Do you have a breaking point?

[mdbuschsr]

Given the OP's friends situation, I guess I would walk away, in fact I did. Granted I was not (never have been) a low handicap, so my expectations are much MUCH lower. Available time being what it was when I first got married I pretty much quit. 12 years later and I'm back at it. I think I enjoy the game more now than I did back then too.

[shades9323]

If you figure your cost per hour, then hockey starts to look more expensive. I play hockey too - having a jersey discussion in the background right now with my team's captain - and we pay about $400 for the year, get 20 games or so plus playoffs, but the games are 45 minutes. Golf lasts six hours!

Ice time is cheap here in Traverse City. I pay $250 for my 23 games. They are 3 20 minute periods of running clock with 2 min break in between. And I sometimes get to play with a former Stanley Cup champion.

[saevel25]

Golf can still be enjoyed at every age. I will never give up the game.

[dbuck]

I think I will play as long as I am able, regardless of score. Somewhere a little better than bogie is still ok for me, and as I get older, a higher number will still be ok. I am not that focused on the score, but I want to do as good as I can.

I would like to get into boating, and if I had just half the money I have spent on golf the past 30 years, I could buy pretty much whatever boat I wanted.

I have a few new friends who like golf, so I am actually playing a little more than usual lately, but golf is one of several hobbies I don't have as much time and money to spend on as I'd like too!

[bwdial]

When my heart stops pumping blood.

[jamo]

I was actually sort of talking about this today playing mini golf. We were at a place where they have two 18 hole courses and I had already won the first round righty, so I decided to try lefty. Before we started I said "If I ever get really good at golf, like a plus handicap, I might just start over playing lefty." Then I won mini golf lefty, actually shooting a better score lefty than I did righty. (For some reason I'm a really good lefty lag putter. The shorter ones are a little trickier, but lag putting I'm probably better at lefty.)

So not a breaking point per se, more like a changing point.

Who knows, it could get interesting.

[bwdial]

I was actually sort of talking about this today playing mini golf. We were at a place where they have two 18 hole courses and I had already won the first round righty, so I decided to try lefty. Before we started I said "If I ever get really good at golf, like a plus handicap, I might just start over playing lefty." Then I won mini golf lefty, actually shooting a better score lefty than I did righty. (For some reason I'm a really good lefty lag putter. The shorter ones are a little trickier, but lag putting I'm probably better at lefty.)

Get an old style (no flange) Bullseye putter. I'm drawing a blank on the name, but there was a guy on Tour who used to putt from either side of the ball. For right-to-left breakers, he'd putt right handed... on left-to-right breakers, he'd putt left handed.

I'm actually not too bad from that side with a putter either.

[enis750]

never really thought about it
I am looking forward to living my dreams of playing on tour through my kids though....heheh......seriously

or at least getting them to college on a free ride...that i will do

i never had the financial backing or support from my parents to take on a career in golf
i will make sure that my kids get the best of the best when it comes to schools of their choice....but they will earn their right to be there

if either kids dont want to golf or find interest in it, thats cool too......( i guess.......)

i think the game will keep me around a long time
I know ill never make it on any kind of tour, but one day i would like to try and Monday qualify for one

I have a job that allows me to spend as much time on the course as i do actually working
if i ever had to get out of the industry (crossing fingers someone will always need a mortgage) im not sure what i would do
I know for a fact that golfing 3+ eveings a week is out of the question
I golf 4-5 times a week now, all during the day or in the am

i love this game too much to quit it outright - and its my ONLY hobby

I gave up hockey and back country snowmobling
I have had this discussion already on here, but you want to talk expensive hobby?????
Long story short - every winter was an $8000 event (not including a newer machine)

i plau hockey as a sub every now and then and get brought out as a "ringer" i guess....... (played some Trip A and tried out for an SJHL team..nothing stupedous)
i just go more to have a beer w the boys after and hang
its $600 to play 30+ games
my membership costs $1500, so that takes away more golf.....so hockey is out full time

[jamo]

Get an old style (no flange) Bullseye putter. I'm drawing a blank on the name, but there was a guy on Tour who used to putt from either side of the ball. For right-to-left breakers, he'd putt right handed... on left-to-right breakers, he'd putt left handed.

I recall someone putting from both sides, but can't remember the name either. I'm thinking of getting a dedicated lefty putter, but it would have to have a very short shaft (33 or even shorter if possible) because I tend to hold my hands very low. Next time I see a decent lefty putter in the used clubs shelves I might just pick it up. My stroke actually looks a lot like Phil Mickelson's, possibly because that's really the only left handed putting stroke I see on a regular basis.

Sorry for the temporary change in topic. Back to breaking points.

[he4dhuntr]

I just started this summer and will probably be playing quite a lot in upcoming years (23 years old and will be getting into the corporate-law world in 3-4 years). Once I get older and get a family and depending on whether my gf keeps up with the game, things might change. For now, I don't have too many friends that play golf, but I'm sure I'll find quite a few once I'm done with school. We'll see. I don't worry about it too too much. I'm just enjoying it as it comes. I'm happy with it now, so that works for me! I'll probably "play" forever, but whether that's 2-3 rounds a week or 1 round a summer, who knows. Same goes for soccer, tennis, snowboarding, and hockey!

Cheers,

[cougar978]

I think I hit mine this weekend during the Hampton Open - I shot in the 60s the last three rounds I played at the course they had it at (67, 66, 67), which would have been good enough to win this past weekend. On top of that, I was able to hang with the guy that won it during the blitz we both play at (was within 1-2 shots of him all month).

Friday, I shot 76 and had to play the last six holes without a putter (it decided to fly out of my hand and land on the cart path, loosening the head - I tried to putt with my 2-iron on 13 and ended up making a 7, then flipped my 8-iron around backwards and used that to putt on 14-18 and shot 1-under (I was 7-over through 13, however). I had one of my friends re-glue the head on my putter after the round.

Saturday, I had to leave my 4-wood in the car and take a backup putter with me, essentially giving me 13 clubs to play with. Despite all that, I was 1-over for the round and 7-over for the tournament through 16 holes, and figured 147 would make the cut (that's what I heard the line was).

17 is a pretty short par-4 (330), but you have to either hit a big cut (which I have trouble doing), or hit a high-rising draw over a 40-ft high stand of trees about 100y off the tee to have a shot at driving the green. I hit a straight ball short of the left greenside bunker, hit a pitch shot that I thought would release to the pin, but the bitch decided to check up 30 ft short. Figuring a birdie would definitely get me inside the cut line, I was aggressive with the putt, almost holed it, but ran it 4 ft past, and my par putt did a 180-degree circle around the cup and refused to drop.

Figuring my day was over, I decided to be aggressive on 18 as well (440 yd par 4 into the wind). I hit driver to about 180y, and tried to draw a hard 5I into the green. I ended up cock-blocking it into 4-inch rough short and right. Macheted it out way past the hole and 3-putted for 74 and a 150 for two rounds.

After I finished, I went back out on the course with some friends to watch one of my boys play - but it looked like people were dropping like flies, so I held out hope that I'd make the cut. Turns out the cut line was 148 - so if I'd not been a dumbass on 17 and 18, I'd be playing on Sunday and have a chance to have a decent finish.

Ever since this weekend, I've pretty much been half-assing it during practice and just saying F this game to myself - hopefully it goes away because I don't have any fun when I don't play well.

[GaijinGolfer]

I dont think I will ever find my breaking point. Fun on the golf course for me has little to do with the number on my scorecard.

[walk18]

I really can't fathom a scenario where I would stop playing and loving golf. If somehow that ever happened though, I think it would be a very sad day.

[enis750]

I think I hit mine this weekend during the Hampton Open - I shot in the 60s the last three rounds I played at the course they had it at (67, 66, 67), which would have been good enough to win this past weekend. On top of that, I was able to hang with the guy that won it during the blitz we both play at (was within 1-2 shots of him all month).

good story...but sh*tty for you bro..sorry to hear

I hear ya though sometimes i just dont wanna be out there .... like tonight my buddy really wanted to play 9 tonight, so i was abel to sneak out w him check this out (keep in mind my last 3 rounds are 71, 73, 75) 1-pull hooked drive 2-almost sliced a PW.....really 3-sliced waaay right 4-topped 3w 40 feet 5-pushed 7i into bunker 6-bombed....but lucked out w the hook i actually "played" around the corner 7-pulled drive into trees 8-chunked it to 30 feet 9-high slice right ZERO.....yes ZERO fw's hit tonight ZERO GIR's shot 40..should have been 400 I was so embarassed for myself.........especially considering the rounds i just came off of arrgghh...... I LOVe GOlf??????

[max power]

Been off and on historically-2 years in high school, 4 year break. 2 years after college, 4 year break. 2 years while living on the 10th fairway, serious wrist injury (19 month break). Started up again early last year and fully hooked this time, would play daily if time and money permitted. Playing to about a 7 now, I'd probably get really frustrated if I dropped much below a 12, but with my thumb and wrist problems anything could happen. Probably keep playing as long as I physically can.