A Good Walk Spoiled

I have a real treat for you guys tonight. We have a guest author, Mr. Eric Nelson of Chicago, Illinois. The former City Champion http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUv1U0lQ7TA and long-time friend of mine shares his thoughts on enjoying this game we call golf.

Bear

“Golf is a good walk spoiled.” The words of Mark Twain that accurately describe the four hours that us golfers spend chasing a ball around miles of grass, sand, and water. Countless quotes and descriptions of the game sing a similar tune, many that are too true for a hobby that wastes afternoons and drains bank accounts. Bear with me, if you will, as I lay out a scenario and ask yourself how well it describes your typical round of golf.

8 a.m. – Arrive at the course, excited for the day.

8:30 a.m. – Warm up session at the range. Shots ranging from perfect to near shanks leave raise questions as to the on course performance.

9 a.m. – Tee time. The beginning of what promises to be an enjoyable 4 hours.

Skip ahead to the end of the front 9...

11 a.m. – Finish the front, most likely less than ecstatic over the final number for the 9. Could have been better, but a snack and drink at the turn provides the needed enthusiasm to take on the new, unmarred back 9.

11:45 a.m. – The round is progressing similar to the front. Whatever knowledge or swing flaws corrected on the front are clearly being offset by the grease from the burger at the turn. No worries. Let’s finish strong.

12:15 p.m. – Fatigue is setting in. Each swing requires an increasing amount of concentration and effort. Lies appear to be getting worse and worse. Fatigue and frustration have a positive relationship.

1 p.m. – Handshakes on 18. The 19th awaits with promises of a chair and table to calculate scores.

1:15 p.m. – Head in hands, profanities slowly tumbling from lips, the number on the scorecard seems to be climbing ever higher.

1:30 p.m. – Questions of how the round went pull answers of, “Been better.” “Wasn’t my day today.” “Can’t complain too much.” As the images of lip outs, missed greens, failed up and downs fill the memory banks.

2 p.m. – Get the hell out of the parking lot...

I’ve tried to be fairly positive with this play by play. I have had exponentially worse experiences on the course, as I’m sure many of you have. Until recently, I have been satisfied with getting my round in and driving from the course with a somewhat sour taste in my mouth. Interesting how rounds rarely end how you would like them to.

I had a revelation a little while ago after a day at the course with Bear. Having been at school for the past 9 months, I had 4 rounds of golf and 3 range sessions under my belt. The driest 9 months I can remember since I took up the game. We began the day at 5:30 in the morning. Coffee in hand, we began the hour-long drive to the course for our 7 a.m. tee time. Without a range, the day began with a session on the putting green. The crisp morning air, dew covered grass, and sun pulling itself over the horizon. It was a great day for golf, save the 30 mph wind that picked up around the 8th hole.

Being my first day back to the game, and a new swing in tow following a single session with my coach, I was overjoyed to par the first hole and be making solid contact a majority of the time. The match with Bear stretched the whole 18, with him closing it out on the last hole. I can only hope that the final score for the round was below an 85. It was not pleasant golf to watch, but was one of the most enjoyable rounds in recent memory. So enjoyable that we decided to spring for the $32 replay rate and zip around again (this time in the comfort of a cart). I bested him in the 2nd round with a birdie on 18, closing with a 79. Thirty-six holes is a lot to accomplish by 2:30 in the afternoon, and as exhausted as we were, it was one of the best golf days I’ve had.

A week later we set out again to play 18, but this time I had a different feeling about the round. I was playing similarly to our previous outing, but could not accept my poor performance. I was constantly trying to pull my spirits up, only to have them crumble with a hooked drive or blocked approach. It was a tiring mental battle that I was destined to lose.

Nubar Gulbenkian said, “It is more satisfying to be a bad player at golf. The worse you play, the better you remember the occasional good shot.” While this may not hold much weight for competitive golfers, the theory behind it stretches to all levels. Golfers with low expectations do not need much to be rewarded, whereas skilled golfers are often disappointed with anything less than perfection. Poor golfers are rarely seen scowling around the course and are often the ones laughing hardest and truly enjoying the game.
Think back to when you began playing. A poor shot was a poor shot and a good shot was reason to celebrate. Numbers at the end meant bragging rights for a few days as opposed to a reason to question one’s very existence. It is this joy that is lost when golf is taken too seriously and The Game of Golf becomes a burden rather than a game.

The point I’m trying to make is not to take the game less seriously (I spend hours working on a single move on the range), but have fun playing. Have fun improving. Be able to look back at where you started and where you are now with a smile. After every round, reflect - keeping in mind the game aspect. Four hours were spent playing a game you love with people you enjoy. Experience first, results second. Improvement adds to the enjoyment. It is not the source.

My challenge for your next round: have as much fun as possible on the course. Concentrate on each shot, but forget the outcome. At the end it will have been a great time and the number will seem secondary.

Enjoy the game.

~ Eric Nelson
Contributing Author