Why Do We Continue To Play This Game?

Posted by John

July 10, 2010

Periodically I refer to John Paul Newport’s column on golf in the weekend addition of the Wall Street Journal. Today he’s published another good column on what many think is the reason we golfers continue with the game; the joy of hitting the pure shoot. Read the whole article here.

The article is a good read and I think the premise is right on, as recent polls of golfers confirms. If you’ve played golf for any time at all, you must have enjoyed the sensation of no effort coupled with watching your ball sail a magical distance right where you thought it would go. I have a friend who’s an avid golfer in Rocherster, New York. He has tried to get his golf committee to modify their score cards to include a place to write down the best shots you make during a round. His premise is you could be a 10 handicap, shoot 95 and still have a couple of terrific shots which will stay with you a lot longer than your poor score. He might be on to something.

As I get older, I focus less on score on more on the pure enjoyment I can find walking a course and chasing the little white ball. I’ve tried to convince my wife that we should keep score less often and just enjoy, but I have yet to make a convert. She’s driven to lower her handicap as proof that she can actually get better. I’ve played long enough to know that success in the game will always be an up and down affair. I also know that personally I score better when scoring is completely out of my mind.

Next I want to explore what keeps us from swinging evenly and within ourselves so we can hit more pure shots.