Here We Go…
It’s March 2022. It’s cold, wet and I’ve just watched my third ball go into the pond off the tee on the 1st hole at Kingsnorth golf club in Kent.
I have so many emotions going through my mind as I setup the ball and finally get it over the pond, landing just short of the green -
Embarrassment - what must the others around me on the course think?!
Anger/Confusion - Why can I not hit this ball - I can do it on the range!
Self Doubt - Maybe this sport isn’t for me…
The prevailing emotion though is one of jubilation and relief. I can finally move onto a part of the game I’m more confident at (playing around and on the green) and onto the next hole where (fingers crossed) I’ll surely play better.
So, how did I get here? Why put myself through this?!
My name is Pat Skivington, I’m 38 years old and for most of my late teens/adult life I’ve been involved in some form of competitive sport. Starting with Athletics during my teens, I dabbled with Golf but I then moved into playing football in a local Sunday League team.
Football became a MASSIVE part of my life, playing a vital role in my wellbeing, both physically and mentally. However, there is no stopping time and over the years I certainly put my body through it’s paces, which then reached a point where I could no longer play.
I tried Mountain Biking, which was amazing. However, I found it difficult to recover the social aspect of Football. I then got invited to a new WhatsApp group by a close friend (he doesn’t play golf, which is kind of ironic). Some of the group were people I played football with, others were new.
That’s when I found out that a large number of the group had started to play golf. I dusted my old clubs off, surprised that they were still about, let alone in a usable condition and decided to go to Lydd Golf course to the Driving Range.
I went with someone from the group, someone that I barely knew but he had recently taken up the sport so was looking for the practice.
Lydd is a links course in Kent. It’s pretty much always windy and (like most of the UK) is cold and wet in February if you’re lucky!
On this particular day, it was throwing everything at us. Despite this - I loved it. First of all, there really is no feeling like hitting a ball sweetly. Seeing the ball do what you intended is just beautiful. But the other thing that was great was just getting to build that connection with another human being, while being active.
I decided off the back of that one session to throw myself into this sport. I joined the local 9 hole course, Kingsnorth GC, which is a great place for beginners to play. The owner (Mark) once told me that he sees his club as being the beginner slopes, with members typically staying for 1-2 years before moving onto bigger courses. The course is a small but challenging course, which punishes slices and hooks with insanely thick rough, but otherwise is quite simple to navigate as you improve.
So, back to that round in March… I got 12 on the first hole (a par 3 on the day) and then proceeded to get a 68 for the front 9 holes. It’s a par 34… This was my single worst score I have gotten since taking up golf, but starting from a low base is what spurs me on! It can only get better from here right?!
I’m using this blog as a way to document my journey from a 54 handicap just starting out to something resembling someone who can play. I want to share my thoughts and feelings and also other decisions I’ve made to improve my game - from lessons, to buying new clubs. Hopefully this can help others who are just starting out too!
As with anything like this, you can follow this blog for regular updates whenever I post and follow my socials for other content…
Gear Check
Driver - Callaway Rogue ST
Irons - Taylormade Stealth
Wedges - Taylormade Hi-Toe 52, 56, 60
Putter - Scotty Cameron Squareback
Shoes - Adidas Tour 360 22
