ADVENTURES IN RETIREMENT: Taking Up Golf

By Frances McGowin

Golf. It is so much fun for the beginner!

Golf is the only sport that I know of,  where most of the game is spent driving a cart around to find and hit a ball. For me, it’s kind of like a scavenger hunt. These continuous interim periods of driving an open-air vehicle provide all kinds of time for socializing, cocktails, cigars (yuck), and enjoying the great outdoors with beautiful scenery- both manicured (fairways) and wooded (rough). I am naturally drawn to wooded areas.

Although the sport can be pricey, ranging from $35.00- $100.00 a game for greens fees and golf cart rentals, it is two to four hours of outdoor entertainment ( depending on the number of holes you choose to play). There are a multitude of courses in Alabama and Florida to choose from. In my six-month tenure, I have played two courses and had an equal amount of fun, and scored equally badly. Golf is a sport where you are not guaranteed to get better, the more you play the game.

I thought I was likely an anomaly. I mean, who takes up the sport of golf at age 67? My brothers, who are golfers, certainly found it humorous. My father would have found it equally entertaining. So, I was skeptical about starting as a senior. When I met an 81-year-old woman who shared with me that she had just started taking golf lessons and loved it, I took it as a sign and bought a set of golf clubs and shoes.

My father was an amazing golfer. He played well into his 90s (age, not score). During his golf career, he made five holes in one, two of which were made after his 90^th birthday. Since he is residing in heaven now, I thought he might provide a little divine intervention to help my game along. If he is, it is not evident.

I have learned that golf is a strategic game, however, I’m still at a level when getting my club to make contact with the ball on the first swing is cause for celebration. Plus, golf is still so much fun. I have been told that the better I get, the more frustrating the game will become. I guess I am in the honeymoon phase.

I am still basking in my ignorance knowing that someday, probably not soon, I will experience golf with a new attitude. And if it is true what golfers say, that I will always be competing with myself, I have to ask the philosophical question, who wins this game in that competition?

Golf is an investment even before you are invested in the sport. You must buy golf clubs, a golf bag, golf shoes, golf gloves, appropriate outfits, and lots and lots of golf balls. It’s best to find used clubs to start with since they are the largest initial investment. Check with golf clubs to find out who might have used golf clubs for sale. (Pun intended.)

One last observation from a golf newbie; there are so many crude puns about the balls, swings, strokes, and nuances that come to mind as you learn and play the sport of golf, especially if you are female. It is best to resist the temptation to mention them. Remember that most golfers have passed the fun stage and have graduated to a state of exasperation. They will not think it is funny.

Still, just go play! It’s never too late, and, for latecomers to the game, golf will likely never cross the threshold from being fun to being frustrating! It’s a great reason to start playing later in life!

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