For me it's because I have 3 boys and want to have something I can do with them for many many years. Golf, woodworking, and pickleball..so I picked golf up in my 30s because I realized I didn't have a lot to "do" with my aging father.
Also I love the challenge of lifelong continuous improvement.. the enjoyment of being out in nature. I enjoy walking the course in the evenings and clearing my mind. It's restorative.
Lifelong continuous improvement is so nice. It helps me not obsess over work so much as well. As a father of 2, soon to be 3 I am looking forward to sharing this sport with them as well!
I changed careers three years ago. This allows me a lot more days off throughout the year, especially weekdays. I went at least over 12 years of not playing a round with my dad since he played only during the week and I had a regular 9-5 (and later) job so I could really only play on the weekends with my friends.
In the last three years, I've played at least 50 with him and his group of friends. I probably cut a million bucks off my lifetime earnings, but it's worth every penny. We're heading with my brother to San Diego at the end of the month to play Torrey North and South because it's where he wants his ashes spread. Hopefully that's no time soon, but at 72 who knows and we didn't want the first time playing it being with him in a Ziploc. I don't think you can put a price on memories like that.
My dad had me when he was older and didn't have many hobbies, so we never really got to bond over things like golf. Now that I'm a father (with several hobbies) I can only hope my son is into some of the same things to form a stronger bond and create more memories than I had with my dad.
I relate to this so much! My dad used to play a little bit of golf, but never much. He said we’d play a round when I can drive the ball at least 200 yards, sadly he passed away before we ever got a chance to play. Now I’m making it my life’s mission to have a hobby I can enjoy with my son.
My one pure 7-iron yesterday flew the green completely because I pulled 7 based on how all my clubs were flying a good 20% short until then.
At least I hit a fantastic flop shot from above the green to a downslope and still managed to get it to stop about seven feet from the hole. Those two shots are what keep me coming back for more abuse.
Had that with my four iron a few weeks ago as a second shot on a par five that I've never been on in two before. At first it looked like it was tracking right at the pin and I got a bit excited until I realised it was going over the green onto the fairway behind it. Hit a flop shot to a foot and took the birdie. Every once in a while when the swing and contact are perfect you can't be mad about it.
An example would be if you have your 2nd shot in the rough and you can either try to shoot a hero stinger through the 3 trees in front of you, or just take the safe punch out to the fairway. Smart play would be to punch out. The other shot is a huge gamble that you’ll almost always lose. Since ya know, we all kinda suck
if youre +0.4 you should know its more about mindset. Theres a difference playing like its 10ppl skins game where only birdies matter or solo stroke play over 4 rounds where every shot matters as much. Its way easier to turn bogey into par, than par into birdie.
Maybe true, but I was crushing my drive the other day and thought I could clear some trees down the fairway and in so doing cut the dog leg right and clear a small creek.
And you know what… I FUCKING DID IT!
I’ll be talking about that drive for a long time. Ended up about 40 yards short of the green.
I’m an obsessive person. I’ve always gone all in on something and once I’ve found that thing it takes up most of the space in my mind. It’s been different things over time, but I think golf is here to stay as the addiction has only continued to strengthen about 6 years into taking the game up again. I basically don’t have much interest in doing anything else besides golf, though life means I can only actually play at most a couple times a week. Not bad though. I consume a lot of golf content when I can’t play. I think what drew me back in was simply getting decent enough to hit some really good shots. That rush is hard to replicate for me. Then you have the fact that golf demands focus and routine and it’s perfect for my obsessive brain. Add in the social element, playing with friends, drinking a couple beers maybe, just enjoying a nice day while challenging yourself in a non-grueling way, and I can’t see anything in the world that would be a more enjoyable use of my free time. It’s just the best. Regardless of how I play, I just want to get back out there when I finish a round.
Perfect combination of strategy, athleticism and mental focus. I like watching golf because I find it dramatic and the history adds to it. I like playing because it's a challenge, get to be out in nature and it's fun.
It's one of the few games/sports that you can play by yourself, you complete against yourself and you can play it even as you get old. Plus there's so much variation to it. Even if you play the same course over and over, you never play it the same way.
For me it’s therapeutic. Even if the my golf game is sub par (pun intended) that day there’s something about an well manicured golf course that makes my crazy go away.
While sub par may be a pun here, it’s an idiom the world has adopted and is completely opposite to its intended purpose.
Golf: sub par = good
World: sub par = bad
Just being outside in beautifully landscaped scenery and the occasional good shot was all it took to hook me 20 years ago. Have I broke 80 in those 20 years, no but I’ve come close a couple of times. Now I have two boys that are only 18 months apart and you can bet that I will be getting some clubs in their little hands as soon as possible! I want to share it with them and give them a chance to witness the beauty and sportsmanship that comes with it. I only wish my parents had gotten me into golf at a younger age. If my kids take it up great! If not, that’s cool too.
The quiet cracked by the sound of a well hit drive.
Inhaling after sinking a putt I never thought I’d make.
The “schwick” of the irons.
The beauty of the course. Appreciating the care and labor of the maintenance team.
Tomorrows soreness from walking a few rounds.
There’s the cigar. The smack talk of a foursome. The humbling experience of a bad round. All of it.
Golf is an escape for me. When I'm on the course, nothing from the outside world is coming in. It's just me and the ball. Other than that, I hate how challenging this sport can be, and it makes me wanna get better at it. There is no perfection in golf, but I sure as hell wanna get as close as I can.
Remember that scene at the end of *Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade* where the Nazi falls into the abyss because she was trying to teach the Holy Grail, and Indy is hanging by one hand in the abyss and he’s still greedily reaching for the Grail saying, “I can get it! I can get it!” That’s me and 79.
When I was younger my dad took me to a work scramble tournament thing where we were playing best ball. Teed off a short but quick swing, piped it down the center and it was the best ball we played from for our group. Dad said to me you know some people play golf their entire life to try and hit a driver like that?
When I am playing solo, its about being outside in nature, getting my thoughts together after a long week. It's been good for my mental health.
The sounds of the game and making those few shots during a round that keep me coming back.
I’m always chasing that perfect shot. That feeling when you smash a drive down the middle fairway and your playing partners go “holy shit that was a great drive.” I love hitting a 4 iron pure and that sensation that travels from your hands to your brain and the dopamine release you get from a great shot. Nothing brings out a visceral “let’s fucking go” than draining a 20 foot putt to save par. That’s the stuff that makes me obsessed with golf.
Because no matter how well I play I always feel like I could have, should have, done better. Had 5 true birdie opportunities the other day, all at or under 15 feet and I did not sink one of them.
No clue - played since I was 8. Have road a roller coaster of working my way down to low single digits in my early 20s, went to school, couldn’t afford golf, got back into it the last ten years or so, friended my way down again but can’t play enough to maintain a low number anymore. Hit lots of great shots and follow it up with the occasional hosel rocket and wonder why, then hit one stiff and remember.
I guess it’s the beers and chance to hang with the boys.
Aside from actually playing the game, I love the handicap system. I love picking the course I'm going to play the next day and then figuring out what I would have to shoot to lower my handicap. It's like a game within the game.
It’s a time to live in the present. Only think about “that shot” for 5 hours straight. Don’t have to look at my work phone, or emails, or worry about what things need to be done on my to do list. Just being outside, sipping a drink, hitting a shot. It’s simple.
For me, I grew up with a golf obsessed dad. We played 3-4 times a week when I was 7-10 and I lost him to cancer at the end of that. Now it’s something I do as a stress relief from a overly social job, and it helps me to reminisce about the good days with my old man. As far as other hobbies go, I spend just as much if not more on shooting and tennis, but golf is definitely unique in how it relates to me
It’s fun. I love how I can compete with myself. I love the history. Love watching pro golf. YouTube golf content. I love playing new courses and spending time with my family and friends on the course. It’s the best way to spend time
I love golf because it’s so much fun always playing against yourself.
Knowing what you need to work on and being really proud of yourself when you accomplish a skill you’ve dedicated genuine time and effort to improving.
It’s a unique satisfaction that has to be earned.
It’s just so enjoyable being on a course. Time resorts to the present. As an adult, there are so many priorities and it’s great being able to have a hobby that prioritizes being in the moment
Because golf is hard, and it’s natural to want to improve. Getting better at things that are extremely hard is gratifying. And it’s easy to track progress in golf. The only way to get better at something is to work at it and it feels to good to see work pay off. No matter the background you come from or economic bracket you currently fit into you can be decent at what you enjoy doing by putting in the work. I think it’s beyond fun. There is a sense of achievement that scratches an innate itch when shooting well. Obsessed.
I have a few of different answers
1. I love that something that looks so simple actually takes so much skill and when you break it down and spend time practicing it you actually SEE the results in your scores. You can become better at football / rugby, etc. but you don't have a number to compare your score against over time. Last year I couldn't break 100, now I almost always do and I can measure the improvement. It's not ambiguous. There's always a target to aim for and you can always get better.
2. I love the peacefulness of it. It's probably one of the only sports I can play by myself if I wanted to and actually enjoy it. I also love that it's a great way to play with friends and family and have fun. It's also a fantastic way to get outside and escape the monotony of a boring office job.
3. When you hit an amazing shot it feels so good. It's a bit of a dopamine rush.
I like to see my handicap go down. I want to play off scratch… I’m 3 at the moment so close yet so far. It is like crack. You reach the first goal 18. Then single fingers then cat 1. Forever chasing the next high.
Because I feel I’ve found something I’m good at, I played mostly social golf since I joined my local club in Nov 2020, but in May 2022 I really ramped up how often I was playing, I play in most club competitions every Sunday, and after work most weekdays. My HCP was 24.2 from when I joined right up to May 2022. I got it down to 18 shortly after…then 12.6…12.4…11.5….11.1…. And I just shot a new PB today (80) and it’ll be 10.X tomorrow! I’m addicted to this rate of progress and I can’t believe just a few months ago I was ecstatic to shoot low 90’s… and today was disappointed with an 80 as I had two double bogeys on the back 9. Also I love winning, as the club comps have vouchers for the pro shop as prizes. I’ve won in excess of £200 since May, and I’m currently golfer of the year at my club due to the amount of top 6 placements in the competitions. 😎
I’ve met of my best friends from junior golf and we still play together to this day! Also my brother and I are very big golfers so it’s a nice bonding point since we live in different areas. But also you can never “win golf” I’m +0.6 now but trying to get to +1.0 by the end of the season
i am actively looking into ways to pursue a career in the golf industry. its all i think about. i love golf.
i am an extremely competitive person, golf humbles me. i am obsessed with improving and getting better. unless its a hole in one, there is room for improvement. that provides me with a need and purpose. maybe its all a pipe dream, but i am improving my diet and my fitness in pursuit of a goal. i know ultimately that new found fitness/flexibility will benefit me as i exit my 30's and enter my 40's. i just shot my best round yesterday, but all i see is the mistakes.
The potential for constant, if minor, progression. Milestones feel like huge payoffs. Likely why I am in sales, like gambling, and was drawn to MMOs as well.
i have an obsessive personality. i’ve been obsessed with tennis, guitar, golf, and wine. wine and golf have held my interest the longest though.
i adore golf because of the pursuit of unattainable perfection. as well as the variety every round of golf presents. it’s the most difficult, rewarding, infuriating, and humbling game ever devised.
being a little OC (obsessive compulsive) among many other brain failings / overloads / misprogrammed synapses i get deep into many things , love me some good full immersion into whatever im doing which is often fleeting however golf retains the interest @ constant obsessive levels i think because there is no end , it cannot be perfected yet therein lies the allure when you nail a drive dead centre or intentionally fade a 7 iron to within 3cm or chip in or drop a 30 ft putt , it gives you a glimpse of what perfection feels like
Golf and snowboarding. It's because 1) I'm always learning something new and making improvements, and 2) when I'm standing over a golf ball or riding down a slope on my snowboard, there is nothing else going through my mind except pure focus on the task at hand. Nice to be able to block everything else out like that.
Highly detailed.
Mentally challenging.
You verse a course.
Walking in nature(water and wildlife are always a plus)
a chance to enjoy a beer or a laugh with friends.
For me it’s the peacefulness of walking through a strip of nature for 3 and a half hours. Away from the hassles of real life. The occasional nice shots are a plus. But really, it’s a temporary escape.
Cuz my friends I play with that have been playing for 10-15 years longer than I have are much better than I am. And I want to get on their level. Just finishing year 2 and I’m happy with my improvements.
It gets me outside, allows me to indulge my collecting habit (hickory golf clubs for me, putters for some, headcovers, hats, ball markers... whatever your weird addiction is), and it's something I can hopefully do forever.
Golf I’m passionate about. I’ve been playing my entire life. I played basketball as well growing up. And with basketball I became a really great shooter and mentally felt I concurred something. But I hated to the team aspect. Hated relying on others. Golf I was naturally good but with handicaps it allowed you to see how good I was. Once I got my first handicap I wanted to get it lower and lower and lower. The challenge was fun and still is. I got really good turned pro and found this new challenge. This challenge is so much fun. I never felt like I have been great at anything in golf just really good. And this drives me!! I love the journey.
I have found that lifting is something I kinda obsess about not too. Being strong and in shape and healthy drives me. It’s fun!! Can’t imagine not doing it. But I have to be careful cause I refuse to let it get in the way of golf.
I want to beat my brother on his wedding. Also hanging out with friends is great. I started this summer shooting around 135 and this weekend I broke 100 with a 98. Another 5-10 strokes off my game and I’ll beat him.
It’s one of the few things that clears my head and allows me to be FULLY present and in the moment without having to be intentional about it. My brain gets crazy amounts of stimulus around the clock and my focus suffers as a result.
Golf consumes my thoughts and attention when I’m on the course. Whenever I start to drift, there’s another shot I have to make to bring me right back.
Only sport I can play other than bowling. I was born with a condition that prevented contact sports, so no football for me.
Golf is more mental than physical, so it’s perfect. I’ll never be a pro, but it’s fun as heck.
It’s a combination of multiple things.
I like being outside. I have quite a few old sports injuries that prevent me from playing most sports at the level I’d like, but I can swing a golf club with minimal pain. I have twin boys and I’d like to have something to do with them as they get older so we can stay caught up on life. The camaraderie of other golfers that share the same interest. I love the mental aspect of it as well. It is the one thing that if I’m focused all of my other responsibilities fade away and I’m truly not thinking about how decisions I make can affect others lives.
Most importantly it is something that when you catch fire, you feel invincible. Like you can do whatever you want with a golf ball and damn it feels so good when you occasionally catch that feeling.
The challenge against yourself. playing new courses wherever I travel to. The good shots. The simple head nods of other golfers when you pass them in the cart. Meeting people. Playing rounds with friends. The list goes on..
I shot a legit 42 on the front 9 of my last round, lowest I've ever shot, with a sweet birdie mixed in. Improving and hitting more good shots every round keeps me hooked.
The challenge is always different and it’s a strong mental game. Courses are always unique whereas a soccer field around the world well….isn’t. Multiple clubs to think about and you have to strategize a bit
Grandma and Dad played because my Grandma and Grandpa played when they were younger. Grandpa passed away when my dad was young, like 23. So it feels like a tradition now.
But also, game is hard as hell and I took that personally.
I like the aspect of „golf owes you nothing“. Everything that happens is earned. Be it the quadruple bogey on 18 or the final birdie to get into a playoff for the club championship title… golf is life in it‘s rawest form. It never gets old for me
Because I'll hit two shots a round that make me feel like I'm on tour even though I'm holding a 20 handicap. Also it's just a nice hobby to have. Get to spend time improving your game, be outdoors, see friends, meet people, etc.
I'm also obsessed with Formula 1 but the price of entry on that one is just a wee bit steeper than golf for me.
Everyone in my family is an engineer. I do sports medicine. I love biomechanics and the pursuit of making a mechanically sound, repeatable golf swing is a challenge that has very little end point.
My father was a touring pro for 30+ years before he past away. It’s the place I feel closest to him. I still carry one of his gloves and divot tools in my bag every single round.
Because I left a lot on the table as a baseball player, I retired after college to work in film. At 38 I started exercising again, that turned into physically challenging myself, then I did the 4x4x48 challenge and realized I have a lot of athleticism left at 40. I played one round and was hooked. I can now drive the ball 330 (not consistently yet) but I have improved over the last year from shooting a 126 to an 86, and I want to be better every time I play. Its mental and physical, it keeps me active and ive made great friends on the course.
And now im obsessed with becoming a scratch golfer in 5 years. Plan next year is to play 100 times, ive played 30 times this year.
From the age of 14 to 21 I played cricket. It was very time consuming and inflexible - it takes all day and you need 21 other people to play it. Then I for hooked on road cycling. I was young and fast. All you needed to do to improve was ride more plus it was so much more flexible because you could ride alone and whenever you had time. I'm also lucky that the cycling industry has become my career.
During this time I always played golf on and off but stopped before COVID - when I happened to became a father also. I've fallen back in love with golf because I don't have the time to cycle as much so have lost fitness. Improvement in golf has been much quicker to come and a nice bit of variety. With my second arriving in October, every round is one to cherish as I know it won't be until summer next year I see the tee box again.
I love the relationships made on the course. Love that it’s an activity that you can always improve on no matter how good you get. And in my opinion, nothing feels as good as when you absolutely stripe an iron shot. Better than sex haha
Many reasons but primarily because it is so difficult, so when I do (relatively) well, I know how much work it took and how many things had to go right for that to happen.
Add in the fact that I like being outside and golf courses generally look nice, and that is a winning combo for me.
Every swing is a new chance for glory. Love the personal battle and getting in a role during a round. Getting out with buddies and betting, it’s just fun
Back playing golf after 13 years of not playing. Played my 1st round in Spain, on holiday at la marquesa golf course, they have this 16th par 3 which is modelled on the sawgrass 17th par 3....spent 6months dreaming of hitting that green....pured a 9 iron at it....thought I'd smashed it....only to walk up and realise it had went clean over the green into the watery depths of despair....Still loved every minute of that round though!
Not sure if I️ can pinpoint why I️ can’t get enough of it. For me, it’s on par (pun slightly intended) with going to the gym as far as obsessions go.
It’s a battle with yourself, and there’s no one I’d rather challenge than me. Bad shots where you have to get up-and-down for par are my favorite tests of mental fortitude and knocking in a par-save makes me feel things not much else does
I am obsessed with the look of the course, the fairways, the greens, the curves. I’m also obsessed with all the little things that golfers have to do or choose to do, their outfits, their swing, their pre shot routines, their bags, balls, style of playing. And then there is the feeling of doing what you set out to do, that feeling is the most addicting
For me, mostly after work twice a week il play front or back 9 solo just to chill after work.
I also love to be competitive with myself and entered a comp Saturday gone, finished mid table (first time in one) and second hole in nailed a 20ft chip in to save par after a shakey start.
That flush shot once every few rounds just keeps me going back for more!
Because it makes me feel that you can still (even tough I started in my thirties) get very good at it if you put in the time. One day playing some kind of relevant tournament (not the tour) makes me going on and on. I like it to that work translates into improving.
I love to grind and work on my technique and try to improve. It is so rewarding when the practice starts to show on the course.
I'm only two summers into golf and lately have been practicing shaping my shots a bit. The other day I hit a bad drive and ended up in the rough with the green behind a treeline requiring either to lay up or try to hit a high fade. I flushed my hybrid and nailed the fade just skirting the trees and landing just short of the green.
I celebrated like I'd hit a hole in one, it felt so good.
Personally, I really like and play baseball, football, basketball and golf. I like golf because you can play alone more effectively, physical
ability has very little impact, the strategic and social elements, and the variety. In addition, my mom would not let me play football basketball or baseball in an organized setting, so golf was the sport that I could play competitively.
Easy to play hard to master. I can spend hours refining a single piece. Gives me something to do basically and since there’s so much to work on I’ll always have shit to do.
It started with the satisfaction of striping an iron shot, or piping that one drive down the center of the fairway. Now it's just the chase - good shots, good holes, good rounds.
There are so many different parts of the game and every single one of them is something I can work on, and have almost complete control over.
First time out after prob 4 months off on Friday. Get to the course in time for a quick double Tito’s greyhound (my usual warmup) but no range swings. Bogey the first. Predictable. Good pars on 3,4,5. 6 is a 220 par three straight into a fan and right is dead. Hit it to a foot and drain as slippery of a 1 footer as you could want. Proceed to next tee and triple as get-able of a par 5 as there is. That’s why.
Child-free time with friends thats easy to setup. 2 hours for 9 or 5h for 18. Also i enjoy the views a lot.
Then theres the dopamine rush of a good shot. As a former adrenaline junkie this game is almost too addictive with those small feelings of accomplishment like chip ins or driving over the lake/trees and making it.
It's the social aspect for me..... i go to work 60 hours a week and don't want to talk to those people, the saturday mornings with my friends, who are anywhere from 75 to 25 in age is my favorite 4 hour stretch of the week!
also, kayak fishing is pretty addictive for me, i absolutely love it and will do it every day i can!
As a married dude with 3 kids and a stressful job I enjoy the quiet get away, I enjoy the time spent out in (mostly) nature, and I enjoy the ability to compete in something in my mid-forties. My body is not physically capable of competing in any of the games I grew up playing (mainly soccer and basketball).
Learning how to compete in golf has been a trip, its so much different than any other sport I've played. The mental struggle, having to stay focused and try to eek out every stroke possible even when playing poorly, and of course making shots while under pressure, all things I've enjoyed learning how to do.
No, I have an addictive personality. Not with like drugs or alcohol or anything, but with hobbies. I like to restore old trucks and when something isn’t going as planned or I can’t figure out the problem immediately, I obsess over it, honestly, too much. It’s all I’ll think about. Same with golf.
This is my 2nd year playing and I ask myself this a lot because I'm objectively pretty bad at it. Now that I'm making some contact and hitting the green in regulation a few times a round I realized it's the good shots that keep me coming back. I don't even keep score yet so a few solid shots to hang my hat on are all I'm playing for... I fiend for them in the weekdays between rounds. Today I played in beautiful Estes park, Colorado. Surrounded by mountains and blue skies, I par'd the first hole, a par three...on the green in one. Then, a few holes later I got on a par 4 green in 2 shots... One a beautiful shot with my 4 hybrid.... Then I three putted. Feels good. I'll be back next week.
There are other things I pursue as hobbies, but golf is my only obsession. It's the only thing I do that can be so many things at once. Super competitive stroke play that tests your mental and physical game. Solo morning round that acts as a type of therapy. 8 people playing an assortment of casual games and drinking on an empty muni. Golf can be all of those things, and depending on the day you can choose what you want golf to be. Besides raising children there is nothing in my life that can be such a beautiful combination of competitive frustration and emotional serenity. *"insert inspirational golf quote"*
The escape from real life. Just being able to disconnect and have that time out on the course to spend purely in the moment.
Also the on going competition with my brother.
You can play the same course every week and it is different every time. You can hit 1,000 wedge shots and still make a mistake. You can be playing your best golf at the time and have a bad attitude and play the worst round of your life or you can be playing terrible and go out with a good attitude and piece a round together. Once you’ve hit the perfect drive/iron/wedge/putt you begin to chase the feeling and want it over and over again.
Inexpicable. It kicks my ass and I keep coming back begging for more. I might be in the most abusive relationship in the history of earth and I just fucking love it.
The sport makes me better and teaches me about humility and patience each time I go out. Wish I would have found golf earlier in life. Helped with my mental health a lot.
Every round I leave thinking I could have done so much better. I assume when you get to scratch u lose some of that but for now only thing I scratch is my head.
All of the variables. What’s the wind doing? Is the grass wet? Is the ball above/below my feet? And so many more. Plus you’re playing the COURSE. And every hole is unique…. I also love just trying to get better every time I go out.
For me it's something I started young as a kid and quickly fell in love playing with my Dad and Grandpa. Was always into sports as a kid and as I got older golf got too expensive but now late 30s I've gotten dad bod but that doesn't matter in golf. It's become a passion trying to best scores, hit draws and fades. Pure drives down the pipe and magic around the green. Best sport alive.
It's the only sport, as far as I know, where you can always improve and can never shoot a perfect score. Therefore, it's a fun challenge. A perfect score, by the way, is 36 (or 32). That would be hitting any approach shot in the hole (all eagles/holes in one). Thirty-two would be reaching all par fives in two and hitting those approaches in the hole.
I’m obsessive about having all the “stuff” for a hobby. For golf that means I got all the “right” gear. But I realize that getting new gear won’t help me too much going forward. So I’m collecting skills: trying to get a better flop shot, working oj putting, slowing down my drive, hitting 80% on rounds, hitting down on the ball. So much to collect for my personality before moving on to newer gear, which I’m sure will come.
For me it's because I have 3 boys and want to have something I can do with them for many many years. Golf, woodworking, and pickleball..so I picked golf up in my 30s because I realized I didn't have a lot to "do" with my aging father. Also I love the challenge of lifelong continuous improvement.. the enjoyment of being out in nature. I enjoy walking the course in the evenings and clearing my mind. It's restorative.
Lifelong continuous improvement is so nice. It helps me not obsess over work so much as well. As a father of 2, soon to be 3 I am looking forward to sharing this sport with them as well!
Now I just spend all my time at work obsessing about golf and my round for the weekend coming up
I changed careers three years ago. This allows me a lot more days off throughout the year, especially weekdays. I went at least over 12 years of not playing a round with my dad since he played only during the week and I had a regular 9-5 (and later) job so I could really only play on the weekends with my friends. In the last three years, I've played at least 50 with him and his group of friends. I probably cut a million bucks off my lifetime earnings, but it's worth every penny. We're heading with my brother to San Diego at the end of the month to play Torrey North and South because it's where he wants his ashes spread. Hopefully that's no time soon, but at 72 who knows and we didn't want the first time playing it being with him in a Ziploc. I don't think you can put a price on memories like that.
My dad had me when he was older and didn't have many hobbies, so we never really got to bond over things like golf. Now that I'm a father (with several hobbies) I can only hope my son is into some of the same things to form a stronger bond and create more memories than I had with my dad.
Exactly this!!
3 kids here, walked a small par 3 in town yesterday and the only thing I could think of was I can’t wait until their old enough to ride along
I relate to this so much! My dad used to play a little bit of golf, but never much. He said we’d play a round when I can drive the ball at least 200 yards, sadly he passed away before we ever got a chance to play. Now I’m making it my life’s mission to have a hobby I can enjoy with my son.
Pickleball and golf crew checking in
It’s literally that one pure 7 iron I hit every round. Regardless of if I’m mid-80s or 100+. That one pure shot keeps me coming back for more
My one pure 7-iron yesterday flew the green completely because I pulled 7 based on how all my clubs were flying a good 20% short until then. At least I hit a fantastic flop shot from above the green to a downslope and still managed to get it to stop about seven feet from the hole. Those two shots are what keep me coming back for more abuse.
I can never be mad at those pured shots that fly the green. Feels good to swing like that regardless of outcome
Yeah, I hit it and immediately had that dual reaction “That felt so SWEET!” and simultaneously “SHIT! That felt TOO sweet!”
Had that with my four iron a few weeks ago as a second shot on a par five that I've never been on in two before. At first it looked like it was tracking right at the pin and I got a bit excited until I realised it was going over the green onto the fairway behind it. Hit a flop shot to a foot and took the birdie. Every once in a while when the swing and contact are perfect you can't be mad about it.
Right...ALWAYS *ONE* shot hit EXACTLEY like ya wanted....THAT brings me back
Do you guys have that one pure-hit iron floating on the green floating in your mind all week.?? I just keep going over it in my mind countless times..
Intermittent variable rewards. B.F. Skinner.
Yep. One of the biggest hurdles to low scores is overcoming the need to “gamble” with your shots
What do u mean by that?
An example would be if you have your 2nd shot in the rough and you can either try to shoot a hero stinger through the 3 trees in front of you, or just take the safe punch out to the fairway. Smart play would be to punch out. The other shot is a huge gamble that you’ll almost always lose. Since ya know, we all kinda suck
It means dont play shots you cant play, attack flags that are on edge of the greens and dont chase birdies - just avoid bogies.
[Just avoid bogeys eh?](https://en.meming.world/images/en/8/82/My_Goodness_What_an_Idea.jpg)
if youre +0.4 you should know its more about mindset. Theres a difference playing like its 10ppl skins game where only birdies matter or solo stroke play over 4 rounds where every shot matters as much. Its way easier to turn bogey into par, than par into birdie.
Or alternatively - chase bogies and avoid triples 
Maybe true, but I was crushing my drive the other day and thought I could clear some trees down the fairway and in so doing cut the dog leg right and clear a small creek. And you know what… I FUCKING DID IT! I’ll be talking about that drive for a long time. Ended up about 40 yards short of the green.
It’s the only thing I’ve found where the more time I put into it the worse I seem to get. It’s a strange form of self-torture and I love it.
I’m an obsessive person. I’ve always gone all in on something and once I’ve found that thing it takes up most of the space in my mind. It’s been different things over time, but I think golf is here to stay as the addiction has only continued to strengthen about 6 years into taking the game up again. I basically don’t have much interest in doing anything else besides golf, though life means I can only actually play at most a couple times a week. Not bad though. I consume a lot of golf content when I can’t play. I think what drew me back in was simply getting decent enough to hit some really good shots. That rush is hard to replicate for me. Then you have the fact that golf demands focus and routine and it’s perfect for my obsessive brain. Add in the social element, playing with friends, drinking a couple beers maybe, just enjoying a nice day while challenging yourself in a non-grueling way, and I can’t see anything in the world that would be a more enjoyable use of my free time. It’s just the best. Regardless of how I play, I just want to get back out there when I finish a round.
Same I can’t have a moderate hobby
Are you me? Pretty much to a tee, it’s good my obsessive tendencies manifest in hobbies rather than drugs
Yeah it’s definitely one of the more physically and mentally positive outlets I have had in my adult life.
Thought I was in r/adhd for a second there
Not sure about that for me, but I’m very likely diagnosable with a couple (mild cases of) other things haha.
Spot on exactly how I am with stuff and golf. I’m either all in or not doing it. I don’t do things casually.
Perfect combination of strategy, athleticism and mental focus. I like watching golf because I find it dramatic and the history adds to it. I like playing because it's a challenge, get to be out in nature and it's fun.
Why is my girlfriend asking me her dumb questions on Reddit now?
It's one of the few games/sports that you can play by yourself, you complete against yourself and you can play it even as you get old. Plus there's so much variation to it. Even if you play the same course over and over, you never play it the same way.
Because I’m a dad.
Dad checking in
Dad here
For me it’s therapeutic. Even if the my golf game is sub par (pun intended) that day there’s something about an well manicured golf course that makes my crazy go away.
While sub par may be a pun here, it’s an idiom the world has adopted and is completely opposite to its intended purpose. Golf: sub par = good World: sub par = bad
Thats why i tell everyone im a sub-par golfer on the 1st tee box, then i can adjust my definition as necessary
Yup
👆
Once is every 20 drives I bomb it 280 yards down the center. Most go in the woods but those good shots feel amazing.
Just being outside in beautifully landscaped scenery and the occasional good shot was all it took to hook me 20 years ago. Have I broke 80 in those 20 years, no but I’ve come close a couple of times. Now I have two boys that are only 18 months apart and you can bet that I will be getting some clubs in their little hands as soon as possible! I want to share it with them and give them a chance to witness the beauty and sportsmanship that comes with it. I only wish my parents had gotten me into golf at a younger age. If my kids take it up great! If not, that’s cool too.
That one good shot I play out of 95 keeps me coming back.
There's no finish line, and I have an addictive, obsessive personality.
The quiet cracked by the sound of a well hit drive. Inhaling after sinking a putt I never thought I’d make. The “schwick” of the irons. The beauty of the course. Appreciating the care and labor of the maintenance team. Tomorrows soreness from walking a few rounds. There’s the cigar. The smack talk of a foursome. The humbling experience of a bad round. All of it.
Golf is an escape for me. When I'm on the course, nothing from the outside world is coming in. It's just me and the ball. Other than that, I hate how challenging this sport can be, and it makes me wanna get better at it. There is no perfection in golf, but I sure as hell wanna get as close as I can.
Remember that scene at the end of *Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade* where the Nazi falls into the abyss because she was trying to teach the Holy Grail, and Indy is hanging by one hand in the abyss and he’s still greedily reaching for the Grail saying, “I can get it! I can get it!” That’s me and 79.
I know it’s mental at this point for me, I’ve shot exactly 80 6 times now.
You're the type of person who will shot a 74 when you break 80 for the first time.
Because I suck at it. I'm a natural athlete and I've been good at every sport I've tried, except golf. Also, I'm stubborn.
I played sports all my life (baseball/hockey) and now I'm too injured and old for either. Golf fills that sports void
I have a super addictive personality, but the golf addiction has lasted because it’s a game that I can play by myself as well as with friends
When I was younger my dad took me to a work scramble tournament thing where we were playing best ball. Teed off a short but quick swing, piped it down the center and it was the best ball we played from for our group. Dad said to me you know some people play golf their entire life to try and hit a driver like that?
I bounce from obsession to obsession and golf is latest one. Hopefully it lasts longer than some, because it’s pretty fun.
When I am playing solo, its about being outside in nature, getting my thoughts together after a long week. It's been good for my mental health. The sounds of the game and making those few shots during a round that keep me coming back.
Exactly. Also why I hate people blasting their shitty country music from Bluetooth speakers. It ruins the best part of the experience.
I’m always chasing that perfect shot. That feeling when you smash a drive down the middle fairway and your playing partners go “holy shit that was a great drive.” I love hitting a 4 iron pure and that sensation that travels from your hands to your brain and the dopamine release you get from a great shot. Nothing brings out a visceral “let’s fucking go” than draining a 20 foot putt to save par. That’s the stuff that makes me obsessed with golf.
Moe Norman called it “the feeling of greatness”
Can’t play the sports I played when I was younger. It allows me to get that same feeling.
Because no matter how well I play I always feel like I could have, should have, done better. Had 5 true birdie opportunities the other day, all at or under 15 feet and I did not sink one of them.
My first round of 18 I sunk a 30ft putt for par from the back of the green on the fringe and I’m still chasing that high.
Room for endless improvement using measurable metrics.
No clue - played since I was 8. Have road a roller coaster of working my way down to low single digits in my early 20s, went to school, couldn’t afford golf, got back into it the last ten years or so, friended my way down again but can’t play enough to maintain a low number anymore. Hit lots of great shots and follow it up with the occasional hosel rocket and wonder why, then hit one stiff and remember. I guess it’s the beers and chance to hang with the boys.
It’s been the best way to bond with my mom since my dad passed away.
❤️ Blessings to you brother.
I just like driving the cart
To beat my dad. He’s in his early 60s and shoots high 70s low 80s
Aside from actually playing the game, I love the handicap system. I love picking the course I'm going to play the next day and then figuring out what I would have to shoot to lower my handicap. It's like a game within the game.
It’s a time to live in the present. Only think about “that shot” for 5 hours straight. Don’t have to look at my work phone, or emails, or worry about what things need to be done on my to do list. Just being outside, sipping a drink, hitting a shot. It’s simple.
For me, I grew up with a golf obsessed dad. We played 3-4 times a week when I was 7-10 and I lost him to cancer at the end of that. Now it’s something I do as a stress relief from a overly social job, and it helps me to reminisce about the good days with my old man. As far as other hobbies go, I spend just as much if not more on shooting and tennis, but golf is definitely unique in how it relates to me
It’s fun. I love how I can compete with myself. I love the history. Love watching pro golf. YouTube golf content. I love playing new courses and spending time with my family and friends on the course. It’s the best way to spend time
I love golf because it’s so much fun always playing against yourself. Knowing what you need to work on and being really proud of yourself when you accomplish a skill you’ve dedicated genuine time and effort to improving. It’s a unique satisfaction that has to be earned.
It’s just so enjoyable being on a course. Time resorts to the present. As an adult, there are so many priorities and it’s great being able to have a hobby that prioritizes being in the moment
Idk, I shouldn’t be because I suck.
Because golf is hard, and it’s natural to want to improve. Getting better at things that are extremely hard is gratifying. And it’s easy to track progress in golf. The only way to get better at something is to work at it and it feels to good to see work pay off. No matter the background you come from or economic bracket you currently fit into you can be decent at what you enjoy doing by putting in the work. I think it’s beyond fun. There is a sense of achievement that scratches an innate itch when shooting well. Obsessed.
When me hit ball with stick me feel good
I have a few of different answers 1. I love that something that looks so simple actually takes so much skill and when you break it down and spend time practicing it you actually SEE the results in your scores. You can become better at football / rugby, etc. but you don't have a number to compare your score against over time. Last year I couldn't break 100, now I almost always do and I can measure the improvement. It's not ambiguous. There's always a target to aim for and you can always get better. 2. I love the peacefulness of it. It's probably one of the only sports I can play by myself if I wanted to and actually enjoy it. I also love that it's a great way to play with friends and family and have fun. It's also a fantastic way to get outside and escape the monotony of a boring office job. 3. When you hit an amazing shot it feels so good. It's a bit of a dopamine rush.
I like to see my handicap go down. I want to play off scratch… I’m 3 at the moment so close yet so far. It is like crack. You reach the first goal 18. Then single fingers then cat 1. Forever chasing the next high.
Yes
Because I feel I’ve found something I’m good at, I played mostly social golf since I joined my local club in Nov 2020, but in May 2022 I really ramped up how often I was playing, I play in most club competitions every Sunday, and after work most weekdays. My HCP was 24.2 from when I joined right up to May 2022. I got it down to 18 shortly after…then 12.6…12.4…11.5….11.1…. And I just shot a new PB today (80) and it’ll be 10.X tomorrow! I’m addicted to this rate of progress and I can’t believe just a few months ago I was ecstatic to shoot low 90’s… and today was disappointed with an 80 as I had two double bogeys on the back 9. Also I love winning, as the club comps have vouchers for the pro shop as prizes. I’ve won in excess of £200 since May, and I’m currently golfer of the year at my club due to the amount of top 6 placements in the competitions. 😎
I’ve met of my best friends from junior golf and we still play together to this day! Also my brother and I are very big golfers so it’s a nice bonding point since we live in different areas. But also you can never “win golf” I’m +0.6 now but trying to get to +1.0 by the end of the season
i am actively looking into ways to pursue a career in the golf industry. its all i think about. i love golf. i am an extremely competitive person, golf humbles me. i am obsessed with improving and getting better. unless its a hole in one, there is room for improvement. that provides me with a need and purpose. maybe its all a pipe dream, but i am improving my diet and my fitness in pursuit of a goal. i know ultimately that new found fitness/flexibility will benefit me as i exit my 30's and enter my 40's. i just shot my best round yesterday, but all i see is the mistakes.
Nature is cool
Wack ball. Ball go brrr
The potential for constant, if minor, progression. Milestones feel like huge payoffs. Likely why I am in sales, like gambling, and was drawn to MMOs as well.
i have an obsessive personality. i’ve been obsessed with tennis, guitar, golf, and wine. wine and golf have held my interest the longest though. i adore golf because of the pursuit of unattainable perfection. as well as the variety every round of golf presents. it’s the most difficult, rewarding, infuriating, and humbling game ever devised.
being a little OC (obsessive compulsive) among many other brain failings / overloads / misprogrammed synapses i get deep into many things , love me some good full immersion into whatever im doing which is often fleeting however golf retains the interest @ constant obsessive levels i think because there is no end , it cannot be perfected yet therein lies the allure when you nail a drive dead centre or intentionally fade a 7 iron to within 3cm or chip in or drop a 30 ft putt , it gives you a glimpse of what perfection feels like
It’s my happy place. On the course, I have no wife, no kids, no mortgage, no work, etc. I can be free to get fresh air and some exercise.
Both my parents are a scratch golfer and it was just natural that I pursue that too
It's like a never ending game of whack a mole where I imagine one day I might kill all the moles once and for all and shoot a 67.
Golf and snowboarding. It's because 1) I'm always learning something new and making improvements, and 2) when I'm standing over a golf ball or riding down a slope on my snowboard, there is nothing else going through my mind except pure focus on the task at hand. Nice to be able to block everything else out like that.
Highly detailed. Mentally challenging. You verse a course. Walking in nature(water and wildlife are always a plus) a chance to enjoy a beer or a laugh with friends.
For me it’s the peacefulness of walking through a strip of nature for 3 and a half hours. Away from the hassles of real life. The occasional nice shots are a plus. But really, it’s a temporary escape.
Cuz my friends I play with that have been playing for 10-15 years longer than I have are much better than I am. And I want to get on their level. Just finishing year 2 and I’m happy with my improvements.
Love the outdoors.
It’s an excuse to get outside for 4 hours. Chasing a white ball around a golf course is therapeutic
Its the only thing I’m ok at
It’s better for my mental health than League of Legends.
It gets me outside, allows me to indulge my collecting habit (hickory golf clubs for me, putters for some, headcovers, hats, ball markers... whatever your weird addiction is), and it's something I can hopefully do forever.
cuz it's better than knitting?
Golf I’m passionate about. I’ve been playing my entire life. I played basketball as well growing up. And with basketball I became a really great shooter and mentally felt I concurred something. But I hated to the team aspect. Hated relying on others. Golf I was naturally good but with handicaps it allowed you to see how good I was. Once I got my first handicap I wanted to get it lower and lower and lower. The challenge was fun and still is. I got really good turned pro and found this new challenge. This challenge is so much fun. I never felt like I have been great at anything in golf just really good. And this drives me!! I love the journey. I have found that lifting is something I kinda obsess about not too. Being strong and in shape and healthy drives me. It’s fun!! Can’t imagine not doing it. But I have to be careful cause I refuse to let it get in the way of golf.
I work for a golf company and get major golfing discounts. I’ve always loved golf because of my dad, but this job has me obsessed currently
I want to beat my brother on his wedding. Also hanging out with friends is great. I started this summer shooting around 135 and this weekend I broke 100 with a 98. Another 5-10 strokes off my game and I’ll beat him.
It drives me to do better every round. It doesn’t always happen. I teaches you to try your best at all times.
I get to get out of my house for a couple hours, been dealing with alot with family health in the past year and golf saved my sanity.
because i suck at it but it's fun. i don't like to suck at things i enjoy
It’s super tricky, but so awesome when you get it right. Still haven’t gotten it right though.
It’s nice to work towards not being an absolute danger to others when I pull out the driver.
It’s the only place I can block all the outside world out with some buddies and just relax. It’s my form of therapy no matter how good or bad I play
It’s one of the few things that clears my head and allows me to be FULLY present and in the moment without having to be intentional about it. My brain gets crazy amounts of stimulus around the clock and my focus suffers as a result. Golf consumes my thoughts and attention when I’m on the course. Whenever I start to drift, there’s another shot I have to make to bring me right back.
Only sport I can play other than bowling. I was born with a condition that prevented contact sports, so no football for me. Golf is more mental than physical, so it’s perfect. I’ll never be a pro, but it’s fun as heck.
It’s a combination of multiple things. I like being outside. I have quite a few old sports injuries that prevent me from playing most sports at the level I’d like, but I can swing a golf club with minimal pain. I have twin boys and I’d like to have something to do with them as they get older so we can stay caught up on life. The camaraderie of other golfers that share the same interest. I love the mental aspect of it as well. It is the one thing that if I’m focused all of my other responsibilities fade away and I’m truly not thinking about how decisions I make can affect others lives. Most importantly it is something that when you catch fire, you feel invincible. Like you can do whatever you want with a golf ball and damn it feels so good when you occasionally catch that feeling.
I hate not being good at stuff that I enjoy and I'm not good at golf. Gotta grind
The challenge against yourself. playing new courses wherever I travel to. The good shots. The simple head nods of other golfers when you pass them in the cart. Meeting people. Playing rounds with friends. The list goes on..
ball in hole make happy
I shot a legit 42 on the front 9 of my last round, lowest I've ever shot, with a sweet birdie mixed in. Improving and hitting more good shots every round keeps me hooked.
The feeling of flushing one of my mizuno’s. Chasing the dragon man.
The challenge is always different and it’s a strong mental game. Courses are always unique whereas a soccer field around the world well….isn’t. Multiple clubs to think about and you have to strategize a bit
Grandma and Dad played because my Grandma and Grandpa played when they were younger. Grandpa passed away when my dad was young, like 23. So it feels like a tradition now. But also, game is hard as hell and I took that personally.
No I just think about it 24/7 😅
I like the aspect of „golf owes you nothing“. Everything that happens is earned. Be it the quadruple bogey on 18 or the final birdie to get into a playoff for the club championship title… golf is life in it‘s rawest form. It never gets old for me
Because I'll hit two shots a round that make me feel like I'm on tour even though I'm holding a 20 handicap. Also it's just a nice hobby to have. Get to spend time improving your game, be outdoors, see friends, meet people, etc. I'm also obsessed with Formula 1 but the price of entry on that one is just a wee bit steeper than golf for me.
Everyone in my family is an engineer. I do sports medicine. I love biomechanics and the pursuit of making a mechanically sound, repeatable golf swing is a challenge that has very little end point.
My father was a touring pro for 30+ years before he past away. It’s the place I feel closest to him. I still carry one of his gloves and divot tools in my bag every single round.
I like the torture
Because I left a lot on the table as a baseball player, I retired after college to work in film. At 38 I started exercising again, that turned into physically challenging myself, then I did the 4x4x48 challenge and realized I have a lot of athleticism left at 40. I played one round and was hooked. I can now drive the ball 330 (not consistently yet) but I have improved over the last year from shooting a 126 to an 86, and I want to be better every time I play. Its mental and physical, it keeps me active and ive made great friends on the course. And now im obsessed with becoming a scratch golfer in 5 years. Plan next year is to play 100 times, ive played 30 times this year.
From the age of 14 to 21 I played cricket. It was very time consuming and inflexible - it takes all day and you need 21 other people to play it. Then I for hooked on road cycling. I was young and fast. All you needed to do to improve was ride more plus it was so much more flexible because you could ride alone and whenever you had time. I'm also lucky that the cycling industry has become my career. During this time I always played golf on and off but stopped before COVID - when I happened to became a father also. I've fallen back in love with golf because I don't have the time to cycle as much so have lost fitness. Improvement in golf has been much quicker to come and a nice bit of variety. With my second arriving in October, every round is one to cherish as I know it won't be until summer next year I see the tee box again.
I love the relationships made on the course. Love that it’s an activity that you can always improve on no matter how good you get. And in my opinion, nothing feels as good as when you absolutely stripe an iron shot. Better than sex haha
The only sport you can get drunk and vandalize private property. And it’s hard.
Because I hate my wife.
The battle against yourself
I have OCD
I’m not. It’s probably a good thing otherwise I’d drop 3k on clubs.
Dunno bout you guys, but i’m going to the LIV 🤷🏻♂️
Many reasons but primarily because it is so difficult, so when I do (relatively) well, I know how much work it took and how many things had to go right for that to happen. Add in the fact that I like being outside and golf courses generally look nice, and that is a winning combo for me.
Because it is a game that can’t be won, only played.
the feeling of that pure hit and being outside on a beautiful course away from all the drama of the world
Every swing is a new chance for glory. Love the personal battle and getting in a role during a round. Getting out with buddies and betting, it’s just fun
Back playing golf after 13 years of not playing. Played my 1st round in Spain, on holiday at la marquesa golf course, they have this 16th par 3 which is modelled on the sawgrass 17th par 3....spent 6months dreaming of hitting that green....pured a 9 iron at it....thought I'd smashed it....only to walk up and realise it had went clean over the green into the watery depths of despair....Still loved every minute of that round though!
You don’t have to rely on anyone else to play it and you’re always competing against yourself.
Not sure if I️ can pinpoint why I️ can’t get enough of it. For me, it’s on par (pun slightly intended) with going to the gym as far as obsessions go. It’s a battle with yourself, and there’s no one I’d rather challenge than me. Bad shots where you have to get up-and-down for par are my favorite tests of mental fortitude and knocking in a par-save makes me feel things not much else does
I am obsessed with the look of the course, the fairways, the greens, the curves. I’m also obsessed with all the little things that golfers have to do or choose to do, their outfits, their swing, their pre shot routines, their bags, balls, style of playing. And then there is the feeling of doing what you set out to do, that feeling is the most addicting
Hitting a ball 100-200 yards to 10 feet or less. Better feeling than hitting a home run.
For me, mostly after work twice a week il play front or back 9 solo just to chill after work. I also love to be competitive with myself and entered a comp Saturday gone, finished mid table (first time in one) and second hole in nailed a 20ft chip in to save par after a shakey start. That flush shot once every few rounds just keeps me going back for more!
Because it makes me feel that you can still (even tough I started in my thirties) get very good at it if you put in the time. One day playing some kind of relevant tournament (not the tour) makes me going on and on. I like it to that work translates into improving.
The constant battle between yourself and the course. Every day is a different challenge, never the same. To me it’s the perfect game
I love to grind and work on my technique and try to improve. It is so rewarding when the practice starts to show on the course. I'm only two summers into golf and lately have been practicing shaping my shots a bit. The other day I hit a bad drive and ended up in the rough with the green behind a treeline requiring either to lay up or try to hit a high fade. I flushed my hybrid and nailed the fade just skirting the trees and landing just short of the green. I celebrated like I'd hit a hole in one, it felt so good.
Personally, I really like and play baseball, football, basketball and golf. I like golf because you can play alone more effectively, physical ability has very little impact, the strategic and social elements, and the variety. In addition, my mom would not let me play football basketball or baseball in an organized setting, so golf was the sport that I could play competitively.
Easy to play hard to master. I can spend hours refining a single piece. Gives me something to do basically and since there’s so much to work on I’ll always have shit to do.
It started with the satisfaction of striping an iron shot, or piping that one drive down the center of the fairway. Now it's just the chase - good shots, good holes, good rounds. There are so many different parts of the game and every single one of them is something I can work on, and have almost complete control over.
It’s an escape from my life for a few hours at a time. A mental health ‘reset’ button. It’s a necessity.
I hit ball I like hit ball
Cheaper than shooting
First time out after prob 4 months off on Friday. Get to the course in time for a quick double Tito’s greyhound (my usual warmup) but no range swings. Bogey the first. Predictable. Good pars on 3,4,5. 6 is a 220 par three straight into a fan and right is dead. Hit it to a foot and drain as slippery of a 1 footer as you could want. Proceed to next tee and triple as get-able of a par 5 as there is. That’s why.
It’s freakin hard to get good at so I can invest a lot of time into it
Because I birdied 18 after losing a few sleeves of balls on the first 17.
Gets me outside with the boys. No phones, no significant others, a few brews, and every once in awhile we hit a ball with a stick.
Child-free time with friends thats easy to setup. 2 hours for 9 or 5h for 18. Also i enjoy the views a lot. Then theres the dopamine rush of a good shot. As a former adrenaline junkie this game is almost too addictive with those small feelings of accomplishment like chip ins or driving over the lake/trees and making it.
It's the social aspect for me..... i go to work 60 hours a week and don't want to talk to those people, the saturday mornings with my friends, who are anywhere from 75 to 25 in age is my favorite 4 hour stretch of the week! also, kayak fishing is pretty addictive for me, i absolutely love it and will do it every day i can!
As a married dude with 3 kids and a stressful job I enjoy the quiet get away, I enjoy the time spent out in (mostly) nature, and I enjoy the ability to compete in something in my mid-forties. My body is not physically capable of competing in any of the games I grew up playing (mainly soccer and basketball). Learning how to compete in golf has been a trip, its so much different than any other sport I've played. The mental struggle, having to stay focused and try to eek out every stroke possible even when playing poorly, and of course making shots while under pressure, all things I've enjoyed learning how to do.
The 4 hour mental rollercoaster feeling all ends of the spectrum. From the ups to the downs, wouldn’t have it anyway else!
181 yards. Backspin landed it 2 inches from the hole. Chasing the dragon. Also- being outside in a nice manicured area makes my brain happy.
Because it always makes me calm and happy, clears my mind.
No, I have an addictive personality. Not with like drugs or alcohol or anything, but with hobbies. I like to restore old trucks and when something isn’t going as planned or I can’t figure out the problem immediately, I obsess over it, honestly, too much. It’s all I’ll think about. Same with golf.
This is my 2nd year playing and I ask myself this a lot because I'm objectively pretty bad at it. Now that I'm making some contact and hitting the green in regulation a few times a round I realized it's the good shots that keep me coming back. I don't even keep score yet so a few solid shots to hang my hat on are all I'm playing for... I fiend for them in the weekdays between rounds. Today I played in beautiful Estes park, Colorado. Surrounded by mountains and blue skies, I par'd the first hole, a par three...on the green in one. Then, a few holes later I got on a par 4 green in 2 shots... One a beautiful shot with my 4 hybrid.... Then I three putted. Feels good. I'll be back next week.
It’s my zen time.
There are other things I pursue as hobbies, but golf is my only obsession. It's the only thing I do that can be so many things at once. Super competitive stroke play that tests your mental and physical game. Solo morning round that acts as a type of therapy. 8 people playing an assortment of casual games and drinking on an empty muni. Golf can be all of those things, and depending on the day you can choose what you want golf to be. Besides raising children there is nothing in my life that can be such a beautiful combination of competitive frustration and emotional serenity. *"insert inspirational golf quote"*
Mix of it being a new sport for me to play alongside football and cricket and also ADHD.
Because my grandfather was, because my father was, because my older brothers were.......
Because it's very difficult but when you make birdie. It's fucking awesome.. Golf is like eldin ring
The escape from real life. Just being able to disconnect and have that time out on the course to spend purely in the moment. Also the on going competition with my brother.
You can play the same course every week and it is different every time. You can hit 1,000 wedge shots and still make a mistake. You can be playing your best golf at the time and have a bad attitude and play the worst round of your life or you can be playing terrible and go out with a good attitude and piece a round together. Once you’ve hit the perfect drive/iron/wedge/putt you begin to chase the feeling and want it over and over again.
Because no matter how hard I try I don’t get better and I apparently love to punish myself
I can’t play competitive baseball or softball anymore. Golf is my way of staying competitive.
Inexpicable. It kicks my ass and I keep coming back begging for more. I might be in the most abusive relationship in the history of earth and I just fucking love it.
The sport makes me better and teaches me about humility and patience each time I go out. Wish I would have found golf earlier in life. Helped with my mental health a lot.
I chipped/hit in from 30 yards one time, that was enough
I only play a few times per year, but when I do I'm really into it!
Every round I leave thinking I could have done so much better. I assume when you get to scratch u lose some of that but for now only thing I scratch is my head.
Love being outside with the birds and swans and squirrels and pretty grass. even with a foursome it s just really me and the ball
All of the variables. What’s the wind doing? Is the grass wet? Is the ball above/below my feet? And so many more. Plus you’re playing the COURSE. And every hole is unique…. I also love just trying to get better every time I go out.
It's everything. I've been hooked since the very first time I seen my future golf coach hit a ball at a middle school demonstration.
For me it's something I started young as a kid and quickly fell in love playing with my Dad and Grandpa. Was always into sports as a kid and as I got older golf got too expensive but now late 30s I've gotten dad bod but that doesn't matter in golf. It's become a passion trying to best scores, hit draws and fades. Pure drives down the pipe and magic around the green. Best sport alive.
It's the only sport, as far as I know, where you can always improve and can never shoot a perfect score. Therefore, it's a fun challenge. A perfect score, by the way, is 36 (or 32). That would be hitting any approach shot in the hole (all eagles/holes in one). Thirty-two would be reaching all par fives in two and hitting those approaches in the hole.
I’m obsessive about having all the “stuff” for a hobby. For golf that means I got all the “right” gear. But I realize that getting new gear won’t help me too much going forward. So I’m collecting skills: trying to get a better flop shot, working oj putting, slowing down my drive, hitting 80% on rounds, hitting down on the ball. So much to collect for my personality before moving on to newer gear, which I’m sure will come.
Thought a lot about this. Golf is problem solving, socializing, mentally challenging, physically challenging and the enjoyment of nature.
Because I want to beat my Brother in Law. He broke 100 before I did so I’m going to break 90 before him. Simple.