Golf and more

Marko Viitanen a middle distance drive

Golf is perceived to be an elitist game. In general it is true, as an average club costs about 200€ and a club annual membership fee can be as much as 1000€. And, of course, taking a golf course is not the cheapest. However, there are clubs in Finland that do not ask for that high membership fee. You can be a club member for as much as 70-80 euros a year. Ähtäri Golf club annual membership fee is just 78€/year and if you play often, then an annual pass of 500€ is better than paying per game (=greenfee). At FamilyGolf Par3X you can buy an annual pass for as little as 149€ and, what more, you don't even have to know how to play golf beforehand. The golf pro Marko Viitanen will instruct you and you can go and play a round for 15€ and rent clubs and balls for 5€. You can also improve your drive strokes on golf simulator and the pro will analyze your technique and give you advice on what you should work on.

Par3X golf course

I took the Green Card course on my first Ähtäri weekend. Green Card is like a certificate that proves that you understand the basic rules and regulations of golf, you know how to drive, strike and putt, and how to behave on a golf course (from being courteous to fellow players to dress code). On the last day we showed on the golf course what we've learned. I expected to write a written test, but instead we just played golf. Reminds me of Mario Passos Ascencao's Business Wargaming, also Creativity and Innovation Management classes at Haaga-Helia where we played with LEGO and strategic table games :) Learning should be fun!


I must say it was my first time ever to hold a golf club in my hands at Ähtäri. Before that I had played another type of golf: disc golf. The only similarities between these two golfs is that they are both played on 18 holes and the one with the least stokes wins. There are some other rules and regulations and codes of behaviour that are similar, but I had to learn from A and B how to hold the club and how to move your arms and body (and not you head) so that the ball would actually fly to where you want :) Huh, I have the whole summer ahead to practice it.

FamilyGolf is open for everyone: experienced and beginners, seniors and children. It's a place where you can take the first baby-steps of golf or practice your drive or polish your putting technique. But what most important, have fun with the whole family.

During the first days at FamilyGolf I was surprised how many grandparents came there with their grandchildren to play and teach them to play golf. It's a fun way to spend a day out with grandchildren, have a good exercise and, in addition to that, get a nice sun tan :)

What more, FamilyGolf organises children golf day camps during the summer. They spend 5 days a week 5 hours per day at the club practicing strokes, analyzing them on golf simulator and learning golf in a fun way, not to mention going for a swim in the lake Hankavesi be the weather chilly or not :)

The golf club not only attracts families with children but also those who want to learn more about golf ethics. What am I talking about? A few weeks ago there was Seppo "Buddha" Palminen visiting FamilyGolf who came to talk about his "Buddha Plays Golf" trilogy of books (Buddha pelaa golfia, Lisää Buddhaa peliin, Buddhan eväät) and give a lecture about how to play golf with a right attitude. The first book of his trilogy "Buddha plays golf" has been translated into English. In this book Seppo Palminen offers insights on how to enjoy golf and life. According to Seppo Palminen golf is not just a game, it's a way of growing as a human being: golfers are encouraged to be proud of their imperfections and forget negative emotions on golf course, instead have fun and relax. Enjoy the game and let others enjoy theirs! For Seppo Palminen golf is a spiritual exercise where co-players play an important role. The book is a sort of guide-book for golf professionals, club players, new players, but also for the ones who plan to start playing or do not (yet) play the golf.