Golf is for crazy people…

How many of us here play regularly? I’ve been playing since I was old enough to swing a club, watch quite is bit of the PGA, and have played 3 rounds since Monday. Trying to keep it to twice a week…

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I tried playing golf but I ran into a couple problems: I stink at it and I’m not interested.
When I attempted to play, the expletives flew much more freely than the ball.

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I’m easing back into playing, been almost 7 weeks since my hip replacement.

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I’ve played off and on (more off than on) since college in the '70s. I’ve never been any good. I broke 90 once (my personal best) on what’s reputed to be the easiest course in Indianapolis. So when age and arthritis started making all my joints hurt (toes, ankles, knees, hips, wrists, elbows, shoulders, neck), it wasn’t difficult to give it up. Which is not to say I don’t miss it.

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Whatever I do I want to do well. I spent more time in the rough or depositing golf balls in a water hazard or sand trap than on the fairway. Concluded it was going to take too much time and practice to not be frustrated. Moved on to other pastimes.

Played once. Wholly uninteresting.

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Tried it multiple times and ultimately gave it when playing a course with several fairways bracketed by ledges. I tired of the ball continuously coming back at me, as did the others in our foursome. I basically suck at golf.

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I am an ace at miniature golf. I’m a disaster with anything but a putter. I suck at real golf.

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The only thing I miss about golf is walking up to the tee and saying “hello ball”.

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My favorite shots are the practice swing and the conceded putt.

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I started at age 17 and stopped a week after I met my wife. To get a round in with a friend in similar circumstances came at a price - I forget what - but I do remember he had to take his wife to the South of France. Plus they came along and chatted the whole way around. I scored 73, possibly my best, and then didn’t play again for 12 years.

My wife got me playing again 15 years ago and I had to force myself to play, and usually got bored half way round. Recently I only really enjoyed playing with one guy, we’d start at 7am on Saturday morning, finish 18 holes by 9:30, have a cup of tea and be home by 10am. Perfect.

I am now resting on a social non-golfing membership for the next year, maybe I’ll be bothered in 2024.

I was a member of a local club that strangely had several Prime Ministers, two kings and a President as members. Eisenhower came to England to invade Europe, but he wasn’t going to give up on his golf, so was given a house down by the 14th tee. It was also handy for his driver, a fashion model, who kept him company. I presume it was considered safe as the Germans bombed the place before he arrived, there are still bomb craters on the 10th fairway. Four of the club professionals won the Open Championship, which is also a bit unusual.

I’m fairly consistent at ~70 strokes. The problem is that I still have another 17 holes to go after that!

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Better than my own low. That’s quite something if you’re playing by the rules. Beautiful.

A 2.5 hour round is as uncommon as no distortion.

I had one completely freak round in a big money (for charity) competition, somehow getting 6 gross birdies and an eagle. On the last green I gave my visitor guest the wrong line and, learning from my error, sunk my birdie put. Close to cheating, even if unintentional. I was too embarrassed to add up my score and didn’t have to as we were playing 2 of 4 scoring per hole. I had one other broadly similar round, also in competition. My problem is I couldn’t care less if I score 70 or 90, and I’ve done a few 90. By definition that rules me out as a golfer, as the whole purpose is to spend days being depressed over your last round and what might have been.

I tend to agree with Noel Coward who famously said golf was a good walk ruined, and I’d far rather go for a nice walk than play golf.

Incidentally, golf in the UK is cheap. Plenty of annual memberships in the $1,500 range. I understand in the USA it is very expensive. The difficulty is that younger people don’t have the time so many clubs are struggling to get members and the numbers of players is declining.

I’m a member of the club closest to the centre of London, so we take many overseas members who come here for work, including lots of Americans. New members are chosen by other members, and the basic conditions are that you should be reasonably good company and can get round in under 3 hours, irrespective of how many times you have to hit the ball. You can hit it 200 times if you want, just quickly. Small, cheap cars are appreciated as the car park is small and in range of two holes, and you don’t want a dent in your Ferrari.

I got my first hole-in-one last summer….7,000,000,000 shots later. 158 par 3 with an 8-iron. Witnessed and drinks purchased. It happened to look good the whole time, versus a worm-burner. Second “eagle”, first hole in one. Hell of a game.

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I play backwards. I call it Flog, which well describes my playing style.

Never played seriously; mostly just junkets while in the corporate world. Playing golf in those environments sure got in the way of drinking.

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I just came back from a golf practice. I played religiously twice a week year round, I only stop if there is thunderstorm. I tried to play three times a week right after I retired but I sucked big time. If I played twice a week my scores improve. I used to shot low 80s regularly with a few rounds in the 70s per year.

But ever since I started to spend more money in audio than golf my handicap went up. Now my handicap has gone up to 15, and I do not remember when was the last time I shot in 70s. :unamused:

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So funny. I definitely relate to that position regularly.