Took my wife golfing today.....

[stoverny]

I wish my wife would play.  We get along great and I think she would enjoy it.

I always laugh at the guys on the course who tell me "DON'T get your wife into golf - this is your time to get AWAY from her!"  Seriously, I understand "me-time" but why would you want to get away from your own wife so much lol.  It seems like a lot of guys don't like their wives all that much!

That being said my wife has ZERO interest, unfortunately.  I've thought about buying her a set of clubs but I think I'd be flushing money down the toilet.  I've taken her to the range and she's half-heartedly taken a few swings, topped the ball a few feet, and then handed the club back to me.

[ZAhacker]

I have been playing for about 3 years now and my wife has just started playing. She takes up to 10 strokes to get into the hole but its nice. My son is just over 3 years and got him a little tiger lefty set. he hits about 10 - 20m on his good shots. My 4 month old girl is just a passenger till she can hold a club.

I bought us a golf cart so it has become a family activity. That's not to say i don't enjoy "alone golf". I play about 12 rounds a month of which they join for 2 of them.

[Sandy Trap]

I brought mine to the driving range recently and she hated it.  She told me that she thought it would be easy but it's actually the hardest sport she has ever tried.  She is athletic and played sports in HS/College.

[Beachcomber]

I bought my wife a new set of clubs back in 2005.  New driver, irons, wedges and putter - even a new bag.  She wanted Nike everything - even golf shoes and a glove.  We went to the driving range ~ dozen times.  She said she enjoyed hitting balls with me and I thought we were progressing enough to go play our first round of golf together.

So we go to a local muni and I pay for her and I to play 18 holes with a cart.  Things were great!  It was a beautiful day - and I was looking forward to playing my first round of golf with my wife.  We go up to the first tee, and we are matched up with two other guys.  The first hole - she plays semi decent - really great for a beginner IMO.  And takes a legit triple.

We get to the 2nd hole which is a par 5, and she misses the ball twice off the tee.  Her third swing she hits the ball about 30yds.  She gets into the cart, looks at me with a look of embarrassment (face was red) and says... "I think I'm done?  I'm just going to ride and watch you play."  I of course tried to talk her into just hitting the ball - and then picking it up and bringing it up to my shot to play her next shot.  But she wouldn't have anything to do with that.

That was the last time we played golf together.  In fact, she won't even swing a club at the driving range anymore.

It sucks too because the worst part is that my wife - her best friend plays golf with her husband.  So we would have a great foursome to play with if she would just pick the game back up.

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by Beachcomber

We get to the 2nd hole which is a par 5, and she misses the ball twice off the tee.  Her third swing she hits the ball about 30yds.  She gets into the cart, looks at me with a look of embarrassment (face was red) and says... "I think I'm done?  I'm just going to ride and watch you play."  I of course tried to talk her into just hitting the ball - and then picking it up and bringing it up to my shot to play her next shot.  But she wouldn't have anything to do with that.

I think sheer embarrassment is what keeps a lot of novice golfers from picking up the game.  Golf is emasculating in a way that not many other sports are.  Even if you have very little coordination, you can run around a basketball court and get in somebody's way (play defense) and pass the ball immediately to contribute on offense.  In golf, if you are horrible, you can hold up an entire course while they wait for you to advance your ball 10 more yards.  Some people are terrified of that.

I went out for my Sunday round this weekend and got paired with a twosome which happened to be a husband/wife couple.  As soon as I walked to the tee box, the husband said "you can go ahead of us if you want, it's wide open."  When the wife heard that, she turned and looked at me and said "oh god, I'll be picking up a lot today then."  I imagine she was probably obsessed the entire morning with ensuring that they went out by themselves and weren't paired up with anybody else.

Turned out pretty good for me.  I went out as a single on a Sunday at 10AM and played a 3:45 hour round and didn't start waiting on anybody until about the 13th tee.

Brandon

[Beachcomber]

Originally Posted by bplewis24

I think sheer embarrassment is what keeps a lot of novice golfers from picking up the game.  Golf is emasculating in a way that not many other sports are.  Even if you have very little coordination, you can run around a basketball court and get in somebody's way (play defense) and pass the ball immediately to contribute on offense.  In golf, if you are horrible, you can hold up an entire course while they wait for you to advance your ball 10 more yards.  Some people are terrified of that.

I 100% agree.  It is sad.  I should've taken her to a par 3 course to start.  But hindsight is 20/20.

[mdl]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

She doesn't care for it. She's better at it than she thinks, but she's not good enough that she finds it fun.

Haha.  Similar for me.  She was forced into a golf lesson and 9 hole pitch and putt thing years ago at a work retreat.  She won the (greenside type shot) pitch challenge and putts pretty well on my indoor practice mat even with terrible form.  Potential for high 80s low 90s play is definitely there, but she's just not interested in making the commitment to being good enough that it would be fun for her to play regularly.

Plus, we do almost all of our other hobbies/activities together, and I like having golf as my time to myself, and she likes having her own time to paint or play music or just take the dog to the park on her own, so I don't think she'll ever take it up.

[Topper]

My wife doesn't mind golfing as long as it's only 9 holes. It's a sport that she can take or leave so 18 holes is a bit much.  But we have fun.

I wish I could get my daughters to participate.  I would be close to Heaven-on-earth if a family vacation meant going to an area with beautiful golf courses for the week.  I'd have no issue doing that with my wife and kids.  This (of course) doesn't preclude buddy trips.

[stoverny]

Originally Posted by Beachcomber

I 100% agree.  It is sad.  I should've taken her to a par 3 course to start.  But hindsight is 20/20.

Well in all honesty the embarrassment factor is there even on a Par-3 course... swinging and missing, or dribbling the ball a few feet off the tee, is embarrassing whether on a Par-3 or a longer hole.  Of course there are more beginners in general at a Par-3 but I don't think it solves the problem.  I know if my wife did that on a Par-3 course with 2 strangers watching she'd want to quit also.

Probably the best approach is to try and get out at some late hour when you are almost sure to be by yourself.  The driving range near me actually has 2 practice holes next to the range for pitching practice... probably a great place to start (if I could ever get my wife interested).  I think she would need the experience of hitting a few good ones with no pressure, and no one watching.

[Valleygolfer]

Originally Posted by Kapanda

Voted "other"

Awe K, I am sure you won't be "forever alone"......I am sure there is a special guy or girl out there for you. Haha!

[CDNinATL]

My wife started playing last year with me. By that time, my son (8 years old at that time) was interested in it too since I was going out to play with my friends. Fast forward to now, my son just finished a set of 6 lessons at the PGA Superstore. My wife and I just started taking lessons starting this past weekend with a pro out at our local driving range. She has been frustrated at times playing to the point where she will only tee off but then not play the rest of the hole if it's a bad shot. But I have to give her credit, she's determined to get better.

So now we're play as a family once a month plus I'm still playing with my friends. I'm getting more golf in now that I have in the last 5 years added together!!

[golfclubjunkie]

My boyfriend and I golf together about 4-5 days a week.  I kick his butt most of the time :), but we have fun.  It would be VERY difficult for me to have a relationship with someone who does not golf.  I am THAT obsessed with the game.

[Mike OBrien]

I'm waiting for my wife to start playing. Hopefully soon, she works at a nice course and can play for free. I hate seeing that go to waste !

[Mobey]

I'm screwed....my wife just said...hey I got a sitter for Sunday so we can go golfing again..I then had to text my 3 buddies and say..."I'm out for Sunday"

by the end of the summer she will be beating me...you just watch....

[Beachcomber]

Originally Posted by Mobey

I'm screwed....my wife just said...hey I got a sitter for Sunday so we can go golfing again..I then had to text my 3 buddies and say..."I'm out for Sunday"

by the end of the summer she will be beating me...you just watch....

LOL... Get her to sign up on this site so we can give her tips on how to whip you! :D

[Jefferey13]

I tried and then gave up pushing my wife. She hates taking advice from me or having me correct her, she is very stubborn. My only shot would be to get her lessons, but if anyone is getting lessons it's me haha!

She doesn't really care how much I golf and I actually enjoy playing by myself. I can normally walk out the door and be home in about 1:45 for a quick round of 9.

[Jim Ludden]

Originally Posted by NM Golf

I play golf to get away from my wife! I know a lot of guys who really enjoy playing with their wives so more power to you. I really don't like playing with women in general. I am too competitive, so unless my wife carried a handicap less than 10 I would probably drive her nuts. It would be awesome though to be married to a woman who was as competitive on the course as I am. Hmmm maybe wife number three.....

I've got the best of all worlds. When I retired and moved to Houston my wife made me promise that if I retire I would play golf with her on the weekends (unless of course tourneys, boys we, etc). It was a no brainer for two reasons 1., I play every day for 5 days a week I'm with "the boys" and on the weekends I'm getting my ass kicked by my wife! (btw she played for Nebraska in the old Big 8 and plays BORING golf 13/14 fairways, 9-10GIR). I'm just happy my wife isn't a bigger bettor with me.

PS- it is fun when we hook up with a twosome and they decide to let my wife in on the betting game. She wins 90% of the time and the guys are like "what did I just  run into?"

[mdl]

Originally Posted by Jim Ludden

I've got the best of all worlds. When I retired and moved to Houston my wife made me promise that if I retire I would play golf with her on the weekends (unless of course tourneys, boys we, etc). It was a no brainer for two reasons 1., I play every day for 5 days a week I'm with "the boys" and on the weekends I'm getting my ass kicked by my wife! (btw she played for Nebraska in the old Big 8 and plays BORING golf 13/14 fairways, 9-10GIR). I'm just happy my wife isn't a bigger bettor with me.

PS- it is fun when we hook up with a twosome and they decide to let my wife in on the betting game. She wins 90% of the time and the guys are like "what did I just  run into?"

Awesome.  I love playing with the older ladies who kick my ass while I hit it 80 yards past them off the tee even though they're playing from the front tees and I from the back.  Luckily I never bet on golf (and very rarely otherwise), so I haven't had to be pissed off when the old lady takes all my money :)