Golf - the greatest ups and downs

[Sam]

As a sport (or is it just a game!) does golf portray the greatest ups and downs?

Just watched Ross win the Madrids with a 60 yesterday and solid crap today.

Any sport where teams are involved, a player can 'hide' behind other members of the team; a team/individual sport such as cricket allows excuses such as an 'unplayable' ball coming down early in the innings and a player still retaining a high standing.

Is golf the only game where you can really only blame yourself?

 

[USER1999]

Nope, any individual sport has the same issues. And poker.

 

[Screwback]

I think you are totaly in control of what you try and do on the course so you can only blame yourself if the choices are wrong.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Its not only about your technical competence but how you react mentally. I guess the difference between golf and other individual sports like tennis (or team games like cricket) is that you are reacting to what your opponents are doing. With golf the ball isn't going to play tricks until after you've hit it.

I think its the whole load of time you have between shots to think that is the decisive factor and how you deal with it. Most club golfers, me incldued, if they are having a good day tend to get way ahead of themselves and think what score they "need" on each hole coming in. The pros are trained not to think like that. However in the case of the winner today looking for his maiden win I think he did get a bit ahead of himself and wasn't helped by a nervy beginning. If he had blown such a big lead everyone would have said he cracked under pressure but even though he played badly (any score would look bad a fter the 60) he found a way to get the job done. I do think at any level though there is only you against the course and anything that happens is down to you alone.

 

[Region3]

I thought poker players blamed anything but themselves

 

[Sam]

Nope, any individual sport has the same issues. And poker.

..but don't they all rely, in part, to how well/badly your opponents are playing? In golf, their play is only psychological not real

 

[Herbie]

Nope, any individual sport has the same issues. And poker.

..but don't they all rely, in part, to how well/badly your opponents are playing? In golf, their play is only psychological not real

I think that statement is a little unreal. Psychological is real and part of being human. As for relying on how others play?????? I think you have just upset some of the best Dart players, Snooker players, Tennis players and Poker players etc.

Please explain what is not real about playing golf? you are not doing a thesus for entry exam into social services or someting are you?

 

[Sam]

Nope, any individual sport has the same issues. And poker.

..but don't they all rely, in part, to how well/badly your opponents are playing? In golf, their play is only psychological not real

I think that statement is a little unreal. Psychological is real and part of being human. As for relying on how others play?????? I think you have just upset some of the best Dart players, Snooker players, Tennis players and Poker players etc.

Please explain what is not real about playing golf? you are not doing a thesus for entry exam into social services or someting are you?

No - all I meant was (using your sports list) that snooker, tennis and poker are all sports in which the ball/card your opponent plays has a direct influence on your opportunity to play well or badly whereas in golf it's you against the course with your opponent's play only having a pyschological influence on yours. Is darts the only other similar sport?