As I start sharing my thoughts on golf through this blog, I ought to explain why I chose this name for the blog. A bogey-golfer averages close to a bogey per hole, or in other words has a handicap of about 18.
I started playing golf almost two years ago, with a few lessons from the local pro in Pune. As I have progressed from being a beginner to an intermediate golfer with a handicap of 24, the one thing that has become abundantly clear to me is that golf is simultaneously a singularly frustrating and rewarding pursuit. My first official handicap was listed as 36, and shortly thereafter I got an opportunity to play in an invitational event organized by the brand of clubs I had purchased recently. The entry bar was set at 24-handicap, and I got in by listing my handicap as 24. Needless to say, I got my butt kicked pretty good during the event, but the experience was invaluable.
Over time my handicap dropped all the way to 24, and then creeped back up to 27, where it stayed for almost 7-8 months. The dreams of becoming a single-digit handicapper in 2 years were quickly put to sleep by a healthy dose of triples, quadruples, quintuples, and three-putts. Through the trials and tribulations of working on my swing, the endless putting practice, and the Sensex like fluctuations in my scores, I realized that becoming a bogey golfer in a reasonable period of time was a more realistice expectation. I also showed myself a little pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, by resolving to buy a driver once I reached a handicap of 18. Currently I am at 24 and there is some way to go to add the driver to my bag.
During this time I have also realized that becoming a bogey-golfer is a watershed event in the life of a golfer who is starting out. Some get to it much faster than others, but it is a very significant milestone neveretheless. At 32+ you are a glorified hacker, at 24+ you have promise and potential, but at 18 you have truly arrived as a serious recreational golfer. People look at you differently when you are at 18 or under.
Hence the name of this blog. This blog is intended to be a chronicle of my struggles and rewards, as I play this great game, and work on becoming a bogey-golfer. If you choose to leave a comment or have a conversation on this subject through this blog, I would be delighted.
Happy golfing!
I started playing golf almost two years ago, with a few lessons from the local pro in Pune. As I have progressed from being a beginner to an intermediate golfer with a handicap of 24, the one thing that has become abundantly clear to me is that golf is simultaneously a singularly frustrating and rewarding pursuit. My first official handicap was listed as 36, and shortly thereafter I got an opportunity to play in an invitational event organized by the brand of clubs I had purchased recently. The entry bar was set at 24-handicap, and I got in by listing my handicap as 24. Needless to say, I got my butt kicked pretty good during the event, but the experience was invaluable.
Over time my handicap dropped all the way to 24, and then creeped back up to 27, where it stayed for almost 7-8 months. The dreams of becoming a single-digit handicapper in 2 years were quickly put to sleep by a healthy dose of triples, quadruples, quintuples, and three-putts. Through the trials and tribulations of working on my swing, the endless putting practice, and the Sensex like fluctuations in my scores, I realized that becoming a bogey golfer in a reasonable period of time was a more realistice expectation. I also showed myself a little pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, by resolving to buy a driver once I reached a handicap of 18. Currently I am at 24 and there is some way to go to add the driver to my bag.
During this time I have also realized that becoming a bogey-golfer is a watershed event in the life of a golfer who is starting out. Some get to it much faster than others, but it is a very significant milestone neveretheless. At 32+ you are a glorified hacker, at 24+ you have promise and potential, but at 18 you have truly arrived as a serious recreational golfer. People look at you differently when you are at 18 or under.
Hence the name of this blog. This blog is intended to be a chronicle of my struggles and rewards, as I play this great game, and work on becoming a bogey-golfer. If you choose to leave a comment or have a conversation on this subject through this blog, I would be delighted.
Happy golfing!
