Are You OK With Playing Bad Golf?

Nappy

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There's been some recent talk in threads about skills that may be declining a bit and how to get it back....so it got me thinking - most days I'm OK with playing bad golf.

Let me preface this by saying that playing good golf is much more enjoyable, but as my time to devote the game has shrunk (a 1.5 year old and #2 on the way in the next month) I've tried putting my focus on just getting away and being outdoors. My wife thinks I enjoy being away from the family, but nothing could be farther from the truth - I just love everything about the game and even when I'm playing terrible I'm still playing and tinkering and trying to get better. I also think that mentally golf provides the perfect space for me to relax and re-focus. Even when I play badly I still come home calm and in a good mood.

So I was just curious what the rest of THP thinks. Can you be OK with playing bad golf? Or does it have to be successful for you to enjoy it?
 
Most days I'm not having fun if I'm playing poorly. There are however certain times when I don't mind, such as when I'm playing with an awesome group, or other THPers. I played my worst 18 holes of the year last weekend with about 15 other THPers at a course I love. I enjoyed every minute of that round.
 
If I wasn't okay with playing bad golf I would probably never play golf. I would say at least half of my rounds are "bad" golf... that is shooting in the mid 90's when my scores should be in the mid 80's.
 
Depends on how bad. If I'm playing a few strokes above my handicap that is okay. But right now, it's so bad I just don't enjoy it. I don't want to waste hours out of my day punishing myself and just being frustrated.

I am seeing a new instructor tomorrow and based on the videos I've sent him he knows exactly what to correct. So, hopefully by the weekend I will be playing good golf again. However, I have no desire to actually go onto the course until I'm fixed. I feel frustrated, embarrassed, angry and just completely dissatisfied.
 
I prefer not to, I will have bad rounds that I still enjoy though. Just don't want to make it a habit.
 
I'm ok with it if I know that is all I am capable of. I feel I can do better though I'm still always happy to be out on the course.
 
One of my favorite quotes.....

”I’m not good enough at golf to get mad at myself”

I approach it as an opportunity to have some fun and get away from the everyday grind.
 
Nope, not OK at all, because my best game is not that great relatively speaking so I expect to play near that level most rounds, and when I don't, which is "bad" for me, it's very frustrating.
 
That is a great question for some internal reflection. I wish I could say that I have an equal amount of enjoyment when I am playing poorly. This year was a great test to my mental fortitude. I struggled mightily in the early half of the season. Shooting many strokes above my index. Sometimes, I just wish I wasn't out there when I was playing bad. I got better at accepting the outcome and just rolling with it. Funny thing was, that was around the same time my game started turning around.
 
Only if it’s on a “real” golf course
 
I am never happy playing bad golf. However sometimes I have to remind myself I'm just not that good
 
I don't have too much fun when I'm not playing well. I need to really work on that.
 
Appreciate all the responses guys. I assumed the answers would vary - but I love seeing how other people view things.

Also wanted to note - I don't play bad golf all the time, in fact recently I've been playing my best golf in quite some time. I just find it interesting how much less a bad round bothers me than it has in the past. I want to get better, obviously, but it doesn't consume me like it once did.
 
I would not be happy. I'm okay if it's within a few strokes, but overall I expect the same or better and for my index to continue to trend down over time.
 
I'm OK with the idea that there is always a chance my golf can be terrible any given day. It helps me not take anything for granted on the course and to enjoy the days I am playing well.

Some of you know I had my WORST round in awhile not too long ago. I was miserable. It was embarrassing.
 
OK with it, yes. Would I prefer to play to the level I know my ability should allow, also yes.
 
I've learned to accept that there will be bad golf days. My age, body and practice time are all trending in the wrong direction for consistent golf. It is what it is. Like the saying goes though, "A bad day playing golf is far better than a good day at work." Or at home doing honeydo's I'd like to add. :D
 
wubears71;n8882910 said:
Depends on how bad. If I'm playing a few strokes above my handicap that is okay. But right now, it's so bad I just don't enjoy it. I don't want to waste hours out of my day punishing myself and just being frustrated.

I am seeing a new instructor tomorrow and based on the videos I've sent him he knows exactly what to correct. So, hopefully by the weekend I will be playing good golf again. However, I have no desire to actually go onto the course until I'm fixed. I feel frustrated, embarrassed, angry and just completely dissatisfied.
This is exactly how I feel right now. One minute I'm shooting in the upper 70's, then all of a sudden I can't score below 92! I'm actually taking a little break from golf because I'm so damn frustrated with my game (or lack of it) right now.
 
kevin81002;n8883060 said:
I've learned to accept that there will be bad golf days. My age, body and practice time are all trending in the wrong direction for consistent golf. It is what it is. Like the saying goes though, "A bad day playing golf is far better than a good day at work." Or at home doing honeydo's I'd like to add. :D

I was thinking of that saying as well when I was thinking about this post.

I'm not going out and looking to play bad golf. It just seems easier to accept, but maybe that comes with having kids and having less time to dedicate to it. I'm learning to enjoy it for what it is and being extremely pleased when it's positive.
 
Roadrunner;n8883087 said:
This is exactly how I feel right now. One minute I'm shooting in the upper 70's, then all of a sudden I can't score below 92! I'm actually taking a little break from golf because I'm so damn frustrated with my game (or lack of it) right now.

This year is the first year that I didn't need to take a break from it. I totally understand it though. The past couple of years I walked away for almost a month just to get out of my own head and try to start over with a clean slate. I'm thinking it helped me forget about some one of the bad habits I had started. Hope you get back to playing good golf soon!
 
I don't need every round to be a PB to have fun, but there's a certain level of play that's enjoyable for me. If I hit a decent number of fairways and GIRs I'm generally having fun. Looking around in the rough all day and trying to get up and down for par/bogey sucks.
 
I used to get upset when I played poorly. Nowadays, I take pleasure in just being out there. I shot 84 (horrible for me) in Texas Mid Am qualifier last week and had a blast. Another guy shot 79 with 5'birdies and had fun and the last guy shot 77 & I could tell he was rlly upset and he admitted between cuss words that he struggles to enjoy the game, Since none of us do this to make a,living I just find it foolish and unnecessary to let it get me down. I was a college athlete so my past competitiveness sometimes creeps,up on me and I get down but for a very short period of time. Just enjoying life and golf being a huge part of it is for me
 
depends. if it's my new normal, then so be it. but if i'm having a stretch of good golf (well, good by my standards), and all of a sudden i hit a slump, it can be very demoralizing.
 
Of course I love to play well but bad golf is better than working. I just like to be out playing. Whether it's good or bad, it's still golf, which I will always love
 
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