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I hate golf, is this a problem?

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 5:36 pm
by 1800calturk
Golf is one of the most boring "sports" ever invented. It's bad for your joints and give you blisters, all the while not being exerting or mentally captivating in the slightest. I played contact sports all my life so it's not like I'm not a sports guy, but I gotta say, I find golf mind-numbing the few times I forced myself to give it a go. I wouldn't mind so much being incredibly bored if I wasn't also having to get in and out of a tiny vehicle to stand around on some grass.

Is this going to be a problem for me in my legal career? What can I do to learn enough about the game, and pick up some rudimentary skill, if I don't enjoy it at all?

Re: I hate golf, is this a problem?

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 5:42 pm
by richardfitzwell
Good luck on the bar exam golf is 31.23% of your score, bro.

Re: I hate golf, is this a problem?

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 5:43 pm
by UrbanAchievers
1800calturk wrote:Golf is one of the most boring "sports" ever invented. It's bad for your joints and give you blisters, all the while not being exerting or mentally captivating in the slightest. I played contact sports all my life so it's not like I'm not a sports guy, but I gotta say, I find golf mind-numbing the few times I forced myself to give it a go. I wouldn't mind so much being incredibly bored if I wasn't also having to get in and out of a tiny vehicle to stand around on some grass.

Is this going to be a problem for me in my legal career? What can I do to learn enough about the game, and pick up some rudimentary skill, if I don't enjoy it at all?
Bring a six pack to the course next time. hth.

Re: I hate golf, is this a problem?

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 5:44 pm
by charlesjd
I love golf.

Re: I hate golf, is this a problem?

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 5:45 pm
by holydonkey
Sucking at golf is not a problem. Other people like to win. Just learn to look happy while you suck at golf and buy everyone drinks at the club house afterward and you're golden.

Homer Simpson sucked at bowling, but he made a fortune as a beer baron.

Re: I hate golf, is this a problem?

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 5:46 pm
by romothesavior
Find a new profession. No one will hire you if you don't like golf.

Re: I hate golf, is this a problem?

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 5:48 pm
by richardfitzwell
Image

Re: I hate golf, is this a problem?

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 5:48 pm
by Teoeo
Honestly, you shouldn't go to law school. Golf is an essential part of the private sector and your handicap is actually an important factor when going up for raises....

Re: I hate golf, is this a problem?

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 5:51 pm
by Scurredsitless1
You just don't love golf yet....

Contact sports are cool when you're a kid. Soon you won't be able to play those sports like you used to. Others "sports" become much more interesting, like running, golf, tennis, and i assume someday shuffleboard. The desire to stay athletically competitive will stay with you long after playing contact sports is reasonable.

Re: I hate golf, is this a problem?

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 5:57 pm
by S de Garmeaux
It becomes much easier to like golf when you don't care about your score, skills, or technique. Then youre just out on a sunny day smacking balls around with friends, maybe getting them in a hole every once in a while. Theres nothing less fun, though, than being in a group of people golfing and 1-2 of them takes it wayyyy too seriously.

+1 to beer too.

Re: I hate golf, is this a problem?

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 5:58 pm
by HBK
First, if you're getting hand blisters, the problem is one of the following: a) you are not wearing a glove b) the glove you're wearing doesn't fit c)you're gripping the clubhead too tightly d) you are going to the driving range and hitting waaay too many balls. If it's feet blisters you either need better socks or need to break in your shoes.

When I started playing, it was more of a social thing than a sport. You get to drive around drinking beer with your friends on a beautifully landscaped park. And you get to smash the crap out of things with metal sticks. Plus, it's a valid excuse to get out of the house if you're cooped up with a SO.

Golf is something that becomes more enjoyable the more you play. The better you get, the more fun it is. When you're shooting 120, you don't really care about bad shots, and any good shots were just you getting lucky. But when you start to get better, those shots mean a lot more.

When you're starting out buy cheap balls. A $5 Titleist will not improve your game at this level. Buy some Top Flites or recycled balls. That way when you lose a ball, you can just move on. Don't spend more than three minutes looking for a ball. It will piss off any good golfers playing with you, and it will piss off the people behind you on the course.

It's great for me professionally. I am not an attorney, but I get to leave the office usually four times a year to go play in Charity tournaments with clients (on the company dime). 4 hours of face time + booze = a strong client relationship.

Take some lessons, and play courses. Playing courses will improve your game far more than going to the driving range. If lessons are too expensive, some courses and driving ranges have classes for $15-25 bucks.

The whole: "I play sports, I should be good at this" is the same thing most guys think when they start golf. Except being physically fit or strong really doesn't help much. It's a game of technique, and practice is the only way to get better.

Again, I am not an attorney, so I don't know how this will affect your career.

Re: I hate golf, is this a problem?

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 6:00 pm
by Mr. Pablo
You can hate golf as long as you like tennis or racquetball, or anything active that is available at your club. Being a member of a country club is important because then you can 1)invite your coworkers and the partners for a game of something and 2) the club is where all the other rich people are, and rich people are your clients (if you are in a large firm).
If you are not in large firm, forget it. No-one else gives a shit.

Re: I hate golf, is this a problem?

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 6:01 pm
by KNW13
If you want to learn to get better - invest in a good teaching pro especially one who might be able to make it fun.

That being said, should the opportunity arise that you must play golf (which is a 99.99% gurantee in your career), I find a good sense of humor is always necessary if you're unskilled....and staying hydrated with beverages from the beer cart, might make you relaxed enough to actually enjoy yourself.

Re: I hate golf, is this a problem?

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 6:03 pm
by notanumber
Don't listen to all the haters. You'll have no problems getting hired or passing the bar with sub-par golf skills.

You'll never make partner, though.

Re: I hate golf, is this a problem?

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 6:57 pm
by 1800calturk
Hmm good advice everyone. For some reason I actually never thought of beer, I approached the thing like a sport.

Re: I hate golf, is this a problem?

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 10:43 pm
by Mr. Pablo
Plenty of people take hunting trips. Remember when dick Cheney shot his buddy in the face? Yeah, that trip was roughly equivalent to a golf outing. You shouldn't shoot any of the partners or your clients though (not until you are the VP at any rate).
People also go fishing, but it has to be adventurous- like fly-fishing or sea-fishing (no one wants to go fishing in that river near your house). Buy a boat.

Re: I hate golf, is this a problem?

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 11:27 pm
by Ignatius J. Reilly
Golf is awesome! Try it and you will like it. As far as it affecting you career, I doubt that. It definitely can't hurt, though. I know a lot of my fellow students don't play golf at all. It sucks because I am not from where I go to law school and it would be nice to have some playing partners. Even if you are no good, it's still fun to get out and walk (yes, I said walk) nine holes in the evening. It can be therapeutic.

Re: I hate golf, is this a problem?

Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 12:32 am
by seespotrun
UrbanAchievers wrote:
1800calturk wrote:Golf is one of the most boring "sports" ever invented. It's bad for your joints and give you blisters, all the while not being exerting or mentally captivating in the slightest. I played contact sports all my life so it's not like I'm not a sports guy, but I gotta say, I find golf mind-numbing the few times I forced myself to give it a go. I wouldn't mind so much being incredibly bored if I wasn't also having to get in and out of a tiny vehicle to stand around on some grass.

Is this going to be a problem for me in my legal career? What can I do to learn enough about the game, and pick up some rudimentary skill, if I don't enjoy it at all?
Bring a [strike]six pack[/strike] case to the course next time. hth.
ftfy. hth.

Re: I hate golf, is this a problem?

Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 12:41 am
by Renzo
Golf is a huge waste of time and grass.

Re: I hate golf, is this a problem?

Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 3:23 pm
by Scurredsitless1
Mr. Pablo wrote:Plenty of people take hunting trips. Remember when dick Cheney shot his buddy in the face? Yeah, that trip was roughly equivalent to a golf outing. You shouldn't shoot any of the partners or your clients though (not until you are the VP at any rate).
People also go fishing, but it has to be adventurous- like fly-fishing or sea-fishing (no one wants to go fishing in that river near your house). Buy a boat.
I worked for a company that owned a huge hunting reserve in SC. We would go there one week a year for meetings. The meetings were usually a couple hours a day. The rest of the day people would golf, fish, hunt, shoot skeet, or some would just hang out and drink all day. The hunting was pretty sweet. You could shoot deer, turkey, quail, or ducks.

I went to the camp with the law dept, and most of the lawyers golfed.

It was a really nce place, but I found most of the employees hated going. I guess in that enviroment there were plenty of career ending opportunities. People that didn't take part in any activities were definitely looked down upon.

Re: I hate golf, is this a problem?

Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 3:26 pm
by chocho
holydonkey wrote:Sucking at golf is not a problem. Other people like to win. Just learn to look happy while you suck at golf and buy everyone drinks at the club house afterward and you're golden.

Homer Simpson sucked at bowling, but he made a fortune as a beer baron.
yeah, sucked like a fox

Re: I hate golf, is this a problem?

Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 3:29 pm
by Solerpower
I'm not sure if turk is taking what people are saying seriously, but you DO NOT need to know how to play golf to get partner, or any job. This is probably because you won't have a lot of time to actually golf.

However, it does help. If you go golfing with partners, drink some beers, and place bets, and win a partner some money, its an awesome social experience.

Golf is a sport, it is physically and mentally demanding. Being a boxer, I don't expect you to understand that. But, if you want to have a nice, relaxing, enjoyable time, Golf is an awesome choice.

Re: I hate golf, is this a problem?

Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 3:33 pm
by nealric
My firm replaced its annual golf outing with a cycling event.

The primary thing is that you should have some activity you could do with clients down the road for business development purposes (although the importance of that could vary a lot by practice).

Re: I hate golf, is this a problem?

Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 4:00 pm
by Burgstaller04
Wow. I seem to have this exact same problem. My fiance, who's dad was in biglaw, said that i'd better learn to like golf or tennis to have a chance. I hate both. I never thought about racquetball though. i love that freaking game.

Re: I hate golf, is this a problem?

Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 4:07 pm
by jdhonest
Hating golf is not a problem. You coming off as such a huge, whiny and myopic douche-bag is a problem.