Patience is a virtue in golf as well as in life

Golf is a game where mistakes are inevitable and with frustration always lurking. But it also is a game that thrives on patience.

A round of golf will have its ups and downs. So, we must accept some imperfection. We must not get too riled or perturbed. Dr. Bob Rotella, author of “Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect” in 1995, had this to say: “Acceptance (of miscues) allows a golfer to be patient, and patience is one of the necessary virtues of golf. If you remember to have fun, patience shouldn’t be too hard. When was the last time you were impatient when you were having fun?”

In its essence patience is being and remaining in the present moment. The present is the only moment you can control.

We shouldn’t dwell on what we did a few minutes ago or think of the hard holes just ahead. While remaining in the NOW, and being fully immersed in each shot, conversation and moment, we find that patience comes easy.

Of course, we can’t go play good golf knowing fully that we are supposed to be somewhere else. The true nature of patience is accepting things exactly as they are and making the most of every opportunity to grow. Reviewing your round later in the evening isn’t living in the past – it’s understanding what you have to practice for limiting your mistakes to fewer and fewer.

A lot of recreational golfers tie their emotions to one shot or one hole without grasping that things unfold for the entire round. Yes, we are taught to play “one shot at a time” and then proceed to focus on the next one. That way we keep our attention balanced and centered. 

When we finish the round then we add up the score. In the 1997 Masters, Tiger Woods shot a 40, plus-4 over par, on the first nine holes of his first round, leaving many folks wondering about this highly touted young golfing phenom. But Woods then shot a 30 (-6) on the second nine and won that Masters by a record 12 shots.

Tiger not only was the youngest Masters winner at age 21, but set a cultural milestone being the first non-white Masters winner. He wasn’t bothered by his start, keeping his focus on the larger picture.

Staying calm while managing your emotions is a big part of being patient. So many golfers fail to understand that golf is more than a physical sport. I think Yogi may have been thinking of golf when he quipped, “Half the game is 90 percent mental!” Mastering the mental aspects of golf will help you become a more consistent and composed player.

Golf also takes a long time to play. A golf round of 18 holes takes about four hours under normal conditions, and sometimes five hours. That’s an aspect of the game which deters many from playing golf. Facing slow players up ahead can be perturbing, for sure, being another test of one’s patience.

A slow pace of play is one of a number of distractions that can be upsetting to our routine, as well as annoying, if we let it. Monitoring our breathing, cleaning the grooves on our clubs and chatting with our playing partners can keep us occupied and free from fretting about the slow play.

If you are someone who becomes impatient easily and lacks patience when playing golf, it might help if you examine the situations in which you become disturbed and lose your patience. Growing in your self-awareness will help not only with golf but also with everyday life. 

I think that Scotty Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 golfer, plays so beautifully because he is grounded so well; he is patient and not worried. More patience will add to your golfing improvement and enjoyment. Remember to embrace the “now” as well as the experience.