Golf was a sport that I was introduced to very early in my life. It's been a sport that has been played by everyone in my family and it's a part of our everyday life. My dad plays every day of the week and has been playing since he was three-years-old. I have golfed since I was three as well.
A golf club was placed in my hands as soon as I could stand. As I got a little older and was more stable on my feet, my dad showed me how to swing a golf club and then asked me to repeat the motion. An important thing to keep in mind is that golf is a very individualized sport; everyone's swing and approach to the game is very different. When I swung my golf club for the first time, my dad said, "Thank you, God."
My dad has always said that I was born with such a beautiful and natural swing. To this day, I still have other golfers approach me when they see me play golf because they want to complement me on my swing and how fluid it is. It's something that I really pride myself on.
Needless to say, as I was growing up, I had a pretty hectic and busy golf career. I grew up playing junior golf at my country club that we have belonged to for several years. I won many of those tournaments and traveled all over Pennsylvania to compete against other children my age. Then when I entered high school, I was put on the all-boys golf team. I played 2nd to 3rd man my first two years of high school. That means that I played in the first or second highest skilled/lowest scoring groups. When I entered into my junior year, I played first or second man. Then finally, when I entered into my senior year, I was named team captain and I played first man on the team. I had the lowest scoring average and every team that we had a match against, I was paired with a male. It was very evident that they were intimidated because they were scared to get beat by a girl. But a majority of the time, we had a blast together. I learned that I really enjoy playing with males and hate playing against girls through my experiences in high school golf matches.
Golf has given me a lot of takeaways and has definitely changed my life. The first thing that I have learned is to be humble and patient. Golf is a sport that you can never perfect. You have good days and you have bad days. It's constantly an ever changing battle. You have to learn to be patient or you will not be able to play golf because it's definitely trying and tests your patience. You also learn to be humble through golf. You will always have someone better than you. You need to learn to be humble because golf is just simply a humbling and friendly sport.
Another wonderful and special thing about golf is that my family is very lucky to have been friends with Arnold Palmer ever since he was a little boy. My grandfather and Arnold's dad, Deacon, were very good friends. From there, my dad was able to meet Deacon and eventually Arnold through that connection. Once I was born and started to grow up, I had the pleasure of getting to know Arnold as well as his family and grandchildren who were my age. Arnold changed my life because he was not only one of the most famous people in the golf community, but also the world. He was such a well respected and admired man because of how friendly, humble, and hard-working he was. I learned a lot from him especially in the aspect of how I want to conduct myself as a golfer as well as a human being. Arnold Palmer is my role model.
Golf is also a sport that you can play your entire life. It's not as strenuous as other sports may be, therefore you can play it a lot longer and enjoy it. I love walking while I play golf instead of riding in a cart. It allows me to get exercise but it also allows me time to think. It's also a wonderful sport because you can play it alone or with people as well. You don't always have to rely on other people to be there in order to play.
I am beginning to enter into the professional field when I get a full-time job in the next year. Golf is a great thing to have under your belt because a lot of business deals and relationships are done on the golf course. If you can play golf and conduct yourself in a professional and friendly manner, it looks good to people and really stands out. I'm glad that I have that skill that I can offer to my future employer.
Golf is just such a wonderful aspect of my life that I cherish a lot. It has given me so many opportunities and memories that I will never forget. I love that I can share this hobby with my family and friends. It's something that I plan on doing for as long as I can and hopefully will be able to teach my children and grandchildren how to play the game as well. It's wonderful to have something that you are so passionate about. Golf has truly changed my life and how I interact with other people.
