Why woman should play golf
For many years there are more women that start to play golf than men but the female golfing population has not grown?
Unfortunately, many women stop playing golf shortly after starting. Golf is a great game that can be fun with familiy and friends. More women should be playing and gaining some of the advantages of playing golf. If you’re a woman or a man don’t be intimidated by golf and choose not to play. Most beginners have the impression that the average golfer shoots in the 70’s or 80’s, not true. One of the most common comments from men and women beginning golfers is how bad the average player is at golf. That is not meant to be negative, but most golfers don’t break 100 and very, very few actually shoot in the 70’s. You don’t have to be a very good golfer to enjoy the game.
There are several reasons why women should play golf;
1 Playing golf as a woman is a big advantage in business. You can either be invited to go on company outings or trips or get stuck back at the office working. You don’t need to be good, you just need to be decent. If you can hit the driver in the air 120 yards and make decent contact with the ball most of the time you are qualified to play in company tournaments
2. The networking opportunities for women in golf are endless. If you’re not a golfer you are missing out on developing deeper relationships with co-workers, customers and friends. You can learn more about a person’s true personality by playing a round of golf with them than you might by knowing them for several years.
3.There are several women’s groups across the country. EWGA is a great example of a place for woman that want to play with women to meet, http://www.ewga.com/ It is fun to play with all genders but for many women beginning golfers it is comforting to play with other women during the learning process.
4. If you are single you are likely to meet plenty of men on the course. You can learn more about a potential suitor during a round of golf than you might after dating someone for months. You will in four short hours find out if he has a bad temper, character idiosyncrasies or is prone to cheating.
6. It is a lot fun to play golf. When you first start learning golf can be frustrating. If you take lessons from a good instructor you can get through the awkward learning part of the game fairly quickly. You will soon feel confident and not intimidated to play golf with others. Once you become comfortable and less insecure about your game you will find that golf courses are some of the most beautiful places to spend a few hours with friends.
A. There are a few reasons not to play golf but don’t be dissuaded. One common complaint is that it does take a bit of time and practice to learn how to play the game. If you learn good habits at the beginning this shortens the time commitment drastically.
B. One major reason many women quit playing golf is that some guys at golf facilities just can’t help volunteering to help you with your game. I don’t know what makes this happen but most people offering free advice at golf courses and practice facilities should keep it to themselves. You can be a really good female golfer and have a really bad male golfer walk over to you on the range and tell you how you “should” swing the club.
To avoid these sometimes awkward situations there is an easy way to block the unsolicited advice. When the guy comes over to help and starts telling you what you should do simply pretend to listen for no more than a minute. Then say, “I am working with my pro on a few fundamentals but thanks for the tip.” Some guys may persist, so you might use the next line. “I appreciate you trying to help me but I don’t have a lot of time today and I am working on some specific skills.” Don’t explain what you are working on. If the person still asks more questions then be rude.
This should not happen very often and annoying guys are pretty rare at golf facilities but it is always good to be prepared. I have had fun on the golf course when a guy in our group tries to help a lady I am playing with. This has happened to me a few times and it is great to see how much fun it is when my female partner is beating the guy. Let’s just say it can be a humbling experience to the advice giver!
Before you go to the course you can always refer to our beginning golfers check-list, http://myhome4golf.com/bigginers-check-list/
So start or re-start playing golf again. Find some good golf buddies and get ready to travel to great golf destinations like Scottdale AZ, Palm Spring, CA, Florida or my favorite Kapalua Maui. Have fun, it is only a game!!
Jim Hartnett, PGA
