Entering the summer I decided to pick up golf. While it has been a struggle occasionally, I found a lot of fun in golf.

The struggle I mentioned just now was very real. Halfway through my first round, I decided to stop keeping score and finish my round. While golf can be very difficult for beginners and even professionals, I think there is a lot to enjoy about the sport.

One of my favorite parts of golf is the strategy and mind work that is involved. Sometimes golfers might be in a hairy position where they’re behind trees or have a hard shot. Golf gives you the opportunity to slow down and think about what you want to do.

After a golfer’s tee shot, they have to think about what club they will need to use. A lot of people use rangefinders that tell them how many yards they have to the green. I don’t have one so I usually have to guess what club will work.

I like the guessing game that’s involved in that because I believe it sets me up greatly in the future to know what club I will need at a particular distance. If I don’t pick the right club or hit the right shot, I know what I need to do to improve which I find rewarding.

Golf gives me the opportunity to improve and work on my skill set. I shot a 53 over par in nine holes in my second round of golf. While I was a little frustrated, I had fun learning and picking up things from my friends.

I became motivated to improve even if it was slightly. Over the summer I would go to the driving range and putting green to try to improve on my game. I even ordered wiffle balls that were used for practice that helped me with making good contact with the ball.

About a month after that disastrous round and some practice on par 3 courses around my home area, I was able to shoot 42 over par on the back nine of a similar course. I shedded 10 strokes and saw a lot of improvement in my swing. 

After going on a week-long trip and not playing golf during that stretch, on the front nine of that same course I shot 18 over par. I couldn’t believe how many strokes I was able to shed and how my game improved without any practice.

One of my favorite memories of the summer came from this round and the chance to play with my brother. The great thing about golf for us is the chance to have fun and not take it so seriously, but still try to do our best.

Golf is great in that area as you can see how hard you have worked through your play. Alongside my enjoyment of the sport, I also believe it is a great way to keep yourself in shape and stay active.

While it feels like a stationary activity, I find myself breaking a sweat very easily, especially on a warm day. During the swing you are using a lot of muscles in your body and because of that the sport is great at keeping those parts of your body active and worn.

I’m glad I got into golf as it is a great way to stay active and work areas in your brain and body. I’ve also enjoyed playing with my friends and family and the work that goes into golf to try to get better.

I am very excited to check out more golf courses in the future and reach new milestones.

Benes can be reached at [email protected].