My Journey Through Golf

By: Keegan Johr

Golf has always been a part of my life. It has been a roller coaster of an experience, but now, I’m starting to find my way and am playing the best I ever have. I’ve dropped nearly 8 strokes off my game and have finally found a groove in my swing. However, it has not always been this way.

I started playing golf when I was around five years old and have basically had a club in my hand ever since. My dad has always been my biggest influence in golf and has taught me from a very young age. I credit him for instilling the basic skills and love that I have for the game. I can remember waking up on Sundays to watch the final round of a tournament on TV with him or going out to the course after school to get some work in. 

When I was younger, I was never the best. I couldn’t hit the ball straight, shoot good scores, or even hit the ball relatively far. However, it was never really about being good because I loved being outside on the course and watching others play well. I’ve always just enjoyed everything about golf and being able to spend time with family and friends while never having to be actually good at the sport made it so much better.

My freshman year of high school, I played on the JV golf team and my expectations were high. I proceeded to not shoot lower than 60 in every match which was almost the worst on the team. I had no confidence by the end of the season and was contemplating even playing on the team next season. I decided to play anyway, which may have been the best decision of my life.

I started out on JV for my sophomore season, which was expected based off of my performance last season. I quickly started to realize that this season was going to be different. I shot a 46 in the first match of the season which led the team and I was third place overall and my swing was feeling good. The next few weeks were exhilarating. I got pulled up to varsity, hit a hole in one, and was two shots off beating the best player on the team with a 41. After this, I felt as if there was nowhere to go but up and I was on my way to being one of the best on the team. However, I was extremely mistaken.

My junior year was the worst it could have been. I lost all confidence in my swing, shot the worst possible scores, and was watching everyone around me start to succeed, which made it worse. No matter how hard I tried to change my swing or practice around the green, it seemed as if I was getting nowhere, or even just making it worse. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed playing with friends and being out on the course. I played almost all summer but still, nothing seemed to be going my way. 

During the fall, I tore my ACL and wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to play in the spring for my final season. The doctor said it would be close but if I wanted any shot, I would have to work extra hard with physical therapy to get my knee healthy again.  That’s exactly what I did.

I was able to start practicing before I was cleared to play which gave me sort of a head start on re-focusing for the season ahead. I went through a swing change early in the season which helped elevate my game significantly. I am more confident than ever and I’m in a good headspace which has led to success through the beginning of the season. 

No matter how the rest of the season goes this year, I will always have one main takeaway from my time in the Hamilton Golf program. It’s not always going to be easy, in fact, most of the time it will be hard. However, it’s the hard times that make the good ones way more valuable.