My Best-Ever Score Was One Hole Away... Until I Made A Stupid Mistake Too Many Amateurs Are Guilty Of

Some lessons in golf (and life) you just have to learn through painful first-hand experience.

Because no matter how many times someone warns you not to leave your approach short or tells you to play safe instead of attempting to thread the needle through trees and over water, most of us never listen.

And that's fine, but you better be ready and willing to accept the consequences of your actions.

If you're familiar with my writing by now, you'll almost certainly be aware that I've fallen foul to so many of the pitfalls which trip up amateur golfers around the world every single day.

From using a brand new putter in an important round to setting excessive expectations ahead of the first tee - something I've been working to avoid in 2026.

While I've made plenty of strides in fixing up my golf game already this year, I recently suffered a lapse in judgement which cost me the chance to card my lowest-ever score.

And it's a mistake which I know for a fact an untold number of amateur golfers like myself are making with unerring regularity.

The error arrived before the final hole of my most recent round. I was on a press trip in Austria, hosted by the lovely people at SalzburgerLand, and I'd been playing extremely well (by my low standards) at Golfclub Nationalpark Hohe Tauern in Mittersill - not far from Salzburg.

As we made our way to the par-3 18th at GNHT, a 147-yard par-3 with an island green surrounded by water, I asked my playing partner what score I was on. Big mistake. Huge.

He told me I was on 74 and proceeded to let me know I was only one-over for the back nine, so even a double-bogey would see me break 80. I'd only broken 80 once in my life and it happened a couple of months ago, with it being a huge surprise at the time.

As someone with a handicap measuring 16.4 at present, the fact I had only made 74 strokes through 17 holes - which also included my first-ever experience of consecutive birdies, by the way - felt like something of a minor miracle.

But knowing exactly what I needed on the final hole to do this or that only served to fill me with nerves and adrenaline. Why on the earth did I ask?!

In a surprise to absolutely no one reading this, I chunked my tee shot 30-40 yards in front of me before pulling the next effort from inside 100 yards into the water short and left.

Another poor chip and a three-putt later and I'd made a seven to shoot 81 (+9). Despite the fact I'm a bang-average golfer and I'd played like a man possessed for 17 holes prior, I was gutted walking off the green. Just absolutely heartbroken. Like I'd been punched in the gut by prime Mike Tyson.

I couldn't believe what I'd done. I really tried to see the positives because there were so many, but the over-riding feeling was I couldn't believe I'd been so stupid as to manufacture a scenario where I'd heaped pressure on myself for no reason.

With the benefit of hindsight, although I'm sure I already knew really, there was nothing good to come of finding out my situation on the 18th tee.

If I hadn't known, I'm quite confident I would have sent that 8-iron into the heart of the green and two-putted for par. Rest assured, I won't make that mistake again.

Please let this be a lesson you heed. If you're playing well this summer, just carry on taking one shot at a time and find out your score once you've completed all 18 holes.

Enjoy that moment in the clubhouse or the car park and ride the buzz for days and even weeks after. Otherwise, you could be thinking 'what if?' for an awful lot longer...