One thing I might change in the phrase would be "....eke out a win over ones' opponent" rather than "...eke out a good score..."
The reasoning would be to address the intelligence factor of the golfer. In days of yore, the golfer who could decipher differing conditions within a course....sands, grains, imperfect lies through the green, etc., would be able to compete nicely with a golfer who, while perhaps more technically proficient, might not have a handle on the variable conditions, especially in match play situations.
Today, we strive for homogeneous, invariable, consistent....and yes, perfect conditions despite what Mother Nature might otherwise dictate or allow. Technology, knowledge and other limitless resources allow us humans to have our way, so to speak. As in other areas of life, having what we think we want may not be in our best interests.