July 10, 2014
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post-"Never Ever Golfer"
i should've bought you flowers
and held your hand
should've gave you all my hours
when i had the chance- Bruno Mars, When I Was Your Man
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Chris: "Golfing is how I bonded with my dad growing up."
Cody: "Me too!"
Me: "Not me. No one in my family golfs. I'm the strange one in my family."
Chris: "Christa, you're the strange one here, too."
[I gasp, while Cody keels in laughter.]
Cody: "Oh... that's so true. That's so good. That's awesome."-+-
The more I golf, the more I realize how humble my personal golfing experience is.
I've now been golfing for a little less than three months. I'm finally at that level of golf where I hit the ball more than I miss it, but I'm 100% still a huge newbie. I'm useless at using my driver and I have to settle for my 3-wood. I still can't aim. I still can't hit consistently. I'm going to golf with two of my co-workers this Sunday, and no one (especially me) expects me to do well or keep up. I'm nervous about how poorly I'll do, but I know I love golf, and that makes it okay.
I used to wonder why golf was considered a rich man's sport, but the more I play, the more I understand. When I started, it seemed pretty straightforward. There are golf classes at the local community college for only $25/quarter. I personally started by taking small group lessons for $99/month. A visit to the driving range costs maybe $6-12 a visit. I bought a discounted golf shirt from Ross for $15. Not bad at all. I could manage this.
I make a decent amount of money as a first-level lab technician. Not a lot, but enough to pay rent and get by comfortably as a single working woman. I can go out for dinner with my friends, and if I save up, I can travel to another state every now and then. It's sufficient, but not luxurious. I'm happy with it.
I figured I could totally take up golf as a hobby. Not bad, right?
As I finally passed the "Never Ever Golfer" stage of my life to the "Ah Yes I Do Know How to Grip a Golf Club" stage, it finally became clearer why golf is connoted with wealth. I started with a cheap $4 golf set at the thrift store when I started out. Since then, I bought a brand-new golf club set, and my first "real" set -- a beginner's brand for a breezy $150 sale on a $300 set, but a nicer set would've cost about $600. oh shit. A nice driver costs more than my entire golf set -- upwards of $300. oh shit. Is this what will become of my wallet if I get really good at golf? Will I be buying specialty drivers and golf balls optimized for my game? jesus christ
Going out to the range is affordable, but the course itself usually ranges between $40 and $150 per game. oh shit. Right now, I'm saving up for my first pair of golf shoes. Those don't come as easily at overstock department stores as golf attire, but once I get a pair, I'm probably going to feel like Cinderella after she's found by Prince Charming. Except my Prince Charming is golf. lol
In spite of this, my incredibly humble golf routine has actually reinforced my adoration with the sport. I have relatively little, but so help me god, I will rock what little I have on the driving range. I have my cheap brand beginner's golf set, I have my one and only golf shirt, and I have my little nice clearance-rack puma shoes as stand-ins for golf shoes. I'll wear yoga pants to the driving range, but I finally invested in my first golf skirt a few weeks ago. I tie up my hair, I pin back my bangs, and I put on simple earrings. I add just a little bit of waterproof eyeliner to look half-decent. I put on my cheap, weathered golf glove that I grabbed from the sports section of Target. I use the tees that I found for free in a hand-me-down golf bag. I feel remarkably humble and modest in a sport of kings.
Yet, my tenacity in sticking through it helps remind me that passion counts for a lot. Passion can go a long way, even if my wallet can't always match it. Sure, I can't afford to go to the course all the time -- others go once a week, but maybe I can manage once every 1-3 months. Through discounts and Groupons, I'll find a way to pursue golf. The cost to be great is daunting, but I'm still excited to improve at my game. That's what I love about it.
It's not much, but it's mine.