What age did you take up golf?

[Ty Webb]

I started playing golf at 35 and wish I did years sooner. I was more interested in hockey and beer. Anyhooo, whenever I meet golfers, I usually ask how long they have been playing.

At what age did you take up golf?

[el tigre]

Started about 4 years ago when I was 41, and also wish I'd taken it up a lot sooner. I'm trying to make up for lost time, though - I play over 50 rounds a year and get to the range/mats at least once or twice a week (all year round).

[Geee]

Basically I started last year and I whish I could of started years before. But like Ty Webb said I was more interrested by hockey and BMX racing.

I didn't take any lessons due to the fact that I'm playing with my old friends of Mont-Cascade who are giving me tips.

I did get 15 rounds in last year and I should get 30 this year.

[LBH]

Started at 12 years old. I only wish I would have joined a club as a junior member there. I would have had much more fun than playing baseball (sigh!) and my game would be even much better today... Oh well!

[powerlefty]

I started to play at about 14 but really did not play any more than a few times a year until I was about 20. From 20-30 I played about 15 rounds a year and for the last 15 years I've played between 20 and 40 rounds a year.

[LobWedge]

I was swinging a cutdown club that my grandfather gave me at age 7.

Started on the golf course at age 11 and have been playing since (26 yrs). I worked my index down to 1.2 about 4 yrs ago, but work gets in the way so I'm playing to a "working man's" 7.

I hope I get to play till the day I die.

[Curious George]

Tried golf at 22. Didn't really play more until 28. Wish I had taken lessons right from the start. Spent years undoing ingrained hacker-habits.

[NoBack]

Was introduced to the game by my father at the age of 16 and played a few times a year for two years. At age18, I started to play about a dozen to 20 times a year. Then I was hooked.

At 25 I became a member at Mt Cascades and played about 40 to 60 times a year for the next 15 years.

Then I became a golf pig. I now play about 100 rounds a year (mostly through OttawaGolf Club.......I know, cheap plug for Dan )

Oh yeah ........ I also play about 20-25 rounds a year during the winter at Golf-O-Max???

[jeffc]

my dad has been golfing most of his life and got us a membership at, of all places, Glen Lawrence in Kingston when we lived there. Been playing ever since (36 now). I hope to play until my dying days as well.

[alice]

I was fortunate to be exposed to the game at the age of 6. LIved in Vancouver B.C. near the Little Mountain Pitch & Putt. Not a hole over 120 yards. Wasn't allowed on the "Big" course till I was 8 so I was delegated to the 18 hole putting green. Moved out to Tsawwassen where I spent most of 15 years living at one of the two courses. Worked on the driving range and in the back shop cleaning clubs. Played in most junior events in the Vancouver area including a couple of BC Junior and a Canadian Junior event. Have been playing for 31 years. Wow! Am I that old? Turned pro when I came to Ottawa in 1989 and worked at the Kanata Golf Club for a year before moving away from the golf business. I manage to play 15 to 25 rounds a year. Still hanging on to a 5 handicap.

[LongHitta]

I was 16 years old when i started playing, I didn't play that often until I was 19, then broke my leg, took a year off, and now at 22 , I find myself playing more then ever, and trying to get into the 70's. Some ppl get pissed off when I say how long i've been playing cuz they've been playing their whole lives and can't get below 90. I think run into a wall though, time to think about the finer details of the game(custom clubs, lessons, etc.).
:shakehead

[Shark_Golfer]

I started when i was thirteen and now i'm fifteen.

[beatnik58]

Played an average of 2-3 games a year from age 17 until age 43 (current). This year I've played 15 games and been to the range about 20 times. I'm now officially addicted to golf.

Shot 86 at Mont Cascades two weeks ago and 93 at Irish Hills earlier this week so there is hope!

[Evil Chris]

I think the first time I ever played a full 18 holes, I was 18 years old. I played horribly of course, having had zero instruction.

I've only started to play a lot in the past couple of years.

[tpak]

I had a junior membership when I was 14-15 years old but back then, it wasn't "cool" or in to play golf. In my twenties, it was on and off.

I started playing regularily 5 years ago at the age of 29; each season more rounds in and this year, my goal is to play 72 rounds, 30 more to go!!!

[BullDog]

I was 7 years old - I'm 28 now. My father used to take me to the driving range or the 1st hole at the Champlain golf course late, late into the evening on Wednesday nights. Eventually I got to the point where I could actually hit decent so I'd get to play a hole... then two or three.

It took a while but eventually I was able to go out and play 9 or 18 holes - not in prime time like today's fathers seem to do with their kids - and I've enjoyed golf ever since.

My gripe is that golf courses and parents today don't seem to think twice about 'teaching' kids how to play during a 10:20 tee time on a Saturday!!

Anyway, while I don't play Champlain much anymore, it always feels nice to play there, all things considered, because it started there all those years ago.

Mike

[Curious George]

Nice story Mike.

I have the same pet peeve about anyone who plays on an 18 before going to the driving range, par 3's, etc.

[Ruskie]

Well, let's see... I started playing at the age of 29, which was... two months ago I'm already hooked though, playing at every opportunity. My best score so far is a scorching 123 at Cloverdale I did take some lessons to start with, so hopefully I can avoid most bad habbits.

Krolik.

[triple-bogey]

I'm 42, and I started playing just this past April (although I would go to the driving range just for fun once or twice a year since I was about 20).

I started this season shooting a 124 at Les Vieux Moulins. Now, 55 rounds later, I am now shooting in the low-to-mid 90s on a good day (season best 88 at Vieux-Moulins (+16) at the end of June, and an 85 at Richmond Centennial (+18) this past Saturday), and low-to-mid 100s on a bad day (like my 106 today at Kingsway).

Most of my rounds (over 60%) were played on a par 3 (Dunnderosa), which is where I learned how to shoot my irons and to chip around the green. I also go to the range 2-3 times per week. In my opinion, this has helped me considerably in bringing my score down.

[DenisO]

Nice, someone dug up a 7 year old thread!
I started playing 3 years ago when I was 22. Went to the driving range with some friends thinking what a stupid game, only old people play it. Three years later and the addiction keeps growing!

Interesting to see Ruskie's post about shooting 123 after playing with him a couple weekends ago lol.

[nokids]

My parents bought me a junior club set and I fooled around with golf between the ages of 8 and 14, but tennis, soccer, basketball and video games were my true passions.

I never took golf seriously as a sport because none of my friends played golf. It would have been like growing up in Brazil and telling your friends you're going to go play ice hockey.

i spent the next two decades going to school, working, and not having any contact with golf except watching it on tv. Then, in summer 2009, a friend harassed me every weekend to go golfing with him, so i reluctantly bought a cheap walmart club set for $280, and made the weekly pilgrimage to the Meadows with him, hoping that one day he'd forget about me and stop dragging me out to these stupidly expensive rounds of golf.

Within a month, I was a golf junkie.

[triple-bogey]

Within a month, I was a golf junkie.

I hear ya. I have never participated in any activity (...well, not x-rated anyways ) that got me hooked as quickly as golf has. Pretty sure golf is right up there with crystal meth and crack in terms of addiction potential

[BC MIST]

Started at age 15, 50 years ago.

My dad was looking through The Ottawa Journal and saw winter lessons offered by Earl Stimpson at the YWCA on Gladstone Avenue. Took 8, 45 minute lessons, followed by 8 more, before ever setting foot on a golf course. Played Glenlea (now Champlain) in the spring, scored 101, the only time ever scoring in the hundreds.

[leftylucas]

Played a couple of times between the ages of 14-16 but never picked up the game. I really started to play at age 36 when I switched to play left-handed.

[mpare]

Through my dad's encouragement I began to golf 49 years ago when I was 12 years old. I love it as much now as I did when I hit the first ball.

[stevek]

Started 10 years ago when I began work in an industry where it was an important social skill - when I was 36.

Didn't really play regularly until I got my wife into it about 5 years ago. I convinced her to take lessons before playing and now she kicks my * regularly.

[rezadue]

Started at 35 yeard old! Wish I had started at 3 or 5 years old though!

[OutOfTheRough]

Started 5 years ago. Wish I started 18 years ago. But I'm happy where I've gotten in so little time!

[Weazl]

Grandfather introduced me to golf through lessons at Rideau Glen 22 years ago when I was 13 and I hated it. Put the clubs away until I was 20 and have been playing more and more ever since. Wish I had stuck with those lessons now let me tell you but I was a teenager more interested in girls and team sports than golf. Usually get out around 20 times a year, wish it were more, but its a fun social activity for me. Never going to be in the 70's and I am happy with that.

Cheers fellow OGers...

[Ruskie]

Never say never. 7 years ago I didn't think I was ever going to break a 100. 3 years ago I was sure I'd never shoot in the 80's...

Grandfather introduced me to golf through lessons at Rideau Glen 22 years ago when I was 13 and I hated it. Put the clubs away until I was 20 and have been playing more and more ever since. Wish I had stuck with those lessons now let me tell you but I was a teenager more interested in girls and team sports than golf. Usually get out around 20 times a year, wish it were more, but its a fun social activity for me. Never going to be in the 70's and I am happy with that.

Cheers fellow OGers...