As a kid I did play a little Golf for fun; going to the driving range, playing crazy golf or pitch & putt on holidays with my parents. I’ve always had an interest in the game just never took it up properly, until now. I guess being older it feels more relevant to try a game that’s of a slower nature, well it is when you compare it to Gymnastics and Touch Rugby that I tried a couple of years ago! It’s also nice to have a new challenge and try something different, I find that I do this quite a lot as it keeps me motivated. I really love that Golf is a game I can enjoy with my partner, friends and family too. Another reason I want to get better is because Golf has already taken me to some stunning places with the most beautiful surroundings. I have been lucky enough to see many courses all over the world and I can’t wait to visit more!
Initially I found it difficult to dedicate so much time to something I wasn’t very good at; a round would probably take me 4 hours or more and that did put me off. Being competitive it was also frustrating being so inconsistent in how I played from one shot to the next. Golf is certainly not something you can dabble in when you’re starting out, so at the start of this Summer I decided I needed to step up my efforts in order to get to grips with this game.
I got the opportunity to enter some competitions to give me a goal to work towards; I started regular lessons, had some clubs fitted to suit my physique and played enough to earn my first handicap of 33. Although I still have a lot to work on it has all been worth it so far. I have got to the stage where I’m able to play some great shots and now I am striving for consistency. My biggest challenge will be playing through the Winter when it’s wet and cold, but this is going to be so important if I am to maintain all of the things I have learned so far.
The first competition I entered was the Scottish Ladies Pro Am at The Renaissance Club in Archerfield, Scotland. This was thanks to Aberdeen Asset Management who sponsor the event and invited me and Brian. Our professional was Muni He and we did well as a team; however, I was so nervous. Although the professionals use the Pro Am as their practice and are quite relaxed about things, to me this was the big competition! Everyone is always so supportive at these things so the nerves are self inflicted because I want to do myself justice. The nice thing about Golf is that everyone appreciates how hard it is to master and everyone’s been a beginner at some point so they can all relate! It took me 4 holes to get into the swing of things and then at the halfway point, we had to leave the course due to the storm; it was hard to regain consistency when we returned. Despite all this I really enjoyed the experience, sometimes putting yourself out of your comfort zone is where you get to see what you’re made of!
The second competition was the ISPS Handa World Invitational at Galgorm in Northern Ireland. This was thanks to the invite from Modest Golf. Nial Horan was playing and obviously I knew this meant big crowds! The event was fantastic and despite wet conditions and more spectators I played better than the Scottish Open. Myself and Brian played with Charley Hull who was unbelievable and such an inspiration to a beginner like me. We also played with Conor Moore who is well known for his hilarious impersonations of the tour golf pro’s; he was a pleasure to play with and highly entertaining! We placed well as a team which topped the day off nicely.
All in all, not a bad year for me and my Golf, can’t wait to persist with it and see if I can improve next Summer!
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