Completely Addicted...

OK... so I am one of "those guys" who made fun of the game my entire life. After playing football, baseball, rugby, tennis, racquetball and sailing for almost my entire life, I just couldn't see what the big deal about hitting a little white ball could be.

It didn't help that my little sister (10 years younger) is an LPGA teaching pro- as she loved to tell me that the game was much harder than it looked, and I was afraid to find out!

Last summer, I was coaxed into playing a high school reunion golf tournament (35th!!!) and bought a cheap set of lefty clubs. I figured that since I hit lefty in baseball (although I am a natural righty) that I would hit with more power. I could. Only as you can guess...my three trips to the range before the tournament yielded lots of length...with NO CONTROL!

My sister convinced me to play righty (she is a natural lefty who plays righty), so I traded my crappy used lefty set, for a crappy used righty set, and played the tournament...thankfully it was a 4-man scramble...so I couldn't really hurt anyone. Had a blast.

Cut to Christmas...my wife and kids decided that I am hard to shop for, and rather than get me books or tools or clothes, got me a gift certificate for clubs, lessons and all other sorts of golf stuff at our local (and amazing) pro shop, Fiddler's Green.

Bought some clubs...took some lessons...spent the first month at the range five days a week...bought some more clubs...started hitting the course 4-5 times a week...and am now compeletely addicted.

I have continued the pace of 4-5 times a week since March...and have whittled my handicap down to a 17.9. As we live in Oregon, I am already dreading the long, cold, wet winter....and have stated that I am not going to be one of "those idiots who golfs in rain storms," but fear that I may have no choice but to become a "range rat" that pops out every time the sun shows it's face, or at least breaks the clouds enough to coax me from my office.

What a wonderful game! I only regret I didn't start sooner...although I'm not certain I could have afforded the time or expense when I was younger.

Nice site! Nice place to hang when I can't be outside playing!

Welcome to Golf man!

Same regrets on my part

yea same here Im 20 and i jsut started golfing towards the end of this summer

only been golfing about 10-15 times but I am completely hooked as well


I wish I would have started a few years earlier, but I was one of those guys who played baseball and football my whole life and made fun of golf

big regret

I'm just like you, and hopelessly addicted as well!

Both my brothers played most of their adult lives, and three co-workers as well. I used to razz them about wasting perfectly good days on a golf course - I was the kayaker, mountain/road biker, hiker, rollerblader, etc., anything that was a bit more "active" than golf.

Fast forward and tens years into a relationship.... that goes belly-up and I decide to give golf a shot - it seemed to be time consuming and require a bit of focus. Well, I started with a Nicklaus set and within a month traded to Ping g2's... It's been a great yet dangerously consuming hobby since then. (several different sets of irons later...)

Golf provided a great outlet, and actually helped me deal with my breakup. It still is the activity of choice for me and whether I play well, or ghastly, time spent on the course is always healthy for my soul.

What a loss - all those years I snubbed golf!!

So true its a great game!!!

This is the greatest game, ever. What competitive person won't want to play a sport where the onus is completely on them?

I have to thank my brother for getting me into golf. For years, I thought "Hit a non-moving ball, walk after it and hit it again?" Well, I can honestly say playing golf is great. I've been playing for only a year, have played about 60 rounds of golf. However, I go to the driving range about four times a week. I'm one of those guys that watch people swing, ask questions, religiously watch golf channel and various swing DVDs.

My first time out, I shot a 136. I vowed never to go back to the golf course until I could properly strike a ball. That meant, working on my swing. Today, my lowest round has been an 82. I'd say I've hit, roughly, 4500 balls at the range since July 2006.

The mechanics of a baseball swing: head down, clearing hips, weight transfer from back leg, finishing high, swinging down and through, has helped me in golf.

My only regret is that I did not pick this up, sooner.

golf is like a drug for me especially buying new clubs

I am new to golf and completely loving it as well. I tried it out as a kid when I was probably 10 or 11 but I think all the walking in the hot summer made me hate the game. Flash forward 12 years and I am now completely addicted. I wish I could get out to the links 3-5 times a week but I can't because nobody will go with me. I am the only golf fanatic in my group of friends and nobody wants to do it more than once a week. I don't know if I should play alone... but I wish I could find some new golf friends to play with.

i'm with u also. i'm 24 and i played football, baseball and basketball all my life and picked up golf last year. it's so addicting cause it doesn't matter how much u practise there are always those shots that u leave out there. i wish that i would've played when i was younger cause i love this game.

Wow 1 year of playing golf and you are an 8 handi. nice

I hear ya - golf was never something I thought I would love and now I want to play with every free moment that I have!