Learning golf
In the last couple of years, I took up two sports, fishing and golfing. I’ll leave fishing for another post but suffice to say learning fishing is much easier than golf.
Golf is a very hard game to learn!!! And that’s in spite of the fact that I took up golf lessons from a pro, Stuart Thompson, who has toured internationally and won competitions. Imagine how worse off I would have been without proper lessons. I have been able to learn the proper golf techniques, all the way from stance, setup, address, swing, long game, short game, driving, chipping, putting, course management, etc.
Knowledge is one thing, but being in control of my shots is another. A lot of practice is required. Like they say, practice makes perfect. It’ll be a while yet before I have a low handicap, I am sure of that.
Here’s a picture of my current golf club — Whitford Park Golf Club in Auckland:
I have been told that the course is a rather challenging course. From experience, I found that to be true.
But it is such a beautiful course. It can be rather wet and soggy with continuous rain, as has been the case this winter. I have been re-assured by my fellow golfers at Whitford that this year has been a lot wetter than usual.
The fairways are just wonderful with carpet-like couch grass. Apparently, the laying of couch grass has only been completed last year. I joined this year, so the timing has been exquisite.
Indeed, as I mentioned at the beginning of this post, golf is a very difficult game to learn. But that in a sense is a good thing for me. It provides me a challenge to improve my game gradually — something that is too easy to learn can perhaps be boring.
I have to add though that the main motivation for me to take up this game of golf is to have a form of regular exercise which is also fun. So far it has worked out quite well. For example, my right ankle which had been tender for a few years is now strengthened and feels normal again. When I walk long distances, my legs don’t seize up on me anymore.
Anyway, that’s probably all I want to say about golf today.