I was fortunate to get to play at Conway Farms Golf Club yesterday. Conway Farms opened in 1991 and had already hosted PGA Tour’s BMW Championship in 2013, 2015, 2017 as well as many other high-level amateur and pro events. Conway Farms may be the first course I played which didn’t have a bad hole in it. The course was great, but mostly I was lucky to play with an enjoyable group in an entire day event we had been looking forward to since March. The cold weather shortened our day, but it was great all the same.
Many elements can contribute to an enjoyable round of golf, least of which is the golf course or the weather. Three additional factors come to mind, but only one has any actual effect. Who you are playing with and why you are playing can play a significant role in enjoyment, but in the end, it all comes down to you.
Who
Nothing can make a round of golf quite like the company you keep, could be good or bad. There will be people you can’t wait to play golf with, and there will be others where you know you will have to find something else to keep your mind occupied. People can bring out the best or worst in your golf game and if you play in tournaments many times you don’t get to pick and choose. If you can learn to embrace people whether you chose your group or your group was selected for you, the odds of playing well will increase.
Why
Yesterday we were playing for the Boondogle trophy. Might not sound like much you to you but it was important to us, there were times of intense focus, other times of childhood laughter. If you can’t find the reason for playing, you might as well go home. It could be practice, competition or it could be related to the “who” from above. Find the reason and make it important if you get a chance to play a shot where you’re a bit jittery or your heart is racing then you know you it means something.
You
The way you perceive the round of golf is still all about you. Nobody does anything to frustrate you, make you angry or make you laugh. They may try, but at the root you allowed them to frustrate you, make you angry or make you laugh. Take ownership of your attitude and the decisions that you make, and you will find you make better decisions with a much better attitude.
Never forget the number one factor that causes your days to be good, bad or indifferent on or off the golf course is you.
