All you need is love (and golf)

Golf will forever be etched in our hearts as the first sport our son ever loved. Sure he enjoys playing badminton and basketball too but it’s only golf that he pursues with unrelenting passion and commitment.

I knew he was smitten when he started exhibiting the following symptoms:

He is on a high before, during, and after playing golf and can’t seem to get enough. Can I play golf even if it’s raining? I’ll just be at the driving range. In sembreak/summer/holidays, can I play golf every day?

He thinks about golf even during non-golf days, with most of his decisions revolving around golf. It depends mom, can I still play golf if we do that? I can’t on Fridays dad, that’s a golf day. Oh no! There’s a storm? I hope I can still play golf.

It stresses him badly when he did not have a good game. Our son is not the broody type and he normally bounces back to his happy self after encountering defeat or disappointment. But not when it comes to golf. He tends to beat himself up for not being at the top of his game, even for a casual short game challenge.

He’s okay with the unfriendly aspects of golf (the sweltering heat, the burning sun, the humidity, being drenched in sweat) and doesn’t notice being tired even after over two hours in the fairway. In fact, he seems more pumped up to do his homework after golf practice.

If that isn’t love, baby, I don’t know what is.

To be honest, I had my apprehensions about allowing him to try golf last summer. It’s an expensive sport and I wished he picked something easier and more sustainable, one that won’t require a car-ride, special equipment or special lessons. Despite the cons, we eventually heeded to his choice when we saw the determination in his eyes, and enrolled him in FunGolf Academy by Coach Heidi Chua for the summer. FunGolf is a 10-session golf lessons for beginners, suggested by our family friend. At first we thought he wouldn’t like it (He doesn’t really like the outdoors… nor the sun… nor the sweat) but he surprised us all by having a knack for the sport that he even won the top medal in the culminating game.

That’s when we knew that golf will be a big part of his middle childhood years…or maybe even beyond.

Now I realize that this accidental love actually works to our advantage as it fits our family’s vision and parenting principles perfectly:

Playing golf means spending time outdoors.

Walking outdoors, breathing fresh air, and basking in the sun are not only good healthful habits but moreover naturally help our son’s D3 deficiency. A big plus is that it keeps him away from indoor video games and TV for hours.

Golf thrives on quiet time and mindfulness.

In a world of constantly being hooked to a gadget and being online, I love the contemplation and concentration that go with every golf game, promoting composure and a calm disposition. Our son now knows from personal experience that if he gets upset over a bad shot, he will end up ruining his game so he needs to keep his emotions in check.

Golf teaches focus and discipline.

I’m overwhelmed by the volume of rules that need to be considered just to make that one shot and am simply amazed how golfers remember everything by heart. I love how the sport makes our son analyze his game and proactively ask his coach how he can do better.

Golfers learn responsibility and accountability.

A bad shot hit is all on you, as my son learned. He knows that if he takes the game seriously and gives it his best try, he has higher chances of controlling the golf ball than just swinging away mindlessly. No room for a blame game.

And perhaps the best benefit I observe is the continuous learning that comes with playing the sport. As the great American professional golfer Ben Hogan said, “I never played a round when I didn’t learn something new about the game.” I guess you can say we have also learned to love golf. I hope I can be this open-minded and accepting too when my son falls in love with a girl for the first time. 😉