Why Do You Love Golf?

It’s hard and I’m not very good (happy with sub-90). I’m easily frustrated. You hit those occasional shots though, make a few pars or better, and it makes it all worth it. This is corny but after playing I’ll lay in bed at night and think through my favourite holes and shots. No other sport can do that.

I’m been more of a watcher than player the past few years; early rounds I find relaxing then I enjoy the chase of a Sunday afternoon.

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Being outdoors. The banter with mates. The sound (and feel) of a pure strike and the satisfaction of seeing that 20 footer drop, that you thought was in as soon as it left the putter face. The love / hate relationship that only a round a golf can provide. The fact that no 2 rounds are ever the same. That just when you think you’ve worked it out, the golf gods intervene to remind you that swing “feel” you thought was the holy grail was just temporary. There’s so many reasons…

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“Golf and sex are about the only things you can enjoy without being good at.” —Jimmy Demaret

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Saw this pop up again and had to throw my answer in, even though I’ve been deep in the Refuge all morning and this answer has been alluded to by several others.

Golf is the game I came to love last in my life. I was obsessed with basketball when I was young, and also played soccer and baseball throughout my life. I was introduced to golf as a kid and played sparingly, then ramped up my playing through high school, college, and now into my late 20s.

For me, in addition to everything said above, the best thing about golf is the size and diversity of the playing fields. As I got older and became more physically capable of running further and propelling sports balls across longer distances, soccer became my true passion because it offered the largest playing field of any sport and thus the most room for creativity. There are only so many ways that 5 people can run 94 feet and get a ball through a hoop in basketball, or one guy can drive in a run in baseball. Golf provides literally infinite possibilities - you could play the same course every day for a year and never hit the same shot twice. And that’s just one course!

The fact that golf offers you a massive tract of land (on any sort of terrain you can lay a few holes), a tiny ball, and some sticks, and asks you to negotiate your way around as you see fit, just suits me. Very open-ended and not paint by numbers. I always hated the motion offense, and golf doesn’t prescribe anything other than the edict that you gotta make low scores.

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Where else is Drinking and Driving legal! :rofl:

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The well struck iron. Purest feeling ever.

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Last Saturday I made a 45’ putt on the last hole of the round, in the presence of buddies who cheered and yelled. Getting to feel like a superstar occasionally isn’t the primary reason I love golf, but it’s close.

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My grandpa taught me how to play and it is the reason he and I had such a close bond. He passed away 7 years ago and I still think of him pretty much everytime I tee it up.
I think it’s the best game for a kid to learn about life and build character. It’s a fun thing to talk about with friends, to watch and to play. Now i’ve even got my puppy playing fetch with me with golf. I think it’s the greatest game ever invented and damn it this post is making me emotional.

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I was looking at the Golf Digest second 100 ratings and saw Baltimore Country club at Five Farms. In the summers I used to ride past it on the way to the pool. There was a great view of the 3rd and 4th holes. Always looked forward to that part of the drive. That is what first piqued my interest as a kid.

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Golf has always been present in my life and family and that really began with my Dad. A solid 2 handicap with a few local titles to his name but ultimately the true weekend warrior always grooving an in-to-out swing during commercial breaks and fighting a sick handsy flip and dreaded double cross on the course. Golf was supposed to be the bond that kept us together and tight knit throughout our years.

That all changed when Pops passed away unexpectedly last year and golf really showed its true place in life. Golf had always been a future plan that I would get into after college and grad school. With a new perspective golf completely changed. Golf is the only thing that serves as an escape while allowing me the opportunity to stay present and in the moment. When I’m out there on the course, he’s still there with me and my baby bro (a collegiate stick) for every bounce of the cart path, fried egg, and member’s bounce off the pines.

The big right miss became less important and the final number also mattered less. After Pops passed, I’ve been chasing golf experiences and trying to remember the shot more than the score.

Golf is an experience. Plain and simple. It’s bigger than the score, the stories, and the tiny white ball that we chase around an open field. For better or for worse, you can’t hide and there is truly something liberating about that. I’m still figuring it out as I go along but I can’t help but feel lucky knowing that I’ve got a lifelong connection with my Pops and a whole new outlook on a silly game that now means so much to me.

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this sentiment has been expressed in this thread already but for me when i’m on the course it’s just me, the ball, the club, and nature. it’s a place to get away from everything and just be in the moment, focused on this shot, not what i have to do when i leave the course, or what i did before i got there. it gets me out of my own head like nothing else i’ve done.

that, and it feels good as hell to pure an iron

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Really well put. I lost my dad four years ago and a couple of months after he died is when I really snapped back into consuming all avenues of golf. Falling back in love with the game of the greatest gifts I could have ever asked for. In addition to having something to hold onto with regards to my dad, golf also helped with some anxiety that I’ve developed over the last decade as a result of some miserable decision making in college. With both of those experiences, I think golf is the thing that brings me as close to centered as I can get and makes me feel like the best version of myself. It kicks ass and I love it.

(also, feel free to reach out about anything regarding dad stuff - I can share some perspective if you (or anyone!) need(s) it, but it sounds like you already have some good perspective!

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Thanks for the support! Same goes out to you @hellofriends. Always nice to connect with people with similar life experiences. Hope all is well and that golf has helped you get there. Being a part of an active community is another reason to love golf!

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  1. Subculture - I love anything that creates a vocabulary or set of experiences that connects those who are deeply invested no matter where they are. TourSauce is great example. We all knew it, Soly etc named it.
  2. Stuff like this picture sent by a guy that I know only by the name DooDoo who plays golf where I do. (After being hit at 30yds by errant 3 hybrid)
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Golf, to me, is the closest thing to religion i’ve ever found. There are limits we place upon ourselves, and only our character is there to force us to uphold those rules. Its a way of escape, relaxation, frustration, and a way to find maturity. I grew up on the golf course, both literally and figuratively. Golf is so much like life in many ways. There are times it seems you can pull off anything you can dream, and other times when even the two foot putts wont go in. I’ve used golf to grieve and to celebrate, to teach to my current wife, and to use to avoid my ex wife. Every hole is a new challenge, as is each new day. I wouldnt be who i am today without golf.

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Fresh air, time away from Mrs and kids, guy time (typically), the occasional awesome shot, the rest of the time working out what I need to work on, an ice cold beer after 18.

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Golf is a game that we love to hate. It is a game we can never master but keep trying. If we hit one pure shot per hole, or a few during a round, it keeps us going back for more.
For me, when I’m alone, golf is a test of inner resolve, patience and control. When I’m out with my buddies, it’s a time of brotherhood and camaraderie.
Golf is an addiction, always waiting for the next opportunity to play, the next good shot, the next par, or birdie. Chasing the ever elusive hole in one.

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My first love was baseball, but we moved around a lot growing up, so staying on top of my game while changing cities became tough. I picked up golf and never looked back after I hit that first flush 9 iron at 11 years old.

It doesn’t matter what type of day I’m having, once I hit the golf course every worry just goes away… well other than the shot that is in front of me.

Also, I’ve always loved the perfection in a well manicured golf course.

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I love everything about it. It takes my mind off of everything for 4+ hours. I love the equipment choices. Tweaking those choices. Cracking open a new box of balls. Smashing a drive down the middle. Laughing, then crying on the same hole. It’s a terrific game.

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So many great takes in this thread that cover pretty much every reason I might have to share, so I’ll just reiterate that golf has introduced me to so many great people and friends. Our community spans all races, creeds and classes. Step onto the first tee and it’s just you and the game. Everything else is background noise.