I'm a middle-aged dude that's become mildly addicted to tennis over this past year after playing off and on for close to 20 years. One big difference I see with golf is the time commitment. At 45, there's only so much tennis (or soccer, basketball, etc.) my body can handle in a day, week, month so I never play or practice for more than an hour-and-a-half or so at a time. But because golf is less physically taxing, guys can easily disappear for a whole day playing 18 and then taking swings at the range.
What surfing and golf share is that the obstacle to navigate is the natural environment. Each wave and each hole provide a continuous but varied set of natural challenges to overcome and I think there's something about that experience that sets off something elemental in the (male) human brain.
My theory: When you suck at golf it feels great because you’ll have unexpected great shots. You get better, and unexpected greatness becomes less common, so you need more golf to deliver the same high. And most people can’t start golfing and keep playing - successful people can.
i wonder how much “image” (mimesis) has to do with it. i have a friend who has gotten increasingly more addicted to golf, and my theory is that he wouldn’t be as into it if it wasn’t a signifier of being rich and successful
this friend has more of a “keeping up with the jones” slant than most people i know, to the point where the car he drives and even the dog he owns all seem more like signifiers than anything.
i think if you play a lot and are pretty good, people will assume you have the money, status, etc. to not only afford to play money wise but also time wise.
if that wasn’t the prevailing thought about golfers, i think he wouldn’t have gotten as into it
There's a lot of reasons to love golf - you're outdoors, you can be competitive (even when playing by yourself), the mechanics of it can be fascinating. But I think it's the feeling when you hit it perfect - the sound, the feel, the ball coming out of the right window. Then the feeling of hope and doubt when it's in the air.
There's a lot to chase in golf. But chasing that really perfect shot is right up there. Might be every few rounds when you start, then more frequently as you improve. And for that one shot, you might be better than a tour playet. And you feel like you should be able to do it every time. But you can't. But you keep chasing it.
I think the chase is also why surfing is so addictive. Chasing those "perfect" waves (and the feeling while riding them) and the weather and swell conditions that will yield them. Plus, surfers can get just as lost in chasing the perfect quiver of boards the way golfers chase the perfect bag of clubs.
That sounds awesome. I would love to Matrix surfing skill into my brain for a day just to see what it's like. But I dont think it's ever going to happen for me.
Ethan, you must watch "Men of a Certain Age" on HBO Max. Ray Romano's character is on the cusp of 50 and his dream is to qualify for the Senior PGA Tour. The golf theme really starts around season 1, episode 8.
I'm a middle-aged dude that's become mildly addicted to tennis over this past year after playing off and on for close to 20 years. One big difference I see with golf is the time commitment. At 45, there's only so much tennis (or soccer, basketball, etc.) my body can handle in a day, week, month so I never play or practice for more than an hour-and-a-half or so at a time. But because golf is less physically taxing, guys can easily disappear for a whole day playing 18 and then taking swings at the range.
What surfing and golf share is that the obstacle to navigate is the natural environment. Each wave and each hole provide a continuous but varied set of natural challenges to overcome and I think there's something about that experience that sets off something elemental in the (male) human brain.
My theory: When you suck at golf it feels great because you’ll have unexpected great shots. You get better, and unexpected greatness becomes less common, so you need more golf to deliver the same high. And most people can’t start golfing and keep playing - successful people can.
i wonder how much “image” (mimesis) has to do with it. i have a friend who has gotten increasingly more addicted to golf, and my theory is that he wouldn’t be as into it if it wasn’t a signifier of being rich and successful
this friend has more of a “keeping up with the jones” slant than most people i know, to the point where the car he drives and even the dog he owns all seem more like signifiers than anything.
i think if you play a lot and are pretty good, people will assume you have the money, status, etc. to not only afford to play money wise but also time wise.
if that wasn’t the prevailing thought about golfers, i think he wouldn’t have gotten as into it
There's a lot of reasons to love golf - you're outdoors, you can be competitive (even when playing by yourself), the mechanics of it can be fascinating. But I think it's the feeling when you hit it perfect - the sound, the feel, the ball coming out of the right window. Then the feeling of hope and doubt when it's in the air.
There's a lot to chase in golf. But chasing that really perfect shot is right up there. Might be every few rounds when you start, then more frequently as you improve. And for that one shot, you might be better than a tour playet. And you feel like you should be able to do it every time. But you can't. But you keep chasing it.
I think the chase is also why surfing is so addictive. Chasing those "perfect" waves (and the feeling while riding them) and the weather and swell conditions that will yield them. Plus, surfers can get just as lost in chasing the perfect quiver of boards the way golfers chase the perfect bag of clubs.
That sounds awesome. I would love to Matrix surfing skill into my brain for a day just to see what it's like. But I dont think it's ever going to happen for me.
Thanks Ethan! Fun conversation.
And yes, I suck at golf too. Bowling is more my speed. Highest score I ever had was a 257.
Ethan, you must watch "Men of a Certain Age" on HBO Max. Ray Romano's character is on the cusp of 50 and his dream is to qualify for the Senior PGA Tour. The golf theme really starts around season 1, episode 8.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1534204/?ref_=ttep_ep_8