Does golf make you happy?

[glebert]

Maybe this is more of a Grillroom topic, but does golf make you happy? Or maybe a better question is if golf makes you happier than some other hobby would. Probably everyone here is somewhat addicted to golf. I know I am, but I don't know if it really makes me happy or not. It is certainly a nice diversion, involves some exercise and fresh air, camaraderie, etc, so it definitely has pluses. It is also frustrating, expensive, and takes a lot of time away from other things I could be doing.

My wife and I both work, have a 3 yr. old son and a baby on the way. Time is my most valuable commodity. If I wasn't golfing I would probably spend my "me" time woodworking or playing music, maybe doing a new CD in my home studio. Those other hobbies have the benefit of having a tangible product that will last for a very long time, whereas golf achievements are fleeting, being quickly replaced by the next goal (e.g. I broke 90, now I want to break 80).

I don't see myself giving up golf, this isn't one of those "I'm never playing this stupid game again" rants. I just sometimes wonder if my overall wellbeing would be better if I played/practiced/thought about golf a little less.

Hopefully when my kids are old enough we can golf together, and that I think would certainly make me happy.

OK, enough of my rambing. Does golf make you happy?
Greg

[drewdown]

It makes me happy, but not just the sport, the time I spend with my Dad doing it. And the idea that I will spend the same time with my son when he is old enough to play and hopefully all 3 of us playing at the same time!

[Uber$winG]

Playing good golf makes me happy… other things that make me happy include, but are not limited to:
An 8-ball and two Filipino hookers,
Bah mitzvahs,
Midgets fighting,
Chapter 7 bankruptcies,
Unicorns and candy corns,
And having a scratch for every itch.

[David in FL]

Yes, golf makes me happy.

[Beantown Beancounter]

while golf makes me frustrated and sometime angry with myself because of my performance, it does make me happy. I am able to be outside, challenge myself individually and not think about anything else but golf. It provides for great piece of mind...now to get my wife to play...

On another note, I completely agree with what was noted above. My dad is a golf junkie and is the one that got me into the game. He has tried for a long time, but I was more interested in basketball and lacrosse...as I now have a family and a kid, I wish I could go back and spend more time with my dad playing the game he loves so much and that I now love just as much. It is always a joy shaking his hand after a round and seeing the true smile on his face knowing that he is able to share one of his favorite past times with his only son...

[Lemay427]

Yes. Its my favorite past time.


I wish I could figure out how to make a living with golf at this point LOL

[atrapasuenos]

Yes, it makes me happy. I could be happier if I could play every single day and live from it, but who knows...

Regards!

[laconic517]

Golf makes me happy sometimes but its getting to spend time competing with my friends ontop of it being golf that makes it the best. I mean during the winter here I play pool, and I regularly play with a group of friends and that is quite fun or I go out to play basketball with friends or whatever but nothing quite compares to playing golf with a good 4some on a nice day and everybody playing relatively well.

I sometimes forget that I play for fun and am too hard on myself or too stressed out when playing, when I truly just try to play for fun and am having a good time my scores are astronomically better on average. The mind is its own place I guess.

[hamletsdead]

For me the fairest answer is . . . sometimes. When I drill 4-wood 210 yards to land next to the pin on a par-3 I am happy, but when I shank my approach shot into the junk on the next hole I have a 180 degree mood swing. It's hard to be consistently serene (what some people would call happy) on the golf course, especially as most golfers are so goal oriented and are always focused on improvement. First you break 100, then 90, then 80, then par, then you're always gunning after a PR. I tend to fall into that category, sadly enough, and don't take time to appreciate my surroundings or really relax with my friends while we're on the course -- I'm usually too busy beating myself up over something stupid that I should just put out of my mind forever. I tend to forget that the only shot that matters is the one in front of me.

[Shindig]

Golf is the first thing in my life that I enjoy doing that I wasn't good at from the git-go. It makes me very happy.

[kekoa]

I love playing golf, but its very stressful to me. I don't really play just for fun. I'm always looking to play my best and shoot the lowest scores possible.

Slow play really kills it for me. Sometimes I feel like just walking off the course and only playing on weekdays when courses are much less crowded.

[firstcut]

Yes.

It gives me additional reason to look forward to Saturdays.

It gives me an additional connection to my children.

It gives me an additional connection to my Father.

It gives me something to be excited about when I get a new *whatever*.

It gives me new friends.

It gives (and keeps) business contacts.

It gives me exercise.

It gives me time outdoors.

It gives me physical competition.

It gives me relaxation.

It gives me wins and losses.

It gives me patience mental strength.

It takes my money.

It takes my time.

I think I get much much more from golf than I give. There are few things in life that such can be said for.

[Q.Q.Quillume]

I don't think I could truthfully say, "Golf makes me happy."

I enjoy playing golf, the camaraderie, the challenge.

I enjoy watching golf on TV and in person on the occasions I can get to a PGA or LPGA tournament. I enjoy the $8.00 hot dogs and $7.00 soft drinks and the atmostphere of the tournament.

I enjoy hitting good shots, making birdies & pars, hitting greens in regulation, the beauty of the golf course & surrounding countryside, finding a Pro V1 or Pro V1x that looks as if it's been hit just once, making putts, having good rounds, enjoying accomplishments of others in the same "foursome", winning an occasional bet or "pot", laughing when the unexpected or something ridiculous happens.

I enjoy golf but I don't think I can say golf makes me happy or unhappy.

[DiverDown]

Yes, golf makes me happy. The only time it doesn't is when my shot goes south and I don't have my finger close to the remedy.

[gogolfing]

Yes it does for some of the same reasons as already listed in other posts. I find when I can't make it out to the course much I get a bit agitated; even a trip to the range can help quash it though. So it is definitely one of the ways I have to blow off some steam.

[TheLauncher]

There was a point when I was nineteen that I wondered why I was playing the game because I wasn't having fun. It lead to me quitting for six years-- a decision I really regret today. When I started playing a year ago I vowed to never get so hung up on scores and performance that I wasn't having fun. Now I can't imagine a better way to spend my free time.

[mapa94]

Playing good golf makes me happy… other things that make me happy include, but are not limited to:

I can honestly say that golf makes me happy. I'm happy being outside with friends, competing against others and reaching goals, and getting away from my busy life for a few hours in a peaceful setting.

Uber$'s list is interesting. The only thing I've tried off the last is the candy corn (didn't do much for me) but the 8-ball and Filipino hooker combo looks like it might bring a smile to my face.

[HR Golf]

Golf makes me happy. Even if I'm not having such a great round I still love it and try not to let a few bad holes or maybe even a whole bad round ruin my time.

With school I only have time to play maybe once or twice a week, usually driving range. But I always think about golfing, and when I finally go I love it. i just take my time and relax, I like seeing how I make improvements on my swing at the driving range and then transferring it to the course. That's by far my favorite part of golf, improving my game all on my own.