Golfing Again

This will be my 3rd year trying to learn how to play golf. I slowed down a bit last summer as my discouragement outweighed my progress, but this year I am moving in the right direction again. For any reader that is considering getting in the game I wanted to share a couple cool posts from the Red Clay Soul blog. This guy knows a thing or two about golf and that includes how to get equipment on the cheap.

Scotty Cameron Before & After: Putnam Putting
I’ve done a few Scotty Cameron putters in the past, and have been very pleased with the results.  I like restoring a putter, rather than buying one off the rack (for a premium).  It gives me the opportunity to make the putter mine, and mine alone. Remember the one I found at Goodwill?  And the… Read more

Refurbished Footjoys – Follow Up
In a follow up to the ‘Footjoys – In need of a retread‘ post, here are the results. I couldn’t be more pleased – Footjoy recognized that the warranty did apply to these shoes, and completed the work at a $0 cost. The shoes were totally rebuilt. What happened during the process what that Footjoy… Read more

While golf is challenging it is also rewarding. It can also be very frustrating, but this year I am doing my best to minimize that frustration by remembering that the reward is playing the game not the score. It will take everything I have in me to get there, but I will do my best.
Casual Golf

 

 

oxford cloth button down
Jerrod Swanton is a simple man interested in simple, classic, and traditional style.

8 Comments on "Golfing Again"

  1. Pat says:

    Great form, but the course looks a bit congested.

  2. andrew friedman says:

    Like you, I have found golf to be a fairly frustrating game. it doesn’t help that it takes a big block of time. i say, do what you like. i played 2 1/2 hours of softball this morning (i grew up playing baseball and have never really left the sport, so i know how to play), and it was great. i have been taking our canoe out on the Potomac River a few times a week this summer, and it is not only a great workout, but also a wonderful way to see all manner of birds and wildlife and escape the city for an hour or so, or longer if need be.

  3. Lennart says:

    Golf is a challenge for the patience, I’ve tried it but it was not for me. I like birding, very different from my work and helps me clear my mind.

  4. John T. says:

    For those who seek to improve their game, I highly recommend golf lessons from a CERTIFIED PGA teaching professional. You can find them at municipal (public) golf courses as well as country clubs. Good lessons, followed by practice and more practice (it can be fun, rewarding) will definitely improve your game. As one who worked from a 13 to a 7 handicap in a single season, the improvement could not have occurred without those lessons, well worth the investment. I was also fortunate because I loved to practice, to see those lessons actually working into my game. The next crucial step is learning to take those improvements from the practice tee to the course, where it counts most. Go on, take a lesson, have even more fun.

  5. Craig says:

    Co-sign on getting lessons. I strongly advise anyone getting into golf to get lessons in-person as opposed to buying DVDs or watching YouTube clips. You need someone watching your swing, diagnosing what’s wrong with it and then telling you how to correct it. I will say that a proper golf swing (an inside-out swing) is not a natural motion for most people, hence most amateurs propensity to slice the ball quite often. The first time a pro corrected many of my issues (an outside-in, over the top swing) I could not believe how different my swing felt as a whole. Much more compact and much more hip movement.

    The first summer I got into golfing I was trying to take the cheapo route and got some older DVDs from my old man and a few friends. It was somewhat helpful but I was still shooting 110-120 most rounds. It wasn’t until I took lessons that I started breaking 100 and feeling a sliver of confidence and hope about my game. From there it’s all practice and getting a feel for the game.

    The way I see it, you’re going to spend a lot of money if you get really into golf. You might as well put in the money to be at least marginally good at it and know what you’re doing. The worst part about getting into golf is when you’re at the point in the beginning where you hit the ball terribly and you’re not sure why. You need to get to the point where at least know what you did wrong when you shank the ball.

  6. Richard says:

    Good for you, Jerrod. This is my first summer learning the game, to give me something to do with my father. Seems to be many approaches to golf and it’s not one size fits all. Can you comment from experience on the technical clothes of the game? I practice in regular clothes (cotton polo, khaki shorts) and haven’t made the leap into synthetics.

  7. oxford cloth button down says:

    Thanks for all the great feedback! I have taken 1 lesson, but probably need to invest in a few more. My game is definitely improving. As for technical gear. I have not made the leap. I am still wearing cotton polos and khaki shorts. I can’t see going the technical route.

  8. Woofboxer says:

    If you’re enjoying your golf then you’re not playing it properly, according to Bob Hope.

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