I just started playing a couple of years ago when I was 49. I just recently broke 100 for the first time so I'm making some progress. I took lessons about 8 years ago but never played because I thought everybody was better than I....wrong! I've seen just as many bad golfers as good and quite a few very bad golfers and very good ones. It doesn't matter. I've decided to just get out there, learn something, enjoy the weather and excercise and figure out how to beat the course. I tend to be very competitive and golf has slowly taught me patience to go along with my competitive juices. I think you have to learn the game, learn to execute and learn to think on the course before you can be really good. I'm still learning all three with varying degrees of sucess from round to round. It's a good thing I don't have any money though (one kid in college, one in law school) because I think I'd have several sets of clubs and every bit of gear on the market. I'm a gear-a-holic!
The good news is that I've become extremely easy to buy for on Father's Day, my birthday and at Christmas...I AM HOOKED...and Loving it!