The Fear Factor--what is there to be afraid of?

[Rich Goodale (Guest)]

Tommy

PS--your "fear" that you might never be able to play some courses again is a real one, and probably closer to my own emotions and circumstances than the fear of any double bogey.

[THuckaby2]

Wow.  Not much more to say after Tommy's eloquent post.  Well said, Emperor.  Excuse the double negative, but you don't wear your crown for nothing.

In response to Doug though - you nailed what I was trying to get at re one-time courses.  Oh yeah, if I know I'm gonna have another chance the feeling is different completely.  Love your Road Hole example!

And my equivalent to 16 Carnoustie for you is 16 Cypress for me - I keep coming back to that.  See, I had made a par as a snot-nosed kid, and had regaled my friends ever since about being "even par lifetime" on that great hole... You think I wanted to give up that claim?  So add this to the majesty, etc. of that great hole and yeah, I felt fear.  The wonderful caddie I had that day got me through it though... after Gib, John B. and John S. and I had taken a bunch of pictures, done the tourist thing, you know, and after we were talking about whether the carry could be made with 3wood (it was a dank overcast cold day and it was a little into the wind) he pulled me aside and said just to me "ok, you've done the tourist thing, now you've got a golf shot to hit.  Don't even think 3wood, it's driver, now put the swing on it you have all day and it makes it over just fine."  It's amazing how much those simple words calmed me and my fear was transformed to an odd serenity... and damned if that driver didn't make it over, almost hitting the stick.

Sorry for the trip down memory lane but hey, this thread is a good place for it!

In any case, fear exists, hell yes it does.  The white knuckles came up again on the putt, as all I could think about after I calmed down from celebrating making it over was what I now had to do to stay even par lifetime...

Tom Paul also speaks eloquently about competition, and thanks Tom for that!  I understand this and I am glad I did such as well, though my experience was far more limited and far less successful than the Doyen's!  But yes, testing one's self in this way brings satisfaction win or lose for sure.  I'm also glad I knew when to stop though - when golf is seeming like work and causing ulcers, it's time to find another sport, or change one's approach.  Luckily I discovered whisky at the same time I discovered this...  

TH

[ChipOat]

Just glanced at the posts - hope this isn't repetitive.


If you feel no fear on the golf course, then the explanation of why you are as successful in medal play as match play is now clear!

Why am I such a bum in qualifying rounds?  The fear of a bad shot.  Why do I execute shots in match play that I wouldn't even try in medal play?  No fear - I can only lose 1 hole with a quad.

Touring pro's and good amateurs are often criticized as cocky or arrogant because they've gone BEYOND fear - they absolutely believe in themselves so completely that even a bad shot doesn't shake their self confidence (well, usually not).

Oh, how I wish I could play with no fear!

[TEPaul]

D. Moriarty:

Wonderful, wonderful post--so well said!

Personally, I don't think top amateurs and professional have moved beyond fear--they probably just look at it in a different way than some of us--and of course their expectations are necessarily much higher!

[Doug Siebert]

DMoriarty:

I think its inevitable that those who play Cypress' 16th on a regular basis will feel much less pressure than most of us would in our rare (possibly only) chance ever to play the hole.  They'd also have a pretty good idea how the hole plays in various conditions, along with memories of good shots past.

My home course has a hole with two island greens (each, including its collar of rough and (ugh) cartpath, are smaller than Sawgrass' 17th)  When the tees are all the way back, its 200 yards to the middle to the far green, which sits 30-40 feet below you.  Obviously when it plays into a strong wind it is a challenging hole for any player.  I've played the hole several hundred times, but I still feel pressure sometimes on that tee.  Maybe because I have a good round going and I don't want to ruin it with a careless shot.  Maybe because it is very windy and I know I can't afford to mishit it at all.  Maybe because my Pro V1 is still shiny.  Or maybe my dad opens his big mouth and tells someone we're playing with "he had a hole in one here last year" BEFORE I hit...

If I played Cypress' 16th that often, I'm sure I'd feel much the same way, just with the magnification of the pressure since the required shot is that much more difficult.  Though on the other hand, Cypress does offer that bailout, somehow I suspect that most members who play there regularly take the bailout in bad weather or on bad days and get the easy 4.  But as a guest, you HAVE to go for it, there's no question, even into a gale

Here's a view from the regular tees of my 13th, the far green is the one on the right.

http://www.finkbine.com/images/006.jpg