First Time Golfing ⛳️

I went golfing for the first time yesterday and I had a blast! It was an easier course and only 9 holes, but I didn’t do too bad and even got a par on hole #5! 😁⛳️

I can see why this is such a common sport and how one can easily be sucked into the game! We’ve been watching the PGA tour on TV lately and that lead me to say I’d never hit a golf ball with a club before and the next thing I know I’m out golfing. 😅

My tendency was just to walk up to the ball and whack it, but I quickly realized the importance of technique and running through the checklist of better form before hitting the ball. Hopefully next time out I do a little better!

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I used to play a lot of golf. I also played multiple years of HS golf in a competitive west metro conference. I got my handicap down to single digits. We had a match or we had practice every day of the week.

Golf is something that requires a lot of regular practice to stay good at. Unfortunately, its also very time consuming and expensive. Both of which I don’t have the time or money for anymore. Its not nearly as fun when you’re just hacking away out there. Playing once or twice a month isn’t going to cut it.

Sounds like you had an enjoyable time Sharon. With a little practice, maybe you have a whole new career on your hands.

That’s great!!!! Been golfing for 55 years and grew up with “Arnold Palmer” ( my dad was a scratch handicap and and a zealot for etiquette) and so developed a love for the game early. You can never play it enough to be “good” all the time. So many facets combine to make each shot that it is a very frustrating game if you let it be but it is SO MUCH FUN. Heck, if it were easy we’d ALL BE ON tv!
Super excited for you as it’s a great game. Enjoy it for the fun, camaraderie and the outside aspect of it – can’t go wrong.
I am a golf course ranger now on weekends and LOVE mtg all the people on the course – all ages, all abilities and all having fun.

Ah, Golf.
A good walk spoiled.
Mark Twain

Unless there’s a beer cart.

I never have been golfing but do know I would be a pro at drinking beer and driving the golf cart. I am happy to see you are getting out and having fun.

Umy wrote:

Super excited for you as it’s a great game. Enjoy it for the fun, camaraderie and the outside aspect of it – can’t go wrong.

The camaraderie was one of the best parts of the day! After we finished we went to the club house (I had to use the bathroom!) and when I got to the bar area I had a cold bloody Mary waiting for me! Our group relaxed in the AC and gabbed for a while.

Rodwork wrote:

I am happy to see you are getting out and having fun.

Thanks! I was excited to try something new, even if I wasn’t sure how I’d like it. But I ended up having a great time and would be fun to do it again!

Sounds like you had a blast and doing it for the right reasons. You do not have to be good at it to enjoy it. It’s also not that expensive if you already have the clubs and not looking to buy new every year. A lot of great deals out there you can golf pretty cheap with discounts or twilight hour rounds.

I’m in a golf league again ,I use to play in one with my old man when i was younger. Our golf league is really not a league but a group of buddies that do not play ball anymore now just golf. We have 26 guys and do a few longest puts or close to the pin holes each week and order food to the patio at the golf course in IGH. I don’t think we leave the patio until Midnight most league nights.

Fun time , keep going

I’ve always been VERY frustrated with Golf to the point where I despise it. I’d rather be on the water if I have free time (Which is almost never). But my 11 and 14 year old each have their own clubs and are fast becoming obsessed with it (and also becoming quite good).They have a tee time in a couple of hours, actually. Perhaps it’s time to give it another go. But I see my clubs collecting as much dust as every other piece of Hobby equipment I invest in.

My son and I golf at least once a week. It’s a good way to spend a few hours a week. I also enjoy the looks we get because we don’t fit the dorky dress codes

I have golfed a few times a year for the last few years. This year I’ve really got into it. My fishing partner purchased a corp. membership at a nice course here in Sartell and I’m on his list of players who can use the membership. When you can golf 18 holes including a cart for only $1 its really nice and you don’t have any reasons not to get out. Its a crazy, frustrating, addictive game for sure. When you have a good round, you want to get back out again soon to see if you can do even better. When you have a poor round, you want to get back out there again to see if you do any better. The Camaraderie and cold beers during and after the round is also really fun. Just be warned, Once you get going it can become real addictive !!!

Sharon wrote:

I went golfing for the first time yesterday

I’ve golfed twice. The first time and the last time.

Carry on.

Bearcat89 wrote:

I also enjoy the looks we get because we don’t fit the dorky dress codes

My first question – what do I have to wear and I can assure you I’m NOT wearing #$%&* pastel!! Sounds like some courses are more strict that others and I’m happy to have been able to find a polo shirt in a kinda normal color. I was planning to buy a black polo shirt but I’m glad I went with gray – not too many golfers dressed in all black and with yesterday’s heat I can see why. I do plan to continue to golf in my Converse shoes LOL!

Hoyt4 wrote:

Sounds like you had a blast and doing it for the right reasons. You do not have to be good at it to enjoy it.

That’s kinda my motto for most of my hobbies. I simply enjoy DOING them, and if I happen to be good at them, well that’s just a bonus.

Sharon wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bearcat89 wrote:</div>
I also enjoy the looks we get because we don’t fit the dorky dress codes

My first question – what do I have to wear and I can assure you I’m NOT wearing #$%&* pastel!! Sounds like some courses are more strict that others and I’m happy to have been able to find a polo shirt in a kinda normal color. I was planning to buy a black polo shirt but I’m glad I went with gray – not too many golfers dressed in all black and with yesterday’s heat I can see why. I do plan to continue to golf in my Converse shoes LOL!

If the course has a strict dress code then it’s not my kind of place.

A Quote from DK…..Theirs no reason to get mad while playing Golf, If you don’t know why you suck!

catmando wrote:

A Quote from DK…..Theirs no reason to get mad while playing Golf, If you don’t know why you suck!

Soooooo true! Once I accepted this, I started having fun playing golf. Haven’t thrown a club in years.

Sharon wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bearcat89 wrote:</div>
I also enjoy the looks we get because we don’t fit the dorky dress codes

My first question – what do I have to wear and I can assure you I’m NOT wearing #$%&* pastel!! Sounds like some courses are more strict that others and I’m happy to have been able to find a polo shirt in a kinda normal color. I was planning to buy a black polo shirt but I’m glad I went with gray – not too many golfers dressed in all black and with yesterday’s heat I can see why. I do plan to continue to golf in my Converse shoes LOL!

Sharon,
Lululemon would be the “in” golfwear.

Eelpoutguy wrote:

Lululemon would be the “in” golfwear.

I don’t know what that is.

Noonan ! Noonann!!!!

Never tried golf. I’ve always been too busy trying to catch fish

SR

Steve Root wrote:

too busy trying to catch fish

That’s essentially the decision I had to make years ago. It was either golf or fishing. Not enough time to do both here.

My advice is to take some lessons. Contact the pro shop at any course and they should be able to help you out. 1 on 1 will be more expensive or find a friend or 2 for a group lesson. That will be cheaper. You should be able to string about 3 cuss words in a row the more you golf. A game you can play the rest of your life. Im 63 started when I was about 5.
PS keep your head down and swing easy.

I once heard a comedian say:
“Golf, a waste of land, water and time”
I laughed out loud when I heard it.

I play less than ten times a year, my company lets us play charities and a few times with friends.

Enjoy your time out in the sun Sharon!!

I took golf as I do air, 5 times a week & wanted 7. Had a golf coach in school & another sponsor willing to pay my way to pro golf. That lulu reference made me laugh- if I ever go to that store again, shoot me dead.

Pretty much most courses have a teaching pro & they aren’t that expensive, worth a couple/few times to get solid fundamentals. Was fortunate to have one & we gelled well together. Another thing I did was to just sit on the range watching, you’ll quickly find the decent players vs the hacks. Also- If I didn’t have my own group that day, I’d ask to be paired with players better than me, you’ll run into many this way & was always good to shoot the chit while playing.

Golf was life for me, wasn’t long & my competitiveness took over, had the mindset of I’m going to kick your ass on any course at anytime, didn’t matter if it was against the pro. Unfortunately, Back issues took me out of golf.

And wear whatever you wish, nothing wrong with going there just to practice & watch.

I for one love LuLu. As for golf my goal is to be seeing double by the 4th hole. Anytime spent outdoors is time well spent

Lol! Like John Daly says, some of my best rounds were after several aiming fluids went down. 2 yummy bloodies with chasers at the bar before playing, and another in hand going to the 1st tee, doesn’t get much better.. having the beer cart lady find us every other hole after that = perfect. That was only during rounds with buddies.

Congrats on getting out and enjoying it. I’ll second what others have said about how addictive it can be. I used to golf a lot – then life happened. I wasn’t great, just hacked my 9 holes in the mid 40’s and had fun doing it with buddies and beers.

Now it’s work from all angles and both jobs…so golf was one of the hobbies that got axed. I sold my clubs and everything so I wasn’t tempted to buy more memberships I’d never get time to use. Maybe when life slows down? …for now I’m jealous of the guys that have the spare time to spend on the course.

Like with any hobby it’s not about finding spare time to do it, it’s about prioritizing your time so you can do it.

buck-slayer wrote:

PS keep your head down and swing easy.

I’m pretty sure Joe told me to keep my head down about a dozen times last weekend LOL! Good thing he’s a good teacher!

Many years ago I took my now ex golfing to a par 3 for her first time, being a natural athlete herself she was getting the swing down pretty well by the 4th tee, one could tell the next hole was gonna be a good one for her, perfect layout for it too.

With things all coming together for her I offered to tee up her ball just perfectly. When she absolutely crushed that ball into a big poof of smoke and quickly thereafter when she gathered her senses on just what happened and saw me busting a nut laughing in the corner she crushed my nuts w the 5 wood.

So worth it.

Eelpoutguy wrote:

Ah, Golf.
A good walk spoiled.
Mark Twain

Unless there’s a beer cart.

Almost ALWAYS a Beverage cart on weekends! WEll used too

Sharon, almost EVERY public or city course will let you play in shorts and a tshirt if you want. “Skorts” and a golf shirt look more “golferish” is all. I see people in jeans and tennis shoes?!
Golf shoes are helpful. MANY options without the spikes (Plastic spikes these days – I miss the sound of the metal spikes) but will help tremendously and are seriously comfortable and you can wear to and from the course cause they are just like tennis shoes. I would not invest in clubs until you have a better feel for your game, swing etc. The range is a GREAT place to get familiar with as you get more shots in a quicker fashion and can really work on your skills – my two cents.
I ranger at Southern Hills and live in Eagan. Would be more than happy to meet you somewhere and give you some help ( I am NOT a tour pro) but there are some basics that everyone should know.
FOre!!!