I grew up playing tennis. My dad’s an avid tennis player and he encouraged me when I showed an interest in the sport. I first picked it up when I broke my arm and the doctor encouraged me to play to rehab my weakened muscles. I really enjoyed it and continued to play through middle school and eventually joined the high school tennis team. But I never had a passion for it like my dad did and was never very competitive. I think part of him was disappointed I didn’t show more of an interest, but he didn’t care…as long as I wasn’t playing golf.

To him, golf is a sport pastime that requires no athletic prowess. Unlike tennis where players have to have quick reflexes, good cardio, strength, and endurance, golf is swinging a club at a ball. And if you compare golfers to tennis players, golfers aren’t exactly the epitome of fit whereas tennis players are lean with muscles on top of muscles. As a result, my opinion of golf wasn’t exactly a high one. So when my girlfriend asked me to play with her, I was hesitant. I’m using to running, rock climbing, and biking, what would I think of an activity where most the time is spent waiting and riding around in a golf cart?

I absolutely loved it!

The weather was gorgeous – blue skies and fluffy clouds and temps in the low 80s. The course was beautiful with rolling hills, woods, and scenic views where you could see for miles. There was an old red barn on the course with a low stone wall lined with apple trees that were bursting with ripened fruit. Deer and rabbits peeked out from behind trees as I lined up my shots across huge expanses of verdant lawns. We brought water and snacks with us to munch on as we sat in our golf cart and waited for golfers ahead of us to move along. I learned that it is challenging and frustrating to learn a proper swing whether it was driving off a tee or hitting across the fairway, but I also learned to enjoy a good hit when I occasionally got one as well as the art of relaxing.

Now I’m hooked. I don’t think I could ever just golf as I love the physical exertion of my other fitness loves, but it does make the perfect complement and is perfect for my rest days between training. I can’t wait to get back out on the course and improve my game! 🙂