Why Golf? 

Golf has always been around me, even when I wanted nothing to do with it. Growing up, my grandfather worked as the starter at our town’s municipal golf course for well over a decade. He had a reputation. He did not take any nonsense. But if you gave him respect, he gave it right back. He was fair, steady, and proud of that course. That muni was his place, and everyone knew it.

As a kid, I did not care about golf. I played lacrosse and soccer, and by the time I was 12 or 13, that was my world. My grandfather tried to get me interested. He set up lessons and encouraged me to give it a real shot. But honestly, it only made me resent the game more. I could not hit the ball. It felt slow and frustrating. I did not understand it, and I did not want to.

Before I ever grew to appreciate the game or what it meant to him, my grandfather passed away. I never got to play a round with him. That is something that still makes me sad every time I step onto a course. I play that course at least once a year and there is always a small part of me that wishes I could walk up to the first tee and see him there, waiting to send us off.

Golf became meaningful to me later in life. In college, my parents moved to Florida and my dad started playing again. I began joining him, at first just to spend time together. What I did not expect was how much those rounds would mean to me. Four hours of conversation, competition, and quiet moments between shots. No distractions. Just us. Those memories are some of the most valuable I have, and I know I will carry them for the rest of my life.

Over time, my perspective changed. Golf stopped being something slow and boring. It became something honest and challenging. It mirrors life in a way no other sport does. It humbles you. It exposes your weaknesses. Some days you do everything right and still get a bad result. Other days you recover from a mistake and find a way forward. It teaches patience, resilience, and accountability.

What I love most is that you cannot simply be good at golf. Talent is not enough. It requires discipline, practice, focus, and emotional control. It asks you to show up again after bad rounds and missed putts. Improvement is earned through consistency and self awareness. The game forces you to grow.

Golf is more than a game to me. It is a vessel for connection, for growth, and for character. It connects me to my grandfather. It gives me time with my dad and sometimes my whole family. It challenges me to become more disciplined and present in every part of my life. It is not just something I play. It is something that continues to shape who I am becoming.

(Pictured is me and my family in front of the starters window where my grandfather worked.)