Thanks to Golf

I wasn’t supposed to play golf. I certainly wasn’t likely to become what many would consider a golf nerd. And I most certainly wasn’t expecting to travel the world, enjoy experiences I never could’ve dreamed of, or meet people who I can’t imagine living without now, all because of golf. 

Growing up, I had other athletic endeavors and dreams to chase. Golf seemed boring, slow, and took ages to play. It was something for old(er) people. Where’s the fun in that? Looking back, I’ve never been happier to be so completely wrong about something than I was about golf. 

High school golf teammates and competitors/friends.

It all started with #fomo. I started when I was 13, because my mom and older sister took lessons the year before. Not only did I dislike being left out, but the over-competitive side of me thought I could do better than them. But even during that six-week session when my instructor tried to sell me on the benefits of playing golf in high school—a chance of a college scholarship and the usefulness in my eventual career—I still thought, nah, golf isn’t my thing. 

I can’t explain what changed during high school or why I decided to quit volleyball to join the golf team, but the important thing is that it happened. There are very few moments in my life that I can unequivocally say were turning points, but this was one of them. It started me on an unfathomable career and life path. 

I went on to spend years working at the local golf course, a summer running IJGA tournaments (if you played in any IJGA tournaments in 2006, I most likely reminded you of Rule 20.1c), and eight years at the Illinois PGA (including a PGA Championship and Ryder Cup). Now I own my own golf travel business. 

Behind the scenes of the 2nd PSA I was part of for the PGA of America.

I’ve had one heck of a ride. The game I’ve come to know is very different than the one I thought I knew as a kid.

Golf is anything but boring. It’s exciting and unpredictable, an ever-changing puzzle that you never quite have all of the pieces to. Aside from time spent with family or friends, I can’t think of another singular activity that brings out the complete range of emotions that golf does. From complete euphoria, elation, and peace to bitter despair, frustration, and self-doubt, I’ve experienced it all many times: often during the same round, and always over an important putt. 

Royal County Down with a couple of my business partners and friend.

It may be a bit overdramatic to say that only the mentally tough can thrive in golf, but I think there’s some truth to that statement. Whether the game makes you mentally tough, or whether you’re able to succeed due to your predisposed mental toughness, is unclear. But what is clear to me is that golf has helped me become a better person on and off the course. While I may have been a leading candidate for the sportsmanship award in other sports, none pushed me in the way that golf did, because in those team sports I didn’t have to do everything on my own. There were teammates, coaches, and even referees to shoulder some of the work, the responsibility, and the rulings.

By nature, competitive golf should be one of the loneliest sports: it’s just you against the golf course. But I’ve found it to be quite the opposite. The people I meet and share the golf course with on any given day are one of the aspects I love most about the sport. I’ve made some of my best friendships through golf, and I’ve had existing relationships strengthened when learning we both play. It’s one of those things: when you meet another golfer, you know there’ll be a good chance that you’ll get along. 

I’ve been fortunate enough to meet some pretty incredible people who I never would’ve otherwise met. I’d go as far to say that after turning 22, nearly every meaningful friendship can be traced back to golf. Thanks to the game we love, former co-workers have become like family, previous clients are now my business partners and mentors, and international industry reps are close friends, despite living thousands of miles apart and only seeing each other a couple times a year. 

With some of my favorite pollinators after our 4th flight championship

There’s no denying that golf brings together people from all walks of life, but that’s not to say that every golfer will become your new best friend. We’ve all had a few random pairings on the golf course that has made us realize that we still need to find our people. Those numerous, random, pandemic-golf pairings prompted me to join NewClub. I’m coming up on my one-year anniversary of joining, and it feels like I’ve known some of you for years. I can’t imagine another scenario where I would’ve crossed paths with you, and not meeting you all would’ve been a damn shame.

I’ve always said that it’s more about who I’m with, not where I am. Nothing speaks to that more than this game and the people who play it. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been extremely fortunate to play some fantastic courses around the world, but I would easily trade a solo round at Royal County Down for a Sunday Rav game with some of my favorite pollinators. The moments we create while walking the fairways (and the rough, woods, and gunch) are what I remember the most. Those times can’t be duplicated anywhere else. While I still think golf can still take too long—friends don’t let friends play slow—the time spent on the course is priceless and invaluable.

Snowy St Andrews, late February 2022.

I’ll say it until I’m blue in the face: I was incredibly wrong about golf. While part of me wishes I started sooner in life, I’m a firm believer that timing is everything. Luckily, I wasn’t good enough to ever pursue golf very seriously after high school, which prevented potential burnout. Similar to how I’m usually better on the back nine than on the front, my love affair with golf has only gotten better with time. Thanks to golf, I’ve traveled the world, have made notable progress in ticking off courses on the World Top 100, US Top 100, and GB&I Top 100 lists, played The Old Course at St Andrews multiple times, kissed both the Claret Jug and Wannamaker trophy (pre-Covid), met many of the top PGA Tour pros, and received a hug from Boom Boom. More importantly, I’ve made countless friends and found a true passion in life. 

I don’t know where I’d be or what I’d be doing if it weren’t for golf. Thankfully, because of my early #fomo and over-competitive nature, I’ll never know the answer.