hitogami
New member
Good afternoon,
Long time hidden reader on this forum so thought I would start 2022 re-evaluating a few things in my life including a big time and money sink, golf.
Hopefully some advice will steer me right or see some bigger picture I am struggling to see.
In my late 30's, I am currently a 12 handicap (ranging from about 11-14 over the years) golfer and have been playing off and on for about 10-12 years. I am a member of a fantastic golf course with great competitive membership and facilities; everything you could want from a golf club. The big problem is me and I am struggling to get any enjoyment out of the game for the first time since I took it up. I know myself pretty well and my biggest strength is also my biggest achilles heel, which is I am a complete perfectionist. I don't bother continuing with things or wasting time on it if I am not good at it (I know good is a relative term here). I have been fairly successfully sporting wise in my life, competed to a fairly high level in tennis and skiing which is why I am struggling to cope with the fact golf is currently punching me in the face.
I currently just am at a point where I think I simply don't have the skill required to get me any less than a 10-11 handicap and the way my brain works (as mentioned above) I am just thinking about jacking it all in. I have had numerous lessons from 4 coaches lasting 8-10 months per person in the last 4-5 years trying to get me down. I do relentlessly practice between lessons and have spent a lot of money in this department. I have the best fitted clubs I could buy so there isn't a stone unturned. I think I am in denial that I basically am not very good, I get away with keeping my handicap where it is because I do hit the ball a very long way for the average amateur. I did set the goal to get to scratch but I am so far away after all this time its a delusion frame of thought now.
I know some will come on and say well look to other parts of the game for the enjoyment, I do. I chew the fat on the way round, bit of piss taking, bit of gambling for 9,9 and 18 its great but that isn't the main reason I get up and play. I play to be good & in my eyes my goal of being good is to be an extremely low handicap golfer. I can do all that other stuff on WhatsApp and with mates at the pub. I am now in a position where I think I could spend this time on other hobbies I have and I am 90% going off the cliff edge on this one so was just wondering if anyone has been here and what they did. The only thing that hasn't made me jump yet is the club I am in is a once in a lifetime kind of course to be a member at and if I left I wouldn't get back in or get in anywhere remotely as good. I would hate to stop playing and want to pick it up again in a few years time and find that I would have to join a club where the course itself couldn't quite match what I have now.
Any advice would be great.
Cheers John
Long time hidden reader on this forum so thought I would start 2022 re-evaluating a few things in my life including a big time and money sink, golf.
Hopefully some advice will steer me right or see some bigger picture I am struggling to see.
In my late 30's, I am currently a 12 handicap (ranging from about 11-14 over the years) golfer and have been playing off and on for about 10-12 years. I am a member of a fantastic golf course with great competitive membership and facilities; everything you could want from a golf club. The big problem is me and I am struggling to get any enjoyment out of the game for the first time since I took it up. I know myself pretty well and my biggest strength is also my biggest achilles heel, which is I am a complete perfectionist. I don't bother continuing with things or wasting time on it if I am not good at it (I know good is a relative term here). I have been fairly successfully sporting wise in my life, competed to a fairly high level in tennis and skiing which is why I am struggling to cope with the fact golf is currently punching me in the face.
I currently just am at a point where I think I simply don't have the skill required to get me any less than a 10-11 handicap and the way my brain works (as mentioned above) I am just thinking about jacking it all in. I have had numerous lessons from 4 coaches lasting 8-10 months per person in the last 4-5 years trying to get me down. I do relentlessly practice between lessons and have spent a lot of money in this department. I have the best fitted clubs I could buy so there isn't a stone unturned. I think I am in denial that I basically am not very good, I get away with keeping my handicap where it is because I do hit the ball a very long way for the average amateur. I did set the goal to get to scratch but I am so far away after all this time its a delusion frame of thought now.
I know some will come on and say well look to other parts of the game for the enjoyment, I do. I chew the fat on the way round, bit of piss taking, bit of gambling for 9,9 and 18 its great but that isn't the main reason I get up and play. I play to be good & in my eyes my goal of being good is to be an extremely low handicap golfer. I can do all that other stuff on WhatsApp and with mates at the pub. I am now in a position where I think I could spend this time on other hobbies I have and I am 90% going off the cliff edge on this one so was just wondering if anyone has been here and what they did. The only thing that hasn't made me jump yet is the club I am in is a once in a lifetime kind of course to be a member at and if I left I wouldn't get back in or get in anywhere remotely as good. I would hate to stop playing and want to pick it up again in a few years time and find that I would have to join a club where the course itself couldn't quite match what I have now.
Any advice would be great.
Cheers John
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