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Does Golf Get Better With Age?

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The dads of Stinky Golfer Tom (left) and Stinky Golfer Greg (right).

They say wine gets better with age, but what about golf?

I’ve stated many times on this blog that my game hasn’t improved much since my teens. When I first started keeping my handicap about 20 years ago, it was an 18. Today I’m still an 18. Despite this though, golf, for me anyway, has gotten better. In fact, it’s gotten much better. OK, I know what you’re thinking; “How could it have gotten better if you’re still playing at the same level?”

Well, the simple answer is; the experience has gotten better. It’s true. The experience of golfing has become more enjoyable for me even though my scorecard reads pretty much the same. I think this is true (if you’re honest with yourself) for many golfers and it’s a fundamental reason why so many of us continue to play throughout our lifetimes without actually playing any better.

When was the last time you heard someone say: “I’d been playing golf for 40 years, but wasn’t getting any better at it so I finally gave up.” It’s almost comical because you never, ever hear anyone say that! Why? Because you don’t have to be good at golf to love it. And the older you get, the more you enjoy and appreciate just being out on the course.

When I started golfing in my early teens (and up through probably my late 20’s), I thought I was enjoying myself out there – and technically I was. I would play every weekend – up to 50 or more rounds a year. But now in my late 30’s with two young kids, I’m lucky if I play five times annually. But you know what? I really enjoy those few times out.

I imagine as people get older – especially after retirement, they experience a similar enjoyment out on the links. Older folks might have a different appreciation than someone my age, but it’s that appreciation – the gratification of just being out on a golf course – that makes the game more enjoyable over time.

Best of all, this enjoyment is out there for every golfer to experience – you just have to stop worrying about your score and have fun instead. And because golf is one of those sports you can continue to play late into life, this game can be an invaluable source of enjoyment for years to come.

So, does golf get better with age? You bet your ass it does.

The Art of Drinking on the Golf Course

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There’s a fine line between enjoying an adult beverage whilst playing a round of golf…and getting completely tanked; driving your cart into the pond on 15; and getting banned for life from that particular establishment.

There’s nothing worse than getting paired up with (or playing behind) a couple of sauced golfers. Drinking and golf can go hand-in-hand, but there’s an art to it. The trick is to drink enough to relax and enjoy yourself, but not so much that you can’t remember your round.

If you’re one of those people (and trust me, they exist) who have to get drunk when they play golf, perhaps you should sell your clubs on eBay and use the money to buy a keg. Seriously, for those people, on some level of their subconscious, golf is meaningless. So when they do play, they have to drink to make it fun.

But, for those of us who really love to golf, drinking in moderation can be a nice way to get more enjoyment out of your round. For example, we were exchanging tweets with @GolfMonger last week about how his foursome doesn’t have very good cart golf etiquette:

GolfStinks_Twitter

“But the beer is always cold.” I love that line. I mean, you could be having the worst round of your life, but if the cooler you strapped to the cart back in the parking lot is still dispensing ice-cold brew on the 18th, then all is right in the world. Why?

We need to think of golf in terms of “a lot of different enjoyments in life coming together for one experience.” Let’s combine the pleasures of going on a walk in the woods; with the camaraderie you feel amongst good friends; along with the competitiveness of playing sports – this is what golf is.

If your group of friends also happens to enjoy a few beers while being in each other’s company, then tossing that into the mix makes all the sense in the world. And this is a very important lesson to learn about golf: Your score is not the point…having fun is. You don’t have to be a good golfer to love golf – you just have to enjoy playing golf.

Just don’t get plastered – after all, there’s an art to drinking on the golf course.

Golf’s True Purpose

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Stinky Golfers Tom (L) and Greg 

having fun on the course.

We posted on Monday about a foursome disbanding due to a couple of golfers relocating. Stinky Golfer Chris saw the glass half full as he was excited about flying to different parts of the country to have reunion outings.

But one thing Chris didn’t mention was the golf outings we still have before people move away. There may not be many rounds left – especially with the season almost over, but we had an opportunity to take advantage of one such outing the other day: A day off from work and 18-holes at an awesome course at a discounted rate (now that Fall rates kicked in)!

And while playing on a work day made our round a little sweeter, it was the camaraderie I savored the most. The scores didn’t matter; the day (although it was a beautiful Autumn afternoon) didn’t matter.

Nope – what mattered was that a group of friends were hanging out together. The fact that we happened to be playing a game we love was just an added bonus – the cherry on top.

And that’s what makes golf the greatest game in the world.

Golf doesn’t get in the way of friendship; It doesn’t get in the way of telling a joke or chatting about family…or life in general. It plays on in the background so you can, well…live.

Sure I had a few memorable drives during the round the other day, but it was the interaction with my friends that made it a great day. And then it dawned on me: Why does it take the realization the we all might not be playing golf together for too much longer before we start really appreciating that we all play golf together in the first place?

Why are we out there getting angry at ourselves; swearing; throwing clubs? When we really should be out there enjoying ourselves; appreciating the game, our friends and being outdoors in nature. The time we spend upset on the course is time wasted, is it not?

So regardless of if your golf buddies are just a temporary foursome or permanent fixtures, don’t waste those 4+ hours on the course getting annoyed at your game (or lack thereof). Don’t throw away time set aside as leisure and hanging out with friends by getting irritated at your slice. Instead, ignore all that BS and learn to accept golf for what it was meant to be: Fun.

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