“Like, I love to take a girl out to dinner, but I’m not gonna go golf 18 holes with her.”
– I Love You Man Screenplay
Golf season is here again, yeah! Eric used to love playing golf with me, it was the others on the course he disliked. We had a great time. He liked riding around in a golf cart and hitting things with his girlfriend at his side. I like playing with someone who doesn’t judge me if I take a mulligan or two. He also helped me to diagnose my swing mishaps.
We learned to play golf together. I decided it was an essential function of my job as a partner in a law firm, and took lessons so I wouldn’t embarrass myself. I was surprised at how much I liked it. I shouldn’t have been. If your Dad is a serious golfer, your Mom is an occasional golfer, and five of your siblings are golfers, chances are that you won’t suck at it. We are built with long arms, plus I am taller than average, which means I have some leverage.
I Love You Man is a great movie. Paul Rudd’s Peter is perfectly written and perfectly cast. Sweet but not too sappy. Jason Segel gets to play against his Lily-whipped character on TV’s How I Met Your Mother. Sydney is the guy’s guy. His garage is a mancave stocked with guitars and plenty of lotion and kleenex. Sydney teaches Peter the rules of guydom, including the one noted above. Guys play golf with other guys. They don’t play golf with their girlfriends.
Maybe so, but then they are missing something. We may not be able to hit the ball as far as the guys, but we have as much fun as they do. Plus we look better doing it. Real men play golf with women, not other guys.
MARCIA BROM SMITH, Esq. 
I’m a wretched golfer, something that lessons never managed to improve, and I rarely indulge in the activity anymore, but I do agree that golf is a sport where women look better than men at the exercise (as a general rule, anyway). More strategy and finess and less grunting “athleticism” in the game. Watching Sorenstam at the top of her game was an amazing example of observing efficient excellence.
I would love, love, love The Missus to take the game up, Marcia, but she claims she has been too blessed in the chest to comfortably swing a club. I don’t have any snappy comebacks, except to point out the occasional LPGA player who appears to have also been blessed, but to no avail.
How can I get her out on the links? BTW, the fact she comes from a steadfastly non-athletic family may have something to do with her reluctance.
I enjoy watching any one, man or woman, with an elegant golf swing. We have cuter outfits though. Also, I usually do my hair and makeup before I play golf, but not before I go to the gym. Admittedly, there are some days when I would prefer to skip the routine altogether, but I usually enjoy primping and the extra confidence boost it brings.
Cheryl Ladd did a chapter on how a woman’s chest impacts her golf swing and what to do about it in her book the Token Chick: A Woman’s Guide to Golfing with the Boys. It could be worth a look if you think she truly has an interest. If your significant other is a new golfer, I would start out playing an executive course. It is less intimidating. If you are encouraging and truly enjoy playing with her, she will want to do it again.