[비즈한국] There’s a common saying whenever you spray misshots all over the course or finish a round with a score worse than expected: “Golf is so hard…” or “Golf just never goes the way I want.” Everyone has said or heard this at least a few times—or perhaps, many more than that. So why is golf so difficult? Why does it never go the way I want it to?
The first reason golf is difficult is that we start by viewing it as easy. We take it lightly. In particular, men who did a fair amount of sports in their youth think they’re at least good with ball games. They approach golf thinking, "It’s nothing, I can just wing it." They’ve played by kicking and hitting moving balls, so hitting a ball that’s just sitting still—or sometimes sitting calmly on a tee—doesn’t seem like it should be that hard.
In the early stages of practice, you might get a feel for it, and people around you might even call you a "golf prodigy." That’s why the difficulty you experience later is all the more baffling. Another reason golf is hard is that you have to use a whopping 14 clubs. In tennis or table tennis, you use one racket. In baseball, you use one bat. There aren't separate rackets for serving and receiving. The seemingly obvious slogan that "every swing is the same" offers no comfort at all. How can a driver swing be the same as a 56-degree wedge swing for a high-handicapper? When I get the driver working, my irons fall apart. When my irons are dialed in, my approach shots fail. When my approach shots are good, I lose strokes on putting. This is an infinite puzzle algorithm created by 14 different clubs.
It’s not just the clubs that have variety. There are no two golf courses in the world that are exactly the same. There are courses that suit me and courses that don't. This is also a factor that makes golf difficult. The dimensions and standards of soccer fields and tennis courts are almost identical everywhere you go. Only in golf does every course pose difficult problems to the golfer, waiting to be solved under different environmental conditions. It is common for a golfer who feels confident after hitting their personal best in the last round to have that confidence shattered after visiting a strange, unfamiliar course. Some courses have narrow fairways, while others are mountainous with no flat ground to be found. Some have greens that ripple like waves, and others have bunkers with lips as high as castle walls blocking the green.
Another reason why golf is difficult is, paradoxically, because of "too much information." YouTube is overflowing with golf teachers. They all insist that they are the best instructors. Some days, you might watch dozens of lessons on the same topic. It takes a significant amount of time and effort just to figure out which teacher and which information is right for you and to feel confident in it. How can you possibly filter that out and focus, given limited time and insufficient skill?
Injuries are also part of what makes golf difficult. Just when you feel like you're getting somewhere, your elbow starts to ache. Then your shoulder hurts. Once your shoulder heals, your back starts acting up. This, too, is an infinite injury algorithm. Even when the body is fine, sometimes the mind and mentality weaken. There are times when you lose your confidence and feel afraid to go out for a round. The pain of the body and the mind makes golf even harder.
Some people’s scores vary wildly depending on their playing partners. If there is an ill-mannered golfer in the group, or a slow player, or someone who talks too much—most of which is just nonsense—a golfer who is easily swayed may not be able to perform to their full potential. One of the reasons golf is difficult is that you aren't playing the round alone.
People say, "If it were too easy, it wouldn't be fun," and that golf is fun precisely because it is difficult. Of course, it is human nature to lose interest after conquering something that is easy to master. I’ve learned a very simple lesson while playing golf: "Just because you love it doesn't mean you'll be good at it." And, "If you're good, it's fun, but just because it's fun doesn't mean you'll be good at it."
Who is the author, Kang Chan-wook?
An advertiser and writer. He began his career as a copywriter at Cheil Worldwide and is currently the CEO of the video production company 'Sidae-ui Siseon' (View of the Era). Loving golf, he obtained his USGTF teaching professional certification, and with his affection for writing, he has published golf-related books including 'The Joy of Golf', 'Bad Golf', 'Sincere Golf', and 'Golf Thoughts, Thinking Golf'. He runs the YouTube channel 'Bad Golf', sharing various stories and thoughts surrounding the game with readers and viewers.