Great story, thanks for sharing!
Welcome to the game and hopefully you’ll stick with it!
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Welcome!! You’re gonna hate it and love it. Have fun!!
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It’s a family thing for me - both grandpas played, my dad and uncle played, and so obviously I played from a young age.
Fun story - my dad was trying to teach me as probably a 3 or 4 year old and would take a swing and tell me to “do that”… well he was a righty and I just mirrored what he did. He was not too thrilled I was lefty, but at least I “listened” to him!
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I played every sport as a kid with really no interest in golf until I was about 12.
The first experience I had was with an old set of golf clubs in my grandmother’s garage. Like hickory shafts old. I took them out to the schoolyard across the street and would stack up dead grass as a “tee” and smack them around. I’ll never forget the feeling when I caught one of them solid, I think that was probably one of the first moments I got hooked.
As luck would have it, my brother’s friend’s family owned one of the biggest driving ranges near our house. They gave me as many balls as I wanted, and I remember my mother sitting there while I went through hundreds of balls until my hands were all torn up. I was obsessed with getting that perfect strike, and would rifle through the bucket until that feeling returned. 25 years later, and here I am!
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I played occasionally with my dad through my teen years; probably two or three times a summer, he and I would go out and play. I enjoyed it, but never really took it up as a hobby for myself.
The same pattern was true more or less through my 20s as well; I’d play one or two times a summer with friends. It really wasn’t until I moved to my current location (Michigan’s Upper Peninsula) that I really got bit.
I pastor a small church here, and there was a young man in the church I needed to spend some time with. He was a golfer, so I played with him at first to be able to talk with him. But that’s when I got bit hard.
That was about 7 or 8 years ago now. In the meantime, I have added my best reason to play: my son, who has a natural aptitude for the game. Being able to play with him a couple times a week (and sometimes with my son and my dad) is my favorite part of golf.
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I played baseball until I was about 14. In little league, my coach would know exactly when I had played golf recently since my baseball swing would be awful. I wasn’t a great hitter, but it definitely was worse when I played more golf.
Bachelor parties and work events got me started, interested young child has me committed!
Wow, what an amazing journey you’ve had with golf! It’s incredible how life can lead you in unexpected directions, and your story is proof of that. From being sidelined with an injury to rediscovering your love for the game in such a unique way in South Korea—it’s like golf found its way back into your life when you needed it most. Your experience with screen golf sounds like a lot of fun, and qualifying for tournaments, even if they didn’t go as planned, shows just how much passion you have for the game!
It’s awesome that you’re now getting back into the swing of things in Southern California and seeing improvements with each round. Who knows, maybe in the future, you’ll be competing again, but this time with a solid foundation of experience and dedication! And hey, don’t forget about the essential part of the game— the golf cart! It’s always great to have one when you’re playing more frequently and need that extra comfort and convenience. Keep up the great work, and here’s to many more years of golfing ahead!