I need a new hobby

[DrvFrShow]

If you have room in your house, rent a pool table. Don't buy some cheap pool table. Rent one of those $2000 - $3000 full size slate top jobs. Buy a nice cue stick. Learn how to play the game. It's all geometry. This way it'll keep you out of bars, too.

I can understand why not bowling. It isn't easy either. 

Or... how about racketball? or tennis? wait you need access to courts for tennis.... you can play racketball at the gym.

[rkim291968]

5 hours ago, stealthhwk said:

Golf is too hard. Had a nasty slice, then quit golf for 8 months after I met my wife. Came back to golf only to trade in my slice for a hook. Two years later Ive cured the hook for the most part and my score went from low 100s to mid 90s. Now cant hit a wedge, pull most of my putts or blow them ten feet past. I work 50 hours a week, and have a 3 year old at home so Ive got time to practice or play not both. Practice has never proved beneficial to my game anyways so I prefer to play. Dont wanna join the tour. Want to play well enough to have fun. Shooting 105, 106, and 100 is not my idea of fun. Golf used to be my escape. Now it just pisses me off. My anger levels have gotten so bad theyre putting a strain on my marriage. Anybody got any ideas for a new hobby? And pls dont say bowling, hunting, or fishing.

Meditation.  It will bring order to your mind ... and will even help your golf game (to enjoy & even improve) and even your marriage.

[Dave325]

11 hours ago, stealthhwk said:

Golf is too hard. Had a nasty slice, then quit golf for 8 months after I met my wife. Came back to golf only to trade in my slice for a hook. Two years later Ive cured the hook for the most part and my score went from low 100s to mid 90s. Now cant hit a wedge, pull most of my putts or blow them ten feet past. I work 50 hours a week, and have a 3 year old at home so Ive got time to practice or play not both. Practice has never proved beneficial to my game anyways so I prefer to play. Dont wanna join the tour. Want to play well enough to have fun. Shooting 105, 106, and 100 is not my idea of fun. Golf used to be my escape. Now it just pisses me off. My anger levels have gotten so bad theyre putting a strain on my marriage. Anybody got any ideas for a new hobby? And pls dont say bowling, hunting, or fishing.

I understand completely how you feel. I have been at that point several times in my life. I would suggest mixing it up with different other thing you like to do. Involve your family, if possible. And keep it fun.

I almost quit last summer, until a buddy "called me off the ledge" so to speak (quiting the game). I decided if I am going to do this, I need to make practice fun and get some lessons/instruction.

I am a lot like you in that when I playing halfway decent... I really do enjoy the game. But now... When I am having "one of those days on the course... I'll make it into a fun practice round. The last half of last year, I didn't keep score.... Just went to play. Drop an extra ball if you can, take a big deep breath and let everything go. But leave the bad rounds at the course, and don't take them home Your family is much more important than the game. Stay positive and hang in there.

[Ernest Jones]

7 hours ago, stealthhwk said:

Its not so much about everybody elses scores. But yes if I am shooting 90 Im playing well enough to enjoy myself.

And thanks for the new ideas. Some weight lifting might help

I can almost guarantee you it won't work out that way. You're struggling to shoot 100, so you're thinking regularly shooting in the 90s will be great and you can be happy there. But once you get there, you see how tantalizingly close the high 80s are and you strive for that and get frustrated. You tough it out and make some swing changes, work on your 5 foot putts and eventually starting seeing your average dip into the 80s. Now you're thinking, hey, I can get this cap pretty low if I can just eliminate those occasional hooks that get me....and on and on and on. 

Golf is a lifelong pursuit of the sublime. Either you embrace the fact that the game will always challenge you to do better and constantly provide you with new goals...or you go bowling.  

[vangator]

I started bowling in the hey day of the sport in the early 70's.  I got to where I was averaging 220 every year. but injuries (particularly knee) made it too painful to continue.  So I gave up on that sport.

If you haven't taken lessons, it's time you should.  It's not that hard to be a bogey golfer.  Cut back on your swing to keep the ball in play.  Work on just making clean contact with the ball.  There you go.

[RussUK]

Well if Bowling, hunting and fishing are out of the question then you may have to look at either stamp collecting or bird watching (the feathered kind, not the pervy, telescope into the bedroom kind )

[mcanadiens]

---

Not knowing what kind of work you do or what skills you have, but making more money is always a good idea. Maybe you have a proficiency you can both have fun with an make some extra scratch. 

If not, all that extra work will make golf look pretty good in a few weeks.

 

[Gator Hazard]

10 hours ago, gregsandiego said:

 

Not sure why at the end you throw out all the obvious choices...

But I'd say if 100 just pisses you off maybe you do take it too seriously. If you golfed 90 are you happy? I mean think how many people golf 80's....

Too answer you seriously, I'd start working out, swimming or exercising to relieve that stress....

 

I agree and to further this line of thought would say it has to do with perspective and approach. If you took up a different hobby such as playing pool or billiards, tennis, disc golf, triathlons,or whatever you choose I think you will feel the same frustrations over time. That has to do with who you are (a competitive person, perhaps a perfectionist?) at your core and what you value. Take self value out of the equation as it relates to how good of a golfer you are or think you can be and replace it with the enjoyment of the experience and you will be on your way. Life is hard, being a good parent is difficult, sometimes doing the right things at work is hard, golf should be fun first and foremost. Enjoy the game, breathe, relax and have fun with it. 

[Lihu]

9 hours ago, DrvFrShow said:

If you have room in your house, rent a pool table. Don't buy some cheap pool table. Rent one of those $2000 - $3000 full size slate top jobs. Buy a nice cue stick. Learn how to play the game. It's all geometry. This way it'll keep you out of bars, too.

This is what I plan to do once I can't play golf any more.

[nevets88]

 

[Gator Hazard]

9 hours ago, DrvFrShow said:

If you have room in your house, rent a pool table. Don't buy some cheap pool table. Rent one of those $2000 - $3000 full size slate top jobs. Buy a nice cue stick. Learn how to play the game. It's all geometry. This way it'll keep you out of bars, too.

I can understand why not bowling. It isn't easy either. 

Or... how about racketball? or tennis? wait you need access to courts for tennis.... you can play racketball at the gym.

Pool can be just as frustrating at times. Haha. I played for years and love it. I used to have a nice Brunswick 4X8 in my basement.  It cost about 2500 and I loved it. Get the really nice ball set (Aramith?) as well, they are worth it. Pool tables are a lot of fun and even when not in use work great for a laundry folding station. 

Just read an interesting quote: "All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on" Havelock Ellis

[Elmer]

15 hours ago, stealthhwk said:

Golf is too hard. Had a nasty slice, then quit golf for 8 months after I met my wife. Came back to golf only to trade in my slice for a hook. Two years later Ive cured the hook for the most part and my score went from low 100s to mid 90s. Now cant hit a wedge, pull most of my putts or blow them ten feet past. I work 50 hours a week, and have a 3 year old at home so Ive got time to practice or play not both. Practice has never proved beneficial to my game anyways so I prefer to play. Dont wanna join the tour. Want to play well enough to have fun. Shooting 105, 106, and 100 is not my idea of fun. Golf used to be my escape. Now it just pisses me off. My anger levels have gotten so bad theyre putting a strain on my marriage. Anybody got any ideas for a new hobby? And pls dont say bowling, hunting, or fishing.

I brew beer, used to make wine.
It involves cooking, cleaning, bottling, reading, creating, experimenting,  planning, math, science, carpentry, sterilizing, sampling and the payoff drinking

[stealthhwk]

Wow!! Thanks for all the support and wisdom. There is a lot of helpful advice here. I plan to take some from each and every one who chimed in. And best of all, sounds like I just need to back off some, not necessarily quit golf. Thats encouraging.

[Fourputt]

16 hours ago, SavvySwede said:

What's wrong with bowling? It's one of the least frustrating sports there is.

Edit: Also just start a MySwing thread already. It's a whole lot easier to improve if you have a real picture of what you need to do.

 

15 hours ago, Golfingdad said:

You know, I just learned that they are experimenting with different scoring.  I was watching this weekend and they said (but didn't elaborate why) that the new scoring was an attempt to court the olympics.  It's the same 300 maximum but each frame is scored independently, and thus no balls rely on balls from following frames to score.  30 points for a strike, 10 + pincount of first ball for a spare, and just total pins for an open.

I don't know by how much, but if this caught on, everybody's averages would certainly go up a good chunk, so maybe that would ease your frustration? 

Bowling is endlessly frustrating.  I bowled in leagues for a couple of years way back when.  Both years I started with an average in the 160's and finished in the 120's.  I've bowled maybe 10 lines in the nearly 40 years since, and only then under protest.

I can understand the hunting and fishing.  Unless you live in close proximity with reasonable access to them they can be more time consuming than golf, although fishing is a great way to spend time with kids.  

Sometimes the reasons for playing poorly can come from simply trying too hard.  If you can find a way to get out with people that you just enjoy spending time with, then you can approach it as a pleasant social outing where you play golf together.  Also, your child is close to the point where he/she may enjoy getting out with Dad on the putting green.  

Unless kids have changed a lot, they usually love going and doing "grown up" stuff with Mom and Dad.  As long as he/she can understand when to be quiet and when chattering is okay, even accompanying you for 9 holes can be a great time for bonding, and you are likely to be on your best behavior as a proper parental example.  This way playing golf is a father/child growing together thing and scoring is very much secondary.

[9wood]

16 hours ago, stealthhwk said:

Golf is too hard. ... Anybody got any ideas for a new hobby? 

How about bicycling. It's relaxing and healthy

[RandallT]

54 minutes ago, stealthhwk said:

And best of all, sounds like I just need to back off some, not necessarily quit golf.

One other idea that has worked for me a bit is to put away all devices on the course, stop stat tracking, stop scoring. Play a few rounds just playing each hole individually. If you screw up the hole, no big deal, start from scratch on the next hole. Enjoy the company of your playing partners, enjoy the weather.  After a few rounds like this, then decide if you want to start tracking things, keep a handicap, compete, etc.  

The time away from any pressure of measuring your performance can rejuvenate your golf spirit and ironically get your competitive juices going again.

[MrDC]

There is nothing else that compares to golf.

But if you're thinking of quitting why not try lessons instead? I mean if you're going to give up the time on the course anyway, why not spend the time with a teacher?

I bet if you took lessons only, no playing, just two lessons a week for like a month, the Pro would have you playing much better.

As for the putting, I think good putting comes from good holes, when a player is putting for birdies and pars suddenly the putts get better, but for doubles and triples? not much motivation there, so worry about the driving and long game, the putts will start to fall.

[pumaAttack]

15 hours ago, Golfingdad said:

You know, I just learned that they are experimenting with different scoring.  I was watching this weekend and they said (but didn't elaborate why) that the new scoring was an attempt to court the olympics.  It's the same 300 maximum but each frame is scored independently, and thus no balls rely on balls from following frames to score.  30 points for a strike, 10 + pincount of first ball for a spare, and just total pins for an open.

I don't know by how much, but if this caught on, everybody's averages would certainly go up a good chunk, so maybe that would ease your frustration? 

 

Really??

That is awful and I hope that never happens.  You are rewarded for stringing strikes together, not for getting one.