Golfing for All
No longer driving a wedge between families and friends.
A couple of summers ago, my fiancé and I were whiling away a lazy, balmy afternoon at our local pitch and putt when he suddenly breathed the immortal words: 'I wouldn't mind taking this up seriously, honey'. 'Oh doom', I thought. 'It begins'. Ten years ago my parents had a whole host of ideas for retirement pursuits. 'I'll re-landscape the garden', my dad proclaimed, 'I'll redevelop the educational infrastructure in a war-torn third world country'. That sort of thing. Yet, a couple of months in, my dad decided to pick up a funny shaped stick and ball and see for himself what all the fuss was about. And there it began. My dad became a golf obsessive and my mum became a golf widow. If not playing golf, dad would read books on golf, watch DVDs about golf, dream about golf (well, maybe). Despite my mum's best attempts to snap his irons and bury his (golf) balls, there was no escaping the fact that my dad was well and truly hooked. So when my fiancé muttered those innocent sounding words a few summers ago, you can understand my sense of impending doom and visions of a life of solitude.
So what did I do? Well, I figured that if you can't beat 'em, join 'em and so I took up the sport too. And how have I found it? Make no mistake, golf can be frustrating but it’s also highly addictive.
There are major health benefits associated with playing golf. It's estimated that for every round you play you walk between four to ten miles and can burn up to a 1,000 calories. Additionally, unlike other sports, which can become difficult in later life, you can play the sport well into your twilight years... but isn’t it just the preserve of the middle-aged business man, complete with garish jumper?
In short, no. Pro female players such as Paula Creamer and Cristie Kerr possess extraordinary talent and have helped to bring a young, glamorous face to the sport which, in turn, has encouraged many more females to take it up.
Golf is also now very much on our children's radar, with many of them celebrating their birthdays at specially laid out driving ranges, where they score points for netting the ball in various baskets - the further away the higher the score.
Golf is entering a new era. It is now the sport of the young, the old, men and women. So what are you waiting for? Head to your local club now.
So what did I do? Well, I figured that if you can't beat 'em, join 'em and so I took up the sport too. And how have I found it? Make no mistake, golf can be frustrating but it’s also highly addictive.
There are major health benefits associated with playing golf. It's estimated that for every round you play you walk between four to ten miles and can burn up to a 1,000 calories. Additionally, unlike other sports, which can become difficult in later life, you can play the sport well into your twilight years... but isn’t it just the preserve of the middle-aged business man, complete with garish jumper?
In short, no. Pro female players such as Paula Creamer and Cristie Kerr possess extraordinary talent and have helped to bring a young, glamorous face to the sport which, in turn, has encouraged many more females to take it up.
Golf is also now very much on our children's radar, with many of them celebrating their birthdays at specially laid out driving ranges, where they score points for netting the ball in various baskets - the further away the higher the score.
Golf is entering a new era. It is now the sport of the young, the old, men and women. So what are you waiting for? Head to your local club now.
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