Thoughts After Playing Golf For My First Time

After nearly twenty-four and a half years, I played golf for my first time in the saintly city of Chesapeake where fire was created and the wheel was invented. We played at an eighteen hole course called Cahoon Plantation.

My first thought was this: I wish I had started playing earlier. It was relaxing, refreshing and I got a mean farmer's tan.
Sure it was frustrating at times and I sucked, but it was still enjoyable.

Then i read this article. It basically summed up how I felt before playing and once the novelty of playing for my first time wore off it still sorta described how I felt.

Golf seems like a rich man's sport. To get truly good at something, you practice and practice. Baseball, basketball and football are all sports that require minimal investment (bat, glove, shoes, ball) and you can practice for free by taking advantage of pick up games or throwing with friends. Minimal investment for golf requires clubs which are not cheap, course fees, shoes, balls and even appropriate attire depending on where you play. I'm sure you can make the same argument for some of my 'cheap' sports, but you get my point.

With basketball, football or baseball, if you are fairly athletic, you can join a game and do decent even if you haven't been practicing. Golf does not seem this way to me. You need to practice a good deal if you are to even casually play with your friends. Otherwise, you hold everyone up,lose balls and get call.

Another question that popped into my head was how athletic of a sport is golf? Its a good question. My friend pointed out that anyone can play golf and you don't need to be in shape. That is true, but there are other sports especially baseball's relief pitchers and designated hitters and football's kickers that don't seem to require being in prime shape.

My final thought is that I'll enjoy playing golf, being outside and relaxing but I'll also realize that I have neither the required time nor money to invest in this sport to be good.