CLEVELAND, Ohio \u2013 The way I remember it, every Saturday morning of my childhood, my dad golfed. <\/p>\n
He played with the same group of guys for years, at courses around Akron. Early, so he was home to spend the rest of Saturday mowing the lawn or going to kids soccer games. <\/p>\n
My mom rarely golfed. I had very little interest. Eighteen holes seemed to take forever, and it was a boring grown-up activity, like cribbage or bowling or solitaire. Who wanted to wear silly spiked shoes to walk around and whack a ball? <\/p>\n
Me, I liked the bright greens of mini golf, with windmills and water obstacles. If you were really lucky, you got ice cream afterward. (Though my dad thought we didn\u2019t take putting seriously enough.) <\/p>\n
Aside from one week of golf camp in sixth grade, which I attended pretty much because my friend was going, and one time I tagged along with my parents at age 25, I did not golf. I figured it was something I might try in retirement, like sailing. <\/p>\n
I learned to sail a few years ago with the North Coast Women\u2019s Sailing Association<\/a> out of Edgewater Yacht Club. <\/p>\n It was my son who got me to golf. <\/p>\n A few years ago, back when the goal was keeping my kids busy every minute of summer, they did a Cleveland Metroparks<\/a> golf camp with friends. My sporty son took to the game, so we enrolled him in lessons at First Tee<\/a>, a nonprofit organization that aims to build kids\u2019 character through golf lessons. <\/p>\n I also took him golfing with my dad, which I found incredibly special. <\/p>\n This summer, he got a job caddying at a local country club. And he joined Youth on Course<\/a>, which allows him to golf at Cleveland Metroparks courses for $3 a pop. So he and his buddies regularly play a round of nine, on their own. <\/p>\n He also golfs with me. <\/p>\n I bought a golf bag full of clubs from a garage sale for $5. And off we went, to Washington Golf Course in Newburgh Heights and Sportsville driving range in North Ridgeville. On spring break, we golfed in Beaufort, North Carolina. This summer, we golfed at Mastick Woods in Cleveland with a mother-son pair of friends. <\/p>\n I love that we\u2019ve found an activity we enjoy together, just the two of us. And I love that he can give me tips on what clubs to use. <\/p>\n Golf is growing on women. And it\u2019s not just because of the cute, colorful clothes. <\/p>\n Last year, nearly 8 million female golfers ages 6 and older played an American course, according to the National Golf Foundation<\/a>. That\u2019s a 41% increase since 2019. And now, 28% of golfers are female, the highest proportion ever. Female golfers make up 39% of beginners and 35% of juniors. <\/p>\n I am very much a beginner. If I get a couple good drives during nine holes, I\u2019m happy. But that\u2019s the thrill of golf. It\u2019s like a slot machine: a chance that you might hit better next time. <\/p>\n Getting a double bogey to me feels like hitting a home run. <\/p>\n While I\u2019m generally competitive, I don\u2019t care about who wins a golf game. It\u2019s not about the score, perhaps because golf doesn\u2019t feel like a sport. It\u2019s a past time where I can enjoy the outdoors and chat about life with my partner, whether that\u2019s my teenager or a work colleague. <\/p>\n I golfed recently with a colleague, feeling like it\u2019s something business types did a lot more often in the \u201880s. She gave me lots of good pointers.<\/p>\n I can see myself golfing more in retirement. <\/p>\n According to the Holderness family<\/a>, once you turn 50, you get slotted into a hobby by the \u201cDepartment of Everyone Ages Department\u201d (DEAD). It\u2019s similar to the sorting hat in Harry Potter, except you spin a wheel that lands on quilting, genealogy, gardening, birding, etc. <\/p>\n I really don\u2019t understand birding. And so far I haven\u2019t jumped on to the bandwagon of the weighted vest. <\/p>\n But I will gladly swing a club.<\/p>\n If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n