How did you get started in golf and how old were you?

[bkuehn1952]

1961, hitting whiffle balls off mats in the Appleton, Wisconsin, YMCA gym at age 9.

[nowon]

13, playing on caddy day at the course where I (1obviously) caddied.

[CarlSpackler]

8 or 9. I would grab one of my dads clubs and a few balls and head to the local park and hit them from one end to the other. There was no hole, but I just wanted to hit it as far as I could. Occasionally, I would tag along with my dad and grandpa to the course and hit balls up the fairway and drown a few along the way. 

[Patch]

I actually hit a few golf balls, around 8 or 9. I was at my brothers house, and he had a set of clubs. I hit balls in the desert. He was not happy after he saw what I done to them.

Although I was not interested in golf,  I again started hitting a few balls in my mid teens since I working at a golf course afterscool, and weekends.  Football, basketball, track, and baseball were my pastimes.

Kind of became really interested in the game in my very early 20s while in college.  Went full, tilt, boogey with it in my mid 20s. Shot my first par round before I was 30. 

44+ years later, I am still looking forward to my next round, which is next Monday. 

[uitar9]

5 years ago at 58. I probably played 10 times in the previous 40 years. Didn't like golf. Couldn't break 160. Then a guy took me to the range as he wanted my business, and showed me how to hit. I was hooked. Shot a 78 last year. Went to lunch with him yesterday and we laughed about that first day at the range. Planning our first round in April when he gets back from a month in Florida.

[NJpatbee]

My father tried his best to get me interested as a youngster by taking me to the range and at high school age I may have played 15-20 rounds in total.  He even purchased a series of lessons when I graduated college saying I would need it for business.  I really was not that interested and instead played a lot of baseball in my early years and became addicted to fly fishing for trout and upland bird hunting for most of my 20's and 30's.  At age 40 one of my cousins talked me into playing a round which I did with a set of hand me down persimmons and blades.  I enjoyed it so much I really took the game seriously at that age.  Unfortunately not having a good swing ingrained and being limited in the amount of rounds by other commitments I still struggle as a 17 HCP 25 years later, but I have a great time every time I play.

[David in FL]

2 hours ago, bkuehn1952 said:

1961, hitting whiffle balls off mats in the Appleton, Wisconsin, YMCA gym at age 9.

I played a lot of kids, pick up basketball in that gym from about '65 on....

 

[MrGolfguy67]

My family moved 3 blocks from a golf course when I was 8. It wasn't long before I was walking to the course at every opportunity to play.

[JDP]

I dont remember this but saw a picture of my brothers and I at my grandma's house hitting whiffle balls, think I was 8 yrs oldish. I don't remember ever touching a golf club again until I was 17 yrs old and played a few times during that year. I got a job at a golf course when I was 19 and started playing every day for several years. Got a job in the office world =( rarely played and then decided I missed it so much and dove back in a few years ago.

[shanksalot]

I was twenty years old. I joined I company golf league and had never played the game before. My first tee shot was my first tee shot ever.

[Hacker James]

14 hours ago, Hardspoon said:

I was about the same age as you...I think my first round ever was in my late 20's, but I didn't start playing regularly until I was 30 or so.

I really wish I started earlier, but I'm trying to make up for lost time.

Ditto...I am now 74

[saevel25]

I was about 13-14 years old. 

[RH31]

I was 24 when I first started hacking. I'm 57 now.

[iSank]

Good memories, in my elementary years our family played the Arnold Palmer putting course quite a bit, and after finding dads clubs in the garage we commenced to setting flags around our yard and whacking the ball around. When my brother turned 16 and got his drivers license we were off mostly to this 9 hole goat path that only charged $3 for 9 holes. I was 13 and we gradually worked our way up to nicer courses and had a lot of good fun for years to come. For the last 30 years when our paths have crossed, we have enjoyed a round or 2 together. 

Aloha,

iSank

[jsgolfer]

Right after I started my sophomore year in High School, right before my 15th birthday, so been playing for 37 years now.  I actually never picked up a club before that, I always played baseball.  I had snuck out of home room with friends who were going to the golf team meeting.  While sitting there the coach of he team comes right over to me and says so Mr. Scott you're playing golf with us this year. So of course I said yes, went home, my best friends father had an old bag, a bucket full of clubs, he put a set together for me (not sure more than two clubs matched) and I went and hit balls later that evening in the school gym into a net.  And that was all she wrote, fell in love with game and have been playing every since.  Broke 100 the first time I ever played and was a 9 handicap by my junior year.    

[Typhoon92]

I was 10... Now I'm 50+.  Started out as a caddy.

[sjduffers]

42!  Isn't the answer to everything 42? In this case, it is, for me.

I succumbed to peer pressure (wife, friends) and went to a driving range session and then to an executive par 3 track and that was it: I was hooked. It's been just over 15 years since then and I can't see stopping playing golf unless I am physically completely unable to.

[Piz]

I was 9 years old the first time I played an actual "round" of golf.  It took place, in 1965, at Mullet Lake CC: a nine hole course in the Tip of the Mitt.  The clubhouse was a trailer and pull-carts were free.  Lost one ball (we assume) to a gopher hole and managed to par the shortest par 3.