It's a mental game golf; it'll drive you nuts.

I suppose by now I should be considered ‘an improving’ player. Unless regularly failing to hit the ball at all or putting it straight into impenetrable rough can be considered improving; then, alas, I am an un-improving player or, more precisely, a regressing player.

My last 18 hole round wasn’t too bad but Ross and I went out for 10 holes the other evening and it was truly horrendous. I started off with my best ever tee shot on the first; the ball actually went straight and finished on the fairway nearly at the top of the hill.  From there I took another 5 shots to reach the green and two putts to hole out. The second was much worse. I did manage some decent tee shots but most of the rest of my game was horrible; including the putting.

I just couldn’t get my stance right. On the tee I would try and get myself into a position which felt the same every time but the result was different each time; including taking a 5 inch divot a foot behind the ball. By the end of the round I was thinking it would be easy to get round using a snooker cue. I also had thoughts of trying something easier; like bomb disposal. My wife had said she would buy me a custom set of golf clubs for my 50^th birthday but by the end of our 10 holes I was seriously considering asking her not to bother.  Should you have asked me a year ago whether I would be bothered by a bad round I would have laughed; I didn’t really care, as long as I was out on the course and enjoying the company. A bad round, actually several bad rounds have upset me.

We left the club and proceed to the pub for a pint. I walked up to the bar to order and bumped into a friend I hadn’t seen for about 8 years. He was with a friend of his so introductions were made and the four of us spent a pleasant hour nattering and talking tosh. By the time we left I was feeling much better, my perspective had returned. It is ONLY A GAME. The only way to improve is to practice and to use clubs which are set up for you and not someone else. Enjoy the walk, enjoy the company and most of all DO NOT take things seriously.

I am now looking forward to my next game but in order to improve my mental attitude it’s a visit to the bar first for a couple of pints; well it worked on Thursday.

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