Escape The ‘I’m Not Ready’ Golf Trap - 5 Ways To Step Up Your Game

My golf club in Northern California has a large women’s group, and there are plenty of opportunities for the 120 of us to compete: member/guest days, holiday-themed tournaments, our big three-day invitational. We even have weekly 18-hole competitions.

When it’s a team event, a best-ball or scramble format, signups are generally good. There’s a decent showing. But, when the competition turns individual, like in our league’s match play or the club championship, the numbers dwindle – a lot. It’s the same women who sign up year after year, and the same women who win.

I've heard different reasons: I'm not ready; I'm too busy; I don't like competing against my friends; the whole thing just makes me uncomfortable. Trust me, I’m not judging. I’ve thrown out plenty of these excuses.

But the numbers don’t exactly add up: If the number of women golfers continues to climb to the highest levels in history, rising 45 percent over the past 6 years, why do the number of golf club tournament sign ups remain low?

Low participation rates are common at clubs nationwide, said Marcela M. Smith, a USGA certified rules expert and founder of Girlfriends Guide to Golf. Smith travels internationally teaching interactive rules seminars to thousands of women at all levels. She says it all comes down to a lack of confidence.

“If we didn’t grow up playing golf, we assume that everyone else has a great swing, knows what to do if their ball is lost, that everyone else shoots 80,” she explains. “But it’s actually not true.”

I’ve participated in quite a few of our club’s competitions, and I can assure you that most women shoot well into the 100s during these events. There are no professionals; everyone is still learning.

You might be thinking, Why even put yourself in an uncomfortable situation if you know you won’t do well.

I’ve struggled with this question on my journey to become a more consistent golfer. What I’ve found is that challenging yourself is the best way to become a better player – mentally, physically and even socially. Forcing yourself to be uncomfortable and most likely fail, and working through that to eventually see progress, builds confidence on and off the golf course. The experience is extremely rewarding.

Now that you’re thinking about taking that next step, here are my 5 top suggestions on how to prepare:

Talk To Women Who Have Won Before

These women, who are so unfazed by match play, didn't always feel that way. Ask them to share their stories, how they felt when they first started, what their best advice is for a beginner. More often than not, you’ll be surprised at how much this breaks down barriers, makes you feel more comfortable and develops relationships.

We all want more women on the course, and having these vulnerable and open conversations makes it easier for us all to play together and enjoy the benefits of the game!

Familiarize Yourself With Golf Rules And Etiquette

If you know how to act during a round, you can focus your energy on your golf game and not on whether you’re standing in the correct spot. Smith teaches women the etiquette of where to stand on the green, where to park your golf cart to speed up pace of play, and what to bring when you head to your ball (extra ball and maybe a few club choices), so you can remain on pace and prepared.

“When you know your options, and learn the rules, it puts you more in control,” she said. Don’t expect yourself to be a golf-rules expert, even the pros need to bring in rules officials during their tournaments. But knowing basic rules, like stroke and distance, which Smith refers to as the Louis Vuitton rule, will give you tremendous confidence – and speed up your play.

Play Games During Casual Rounds

During regular 9 or 18 hole rounds, play little betting games with your friends. I’ve played with a group of women who gamble quarters for lowest putts during the round. Another group awards $5 to the closest to the pin on all the par 3s.

If you get used to this feeling of having something, even as little as a quarter, on the line, it eventually gets easier to golf with that feeling of playing under pressure. It also normalizes playing against your friends and gives you a chance to practice a match play, or stroke play, format when the stakes aren’t so high.

Focus Practice Time On Short Game

We’re all busy and don’t have time for a full practice session every day. The time you do have to practice, focus on putting. If you have extra time, move onto chipping. This is advice that our former club champion gave me last year.

You will never regret spending extra time working on your short game and I’ve found that intentional practice is really rewarding on the course. Think about how many strokes you can cut off your score by eliminating most of your 3 putts. Here are some easy putting drills to help structure your practice time.

Accept That Getting Better Takes (A Lot Of) Practice And Time

Chances are you won’t go out your first, second, or third time and have the best round of your life. But, you will gain experience and confidence each time you put yourself out there.

I like to think about each round like this: Either I play well and enjoy a moment of success in this difficult game or things don’t go my way and it’s an opportunity to work on my reaction and ability to recover from a lot of bad golf shots. I’ve learned by now that bad rounds are part of the long-term game.

Each time you put yourself out there it’s an opportunity to work on something new, whether that’s part of your golf swing, etiquette practice, or just building relationships with fellow golfers for a few hours. And the best news of all: the more you play, the better it all gets.