64 - Need To Enjoy It Or What Is The Point...

At the recent trip to the driving range myself and Lucky were joined by a friend from work who hasn’t played for a year or so. Apparently he used to be ok when he played regularly, had heard me and Lucky going on about our sessions in Aintree and decided to join us for an hour or so.

We were already playing when Jason turned up and it was interesting to see him stood behind us, watching us play. After a while he got into the next bay and started hitting balls up the range. Although he was a better player than me or Lucky the fact he hadn’t played in a year was easy to see. It took him half a basket of balls before he made a clean contact with the ball.

After one peach of a drive with Dougie my Howson hybrid Jason said “you two are quite good aren’t you?” I nearly fell over laughing! Me and Lucky are tryers but we aren’t any good! He went on to explain himself saying that we were a lot better than he expected us to be considering we haven’t actually got a clue what we are doing and have only been playing for a few months. I was chuffed to hear this but it got me thinking about my ability.

Am I as bad as I think I am? My best score around a course is 103 which is rubbish frankly. Or is it? Taking into account the lack of experience, the clubs of questionable origin (if Jason the Pro is correct), the fact I have only picked up the game in my 30’s and my natural un-athleticism (yeah, I have just made that word up) am I about average? Am I progressing in a predictable and acceptable manner? Will it click one day like every golfer tells me?

I think I will invest in some lessons to help me kick on. I have the desire to improve and the stubbornness not to give in along with good mates who play every week who will drag me kicking and screaming into the world of acceptable handicaps and little trophies with the words “Most Improved” scrawled on them. I want to be second last for a change. I want to actually enjoy a game of golf for the first time as it hasn’t happened yet.

When I book a round of golf I’m usually quite excited but when I arrive at the course I’m honestly filled with dread at the thought of another four hours of frustration and disappointment. I hate being rubbish at anything but I detest being rubbish at something I’m trying so hard to get good at.

It irritates the life out of me when I slice a drive, don’t connect with the ball correctly from the rough or chip over a green. I know everyone feels like this but they have the comfort of knowing their next shot will be good unlike me. So far I have hit just TWO good shots out on the course. One was an arrow straight drive with my hybrid from the fairway which rolled up onto the green from miles away and the other was a little chip which finished about 5 inches from the hole. That’s it.

I can see why people smash their clubs to bits or lash them into the nearest lake. In my short career I have been close to turning my back on the game twice but I’ve soldiered on. I think it is time to take the game more seriously, be more focused and strive to make a significant improvement on my current game. The problem with this approach is that I guarantee I’ll enjoy the game even less and if I’m not enjoying it then what is the point in playing?