The serious nature of golf

Following on from the addiction problem, there’s a discussion this week on the Golf Monthly forum on taking golf too seriously. I argue that golf just is serious, more so than other sports. I'm not sure why this is, except that it’s such a self-absorbed activity to hit a ball from a standing start and then have to hit it again from wherever it lands (which is quite probably the place you least wanted it to be!) No matter how laid back we try to be, a bad shot gets us down. It’s hard to get over it, even more so a bad hole, and as for a bad round … need I go on? We have only ourselves to 'blame' (however much we try to think of someone or something else!) and we need a lot of mental resilience to cope with the pressure.
But all is not lost. Hitting the ball takes up only a fraction of the time we’re out there; we are not alone, there’s someone to talk to, and plenty to see in terms of wildlife and scenery. The secret is to look up between shots, take notice and enjoy, especially this month with winter golf approaching. This photo was taken last February, but I can report that this morning the mist was beginning to fall …