Winter Golf – A One Shot Story

Golf is often described as a microcosm of life. You have good holes where you’re doing ok and everything is going alright. Sometimes you’re even having fun. But look out, next hole you’ve lost your ball and now your next shot has found the bunker. Now that your next shot has found the water you really do just feel like giving up. Chin up and stay calm. One foot in front of the other. Adversity is inevitable and it’s how you deal with it that counts. Life is not a smooth ride there will be bumps along the way. There’s always the next hole. Don’t give up.

It was 8.30 on a cold January morning and I had arrived at Stonebridge Golf Club for my first round of 2025. Excitement levels were soaring. A 6am start on a Sunday with a 2-hour drive is no struggle when it is playing golf with mates. Tee time was 9.48 so plenty of time for a coffee and a warmup. No one wants to be rushing to that 1st tee. What with work, family commitments and other social plans a day of golf is not always that easy to squeeze in so I savour every minute of the allotted time.

Playing with mates is, perhaps, the best part of the game. 4 hours on a course playing 18 holes gives plenty of time for a comprehensive catch up. Yet you will be excused if the only conversation you have surrounds that of golf. Topics such as your latest golf purchase or what part of your game you’ve been working on are sometimes all that is needed. Playing with each other you’re not only invested in how you are playing but also experiencing another person’s golf journey and seeing their story unfold. Yet having friends also introduces competition. The tension when a 4-hour battle against your mate comes down to the final hole is sport at it’s best.

The first hole of the day was sobering. A double bogey saps some of the excitement away and serves as a reminder it’s not all that fun. Second hole I bounce back after a chip with a 7 iron nestles right next to the flag for a tap in par. Important to build on this. On the par 4 third hole, my approach shot into the green is sliced right and lost in bushes. Forced into taking an unplayable penalty stroke, I was left once again with a double bogey on the card.

No sports man or woman has changed the face of a sport quite as much as Tiger Woods. His determination, ruthlessness and self – belief drove him to golfing greatness. This was coupled with a new approach to the game based on optimising physique and fitness which would leave most players behind. He brought style to the game and his name was a marketer’s dream. His aura and dominance remain a fascination to me.

Holes 4 to 8 had continued in the fashion of bogeys of different varieties (doubles, triples etc.) On to Hole 9, this was a 377-yard Par 4 and the hardest hole on the course (Stroke Index 1). A 172-yard hybrid off the tee followed by another 152-yard hybrid shot still left me with around 50 yards to the hole. I should mention too that I was without my driver as this snapped from a practice swing when at the driving range midweek. With 50 yards left to the hole I would duff my wedge shot to leave me still with a good 20 yards to go. The hole would end in triple bogey and a front 9 total of 48. This was 15 shots above par for the front 9 which meant my handicap of 12.7 had already been exceeded. Oh dear.

I often see playing golf as a form of meditation. It teaches you to stay emotionally calm and remain in the present. In golf your mind requires to always stay focused on the next shot. There is no time to dwell on the past or race to the future. Nor can you ruminate over stressful life events outside the course – a quiet mind is needed. Your full attention is required on the next shot. While golfing with mates is often most enjoyable, playing a solo round is also a much rewarding experience. It teaches you to enjoy your own company and to have self-discipline. The only competition is yourself and the experience is just for you alone.

I don’t know how but my round ignited. Holes 10 and 11 were solid pars. Golf was feeling a lot easier. I can’t tell you what changed in how I was playing but the ball just seemed to be finding the hole with a lot more ease. Hole 12 was a 199 yard par 3 with beautiful pine trees lining the right side of the hole. I hit a high swooping 178 yard fade landing 10 feet from the pin. With several near miss putts it felt like this was the time for the ball to drop. With perfect pace, the ball was sent rolling end over end until it submerged under ground falling into the cup as if in slow motion – a birdie! Cue a fist pump and a glimmer of hope that this round could become something.

Winter golf is a separate entity to golf. In winter golf the fairways are often slushy, the ball doesn’t fly as far, your hands are numb, the greens are slow and your clubs are forever caked in mud. Your scores naturally suffer and the courses frequently close due to conditions. However, the winters in England drag and its too long to wait until the summer months. A fix of golf is needed – the conditions do not matter.

The 14th was, without a doubt, the most memorable hole of the day for me. A 335 yards par 4 which meandered to the left. Standing on the tee box I could feel my body aching as my day’s work started to take its toll. My tee shot was sliced wickedly to the right with not much distance. 2nd shot not much better as I shanked the ball 80 yards to the neighbouring fairway on the right hand side. This was getting desperate now and I decided to club up for my next shot. This was subsequently hit miles over the green into thick rough. With little hope on this hole I picked up my wedge to chip back onto the green to try and just get the hole over and done with. A double bogey was beckoning, I made good contact as I watched the ball pop up from the thick grassy terrain. The landing spot was as I had aimed for and the ball then did something you can never quite believe; It behaved and listened to my command. A chip in! I had astonishingly come out from the hole with a par.

The Masters is arguably the biggest professional golf tournament of the year. It arrives every year in Spring and is one of the 4 golfing majors. My first memory of it was staying up till midnight to watch a playoff between Angel Cabrera, Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell in 2009. I had no interest in watching golf before this showdown but after I was hooked. Watching the game slowly unfold you realise how golf is often a game of mental strength rather than physical prowess. Yet watching the Masters you’re not just watching a sporting event. With its bright pink azaleas and finely woven terrain you are transported to a land of remarkable beauty unlike anywhere else on earth.

My round was over. I had rescued it from an abyss and was happy to be recording a respectable score. Not to mention I had beaten my 2 playing partners. After 18 holes your legs are feeling weary and your mind is now thinking about a much-needed rest. You have an appreciation for the golfing journey you’ve been on. However, there is also a sadness that it’s now over.

Better get another round in the diary.

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