While people think that golf is boring, arguably I think it's a hole-in-one.
On the course, it is just you and your skills as a golfer. There is no defense like there is in many sports, because it all comes down to the design of the specific course that challenges you.
Some who call it boring or uneventful have never given golf a full-hearted chance.
Over the past decade, 60% of young adults who play golf classify it as ‘cool’, according to an Aug. 24 2023 National Golf Foundation article.
During the pandemic, everyone was trying to find a new hobby to occupy their time, and for me I chose golf.I decided to play golf during COVID-19 because my best friend introduced me to golf and he invited me to the range.
I fell in love instantly because I knew I wasn’t good to begin with and I had an incentive to get better to compete on the course with my friend.
At first, I thought that golf would be easy after watching some of the pros teeing off, but in reality, it was extremely difficult.
The beginning progress felt very child-like trying to learn something new that I have never done before, perfecting a swing in golf takes a lot of practice and I felt like a true beginner.
The process of hitting a golf ball is like taking a baseball, shrinking it and having a full body beginning to end diagonal fluid swing.
Having practiced at the range for hours and hours during the pandemic, I realized that this may be why your average golfer enjoys the game so much.
It gives you a certain sense of self-affirmation when realizing how difficult the sport of golf is on a professional level.
One of my favorite professional golfers is Tiger Woods because he is one of the best golfers when it comes to PGA tour wins.
Seeing a professional golfer get a hole-in-one makes you think of how good the pros are at the sport and how it takes a lot of practice.
It makes you think that trying something like golf isn’t for everyone.
However, when you go to the range with someone who genuinely wants to help you understand the game it turns into something special.
Golf reaches its epitome of enjoyment when it’s shared with a close friend or family member on the course.
A highlight in my week was always going to the range with my friends.
Whenever we planned for it, the golf range would give you a bucket of golf balls from $10 to $15, then you lined up next to each other and just hit golf balls until you ran out.
When golfing, a big part of it is played outdoors, giving a mood booster to individuals dealing with anxiety and depression, according to a Forbes Health article.
All of my friends were more experienced at golf than me so they would give me pointers on how to better my swing and other things I was doing wrong.
The the first step to enjoying golf is being aware of how awful you are but the important part is to not get discouraged.
On a golf course, one can see people from all walks of life, from a couple enjoying a nice day on the course, to a group of extreme competitors playing a tight match or even beginners trying their first attempt at the sport.
No matter how good you are at golf, you can play at the same courses in which the professionals play which is pretty rare in the world of sports.
On the course, you talk about all types of things, current events, problems at work, sports and the occasional timeless joke. It's almost therapeutic to take a break for a couple of hours a week from the stressors of everyday life with golf.
On the flip side, the other concept of the enjoyment of golf is watching it.
When I was a kid, some of my family members would watch golf and I always thought it was boring.
It wasn’t until I started playing golf myself that I broke out of my doubt. I can’t just play a casual pick-up basketball game in the Chase Center or play catch with my dad at Yankee Stadium.
Golf could take a lifetime to master but it’s a game you can enjoy as long as you can.
