Conor Havstad has always loved to golf — a passion his 3-year-old son, Theodore, quickly picked up on.
Theo has been accompanying his father to the links for the last two years, even getting his own left-handed clubs.
But as much as Havstad enjoys bonding with his son, there are times the 31-year-old dad wants to play alone or with friends without a tiny shadow following him around.
Emma Havstad
Conor Havstad and his son, Theo.
To avoid the meltdowns that come with being left behind, Havstad started hiding his golf attire under regular clothing, pretending he was heading to work instead.
“I know how much he loves the game and he just wants to play along, but I have to keep working on my game so he doesn’t beat me one day,” Havstad tells PEOPLE exclusively.
Despite how much Havstad enjoys golfing, he only gets to play a round of 18 holes about twice a month due to his busy schedule.
Although he brings his son with him “99% of the time,” there are moments when Havstad needs his space, so he came up with a little white lie.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
In May 2025, he and his wife, Emma Havstad, traveled to Nashville to visit family, and they brought Theo’s golf clubs along.
Emma Havstad
Conor Havstad and his son, Theo.
One day, the game was running especially long, so Emma and her mother decided to pick Theo up from the course. The toddler was absolutely devastated that he had to leave and began screaming and begging to stay.
“The next day they decided to go without [Theo] and they had to hide the golf clubs in the car and bring their clothes with them to the zoo so he wouldn’t know they were leaving early to go golf,” Emma, 32, recalls.
“He still cried when they left, but was easily re-distracted by the zoo, and that’s where it all began.”
Before their trip to Nashville, the couple hadn’t felt the need to create a “cover story” to go golfing, especially since Conor genuinely enjoys bringing Theo along.
Emma Havstad
Theo Havstad on the golf course.
http://people-app.onelink.me/HNIa/kz7l4cuf
But after seeing how well the excuse played out, they continued to tell Theo that Conor was simply heading to work on days he was planning to play solo.
Emma posted a video of Conor wearing his brown work uniform atop a golf outfit on TikTok, and it went viral, amassing over 13 million views. Hundreds of parents flooded the comments section, applauding the Havstads for the clever trick.
“Even when you feel guilty, remember you deserve it,” Emma says. “We work hard raising our kids and we deserve to have some moments alone from time to time.”
Conor agrees, adding, “As parents, we give everything to our kids. It’s nice to enjoy our hobbies that we had before having kids.”
Christa Kastle
Conor Havstad, his wife, Emma, and his son, Theo.
As for Emma’s hobbies — which include managing her family’s winery, EmmaLily — she says her husband is just as supportive of her passions as she is of his.
Whether she’s traveling for work or in need of a girls’ night out, he’s always quick to step in and lend a hand.
And while the father-son duo may be known for their love of golf, Emma is no stranger to the game herself. “I also golf — I do love to go along as well and beat my husband,” she laughs.
Read the original article on People
