I’ve never felt pressure on a golf course like I did playing foursomes with my 11-year-old son.
We were competing in a foursomes competition at Alwoodley. It is not a format we play often, and taking on a course of this calibre with a youngster off a handicap of 26 was always going to present challenges.
But I hadn’t quite appreciated the responsibility I’d feel.
I knew if I hit the ball into the heather, my son would struggle to get out. I was no longer just thinking about my own game, but his as well.
It was just as important to consider where my next shot might leave him, how far he would have left for his approach and whether I was putting us in a position to score. Not leaving him tricky three- or four-foot putts too often.
I felt as though I had to play well for both of us.
Foursomes golf with my son made me re-evaluate how I approach to the game
Playing foursomes made me think about whether we become more susceptible to mental fragility as we get older.
That might sound a little dramatic when we are talking about a round of golf, but this game is particularly good at exposing the way we think. I think most club golfers will vouch for that.
The more hours I have put in, the more aware of the potential consequences of a bad shot I have become.
That’s whether it is missing a fairway into thick rough or a bunker and facing the prospect of taking multiple shots just to get back in play, or if it’s a misguided putt that can turn into a three-putt all too easily.
That sort of course-savvy knowledge can help us to make better decisions, but it’s now clear to me it can also make the game more intimidating.
Advertisement
I felt as though I spent too much of my time focusing on playing away from danger rather than towards the target – constantly thinking about avoiding disaster instead of trying to shoot a low score.
My son gave me a glimpse of what golf looks like without quite so much of that mental baggage. He wasn’t playing better because he had a more sophisticated understanding of the game. It was more because he wasn’t overcomplicating it.
Perhaps that is something we can learn from younger golfers.
I don’t think there is an immediate need to abandon everything experience has taught us, but we should distance that from allowing the fear of a bad shot to consume us.
LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST
NOW HAVE YOUR SAY
Do you like to play foursomes? How often do you play it? Do you wish there were more weekly competitions at your golf club that catered to foursome events? Let us know in the comments or by getting in touch with us on X!
