Golf is often referred to as an older person’s sport.
But what if you are in your 50s and up and have yet to play?
Can you teach an old dog new tricks?
Is it ever too late to begin playing? Read on.
So, Is It Ever Too Late to Start Playing Golf?
The simple answer is no! Unless you cannot move, it is never too late to start playing golf. Regardless of whether you are four years old or more than fifty, you can learn how to play golf and appreciate the challenge provided by the game.
As various 50+ golfers found out, it can never be too late to begin playing golf.
Golf is a unique game where players can be as old as above ninety years as well as generations of families can play together all at the same time.
You just need to have a basic fitness level and flexibility to play golf regardless of your age.
You are never late to start playing golf and if you are thinking of taking it up, just give it a shot. You won’t regret it.
However, it will be essential for you to manage your expectations and keep perspective.
You won’t immediately start to break 80 or shoot your age.
Your objective should be enjoying the time with friends, spending some hours outdoors, and exercising your body.
How to Begin Playing Golf Later In Life
1. Have A Budget
Firstly, you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on new golf clubs.
You can get high-quality, affordable, and complete golf club sets for some hundreds of dollars.
You don’t need to spend on a brand-name club if you are just starting to play golf.
2. Be Patient
You should consider not joining your experienced friends immediately for an 18-hole round.
This may be annoying for you and hard on your friends.
You need to build up your game before you join your weekend group.
It is recommendable for you to begin with a lesson from your local club professional.
You don’t necessarily need to spend a lot of cash, but about two hours of learning the basics will jumpstart your play.
Ensure your instructor guides you on the basics of putting and chipping.
3. Practice, Practice, Practice
Finally, you should spend a bit of time on putting green and the driving range.
Try and ensure you can make consistent contact with the ball.
How far and straight can you hit it?
Begin to learn how far you can hit the different clubs in the bag.
Can you do a 3-foot putt consistently? What about a 5-footer?
Being able to play a solid short game is the fastest way to begin enjoying the game.
Related: How Can You Practice In Your Apartment?
What Is The Best Way To Improve Your Game?
You have taken the steps, purchased some clubs, and taken several golf lessons. How do you improve your game and begin playing on the course?
1. Get A Mentor
Try finding an experienced golfer who can escort you to the golf course once in a while. They don’t require you to teach you swing tips, but you will learn from only watching them practice. It will also go a long way in helping you get comfortable hitting shots around other people.
2. Practice playing holes on the course
You can ease your way into playing golf holes by playing nine holes in the afternoon. This is not mainly about getting an excellent score. Try and practice the number of holes you can finish without losing a golf ball. Practicing to play golf holes will also show where you should spend more time practicing.
3. Fitness
Aging golf beginners can also improve their game by maintaining proper physical fitness.
Physical fitness is critical to improving your golf gaming.
Of course, flexibility is fundamental, so you should spend some time stretching before hitting your golf shot and the days you are not going to the golf course.
What Are The Benefits Of Starting Golf For Older People?
1. Socializing
Golf is a social sport.
A golf round with friends is one of the great pleasures of life in old age, mainly if you can separate yourself from the scoresheet and only enjoy the fun company.
You can even grab lunch or coffee together before you get the game going.
Then after some rounds, you can get a pint and rip into the one who had a bad day.
The game is full of enjoyable, friendly, and successful individuals, and you are sure to make new friends and even business networks.
2. Good Exercise For The Body And Mind
An average golf course needs you to walk more than five miles up and down different folds, pushing or carrying a golf bag.
This is a great exercise and burns up to 2000 calories depending on the nature of the golf course.
Even though you take a cart, the golf swing provides an entire body workout, including core muscles, legs, and arms.
More so, regardless of how physical the golf game can be, a significant percentage of the game involves a mental aspect.
It provides a mental exercise that makes you think constantly and concentrate on the task before you.
Golf will hence help you relieve anxiety, depression, and stress.
The best thing is you won’t even really notice you are exercising.
3. You Can Play It Even In Your Old Age
Golf is highly recommended for older people because it is a low-impact sport.
This means it exerts minimum stress and damage to muscles and joints, making it easier to play during your old age.
If in your 50s and up, you can play comfortably without worrying about injury or significant soreness.
4. Golf Courses Provide Peaceful Tranquility
As a child, I went to play golf with my grandfather in the summer holidays.
I, however, noticed that on weekdays, the golf clubs were like a ghost town where you can take your time and relax with minimum pressure from other groups on the course.
Unlike other sports, golf courses provide an abundance of miles of land to play with trees and wildlife for a serene outdoor experience.
Weekday afternoons on a golf club are the most peaceful places, and you can enjoy it anytime you want, particularly when you are now retired.
Go For A Medical Check If Necessary
Finally, while golf is not the most intense physical sport, hilly courses might cause extreme strain on the body, particularly older people with cardiovascular or other pre-existing medical conditions.
So, if you are considering starting golfing but have a pre-existing medical condition, it’s essential to see a doctor first before you begin playing rather than being sorry afterward.
Golf is a fun way to keep healthy and fit during your old age, but you should ensure you are medically safe.
Bottom Line
Do not get intimidated by golf and just sit there thinking you missed your chance and you are too old to learn the sport.
Just head to the golf course on a beautiful day, spend some hours together with other golf mates, try hitting the little white ball and make memorable memories.
We don’t care how old you are, find a golf club and get started today!
References
It’s never too late to turn Pro
Is Golf Good for Older Beginner Golfers?