After many rounds of golf our game has come to the end. I think I have improved my golf game by not only skill but also my confidence. I never wanted to golf with family or friends because I am a poor sport. I HATE doing things I am bad at because it discourages me and I feel like I need to be good at everything. This is why I originally chose golf for this learning project. The change in skill helped me change my mindset. I wouldn’t let my family watch me tee off when I first started because i didn’t want them to judge me if I missed the ball or didn’t hit it right. Now I have golfed with so many people and am even not scared to tee off with a group behind me.
Week 1 I shared my very small background in golf knowledge but what i was hoping to get out of this project. I also added the video I got last year of my first time golfing as a reference point of where my skills were at.
Week 2 I mentioned I had very little experience with golf and the vocabulary that goes along. I decided to look up some of the key words I have heard or would probably hear on the greens. I found a website that had lots of information and explained the definitions in a way I understood. I know I mentioned that one thing I wasn’t keen on what the explaining of ace. They used the term “hole in one” to define it but if someone doesn’t know what a hole in one means then they wouldn’t find that helpful.
Resource: https://www.golfballs.com/blog/most-common-golf-terms-definitions/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21026724382
Week 3 was an eye opener for me as the week prior I went out with friends for a round. I was in shock when I was “heckled” for not having any golf etiquette. One thing I remember specifically was when I was jokingly yelled at for talking during someone’s back swing. As a beginner I didn’t know it is normally quiet during that portion of the swing so i carried on with my conversation. Luckily no one actually cared but that inspired me to look up all the other common golf etiquette rules. The PGA had a very nice section dedicated to this. Although my golf course isn’t to strict it was nice to see what is most common if I was ever to go to a more proper course.
Resource: https://www.pga.com/story/golf-for-beginners-golf-etiquette-rules-and-glossary?srsltid=AfmBOorNslWbChvQuq7F7wR6r0-_j_nC61Hw4tI0fZoqUsnWjUK4j-bj
Week 4 was all about how to grip the club. I had been taught the traditional and interlocking method as a beginner last year but I knew from other golfers and TikTok videos that there was a few more. I am glad I decided to look into this as now I use the Vardon grip each time because it feels most natural to me. I still think the site could use multiple angles or better descriptions because I some photos were not straight forward.
Resources: https://skilledgolf.com/tips/golf-grip-guide/
Week 5 I had been golfing lots by now and mostly with others but I did go out a few time alone. I noticed I was often asking whoever I was playing with what club I should use for what hole and part of the fairway. I thought using ChatGPT could be a good way to get an understanding on how far each club hits on advrage and what they used for. It was also a learning opportunity as I had only used ChatGPT a handful of times. I had a few hiccups with it but mostly because human error and not giving enough detail. Like I mentioned in that post I wouldn’t use it for anything that requires a high quality source but for my personal use and for a quick straight forward answer I could see myself using it again!
Resource: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/chatgpt/id6448311069
Week 6 I decided to find an app to use. I had seen cool range fingered and golf watches out on the course but didn’t find that necessary for a beginner. Although after finding out how far each of my clubs can hit I thought I could use the Golfshot app to help me know how far out I am from the green in order to choose which club to use. I don;t own an Apple Watch but I just used it straight off my phone instead and it worked wonders. Even where the course had no service (which is majority of it) it still an aged to update and keep up! I don still wish that it would continue to show how far you were away from the green once you got closer because sometime chipping is easy to over or under shoot and that could possibly give you more of an idea.
Resource: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/golfshot-golf-gps-scorecard/id622851626
and that brings us back to the 19th hole. I learnt so much in the last. Months and improved my game and confidence. I know have an actual passion for golf and have gone at least once a week if not more. I love working out at the course even more because I know understand why our members are out almost daily. It’s a dose of joy, relaxation, getting outside, visiting with friends, and so on. I really enjoy this new hobby and know for a fact I will continue to play well after this project is done!
Here is the link to my audio/visual learning experience:
