Essentially, is golf...

[18 eighty 5]

the task of mastering yourself in the company of others doing the same thing? Is the greatest competition a golfer will ever face...themselves?

[Jr.]

Re: Essentially, is golf...

Since there is nothing that anyone else can do to directly affect your play, yes.

[Skyboxer]

Re: Essentially, is golf...

I look at it as the same. I battle with yourself. However there's also that battle with each course. FOr as long as I've played I can positively say it all about your own inner demons.

[BadSVGPlayer]

Re: Essentially, is golf...

I agree largely with that it's a battle with yourself, but what a player does can directly affect you. Not in the terms of a contact sport, but I believe a player can make another force mistakes.

[Flightwhite24]

Re: Essentially, is golf...

When I'm out on the course playing with the fellows we are going at it but deep down inside it's ME vs The Course/Me if that makes sense.

[fistofrage]

Re: Essentially, is golf...

I play match play in the club championship and while in theory its still just you against the course and if you hit perfect shots and birdied every hole you'd win but so much of what you do depends on what your opponent is doing. I lag alot of putts and make sure to get par rather than aggressively going for birdies in alot of cases to put pressure back on my opponent. I also use Driver and 7 iron for my second shot and usually leave myself a hundred out. I try to get my opponent to go for it in 2, most of the time I end up winning the hole with a par because there is danger on all the par 5's.

I love golf, everything about it. Its all up to you, but there is so much strategy involved that people who don't play, just don't understand.

[daflyboys]

Re: Essentially, is golf...

I haven't completely mastered it......... I find myself saying a new curse word each time.

[Darkleaf]

Re: Essentially, is golf...

I am my own worst enemy, I have no follow up ever.. "Great Drive!" 5 putt, "Nice chip" 3 putt etc in all variations lol !$#^%$#^&**

[TheSnake]

Re: Essentially, is golf...

I am my own worst enemy, I have no follow up ever.. "Great Drive!" 5 putt, "Nice chip" 3 putt etc in all variations lol !$#^%$#^&**

I can relate to the scenario's you've posted, follow up a good shot with 2 or 3 more horrible shots. I keep going back for more 2 to 3 times a week.

[Jr.]

Re: Essentially, is golf...

I play match play in the club championship and while in theory its still just you against the course and if you hit perfect shots and birdied every hole you'd win but so much of what you do depends on what your opponent is doing. I lag alot of putts and make sure to get par rather than aggressively going for birdies in alot of cases to put pressure back on my opponent. I also use Driver and 7 iron for my second shot and usually leave myself a hundred out. I try to get my opponent to go for it in 2, most of the time I end up winning the hole with a par because there is danger on all the par 5's.

I love golf, everything about it. Its all up to you, but there is so much strategy involved that people who don't play, just don't understand.

I see what you're saying, but it's still up to the person you're playing to fall into that. They could just as easily block out what you're doing and play to their strengths, rather than adjust to what you're doing.

[fistofrage]

Re: Essentially, is golf...

I see what you're saying, but it's still up to the person you're playing to fall into that. They could just as easily block out what you're doing and play to their strengths, rather than adjust to what you're doing.

They could, but they usually don't. Case in point, late in a match play match I was up by 1 hole going into the 17th hole. 436 yard par 4 with the pin way back. I tee off and lace a drive about 275 right down the left side in A position, he hits a good drive for him abouty 240 right down the middle. To play to his strengts he would have used a mid long iron, got on the green and 2 putted for par. Instead knowing the match was in the balance, he pulls out his 200 yard club, a hybrid and yanks it left. I pull out a 7 iron and put it in the middle of the green and 2 putt to close him out. Had he knocked it close with that Hybrid, I would have either switched to a 6 iron or leaned on a seven.

In match play, what you do, especially late with holes running out really depends on what your opponent is doing because sometimes par won't cut it conversely sometimes par is just fine so you make sure you can lag a putt to 3 feet instead of going after birdie. There are times when you miss an 8 foot putt on purpose on a slippery green to makwe sure you get that 2 putt down and win the hole, you are playing the other player as much as the course late in match play. Its always a different strategy versus what I do in stroke play.

I also play in skins games and those you are doing everything you can to birdie a hole because par gets you nothing. I've shot in the 90's in skins games and walked home with a pocket full of cash because I go after every hole, especially par 5's because eagles pay birdies just get you a "Hey Nice Hole".

[half-fast]

Re: Essentially, is golf...

I look at it as the same. I battle with yourself. However there's also that battle with each course.

Chiming in a little late - I agree with this. I'm not a terribly experienced golfer, and certainly not a good one, but Ive played more than a few rounds and can say that, though the battle is with yourself and the course, the people present can affect your game greatly.

For example, most people I know play better alone than in a group, for the simple reason that there is less pressure. Of course, most ppl dont play alone, but I also know a guy who thrives on the attention and plays worse alone, because there is no fun in playing alone. He plays better when there are more chips on the table, so to speak.

I play worse in a group, but hit more amazing clutch shots in a group, or so it seems ...