Too young to golf?

I am sometimes embarrassed to admit I'm a golfer. Sorry. I'm too young, too fashionable, too much of a non-conformist.

That's not to say that I'm very young, fashionable or rebellious. But the fact is, golf has an image problem. Golfpunk or no golfpunk, it's really for people who are not in the slightest bit young, fashionable or rebellious.

I have a friend who I think would love golf. His grandad was a golfer, and always wanted my friend to play. My friend does want to play. He enjoys pitch and putt. He likes swinging a club at the range. He's looking forward to reaching his forties, because that's an appropriate age to play golf. He's not prepared to start until then - he's very firm on the matter.

I'm fairly sure whenever he does get started he will regret not starting sooner. Doesn't everyone? (My husband, a single-figure handicapper, started playing at age 7 but sort of wishes he had started when he was 5). But on the other hand everyone knows golf is mainly for old people. Don't get me wrong, it's great if younger people play, and I think everyone involved in golf should be encouraging a younger generation to get stuck in. In fact if it comes to that it's risible that I count as 'young' in this game. But I can't help thinking my friend is kind of right. He's not old enough to play golf.

(Photo thanks to brefe's photostream)