As I watch the Open this weekend from the Dunluce Course, which refers to the championship course at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland, I am trying to figure out the solution to playing winning golf. The professionals all have a plan on how to play this challenging course and I am sure it is tailormade to their game; execution of that plan will be the challenge. Many amateurs, including myself most of the time, do not develop a plan but play reactive golf. We determine our next move by the result of our previous shot. This is a fun way to play golf, but not necessarily conducive to low golf scores. We are not playing winning golf, but hope and prayer golf. And that needs to change.

There is definitely a physical aspect to playing great golf. If you have ever prepared for a tournament by playing a practice round, I hope that you used that time to determine, as a minimum, where to drive the ball off each tee. This may mean using a 5 wood instead of a driver to set yourself up for a chance at a par or better. After that, your round consists of ‘playing the ball’ where if finishes. This is where your process of playing golf kicks in.

The physical and reactive aspect to course management is definitely a fundamental skill needed by any golfer wanting to lower their handicap index. However, there is another side of the golf coin. That is the mental side of playing. There is a mental process of playing well and grinding out the lowest score for that round that could impact future games. Being able to mentally play tough golf is something that needs to be nurtured in order to be the best versions of ourselves on the links.

What I like about Dr. Pickens’ talk is how he approaches creating a game plan that requires a strong mental component to playing your best golf. He mentioned a process often and I equate that to a pre and post shot routine. I have not discussed a post shot routine very much, but will take that lack of discussion as an action item for a future post. For now, having a pre-shot routine is an absolute minimum for improving your golf game.

Additionally, he talks about the mental aspect not giving up the grind. Golf can be very easy to play when your round is going very well and you are striking the ball consistently. Let us be fair with each other, this rarely happens and several poor shots will show up during our round and how we respond is very important to creating a strong overall game. Our mental approach to great golf is as important as the physical one.

Playing winning golf can be developed and honed. There are many aspects to golf that are overlooked and the mental side is definitely one amateurs seem to bypass on the way to trying lower their golf scores. Every golf journey is different is there is no 100% guaranteed way to shoot lower golf scores, however, embracing the mental side of playing is definitely a great step in the right direction.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!