For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Louie Oviedo. At the time of this writing I am a 27 year old rookie golfer who has become as intrigued by the game of golf as many before him, with the similar task of trying to become better than most of them. Some debate whether it is a game for the obsessed, while others have argued it is the worst mistake an obsessive can make. So many variables in the game can quickly make one crazy trying to master this craft.
In March of 2013, I fell into the trap. My father, who I’ve noticed looking back on life has encouraged me toward golf a couple of different times (for reasons I really can’t decipher), bought my sister and I an hour at a ‘virtual golf’ simulator, in an effort to get us all together as a family. While we both sucked incredibly, I got bit. Bit by the golf bug. The golf bug is that bug that comes around right before you swing. You come down perfectly on the ball even though you don’t really know what you are doing. The ball shoots up, beautifully, lunging towards the target, and suddenly, the game seems so simple! WOW! I am good at this! It is the feeling that all golfers who love the game enjoy most – it’s what keeps you coming back, bad round after bad round. It shows up and piques your interest, and then intermittently pops back around when you are frustrated and ready to quit.
After enjoying my time with my dad and sis, I took my club set, which I’d gotten from my dad when I was about 12, out to the driving range and hit balls with my wife. While we both had a frustrating time, we both enjoyed it massively. After discussing it on the drive home, we decided we would buy clubs and make it ‘our thing’ to learn and do together.
Unfortunately, with an infant son born in October of the previous year, playing golf as a couple turned out to be an unrealistic goal, and while my wife definitely enjoyed her time on the course, she was chasing down other endeavors and hadn’t been bitten in quite the same way as I had.
Over the course of the spring and summer I quickly became entrenched in learning more about the game and how to become a respectable golfer on the course. While I am certainly no expert, my journey towards good golf has been filled with interesting tidbits of knowledge and great experiences, and sharing these with you may help you along YOUR journey. I would welcome anyone who loves the game of golf to enjoy the benefits of my trials as I learn the game, and especially other new golfers who have an active interest in bettering their game and need some of the information that I have acquired (the easy way AND the hard way), to facilitate YOUR journey as well. Many have said, I agree, that golf is a microcosm of life. The enduring of failure, and the rewards of patience and dedication, the uniqueness each situation, all with the added touch of natural beauty, luck, and camaraderie make it by far one of the most wonderful pastimes I’ve taken part in. Come join the fun, and the fluster. If you have any questions, I certainly welcome them, and can both share my experience as well as give an educated answer as I research (or likely already HAVE researched).
