WHY
WE
GOLF

Ten Angry Steps

Early in my golfing life, I realised that getting angry was often unavoidable, but staying angry was a choice. A poor shot creates an immediate reaction because we care about the result. We chose the club, pictured the flight and committed to the swing, only to watch the ball head in a direction that seemed to have no connection with the plan. Disappointment, frustration and even a few seconds of disbelief are perfectly human.

So I made a rule for myself. I call it the Ten Angry Steps.

When I hit a terrible shot, I give myself ten steps to react. I can be disappointed, mutter under my breath, replay the swing and wonder why someone who has played golf for decades can still produce something so spectacularly ordinary.

I may even briefly consider selling the entire set, although experience suggests that decisions of that size are best left until at least the clubhouse.

A mate of mine named Jason once took a different approach.

During one particularly frustrating round, he became so angry with his game that, while standing on the twelfth hole, he advertised his entire set of clubs on Facebook Marketplace. This wasn't one of those dramatic threats golfers make before quietly cleaning the clubs later that evening. He took photographs, wrote the advertisement and listed the lot while the round was still going.

By the fourteenth hole, he had sold them.

Already finding an audience with club golfers, golf communities and readers who recognise that the game was never really just about the score.

Jason's story still makes me laugh, but it also makes the point rather well. Anger has a habit of turning temporary problems into permanent decisions. A poor stretch of golf can convince an otherwise sensible person that the game is finished, the clubs are useless and an immediate transaction with a stranger on Facebook is the only reasonable response.