How were you taught to golf?

[YourLocalJimmy]

Welcome all to my first topic posting. I would like to start off by saying I am loving reading about everyone's experiences and stories! I think it is so neat that there is a place for such different people to meet up and discuss something we all love and enjoy. I hope I can continue to learn more about everyone here and become a bigger part of this community!

Not everyone began their golf journey like Tiger and began playing when we was still in the womb. If I had to guess almost everybody in this community started off a little bit different than the next. I would like to hear your stories of how you were introduced to golf and what made you want to dive in to it. I will start with my story.

I started my golfing journey when I was a Sophomore at Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. I had no clue how to hold a golf club, much less swing it. I never played golf as a kid because my dad hated golf and was never one of the sports he "pushed" for me to play. Because of that, I had no clue how the proper way to grip a club was or what my swing needed to look like. I would just rear back and try to destroy the ball with every hit, I was about as successful as you would think. After a few months of despair and balancing on the line of giving up, I decided to educate myself through Youtube University and I became a typical I need to change this and that golfer. I went from losing 4 balls per hole to losing 4 balls per 18 holes, and yes this is how I rated my gameplay. Fast forward 4 years later and now I can actually hit about 3 pars per round! Not a very good achievement when compared to Bryson but it is quite an accomplishment for me! 

This year I plan on getting a coach/ trainer to help me improve my game and get some consistency in my shot and try to break 90!

Looking forward to hearing from Y'all!

[Shapotomous]

I started playing at a par 3 & an executive course back in the dark ages of the early 70's in Jr High.  I played lots of baseball so I had a self taught 10 finger grip and round house hook biased swing.  Went out for the golf team in 9th grade and got a job at the course picking up range balls the first week of practice.  I worked there the next 6 years and got lots of free lessons from the asst's and pro to get away from that grip and baseball swing, played a lot and hit tens of thousands of balls and improved to a scratch.  I played a good bit up to about 30 when marriage and a kid took its toll on free time.  Decades have passed and time is still an issue for various reasons but I get lots of short game practice in the backyard on a southwest greens putting area and now have a hitting net which scratches the itch to a certain degree.  Age & injuries had my game receding faster than my hairline but both seem to have reached a steady state the last couple years and I don't kid myself that either will be recovering.

[Tom the Golf Nut]

11 minutes ago, YourLocalJimmy said:

Looking forward to hearing from Y'all!

Hello fellow Tennessean,

Everyone has a story and mine is unique. I worked for a company that had a golf league back in the early 90's. If you were in the golf league you got to leave at lunch on Wednesday's to play golf and you still got paid for it. If you didn't play you had to stay and work and pick up additional work load from those that left to play golf. After 1 year of that " Naah this isn't working for me" I picked up a set of new clubs took a few group lessons and joined the golf league at the age of 30. It didn't matter how bad I was because I wasn't at work and was still getting paid. After a season or so I think I made my first par and then I was hooked. Fast forward two companies later..... Still an avid golfer playing a couple times a week and one of the top two golfers in my company. Now in a Sales role and am asked to represent our company in many local charity events, customer charity golf tournaments, and take customers out golfing. " Well if I have to I guess I will"   Someone has to do it right!

Also a member at a private course and, have complete practice facilities at the house. 100 yard hole, separate chipping area, simulator, outside hitting net. Improvement tools galore. My name says it all. 

Good to have you on board. There are a few other spies living in your area. You should reach out and play a round with them.  

 

[YourLocalJimmy]

16 minutes ago, Tom the Golf Nut said:

Hello fellow Tennessean,

Everyone has a story and mine is unique. I worked for a company that had a golf league back in the early 90's. If you were in the golf league you got to leave at lunch on Wednesday's to play golf and you still got paid for it. If you didn't play you had to stay and work and pick up additional work load from those that left to play golf. After 1 year of that " Naah this isn't working for me" I picked up a set of new clubs took a few group lessons and joined the golf league at the age of 30. It didn't matter how bad I was because I wasn't at work and was still getting paid. After a season or so I think I made my first par and then I was hooked. Fast forward two companies later..... Still an avid golfer playing a couple times a week and one of the top two golfers in my company. Now in a Sales role and am asked to represent our company in many local charity events, customer charity golf tournaments, and take customers out golfing. " Well if I have to I guess I will"   Someone has to do it right!

Also a member at a private course and, have complete practice facilities at the house. 100 yard hole, separate chipping area, simulator, outside hitting net. Improvement tools galore. My name says it all. 

Good to have you on board. There are a few other spies living in your area. You should reach out and play a round with them.  

 

Wow! That's crazy that they let you golf every Wednesday and still get paid for it, I wonder if some companies still have that today. 

Your backyard sounds like something out of a dream I keep having...

What would be the best way to find or contact spies around me? 

[YourLocalJimmy]

35 minutes ago, Shapotomous said:

I started playing at a par 3 & an executive course back in the dark ages of the early 70's in Jr High.  I played lots of baseball so I had a self taught 10 finger grip and round house hook biased swing.  Went out for the golf team in 9th grade and got a job at the course picking up range balls the first week of practice.  I worked there the next 6 years and got lots of free lessons from the asst's and pro to get away from that grip and baseball swing, played a lot and hit tens of thousands of balls and improved to a scratch.  I played a good bit up to about 30 when marriage and a kid took its toll on free time.  Decades have passed and time is still an issue for various reasons but I get lots of short game practice in the backyard on a southwest greens putting area and now have a hitting net which scratches the itch to a certain degree.  Age & injuries had my game receding faster than my hairline but both seem to have reached a steady state the last couple years and I don't kid myself that either will be recovering.

That baseball grip had it's turn on me as well when I first started out, hard to shake off! If you had to guess a duration, how long do you think it took you to go from scoring 100 to 80?

[Shapotomous]

11 minutes ago, YourLocalJimmy said:

That baseball grip had it's turn on me as well when I first started out, hard to shake off! If you had to guess a duration, how long do you think it took you to go from scoring 100 to 80?

I was sometimes shooting in the low 80's by 11th grade.  I'd still have blow up rounds but they were less and less frequent through HS and by senior year scores were mostly in the high 70's and 85 was a bad day.  First year of college I got stronger through a lifting program associated with the baseball team and as a byproduct it helped my golf scores a lot.  Through college and after I was low to mid 70's consistently depending on how often & how smart I played and a bad day turned into a score of 80 rather than 85.

[cnosil]

My grandmother and great aunt got me started when I was about 10. They got into golf and when they visited I wanted to play as well. Took some lessons and quit playing after high school. Post college I started playing with my father in law. In 2000 a friend asked me to join their group and while the group has dwindled from about 30 to 3 I have been playing with the same group every week since then.

[YourLocalJimmy]

8 minutes ago, Shapotomous said:

I was sometimes shooting in the low 80's by 11th grade.  I'd still have blow up rounds but they were less and less frequent through HS and by senior year scores were mostly in the high 70's and 85 was a bad day.  First year of college I got stronger through a lifting program associated with the baseball team and as a byproduct it helped my golf scores a lot.  Through college and after I was low to mid 70's consistently depending on how often & how smart I played and a bad day turned into a score of 80 rather than 85.

Wow thats awesome! I wish I got into golf younger so I could've been playing like that right now!

[Tom the Golf Nut]

1 hour ago, YourLocalJimmy said:

What would be the best way to find or contact spies around me? 

We used to have a member map that you could look for people on on this site but on the latest revision it was taken off. I asked about it a few weeks back and they stated that they are working on it. For now click on the members at the top of the page and when you get the topics come up. There is one called "Arrange a game with fellow spies" Just start a post there and see who replies.  Another option is to scroll through the welcome new spies area that covers our state and look for TN and then look at the area they say they live. You can send them a direct message by using the mail envelope next to your name at the top right corner. 

[YourLocalJimmy]

4 minutes ago, Tom the Golf Nut said:

We used to have a member map that you could look for people on on this site but on the latest revision it was taken off. I asked about it a few weeks back and they stated that they are working on it. For now click on the members at the top of the page and when you get the topics come up. There is one called "Arrange a game with fellow spies" Just start a post there and see who replies.  Another option is to scroll through the welcome new spies area that covers our state and look for TN and then look at the area they say they live. You can send them a direct message by using the mail envelope next to your name at the top right corner. 

Perfect, I'll go take a look at that!

[Shapotomous]

1 hour ago, YourLocalJimmy said:

Wow thats awesome! I wish I got into golf younger so I could've been playing like that right now!

Working at that club was heaven for a golf nut kid.  I was there 10 - 12 hours a day because if i wasn't working i was hitting balls or playing for free.  With good instruction and hitting that many balls without getting hurt or tired since i was young i was able to improve.  Coming from baseball where the ball you are trying to hit is moving pretty fast, having a stationary ball was a nice change but you then had to chase & find your foul balls!   

[Middler]

My Dad bought me a junior set (D,3W,3i,5i,7i,9i,putter) at 10 years old, and taught me 97% of what I know. Mom, Dad, sis and I played 9 holes on Wednesday late afternoons every week - lived in TX at the time so we played year round for the most part. I think I got a 4 on a (short) par 3 my first time out, and beat my (5 yr) older sister - I've been hooked ever on golf since. Good times, good memories - 56 years ago...

My Dad was a scratch player for most of his life, the closest I've ever come is a 6 handicap in high school - I'm a 12-14 HI nowadays. So I guess Dad was a better player than teacher.

[THEZIPR23]

I played my first round of golf with some buddies in the 8th grade. Hit the first tee shot down the middle (probably 100 yards) get to my ball and start to tee it up again and my buddy asks what I was doing. HAHA. Probably played 3 more rounds over the next 6 years. Started playing more my senior year of high school. But not seriously until I quit baseball. One day in the middle of July, about 107 outside I was standing on the baseball diamond at JC and I was done. Played baseball my whole life and I was just over it (yes I still play with a 10 finger grip). Walked off the field that day and haven't played baseball since. But I started playing golf, and a lot of golf about 30 days later at my home course I was playing and the group I played with asked if I was going to play for the JC. I laughed and said I ain't that good. They convinced me that I was so I went to the coach and it has been 25 years of frustration since and I love every minute of it. 

[DiscipleofPenick]

I remember taking trips to the golf course with my grandpa in the early 90s but I wouldn't call that a start. Probably best is that when I was 10-12 my parents sent me to junior golf clinics during the summer and I would occasionally play 9 holes with my dad, who also gave me most of my lessons. When I was 16 he asked the pro at the local course to give me lessons, but he only gave me three. The first two were amazing short game technique, as it really improved my putting and taught me a 7i chipping style I still use 20 years later.

My grandpa died when I was 6, well before I was geared up for golf. However, his two younger brothers, my great-uncles, also helped teach me the game. One is still going, he's almost 80, but I still look forward to playing with him a few times a year.

Take Dead Aim

[LeftyHawk]

I got hooked around 7 or so watching golf on TV. My folks knew nothing about golf or sports in general, so all I did was watch it on tv thru the late 60's, 70's. Around 1981 I found a used, ill fitted set of left handed Ram clubs. As I was in college I spent most of my spare money buying the clubs from a local pro shop at at course. As I was buying them I asked the pro if he had a job opening. Well, He gave me a job changing sprinkler heads thru the night. That got me unlimited play on the course during non busy times. Pretty much self taught from there. Back then we didn't have computers and you Tube and such. Trial and error is all I had. Golf balls were free though, shagged them at night while changing sprinkler heads!

Chris

[tchat07]

Growing up we used to hit golf balls into the farmers field from my neighbors backyard. In high school I played occasionally at our local cow pasture golf course. In college I played a few times for fun as well as going to the local driving range. Left a driver head somewhere out on the range haha. After college I decided I didnt want to pass up the opportunity to play with my grandfather so challenged him to a "match" and he beat the socks off me haha. We made it a yearly thing and it took me 4 years to finally beat him. Ever since that first match I have been hooked and now anyone who knows me knows I'm the "golf" guy.

Sent from my SM-G950U using MyGolfSpy mobile app

[ZenGolfer]

20 hours ago, YourLocalJimmy said:

Welcome all to my first topic posting. I would like to start off by saying I am loving reading about everyone's experiences and stories! I think it is so neat that there is a place for such different people to meet up and discuss something we all love and enjoy. I hope I can continue to learn more about everyone here and become a bigger part of this community!

Not everyone began their golf journey like Tiger and began playing when we was still in the womb. If I had to guess almost everybody in this community started off a little bit different than the next. I would like to hear your stories of how you were introduced to golf and what made you want to dive in to it. I will start with my story.

I started my golfing journey when I was a Sophomore at Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. I had no clue how to hold a golf club, much less swing it. I never played golf as a kid because my dad hated golf and was never one of the sports he "pushed" for me to play. Because of that, I had no clue how the proper way to grip a club was or what my swing needed to look like. I would just rear back and try to destroy the ball with every hit, I was about as successful as you would think. After a few months of despair and balancing on the line of giving up, I decided to educate myself through Youtube University and I became a typical I need to change this and that golfer. I went from losing 4 balls per hole to losing 4 balls per 18 holes, and yes this is how I rated my gameplay. Fast forward 4 years later and now I can actually hit about 3 pars per round! Not a very good achievement when compared to Bryson but it is quite an accomplishment for me! 

This year I plan on getting a coach/ trainer to help me improve my game and get some consistency in my shot and try to break 90!

Looking forward to hearing from Y'all!

Im self-taught.  When I was 19 years old, I saw golf on TV, thought it looked like fun and I borrowed my neibor's set of Hogans and headed to the nearest par 3 course.  Fast forward 21 years later and Im still playing, still enjoying the game and Im a pretty decent golfer.  By no means am I a great player but I am better than 90% of the randoms that I get grouped with at the local muni.

[Knucklehead]

I started playing occasionally with my did in my early 20’s. My older brother started playing in Denver about the same time. He came to visit, a rivalry quickly occurred and we are still battling for a family trophy to this day(35 years later). 
 

I learned by taking lessons, practice and a lot of playing.
 

I currently have the trophy

Edited April 1, 2021 by Knucklehead

[golfish!]

Hit the range a few times as a kid but nothing serious. Once I moved to DFW, I had a little extra time so I asked my dad for his old clubs so that I could learn. He bought me my first pair of golf shoes and off we went to the course. Having never learned how to properly hold a club let alone hit, you can guess how that day went. Well, I proceeded to spend the next 2 years self teaching through books and youtube on the range. Never hit the course in those 2 years. Became a range rat until I moved to LA where I met some golf minded people and started playing par 3 courses and executive courses as I developed my game. Still have never taken lessons and continue to work on my own game and have worked my way down to mid teens handicap. Goal is to break 80 this year and beat my dad! Started teaching the 4 year old for fun and because I hear stories about people who started playing young and are playing to single handicaps. Maybe she will play on tour someday!

[JeremyD]

We had a junior rec program every Monday during the summer. It was either golf or soccer, and I knew soccer wasn't going to be in my future, so $2 to play, $1 rental, $2 for 2 hot dogs and a soda. Played every Monday for 3 months, then my dad tried to play with me the following year. I spent my entire summers either golfing or playing basketball for the next 9 years. No lessons until I went to a school that had a Professional Golf Management program. I've had maybe 10 lessons in my life, and should probably take some more pretty soon, since I want to be a little more competitive.

[Shapotomous]

On 4/2/2021 at 6:52 PM, golfish! said:

..... Started teaching the 4 year old for fun and because I hear stories about people who started playing young and are playing to single handicaps. Maybe she will play on tour someday!

My dream was to have the kid love the game, get real good, get a scholarship to a warm weather school and I'd caddie for her on tour.  I even made a pact that I wouldn't be an overbearing parent!!  She played a few times and had a good swing....but It didn't exactly work the way I hoped....although she did play on the HS team probably because she took pity on me.

dance rehearsals and performances won out and nobody is ever gonna ask me to coach dance!  The best I could do was man the curtain and stage props for about 10 years.  If anybody needs a lesson on putting down a marley floor I am your man!!