Back in May of this year my two older boys invited me out for the day and they decided to take me golfing. I can play a mean mini golf game but I have never ventured into the true game of golf. Mostly because it intimidated me and I have never really been invited to play.
That first day out I had no idea what I was doing, I mean I follow sports and knew some basics of golf. It was so challenging and getting to spend time with my teenagers made my day. Needless to say, I fell in love.
There is something about a new challenge, a new experience. Life often becomes so mundane. We become complacent in our every day. For me, I feel that is where I start to lose focus. To lose my drive. So when I have the opportunity to do something different, even when I don’t want to, I know I need to.
Golfing was so much more difficult than I thought it would be. I had to learn all the lingo and what everything was. And I can see why people give up, I can definitely say that first time it would have been easy to walk away and say, “Well, I tried.” But if this was something my boys were going to do, I wanted another opportunity to be able to spend time with them.
So I started shopping for clubs and bags. My amazing best friend and her husband said, hold on and gifted me a bag and extra clubs that they had. It was a great place to start. I highly suggest when starting a new sport to find used or borrow from someone. Investing a lot of money can really deter people from starting something and I for one understand that. The thrift store has become our friend and we regularly go and shop there to look for used equipment.
The first month I spent endless hours at the range practicing and getting comfortable with the clubs. It was so helpful to strike up conversations or ask those that already golfers for tips and help. I remember one night I was at the range for five hours which I do not recommend. I ended up rubbing the inside of my finger completely raw. But through that bit of pain, I made huge strides in understand the contact of the club and the ball.
Getting comfortable with the swing, positioning and ball contact with each different kind of club takes time. My primary focus was my driver and then my pitching wedge. Also, you will get a lot of advice from various people about what to do. Everyone does it a tiny bit different, I think it is important to listen to all of them but find what works for you.
Remember, this is your game. You want to be comfortable walking on to the course each time and feel like you can gain some confidence in what you do. I think one of my biggest learning curves has been in this sport. But each time something clicks or I see the improvements I remember how far I have come. Be patient with the game but also be patient with yourself. Most importantly, be proud of yourself for taking on something new.
I remember as a kid we would try things without questioning anything. We would go out there and just have fun. Somewhere as we become adults we stop having fun, we take things too seriously. And we judge, man do we judge each other. As I went through some of my lowest moments, I started letting that go. To remind myself to embrace life a little more and care a little less about other people’s opinions.
That was probably one of the best pieces of advice I could give myself. I have met some incredible people, had some incredible encounters and grown so much as an individual since listening to that. Maybe golf is not your thing, but there is something else that is. Something you have been wanting to try. Or maybe you have been walking through a difficult place in life. Spending time outdoors can refresh your soul and do a lot to impact you emotionally and mentally. I encourage you to take the risk and try it. Just don’t give up too easily.
I have a lot to learn. A lot to accomplish with this sport still but there is no clock, each day is a journey and I love it.
So grab your clubs and I will see you on the course!
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