Day 1: Monday, March 16 - Federico S

Our first day of the Golf M-Term began enthusiastically. The morning began with a brief journal, during which students reflected on expectations and goals for this trip. Most students articulated their lack of exposure to golf; for many of us, these two weeks will be filled with new adventures and learning in the golf world! 

Brandon during his introduction lecture.

            Subsequently, under Brandon F.’s leadership, we jumped into understanding common golf terminology. Nearly all members of this term are total beginners to golf, so everything we are learning is entirely new to us! We completed a fun golf-themed word find, labeled some images, and filled out tables with term definitions.

Federico's golf word find & description sheet

            Brandon passionately and persuasively took charge throughout the morning, patiently describing the various components of golf. He walked us through the various types of clubs (drivers, woods, and putters, etc.), different shot types (hook, draw, fade, etc.), and scoring terminology (par, birdie, bogey, etc.). To end our morning, we prepared our sets of clubs, along with the other materials necessary for successful golf outings. I was surprised to see how many different clubs are used! 

Madeleine and Isa with their golf sets

After our lunch break, Brandon continued the introduction by breaking down professional golf in the U.S. and internationally. We watched a brief documentary on the Augusta Masters Tournament, one of the most important and classic tournaments in the world. The video also introduced us to several golf icons, like Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Tiger Woods, and many others. After a brief break, we watched a tutorial video on golf grip and swing, something we will explore tomorrow. We also received Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons, the book we’ll be reading throughout the course, which is one of golf’s most influential books. Our polo shirts and gloves were also passed out this time; I can’t wait to debut these on the course!

Brandon posing with Ben Hogan's Five Lessons

Aidric modelling with his new Post Oak Golf polo shirt!

            To finish our day, Brandon walked the class through some rules that we will follow tomorrow, and we did some stretching in preparation for tomorrow. After all, we do not want to injure ourselves with so much golfing on the horizon!

Watching the grip and swing tutorial

Overall, I was impressed with the complexities and traditions that compose golf. I am looking forward to expanding on these learnings and applying them in the course!