“Learning New Things” has been a theme in these pages over the last month. Over the last week, I decided to add something else to the list … hitting a golf ball effectively.

I used to golf a couple times a month when I was working.  I golfed the last Friday of the month with my brothers and our Dad – and usually another day each month with friends or for work.  That got me out on the course 12-15x a year, but not enough to actually learn how to strike a golf ball with any degree of consistency.  On a good 18-hole outing, I might break 100.  Most of the time, I didn’t.

You would think that early retirement would have been great for my golf game, but I ended up playing other sports instead. As a result, my golf outings crawled to almost nothing.  Over the last 5 years, I only got out 1-3x a year.  My swing shows it.  I think I might be the worst retired guy on the course!

This past winter, I shipped my clubs down to Florida and played a few times and went to the driving range a few times more.  I left the clubs down there when we returned to MN, thinking it was a good time to splurge on a new set of clubs.  My old Callaway Clubs were introduced waaaaay back in 2004.  After 22 years old, I might as well upgrade.

If I’m getting new clubs, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to hit them effectively? I’ve taken a few trips to the palatial PGA Super Store in our suburb and bought a membership at TopGolf.  It’s amazing how they can analyze every aspect of your swing in a simulator nowadays.

A big, new Topgolf just opened in our suburb and they have a $179/summer deal for “unlimited play” – weekdays 9a-5p and weekend mornings.   You can even bring up to 4 friends for free.  It sounded like the perfect deal for a retired goof-off like myself.

I’ve gotten a new golf bag already and just need to fill it up.  I’ve picked out some new Callaway irons (Senior shaft, now!), a new Ping putter, and a handy (but not illegal) Cleveland chipper.  I even went on eBay and found a use Wilson Staff “Trouble Wedge” that is in my bag in Florida. 

The biggest challenge I have is finding a new club to tee-off with.  I’ve never hit a driver well, so I’m looking at options.  I’m guessing that my issues are in my swing, not the club, so perhaps I’ll sign up for some lessons next. 2026 is shaping up to be the “year of golf” for me, we’ll see how it goes.

What role does the game play in your retirement?

Image: Pixabay