The Competitive Side of Golf – Is it For You?

Competitive golf is a juiced up form of the game. For many golfers it adds an element to the game that makes it incredibly fun. For other, it is a form of torture.

Part I is for those golfers on the fence about competing. It offers clues that may help you decide if competition is for you. Part II talks about preparations for competition; things like practice, gear, and knowledge of the rules. Part III delves into the competition itself and is primarily about the thoughts that creep into your head during competition.

Is Competitive Golf for You?

“Golf” and “Competitive Golf” are almost two different sports. Both are fun but the competitive part of the game makes it really different. Golf is mostly about being with friends and enjoying the beauty of the game, the exercise, and the challenge. Competitive Golf should have everything that Golf has but with the added twist of beating other players. The addition of this little variation really changes the game.

By Competitive Golf we are not just talking about the PGA Tour, but things like the Tuesday night league at your local golf course or the city golf tournament. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to help you decide if you even want to compete:

1. If you are reading this, you are at least interested so you passed the first test.

2. Can you handle failure? Even Tiger Woods wins less than one-half the time. If you want to work on humility, you should consider competing because any golf competitor will fail more times than succeed.

3. How do you handle pressure? Do you like pressure or do you try to avoid it? If you would like to handle pressure better, competitive golf may be good for your personal development.

4. Do you have a handicap? There are two types of tournaments amateurs play. One is called a “Gross Tournament” where everyone plays even up. No one gets or gives shots to opponents. For this to work, all the players need to play at relatively the same skill level so even if there are no shots exchanged, you need a handicap to get you in the right “flight”. The other type of tournament is called a “Net Tournament” and here shots are exchanged to allow players of varying skills to compete and a handicap is absolutely essential.

5. What is your knowledge of the Rules of Golf? To compete you need to have an understanding of the most common rules like “out of bounds”, “unplayable lie”, “hazards”, etc. There are just a few you need to know. The others you can look up when the situation arises.

6. Do you like to wager when you play with your buddies? This gives you a taste of what it’s like to compete, but competitive golf is still different than just betting with your golfing buddies. If you do not like the feeling of betting, you will probably not enjoy competition.

Hopefully this will give you clues about whether you will enjoy “Competitive Golf”.

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Miles of Golf is one of the Top 100 Golf Shops in the United States located in Ann Arbor, Michigan – we offer an incredible selection of golf equipment by top golf manufacturers, custom fitting using the Cluboratory, and top-notch instruction at the Kendall Academy.