Waited for this day for a while...

[LeftDaddy]

I’ve read with envy how some of you are able to enjoy golf with a son or daughter. I have both, and though I’ve introduced them to the game over the years, neither has ever shown any interest in it. I’ve pushed a little, but never wanted to force it on them. My daughter actually has a knack for the game and can work in a new swing thought almost instantly. My son is a big, strong boy who can hit it a mile if he connects but has just never cared to learn how to swing.

 

Well, about a week or so ago, he asked to go play with me. He’s 13, and we’ve unfortunately had to cut all of his electronic privileges out for a while until he shows us he cares more about his homework. So I think that having “nothing to do” has caused him to seek other activities.

 

Anyway, whatever it is, we’ve now hit the range some and played about 18 holes together. He’s like most beginners. He hits the occasional good shot with a fair amount of stinkers. He got really frustrated on one hole yesterday, but I told him to pick up and move on to the next hole. At least for now, he seems to enjoy it. He’s asking to go again.

 

I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time. I hope it sticks, and we get something besides basketball that we can do together (Dad’s knees can barely take basketball anymore).

 

Other stories of kids picking it up “later” than you had hoped?

[Bensdad]

We all came to golf in our own time. For him to be 13 and come to the game now is just fine. There is still plenty of time for him to develop the love of the game that we have and maybe that's enough to keep him interested.

 

I never really wanted to do anything I was "forced" to do. That took away my enjoyment of the activity. If he comes to golf on his terms he will likely stay with it, and enjoy his time with you even more. Be glad he asked to come back!

[Jesh]

To give you some hope, I started at 13 with my dad and have been in love with the game for 12 years now. Played countless rounds with him. Hoping to have a son or daughter to share the same memories with some day

[Austincountyag]

I absolutely can't wait to take my kids golfing (1.5 yr old b/g twins)....My little man loves taking one of my clubs, or one of his plastic clubs and swing it and carry it around the yard while I'm in the back hitting into the net. My girl hasn't really cared yet....looking forward to the days when the entire family can go spend an afternoon out on the course.

[Ferguson]

> @LeftDaddy said:

> I’ve read with envy how some of you are able to enjoy golf with a son or daughter. I have both, and though I’ve introduced them to the game over the years, neither has ever shown any interest in it. I’ve pushed a little, but never wanted to force it on them. My daughter actually has a knack for the game and can work in a new swing thought almost instantly. My son is a big, strong boy who can hit it a mile if he connects but has just never cared to learn how to swing.

>

> Well, about a week or so ago, he asked to go play with me. He’s 13, and we’ve unfortunately had to cut all of his electronic privileges out for a while until he shows us he cares more about his homework. So I think that having “nothing to do” has caused him to seek other activities.

>

> Anyway, whatever it is, we’ve now hit the range some and played about 18 holes together. He’s like most beginners. He hits the occasional good shot with a fair amount of stinkers. He got really frustrated on one hole yesterday, but I told him to pick up and move on to the next hole. At least for now, he seems to enjoy it. He’s asking to go again.

>

> I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time. I hope it sticks, and we get something besides basketball that we can do together (Dad’s knees can barely take basketball anymore).

>

> Other stories of kids picking it up “later” than you had hoped?

 

My oldest started at 9 after dabbling in baseball.

During his 11th year, he beat me by a stroke and broke 80 for the first time.

He made the HS team in 8th grade.

 

[LeftDaddy]

Cool posts so far. Y. Keep ‘em coming. My son has gotten where he can beat me playing 1 on 1 in basketball now, and I mostly love it (though it is a reminder of how bad my knees have gotten and how old I’ve gotten). But it makes me proud to see him play as well as he does, and I generally play pretty hard against him but I do let him back in the game if I get too far ahead.

 

But I will be thrilled if I ever see the day that he starts beating me at golf.

[Paintman]

Just a little change of pace. I'm in my 50s and my mom is somewhere in the 70s. I've been playing since I was 8 or 9 years old and mom just took up the game. It's a lot of fun.

[FlyingLaw1]

* Long post coming*

 

My story is my own... I grew up playing every sport under the sun but baseball was always what I really had love and a "knack" for. Was playing up a couple years in age... Made the legion team my first try out.

 

When I was in 5th grade my grand mother remarried (my grand pa passed away when I was very young) and my "step" grand pa played a lot of golf. He and my dad would go out and play so when I was in 6th grade we went to a golf shop and picked me out some cheap clubs. I didn't have a full set... A wedge... Putter... Short Iron... 5 iron and I think a 5 wood. When we would visit I would "play" with them. I didn't every practice and only played a couple times a year.

 

During my 8th grade year I was having increasing elbow pain in my throwing elbow. It go so bad that I eventually had to have surgery on it--I had overused it and my growth plate closed early and actually killed the bone inside my elbow. That was in the fall of my freshman year of high school. When it came time to play baseball I had not been cleared to even throw a baseball--I was pretty crushed that I couldn't play as it was my whole life in those days.

 

Well I needed something to do and a couple of my friends were trying out for the golf team so I figured "I have some clubs and I've been on the course before how hard can it be?" That year I didn't make the team but we had so many guys go out the coach had a "JV" team-- We could practice with the team but weren't eligible to participate in any of the tournaments. I enjoyed it but my goal was always to get back into baseball so I didn't practice much---Plus not being able to drive myself to the course didn't make it very easy to practice. I would chip and putt in the back yard and my dad and I would go hit balls at a local driving range once a week or so.

 

Fast forward to my sophomore year... I was still having enough discomfort in my elbow that my doctor and parents were concerned with me getting back into baseball full time... Not to mention I hadn't done much with baseball in well over a year... Long story short that year off really hurt me as the other guys seemed to have developed so much over the year that I had essentially been left behind. That, plus the pain I still had, led me to the only real decision I could make... Try out for the golf team again. That year I had improved just enough that I actually made varsity. I didn't get to play in any tournaments but I did get to play in all the matches.

 

That's when the first of my major personal golf "events" happened. I was at the driving range one day that spring and saw a pro at a local course hitting. I said something to him--can't remember what-- and he said "don't you play for xxxx high school?" I said "yeah but I'm not very good"... He then worked with me for a bit but what stuck with me was a comment he made.... I can still remember him saying "You've got amazing tempo, you've got loads of potential." For some reason 16 year old me took that comment and--well-- it lit a fire in me. I thought... "maybe I can really do this golf stuff." I continued to practice and improve.

 

The next spring (my junior year) I made varsity again. That is when the most important golf event for me happened-- I was introduced to the man who would become my swing instructor and future boss. There was a clinic for local high school golfers at a local country club and one of the presenters was a top 100 instructor who teaches out of a local course. I finished out that season averaging in the low 80s. During that summer I took my first lesson with that top 100 instructor. It changed my life (literally). His complete love for golf began to wear off on me. By the time my senior season started I was absolutely in love with golf. That season I struggled on the course and was averaging 4-6 strokes higher than I had the year before... That was until the district tournament. I some how pulled one out of thin air and shot an 82 to qualify for the Class 4 state tournament. To this day Carding that 82 is one of my proudest moments. Funny enough its a round that is somewhat legendary around here as if I had shot 81 I would have knocked out the guy who went on to win the state individual title!

 

That summer I started working for the top 100 pro who I had been taking lessons from. A job I kept all through college. All day every day during the season I was at the course. If I wasn't working I was practicing. I eventually got to scratch and shot under par many times. Though I had to take close to 5 years off due to grad school... My love for golf is as strong today as it was when I shot that 82.

 

My point for all this is.... everyone finds the game when they he or she is ready to. If I had grown up playing golf instead of baseball would I still love it as much today as I do or would it be like baseball is to me--something I used to do? I'm not sure.

[sprcoop]

> @LeftDaddy said:

> I’ve read with envy how some of you are able to enjoy golf with a son or daughter. I have both, and though I’ve introduced them to the game over the years, neither has ever shown any interest in it. I’ve pushed a little, but never wanted to force it on them. My daughter actually has a knack for the game and can work in a new swing thought almost instantly. My son is a big, strong boy who can hit it a mile if he connects but has just never cared to learn how to swing.

>

> Well, about a week or so ago, he asked to go play with me. He’s 13, and we’ve unfortunately had to cut all of his electronic privileges out for a while until he shows us he cares more about his homework. So I think that having “nothing to do” has caused him to seek other activities.

>

> Anyway, whatever it is, we’ve now hit the range some and played about 18 holes together. He’s like most beginners. He hits the occasional good shot with a fair amount of stinkers. He got really frustrated on one hole yesterday, but I told him to pick up and move on to the next hole. At least for now, he seems to enjoy it. He’s asking to go again.

>

> I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time. I hope it sticks, and we get something besides basketball that we can do together **(Dad’s knees can barely take basketball anymore). **

>

> Other stories of kids picking it up “later” than you had hoped?

 

My left knee is just now recovering from a little 1 on 1 with a 6' 4" 18 year old at New Years. And.. it wasn't even close. He gave me a pretty good run when he was 12 and 5'. Old age is h3ll.

[LeftDaddy]

Some awesome stories on here. Thanks guys! Just what I was hoping for.

 

We are considering spending a month in the UK this summer so that my wife can go to Wimbledon and I can go to the Open Championship. My son wasn’t wild about spending a month over there until he found out we might go to the Open. It’s so weird. I don’t know if he really cares or if he is just on a “fad” right now. Anyway, I love it.

 

I’ve torn ACLs 3 times (both knees). Makes basketball harder and harder, though I still play with him a few times a week.

[Hawkeye77]

My oldest daughter picked it up early and was really good (now college, grad school and, lol, a full time job have robbed her of playing and practicing so she's a bit frustrated these days). We just played together last week when we were attending her younger sister's college graduation - not so good golf for either of us, but a stunning spring day and a great time.

 

The youngest played, and enjoyed playing, but tennis was her thing. She'd play golf maybe a couple times a summer once she was in high school and really hasn't played at all since she started college. But last summer on our family trip to Scotland she played Royal Dornoch (parred the toughest hole on the course en route to something over 100), the Struie in a legitimate 45 mph constant wind (the only one of us not wanting to take the short cut in after 15, lol), and The New Course (played well). Heard her tell her mom she'd forgotten how much fun golf was! No handicap and couldn't play The Old Course, but she was our photographer for the day and toured the course with us. Here she is teeing off on The New Course - wish we could all play more, but that's what comes of an empty nest.

 

[islesmb]

> @LeftDaddy said:

> I’ve read with envy how some of you are able to enjoy golf with a son or daughter. I have both, and though I’ve introduced them to the game over the years, neither has ever shown any interest in it. I’ve pushed a little, but never wanted to force it on them. My daughter actually has a knack for the game and can work in a new swing thought almost instantly. My son is a big, strong boy who can hit it a mile if he connects but has just never cared to learn how to swing.

>

> Well, about a week or so ago, he asked to go play with me. He’s 13, and we’ve unfortunately had to cut all of his electronic privileges out for a while until he shows us he cares more about his homework. So I think that having “nothing to do” has caused him to seek other activities.

>

> Anyway, whatever it is, we’ve now hit the range some and played about 18 holes together. He’s like most beginners. He hits the occasional good shot with a fair amount of stinkers. He got really frustrated on one hole yesterday, but I told him to pick up and move on to the next hole. At least for now, he seems to enjoy it. He’s asking to go again.

>

> I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time. I hope it sticks, and we get something besides basketball that we can do together (Dad’s knees can barely take basketball anymore).

>

> Other stories of kids picking it up “later” than you had hoped?

 

My son is now 14 and is just getting into it. I never wanted to force him. Top Golf just opened by us and we have been a handful of times since it has opened. Before this he has been going to the range with me only about once a year or even less, he was on the course only a couple of times and never got interested. He is now always out back practicing his swing like his old man does, and wants to get out on the course with me this summer. Even my wife who hasn't played since before my son was born wants to get back into it now that my son is excited.