I’ve Played Golf Three Times A Week For 35 Years – This Is Why I Persevere
Into his late 40s, Fergus Bisset still feels there’s more in the golfing tank, so he is persevering. That and he quite likes the game of golf!
There have been times in my golfing life where the challenge of the game has seemed somewhat Sisyphean. Spells in which my golfing labours have proved ineffective.
But, like Sisyphus in the underworld, I continue to labour. That is because, unlike the legendary king of Ephyra, I am sometimes, quite often in fact, rewarded for my efforts.
Having played an average of three times a week for (a bit more than) 35 years, you might think I’d be getting a little bored of the game by now. I’m really not. Golf is endlessly compelling as it delivers something different every time you pick up a club.
I persevere with golf because I have found no other activities to match it in terms of challenge, variety and possibility.
Every time you tee it up, you could have your best ever score. In fact, I have done that three times in the last six weeks on three different courses, all of which I’ve been playing for decades.
How exciting is that? The possibility of doing something hugely satisfying is always there. That’s one of the best things about golf.
Yes, there will be way more rounds in which you don’t perform to your full potential, but you must endure them to enjoy the good ones.
And even within those more frequent, poorer rounds, there will always be something to savour.
I was chatting to a pal in my clubhouse a couple of weeks ago and he always makes a point to ask playing partners, “what was your best shot today?”
It’s just such a great way to put a positive twist on even the worst of games. There is always a shot that will have been the best within it. Even if it was just a solidly holed putt or a straight drive from a tee you generally struggle on.
Golf gives you chances. It gives you the chance to play in different places on different courses, in different climates. It gives you the chance to play with different people of different ages and backgrounds.
Golf is a good walk not spoiled
As mentioned, it gives you a chance to succeed, to do something to the best of your ability and that’s why we always come back to it. Maybe this time… If not, maybe next time!
I actually think I can still get better at golf and that’s a key reason I persevere. I still want to improve. I want to make better decisions on the course, sharpen my short game and fine-tune my long game.
My handicap might steadily go up as I get older but I’m not that old yet and I think there’s more in the tank.
I persevere as I think it’s one of the very best ways to maintain friendships. I’ve met great people through golf and, over the course of four hours or so, you have the chance to really get to know someone or to catch up with a pal.
Golf is physically and mentally stimulating, it’s good for your health and that’s another reason I keep going with it and will continue to do so.
Reading all this, I realise that I don’t persevere with golf. One perseveres with something they feel they could get more out of… I couldn’t have got much more out of golf over the last 35 years. I love it.
