My first outing was with my husband, who was invited to play with the all-male management team at a corporate event. I didn’t want to become a golfer’s widow, so he and one of his buddies taught me the basics.

Having fun hitting that little white ball, able to hang out with the guys, being competitive and able to share our golfing experiences and laughing over our lack of game.

Whether you play for fun, competitively, or to meet new people and network, golf lends itself to whatever you want it to be. The sport opened doors for me, just as it did for Lissa.

And, golf courses offer beautiful surroundings you can share with family and friends for a lifetime. After retiring, I volunteered to be our league president so I could give back to others, help grow our membership, offer clinics, and welcome new players to the golfing community.

My career and a young family did not lend much free time to golf, but my company had offsite meetings along with golf outings. My husband would travel with me; often he would be invited to play golf, but I’d be excluded.

Working for a male-dominated company, I was not considered for promotions until one of my fellow managers asked why I wasn’t playing. Word got out that I played golf, and they finally started inviting me to play. Golf was my platform to be able to network, get to know my peers on an informal basis, and have something to talk to them about during happy hour.

Golf really made a difference as my career grew and we moved around – it gave me common ground with others.

We are constantly challenged to perform. With golf, you only have to rely on yourself to meet your own expectations and goals.

It is me and the ball – how fun is that? I can laugh at myself when I hit a bad shot then move on to the next one, all while enjoying fresh air, beautiful surroundings, and new friends.