Inaugural Member Moment with Kian A.

Introducing RGC Member Moments. A space to share more about community members, their stories, and inspiration for how and why we play the game. First on the tee is Kian A, from California. Here is Kian’s story in his own words.

“My friend Kyle and I went to college together and were really plugged-in to the athletics community, it’s what we shared.

And you know, in college, being a student athlete means you’re popular and you go to all the parties; then you get out of college and no one really cares. Other friends went on to the minor leagues, but we were here. We never made it. And we’ve both had deal with that loss. Just the whole letdown of devoting your life to a sport, but then the ball goes flat.

It’s been a lot of transition for me personally and professionally. And I don’t think I realized I needed a round of golf with an old friend to help process that change. We had been apart for a while, because of graduation, new jobs, and covid. We had lost that connection to each other. But I noticed he had been posting about playing golf. So we agreed to meet for a twilight round. It was just us. It was a perfect night and felt like we could just pick up right where we left off.

Now, we play pretty regularly and it is just a judgement free zone. The conversations that come up when we’re playing are really real. Golf forces us to be honest because you’re there for hours, you can be vulnerable. I know I’m not gonna be judged if I shank a ball. So therefore, I can just be myself.

We’re constantly talking about how there’s different perspectives of looking at all the changes we’re both going through. One doors closes and another opens, it doesn’t have to be bad. And we were both struggling with this. Just by talking things out with him, it has changed my perspective to be more positive. The course is a microcosm of life; you can pipe a drive perfectly then you chunk a chip short of the green; but hey, now I get to practice my short game again.

We all share these experiences through the medium of golf, but golf isn’t the end all be all.

That is the message of RGC I try to keep in mind.”