At some point in your life, you will be curious about golf. What sparks your interest may vary, you saw Stephen Curry playing golf with President Obama, or you met a golf-fanatic that has no other conversation but golf, or you reminisce about pop-culture references to golf like I did in the Diddy (Puff Daddy, Puffy, Puff, P. Diddy, Sean Combs), “Mo’ money, Mo’ Problems” video, or my favorite, you heard deals get made on the golf course. Putting aside the initial reason a person tries the game, golf has an uncanny ability to expose personality traits that are important in business and relationships. Regardless of a person’s familiarity with the game, how that person handles a new challenge, like hitting that little ball, is very telling. My confession is I “get to know” people by inviting them to the driving range or the golf course. However, I reserve golf course invitations for those I am willing to spend five hours with.
Once upon a time, I had a date at the driving range, it was my suggestion and the guy knew I loved golf. The confidence exuded by natural athletes is entertaining, he didn’t realize how humbling golf is and that it is a sport which requires a touch of athleticism…and sportsmanship. It amazes me how blindly competitive people (mostly men) are; when he tried to bet who would pay for the next date, I could not tell if he was serious. Honestly, I have been playing on and off for 15 years and that day I showed him how to hold the golf club (insert confused emoji here).
Here are 5 practical recommendations for anyone interested or curious about golf:
- Determine if you have at least one friend that plays golf. If so, do not ask for advice. I repeat, do not ask for advice. Instead, ask for resources. What golf pro do they like (future post, finding your pro)? What equipment have they tried? Where to find the best deals? Most importantly, could you eventually play a round together? Be aware that bad golf habits are contagious, everyone has a “tip”, and recommendations are often situational. So unless that person is your identical twin, be selective about any advice, mine included.
- Take the first step and just show up. Go to the local driving range and be prepared to ask plenty of questions. If you don’t have a golf friend, ask the staff at the range any of the questions above.
- Enroll in an introduction to golf class, make that your first investment. The driving range and the Internet area good place to check. Ensure it is approximately 50% “hands on” and covers the basics like grip, stance, swing mechanics, rules of the game, and the golf course layout. I can assist what to wear and how to wear it like a boss (pronounce that as bawse).
- Commit to a goal, like going to range once a week or play at a course by spring.
- Seek professional help, get familiar with the area golf professionals, meet them and find one that works within your natural body movement. The perfect swing is not attainable if you lack flexibility but a swing within your range of motion is a great place to start. Give the pro a chance to make a difference, the expectation of achieving immediate excellence is unrealistic. Share your goal with the pro and establish your “range time routine” to make practice time purposeful.
me attending a golf clinic on Randall’s island
Have fun with my recommendations. Far too often people invest major capital ($$$) in golf and end up being dissatisfied. Creating a golf lifestyle and embracing the culture of golf (so excited, because that’s another post) enhances the experience making it more enjoyable and that is advice you can trust!