Started golfing in 2021
My dad has been encouraging me to pick up golf for the last 20+ years. But it took a pandemic to get me to take lessons. The greatest unlock was picking up this hobby with my wife – and it’s been a great, weekly adventure ever since. This has nothing to do with consulting, and everything to do with:
- Getting outside for 4-5 hours at a time; enjoying nature
- Not looking at my phone or being distracted; f-o-c-u-s
- Spending time with my wife, driving around a golf cart
- Doing the hard work of learning a new skill (so humbling)
- Meeting new people, who like me, are learning something
- Being more patient with yourself; show yourself some grace
- Realizing that everyone’s golf swing is different; you do you
- Balancing head (mechanics), heart (calm and centered), and hand (muscle memory)
- Sacrificing time and comfort to dedicate to something; it gets hot in Atlanta summer
Golf is like life?
If you’ve spent any time around golf crazy people, you’ve heard this cliche.
While I don’t know exactly what this means, I can only guess that it rhymes with:
- There are ups, downs, downs, ups, downs, ups, ups, ups, downs, downs, downs, downs
- We have plans in our prefrontal cortex, that don’t translate perfectly into the swing
- As Roger Federer said at the Dartmouth commencement speech; “it’s just a point”; move on
- Don’t overindex on your score; it’s just a metric, not the objective
- It’s a solo sport, and yet, who you spend the time with massively matters
- It takes effort; yes, “having fun takes work”
- It’s a game of good misses. No such thing as “perfect”
- Comparison – FOMO – is bad; don’t do it
- Adapt and calibrate as you go; don’t keep making the same mistake
- Keep learning; there is a LOT of free education on YouTube
- Don’t listen to all (golf) advice; some of it just doesn’t apply to you
- Find a friend; doing anything entirely by yourself, kinda stinks
- Carve out time for important stuff (in this case, golf)
- Have fun. If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it incorrectly
- Develop confidence; find out what “builds you up” and keep doing that; be your own fan
good for educators; learning can be tough
I teach for a living. It’s my craft and my passion. It gives me energy. So, I believe it’s a healthy experience for an educator get curious about a something (namely golf) and geek out on the topic. Re-ignite the beginner’s mind. So, it’s a great role-reversal because now I am the student. Yes, the eager and impatient student who:
- Wishes it were easier; why is this so damn hard?
- Gets frustrated for making the same mistakes
- Doesn’t follow everything the coach/teacher is saying
- Reluctantly comes to the lesson, “where you learn the same thing”
- Learns differently than other students; n=1
- Intellectually understands, and yet not able to execute, do the motion
- Gets disappointed by the inconsistency (hitting the ball thick or thin)
It’s humbling to try and get good at something difficult. Love it. It’s really healthy struggle and disappointment. It’s growth. It’s what I want for myself and my students.
good for educators; learning is experiential
No student wants to be bored while learning. It’s not that kind of world. Anything online is typically captivating, so learning needs to meet a higher threshold = good for you AND tastes good.
Of course, golf has the built in advantage of being beautiful, scenic, peaceful, chill, relaxing, and zen. So, trust me, I don’t plan on trying to compete with golf in the classroom, but are there ways that I could:
- Explain things in multiple ways; don’t assume the way John learns, everyone learns
- Demonstrate what I mean physically (show you the swing)
- Make it easier to “practice” and “try at home”
- Make learning fun; can we increase the dopamine, gamification of it? Make it a journey?
- Spark your curiosity, and encourage you to geek out on the topic, even in your free time
- Create a group learning environment; create network efforts (better with other people contributing)
- Make it a lifelong hobby, not just a 3 unit class
Good for educators; it’s humbling
Whew. Golf can be demoralizing. You will meet a lot of different people on the course, and there is a common gold thread that runs through all of them = they’ve all been humbled by the golf course. We have good days, bad days. Most importantly, we are all very human. We are not six-sigma robots. Nope, we are just biped mammals swinging a high-tech stick at a high-tech ball. It is difficult and unnatural. I think that’s why it’s also fun.
Solo sport. . . that’s only fun with others
It’s typically not a team sport (except stuff like scramble or best ball). Also, it’s even more individual than tennis or pickleball because you measure your score against your previous average (handicap). You are playing against yourself, more than your friend, colleague, spouse, or relative. My average XYZ, can I do better than that today?
And yet, would you go play golf by yourself? No way. Nope, I want to be with other people to:
- Appreciate of the weather, free time, company, traditions of golf, lawn keepers, good shots and good saves
- Commiserate on bad shots, bad luck, mistakes, and overall human-ness
- Take “risky shots” every once in a while, just for the fun of it
- Take pride in learning something, and then implementing it on the course
- Compliment others and make feel good; “really like that putt, so smooth and steady”
- Find common-ground, and a sense of community; “great to be paired up with you again.”
- Laugh together at the absurdity of playing a game designed for robots
Luxury product; the time is expensive
Golf is not cheap. Clubs cost money. Lessons cost money. Tee times cost money. Got it. However, I will say there are lots of municipal courses in Georgia, where you can play on a weekday for $55 including the cart fee. So, it’s about $60 including tax for 4 hours of outdoor fun. For two people, it’s $120 which is the cost of a reasonable restaurant date (without wine).
More than the money though, it’s the time. Not everyone has the freedom or margin to spend 5-6 hours of leisure (don’t call me, or at least, my response will be super late). It’s a weekend activity. Or if it’s during the week, you’re likely not a W2. Basically, it takes time. Time is the ultimate luxury product.
Gets you outside; Away from the screens
I spend an average of 12+ hours in front of a screen. PC, phone, PC, PC, iPad, PC, PC, phone, phone, phone. No, ask my wife. I am serious. Whether WSJ, Work, reading, thinking, researching, writing, PowerPoint-ing, ChatGPT-ing, emailing, or watching, or playing Clash Royale. In front of a screen. So to spend “Deep Work” level of focus on the outdoors = amazing. Blue birds, cardinals, (lots of) sparrows, hawks, deer, (lots of rabbits), and of course the neighborhood dogs and squirrels.
Forces conversation and community
You’re with people, not your device. When you spend 4-5 hours in conversation with someone – you get to know them better. You’re experiencing the outdoors, and a challenging task together. You’re more inclined to listen and be less busy.
On the golf course, you talk about golf, weather, some work/business, but basically golf. No politics, no religion, no geopolitics (thank goodness). Maybe some travel, maybe some family, but basically golf.
We have friends in South Korea, and what do we talk about over the phone? A lot of time, golf.
Great couple sport; Bad (1 spouse at home) sport
If you enjoy golf, it will take up a lot of your time. If you are married, have kids at home, have a booming business, you will have less time to play golf. And I do believe that you need to play with some frequency to maintain your skills, and scores. Yeah, golf is kinda time-suck.
As a couple, you play together. Learn together. Schedule around golf. It’s a partnership thing.
As a single (with a spouse at home), uh this could get tough. Is your better half okay that you’re stepping away for 5 hours on a Saturday? Remember, golf is pretty immersive. You ain’t checking your messages.
It’s having an immersive, luxurious hobby together. Highly recommend learning this, doing this, exploring together. As an extra bonus, whenever you travel, or retire, this is something you can do anywhere. The photo above is Alabama, the one below is Florida.
Luck and serendipity
Generally, the people I know – you, who read blogs like this – are good planners. You have 401(k) to the highest corporate match. You’re making good decisions all the time. You have an excel for this, and a Google Doc for that. Respect. So, people like us too often – forget the luck matters. We all get more luck than we deserve. Things are unpredictable, and we need to be “oye-vey” comfortable enough with it.
In golf, they talk a lot about shot dispersion. That’s a fancy way of saying, you’re not a robot, so your shots will go left, right, farther, and shorter. Basically, you’re not a robot. Therefore, you need to think probabilistically. If I were to hit this shot on this downward slope, with 30 yards to the green with my sand wedge 100x. . .what would the spray pattern look like? Okay, if that’s true, which way should I point the spray gun? If I am going to miss, which way should I miss?
Oddly meritocratic
Unlike many sports, you don’t have to be a specific age or shape to play golf well. I’ve played with a gentleman who was almost 90 years old, and he plays better than you and me. Played with people of all shapes, sizes, and history. The golf course doesn’t care what kind of car you drive, or how much you can bench press. Can you hit the 6 foot putt or not?
