Getting used to playing competitive golf regularly

[Wormkiller]

Over the last 6 months or so I've started playing competitive golf regularly, both with my social golf group (monthly) and with my private club playing weekend stableford comps. I've made it a goal to play comps as regularly as I can to allow me to objectively track my improvement, enjoy being part of a golfing community and making some new golfing buddies. Its been a baptism of fire getting used to playing under competitive conditions. I've experienced the lowest of the lows - with scores of 15 and 17 points, finishing dead last out of hundreds of competitors - to "glory" winning a couple of comps, including my very first one.

 

It goes against my natural grain to perform under the conditions of a competitive golf tournament. But I've realized the only way through this is to expose my self to these conditions as much as I can, and, most importantly of all, being brave and learning to accept the possibility of failure. I'm slowly getting more comfortable with doing it, and am enjoying being out there. Playing with some new buddies has greatly helped.

 

Just wondering what other people's experiences have been in playing competitive golf? I'm sure there's some that have taken to it straight away and others that have taken time to get used to it. I'm sure there's even some who have chosen not to play competitively and just enjoy the game socially.

 

Also, is there any advice from experienced competition golfers you can give about learning to play competitively?

 

[2bGood]

I assume this question is about players that took up competitive golf as an adult as the experience is very different the people grew up playing events.

 

Regardless, I competed in lots of sports as kid but did not play golf and did not play my first event until my late 30's. It was a three day event and I shot 118, 125, 84 off a 14 handicap. I was so nervous despite having been a national level athlete in other sports. 

 

I am searching for answers to your question, but for me it just took time and practice doing it. Eventually I learned to control it and I now have the opposite problem. I have trouble playing well when there is nothing on the line - I need the competition to get focused. 

 

One semi-silly thing that did help along the way was 'caddying' for myself. I found my mind was rushing in competition and I found if had an alter-ego in my head that forced me to talk over shots and strategy with me helped get my head in the right place. It moved me out of reacting to thinking. Despite what it sounds like this did not make me slow or anything it just helped my see through the fog of adrenaline and compose myself when I needed to. 

[MattyO1984]

For me, you have hit the nail on the head by simply committing to playing. You will learn more about your game playing one competitive round than you will playing 10 non-competitive games. What parts of your pre-shot routine works what doesn’t, what shots you are comfortable with, which shots you are not, what did you get right mentally what did you not. With everything last year, I didn’t play much competitive golf and the year before that, work, family commitments meant that I played about ten competitive rounds if that.

 

Getting back to it this year, is a huge thing. I am thinking my way better around the course and realising that the biggest thing for me is commitment. Example form just this past weekend. I missed the green short side on the last. Terrible shot. Dry and hard ground underneath with a false front between me and the elevated green which feel away on the other side. If I was just out playing a game I would have opened up the 60 and flopped it. It might still have gone horribly wrong but it would not have been for a lack of commitment or nerves about there being people watching. At the weekend, I did worry a little bit. Playing partners and people in the clubhouse watching. A few months ago, I could almost guarantee that I would have thinned it through the green. Yesterday, I hit the best shot of my day to about 5 feet and holed the putt. The only reason I did that was because I was committed to doing it and feeling better about being in a competition.

[SNIPERBBB]

Ive played competitive sports since I was 4 and was always on competitive teams. I think there's a different kind of pressure in competitive golf than most other sports. Mainly because the way it manifests itself and how you deal with it is so counterintuitive. Adrenaline is a great drug in baseball, football and other sports. Adrenaline in gilf not so much unless you're Tiger playing on one leg for major. You need a sedagive.

 

I eased into competitive golf playing in our local Wednesday night league.  It's very competitive and you're playing directly against an opponent in a form of match play. The more you play, the better you get get.  Then starting to play for money can really get another level pressure. 

 

[RichieHunt]

I played highly competitive golf as a junior and college player.  About a year after I graduated college I quit the game for 8 years and then got back into it in 2009.  I started to play more competitively in 2011 and that lasted a few years.  Now I'm looking to get back into playing more competitive golf, again.

 

Playing tournaments and money games helps quite a bit getting accustomed to tournament play.  At my old club they had a cash game where you played in teams of 4 and you took the low 2 scores.  There were also other ways to win money (skins, greenies, etc).  It was highly competitive and after playing that for a while when I went to play the State Mid-Am I didn't feel nervous or uneasy at all.  A big part of playing well in tournaments is just allowing you to be yourself.  If you're a bit of a chatterbox and like to joke around a little during your casual rounds of golf, then be a chatterbox and joke around a little during your tournament rounds of golf.  If you like to play quickly, play quickly.  If you like to arrive late, arrive late.

 

One of the big things that helped me was watching the PGA Tour's YouTube channel that shows the pros pre-round warmup routine.  When watching the pros, their warmup routine is around 1-hour long.  You don't see many of them go beyond 75 minutes in their warmup routine.  Then they simply get work in on the range, the putting green, the bunkers and short game area.  They don't spend too much time in any one area or with any club.  They'll start off and hit a dozen wedges, then six to eight 8-irons, then the same with 6-irons, then hit a few 4-irons, followed by a few 3-woods and then 6-8 drivers and then they are off to somewhere else.  

 

There's no 'I'm struggling with my swing so I'm going to spend extra time hitting balls.'  If they are swinging poorly, they don't dwell on it as they need to get some practice in with other clubs and other parts of the game.  They'll do the same on the putting green and short game area as well.  And when they finish their tee time is up.

 

With amateur tournaments it's not as well organized because you'll get players that show up 2-3 hours early and spend all day on the range.  I typically recommend trying to get on the range immediately due to this.  But if the range is full, then go to the putting green or short game area.  Also, I have those plastic circles that Odyssey makes and I use them on the putting greens for fake holes because, again, the putting green is clogged with people.  But the principle is still the same, get your practice in and give yourself a time limit at each station and don't dwell on the negative as you can always go out on the course and play much better than you did on the range.

 

A lot of good tournament play is about good preparation.  But you can over-prepare as well and over-think things.  For instance, my home club recently hosted a very well known AJGA event.  The course is a Tillinghast design with small greens that slope pretty severely from front to back.  Talking to the juniors that I knew, they were all talking about how they didn't want to get above the hole.  But in doing so they were sacrificing hitting greens and hitting shots close.  Instead, they needed to just not go long of the green and work on their putting on more severely sloped greens.  They also needed to get used to hitting shots out of thick bent grass rough, particularly to elevated greens.  The ones that prepared that way played the best.  The others played far worse than they normally play.

 

Other than that, the game is not about being perfect.  If you hit a bad shot or two in a row, it doesn't mean you can't play well.  It's more of a messy game and the best players are the best at organizing their mess to the point where they can take full advantage of their good shots.

 

 

 

 

 

RH

[TLUBulldogGolf]

Honestly you touched on the main thing, which is you just have to do it. You are going to feel a lot different and you have to get used to that feeling. 

 

As far as approach, I will say that my mentality is different going into a tournament round, I'm thinking a lot more about what I want to do with the shot, where I want to land it, what are my yardages (front of the green specifically, more if I have a good yardage book). 

Edited June 15, 2021 by TLUBulldogGolf

[Wormkiller]

16 hours ago, SNIPERBBB said:

Ive played competitive sports since I was 4 and was always on competitive teams. I think there's a different kind of pressure in competitive golf than most other sports. Mainly because the way it manifests itself and how you deal with it is so counterintuitive. Adrenaline is a great drug in baseball, football and other sports. Adrenaline in gilf not so much unless you're Tiger playing on one leg for major. You need a sedagive.

 

I eased into competitive golf playing in our local Wednesday night league.  It's very competitive and you're playing directly against an opponent in a form of match play. The more you play, the better you get get.  Then starting to play for money can really get another level pressure. 

 

I completely agree. I've played competitive cricket, AFL (Aussie rules football), baseball and tennis - but golf is a completely different beast, given the level of precision required and increased arousal levels having a very high potential of being inhibitory to performance. Its like nothing else. Not long ago I told myself that playing competitive golf is the last thing I ever want to do. But now I see it as the a test of character and an opportunity to develop in areas about myself that I think I have previously done poorly eg: staying calm under pressure, performing in clutch situations.

Edited June 15, 2021 by Wormkiller

[Wormkiller]

14 hours ago, RichieHunt said:

I played highly competitive golf as a junior and college player.  About a year after I graduated college I quit the game for 8 years and then got back into it in 2009.  I started to play more competitively in 2011 and that lasted a few years.  Now I'm looking to get back into playing more competitive golf, again.

 

Playing tournaments and money games helps quite a bit getting accustomed to tournament play.  At my old club they had a cash game where you played in teams of 4 and you took the low 2 scores.  There were also other ways to win money (skins, greenies, etc).  It was highly competitive and after playing that for a while when I went to play the State Mid-Am I didn't feel nervous or uneasy at all.  A big part of playing well in tournaments is just allowing you to be yourself.  If you're a bit of a chatterbox and like to joke around a little during your casual rounds of golf, then be a chatterbox and joke around a little during your tournament rounds of golf.  If you like to play quickly, play quickly.  If you like to arrive late, arrive late.

 

One of the big things that helped me was watching the PGA Tour's YouTube channel that shows the pros pre-round warmup routine.  When watching the pros, their warmup routine is around 1-hour long.  You don't see many of them go beyond 75 minutes in their warmup routine.  Then they simply get work in on the range, the putting green, the bunkers and short game area.  They don't spend too much time in any one area or with any club.  They'll start off and hit a dozen wedges, then six to eight 8-irons, then the same with 6-irons, then hit a few 4-irons, followed by a few 3-woods and then 6-8 drivers and then they are off to somewhere else.  

 

There's no 'I'm struggling with my swing so I'm going to spend extra time hitting balls.'  If they are swinging poorly, they don't dwell on it as they need to get some practice in with other clubs and other parts of the game.  They'll do the same on the putting green and short game area as well.  And when they finish their tee time is up.

 

With amateur tournaments it's not as well organized because you'll get players that show up 2-3 hours early and spend all day on the range.  I typically recommend trying to get on the range immediately due to this.  But if the range is full, then go to the putting green or short game area.  Also, I have those plastic circles that Odyssey makes and I use them on the putting greens for fake holes because, again, the putting green is clogged with people.  But the principle is still the same, get your practice in and give yourself a time limit at each station and don't dwell on the negative as you can always go out on the course and play much better than you did on the range.

 

A lot of good tournament play is about good preparation.  But you can over-prepare as well and over-think things.  For instance, my home club recently hosted a very well known AJGA event.  The course is a Tillinghast design with small greens that slope pretty severely from front to back.  Talking to the juniors that I knew, they were all talking about how they didn't want to get above the hole.  But in doing so they were sacrificing hitting greens and hitting shots close.  Instead, they needed to just not go long of the green and work on their putting on more severely sloped greens.  They also needed to get used to hitting shots out of thick bent grass rough, particularly to elevated greens.  The ones that prepared that way played the best.  The others played far worse than they normally play.

 

Other than that, the game is not about being perfect.  If you hit a bad shot or two in a row, it doesn't mean you can't play well.  It's more of a messy game and the best players are the best at organizing their mess to the point where they can take full advantage of their good shots.

 

 

 

 

 

RH

Awesome response, thanks for that.

 

I feel being prepared is important and finding a "sweet spot" in terms of preparation on the range. My worst rounds have happened either where I haven't been able to hit on the range at all - such as playing at a friend's club and not having access to the range and him arriving very late - or spending the day before on the range hitting hundreds of balls then buckets more before the round letting headworms in, and over thinking my swing, with the added physical fatigue.

 

I love to putt as a warm up just focusing on 4 footers getting used to seeing and hearing the ball drop in. 20 minutes on the range starting with some pitches, then a few hits of the longer clubs puts me in a good mindset I'm beginning to find.

 

For some reason, I'm also finding that the most enjoyable part of the day of a competition is the morning of. Getting up early, preparing my things, getting down the club and feeling the buzz, and warming up. I still get nervous the night before - even to the point of not having a great sleep. But as soon as that alarm goes off I'm excited to get out of bed.

 

Playing with friends also makes me so much more comfortable.

[Krt22]

Just keep playing and stop thinking of it as something more than it really is. If you are playing club events, shooting your index goes a long way and shooting your index largely means avoiding big numbers, boring golf is good. Even if it's not a formal comp, play for cash, make side bets, anything to keep you mentally focused and grinding so you don't ever give up on a hole after a poor shot , such that when you are in a big event you don't start making mental errors trying to press. 

[bluedot]

Above all else, when you play even the most casual round, play 100% by the Rules.  No preferred lies, no mulligans, no gimme putts, no do-overs, nothing.  If you don't hit a provisional and your ball turns out to be lost or OB, then take a TWO stroke penalty if going back to the tee doesn't work.  Don't play the "leaf rule", and on and on. 

 

A lot of players get frustrated with the scores in competition, because they simply aren't used to playing 100% by the Rules.  They are undone by finding their ball in a divot, or whatever, and the pressure builds as their competitive score isn't matching their unrealistic expectations for what they "should" be shooting.

 

Another important thing: Play with good players at every opportunity, and play for at least a few dollars.  That keeps you from losing focus during the round, and gets you used to performing when there is something on the line.  And playing with better players just makes you raise the level of your game.  Doesn't have to be much money; a buddy and I play a $3 nassau every Sunday morning, and I lost $2 for the entire month of May.  But it really, really helps.

 

There is a Bobby Jones quote about this:  "There is golf, and there is tournament golf."  So do anything you can to make as many rounds as you can more like tournament golf.

[Wormkiller]

On 6/15/2021 at 7:36 PM, bluedot said:

Above all else, when you play even the most casual round, play 100% by the Rules.  No preferred lies, no mulligans, no gimme putts, no do-overs, nothing.  If you don't hit a provisional and your ball turns out to be lost or OB, then take a TWO stroke penalty if going back to the tee doesn't work.  Don't play the "leaf rule", and on and on. 

 

A lot of players get frustrated with the scores in competition, because they simply aren't used to playing 100% by the Rules.  They are undone by finding their ball in a divot, or whatever, and the pressure builds as their competitive score isn't matching their unrealistic expectations for what they "should" be shooting.

 

Another important thing: Play with good players at every opportunity, and play for at least a few dollars.  That keeps you from losing focus during the round, and gets you used to performing when there is something on the line.  And playing with better players just makes you raise the level of your game.  Doesn't have to be much money; a buddy and I play a $3 nassau every Sunday morning, and I lost $2 for the entire month of May.  But it really, really helps.

 

There is a Bobby Jones quote about this:  "There is golf, and there is tournament golf."  So do anything you can to make as many rounds as you can more like tournament golf.

Great advice, thanks for that. Its so easy and tempting during a practice round to throw another ball down, and it skews perception of true scoring ability. I'm definitely guilty of this, which is why playing competitively was such a baptism of fire.

[phizzy30]

I played in high school and a D1 college way back in the day.  I love golf, but didn't care much in the ways of tournament golf.  I'm more casual and laid back these days, so I play socially for fun.  I will bet maybe a dollar a hole and do a skins game with my brother and cousins though to get my competitive juices flowing.  I will say that I tend to do better when there's something on the line, but I'm not a fan of feeling pressure all the time out on the course.  I also like to play with guys that are scratch or better because I can watch what they do and take notes.  All my scratch to plus cap buddies play competitively. 

[naval2006]

I’ve only played competitive golf at national, regional and club level most of my golf life. I can’t tell from experience about other sports. But as @RichieHunt says, you have to be yourself on the course. So you know your strength and you’re weakness, mentally and gamewise. This will allow you to get the necessary three or four go to shots to use under  pressure. And most important, competition is a lot about hitting the ball, finding it and hitting again with the same detachment wether it’s for birdie or an ugly double bogey. And then move on. All the good tournament players do this with no exception at any level.  Study Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Tiger, Gary Player and the likes to appreciate how level-headed they can be through glory or tragedy.  

[bluedot]

1 hour ago, naval2006 said:

I’ve only played competitive golf at national, regional and club level most of my golf life. I can’t tell from experience about other sports. But as @RichieHunt says, you have to be yourself on the course. So you know your strength and you’re weakness, mentally and gamewise. This will allow you to get the necessary three or four go to shots to use under  pressure. And most important, competition is a lot about hitting the ball, finding it and hitting again with the same detachment wether it’s for birdie or an ugly double bogey. And then move on. All the good tournament players do this with no exception at any level.  Study Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Tiger, Gary Player and the likes to appreciate how level-headed they can be through glory or tragedy.  

This is great advice, and so true of top athletes in every sport.  They aren't afraid of the moment, whether the moment is going well or poorly.

 

I think the catch to this for a lot of "ordinary" golfers is that they play competitions so infrequently that there is a tendency to attach too much importance to not only the round, but to each shot.  And that's a recipe for tension and disaster.

[Wormkiller]

15 hours ago, bluedot said:

 

I think the catch to this for a lot of "ordinary" golfers is that they play competitions so infrequently that there is a tendency to attach too much importance to not only the round, but to each shot.  And that's a recipe for tension and disaster.

I can definitely relate to this. Previously I've seen playing a competition as an ultimate assessment and culmination of all the practice that has happened beforehand, and I've put massive expectations on myself to succeed, which only makes things worse. But that's not how golf works. Even the best can shoot 10 strokes worse or better the very next day. By playing comps regularly its just another round, with another round just around the corner. Performance overtime is the true measure of progress, not one round alone with such a small sample size.

[Wormkiller]

16 hours ago, phizzy30 said:

I played in high school and a D1 college way back in the day.  I love golf, but didn't care much in the ways of tournament golf.  I'm more casual and laid back these days, so I play socially for fun.  I will bet maybe a dollar a hole and do a skins game with my brother and cousins though to get my competitive juices flowing.  I will say that I tend to do better when there's something on the line, but I'm not a fan of feeling pressure all the time out on the course.  I also like to play with guys that are scratch or better because I can watch what they do and take notes.  All my scratch to plus cap buddies play competitively. 

How do you keep a handicap if you don't play competitively, out of interest?

[SNIPERBBB]

6 hours ago, Wormkiller said:

How do you keep a handicap if you don't play competitively, out of interest?

In the US, casual rounds do count for handicap purposes unless you play solo or break so many rules that what you did does not resemble golf. Other countries may vary, or used to pre2020

[ChipNRun]

On 6/14/2021 at 7:07 AM, MattyO1984 said:

For me, you have hit the nail on the head by simply committing to playing.

 

I jumped into the area amateur circuit about seven years ago. One and two-day individual medal events every couple of weeks, plus two end-of-year tournaments. This was my first entry into regular competitive golf, other than two years as a backup player in junior college (fairly low stress) and a dozen city tournaments here and there.

 

The first year you play is like boot camp/basic training: you learn the administrative and social hassles that accompany the events. Since you appear to play out of your home club, hopefully you don't have too many Seinfeld-type encounters with more rough-cut golfers.

 

You seem to want ways to improve. There's pre-round and during-round things you can do.

 

Pre-Round. This starts during last round. Keep track of fairways hit, greens in regulation, number of putts. Some can do this during the round, others just keep track of putts and recall fairways, etc. after round is over. Some stat formats embedded with HDCP systems allow you to enter hole-by-hole scores, GIR, etc. Then, look for patterns... All missed drives went left today. Why?

 

If you course has any slow afternoons or evenings, get out on the course for practice. Work a couple of holes a half hour each... Hit a couple of approaches out of fairway from 150 yards out, out of rough from 170 yards out... This gets you ready for real shots during competition, better than hitting a dozen range balls off level ground.

 

During Round. Avoid beehive brain. Don't try to restructure your game during the round, and certainly not in pre-round warm-up. If you have a couple of bad shots, FOCUS. Line up the ball and hit it. The military special ops people call this trust your training. Focus on doing things right, don't worry about what went wrong.

 

Every course has a couple of those holes that can give you trouble. At my course, two of these are par 5s where I can almost get home in two with solid drives. But, both holes run the gauntlet with disasters looming left and right the whole length. If my driver is iffy, I'll take back-to-back hybrids to set up a final full 7i off the fairway.

 

Since you're learning competitive golf, don't try a shot you cannot commit to. If your little voice says "don't be a hero," play it safe on the shot.

 

Overall. Have fun playing golf. IT'S ALLOWED!

[Long_Left]

On 6/14/2021 at 12:13 AM, 2bGood said:

One semi-silly thing that did help along the way was 'caddying' for myself. I found my mind was rushing in competition and I found if had an alter-ego in my head that forced me to talk over shots and strategy with me helped get my head in the right place. It moved me out of reacting to thinking. Despite what it sounds like this did not make me slow or anything it just helped my see through the fog of adrenaline and compose myself when I needed to. 

Nothing silly, semi or otherwise, about it! This is what I go back to when things start to go sideways. I play a monthly golf association tournament, weekly $20 matches against a buddy, and the occasional Golfweek Am Tour event, and when I'm mentally present enough to say "156 target, 145-168 is safe, lots of room right" or something similar to myself when assessing the shot I find out I'm very comfortable and committed to the upcoming shot.

 

Rushing is the enemy of success for me, physically moving faster is sometimes needed if your group is out of position, but you can move your body fast without speeding up mentally...

[me05501]

Just like anything else, the more you do it the more comfortable you will feel. But so much of golf performance and consistency is mental, and it only takes something small to throw most people off their game a little. If you're used to being given short putts and then have to make one, it seems like a huge hurdle!

 

I used to crumble under competitive pressure but this season I've had two PB's while playing in matches with my friends. I think that concept of "caddying for yourself" probably helped. I wanted to support my team, so I focused on hitting fairways and greens and lagging my first putts close to the hole. In both cases I was kind of cruising along and not paying attention to my stroke play score at all, but at the end of the round they added up in the 70's. That's a new neighborhood for me!

[thomasmu]

Caddying for yourself has helped me a ton, especially after a bad hole or two. It helps resetting your thoughts to play your game. I'd second the other idea of finding ways to keep your personality the same in competition. Don't fall into the trap of being quiet, slow, and deliberate if you don't play that way normally. I'd also say make sure you're ready for the course mentally and in the short game (physically). Your swing is your swing but be comfortable with how to play the ball around the greens.

[Nels55]

On 6/19/2021 at 6:08 AM, bluedot said:

This is great advice, and so true of top athletes in every sport.  They aren't afraid of the moment, whether the moment is going well or poorly.

 

 

Yep very true of top players in all sports.  I have been watching a lot of NBA playoff games this year and I have noticed several times that a team in a tight game will run their offense and get a good corner three or other shot that 'has to be taken' and the guy will pass the ball and the team will end up with somebody hoisting up a really bad shot as the shot clock expires.  I have seen teams do this on more then one shot on the same possession.  The star players are not afraid to shoot it but sometimes the lesser guys appear to be. 

 

LOL I don't know what this has to do with competitive golf other then when you have to hit the big shot under pressure go for it and make an aggressive swing!  Make your best effort and if you screw it up blame it on bad luck and get em next time!

[Zitlow]

Gambling on the course will help hone your competitive skills. 

[bluedot]

12 hours ago, Nels55 said:

Yep very true of top players in all sports.  I have been watching a lot of NBA playoff games this year and I have noticed several times that a team in a tight game will run their offense and get a good corner three or other shot that 'has to be taken' and the guy will pass the ball and the team will end up with somebody hoisting up a really bad shot as the shot clock expires.  I have seen teams do this on more then one shot on the same possession.  The star players are not afraid to shoot it but sometimes the lesser guys appear to be. 

 

LOL I don't know what this has to do with competitive golf other then when you have to hit the big shot under pressure go for it and make an aggressive swing!  Make your best effort and if you screw it up blame it on bad luck and get em next time!

 I love this example.  I was a HS basketball coach for 39 years, and I learned fairly early that in last-minute pressure situations, there were going to be players that just basically hid from the ball.  I also learned to make sure that when a kid took the last shot and missed, that I sat down with them SOON and told them how proud I was of them for wanting that shot and not being afraid to take it, and that a lot of players just wouldn't.  In every case, you could see the light come on for that kid, and the disappointment about the missed shot get replaced by the understanding that the important thing was not being afraid of the moment.

[Krt22]

On 6/19/2021 at 6:08 AM, bluedot said:

This is great advice, and so true of top athletes in every sport.  They aren't afraid of the moment, whether the moment is going well or poorly.

 

I think the catch to this for a lot of "ordinary" golfers is that they play competitions so infrequently that there is a tendency to attach too much importance to not only the round, but to each shot.  And that's a recipe for tension and disaster.

This was me when I first started club events, I was a complete wreck. Big mental block to perform extraordinarily, when in reality all you need to do is play your normal game and avoid unforced mental errors.  Managing expectations goes a long way.

[Wormkiller]

Not sure if many people can relate to this, but I find it very challenging to be disciplined enough to play exactly by the rules in practice rounds, especially when playing by myself. Its so easy for me to just discount the horrible shanks/duck hooks and throw down another ball, blaming not being warmed up or wanting to get value for my time out there or something equally pathetic. Just like its so easy to improve the lie of the ball or move it our from behind a tree without adding an unplayable penalty. I play with others who often will do the same.

 

My last couple of practice rounds I've stuck to the rules, and its actually a bit of a weird liberating feeling walking off the course knowing that you haven't cheated yourself, as well as replicated comp conditions as closely as possible.

 

 

Edited June 29, 2021 by Wormkiller

[bluedot]

6 hours ago, Wormkiller said:

Not sure if many people can relate to this, but I find it very challenging to be disciplined enough to play exactly by the rules in practice rounds, especially when playing by myself. Its so easy for me to just discount the horrible shanks/duck hooks and throw down another ball, blaming not being warmed up or wanting to get value for my time out there or something equally pathetic. Just like its so easy to improve the lie of the ball or move it our from behind a tree without adding an unplayable penalty. I play with others who often will do the same.

 

My last couple of practice rounds I've stuck to the rules, and its actually a bit of a weird liberating feeling walking off the course knowing that you haven't cheated yourself, as well as replicated comp conditions as closely as possible.

 

 

 

I think this is absolutely crucial, and widely overlooked as a way of getting better at competition.  There are other ways to get better at playing competitively, like playing for a few dollars, playing with good players, etc, but none more important, IMO, than just playing fully under the Rules.

 

If you are playing a "casual round" and hit a really good drive, only to find your ball in a divot in the middle of the fairway, it is SO tempting to move the ball, rather than to view that as an opportunity to practice something that you might face in competition.  Same thing with stroke and distance penalties, and same thing with raking short putts instead of grinding over them. 

 

And, of course, the other aspect of NOT playing that way is that you can easily end up with an index that is a couple of strokes (or more) too low.  Then, in a tournament, frustration builds because you are not approaching that level of play, and you have also taken yourself out of any net winnings if that's part of the tournament.

 

Since solo rounds can't be posted anymore, I sort of look at those now as on-course practice sessions; I hit different shots than I normally hit, or play different tees, or drop several balls around the green for short game practice, or hit extra shots with a club that I've been struggling with, etc, and don't even think about the score.  But in ANY round, no matter how "casual", if you are keeping score and you are going to post it, play fully under the Rules.  It's a BIG deal.

[GooseHook]

2 hours ago, bluedot said:

 

I think this is absolutely crucial, and widely overlooked as a way of getting better at competition.  There are other ways to get better at playing competitively, like playing for a few dollars, playing with good players, etc, but none more important, IMO, than just playing fully under the Rules.

 

If you are playing a "casual round" and hit a really good drive, only to find your ball in a divot in the middle of the fairway, it is SO tempting to move the ball, rather than to view that as an opportunity to practice something that you might face in competition.  Same thing with stroke and distance penalties, and same thing with raking short putts instead of grinding over them. 

 

And, of course, the other aspect of NOT playing that way is that you can easily end up with an index that is a couple of strokes (or more) too low.  Then, in a tournament, frustration builds because you are not approaching that level of play, and you have also taken yourself out of any net winnings if that's part of the tournament.

 

Since solo rounds can't be posted anymore, I sort of look at those now as on-course practice sessions; I hit different shots than I normally hit, or play different tees, or drop several balls around the green for short game practice, or hit extra shots with a club that I've been struggling with, etc, and don't even think about the score.  But in ANY round, no matter how "casual", if you are keeping score and you are going to post it, play fully under the Rules.  It's a BIG deal.

100%

 

For golfers that haven't grown up playing competitive golf (myself included), the definition of "competitive" usually amounts to match play, interclub events, and 4-ball tournaments. Getting prepared for a stroke play event, especially a multi-day one, is a huge grind. 

[The Stallion]

1 hour ago, GooseHook said:

100%

 

For golfers that haven't grown up playing competitive golf (myself included), the definition of "competitive" usually amounts to match play, interclub events, and 4-ball tournaments. Getting prepared for a stroke play event, especially a multi-day one, is a huge grind. 

 

I agree. I almost feel like its a process to move through those "types" of competitive golf. Start with local weekly men's leagues, then club events, then 4-ball tournaments, and then where the real pressure hits...gross stroke play events. The more I play in them the more comfortable I get. 

[bluedot]

"There's golf, and there's tournament golf".

Robert Tyre Jones