Maintaining golf game with a newborn

General Discussion
#1

I’m curious to hear how those of you with kids managed your game. My son is just 5 weeks old and I kind of knew that during these first few months I wasn’t going to get out to play. No way my wife is going to be happy if I was gone for 4+ hours lol but I have managed to sneak in a few 20 min chipping and putting sessions between grocery trips. I’m hoping that keeping up with that and maybe some short range sessions my game won’t fall too far off from where it was before my boy was born.

How have some of you staved off any drop in your game? or is it just inevitable? haha

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#2

Congrats on the new son. I think for the most part, a decline in playing opportunities, and the level of your game is inevitable. And is likely to be for a number of years.

My advice would be to embrace any 9 hole round you can sneak in and any kind of practice session. On a positive note, when you play less, you just appreciate it so much more when you do get a chance to play 18.
And get a club in that kid’s hands ASAP! If you’re lucky, you could have a playing partner a few years down the road.

I’ve just turned the corner where both of my kids are driving now and need me around less, so now I’m able to play at least 27 per week. Now if i could just do something about that job that needs me behind a desk for 40+ hours a week… :smile:

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#3

At the end of the day, time is a resource… newborns take up a ton of time! And hopefully your wife wants you around to help.

As you said, a 4+hour round is not ideal right now… I tried to make it work when my oldest daughter was born and it just didn’t… I ended up basically taking 4 year break from golf.

But part of that was me trying to fit my old lifestyle into life with a baby… if I had backed off and just tried to find time to practice, I could have definitely improved my game, even though I wasn’t playing much.

My suggestion is figure out your priorities, and then figure out what time you can squeeze out to practice… you won’t have enough hours in the day, but you can still stay sharp and get in the occasional round of golf.

My biggest mistake was not adjusting my life to having a baby… it’s a tough adjustment but focus on that first and then try to slot in golf time when you can.

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#4

seasons of life… your golf time will be reduced

I chip in my backyard, otherwise I usually am able to get a single 1 hour range session or 9 holes in about once per week (only because of new WFH honestly)

I play an uninterrupted 18 hole round about 1x per month… I average ~27 holes a month and two to three practice sessions

It gets a bit easier once they are ~2 or 3 years old and get a bit more self sufficient

My kids are 3 and 1.5

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#5

CONGRATS! In the words of Payne Stewart…“There’s nothing like being a father!” If you are lucky, and have new Grandies that are willing to give you guys some YOU time., that’s how we did it! Now we are Grandies and we take the kids for a while so the kids can have some time. I had to give up being a Golf Professional because we couldn’t survive on the pay structure. Was it worth it. Not a doubt, If I couldn’t ever play golf again to be with my family…to re-quote…There’s NOTHING like being a Father! I never gave it a second thought either! I couldn’t spend enough time with my kids, you wait, when you get older, your going to really miss everything…except the diaper stuff, never really liked that. :poop:

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#6

I do whatever I can to play - kind of a non-negotiable for me.

I do try to play as much on friday afternoons when work allows to limit weekend golf. Try to use her family members to play where she can’t fight you on it. Encourage her to get out and do things she likes to do while you watch the little one so you bank some time to get out yourself.

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#7

Congratulations! I actually didn’t start playing until a few years before my oldest was born so I didn’t really change much with respect to my golf as I was playing pretty much just 9 holes a week and the rare charity scramble on the weekend. I did give up playing softball several nights a week and some other activities.

You both do need to get out a bit individually and together and you may need to start scheduling it or it just won’t happen. I used to take my kids to the driving range regularly. It gave my wife some quiet time and I enjoyed it. That gets tougher once they are fully mobile and napping less lol. You will figure it out and enjoy being with them when they are young as they do grow up quickly.

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#8

There are 2 parts to this game and one could say that the mental aspect carries more weight. That is what my focus would be. Whether it is strategy, on course thinking or just developing a mental game plan for when you get back to normal. Just fair warning it will be 10+ years before you get back there. :rofl:

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#9

10 years you say? That’s just about when Saturday and afternoon soccer kicks in. I then did TangSooDo for 8 more years…My guys had ZERO interest in golf, it was too hard! :sleepy: However, my 6 YO grandson loves it! :grin: So we are always at the range!

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#10

I feel this in my soul. My experience may not be typical because my son had an extended stay in the NICU and had medical reasons we had to pretty much just keep him home and have eyes on him most of his first year. That being said, my son’s first year I played four rounds when I usually play around 100.
The second year was very much back to somewhat normal. I still didn’t play nearly as much as I did before our kiddo was born, but I found having standing times made it easier. Long gone are the spontaneous, “Honey I’m catching a quick 9 after work” rounds. Having planned ahead tee times are an easier sell to my wife (who literally never says no when I tell her I want to golf).
Work within your schedules and make sure it’s clear that the time spent golfing is needed and will give you a chance to fill up your cup and come home ready to be the best dad.

Huge congrats. Golf will fall off a bit, but you’ll never ever regret it.

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#11

I pretty much gave up golf when my kids were born. There is a young engineer here at work that has two little girls and he still plays at least once a week, so I guess it just depends on your situation.

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#12

Thanks guys. I’m hoping to fall somewhere in the middle of a lot of your responses. During the pregnancy once I got my wife happy and situated I crammed in so much golf in anticipation of this. A full round is definitely out the question right now bc man oh man are we not sleeping. I’m crossing my fingers that we luck out and get little dude’s sleep situation more normalized in a few months even tho from what every says there isn’t going to be a normal sleep situation for a little while. I think if there’s a handle on that I won’t feel so guilty leaving my wife and son but right now it’s all hands on deck.

I’m looking forward to striking this balance because I love golf, but it is going to have take a back seat to Dad life. Fingers crossed he does learn to love the game too tho haha

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#13

Congratulations to you and your wife on your new son. In my case, I went from two rounds per week to two rounds per month. That’s sort of the bad news.

The good news is that, thereafter, golf became much more enjoyable. Time spent being a new father is much better time spent than time on a course. That’s not even a discussion point.

The reason golf became much more enjoyable is that your priorities immediately and profoundly shift. Woofing a tee shot is no longer a big deal; being a father is the big deal. And, in the long term, much more enjoyable.

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#14

Pro tip: start a golf website and say playing golf is your “job”

:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: congrats! All bets are off in the first three months though

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#15

Well played, Jon, well played.

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#16

wish I had thought of that one

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#17

You dirty dog…

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#18

I have 4 kiddos, 14,10,3, and 1.5 years old. I hear you all on the struggle to practice and play golf. I wanted to be home with the new babies as does any new parent when they are first born. You want to help your wife and bond and all that good stuff. You also want to be able to keep your SANITY because if you haven’t found out yet, your life is consumed with baby stuff and there is never a ‘good’ time to golf.

With that being said have a legit conversation with your wife about getting out to the course for some personal time. 9 holes is a couple of hours. 7am-9am, 5pm-7pm and it is good for you to get out, reset your brain and come home and continue to help as needed.

My wife may be different that some but she was OK with me having a little bit of personal time on the course. Maybe that stems from being a golfer that just goes and plays and comes home. I don’t hang out and drink and sit at the bar… anyway maybe just talking to her and saying it would be cool to get out and play a little golf. You can reciprocate the free time too. You became a parent… you didn’t die… haha!

If you play a lot before your baby though it will be probably considerably less time on the course now though. Good luck though! Before you know it you will be taking them out on the course with you!

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#19

A: find a good sitter, hopefully family is nearby. :thinking:
B: Take them :20 minute sessions whenever you can. :sunglasses:
C: Invite the wife for 9 and dine once in awhile. refer to #1 :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:
(even if she doesn’t play, time for her to get out AND still be with you is important)
4. Plan vacations in sync with golf season/resorts. :grinning:

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#20

Sir. 9 and Dine is genius. Using this on my wife soon.

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