Diary of a Novice Golfer: The Weekend Getaway

I came across a video online of a girl who booked an all inclusive weekend getaway with her partner where she got to go to the spa and he got to play golf all weekend. Honestly, it was news to me that people under 60 were allowed at these all inclusive resorts, but with my partner’s 30th coming up, I couldn’t think of a better present. 

I was nervous leading up to the weekend for several reasons, take a sip of wine for each of the reasons that resonate with you:

🏌️I wasn’t sure I had the right clothes to wear. Every club expects different levels of etiquette, so I wasn’t sure a pair of tights would do the trick. I quickly ordered some snazzy golf pants online, and borrowed my flatmate’s best merino jumper for the occasion. 

🏌️What if I get yelled at? I’ve read so many stories of women getting blamed for holding the game up and I was sure this was going to happen to me and it would take away the fun of the weekend. 

🏌️Generally not being good at golf. For some reason I thought that if I played bad enough they would kick me off the course. 

🏌️What if I’m the only female on the course? Why is it that when you are the only woman playing amongst men, you feel like you represent every woman around the world? 

🏌️I’d never played 18 holes before! I didn’t think I’d be able to last the full round, let alone two days in a row and was concerned that maybe I’d picked the wrong sport. 

🏌️On that last point, what if all the above came true and I decided I didn’t like golf anymore?? 

So with all of this running through my mind, we packed up the rental car and went on our way. The course in question is a 2 hour drive into the British countryside. Coming into Autumn, the trees were all shades of the rainbow, the air was crisp and I was happy just to be out of the city. Here’s what I learnt over the two days:

🏌️While the etiquette at this golf course was somewhat relaxed, wearing my snazzy golf pants and cute jumper made me feel confident as hell on the golf course. I recall walking into the hotel after the game and thinking yes, you are seeing that right, I’ve been golfing today. 

🏌️So no-one yelled at me. In fact, we made friends with so many people on the course, everyone was just out there doing their best. 

🏌️By hole 2, I knew I was going to be okay. I saw people shanking the ball in all directions, combing through leaves looking for their balls, balls in ponds, balls in bushes and plenty of F***S. Whilst I certainly wasn’t the best out there, it was a great reminder that this is not the PGA and golf is hard for everyone. 

🏌️Yup, being a woman out there is still daunting. On day one I only saw one female and I was feeling the pressure of the race on my shoulders. Fortunately everyone else was focusing on their own game to notice anything out of the ordinary and I quickly got over myself - it helped that I did a few good middle range whacks onto the green with some spectators.

🏌️I managed to last both rounds of 18 holes, especially after a pint at half time. I did however lose all patience and apparently any skill after hole 15 on both rounds. While I am happy to say I have now played 18 holes, I can’t say I’ve played them well. 

So, would I recommend a golf weekend getaway as a beginner golfer? Absolutely, I would. The weather was beautiful, the scenery was stunning, I felt confidence increasing as I went on and I got to spend time with my partner. 

For those that are still hesitant, Pro golfer Max Homa recently said ‘If you are a casual golfer not playing tournaments and I can’t stress this enough, do whatever you want. This game sucks and is impossible. Just have fun’.