No idea how you guys remember this stuff. I played all sports, but golf was sort of regarded as an old guy’s hobby or for young guys who couldn’t play real sports. Yet my best buds and I came from golfing families and we had access to equipment and, more important, a very cool golf club in a wild place where we hunted, fished, went swimming, and often camped out overnight often for several days at a time. At some point we must have tried hitting balls to see how far we could bash them. As a young man, I helped my father build a golf course (in the same wild place I loved) so, tinkered around a little, usually with good players, just to see how they liked our efforts. I made a hole-in-one on probably something like the 2nd full round (9-hole) I played. Made a 13 on the next hole I was laughing so hard. That’s the only score I remember. As for architectural interest, I helped build a course before I ever played one seriously. Wow, are they hard to grow in in a hot climate.
Then, for the next twenty plus years, I played only the occasional round when I visited my folks or some friend insisted. I doubt that averaged a round a year. Keeping score wasn’t relevant for my game, yet, given my competitive background, I’m sure there was some kind of match involving bets. In my early 40’s, I even managed the family course for 5 years and never played. My reason: I knew if I ever started I’d become obsessed with trying to be good, just like every other sport I’d ever tried. And, having lots of friends who were good golfers, I just didn’t have the time to hang out at a golf course that much. Finally, at age 46, I think, with my kids mostly grown, I decided I was too old to ever be any good (thus safe from addiction) and that I ought to learn the game for social reasons and because I was in the golf biz. Took lessons, enjoyed practice on late summer evenings spent away from family, probably just hit balls for a full season before trying a round, and, of course, became completely addicted to the game (not my score, that came later). I think my first HC was about an 18 or so. So, a long, boring tale, although somewhat different, about how I became a crappy golfer.
I do think it sheds some light on a couple my current beliefs: I totally understand why the millennials don’t embrace the game (no time) and our support for junior golf (get addicted and learn early; it is so much easier than my journey). BTW, at our course we have the same grumpy old guys complaining about the kids as when I was a kid myself. Maybe not so many, but some things never change.