Golf to me is Goodwill clubs and cheap municipal courses. It’s my buddy Andy giving each of the clubs in my bag their own unique nickname. It’s a beloved 5-Hybrid that needed a hot bath and scrub before I could identify a brand name, but I ended up only calling it Chunky Boy anyways.

When I first started playing golf in the fall of 2021, I was determined to do it as cheap as I possibly could until I proved two things to myself: that I enjoyed playing golf and that I could be good at it.

So I spent hours at every thrift store and Goodwill in the area assembling the most random set of hodgepodge clubs I could find. There was Chunky Boy, Emerald Goddess, Darth Raider, and the club I used the most early on, Line Driver, which was a Warrior 2 Hybrid perfectly suited at punching out of treelines back into the fairway. At one point I had three 7-irons in the bag before I finally found a full set on FB Marketplace for $50.

Each of those clubs meant so much to me, because it felt like I had to earn their trust and prove I was serious about swinging them properly. Once that trust was earned? It felt like falling in love all over again.

You remember your first pure golf shot? Mine came on the third fairway at Currie Park, holding the Emerald Goddess in my hand with about 180 yards to the pin. Oh, forgot to mention I was actually playing the second hole, which meant I had to get over a line of tall, imposing trees. A tee box of golfers watched amusingly as I scrambled up to the ball and reached for the only club I had the tiniest amount of confidence in. See, the Goddess was a Warrior 7-wood with 24 degrees of loft. It looked like I was swinging a long wedge. I loved that club.

I didn’t give myself time to think. Just step up, swing, and get out of the way so these guys can tee off.

If I’m telling you this story, then you know what happened next. It was PURE.

Exactly the shot I had in my head as I swung. Soared over the trees and with the applause and cheers of “Nice shot” ringing in my ears, I floated over to find my ball was mere feet from the pin.

I gave that club away the next spring. I was paired up with a stranger who was brand new to the game, so with the seasoned expertise of a guy who had been playing six months longer than him, I took him under my wing. I know, I know, rookie move. We had a blast, though, once I handed over the Emerald Goddess. I swear it was only meant to be for one shot, just to try it out. He was having a hard time hitting any shot over 150 yards, and I thought I had the cure in my bag.

Of course, that first shot was perfect and I watched with a sinking heart as his face transformed into the first genuine smile I had seen from the kid all day. I had to do it, it was a repayment to the golf gods. With a high five and hearty handshake, I handed over possession.

The rest of that round was spent watching my playing partner have actual fun on the golf course, heck of a good deal for a two dollar investment I made at Goodwill.

Over time, my game got better and so have the clubs in my bag. One thing that has remained is I am dedicated to finding the best clubs I can, for as cheap as I can. I’ve got clubs in the bag ranging from 2014 to 2021. I spend far too much time scrolling through various second hand sites thinking to myself “Do I need to add a 4-Hybrid to the bag, it’s only 10 bucks.”

I have given away most of the old clubs, sometimes to strangers, sometimes to family. My brother still plays my first set of irons and a bunch of other clubs of mine. I told myself if I don’t have a use for a club, I am not going to hoard it or keep it from someone who needs it in their bag.

Chunky Boy surprisingly lives on, in fact I hit the green with it just the other day playing with my best friends. Felt like being reunited with a familiar dance partner and the groove was still there.

Nowadays, a whole three years and change into being a golfer, I love all my current clubs so I mostly tinker with finding the ones I think my friends need to buy. Still trying to convince Andy to finally buy one of the Sim 2’s I keep sending his way.

I can feel an urge to go back to the beginning, just for one round. Everything about my golf game is so much better than it was those first few months and I wonder how good I can play if I break out the Goodwill clubs again.

I did just find a 9-wood there the other day, after all.