Golf: How Hard Can It Be?

"How Hard Can It Be?" is a new series that I'm starting on my blog. The idea of it is that I will try out a wide variety of sports, ranging from those that you hear about day in and day out, to those that you may have never even heard of before. Hopefully this might inspire you to pick up the clubs, gloves or weights that you've always fancied giving a go but never got around to.

So as you may have guessed, the first sport on the agenda is golf! I thought that I'd start with golf because I'm a novice with it, as many of you will be if you're choosing to try it out. My experience of golf is varied. I played relatively often as a child with my Dad and Brother but stopped for years and have only just started sporadically playing again in the last two summers. I have perhaps played a combined 10 times in the last year and a bit, so I am by no means trying to Catfish you here. That's part of the joy of playing a new sport, there's no expectation to be good at it. You can be absolutely shocking and still laugh it off, as opposed to a sport you play often and are keen about where you care a lot about the level of performance. A new sport makes for a far more relaxed atmosphere, and when you hit a brilliant shot or sink a great putt (still not happening often enough for my liking) it feels so good!

Even though its nearly impossible to sum up a sport in one blog post, that's what I'm going to attempt to do with golf so here goes:

Is It Difficult?
Golf is a really tough sport for beginners with regards to both learning the rules and the actual skill involved, it certainly helps to have some natural co-ordination and athletic ability. However, with practice anyone can pick it up which is why you see men and women playing this sport at literally any age. Hey, if a 5 year old girl or an 85 year old man can give it a go then so can you!

Is It Enjoyable?
Definitely! The only thing thats going to stop you from enjoying this game is you. If you come into this thinking you're going to be great and make no mistakes then you're going to come away disappointed and frustrated. If you can embrace the fact you're going to make mistakes then you're onto a winner. Golf is a game that allows for social interaction, whether going with your friends or family or playing with a total stranger on a competition day (less likely for beginners I know). It's a long game so you can have a chat about the meaning of life or last nights love island, whatever floats your boat.

Normally golf courses are beautiful, green places. That's another thing you might not get with other sports. Just being out on the course can relax you as you take in the well kept fairways with trees and animals all over the place. This makes it a great stress reliever to be out in the open with pretty surroundings distracting you from whatever's been on your mind. 

What To Wear
I thought I'd just talk you through my outfit that I chose to go for during the blog. So on my feet I wore the Adipower S boost 3 shoes. They have boost technology in them like the Ultraboosts I have featured in previous blog posts which makes them super comfortable to wear. Comfort is key during a round of golf seeing as you're out there for quite a while. 

You need to look smart while playing, thats just the way it is. So on my body I wore some smart chino shorts as well as an Adidas climacool 3-stripes polo top which is really understated but i love the Adidas detailing visible on the arm. Seeing as it seems to actually be quite nice weather in England for a change, I decided to go for a cap too which makes me feel a lot cooler than I actually look in it. Adidas have a great range of golf gear so check it out.

Is it Affordable?
Now, golf isn't perfect just like any sport. It has been seen as a bit of an upper class game, and although that perspective is changing now, it's still reflected in the price to get kitted out and then to book a course. However, for a beginner, picking up a really cheap set of clubs (or even hiring some) to go and whack a few balls and do your best Happy Gilmore impression will be enough to let you know whether you enjoy it or not. On a full course, depending on what day and time you choose to play you could play a round for as little as £10 which I think is pretty reasonable. 

Here's a challenge golf that I filmed during my round with my Dad and Brother recently, hopefully you enjoy it and it'll show you some of the points that I've spoken about so far:

Verdict?
Definitely give golf a go. Its relaxing, enjoyable and rewarding (with some frustration thrown in for good measure after smashing the ball into the lake yet again). It doesn't matter who you are, how fit you are or how old you are, anyone can play golf and that's what makes it a fantastic sport to try out. Who knows, you might just get hooked.