I took up golf again a couple years ago, after trying (and failing) in my 30s. My friend Henry dragged me to the range one day. I was totally useless - hit like crap, balls bouncing off the dividers, whiffs, etc. But he persisted, so I thought I ought to give it a good go this time around. I have little to no natural athletic ability - I'm a brains guy. Let's see whether that will let this old dog learn some new tricks...
I didn't touch a club, or think much of it, while I was gone. There were plenty of other things happening.
A week after returning, I thought I would try the range and see what I retained. Not so bad, really. Still too much attention to things, and not just swinging easily, but that's where I left off last year.
The place is no different than when I left it other than the season. I haven't played a hole, nor thought of it much, until I felt I had a swing good enough to rely on. And, I do enough things alone in life that playing golf alone just doesn't seem that attractive. But, my swing is decent enough now that I'm curious to try it out. Country Side Golf Course is a rural course not much further away than where I've been going that has a range and a 9-hole course that seems largely unused in the afternoon.
Just the right size for me, and cheaper. One of the reasons I haven't been in a rush to get on a course is that the bulk of the cost of golf is in green fees. Why pay $40 or more to take a crappy swing out into the wilderness? That's no way to learn, and seems to be a real source of frustration for most. So, I'm cheap too. This season to-date I've spent just over $500 to hit 6500 balls, 7.83 cents per hit.
And my swing has gotten much better. Over-thinking has given way to muscle memory and made room for attention to details and the slowing of time. I hit farther because I hit better, not harder. Now I'm willing to drop $30 or $40 to see how much "better." I've hit 7058 balls since May 16 (a month later start than usual), spending $562.50, or 7.97 cents per ball. Since May 16: 7502 balls, $607.50, 8.10 cents per ball, inflated by higher prices at Victoria over the last six weeks.
I have made large strides in hitting every club, and now have the swing in my body, especially over the last couple weeks. I still can't put a range ball over 150-or-so yards with #1 off the tee, but balls are dropping within 30° of my targets.
Now... time to take my swing down south, to the Valley. |