Work / Golf balance

[Jim Ludden]

Yes, being retired has its advantages. I play daily. 350-365 per year. I make up for the rain days by doing 36 once or twice a week. Doesn't hurt that I met my wife on a golf course. She still works so on the weekends its couples golf! Life is good!

[3putter]

no wife, no kids, golf membership that's close to my job, understanding girlfriend.....quit partying hard when I picked up golf. Demanding gig, but I always make time for golf. My other hobbies don't require daylight

[inthehole]

I'm lucky - my company has flex hours - I get in at 7 AM & usually leave by 4 PM ... gives me time to play 9 holes after work a couple times a week.  The wife and I MAKE time to play every weekend - she's as avid as I am about our weekend golf dates  ...

... not to derail the thread - buts it's a helluva lot easier to get more golf in if you get your wife hooked on the game - the only golf drama I get is when I play with buddies and don't take HER  ... have to make it up to her & take her out the next day ... win - win.

[Golfingdad]

I practice, on average, twice a week during my lunch break at work.  Usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  As far as rounds go, though, I squeeze them in whenever I can:

• I play with my dad most times my parentscome to visit, which is every 3 weeks or so.
• I play on a Sunday with my buddies once a month or maybe 6 weeks.
• I play 9 holes before work at the local pitch and putt every couple of weeks.
• I come into work early and will sneak out and play on a weekday afternoon once a month or so.
• And I play in tournaments every couple of months.

Add those all up and spread them all out and I am usually able to squeeze in 3 rounds or so per month.

Of course, in another 2 1/2 months we'll have another baby, so .... I may be in for a bit of a lull next year.

2

[Shindig]

Early 30s, no wife, no kids, and my dating relationships tend to not last very long. That helps. Being a teacher helps, too. I don't have to worry about being called into work on the weekends, the way I did when I wasn't a teacher. I tend to teach in summer, but that schedule is relaxed (1-2 classes instead of 3-4 per term). This past summer break, despite teaching two classes, I managed to drop my handicap from 18.7 to 15.1. Practice, evolvr, and quite a few rounds. Preferring to play golf over watching any other professional sport helps, too. If you're into football, there's 45 or so weekends a year with at least one game on -- that's quite a bit. Half that if you only care about one of {AFL, NFL}. If you're into MLB or NHL or NBA, there's something like 200-300 days of the year with a game in any given one of those. I imagine I'll be better when I retire, too, but my friends who have retired don't seem to be getting better. Work is one of the few things that has priority in my life over golf, so I can't imagine what's going on with them.

[Braivo]

I am a single dad with 50/50 custody.  I have a ton more time to golf now than when I was married.  I have a couple of weeknights free of kids, plus every other weekend.

As far as work, I can usually squeeze in a quick nine on weeknights after work, I do this once a week.  Then I play Saturday morning every other weekend with my brother.  A quick nine on Sunday night is a nice bonus end to the weekend.

[Slice of Life]

No kids, no problem.

[davechen]

I'm golfing now more than ever.  The key is to get the wife and kids to play too.  My son and I go out for 9 holes a couple times a week, and we'll hit the range once or twice too.  My wife and daughter go about half the time.

Golf is a terrific family activity.  You get to be outdoors with your family, not sitting on the couch watching tv or whatnot.

When the kids were younger I didn't play much, but that's life, eh?

[BuckeyeNut]

I don't understand how having a family  and full time work equates to no time for golf...................on average, I work 50hrs a week.

MON-FRI:

Surely there are 2 times a week whether in the late evening or early morning depending on work and family schedule................that golf can be played!!  My wife doesn't need me at home in the evening mon-fri to hold her hand.

WEEKENDS:  For me, early golf is always a GO!!!  I play at sunrise and I'm home by mid-morning.   heck...I sometimes play an extra nine and play 27 before lunch.  This in no way interferes with family time.  Every once in a while, late afternoon comes along and it suddenly hits me that everyone is off doing their thing.........Light bulb goes on.....I'll go back in the evening for an extra 18 before dark!!!!

This translates to 100+ rounds per year in the Midwest when golf is seasonal.

Married 23 years..................

I don't get those people who say... ."oh well..I had a baby and had to quit golf".... that is BS.....

[Flav]

I work two jobs. One full time m-f and one part time usually just two weekends on call a month. But the pt gig is 15 minutes from the home course so it's easy to get a round or range session in after work. Wife gets two days a week where she's out early or off so those are my two weekday after work rounds while it's still light out. Otherwise in the fall and winter it's weekends only and it's either Saturday or Sunday but never both unless out of town guests want to play. Hour lunch means a trip to the gym or range. Im lucky to live and work within a five minute drive to a driving range or at the very least a par 3 course. It's all about managing your time.

[mcanadiens]

37, no kids, no wife.

January thru mid-April, I'm lucky to have a day of daylight where I can do anything. If the weather is even close to decent, you bet it's golf. Work slacks up and I can usually get a weekday round in plus the two on the weekend during the late spring and summer months. Late September thru Oct. 15, usually the weekend rounds only. Then golf after that is a matter of the weather.

What really suffers is any notion of practice. While work isn't demanding outside of the heavy season, I'm rather chained to the desk between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.  Work isn't super close to any ranges, so it's a bit difficult after the sun starts setting early. Honestly, I can do better though.

[Braivo]

January thru mid-April, I'm lucky to have a day of daylight where I can do anything. If the weather is even close to decent, you bet it's golf. Work slacks up and I can usually get a weekday round in plus the two on the weekend during the late spring and summer months. Late September thru Oct. 15...

OT - must be a tax accountant? I hear that ...

I found a driving range about 8 minutes away from work, thinking I will get there at lunch as often as possible.

[mcanadiens]

Bingo @Braivo .

Maybe, I could just slide my schedule. Perhaps work till midnight, sleep, hit the range at dawn and then go back to work. It's really hard to do anything other than eat and sleep during that time span.

[bigstack]

i work from home.

If i dont have meetings scheduled or work that the client needs done , I block my calendar off like i have some meeting and go out to the course.

I make sure to take a phablet that i can log remotely into  my laptop back home and send an email/do other minor tasks in case i get a call.

[vangator]

Early 30s, no wife, no kids, and my dating relationships tend to not last very long. That helps. .

I think you need to tweak your priorities a bit. :-)

[dmrallis]

I thought that retiring from teaching would give me more time to play golf. It didn't. I went through a divorce and remarried all while trying to start a golf related business. In fact, I'm working today but I truly enjoy what I do as a golf writer and photographer. Today I am shooting a charity golf tournament and creating a YouTube video for the organizers of the tournament. Life is tough you know. I also shoot courses and make videos of them as well after playing the course. Life is tough, but somebody has to do it.

[vangator]

I thought that retiring from teaching would give me more time to play golf. It didn't. I went through a divorce and remarried all while trying to start a golf related business. In fact, I'm working today but I truly enjoy what I do as a golf writer and photographer. Today I am shooting a charity golf tournament and creating a YouTube video for the organizers of the tournament. Life is tough you know. I also shoot courses and make videos of them as well after playing the course. Life is tough, but somebody has to do it.

Sounds like you can write off your golf as a business expense.

[mcanadiens]

Sorry @vangator . Only if it is necessary to play (pay greens fees) in order to write the story or shoot the pictures. Expenses of getting there are fine, of course. You might even be able to rationalize food if you are going to be there all day. Just didn't want ya getting any crazy ideas.