A few weeks ago, I was able to get out and do something I had not done for quite a while, play a round of golf. It seems like every year with college, I end up falling off the game due to the weather and schoolwork. In the summer after though, I always make an effort to recommit. This has been because of family and friends who are fellow players who encourage me, and also because there’s something about golf that makes it such a rewarding experience. While golf does have a learning curve and some investment to get into, there are some lessons and memories I have from golfing that have made a lasting impact, and make it something I recommend for anyone who’s interested in starting out with it.
I remember when I first started out at golf, I was not very good at it and didn’t know much about it. I had signed up in middle school with a couple of friends, as we thought it would be a good spring sport to be part of together. I knew my grandpa played regularly but it was not something I’d been involved in as much before. Through our coaches, my friends and I learned the ins and outs of the game, and tried as best we could to implement them in our play. Continuing to be on the school team into high school, I can safely say I was never a regular varsity player. Looking back, I’m OK with that because the lessons I have taken from golf have been much more beneficial than the feeling of playing really well would have been.
One part of golf that has been rewarding for me since the beginning is the different approaches you need to take for various shots, even on the same hole during a round. Each shot is different, and requires consideration and careful thinking. On your tee shot, it makes sense to use your driver and try to hit the ball as far as possible. But on every other shot, you often need to think about getting the hit just right. Not hitting the ball far enough is a problem of course, but if you hit it too far you might go over the hole, or put yourself in a bad position for the next shot. This is a great life lesson because this discerning type of thinking works wonders in any situation in life. Sometimes you are in a situation where full effort is appropriate, like driving, but sometimes you need the mindset of making a precise chip shot or putt to handle a delicate situation.
Another aspect of golf I enjoy is the people and the social aspect. Most sports you are running around or waiting in constant anticipation for the next big action to happen. However, golf is a sport you can run at your own pace, and adapt to the style of whoever you are playing with. You can play really casual and catch up with someone while the golf shots fade into the background somewhat, or you can have a really intense competition of who is making the best shots and playing well overall. Usually the games I play fall somewhere in the middle. But golf has this great flexibility to it that you can make it whatever you want, and each game is different depending on who you’re playing with and what is on everyone’s minds that day.
Overall, golf is so special to me because it is more than just a sport. It’s full of life lessons and connections to people I’ve been close with my whole life. When I went golfing most recently, I went with my grandpa, and our golf games throughout the years have become more and more fulfilling as we continue our tradition of playing together. I hopefully have made things more interesting throughout the years by improving my scores as well. There is that special feeling playing golf that it’s more than a game, out on the course with my grandpa, my friends or colleagues from work. That’s why I will continue to enjoy golf, and I hope to share that enjoyment with people I know moving forward.
Connor Kockler is a 2022 graduate of St. John’s University. He enjoys writing, politics and news, among other interests.
