I have been playing? for 4 years now, and i still cannot hit or putt consistently. i’ve spent megabucks on clubs and lessons, and the sport just isn’t giving me any rewards-i find a round of golf to be about as pleasant as navigating times square at rush hour. So: how long does it take before you actually “enjoy” this game? I’ve been thinking of giving it another year-if nothing changes, i’ll quit! 
When does GOLF become fun?
When it’s the last character in the N-number of the aircraft you’re flying. 
when someone loses an eye.
and not a moment before.
When you’ve been beating the ball all over the place, all day long. In the woods, in the rough, in the sand. Then you stand over a 4-iron on 18, catch it dead flush, straight at the pin. 5 feet, birdie. 
…or when you open up the cooler.
Why haven’t you quit already?
Unless you’re playing for business reasons, what’s the point of continuing with it if you don’t enjoy it?
I played golf for about 10 years, fairly regularly. I enjoyed getting out and futzing around with my buddies. It was also rewarding when I would hit a good shot. I think that’s what kept me coming back. But unless I played at least once a week I couldn’t even think about consistency. Finally it became a sort of diminishing return for me. It took more of an investment in time than it was worth in enjoyment for me.
So I quit playing, pretty much. I’ll go out once or twice a year on a family scramble or some other occasion, but I quit trying to get better. I have other things to work at, things that are either actually productive or at which I have an actual chance of self-improvement.
The sixth hole, or the sixth beer; whichever comes first.
Maybe you’re expecting the wrong things. Instead of being disappointed that you’re play isn’t more in line with that of the professionals, a rare breed seemingly possessed with truly God-given talent, why not just use it as an opportunity to get outside, enjoy some fresh air, bond with some buddies and take out some frustrations on a passive little ball that usually can’t hit back?
See, that’s what they forget to tell you in a lesson… you gotta aim low.
I enjoy the heck out of golf, but mainly because I’ve absolutely no expectations of going out and shooting a 72.
IME golf always became pleasant at the 19th hole.
Not for nothing, but I just actually read what I posted, and it doesn’t even make sense to me.
Sorry.
Taking this as a strictly rhetorical question ralph124c, but you’re kidding right? I’ve been playing golf for fourteen years, and I play over a hundred rounds a year. Included in that number from last year, I shot in the 70’s about 15 times, in the 80’s about 80 times, and in the 90’s about 10. If you think that the fun part will only come when you’re shooting low scores, well I’m afraid that’s not going to happen. There have been a number of occassions where I’ve had the most fun and shot the worst round, which could be attributed to the group I played with, the beauty of the course, or some other intangible element.
If you’re a serious golfer, then each time you play you want to play better than the last time. However, one must temper one’s expectations with how much effort you can put forth. Vijay Singh can hit a 7-iron to within 10 feet of the pin anywhere from 150-175 yards, depending on wind, swing speed, etc. That’s because he hits 150 7 irons three times a week (not to mention all the other clubs in the bag).
A golf lesson is only as good as the amount of time you spend practicing the drill(s) your pro imparted. I’ve found that it could take me 4-5 (60 balls per) buckets to groove something that I’ve learned and has improved my game. The easiest way to fall back to bad habits is to not practice. And practicing could just mean taking 15 minutes and taking your 7-iron into the back yard and work on proper position through the swing. Doing little things like that can have a serious impact on your game, I know it has for me.
I play golf because it is what middle-aged american men are supposed to do. I’ve found it is important in business relationships, but other than that , i am continually asking myself “why”?. I guess it is a lot like many other cultural rittuals-like watching the superbowl: something that the culture expects that you should do-deviance from the norm is frowned upon.
When I used to play regularly, the fun part was the challenge of improving.
I always found driving ranges to be fun. Just hitting that ball as hard as possible without all the tedious anti-entropic buisness with getting the darn thing into a hole in the ground.
I suck at golf. I don’t know that I have ever played an entire round and kept a legit score and not given myself multiple mulligans, or used my special “right arm driver” (That is where I get frustrated with trying to hit a straight drive and just throw the ball onto the fairway). On the other hand though, I love playing golf. I like being outdoors, I like watching people who know what they are doing. I like driving those little carts all over the course. I like smoking a cigar and talking smack with my buddies/neighbors. I really like it when I do hit a great iron shot and land the ball on the green feet from the hole. I look at it this way, the worst day golfing is still better than being at home doing chores.
Even my wife says that, and she only plays about 20 rounds a year…
Yeah, the windmill is a bitch.
When? When buddy #1’s foot slips off the brake and he and buddy #2 have to dive out of the cart as it plunges over the 5 foot dam and into the lake. It becomes even funnier when buddy #3, who is standing on the green with you and laughing hysterically, realizes that his clubs are on that cart.
That just don’t happen at the bowling alley, my friend.
Golf will become fun the day you wake up and realize that you’re playing golf.