How Did You Get into Golf?

[Sean2]

I'm a masochist and needed a new activity...

[thug the bunny]

A work buddy of mine got me into golf. We were college kids working in a restaurant and they had a couple tournaments every year. So I bought a set of Northwestern irons with like 2" of offset and never looked back. He taught me to keep my right elbow glued to my right side through the swing, so I spent the first 10 yrs of my golf career being stuck and slicing...Thanks Keith!

[aliikane]

Started when I was five years old. My dad got me into golf. He wanted me to go the play college golf at Stanford like Tom Watson which never happened. Played junior golf and got burnt out. However, been playing for 41 years now.

[catastrophi]

I've played maybe two rounds before with borrowed clubs and by play I mean go out there and swing the clubs a few times a round. A work buddy kept pestering me about going to play golf with him and to buy clubs.. I caved and bought a set off craigslist about 6 months ago and have really gotten hooked the past 2-3 months!

[nicoplaysgolf]

My friend referred me to do website/seo things for a retail store he worked at. I was not a golf person at all before starting the job, but by being surrounded by the golf environment I was quick to realize the depth of the game and grew interested in it. Luckily we have a set up in the shop where you can test clubs so during my break I spend some time using the driver and having so much fun! Golf is definitely amazing and more people should get into it.

[LHGolf4]

My dad had always played golf as long as I could remember and sometime around 8 or 9 I would go with him. Unfortunately he golfed right handed so I never really had any interest as I batted left handed in baseball so it felt weird and I never could get used to them. When I was about 16 or so I found a set of Northwestern left handed woods (1,2, and 3) at the house. I asked my dad who's they were and he said they were part of a set my mom used to have (he had attempted to teach her golf and that evidently ended when she tried to tee it up in the fairway on her second shot and she no longer wanted to play). I said heck let me try to hit them so I took them out in the front yard and proceeded to try and hit them (no worries we lived in the country in the middle of 40 acres). After many terrible swings I finally started making contact. So fast forward 2 months or so and I told him I would like to try and play. So he got me a set of Dunlop irons at Wal-Mart while on vacation in Orlando.

 

We went several trips to the range and I battled a terrible slice but stuck with it. After a couple days of that I had my first round of golf...at one of the Disney courses (my uncle had gone on the trip and loved to show off so that was where he wanted to treat us). I honestly had no business being on that course, my first shot sliced right into a condo. I wound up losing 13 balls that day, but when we got back I continued to practice and many, many years later here I am (shooting in the 80's with some high 70's sprinkled in). Dad quit playing about 8 or so years ago when he had a torn muscle in his arm, but he is about to retire and take it back up again. I keep saying I am going to take lessons because evidently I have reached the limit of what I can learn on my own and through YouTube videos.

[Conrad1953]

My dad got me started. He recruited me to work with him in the real estate business; which

I soon learned included golf a few days a week with the other agents and brokers.

 

I wasn't all that interested in it cause I was in my early 20s and thought of golf as a game

for old people. All I liked to do at first was just smack the driver; which was persimmon

back then.

 

As time went on he and I played a lot of rounds just the 2 of us and as he was a Hogan

fan he taught me from Hogan's book; which I didn't actually read til decades later, lol.

 

He passed on 15 years ago and I look back and cherish those days we spent together

on the courses sprinkled around SoCal.

[uitar9]

In 1981 a friend forced me out with him. He found me a used set of left handed clubs, bag and cart for $50. They were 20 years old. We played 5 or 6 times then I moved. Flash forward to 2011. I used those clubs maybe once a year , sometimes. Then a colleague suggested we go golfing. I really didn't want to go. He then suggested a driving range. I hacked at a bucket of balls. But I managed a few 75-100 yard hits. Following week I went on my own and managed a few more solid 100 yard hits. Told my wife and BIL about it and they bought me a set of starter clubs. We all started golfing. They created a monster. LOL

[RRFireblade]

Told this a few times, here's the short version.

 

The older brother of my best friend as a kid was a serious high school, pre-collegiate, golfer. So at around 7-8 years of age I started hitting balls around the house based on the abundance of clubs and balls and the fact they had a full sized "real" putting green, trap and practice facility in their back yard.

 

That's pretty much it. Thought it was fun and competitive at the time.

 

Played onto the varsity golf team in 8th grade because it got me out of class early on practice and match days.

 

Hit the road to play golf full time because I had to get out of my house at a young age and it was the only option I had for making money.

 

There you go. ;)

[dan360]

My grandpa got me into putting around 1983 and hitting balls with cut down clubs in 1986.

[BillyZ2]

I have always been a competitor and love the outdoors, so I just gravitated naturally to the game early on. To me, it's such a joy being on the 1st tee with friends in anticipation of the round.

[Lenny7]

To get girls in high school. So, looking back, I'm not really sure...

[SmiterOfPv1x]

I dropped out of the womb carrying a ping eye 2 driver that I could immediately hit 325 yard "baby" draws with.

 

There. Y'all wanted to see an embellishment. I will admit to slightly exaggerating that one. Slightly. It was only carrying 275 or so.

 

:)

[thug the bunny]

Told this a few times, here's the short version.

 

The older brother of my best friend as a kid was a serious high school, pre-collegiate, golfer. So at around 7-8 years of age I started hitting balls around the house based on the abundance of clubs and balls and the fact they had a full sized "real" putting green, trap and practice facility in their back yard.

 

That's pretty much it. Thought it was fun and competitive at the time.

 

Played onto the varsity golf team in 8th grade because it got me out of class early on practice and match days.

 

Hit the road to play golf full time because I had to get out of my house at a young age and it was the only option I had for making money.

 

There you go. ;)

 

Did you play collegiate? Trying to sniff out a hidden WRX celeb...

[Blaiser]

I was a college football player and I got injured senior year, so what little hopes I had of playing in the NFL were now completely gone.

 

My roommate at the time was around a 4 index and he could tell I was really bummed out and I didn't know what to do with all of this extra time on my hands.

 

After my shoulder healed up, he asked if I wanted to go out and golf.

 

"Sure" I said, "I'll kick your a**" -- having no idea that golf isn't just something you can step into and be competent.

 

My roommate made the game look so easy. And the game seemed easy. I mean, the damn ball doesn't move, everyone gets quiet and stands still for you to hit, I've got no opponents playing defense, no shot clock....etc.

 

After the round my roommate was rubbing it in with quips like "so Mr. Athlete was struggling a bit today, eh?"

 

My famous line was "give me one week at the driving range, and I'm gonna whoop you"

 

.....been saying that ever since.

[RRFireblade]

Told this a few times, here's the short version.

 

The older brother of my best friend as a kid was a serious high school, pre-collegiate, golfer. So at around 7-8 years of age I started hitting balls around the house based on the abundance of clubs and balls and the fact they had a full sized "real" putting green, trap and practice facility in their back yard.

 

That's pretty much it. Thought it was fun and competitive at the time.

 

Played onto the varsity golf team in 8th grade because it got me out of class early on practice and match days.

 

Hit the road to play golf full time because I had to get out of my house at a young age and it was the only option I had for making money.

 

There you go. ;)

 

Did you play collegiate? Trying to sniff out a hidden WRX celeb...

 

Non sir. Took a short path to the Big Show. LOL.

[nicoplaysgolf]

started working as an IT for a golf retail store, and now im hooked!

[mich_ping]

In grade school, my buddies and I would play "street golf" where you started at one end of the street and played to the stop sign (had to hit the stop sign in fewest shots to win). We played with one set of clubs my buddy had from his dad...we played with tennis balls. We generally played at night...the sparks were cool for a young dumb kid. The clubs were destroyed by the end of that summer. But that made us all love the sport, oddly enough. I still play golf with some of those guys today.

[thug the bunny]

Told this a few times, here's the short version.

 

The older brother of my best friend as a kid was a serious high school, pre-collegiate, golfer. So at around 7-8 years of age I started hitting balls around the house based on the abundance of clubs and balls and the fact they had a full sized "real" putting green, trap and practice facility in their back yard.

 

That's pretty much it. Thought it was fun and competitive at the time.

 

Played onto the varsity golf team in 8th grade because it got me out of class early on practice and match days.

 

Hit the road to play golf full time because I had to get out of my house at a young age and it was the only option I had for making money.

 

There you go. ;)

 

Did you play collegiate? Trying to sniff out a hidden WRX celeb...

 

Non sir. Took a short path to the Big Show. LOL.

 

Give us a hint..

[Psyber]

I moved to FL and had no idea what to do but since there is a golf course on every corner I figured I should try it. I had actually been wanting to try as a kid from watching Tiger but no one would go with me so I never bothered.

[KingMike]

Decided to quit smoking so I took up running. After a run, I stopped at a garage sale down the street and the guy sees me looking and says $5 for the whole bag.

[shuddleston]

Lived on the golf course growing up and got into at 10 years old. Northgreen Country Club in Rocky Mount, NC. Hosted the ACC championship for years.

[dwk99]

built a house on a golf course, figured I better take up the game.... now wish I started when i was 8...

[zebra2955]

Don't really remember when. But first set of Northwestern's just to check it out. now 30 some years later, 5-6 sets of clubs and being retired play as much as possible. Only wished I had started earlier. But baseball, softball and football got in the way.

[Jack Pearsall]

JP's father introduced him along with one of JP's brothers.

He was a rather good athlete for a damn CPA and 'data processing expert'...that's way back when.

 

My brother and JP would play 54 holes for 8 bucks a day each, all summer long... Many a bloody, blistered hand was developed by us maniacs...we'd sneak over to the country club and steal balls and sell them to later foursomes to fund our golf at the muni.

We were little pirates, JP admits...

[dnalepoca]

I had started golfing with my dad after my parents got divorced because it was something for us to do when I visited on the weekends. I was i think 9 or 10 when I started but I used a full size set that i do not remember how i even got. I did not play every shot obviously, because i couldnt with that set, but i would set the ball down and play a few shots a round. Then my dad got me a set cut down to my size and I was really able to start playing with him. We moved farther away from him and I lost touch and outgrew those clubs and did not pick up golf again until one of my moms friends said i could have a set of his clubs if i cleaned every set he owned, which was 5. So i pieced together a 12 piece set of clubs from him and played like once my senior year of highschool. Then my freshman year of college (last year) a couple guys on my floor said they played so i went with them. I hacked around obviously because i did not play much but they were good so it was fun to see. Ever since i have been hooked and have been working hard on my game. Typically shooting in the mid 90's now but hoping to get down to the 80's this summer!

[Darth Putter]

I started as a caddie for my grandfather on the par 3 course. Mom bought me a set of kids clubs forty years ago and I've been a golfer ever since.

[Gh05t]

I assume like most, my dad got me and my brother into the game.

He use to take me with him when he played with his buddies. Eventually I was allowed to drive. He talked me into to playing in high school. He left me use a set of clones he built on his own. I even broke the shaft on a driver trying to happy Gilmore it on the range with some friends. I was scared to death to tell him because I thought it was a hundreds of dollars mistake lol. So ya I owe it all to my old man. And I hope the same can be said of my 2 boys someday.I

[disco111]

How I got into golf.............

 

I was 12, my mother dropped me off one day at the local golf course, gave me 2 dollars and said latter..........the family moved while I was there.........

[auburngolfer]

I got invited to play by a few friends. Been hooked ever since