There's a game out there. Call it Game X. You have to play Game X for at least 5 years before you'll be any good at all at it. Until then, it will frustrate the hell out of you. If you want to get good at Game X, you'll probably have to take Game X lessons at $120 an hour once a week or so for a few years.
There's a game out there. Call it Game Y. You only have to play Game Y for at least 4 hours before you realize you'll never be any good at it. After that it will never again frustrate the hell out of you. You never waste money taking Game Y lessons, what moron would ever spend $120 an hour once a week or so for a few years to learn a game?
Basic implements for Game X cost $1000. You will lose one or two Game X Balls every time you play, at least. They cost $3 each. Some guys lose 6 balls every time they play.
Basic implements for Game Y cost $100 at the bargain barn. You will lose one or two Game Y balls every time you play, at least.They cost $.33 each at Bob's Experienced Ball Bin. Some guys lose 6 balls every time they play but you usually find a dozen while looking for your strays.
Even though Game X can be played on public areas, you need to reserve the playing field for Game X. At the best Game X sites, that runs north of $100 per play. You'll probably play about 50 times a year.
Even though Game Y can be played on public areas, you seldom need to reserve the playing field for Game Y because you play off peak. At the best Game X sites, the price runs north of $100 per play but you find fun Game Y sites that cost around $25.00 in the afternoon. You'll probably play about 50 times a year or more at those prices.
You'll practice Game X once or twice a week for another $10 each time you practice.
You'll never have to practice Game Y once or twice a week, why pay another $10 each time to practice? It's not like it's going to help.
If you don't like the public route, there are Game X clubs. They cost $50K to join and about $20K a year when all is said and done. Some cost far more to join and are more expensive annually. Every once in a while your Game X Club will send you a bill for $10-20K so they can change the drapes in the money-losing dining room or install a new overwatering system (which they'll call a sprinkler system) or a new blacktop upon which they will promptly overpaint the parking lot because their membership apparently hasn't figured out how to pull into a parking space after 40 years of trying.
You like public golf but heard there are clubs that cost 50K to join and about $20K a year when all is said and done. Some cost far more to join and are more expensive annually. You wonder why people spend that kind of money on golf.
Once you really love Game X, you'll fly all over the country and if you're a real fanatic, you'll fly all around the world to play Game X in different places. That'll cost you $5K a year, minimum.
You really love Game Y buy you wouldn't fly all over the country to play it and you surely wouldn't fly all around the world to play it, no way, hell that'd cost you $5K a year, minimum.
Your wife will get jealous of Game X. To mollify her, you will increase your blow-up point over annual wifely discretionary fiscal waste by a good $5-10K before you blow your stack over $700 purses and $400 shoes and such.
Your wife will never get jealous of Game Y, she's too happy having you out of the house. It gives her a chance to go shopping with her girlfriends and buy out the Dollar Store.
After every time you play Game X, you will probably spend $20 or so on drinks and bad appetizers.
After every time you play Game Y, you will probably spend $5 or so on a Genny and a dog.
Once you become known as a good Game X player, your business and personal lives become intertwined with Game X. You will be in hot demand for non-productive afternoons of hookey and work late at night to make up for lost time. You will be peer pressured to play twice on weekends. Because your wife and children will be jealous of your time, you will take them to all sorts of expensive make-up activities.
You will never become known as a good Game Y player but you're in hot demand for non-productive afternoons of hookey because you're a good egg. You play twice on weekends because your wife and children like to visit her mother. You gladly give them the gas money and a few bucks for incidentals.
Anybody want to be the first guy to take up Game X?
Anybody want to be the first guy to give up Game Y?