Thanks Golf ... (long)

[dro]

Well guys I finally realized I am beginning to get the hang of this game called golf. I have dropped about 35 strokes in the past 3 months.

I began playing golf last summer with a man I knew fairly well. He was about a 20 handicap and I was probably close to 40 so you can imagine his frustration sometimes. Anyways he got me hooked a bit and I played a fair amount with him last summer but never really applied myself to what I was doing. I probably averaged about a 115 by the end of the summer.

I should probably say i was also getting into some bad things at that point in my life. I was dating a girl also who I was completely in love with. Then I went away to school and tried to stay together.

So I came back in may and this summer I decided I wanted to play, not like I used to, I wanted to PLAY this time. I put a nice bag together at the beginning of the summer (see sig) because I figured if I can't play with the best I sure as hell can't play with what I have now. I began the summer again with about a 115 average.

I should also say here I was getting back into drugs way worse than before and making way more bad decisions. Me and the girl had broken up recently and it was rough. I turned to pills as my way out. I was probably eating anywhere from 5000 - 10000 mg of vicodin a week and about 10 mg of xanax a week. And if it wasn't that it was percs or something worse. I was depressed and completely unhappy with myself. I had to numb the way I felt and I did that with drugs. I wanted counseling but couldn't bring myself to to talk to my parents about it. On the outside I was normal I put on a front, no one knew how I really felt. I acted happy and normal around my friends but to be honest i felt dead inside. I even began to think about suicide but I could never do it. Not because I didn't want to end my life because I was fine with doing that but I couldn't do it to my family they didn't deserve that.

So I took a month break before I found a job after I got home from school and pretty much just massacred my bank account playing a minimum of 4 days a week. I slowly improved but then I really applied and focused myself when I realized I wasn't seeing the results I wanted.

I found a job to keep up with this expensive sport. I found new playing partners who were better than me to help drive myself (I am a very competitive person and push myself when around others who are better and yes I still play with the man who got me hooked).

Well anyways after hundreds of hours and thousands of $$$ later I did it. I actually surpassed my goal of averaging high 80's and currently average low 80's. I shot an 81 yesterday and if it wasn't for a strong uphill lie that I knocked in the water I would have broken 80. I'm consistently shooting under 85.

I made this realization when one of the club pros I had played with once (got paired up) passed me the other day when I was about to punch out of the trees. He stopped and called to me "Hey buddy how ya doing today? And what are you doing over in the trees I never see you there". And I realized he's right, I normally don't ever go in the trees anymore and I used to every other shot.

But now I realized it isn't enough, I want MORE. I can be better, I have the potential. I can be scratch and I know it. My work has paid off and I'm not going to quit anytime soon I thought I would be happy with high 80's or even low 90's but I wasn't, I saw room for improvement I knew I could do better and i did. And now I can do better than low 80's I can do better than high 70's too. I want mid 70's and I can do it, I won't stop till I'm there either.

I dropped 35-40 strokes in 3 months and what I'm saying to myself now is, imagine what I can do with a year. I'm only 19. I started with people who were all far better than me and I've surpassed them all.

This thread is basically for anyone who doesn't think they can do it, who has any doubts. The anger, frustration, and pain is worth it. Keep it up, it pays off.

Over the summer I also realized I didn't need things I thought I did before. I didn't need to kill myself with pills constantly to make it through the day. I didn't need those friends who I only drank and did drugs with, they weren't helping me. And most of all I realized that my happiness shouldn't depend on another person. I said it before, I was depressed for about 2 months this summer because of this girl but I got over it with the help of golf. It kept my mind off her, gave me goals to strive for, and it was fun. I was CONTENT, something I hadn't been in months. I was finallly content with myself. I didn't need drugs, I didn't need alcohol, and I didn't need this girl to make me happy.

So pretty much all I have to say is thanks golf. You have given me so much more than a sport to play. You have given me happiness, taught me respect, and improved my life in the best possible way and for all this I thank you.

And anyone out there struggling with golf, don't give up. I wanted to quit so many times I can't even count them all but I didn't. I stayed focused and it worked. Hard work and dedication DOES pay off, I'm proof.

[slice_oftheday]

Inspiring story, congrats to you for turning your life around on a positive track. Keep it up and hit scratch soon =)

[Aetsh]

Great story, thanks for taking the time to post

[mrgilmore]

Thats a truly inspiring story. You will get to scratch with persistance man! Dont give up.

[BigDaddy_Sean]

just keep playing! good job!