From the Pitch to the Fairway: Is Golf the Ultimate Life After Football Sport?
When a football career ends, the competitive spirit often remains. Many former players find a new outlet for their ambition on the golf course. Golf has become a popular second sport among footballers because it offers enough competition to fuel their desire to improve while remaining enjoyable to play with friends.
Football and golf seem worlds apart: one thrives on speed, action and physical contests, the other on patience, precision and self-discipline. Yet both reward attention to detail, technical improvement and mental focus.
Golf also lets elite footballers feel like beginners again. Gareth Bale’s passion is well known, while Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney and Andriy Shevchenko have all taken their competitive spirit to the course.
But beyond improving a handicap or perfecting a swing, golf offers something professional football rarely does: space to chat between shots, reconnect with former teammates and enjoy the game without thousands of people watching your every move.
Bringing the Clubhouse Indoors
In Amsterdam, Club Birdies takes that idea beyond the traditional golf course, combining the game with food, drinks and a relaxed indoor setting.
Its 12 TruGolf simulator bays make golf accessible year-round, whether you are an experienced player or picking up a club for the first time.
Our Afternoon at Club Birdies
After spending an afternoon at Birdies with the Life After Football team, we saw exactly why the concept works.
From the moment we arrived, the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. We were greeted with drinks and a selection of food and bites before heading over to the golf area.
A certified golf instructor introduced us to the simulators, explained the rules and gave us some tips before we started. Then it was our turn to play. We competed, laughed at each other’s attempts and quickly discovered that you definitely do not need to be an experienced golfer to enjoy it.
We even swapped the clubs for a football at one point, using the simulator for one of its interactive football games.
That was what stood out most about the afternoon. Golf was at the centre of the experience, but it never felt like the only reason to be there. Between playing, eating, drinking and spending time together, everything flowed naturally.
Birdies also has an open-fire restaurant, café, bar and wine room with more than 200 wines, making it easy to stay around once the game is over.
For us, it all came together: good food, friendly competition and a genuinely welcoming atmosphere.
The Game After the Game
Perhaps that is why golf continues to attract footballers at every stage of their careers.
You can take it seriously without it needing to become your profession.
After experiencing Birdies ourselves, that connection makes even more sense. A round with friends or teammates, some friendly competition, good food and drinks afterwards: it has many of the things that make sport enjoyable, without needing the pressure that comes with playing professionally.
Because life after football does not necessarily mean leaving competition behind.
Sometimes, it simply means finding a new game.
Curious to experience Club Birdies for yourself? Discover the venue and reserve your experience here.
Ready for more?
Enjoyed discovering one of Amsterdam’s hottest places for golf? Read more about Club Birdies and how the venue brings golf, dining and socialising together under one roof.
For more on the connection between football and the fairway, discover how golf became an important part of Ruud Gullit’s life after football.
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