Top Ten Reasons Why Golf Is Hard
by David Mangene on Dec 20, 2010 9:14 AM EST
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Why is the game of golf so hard? After all, when it is your turn out of the course, you see the ball lying still on the ground, waiting for you to strike it, you have all the time you need to take your aim, set your stance and take your swing, and when you do, there's no player who's trying to foil your plans -- that is, there's no one playing defense. On the surface, that sounds very easy and that making great shots should be the norm, not the exception for a typical amateur player.
Thing is, we all know better: golf is incredibly hard and impossible to master. Rare does anyone, from OWGR #1 Lee Westwood all the way down to the fellow who took up the game yesterday, hit a perfect shot. Obviously a player like Lee Westwood hits more great shots and far, far fewer bad ones than do average golfer, but then again, if golf was easy, why does a player of Westwood's caliber still need lessons? Because golf is hard and even the best player in the world needs constant coaching and continuous improvement, or he won't be #1 for long at all.
In his second post here at the Waggle Room, theswaggernews.com's David Mangene shares his thoughts on what makes the game so difficult. Read on...
-Charles
There are reasons for this, some obvious, others not so much so
1. Time to think.
The average golfers spends 4.5 minutes actually hitting golf shots during an 18 hole round. It takes 5 hours to play 18 holes! You do the math. That's LOTS of time left to ponder the universe. Or the shank you just hit.
2. The golf swing.
Hitting a golf ball is a complex physical act. If you don't believe me, go to your nearest driving range and watch a beginner try to hit a ball. It's hard enough just making contact, let alone busting a driver 320 down the middle of a tight fairway.
3. Weather.
This summer at the British Open the players were wearing winter hats. In July! Enough said.
4. Other golfers.
In the NBA they talk trash. In the NHL they punch you. In MLB they throw a 95 m.p.h. fastball at your head. None of that compares to 4 hours and 54.5 minutes of conversation with many golfers. (see math in point 1.) It's like Hannibal Lecter talking to Clarice Starling in the Silence of the Lambs..."Clarice, have the lambs stopped screaming..." Just shut the up already and let's just play.
5. Downhill, sidehill putts.
If you've ever faced one on a really fast green, you know what I'm talking about. It goes beyond difficult to nigh on impossible.
6. Slow play.
A 100m sprint takes about 10 seconds. I played a round this year that took 6 hours and 15 minutes. Consider this: In 2005, the average time for a runner - and we're talking regular, amateur people here to complete a marathon in the U.S. was 4 hours 32 minutes 8 seconds for men, and 5 hours 6 minutes 8 seconds for women. Ouch.
7.Cost
In Africa some kids play soccer with a ball made of tape, on a dirt field, and they don't wear shoes. In golf you need lessons, equipment, green fees, and a cart. You better be getting paid well to have the disposable income to spend on a round of golf.
8. Ultra exclusive private clubs.
See number 7. Yes, golf has changed. More people are playing. But there are still plenty of places where you're as welcome as Julian Assange standing at a photocopier inside CIA Headquarters.
9. You have to play a lot.
I love basketball. I haven't played an organized game since the finals of my state championship in 1988 (Oyster River Bobcats win!!!). But I can walk onto a court today and stick a jumper from the top of the key, no problem. I might hit the front of the rim with the first one, but the second one's nothing but net. Not golf. If you don't play much, it's real easy to suck.
10. Have I mentioned time to think?
Once you've got the basics, golf is a mental game. No, it's not easy, it's hard. But easy is not always better. It's easy to sit on the couch and watch Jersey Shore. But I don't get a rush from Jersey Shore. When I challenge myself to get better at golf, work hard, and succeed, the rush is AMAZING. It's not supposed to be easy. The fact that it's difficult, really really challenging, is what makes golf the greatest game on earth.
If you're playing today, have a blast. Me, I'm gonna go shovel some Dutch snow.
FanPosts are written by Waggle Room members. Viewpoints expressed do not necessarily reflect those of WaggleRoom.com, editor, Charles Boyer or any other writer or member.
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Interesting...
I would say the 2 hardest things about golf are commitment and expectations.
You elude to commitment a couple of times – commitment to practice to improve – you have to learn how to hit up to 14 different clubs and hit them in multiple ways depending on the situation and the elements. That’s not easy!
And then it’s just the commitment to play – life is busy, and for some, finding 5+ hours to play one 18 hole round of golf a week or month can be a challenge. I choose to ignore all of the home improvement projects I should be doing during my 5 months of playing time and when I can golf I do golf – but I definitely sacrifice other things to do that.
I think people’s expectations get in the way of really enjoying the game. This can range from the new golfer who just can’t believe he can’t be good right out of the gate to the local veteran who is going through a slump…how can it be that one day I can hit every green and the next day I have 6 penalty strokes???!!! It’s a blow to the ego and can really ruin golf for a round or a season!
I think the mental part of the game, whether on or off the course, is the common thread to many of the hard parts about golf.
Man, I miss golf!
I write about golf at www.tees2greens.com, too.
Red, all good points.
I think the hardest thing is repetition. Once you find that “magic” formula of posture, timing, tempo, swing plane, and confidence, the problem then becomes repeating it over and over. With just the smallest change in posture, your swing plane can change, which can affect timing and tempo and after a couple of bad shots…..confidence is history. Oh my, it can all crash in a moment. Then the mental part…..hmmm, I used to have a mental, but I lost it. I keep checking the lost and found, but no one has turned it in….bummer…..:)
The Saints ARE the SUPER BOWL CHAMPS....WHO DAT!
Funny story....
A guy I worked with was always giving me a hard time about playing golf. Girly game and things like that. One day in front of everyone he started in again, so I asked if he thought he could beat me. Well in order to save face he said there was no doubt that he could and wanted to set up a big bet. So I started dialing my phone and he said what are you doing? I told him I was setting up a tee time to play and by the way bring as much money as you can stuff in your pockets. Everyone laughed and he was big time embarrassed. He never said a word about golf again. And no, we didn’t play.
The Saints ARE the SUPER BOWL CHAMPS....WHO DAT!
I used to play local level Rugby.
A younger mate of mine, who I worked with, played also, but I had long since left the game. He is a lot bigger than me, I’m 15 stone, Loose forward, he was 18 stone, Prop forward. He was a lot better as a Rugby player, so he thought golf was easy. He found it very difficult, but did get to 18 before he quit the game. He says these days golf is one of the hardest sports ever to play well.
I found golf quite easy at first..
i just hit the ball for hours at the range or on the course without much thoughts… then after a year the thinking started with hows and whys and golf became increasingly difficult for we’re always in quest of that perfectly shaped shot…and so on till you’re losing it completly and start playing lefty so you have a good reason to suck :-)
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excuse not reason sorry
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by Saint-just71 on Dec 20, 2010 11:59 AM EST up reply actions
Only one reason why golf is hard
Learning to swing the club properly. The other nine reasons you note are collateral. They fall into the category of reasons why golf is marginal as a sport many would like to play or consider playing but do not wish to do because…….. (your nine other reasons). Your headline should have read, “Top Ten Reasons why people don’t play the game.”
true enough...and
1KRats, swinging the club is critical. No doubt. But if I could take you to the range, and have you watch my clients hit the ball, you’d say “she can swing a club. She hits it long and straight.” But, she isn’t winning tournaments and she wants to. So what’s wrong?
Static in the attic. Pure and simple.
And that’s where I come in…
I do agree with your slight variation to my title though – now that I think about it. Cheers.
by David Mangene on Dec 21, 2010 4:21 AM EST up reply actions
Can you edit this to just the 5 real reasons you listed ? Golf is hard because of the cost ? Golf is hard because some people have a lot of money to join a country club ? Golf is hard because you have to play a lot ? Slow play and a lot of time to think and……a..lot of ….time to think are all basically the same.
"When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together in society, they create for themselves in the course of time a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that justifies it." - Frederic Bastiat
the Golfing License
I see what you’re saying about the 5 points.
I live in a country where you have to have a license to play golf. You gotta take a written test and pass a ‘practical’ exam on the course in front of a pro who is counting your strokes. Before you can even sign up for the test, you gotta take 10 lessons from a pro. Plenty of people find out what the investment will be and give up before they’ve even started – due to the costs. This culture seems to discourage rather than encourage people to play. Which is too bad.
As for money and golf, go make as much as you can and join wherever you want. If somebody invited me to play Augusta National I would say, ‘yes please.’ No brainer. So I’m not railing against people’s right to make a lot and play. I’m just saying, if you wanna play – make sure you’re getting paid. Speaking of which, great Bastiat tag line on your comments.
I agree with some sort of written test
Too many people start up the game without knowing the basics. But 10 lessons from a pro is too much…some sports minded people need a lot less.
Easy...how would that test
effect Ol Wendy…ya know she doesn’t do too welll unless it’s an open book type….STUB
I think we’ve all had days when we wished there was a licensing process here in the States…or at least armed marshalls. :-D It makes more sense in a country as small as yours where land use is so critical. But even in your system, cost doesn’t have anything to do with how difficult the game is, just how difficult it is to get on the golf course. Your system doesn’t keep people off of the driving range, just preserves valuable tee times for people who are at least fairly competant.
The problem is that your only kept with the theme of your post 50% of the time. Economics don’t have any affect on how difficult the game is – just in what level course and clubs you get to play without being invited by someone. (I get to play Eastlake once a year thanks to media day)
By the way – how does the system over there work with tourists ?
"When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together in society, they create for themselves in the course of time a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that justifies it." - Frederic Bastiat
Court, you read my mind.....ooops,
isn’t that what David is supposed to do ? If I was a visitor and wanted to play….what would be the requirements….other than a letter from my club….STUB
well…you and I woud just call Elin and have her get us a tee time. :-D
"When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together in society, they create for themselves in the course of time a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that justifies it." - Frederic Bastiat
You have your handicap from your country.
That is enough. The requirements mentioned are for the Dutch taking up the game.
well that’s nice to hear. makes me wonder what they are trying to accomplish with the system. We’ve all seen beginners who fly around the golf course but can’t break 100, and pros who would lose a race to a turtle.
"When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together in society, they create for themselves in the course of time a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that justifies it." - Frederic Bastiat
oh come on – she’s ELIN ! a phone call from her gets you in. :-D
"When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together in society, they create for themselves in the course of time a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that justifies it." - Frederic Bastiat
Netherlands /Sweden - you thnk they're interchangeable then?
Well, I guess they’re both “Europe” – that’s a country, isn’t it?
yes and an "evil" one... ;-)
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by Saint-just71 on Dec 21, 2010 7:05 PM EST up reply actions
armed marshalls.
good line courtgolf. LOL on that one. Your point about the lack of land in NL is right on the money. It is about land, or the lack thereof. With a USGA handicap card you could play any course in the country, including the old links courses on the coast (Noordwijk, Kennemer, both hosts of the KLM Dutch Open.) So the license thing doesn’t really apply to tourists as long as they’re golfers. My dad just uses his Florida PGA card when he’s here. No problem.
Maybe there’s a separate post in this golf license thing…
David's only giving
the ladies credit….don’t take it personally….STUB
I want extra brownie points
for pointing out to Court that Sweden & Netherlands do not share a border either.
Well, In his defense, you know
how Court gets blinded when there is a beautiful lady like Elin around……STUB
Oh my gawd, this is too easy
(no pun intended)….but I think that’s what they call and ACHILLES HEEL…BAWaaaaaa….the devil made me do it….BAWaaaaaa….STUB
pun intended.
You mean pun intended right thinker. Solid line, that achilles heel. Is that why they call you thinker?
by David Mangene on Dec 22, 2010 5:37 PM EST up reply actions
Nah, that wooda been too Easy,
oh my gawd, There it goes again….Everbody usually calls me STUB, or late for dinner, but never cocktails….David, wait a minute….yes sweetum, mix another a them Gods delights….3 olives and twist this time…..Ah thank you sweet thing,, now light the cigar will you? Ok, where were we….Oh yes, puns…I normally don’t do puns, of course, when someone opens the door that wide, ya jist gotta go through it right?,,,,,STUB
well...before i came to asia, I thought they were all chinese so... ;-)
and I can’t name by heart the 50 states neither…wait…I can’t even name the 27 states of the EU…shame on me..
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by Saint-just71 on Dec 22, 2010 8:54 PM EST up reply actions
right you are.
Indeed Easingwold. I stand corrected. Blighty being so close to NL, shoulda known you’d spot that one.
by David Mangene on Dec 22, 2010 5:35 PM EST up reply actions
Golf is supposed to be hard
As anyone who has watched “Tin Cup” knows, golf is supposed to be hard. The fact that it is hard is part of what makes it great. If golf were easy, then everyone would do it.
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