There are few things in this world that bring me more joy than golf. The sights, the smells, the feels, the sounds — golf is simply amazing.

To think, ten years ago I had never held a golf club. I had zero interest in ever playing the game. I thought it was boring beyond comprehension to watch (I still do, for what it’s worth) and figured there was no way playing it would be any better (spoiler alert: it is!)

I’ve been told enough times now to know that a lot of my readers don’t actually golf themselves. They’re in that same boat that I was in, perhaps. They’re into other things. They think golf is too expensive. They’re worried they’ll be terrible and embarrass themselves.

Well, I’m here to once again say that golf is for everyone. I’ll explain in a little more detail what I love about the sport and hopefully you’ll get inspired.

Competition — Wait! Don’t go just yet. Yes, I understand that a lot of people don’t like direct competition and that’s fine. I grew up standing on a pitcher’s mound facing down opposing batters. I’ve pushed, shoved and elbowed my way to key rebounds under the basket. One of my favorite competitions these days occurs on the tabletop in the form of board games and the battle of wits that goes along with them. But golf is a totally different animal. I love the competition with myself that golf brings out. One of my absolute favorite things is to play a nine-hole course twice through for an 18-hole round. The second time through I can look at the scorecard and see that I bogeyed No. 1 the first time through, so here’s an early chance to shave a stroke off that front-nine score. I’ve been a member at various courses and kept stats throughout the year. That way I can see that I average a 4.8 on this hole. If I can get a par, I can lower that average. I’m always striving to be better and it’s my favorite thing about golf.

Camaraderie — Apparently, it’s a thing that motorcycle riders wave to each other as a sign of solidarity when they pass each other. I wouldn’t know much about that, but I can certainly tell you that there’s a feeling of community among golfers. When I started my job two years ago, I didn’t know anyone in the office. Then I overheard a couple of the guys talk about golf. Boom! Instant bond. Now we talk about equipment, rounds, courses, etc. every chance we get. Would we have become friends without golf? Probably not. Then, of course, there’s the fellowship that forms on the course, itself. I’ve played in tournaments with guys I didn’t know at all, but by the end of the day we were great friends. It’s because of golf that I’m now extremely close with my cousin Nick. We each went our separate ways after childhood, but the sport of golf brought us back together in a big way. Heck, I took a reader out golfing late last year. We had never met before. She had never golfed before, in fact. But I’m never one to turn down the chance to be a golf evangelist, so I took her out on a miserable, cold, rainy day. You know what? It didn’t matter. She got hooked, bought clubs and we’ve talked golf occasionally ever since.

Get outside — There’s no two ways about it, the fresh air and exercise are huge reasons to pick up the sport. I’ve been using a cart recently because I don’t have the time I once did, but for five years I walked every round I played. It’s a great way to get those steps in, if that’s what you’re into. How often are you sitting inside mindlessly scrolling through your various social media feeds on a beautiful sunny day? Probably too often, if you’re being honest with yourself. Why not head to your nearest course and play a quick nine holes? I promise you’ll feel better.

It’s not that expensive — This isn’t really a reason I love golf, of course, but I wanted to quell some misconceptions people might have. Can you spend a fortune on golf if you wanted to? Absolutely, but that’s probably true of most hobbies. But there are lots of things you can do to make golf shockingly affordable. First off, get used clubs. I promise you that new clubs will not make you a better golfer when you first start out. There are weekend warriors out there that buy brand new clubs every year and then sell their slightly used sets for pennies on the dollar. Check yard sales, eBay, etc. before you shell out big bucks. In that same vein, buy cheap golf balls. No, those $5 per ball Titleists aren’t going to suddenly make you good. Secondly, walk instead of ride. You’ll get exercise and save some money.

Everyone is terrible – There are very few people in this world that don’t stink at golf. Everyone else? Well, let’s just say you won’t be alone when you hit one into the trees, roll one 20 feet or completely swing and miss. You’re going to have to be able to laugh at yourself when you first start. Golf is certainly harder than it looks, but it’s absolutely worth that initial hurdle.

If it’s not obvious, I positively adore golf. Even if you think you wouldn’t, I recommend at least giving it a shot. I certainly never envisioned myself being as addicted as I am.

In short, golf is great. Go get some.

Stefan Gestwicki is an OBSERVER contributing reporter. Comments on this article can be sent to golfersdiary@gmail.com.