My first competition

[burnabao]

So I've been playing golf with varying levels of committment for about 5 or 6 years I guess. This year I finally joined a club and this last weekend I entered my first competition. I by no means embarrassed myself (although I did come dead last in the end), but I just can't describe how much fun it was!

There wasn't a huge amount to win/lose on the line but playing for "something" other than just fun was a completely different experience - but I guess most of you guys already know that. Anyway, I'm hoping I can get my head in the right place over the coming months and start to bring my "A" game to the competitions rather than the unspectacular show I put on on Sunday! Did you guys notice a big change in approach/mindset when you started playing competetively, at whatever level?

[holeinon3]

My first match freshman year sure had the nerves shaking, but since then they feel like just another round (with a bit higher stakes).

[Judah Ben-Hur]

No tournaments for me but I was wondering how far off your score was when playing for fun.

[burnabao]

I scored +12 against my handicap, largely due to two balls in the drink at different holes and way too many double bogeys. I didn't feel like I played "badly", but I certainly didn't play smart.

[Lefty-Golfer]

  burnabao said:

So I've been playing golf with varying levels of committment for about 5 or 6 years I guess. This year I finally joined a club and this last weekend I entered my first competition. I by no means embarrassed myself (although I did come dead last in the end), but I just can't describe how much fun it was!

change in mindset? oh yea. I love tourney golf and i don't have time to play it. When my kids get a little older (11 & 9) i will play much more of it. Typically my scores are lower then my HC. I assume this is due to a couple of reasons. 1. A good night sleep 2. no text messages, emails or phone calls from the office 3. focus is much more more intense... #2 again. 4. Playing for extra money always helps my game.

[jhut03]

hey what is the atmosphere like? I am playing in my first individual tourney this weekend. Its the club championship but it is a two day tourny. I am in the second flight after the championship flight. Only guys from the championship flight can win, you have prove you are a 4.9HC or lower so I am not quite there to play to win. The first day is a shotgun start at 7:30 am, yeah ouch...lol but the second day is tee times starting at noon with the senior flight then going by all the flights then the championship flight goes last, your tee time will be based on how you played the day before so that will be cool. But having 40+ guys around the first tee should make for some interesting first drives haha.

[folker]

I played in my first tournament last summer. Club championship. I was very nervous with knees shaking on the first tee with everybody watching. I crushed my driver right down the middle of the fairway and felt all the pressure just fade away. I ended up shooting right around what I shoot regularly. Maybe a couple strokes more. But it was a fun experience and I'll be doing it again in a couple of weeks hopefully this time I can compete to win my flight instead of just being happy not to embarrass myself. lol

[msd3075]

For me, the there are two keys to tournament golf.

The first is focusing 100% on the shot at hand (and how it sets up the next shot). This keeps you from thinking about your score or that difficult hole you are coming up on. At least for me, it supresses a lot of my nerves and eases my mind up so that I can swing without bad thoughts in my head.

The second is accepting that you are going to screw up a few holes but have the ability to "cancel it out" by playing other holes well. Unless you are a scratch or better golfer, you are going to bogey several holes even during your best rounds. You have to learn to accept it and have the ability to prevent them from becoming double and triple bogeys.

[NI4NI]

Mindset and atmosphere are new in the beginning, but then all feels the same after the first hole or so. Played in a few tourneys this season for the first time, and really enjoyed myself (playing partners were the key for me). Most of the club members are great, so the atmosphere is fairly light and fun.

Everything averages out more or less, score-wise (shot on average 2 strokes better than a casual round).

Again, playing partners determine a major portion of the experience IMO.