As an aside to Tom W's thread, I can say that no one introduced me to the game as I come from a non-golfing family.
But I evolved an interest starting about age 9. I got to go to a course very rarely until I got a driver's license. I did all kinds off odd and not so odd jobs to scrounge up money to buy some clubs and play. I scavenged for balls in water hazards.
Completely introduced to golf & self taught from watching TV.
Grade 10, I made my high school's golf team, which at the time, I thought was amazing. I bought my first set of good clubs, Wilson Staff X-31's (1971 model) for the princely sum of $271. Worked like a dog over a summer to make enough.
Who knows what is the mind of 9 year old? Perhaps seeing a golf ball fly through the air, land on a green next to a flagstick.