It’s a truism that the one hole you play really well this week is the one that convinces you to come back next week. There is something unbelievably rewarding about hitting a good shot – drive, chip or putt. It’s that one nice shot that makes golf so much more pleasing than a simple walk through the park.
Golf is the great leveller. You can win a game but you can never beat the game. It will make a fool out of you, sooner or later.
Some join in to relieve the tension and pressure they have built up at work and others work up incredible tension and anxiety playing the game.
So why do we do it? Of the tens of million of people who play golf around the world each week only a few are any good at it. Yet we come back, week after week, to play again.
It may be that every game is different and so we do not easily become cynical. No two trips to the golf course will ever be the same, no matter how enjoyable a competitor you are.
It’s always amusing to hear folks claim to play golf ‘for the exercise’ and then watch them downing beers at the 19th. Yet, beer drinking aside, there is an element of physicality to the game and a long walk around a golf course, trying to knock the cover off a little white ball, is a moderately robust form of exercise. A round of 18 holes is equivalent to walking about 4 miles.
It’s nice to get away from home and be outdoors and golf courses are generally lovely parks with manicured lawns and shady areas and a bit of water here and there. Nice places to get a step closer to nature. Maybe that’s why we do it?
There is also the need we have to relieve tension and stress and golf can certainly help to do this. The exercise alone helps to take the edge off pressure but there is also the satisfaction of repeatedly clubbing something very hard. Maybe the modest golf ball serves as a metaphor for whatever is stressing you at that time. Do you see the picture of your bosses/wifes/husbands head on the ball? Look closely! Maybe they’re all there.
It’s a fantastic way to spend time with partners, and the few hours spent around the course and at the clubhouse afterwards, is a very agreeable way to catch up on all sorts of social issues that have nothing to do with golf.
Many folks use golf as a business device – a way to lure a prospect away from his/her office and have them alone for some bonding time. Many business deals have been done on golf courses and the value of the game as business meeting place should not be underestimated.
So which is it? Which part of the game brings you back to play, week after week? Is it the boundless contest to master the game or is it the exercise? Could it be that for you golf is just a necessary de-stressor or do you come back for the social aspects and the chance to spend time with friends? My guess is that its all of these things and sometimes its just the masochistic need we have to punish and humiliate ourselves.
Whatever our motivation may be, all golfers would dearly love to play better golf. Did you know that making a small improvement in simple 3 areas can improve your game beyond belief?
The best guides on improving your game are reviewed here.
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