“Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.” It’s something we usually say at least half-jokingly, but as with most jokes, there’s a kernel of truth in there. You spend hours grinding at the range, digesting swing tips, and daydreaming about the next time you can get on the course, but once you’re out there all it takes is one lucky bounce, one gust of wind, one ill-placed sprinkler head to make or break your round. Face it: no matter how good you get, luck will always be a factor on the golf course. Here’s 6 ways that random chance affects your game:
Bounces and Breaks
PGA Tour
Let’s start with the obvious one: golf is, by nature, a game of luck. When you make uneven terrain and obstacles, both natural and man-made, a feature of the game, any round is going to have its fair share of fortunate and unfortunate outcomes. Sometimes a rogue tree branch sends your ball careening out of play, sometimes a bounce off the cart path adds 30 yards to your drive.
Just think about what it takes to achieve the Holy Grail of golf accomplishments. Odds say that an amateur golfer has a 1 in 12,500 chance of getting a hole-in-one at any time, making it less likely than bowling a perfect game, drawing a four-of-a-kind in poker, or seeing an unassisted triple play turned in an MLB game. Maybe I’m biased as someone who hasn’t yet recorded an ace, but tell me there isn’t just a little luck involved in getting to mark a 1 on your card.
It may seem silly at times, but in my opinion, it’s part of what makes golf great. Everyone, from the best of the best to the weekend hacker, needs the golf gods to smile upon them every now and then.
Blame It on the Weather
Warner Bros
Speaking of circumstances out of our control, perhaps no sport is greater affected by Mother Nature than golf. When you’re sending a ball less than 2 inches in diameter flying hundreds of yards through the air, the smallest environmental changes can have a noticeable impact on your shot.
We are lucky to live in a region where the weather rarely prohibits golf from being played, but that doesn’t mean that we’re not susceptible to the fickle whims of the weather. Whether it’s sudden gusts of wind along the coast, battling triple digits temperatures in the desert, or a sloppy, rainy winter, inclement conditions can send your scores soaring. Thankfully, that’s usually the exception instead of the rule around here.
Very Superstitious
NBC
When facing the forces of fortune, what chance do you, the golfer, have to change the odds in your favor? Obviously, you need to develop some superstitions.
For those of you thinking that’s too silly to work, just ask the pros. We all know Tiger has to wear red on Sunday. Ernie Els believes that every ball has only one birdie in it, so he swaps them out after every one. Ben Crenshaw thinks that using a ball numbered 1-4 helps him not shoot higher than a 4 on any hole. Those three guys have over 20 combined major wins, so who are you to argue against the results?
The science nerds might argue this is all nonsense, but there is something to be said about developing productive routines and keeping yourself in a positive head space. As they say, golf is a game played between your ears, so anything that will put you in a good rhythm is worth trying.
Prime Time
Columbia Pictures
These days it seems like you need some luck just to get a tee time at all, let alone at your desired time and course. The experienced tee time bookers out there may have adopted some tips and tricks during this surge in demand, but at the end of the day, sometimes you just have to take the cards you’re dealt.
Golf is a lot of things, but quick is not one of them. Sometimes we’re blessed with a wide open day, but for many of us balancing families, friends, work, and other obligations and hobbies, there’s usually a specific window of time where we can squeeze in a round. When there’s nothing available in that window, it can feel like a missed opportunity.
That’s not to mention that time has major factor on how we perform. I’m not just talking about getting old here, though I’m sure many of us yearn for days when we were stronger and more limber. But we also have different times throughout the day that we’re at our peak. Some love the dawn patrol, while others are more fit for a twilight round. You may not think much of it…until you see your final score balloon that is.
You vs. the Field
HBO
Another unique aspect of golf is that, apart from the psychological angle, you have zero impact over how your opponents perform. You can’t play defense against them, you can’t really change your game plan to force them to play differently, and, in a tournament setting, there’s a good chance you can’t even see what they’re doing if they’re not in your group.
Also, because golf is an individual sport, all it takes is one person to ruin your chances of winning. LeBron can drop 50 points or Brady can throw for 400 yards and still lose because the rest of the team didn’t pull their weight. But in golf, all it takes is one person to unlock their inner Tiger for 18 holes to knock you out of the top position. You have to play well to win, but sometimes it takes a little luck to make sure nobody else plays better.
Strangers to Friends
Sony Pictures
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: who you play with will make or break your round, both in terms of how you play and how much fun you have. You can usually choose who you play golf with, but we all encounter times when we can’t fill a foursome and your partners are left up to fate. Sometimes you draw the miserable curmudgeon that you’re not even convinced wants to be golfing, usually you’ll get paired up with someone who’s perfectly pleasant, and every once in a while, you may just meet your golfing soulmate.
Tired of leaving it up to chance? Find a golf community to join!
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