“Golfing with Others”

I often write about how much fun it is to golf with others, more specifically with friends. (In fact – you can read all about it here or here).

And as I often say – golf is just as much a social game as it is a competitive sporting game. There is a lot that can be enjoyed in terms of each other’s company when my golfing friends and I are out there on the course under a beautiful sky. Golf can be a relaxing experience and an exciting one all at the same time.

When it is all said and done, my goal is to make the most of my time out there on those 18-holes.

Golfing with a friend brings with it many benefits, and it’s these benefits that help me learn the game and hone my skills that much faster.

Here are my thoughts on the benefits of Golfing with friends:

• Being able to talk through my troubles on the course. I have never felt that it is easy to learn the game of golf on my own. When I make a mistake, I wonder where I messed up? How can I improve that shot?….and so on. I’ll sit there talking to myself, while trying to do an analysis on my swing without actually being able to see it with my own two eyes. Having a friend golfing with me gives me a chance to talk through my troubles that I am having out on the golf course. When my golf friend is with me and I make a mistake, I can vocalize my frustration. (And believe me – I most certainly vocalize my frustration!) Perhaps they saw something in my swing that can be easily corrected. It could be something as simple as moving the position of my hands or my feet.

• Gaining experience by watching others. Just like a baseball player will watch tapes of her swing or a quarterback will watch videos of how he throws the ball, for me, it has been important to get experience simply by watching others. When I am golfing with a friend, I get a bird’s-eye view of everything they are doing on the golf course. Maybe I’ll be able to pick up on something they are doing that I can try and use to improve my game.

• Golfing in a more relaxed environment. Trying to learn golf when I am in a high-stress environment is no fun. Golfing with a friend allows me to get into a more relaxed environment. While playing, I have social conversations, talking over each other’s golf game, and just overall having a great time! This relaxed setting allows me to unwind and put a lot more into my swings as I try to improve every step of the way.

But golf isn’t the only place where I am finding that sharing the adventure with friends is a good thing.

Take RVing for instance. We recently finished traveling with some RV friends. We spent a little over a month and a half traveling through Wisconsin and South Dakota with Tina and Jeff! Not only did we have an enjoyable time, we realized we experienced many of the same lessons that we do when playing golf with friends.

• Being able to talk through our RV troubles with another RVer. When an unexpected problem arose (i.e. kitchen slide wouldn’t retract), we found that two or more heads were better than one for brainstorming solutions and providing practical assistance.

• Gaining experience by watching others. Several times throughout our time with Tina and Jeff, we often watched how they did things – how they set up at each RV site, how they would tie up their dogs while setting up/breaking down, how they utilized RV Trip Wizard – and more than once, we found ourselves adopting the way they did something for ourselves. The RV community is known for being helpful and willing to share information, often through casual conversations and shared experiences, and this time on the road with them was no different.

• RVing in a More Relaxed Environment. We found we had people to talk to, share meals with, and go on adventures with. We had an instant bond over shared experiences. As fellow RVers, they had a general understanding of the unique challenges of RV life.

They could relate!

We had an instant bond over shared experiences.

It’s often said that the journey is just as important as the destination. This rings especially true in the world of RVing, where traveling alongside a fellow enthusiast adds a unique layer of enjoyment, camaraderie, and adventure to the open road. From shared experiences to mutual support, hitting the highway with another RVer transforms a solo trip into a memorable communal journey.

I am sure some of you are thinking: “Wait, I enjoy the solitude of the open road”. Ok – I understand, but I have found traveling with others in our RV provides a healthy balance of personal time and social interaction. I have my own space in our RV when I need quiet, but a vibrant community is right outside my door when I’m ready to socialize.

In essence, RVing with other RVers truly elevates the entire experience. It transformed a simple road trip into a shared adventure, filled with support, laughter, and a lasting friendship. It’s all part of our master Jello plan.

My Reds From The Reds: Traveling with friends is a reminder of how beautiful the world is when shared with others.

Fairways and Greens – We are 18 Holes and Counting.   

Written by Kathy Festa

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