA and around the world. His words and photos have appeared in the Associated Press, Canadian Press, Sports Illustrated, Golf Digest, Golf Australia, Fairways Golf & Travel, and hundreds of other publications in print and online. Read his piece “An intro to golf for the 50-plus crowd.” After reading his article and you’re on your way to planning a golf excursion, read “Places to play and golf vacations to take.”
We’d love to hear from you. Leave us a comment. If you golf, what do you love the most? If you’re new to golf, what excites you about trying it? What makes you nervous?