Any busy guys who wished they could golf daily, then unexpectedly got all the time they ever wanted ?

[mangohead]

Lottery, retirement, divorce, laid off, etc.

Now you had tons more free time than ever.

 

Did you actually golf daily?

What happened then?  

 

In general, what are your thoughts on present/future free time vs. golf intentions?

Edited August 17, 2021 by mangohead

[MtlJeff]

I wouldn't want to play every day. I feel like it would ruin it for me. There has to be some anticipation

 

Getting what you want all the time leaves you unsatisfied.

[ZacR88]

Married- Got out once in a while for fun. 

 

Now divorced- Joined a club, moved to a condo 2 min from my club, play 5x a week. Now scratch. 

 

 

[jvincent]

32 minutes ago, mangohead said:

Lottery, retirement, divorce, laid off, etc.

Now you had tons more free time than ever.

 

Did you actually golf daily?

What happened then?  

 

In general, what are your thoughts on present/future free time vs. golf intentions?

 

A few years ago I got let go from a job in April and had severance and new job lined up for September. Perfect recipe for lots of golf.

 

I ended up playing 5-6 days per week depending on the weather. Ladies day at the club was designated laundry/clean the house day. I'd also use that day for a long ride on the bike.

 

I was playing so much that I never really practiced and ended up getting my index to the lowest it had ever been to that point. Good times. I refer to it as my trial retirement.

[jdl]

Got laid off and decided to just retire early. No, don't golf every day, my body couldn't take it. Have played 4 days in a row a few times and my back just won't get loose for that 4th round.

[robcha]

I'm waiting for that time to come (hopefully through a positive avenue). 

[JLaws_2929]

Im (relatively) young and 3 rounds a week is my max.   Anything more I feel and play worse. 

[MountainKing]

I wouldn't mind another round or two a week, but I have no interest in playing daily. 

[jomatty]

COVID gave me this opportunity.  I’m a chef so suddenly, after working 50-60 hour weeks my entire life I was working like 20hours/3 easy nights a week.  I got used to playing every morning.  Now work is picking up and I’m used to playing a lot.  I still go out most morning but then have to go to work, which is not nearly as much fun.  I need to play a little less…

when I wasn’t working much I really enjoyed it.  Also, as funny as it sounds, it gave my day some routine which was comforting in a strange way.

Edited August 17, 2021 by jomatty

[Carolina Golfer 2]

About 30 years ago, I was single and working over night 11 pm to 7 am.   I would leave work, get some breakfast and go home and sleep until about 10:00.  Head out to a course around 11:00 and be done by 3:30 or 4:00.   Meet some friends for dinner or drinks.  Head home around 7:00, nap until 10:00 then head to work.  I did that 3 or 4 days a week.  Sometimes, I'd skip the drinks and just head home.  But I couldn't play 5 or 6 days a week.  As others said, it would have almost become a scheduled event not something to look forward to. 

 

I see the retired guys now at the course where I work that play 5 days a week, and it's almost like a job to them.   Show up regardless of weather and just muddle their way through it, in talking to them afterwards there doesn't seem to be any joy, it's just something to get them out of the house for a while. 

Edited August 17, 2021 by Carolina Golfer 2

[bekgolf]

Ha!

 

I was able to leave work a few years prior to retirement (now fully retired). 

 

The first year was some golf, more than it had been previously but I also tackled home improvement and maintenance projects.  We also were now able to travel and be away for extended periods of time.  The next year was more of the same.

 

The third year I was burned out on home improvement stuff and golfed so much I lost 30lbs but hurt my body bad enough to require a hip replacement.  Then just as I was able to go to the range and maybe play 9 holes once a week covid hit.  Finally started to get some golf in toward the end of 2020.

 

This year I've played about 3 times a week when I can.  I'd estimate I have about 60 in so far.  Currently I'm recovering from an injury and can't golf but it's just about all I can think about.

 

As soon as I'm healed enough to golf I'm back out for as much as I can get in before the weather turns to rain and cold.  I'll enjoy winter golf but not when it's pouring so rounds will probably be down to one or two a week. 

[Ferguson]

2 hours ago, ZacR88 said:

Married- Got out once in a while for fun. 

 

Now divorced- Joined a club, moved to a condo 2 min from my club, play 5x a week. Now scratch. 

 

 

 

Were you having issues for an extended period of time before splitting? 

 

[Ferguson]

No and no.  I play just enough when I want. 

[caeye0710]

I'm lucky. Early 30's and my boss doesn't care how many hours I work, when I start for the day, or when I call it a day as long as I get my job done. 

 

For most weekdays, my schedule can get packed enough to where I can't make it out, but I usually always play Friday mornings along with weekends, and if I have a "dead" day, I'll sneak out for a quick round depending on if any of my fellow playing partners are available. 

 

I lived the life in my early 20's where I played 5-6 (sometimes 7) times a week. It's a thrill for about the first month, but I remember my game going downhill from fatigue. 

[St Jimmy]

I'm hoping to walk nine holes Monday through Friday when I retire in 20 years.  

Just enough for some daily exercise and to keep the game sharp without over doing the physical stress. 

Hopefully I'll have some friends to do it with as most people I know are either older or a lot younger than me now.  

 

If I was going to play 18, it would be Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. 

Edited August 17, 2021 by St Jimmy

[HappyGilmoresBoots]

That's pretty much what happened to me this year after I lost my job in the spring.  While it wasn't every day (expensive when you've got no guaranteed income), I did get out once a week (for about 10 weeks in a row) and saw my performance absolutely crap the bed.  It's now going on a little over a month since I picked up a club, as life got super busy there for me.  But yes, playing more than I ever have did negatively impact my performance.

[Moonlightgrm]

Since I retired four years ago, I average five rounds per week. If the weather permits and my body permits, I will play as many consecutive days as I can. Our golf season lasts around 32 weeks. Last year I played 159 rounds. I played round #96 today. My handicap hasn’t changed since retiring. My index has been as low as 3.1 and currently sits at 3.9. 

[Hawkeye77]

9 hours ago, mangohead said:

Lottery, retirement, divorce, laid off, etc.

Now you had tons more free time than ever.

 

Did you actually golf daily?

What happened then?  

 

In general, what are your thoughts on present/future free time vs. golf intentions?

Did this actually happen to you or is this just yet another inquiry?

[RSinSG]

I had 6 children and had to work a couple of jobs so golf was not very regular most of my younger years. After I retired I played a lot before finally settling into 2x a week plus practice days. It's enough for me.

 

For those wondering why some retired guys are at the course every day it may be that is the only thing in their lives that gets them out of the house. It's where their friends are, where they interact with others, and what gives them something to look forward to. When you're still in your career you don't realize how much socializing and interaction you get every day. Once you retire you don't interact with others nearly as often and some guys miss it. Personally, after 30 years of working as a LEO I was quite happy to not have to deal with the public for a while . I did eventually join a couple of leagues and got to know some guys so I'm not totally antisocial. 

[ChipNRun]

I retired right about the time COVID hit, so I have quite a bit of free time.

 

BUT, I have an arthritic right hip that gives me trouble on the back nine. Hip pain, plus strain on inner thigh muscle, and pain in left knee from swing pressure.  I had an oral steroid regimen, which took away most of the pain in thigh and knee. Now, mainly a linear pain in the hip. Hip pain there whether I played previous day or not.

 

Next week I'm supposed to get a bone density test to see where I stack up as a candidate for a hip fix. Might be a replacement, might be an injection of the new human bondo which supposedly regrows cartilage.

 

End remark: Although I have the time, it's tough physically to play two days in a row. Last time I did that was a May round with my brother, followed by a scramble the next day. The last few holes of the scramble, my full shots were pretty sorry.

[lefthack]

I am playing 3+ days a week now and that's good for me. If I ever get to retire, I would play about the same, just not quite as early (usually at the tee box by 6). 🤣

[N0rs3man]

Well I work but can make my own hours. When it's not pressing I can get to the course at 6, squeeze in a quick 9/18 before 9am and goto work. 

 

When my wife went out of town for 2 weeks last month, I would goto course at 6 to 9, then work until 6ish then go back to course till dark every single day.

 

My course is a 500 yard hike from work

[8602081]

Can't imagine playing everyday.. that would burn me out..

 

Ideally, 3 times a week  on 3 different courses would be perfect for me..

[Pepperturbo]

I could play every day, but chose not to.  I play 1-3 times a week and that's plenty.  I've been around long enough to know, turning any hobby into an everyday activity, changes how I view the activity.  I never want my enjoyments to take on the grind of a job, and that does happen. 

[lefty1978]

I am fortunate to run my own business and make my schedule. I can play almost everyday, but chose not to. I usually play 2 to 3 times per week, mostly early mornings and practice around 5 times per week. The key is to take a few weeks off here and there so you don't get burnt out. I haven't played a round since July 28th by choice. I'll get out Friday morning. I'm looking forward to it.

[LeftDaddy]

A few years back I would say that I was planning to retire at 55 and couldn’t wait to play 4-5 rounds per week. I then changed jobs and started working remotely, and also had a manager that was very flexible about calendars, etc. And my kids became teenagers with their own lives outside of Mom and Dad. So all of a sudden I could work full time and still play 2-3x per week.
I’m now about 4 years into this routine, though my workload / schedule has become a little less flexible, and I still play golf about 1-2x per week, on average. I’d like to play more (4-5x), but I am not daydreaming of retiring at 55 anymore as I really enjoy my job, play a decent amount of golf, and have flexibility in terms of where I work. So I really do “have it made” so to speak. I’m more looking forward to figuring out a way to reduce my schedule somewhat at 55 to squeeze in more golf, but still work some.  I fear that when I retire, my wife will find a way to coerce me into more tennis 😀

[MPAndreassi]

I work for myself and have a pretty free schedule. I play 3-4 times a week.
 

Tried playing more, and tried playing less. This is the sweet spot for me. 

 

My normal days are Wednesday, Friday and either Saturday or Sunday. 
 

Here and there I’ll throw in an extra 9 on Tuesday or Thursday and maybe play both weekend days depending on the weather. 
 

Our summer has just been so hot and humid it’s too taxing to play more than that. Once fall rolls in I’m sure I’ll be there a little more often again. 

[jackmfarrow]

Definitely would if I could along with daily stretching

[llewol007]

I see a lot of guys who are retired and play every day. The most I have played is 3 times in one week and I thought that was the max. Watching guy play all the time, I notice a lot of them really not caring too much about outcome of their shots if that makes sense. It resembles players at the driving range hitting shot after shot after shot. For me I would need a break from the game and set up some  memorable golf rounds rather than playing the same two or three golf course each week. Gives me something to look forward to and prepare for. Kinda like practice rounds leading to a tournament 

[OnTheBag]

Until my health started declining in early September, I played 3-4 times a week.  Most rounds were casual with friends.  Weekend rounds were sometimes for money.  As we age, our bodies can't handle the strain of more golf than that.  Despite not swinging very hard, I still struggled to get my arthritis to easy up some days.  

 

For the last 2 1/2 months, I have been lucky to play once a week and some of those rounds have only been 9 holes.  Hoping for some good luck on the medical front and be able to return in the spring.