![\"Emma](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/d777d45e1cdd9ae01f60ab6d00fc18c1.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\nConor Havstad has always loved to golf \u2014 a passion his 3-year-old son, Theodore, quickly picked up on.<\/p>\n
Theo has been accompanying his father to the links for the last two years, even getting his own left-handed clubs.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Emma Havstad<\/p>\n
Conor Havstad and his son, Theo.<\/p>\n
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<\/a> instead.<\/p>\n \u201cI 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,\u201d Havstad tells PEOPLE exclusively.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Although he brings his son with him \u201c99% of the time,\u201d there are moments when Havstad needs his space, so he came up with a little white lie.<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for\u00a0PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a>\u00a0to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n In May 2025, he and his wife, Emma Havstad, traveled to Nashville to visit family, and they brought Theo\u2019s golf clubs along.<\/p>\n Emma Havstad<\/p>\n Conor Havstad and his son, Theo.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cThe 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,\u201d Emma, 32, recalls.<\/p>\n \u201cHe still cried when they left, but was easily re-distracted by the zoo, and that’s where it all began.\u201d<\/p>\n Before their trip to Nashville, the couple hadn\u2019t felt the need to create a \u201ccover story\u201d to go golfing, especially since Conor genuinely enjoys bringing Theo along.<\/p>\n Emma Havstad<\/p>\n Theo Havstad on the golf course.<\/p>\n http:\/\/people-app.onelink.me\/HNIa\/kz7l4cuf<\/a><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cEven 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.”<\/p>\n Conor agrees, adding, “As parents, we give everything to our kids. It’s nice to enjoy our hobbies that we had before having kids.\u201d<\/p>\n Christa Kastle<\/p>\n Conor Havstad, his wife, Emma, and his son, Theo.<\/p>\n As for Emma\u2019s hobbies \u2014 which include managing her family\u2019s winery, EmmaLily \u2014 she says her husband is just as supportive of her passions as she is of his.<\/p>\n Whether she\u2019s traveling for work or in need of a girls\u2019 night out, he\u2019s always quick to step in and lend a hand.<\/p>\n And while the father-son duo may be known for their love of golf, Emma is no stranger to the game herself. \u201cI also golf \u2014 I do love to go along as well and beat my husband,\u201d she laughs.<\/p>\n Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Emma](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/6d63ff90b579343899a3643c8391e563.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"Emma](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/5a92d8f65da76004a7044f9707c673a4.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"Christa](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/9ebd6774d26cd7f77ccf4bda6d256907.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n