When I was in eighth grade, I started to learn how to play golf, mainly because my dad wanted me to learn how to play. I didn’t start taking the game seriously, though, until I was a freshman in high school and began playing for the school's golf team. My school was notorious for our football and basketball team more than anything else, so when I joined the girl’s golf team it made the team a total of four. Needless to say, my school's golf team wasn’t as competitive or as well-known as other girl golf teams in my school district or surrounding schools. It’s been years since I’ve played competitively, but it’s still a sport I hold dear to my heart. And now, as I enter my junior year of college, I realize all of the great things golf taught me throughout the years.
- G.O.L.F: One time, I was getting ready in the clubhouse, about to go to the driving range to practice my shot, when an old fart asked me if I knew what golf stood for. Gentleman only, ladies forbidden; basically, when golf was first invented (1744), one of the rules that the men made was that it was for men only and ladies were “forbidden” to play. Long story short, golf is consequentially a game that men dominate. If breaking rules, in a sense, isn’t a good enough reason to learn how to play golf, I don’t know what is.
- Good way to bond: Learning how to play golf brought me and my dad closer together and gave us a hobby to do together. My dad is the one who taught me the fundamentals of golf and taught me the basic skills. Even though sometimes I didn’t want to go to the driving range for two hours and practice my swing, looking back at it, I’m happy that it gave me and my dad some quality time together, even if I didn’t realize it at the time. My dad was always at my tournaments, cheering me on and walking the course with me, which are fond memories I look back on now. It’s also a sport that my boyfriend and I now like to play together.
- It’s good to know how to play if you’re in the business world: A lot of business deals are made on the golf course, or at least that’s what my dad has told me. So if there’s any situation where colleagues are going out for a game of golf, and you can keep up with them, it can keep you in the loop and also cause them to have a certain sense of respect for you.
- It’s a fun game: I’m well aware that most people think of golf as an “easier” sport or as a boring one. Well. It. Is. Not. Unless you have played 18 holes anywhere else other than Putt-Putt, I’m sorry, but your argument is invalid. The game of golf challenges you and is an exciting one once you start to play and understand the rules. No two courses are exactly the same, which is just one aspect of golf that makes the game interesting. You don’t have to necessarily go to Top Golf to have a good time while playing the game.
- It’s a game that you can play all your life: Golf is a game that you can play all throughout your life. Sports such as soccer and volleyball get harder to play as you get older. They're harder on your body and it’s harder to find places to play recreationally and competitively. However, you can play golf until you’re in your golden years; it’s a game that you are ultimately playing against yourself and at your own pace. Golf is a game I know I’ll continue to play well into my senior years.
