In talking to other golfers it's interesting just how some people got into it. The stories range from 'started playing with father' to 'just took it up one day out of boredom'. What are your stories?

I started playing with my Dad my 14th summer. My parents had gotten divorced several years before and my Dad moved into a house beside course and started playing (he hadn't played more than very casually before that). He got good quickly and when he lost his job the course hired him as apprenice pro. That first summer when I was 14 was his 5th year as a pro (he was head pro by that time). I spent the summers with him for hte next 5 years, playing golf almost every day either with him or by myself when he was teaching or doing the head pro thing.

I basically stopped playing when I turned 19 because of callege, girlfriends, fraternity and jobs and didn't play more than 1-2 times a year for about 10-12 years. I took the game up again heavy aout 6-7 years ago and am now a true fanatic again. I haven't played with my Dad for about 20 years (though we still occcasionally talk golf on the phone), but we might actually play again this spring (he lives about 200 miles away now). I still look back at those summers and realize those were some of the best times of my life and difinitely the best times between my Dad and I.

pika,
couldn't agree with you more. i started playing when i was 9-10 down in SD. my dad played, my mom, and my brother. we would drive out to palm springs, play in 100 degree dry weather, and sit by the pool. when the sun went down, our villa at dessert springs marriot was right next to a dogleg par 4, and we would sneak out and play that hole 6-7 times before it got too dark. we would also find a bunch of golf balls too, which we dropped titleist golf balls for ones we thought were better, such as ram or pinnacle, top flite, and we laugh about that still now. i still have the persimmon driver that he started golf with that we bought together at big 5 back in the 80's.

just like any other teen, i stopped playing for 8 years. took it up again my senior year in high school to play for the team. me and my dad still play. and it took me 18 years to finally beat him straight up. at my dad's peak, about 5-6 years ago, my pops was a par handicap. he is the tortoise, i am the hare. at age 18-present, i could put the ball to the 300 yard marker. unfortunately, that 300 yard marker was placed on the adjacent fairway to the right. although i was striving for that day for 18 years, i never felt so sad. it gave me the true reality that my dad was getting old, and that his clock was whinding down.

its odd. i thought it would be a happy day. and i practiced for so many years thinking that he and i would be happy finally seeing that day. all it did was make me realize the harsh reality of time. sorry for the sob story, but to relate to your story pika, my best memories, the ones that i keep with me that make me feel better are those days and nights i spent with my pops hitting golf balls into the night.

I started playing golf about 10 years ago, mostly due to my younger brother. He was on the highschool golf team, and, since I lived right by the course they practiced at, I'd go "play 9" with him those days. Seems like it took me about a year to get the dang ball to fly through the air and not a worm burner over the ground. LOL Around that time, I started working at a golf course, and over time, my love of the game grew. I quit playing for about a 3-4 year span when I was out of the golf course buisness, but picked it up again last year when the bug bit me. Hopefully this spring I'll take some lessons, since teaching myself has gone about as far as it can. heh My brother still beats the tar off me when we play, but lucky for me, the other guys we play with are usually worse than me.
All in all, I play to relax. It's very soothing to me to play 18 holes, regardless of the score I shoot. The game used to get me mad until I realized that hey, it is just a game, and really started to enjoy it. I'm still looking for that elusive round to break into the 80s, and birdies are few and far between, but none the less, I keep getting out there. Matter of fact, I'm waiting on my bro to pick me up so we can go play 18 with my brother in law. See yall out there.

I took up golf about 2 tears ago after moving to AZ. I live backed up to a course and my neighbor took me out one afternoon. I've been hooked since. It's challenging, relaxing and I thoroughly enjoy it. Even if I don't play well there's just something about it that keeps me coming back.

I started playing in March of '08 just to spend time outdoors with a bunch of guys I knew who already played a bit.

Been working tirelessly to get my scores down, hitting the range a lot with specific goals in mind. I've gone from double par to actually keeping real stroke scores regardless of how high they are. Got my first set of clubs beyond my starter "value" set a few months ago and am loving the sport. The wife got me an opportunity to go to Golftec and have my swing analyzed with the mocap devices as well as two lessons. The horrible part of that is I am in the middle of a large swing overhaul to improve upon rotation and using less arms/shoulders. So I plan to wait a few weeks, get my new full swing down better and then get analyzed.

I had a couple of friends who played on the team in high school and dragged me to the driving range the summer before my sophomore year. After a couple times at the range I borrowed some clubs and went to the course for the first time. I birdied the 2nd hole I ever played and was hooked (170ish yard par three and I hit a 3 wood that rolled 3/4 of the way there to 10'). I started playing for the team in high school that season and averaged a 52 (9 hole matches of course).

Like a lot of others I more or less gave up the game for a while. After high school there were other things going on and golf was expensive so it wasn't high on my list. I still played every now and then, maybe once a year on average but a couple years ago I changed jobs and a lot of the people I worked with played so I got back into it. Now I'm back to really working on my game and I have a club in my hand at least once a week either at the range or on the course.

Great Topic!

I was 12 or so and the family had a huge reunion. There were about 50 of us total and it was at a state park. the men didn't have anything to do so we went to the course at the park. i'm sure everyone there hated us. it was even my dad's first time too. about 20 of us invaded the course and i'd say for 15 of us it was our first time. my dad and i got hooked and started playing together since then.
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Kickntrue-
Duffing since 1993

My brother in-law took me to a small par 3-4 course at his timeshare in San Diego an I remember there was this Par 3, 105 yds, downhill shot. I was so nervous because it was an Island type of shot. So I walked up, took aim, gripped it and ripped it...so to speak LOL. Hit it 2 ft from the hole. tap in birdie. Hooked for life!

Had a not-so-favorite uncle who was a very good amateur player back in the 60s and 70s. He kept an old set of clubs in the basement; I used to sneak down on visits and practice putting into one of glasses from his bar (never damaged one). He would get mad when he found out and I'd get in trouble. That was half the fun, in a way. Didn't really start golfing until twenty years later, but the seed had been planted. And putting is still my best skill.

Well my name is Tony and i am a Landscape Architect in Phoenix, Arizona. I have been for almost ten years now.

I started playing about June of 2008. Since I got on the courses i have been hooked. I started golfing because in my profession we can use golfing as a marketing tool for a hard 'Day at the office". Since I never played I missed out on many outings, get togethers, and clients. now I golf and I figured out that I have a natural ability to play the game. I love to play and am now always looking for new golfing buddies.

So anyone here in the Valley need a buddy send me a message!!

My name is Mike. I was down in FL 5 years ago and my best friend who was really into golf persuaded me to play. I initially had said, "I won't play till my legs go." Referring to my continued softball play. Well,after some enjoyable rounds of golf I got bit hard by the golf bug. Since that time, I have joined some leagues, gone to indoor winter facilities and play at a course near my home in CT that is open year round. I quit softball and yes I play every month of the year. This year the snow has been more prolific so my record has been broken. I am off to FL on Friday so I will get to golf in January with my buddy. Great game that I have found to more challenging than all others. It requires constant fine tuning and does not rely on strength or speed as much as others. I mean you can't play defense if you are not hitting.

My name is Ira I started playing in TX. in a small town were there was nothing to do after work so a friend of mine talked me into playing the little 9 hole course that was just outside of town. I liked the way we played. We would go out there and walk around the course first and pick up all the balls that pepole would hit off the course and then we would load up the little red wagon with two brown paper bags full of balls and a ice chest full of beer. Then hit the first tee and we would hit balls until one went stright and we would take that one not keeping count. It was so much fun not haveing to count every stroke and drinking beer. That was it I was hooked. Then I move to AZ But now they want me to count every stroke how I long for the good old days HA!!

The first time I ever golfed was in a local bar tournment back in '05, a bunch us decided to try it out. We had a blast that day on the course(although we all sucked it up pretty badly).

Shortly after that I purchased a set of clubs and was determine to become great at the game, it was n't until last year when I started getting obsessed about the game, proably because i was getting out more often. I started going out at least once a week, then that became twice and so on, the more i went, the more I couldn't wait to get back out there.

I've improved alot since the first time, but still working on my game.