Why is golf so different fom other sports?

Afternoon all,

This is my first post on 606v2 although I'm a daily reader of the golf boards as well as being a regular reader of the old 606.

I've been playing golf regularly the last couple of years and I'm still a high handicapper although I feel its only a matter of time before I get a decent cut.

Last week I had a horrible back 9 in a competition after having an excellent front 9. This is becoming a regular occurence for me and is mainly due to the mental side of the game I think. As I was leaving the 18th after my 4th scratch in a row, I was fuming with myself and didn't feel like playing golf again for a month. But despite the red mist I still knew that once I calmed down I would be dying to get back out on the course again straight away.

The reason I'm starting this thread is I'm wondering why golf is so addictive compared to other sports. I have never heard anyone use the term "I've been bitten by the football bug". It is arguably the most frustrating sport one can play as you have plenty of time to consider your options and set yourself for each shot yet we still make countless errors. We cannont blame the ref for bad decisions, we cannot blame the opposition for using untoward tactics, we can only blame ourselves.

I've played many sports competitively over the years football, GAA, snooker and some I've played at a decent level but none have the addictive qualities of golf.

I was just wondering what your thoughts are and any input is appreciated. Apologies for such a long winded first topic!!

Perhaps it's because it's the golfer against the course?

No excuses, no dubious refereeing decisions, just you, the course with the elements thrown in for variety.

And you can play fairly with an opponent/partner with a different skill level so long as handicaps are properly applied.

You can practice by yourself, can invent all sorts of games within THE game, and can enjoy the camaraderie of your friends.

Then of course you can enjoy a drink. Or three.

Welcome to 606v2!

Cheers for the welcome kwini.

A further add on to my previous post... I wonder how many sports you sit down to watch on tv where you follow the sport rather than an specific individual/team. Due to the nature of golf and tv coverage you can never guarantee that you're favourite golfer will be shown. Yet I'll still watch most events every week and if my favourite golfers are in contention then its a bonus.

Welcome to v2, no apology required for your first thread it's a very valid question.

As Kwini says, it's all on you and nothing and no-one else can take responsibility for your actions.

It's also that moment you hit that pure golf shot, that rings within you to make you think you've sussed the game out only to hit a duff one on the very next hole, that makes you come back searching for perfection. It's also the only game where your handicap levels the playing field for you to be able to compete against everyone of all abilities

Great first post and welcome to the posting side of the boards.

I have often wondered this as I too have played many sports but none with the frustration levels to match golf. Despite this it is by far the most addictive sport and the most rewarding to play. The other sport I play a lot of is football where no matter how bad you play you can win and contribute something to that win. For example in football you can make a few errors which result in the other team hitting the bar or missing and then make one good assist for your team. In golf a few mistakes will usually loose a few shots. In theses scenarios you will be happy coming of the pitch but angered coming of the course.

I have never played a sport where errors are punished so severely and the margin between success and failure so small. You would think this makes it the most intolerable game possible to play but somehow it is not.

If you play well in golf you have maintained a high standard of play for four hours with minimal errors and exceptional technical execution. When it comes together in golf it really feels very good. So is it the quest for these great but infrequent rounds that can provide a level of satisfaction other sports cannot match?

On top of this you always feel you can improve and score lower or hit the ball better. Are those people who love golf also the type of people who enjoy learning and improving at any activity? If you are then you will certainly enjoy golf as perfection even for tiger woods is not possible. I don’t think any player in history will have come of the course and thought everything went to perfection. Jack Nicklaus once commented that even he only hit one perfect shot a week/round!

With golf you also have a connection to the natural world which other sports I play do not have. It is not even that the courses themselves are the best example of the natural landscape but they are generally surrounded by the open countryside. Although not addictive in itself this feeling of peace and tranquillity may add to the desire to play again even after a horror round.

Welcome aboard, and I agree with all thats been said earlier by the guys. When I started I was having a nightmare shot followed up by another and another .... then I hit a perfect shot which I could hardly feel, it went the wrong way and not very far, but it was a clean strike. I had to wait until my next round before I got that same feeling again, and did it twice, didn't know how I did it, but knowing I could do it was the thing for me.

I've always played sports at a very high standard, but golf was the only game where I wasn't a stand-out player, just another bloke hacking my way around. It has its benefits though, as i didn't have to get up and train every day, or go jogging and pushing weights. Practice was hitting a few balls on the range and of course listening to some of the war stories from other players. I also learnt how to moan a lot more and knew I was the unluckiest player in the world ........ Enjoy and watch your handicap fall

Whilst it promotes a queasy, uneasy feeling inside of me..... Mac's right.

I've played a lot of football to a decent-ish level and i hardly ever finished a game happy. Some games you play well but the team loses and you'e not happy. Other games you play badly and the team wins and you're disappointed. You're only really happy on the very rare weeks where you play well and the side wins. They don't come around as often as you'd think.
A lot of other games are dependant on others. I've played games of football where i put in my best performance in a long time but the side got battered.
That doesn't happen in golf. Generally speaking, you play well, you win. You play badly, you lose. And you've only got yourself to blame or congratulate either way.
Sport in it's purest form.

Welcome to 606v2 Chris

Cheers lads,

I see that I'm definitely not alone with some of my feelings on golf. And football for tht matter!

I remember the moment when I caught the bug like it was yesterday. Hit a 9 iron about 100 yards over water to about a foot. Simple putt for a 9! I'm better than that now but I remember walking off the green with the same feeling that I walk off now if I've gotten a birdie!

MustPuttBetter wrote:Generally speaking, you play well, you win. You play badly, you lose.

I usually find when I play well, I finish up 2nd or 3rd to some bandit off 18 who has broken 80 to win by half a dozen strokes!

Ditto the welcome Chris - interesting topic.

I think the interesting thing about golf is that there are so many factors you need to pull together to play well. It's very rare to have a day when every single element of your game is at its full potential. The fact that it is possible is what keeps bringing me back - still waiting for it to happen this season! I think the handicap system has a major part to play as far as 'the addiction' goes. Golf has to be one of the most inclusive sports in that respect, even if it is exclusive in other aspects. A rare and complicated beast.

Chris there's so many variables involved in one hole, never mind all 18 to get a perfect round. Only last week I was having a blinder and on 38 points after 17. The 3 mates i was playing with knew I was playing well and as we had beer on the game had almost conceded. They laughed their heads off as i shanked an 8-iron approach to the 18th, and then died when they saw it hit a tree and bounce straight onto the green. I proceeded to birdie from 20 foot for another 4 points. Now on paper i had a stunning round, but that 18th would normally have cost me. Plenty of luck needed as well as course management, a level of skill, and don't overestimate the confidence factor and a clear head

I think the only other sport like it, is fishing, its all down to you if you catch fish or par the hole, your are out in the open, and enjoying the nature round about you, and trying to succeed no matter what the elements are thrown at you, its just you and your skill

OP, snowsports also fall into that category too, though I'd agree it doesn't have a competitive edge for most of us.
Can't beat the feeling of first runs down a steep powder field under a bluebird sky.

Actually come to think of it, going for a run or cycle in pleasant surroundings can be very satisfying too.

In most sports you can't play at the same venue as the best players - tennis players generally can't play on the centre court at Wimbledon, or footballers play at Wembley or Hampden.

In golf you can.

In most sports you can only imagine what it's like to play to high standard. In golf, everyone can hit a few shots in any round that would be as good as the best players.

In most sports, you can't play any more when you can't run and jump. In golf, you can continue pretty much as long as you can stand.

And in most cases, when you are golfing, you are out in the fresh air, in nice places, and you know that your score is down to you, and nobody else.

Welcome Chris~good post.

'Of course I am nervous on the first tee, I might miss the ball altogether and make a total fool of myself'
Words spoken by Jack Nicklaus.

I always think that the bad shots make golf an interesting game.

Hi Chris, nice post. I think the thing about golf is that players of all different abilities can compete on a fair basis.

By the way, are you the same ChrisQ as the one on CMS?

Thanks all for the welcomes.

GG - I have no idea what CMS is so I'm assuming it's not me.

It's a very good point that the big difference with golf is that we can all play on the same stage as the pros. The one plus side of the recession being cheaper golf at a lot of top tracks. (Obviously plus side for golfers not course owners)