Why I fell in love with golf
- 1 Sep 06, 04:43 PM
LONDON - They say that you either love golf or hate it. But I reckon the detractors are really just people who haven鈥檛 realised they love it yet.
I do, and I鈥檝e been stuck on the same 18 handicap for 20 years. I鈥檝e had to endure watching the mates I grew up with surge into single figures and boast of backspin. I鈥檓 still scuffing woods, chunking irons and yipping with my chipping.
But being rubbish doesn鈥檛 stop me appreciating the nuances of the game. My current favourite topic of golf-related bar chat is that the sport is not about hitting a ball into a hole.
And at the same time that鈥檚 all it鈥檚 about.
I鈥檇 venture that it鈥檚 more a competition to see who can cope best with adversity and keep going despite all the odds. The ball/club thing is just a way of measuring that.
Having covered plenty of tournaments live, you realise that the pros don鈥檛 always hit everything perfectly. They just deal with the consequences far better and adhere firmly to the old adage 鈥渋t鈥檚 not how, it鈥檚 how many鈥. However, their consequences probably don鈥檛 involve as many trees as mine.
My latest theory 鈥 don鈥檛 tell anyone until I鈥檝e properly thought it through - is that us hackers can feel justly aggrieved at the cards dealt us.
When the pros first started playing their physiology and muscle memory just 鈥渉appened鈥 to produce a swing that could hit the ball. 鈥淭his game's good,鈥 they must have thought. And the rest is history. (yes, yes, I know they鈥檝e put in a lot of hard work since, blah, blah, blah鈥).
But by a mere quirk of nature, my early swings went back on a slightly incorrect plane, so I didn鈥檛 stand out and receive special attention, and now I鈥檓 several tens of millions of pounds worse off because of it.
So I鈥檒l be the one at the K Club marvelling at their ability to compete in the cauldron of the Ryder Cup. And feeling a certain bond with anyone going down 6&4. We鈥檝e all been there.
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Hi Rob,
I love the game too! I have to put up with bashing about off 14 (on a good day with a fair wind) while my twin sister's nearing scratch.
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Hi Rob,
Agree wholeheartedly - and though I'm nearing the single figure mark myself, don't think for a minute that you enjoy the game more by getting better! It becomes even more of a mental battle (your bad shots become REALLY bad), and hate the game when it all goes bad! Remember to enjoy it, no matter how good or bad it all goes!
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Bjorn should just accept Woosnam's decision and not make childish comments that may upset the 'team'. He has lost all my respect as a person!
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Bjorn could have avoided his petulant outburst by getting into the side by RIGHT. The final two are decided by the Captain and he made his choice, end of story.
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Hi Rob,
Im exactly the same Ive been playing golf now competitavely for 12 months and have sepent hundreds of pounds on new golf clubs and lessons. I went to La Manga Golf resort this year with my society, and played the three courses, and I loved the atnticipation of being on the course, but i never enjoyed playing golf their, because i was young (STILL AM), and the endless hoURS of watching Tiger,I had the image in my head that if i did not hit the ball 250-300 yards and put the ball within 10 feet of the pin it was a bad shot, i belive Tiger has a profound effect on golf today, wether its the professionals, or your normal 7.am tee off societiy members. Also I would like to ask you, what is the cut of date to decide to become a professional, its my dream, i play 4-5 times a week, and i so!! want to persue my dream, is their any chance, I look at thomas levet and he turned pro mid 30s. Is their any hope?
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Yes, I couldn't agree more. When golf gets hold of you it is a lost cause. Don't fight it! Yes when you first start there are the 10's, 11's and more on the card but during those rounds there will be glorious shots that will bring you back for more. After spending hours and many pounds (拢) at the driving range; on lessons there is a eureka moment. You finally realise that your time is far better spent chipping and putting (for free !) Having taken this to heart you arrive at a reasonable handicap (12). The 9's and 10's disappear but the poor chipping stays! More practice, more practice, I will chip closer, I will. 3 putts will be history. Oh to have faith in your own disability. It's as I say 'A lost cause, don't fight it'. The game invented the phrases 'If only...' and 'but it would have been a...' That's the reason it is possible to play this game until the day you draw your last breath. It's God's way of having the last laugh by saying: 'Well I didn't say life would be easy!'
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Hi
I just want to say I love the game too. Play about once a year but love nothing more than hitting the sofa at about 7pm on a Sunday night to watch the run in of yet another tournament. But saying that the Ryder Cup is the ULTIMATE. I have booked the Friday off work and will not watch a minute. For me it beats the World Cup and comes a very close second to the Olympics. Perhaps if the Ryder Cup was two week long it might just pip it.
I'm going down for the Tuesday practice and can't wait to see both teams - especially D C !!!!!
Al
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I totally agree with you Martin, You could possibly hit 6-7 drivers in the whole of the course, but could hit 40 50 chips or putts.
Golf has suddenly had the clouded vision of being given the bigger is better sport or the BIG HITTERS sport, for instance the Nike SAS Quash, was advertised as being the greatest driver, rated top distance and huge sweet spot, but let's be honest, whether you hit it 200 yards or 400 yards, you still have to get that ball on to the green and closest to the pin.
And even though you may be 200 yards or a 100 yards or a 150 yards from the pin, there is stil that pressure on top of you to put it in the hole.
I believe that pitch and putt is possibly better for you then going to the range and just cracking 100 balls, and perfecting your bad habits.
Do you think i have a chance of turning pro? I'm 18 you see and have been playing 1 year but picked up a club when i was 14?
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Any advice on becoming a professional? And how much dedication and practise do I have to put in to become a pro?
I've been playing for 12 months, and my society are stunned that I have only been playing for a year competitively, and picked up a golf club at 13 years old.
Sitting in an office working 9-5 doesn't interest me and the dream of playing in the British Open some day would be amazing. what should I do and how much dedication should I put into it? HELP!!
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