I don’t need to tell you that golf is a challenging game, but I do need to ask: are you having fun?
I make many videos on YouTube of me playing golf, and my handicap is very high. This often leads people to ask the ultimate question: with scores that high, do you enjoy it? It’s not the score that defines your happiness on the course, in my opinion. I’d argue it’s all about mindset.
Let me share a story. Once, I played with a single-handicap golfer who was about a 5-handicap. We joined up on the last two holes as it was getting dark. Luckily, the golf gods took mercy on me, and I didn’t embarrass myself. I was playing with my usual buddy, The Count, and they were a two-ball that joined us. One of the guys was the 5-handicapper, and the other was a high-handicapper like me who clearly hadn’t played much that year.
The 5-handicapper was getting so frustrated with himself. He was openly swearing and being quite rude to his playing partner. On one hole, he ended up with a double bogey. I think The Count and I might have outshined him on that hole, though we were already +18 for nine holes—not that he knew that! Despite our scores, we were having a laugh and enjoying ourselves.
But the mood with this guy was different. You could see the fumes coming off him. He was so angry that we dared not crack a joke. It felt like if we did, it might end with us on the 10 o’clock news as “last seen playing golf.”
We all have our ups and downs with golf, and I’m certainly not here to preach. But when you get to the point where you’re furious, cussing, and not nice company to be around, is that really what golf is about? Sometimes, I think we need to take a step back and enjoy the game for what it is. We’re amateurs or weekend golfers with limited practice. We’re going to have good days and bad days.
Think about this: professionals play more than 30 hours a week and can still end up in the rough or miss a putt. So why are we expecting such consistency when we don’t have nearly as much playing time under our belts?
I still want to improve my handicap—don’t get me wrong—and I still have days where I shake my head at my performance. But I don’t let it reach the point where I lose the plot. Take a deep breath, forget the last hole, and remember why you’re out there. It’s about the joy of the game, the challenge, and spending time in good company. So, are you having fun
