Last fall after I retired and amid Covid I decided it was time to learn how to golf. I have never been an athlete but for some reason I thought it was worth giving it a try.
My first experience was in a group lesson with a local golf pro in NC and a couple of my friends. It was an eye opening experience in that I couldn’t figure out how to hit that little ball. I hit behind it, on top of it, everywhere but the golf ball itself. From there my husband was very patient and would take me out on the course giving me tips, while not instructing me. I know a lot of ladies complain about their husbands and we did have a few terse moments but I realized how much he was helping me. He gave me instruction on how to manage around the course, where I can use the short game to help my pitiful fairway hits and how to strategize to make the most of each swing.
I was lucky to play 2 different nine holes with a former LPGA member at the golf course we belong to in Texas after we returned from NC. I was so nervous the first time we went out. She asked me if I had played any sports. No, I had not. She asked if I danced. No, I cannot. We struggled to find any common ground that would help me in progressing past “can’t hit the ball”. I guess I am not a rapid learner but all the little tips she mentioned began to take root in my mind. Then winter hit and our golfing opportunities were limited.
Fast forward to 2021, we are spending the summer in NC where we have a place to escape the Texas heat. Round two of trying to learn began in earnest. This year the local club is offering ladies golf clinics with around 10 women to give us an opportunity to learn how to play. Again, I hit and hit the ball at the driving range and I haven’t progressed much. Fortunately the lessons that the golf pro keeps drilling into our heads are starting to stay there. One tip he offered is to watch videos of other women players. It took a long time before I could even begin to translate what they were doing to my swing. I’m still not even close but I do see the value in watching the videos and continuing to practice.
To put it all into perspective when I started a year ago I couldn’t even count the number of strokes, it was way too many. The beginning of this year I was happy to get double par. Now about a month or two into the season I am aiming for less that triple bogey. I know I have a long way to go but I see a little tiny firefly at the end of the tunnel.
The beauty of the courses and the challenge of trying to improve keeps me trying. I hope to pass along any tips I pick up on the way that might help other ladies trying to learn this game. Happy hitting!
