How it all began?

[TigerWoodz]

Just a few questions...

How did you get into the sport:
How old were you when you started playing:
How long had you been playing before you got your first H'cap and what was it:

[James_Black]

When I was 6 me and my next door neighbour (8) went up to the local driving range and got free lessons for 2 years (they were trying to get more junior members).

I then got my first handicap when I was 11, took me a year to actually play off it.
I got cut down to 20 when I was 13, and now I'm off 13.1

[GaijinGolfer]

  TigerWoodz said:

Just a few questions...

Saw it on TV, thought it looked like fun.

  None said:

How old were you when you started playing:

19

  None said:

How long had you been playing before you got your first H'cap and what was it:

About 3 years, first handicap was about 40.

[JetFan1983]

How did you get into the sport: I bought Wii and really enjoyed Wii Golf. From there, I graduated to Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2008 and after shooting 56 a few times at St.Andrews, I decided trying golf for real might be fun.

How old were you were when you started playing : 25

My First Handicap : I threw 20 scores into an online handicap calculator after about 4 months of playing and it said I was a 29.1.

[microcrayfish]

Had been to the range and had a hit out at a local par 3 course a few times and enjoyed it. After that a friend and I decided to give golf a go on our days off from university and it stuck.

I was 19 I think when I started playing regurlarly.

I played for about a year before I joined a club and got my first handicap which was about 20.

[joepro23]

  TigerWoodz said:

Just a few questions...

Got into the sport through my Dad. He brought my brother and I to the driving range and showed us how to grip the club. Fairways and greens ever since!

Note : I wish it was that easy. Started when I was 7. I got a hand-me-down junior set from a neighbor. It had 5 clubs (3w, 3i, 5i, 9i, putter) because he lost the 7i. A couple years later the 5i broke at the range and I remember actually playing for a little while with just a (3w, 3i, 9i, putter) set. Sidenote : The junior clubs I had were steel shafted (and so was every set after that). Maybe its just my opinion, but I think growing up playing nothing but steel made me a better ball striker with a faster club-head speed. Not sure, but I have seen the "ultra-whippy" junior clubs nowadays and I just laugh at them. I don't picture myself learning how to attack the ball with those things. My first handicap (GHIN) was when I was 13 years old (6 years after I started) and I was a 13 handicap. Club Championship A-flight runner up that year too. Boy were those people I beat back then pissed to lose to a kid.

[joepro23]

  JetFan1983 said:

How did you get into the sport:

First time I heard someone getting into golf because of a video game, but it's not too surprising. The Wii has truly made a great golf simulation. Cool that you made the switch to real golf though.

[misty_mountainhop]

Got into it via my Dad who was playing after retiring from rugby. Clincher was staying up late watching the Masters in all its splendour.

Started at about 13.

First handicap was 36 (I think).

[Dr. Strangeclub]

I first played in England and Italy, 1955 and '56, although I actually started playing a few shots here and there caddying for my mother or father a year earlier, and puttering around the practice area. When we moved to Italy, to Bagnolli AFB in Naples, the only course was Rocarosso, a ski resort/golf course. Played there 6-8 times and that was it.

It all REALLY started in 1960, though. That was when all hope for me ended. I had played on the highschool golf team my sophomore year and hot gotten pretty geared up about it all during my junior year. Then, in 1960, my father got tickets through Hunter AFB (Savannah, Ga) to go see the Masters. Holy Echoing Tee Shots, Batman! I was standing not more than 15 feet from Arnold Palmer when he hit his last tee shot to birdie the 18th and win. And in those days, there were no gallery ropes, except on the last few holes and a few places they didn't want you to go. I walked down the fairway and talked to Lloyd Mangrum and was only 30 feet or so from Sam Snead when he topped the ball with a 7 iron! (A bee got under his hat on his backswing, he reared up and moved the ball about six inches -- damn near whiffed it! He wasn't really in it anyhow, so he just laughed, stood back up to the ball, hit this shot that seemed to hang in the air to the right of the pin FOREVER, then slowly drifted down and plopped to a stop inches from the hole -- nice par!) Lloyd was taking frequent hits off his silver flask -- Jimmy Demaret said Mangrum had the original liquid-center golf bag. Watching these guys play close up just knocked me out! I've never even remotely recovered!

[DavidFehertysBike]

I didnt start playing seriously until i was 26. I didnt get my first official handicap until 2 seasons ago and it was around 7 if i remember.

[golfro]

How did you get into the sport: My father was an avid golfer since I was a wee little kid. He was/is a single digit handicapper and naturally, I started going to the range with him at the age of 8.

How old were you when you started playing: I messed around since I was 8 or so but it was not until I turned 12-13 (roughly mid middle school) that I started playing more seriously. Parents bought me a set and I started taking lessons.

How long had you been playing before you got your first H'cap and what was it: I had been playing for a couple years and wanted to look into taking it more competitively at the age of 15. Looked into trying out for my high school and got my first handicap at age 15, which I think I remember was roughly 18 or so. My parents hired a private coach for me and I trained extensively almost daily for the next year to get me onto the high school and I dropped my hcap to 10. After I started playign competitively I was down to 3, then I quit when I came to college and lost my dream of becoming a pro golfer :)

25 now and I'm happy with where I'm at. I get to impress my friends and enjoy the game without stressing out about it too much.

[trog2233]

I got into golf because my dad played for years.

I started playing 4 years ago and was about a 25 handicap now at about 11.

[Kieran123]

How did you get into the sport:
I was holidaying with a friend one year ( I was 17 ), and we were sorta bored so we borrowed our parents golf clubs and went down and played 9 holes. I was addicted. I played till I was nearly 19 then stopped. Then started up again 8 months ago and the fever is high!

How old were you when you started playing:
17, then 22 :)

How long had you been playing before you got your first H'cap and what was it:
I never played serious enough in early years to bother with a handicap, but since playing again I now have a 14 :)

[Sully]

How did you get into the sport:
I'm a Hockey player so I guess the two go hand in hand. Winter/ Summer
Father and Grandfather (while he was still able to get around) play.

How old were you when you started playing:
My first time playing i was probably 11-12. I played consistently until i was about 16, and am picking it back up at the age of 23.

How long had you been playing before you got your first H'cap and what was it:
Don't have a H'cap yet lol.

[IceDave]

My friend introduced me to golf when we were 10. His father was an avid golfer and a member of a club. I hit golfballs on a field next to my house until I was about 12. Never played. Dropped it then because my friend became a member and I couldn't afford it.

I didn't start playing golf until I was about 20 years, but then moved abroad and took up the game again around the time I was 26-27 years old, my calculated handicap then was 24. It was assessed by the clubs super after watching me swing at the range and turning in 3 scorecards.

[jamo]

How did you get into the sport: I got into golf by going with my father to the putting green before I could even pick up a club and then to the driving range, where the fact that it was two tiered fascinated me as a kid.

How old were you when you started playing: A couple years old when I first picked up a putter, maybe 4-5 when I swung a club. I started using my father's cut down Mizuno Altron PW.

How long had you been playing before you got your first H'cap and what was it: This is first year that I have started keeping a handicap. My handicap (judging from some of last years rounds that I put in) is about 3, but I have no perfectly accurate number because I don't have enough rounds logged.

[nuck81]

My dad was a close to scratch golfer and has a nice collection of clubs, some of which are antique. He passed away suddenly two years ago (two years exactly this Friday April 30th) in an accident. I inherited his clubs. I picked up the game last summer self teaching myself to limited success. I'm taking lessons this year and this morning hit my best buckets ever. I even made a self discovery with my Driver and was blasting it straight to the back net, something I have never done as I usually tee with the 3W. We'll see if my driver epiphany sticks or if it's just a fluke lol

[srjorion]

My friend took me to play when I was 13. I thought it was a "stupid" sport until then. I've never had an official handicap, but I have calculated mine myself in the past and currently use Scorecard to figure mine. I'm wanting to get an official handicap soon.