Journey along with our resident humorist Nancy as she embarks on unusual adventures from A to Z. With the alphabet as her guide to new experiences, Nancy rates her excursions as a “Fourn-Yay” or “Fourn-Nay.”
Letter “G”: Golf, Getting Outdoors and Going for the Green
It was a gorgeous May afternoon in Costa Mesa, Calif., and I was golfing with my boyfriend. He was pretty good and wanted me to take up the sport, so I was using hand-me-down clubs my hairdresser wanted to purge from her storage unit.
We approached the 8th hole, a par 3 over water. I dug in my bag for the ugliest ball I could find, teed it up, swung and cheered when it went over the water. Then it rolled…and rolled…hit the flag and PLOP! Into the cup. A hole-in-one!
My boyfriend went crazy and said, “you’ve got to call your dad!”
When we got home, I called my dad, and he was…well…mad! “I’ve been golfing for 50 years, and you’ve been golfing for a few weeks. YOU got a hole-in-one??!!” So, I did exactly what he trained me to do. I rubbed it in. I made a video for his birthday called “Ten Easy Steps to Hit a Hole-In-One”.
Soon, I learned that many people I worked with (mostly men) were jealous of my accomplishment. In order to continue to brag, I realized I needed to actually learn how to play golf. I recruited some friends, and we started playing in a women’s league after work, and then on regulation courses on the weekends. We took group lessons and signed up for tournaments.
My company was very golf-focused at the time and I saw the advantages of being among the few women who played. In a meeting with Human Resources, I inquired about getting an MBA and was told, “It won’t help you get promoted and if you want an MBA, you should probably quit work and go to school full-time.” Or…I decided…I could just spend my time and money working on my golf game.
By and large, playing with my co-workers was a blast. However, there’s no shortage of demeaning terms in golf. When a putt was left short, I often heard, “Hit the ball, Alice/Mary/Nancy.” If a drive from the men’s tee didn’t pass the women’s tees, some of the players declared, “You need to play the rest of the hole with your (thing) out.” And my worst-ever scenario was when my boss booked a tee time prior to the designated hour women were allowed to play at his country club. I was about to tee off when I was told to pick up my ball and go sit down. He said, “See that 13-year-old kid over there? He can tee off before you because he has the right thing between his legs.”
So, it’s not surprising so many women are intimidated to play golf. But I’m here to say, there are numerous ways to enjoy the game and here are some suggestions:
In my mind, two of golf’s biggest challenges are time and cost. Deals can be found for twilight golf and discount websites. As for time, I contend that every golf course should be a collection of three 6-hole courses. Got a couple of hours? Play 6. Want more? Play 12. Ready for the full experience? Do all 18 holes.
Until my brilliant idea is adopted, there are still plenty of ways to make the most of a golf outing. But my biggest piece of advice: Don’t be intimidated. Here’s the dirty little secret of golf: Everyone hits bad shots and most people are Just. Not. That. Good.
Relax, find your people and your place, and enjoy the fresh outdoors!
Fourn-yay – Whether it’s a trip to Pebble Beach or the local Top Golf, there are many ways to enjoy golf. Find your level of comfort and swing away!
Fourn-nay – You can spend oodles of time and money on equipment and training. Plus, golf can be extremely frustrating. Manage your expectations and you’ll be just fine.
Don’t want to give golf a go? Here are some other G adventures: Goat Yoga, Gondola rides, Go-Kart racing.
Got something fun on your bucket list I should try? We’d love to hear your suggestions at intentfullyfit@gmail.com