Golf saved my life.......

Bushwacker Mike · July 28

I only played golf here and there a few times growing up. Probably no more than 20 rounds by the time I turned 30 and then never played again. 10 years of back problems and two surgeries and I could barely walk at the age of 45. Gained 60 pounds during that time. I spent years with my muscles just deteriorating due to lack of movement. It was hard to take because until 30 years old I had spent my life participating in lots of athletic activities. Heck, before my back injury I had started competing in mini-trialthlons. During one of the surgeries the surgeon made a mistake and it really messed me up. Physical therapy just wasn't helping and other medical treatments had stopped working to keep the pain away. I told the doctor I was going to start playing golf and he told me I would wreck what little bit of movement I had left in my back and advised me not to do it. I kept telling him that I needed something harsher than physical therapy to break loose the stiffness in my back and I figured I had nothing to lose by trying.

I went and bought a set of clubs and could barely carry them to the cart at the local city course. I made it through 3 painful holes before I was on my hands and knees in the middle of the fairway crying from the pain from swinging the clubs. I went back every few days and could make it through 5 holes by the end of 2 weeks. After each attempt, it would be hard to stand upright for the next 48 hours. I kept at it for months before I could play a full 9 holes. The staff at the course became concerned a few times when I had to ask them to help me to my vehicle. It was excruciating. But I kept golfing.

Little by little, I felt muscles and tendons in my back that had long been seized up start to break loose. I slowly felt my back muscles start to support my weight again. There were times when something would pull or tear in my back that would put me down for a couple of weeks but I would get back up and head back to the course as soon as I could. After about a year I could tell that my life was physically changing for the first time in a long time. I had been ready to give up and accept a life of being disabled and unable to do a lot of things in life and with my family.

It is a little over 2 years later now and I live a normal life with only a small amount of daily back pain. I moved to a neighborhood with a golf course so that I can jump out there in the evenings and play at least 9 holes about 3 or 4 times a week. I have lost 50 lbs recently and have improved my personal and work life tremendously. I traded one handicap for another :). Golf saved my life.

P.S.

I have become a bit of a gear head and swap shafts and clubs way too often and event re-tip my own clubs and bend my lofts and lies. Also, the club I joined lets us drive our own carts from our house on the course. I've geared it out with an air conditioner, train horn, built in tablet, speaker system, etc..... I catch a lot of flack from my friends for being a little too obsessed with golf equipment these days....but that's ok with me. I have been following mygolfspy articles for a couple of years now and make a lot of my ball and club choices based on them.

Michael Smith, recently moved to Birmingham, AL from Sarasota, FL

I make Bushwacker Cocunut Rum Cream when I'm not golfing

Ping G430 Max 10K Driver, 3 wood, 5 wood

Ping icrossover 2 iron

TM Stealth 5-pw

Cleveland RTX 48, 52, 58(bent down to 56)

Scotty Cameron Newport 2

Edited July 28 by Bushwacker Mike

ArizonaClam · August 1

Wow! What a story. You hear a lot about golf ruining lives but rarely saving. So cool that it has helped you so much physically and I can only imagine just as much if not more mentally. I love it!

Tom the Golf Nut · August 1

@Bushwacker Mike great to hear your success. I too have gone through my fair share and golf is what keeps me moving.

I broke my back skiing close to 40 years ago and they wanted to fuse my spine in the L2, L3 area. I opted out since the technology back then was less than reassuring. A few months of physical therapy didn’t help much. I would lock up like a tree trunk over the winter. I decided I needed a lot more motion and stronger back muscles, so I took up golf at age 30. At 45 we moved south. This allows me to play year round and my back has been just fine. I did have an accident and wound up losing my spleen and they found a tumor on my right kidney at that time. The “c” word was scary but they said on the kidney was the best. They cut it out and no treatments were needed. Within two weeks I lost my spleen, then 1/2 a kidney. That was 5 years ago. I play 18 at least twice a week and I walk the course. I think I turn better without an organ and 1/2 getting in the way.

They said I would be back in less than 2 years for a spinal fusion. I proved them wrong. Golf is great therapy.
Keep it up Mike.

TJ Hall · August 1

Awesome story, glad it worked out for you and you are able to play the game!

And, welcome to the forum!

Coulter · August 1

Great story! Welcome to the forum and thank you for the great read.

Rob Person · August 2

First, thank you for sharing!

Inspiration is harder and harder to come by these days, and you sir, are inspiring!

I hope your journey in life, and golf, continue to develop in a positive direction!

Josh Parker · August 2

Great story @Bushwacker Mike! Thanks for sharing and welcome to the forum. It's a great place here.

William P · August 2

On 7/28/2024 at 5:46 PM, Bushwacker Mike said:

I only played golf here and there a few times growing up. Probably no more than 20 rounds by the time I turned 30 and then never played again. 10 years of back problems and two surgeries and I could barely walk at the age of 45. Gained 60 pounds during that time. I spent years with my muscles just deteriorating due to lack of movement. It was hard to take because until 30 years old I had spent my life participating in lots of athletic activities. Heck, before my back injury I had started competing in mini-trialthlons. During one of the surgeries the surgeon made a mistake and it really messed me up. Physical therapy just wasn't helping and other medical treatments had stopped working to keep the pain away. I told the doctor I was going to start playing golf and he told me I would wreck what little bit of movement I had left in my back and advised me not to do it. I kept telling him that I needed something harsher than physical therapy to break loose the stiffness in my back and I figured I had nothing to lose by trying.

I went and bought a set of clubs and could barely carry them to the cart at the local city course. I made it through 3 painful holes before I was on my hands and knees in the middle of the fairway crying from the pain from swinging the clubs. I went back every few days and could make it through 5 holes by the end of 2 weeks. After each attempt, it would be hard to stand upright for the next 48 hours. I kept at it for months before I could play a full 9 holes. The staff at the course became concerned a few times when I had to ask them to help me to my vehicle. It was excruciating. But I kept golfing.

Little by little, I felt muscles and tendons in my back that had long been seized up start to break loose. I slowly felt my back muscles start to support my weight again. There were times when something would pull or tear in my back that would put me down for a couple of weeks but I would get back up and head back to the course as soon as I could. After about a year I could tell that my life was physically changing for the first time in a long time. I had been ready to give up and accept a life of being disabled and unable to do a lot of things in life and with my family.

It is a little over 2 years later now and I live a normal life with only a small amount of daily back pain. I moved to a neighborhood with a golf course so that I can jump out there in the evenings and play at least 9 holes about 3 or 4 times a week. I have lost 50 lbs recently and have improved my personal and work life tremendously. I traded one handicap for another :). Golf saved my life.

P.S.

I have become a bit of a gear head and swap shafts and clubs way too often and event re-tip my own clubs and bend my lofts and lies. Also, the club I joined lets us drive our own carts from our house on the course. I've geared it out with an air conditioner, train horn, built in tablet, speaker system, etc..... I catch a lot of flack from my friends for being a little too obsessed with golf equipment these days....but that's ok with me. I have been following mygolfspy articles for a couple of years now and make a lot of my ball and club choices based on them.

Michael Smith, recently moved to Birmingham, AL from Sarasota, FL

I make Bushwacker Cocunut Rum Cream when I'm not golfing

Ping G430 Max 10K Driver, 3 wood, 5 wood

Ping icrossover 2 iron

TM Stealth 5-pw

Cleveland RTX 48, 52, 58(bent down to 56)

Scotty Cameron Newport 2

Great lesson in perseverance! Glad to hear how the game has changed your life for the better!

Erin B · August 2

On 7/28/2024 at 4:46 PM, Bushwacker Mike said:

I only played golf here and there a few times growing up. Probably no more than 20 rounds by the time I turned 30 and then never played again. 10 years of back problems and two surgeries and I could barely walk at the age of 45. Gained 60 pounds during that time. I spent years with my muscles just deteriorating due to lack of movement. It was hard to take because until 30 years old I had spent my life participating in lots of athletic activities. Heck, before my back injury I had started competing in mini-trialthlons. During one of the surgeries the surgeon made a mistake and it really messed me up. Physical therapy just wasn't helping and other medical treatments had stopped working to keep the pain away. I told the doctor I was going to start playing golf and he told me I would wreck what little bit of movement I had left in my back and advised me not to do it. I kept telling him that I needed something harsher than physical therapy to break loose the stiffness in my back and I figured I had nothing to lose by trying.

I went and bought a set of clubs and could barely carry them to the cart at the local city course. I made it through 3 painful holes before I was on my hands and knees in the middle of the fairway crying from the pain from swinging the clubs. I went back every few days and could make it through 5 holes by the end of 2 weeks. After each attempt, it would be hard to stand upright for the next 48 hours. I kept at it for months before I could play a full 9 holes. The staff at the course became concerned a few times when I had to ask them to help me to my vehicle. It was excruciating. But I kept golfing.

Little by little, I felt muscles and tendons in my back that had long been seized up start to break loose. I slowly felt my back muscles start to support my weight again. There were times when something would pull or tear in my back that would put me down for a couple of weeks but I would get back up and head back to the course as soon as I could. After about a year I could tell that my life was physically changing for the first time in a long time. I had been ready to give up and accept a life of being disabled and unable to do a lot of things in life and with my family.

It is a little over 2 years later now and I live a normal life with only a small amount of daily back pain. I moved to a neighborhood with a golf course so that I can jump out there in the evenings and play at least 9 holes about 3 or 4 times a week. I have lost 50 lbs recently and have improved my personal and work life tremendously. I traded one handicap for another :). Golf saved my life.

P.S.

I have become a bit of a gear head and swap shafts and clubs way too often and event re-tip my own clubs and bend my lofts and lies. Also, the club I joined lets us drive our own carts from our house on the course. I've geared it out with an air conditioner, train horn, built in tablet, speaker system, etc..... I catch a lot of flack from my friends for being a little too obsessed with golf equipment these days....but that's ok with me. I have been following mygolfspy articles for a couple of years now and make a lot of my ball and club choices based on them.

Michael Smith, recently moved to Birmingham, AL from Sarasota, FL

I make Bushwacker Cocunut Rum Cream when I'm not golfing

Ping G430 Max 10K Driver, 3 wood, 5 wood

Ping icrossover 2 iron

TM Stealth 5-pw

Cleveland RTX 48, 52, 58(bent down to 56)

Scotty Cameron Newport 2

Nice read brother!!! So happy for ya too! I’m a gearhead too, so many shafts and I love working on my own stuff. My back dr encouraged me to play golf. He said it would be good for my recovery. Your comment was inspiring!