So your kids got you something you’ve always wanted for Father’s Day...a set of golf clubs. Thing is, you probably never played golf before. What a simple premise, get the ball into the cup in as few shots as possible. Instead what you get is one of the most frustrating sports ever devised. To truly become good at golf, you need to understand that no one is truly good at golf, golf demands perfect accuracy every time you step up to the ball. I know what you are thinking, “if no one is good at golf, how come there are pros that are making millions of dollars?”. The pros are the unicorns of golf, they have been playing since they were in diapers, whereas you and I started playing later in life. Here are some tips that the pros say that they do and I found very helpful during my time playing.

My favorite piece of advice is that you are not playing against anyone, your fight is against the course and yourself. It is hard to imagine because at tournaments there are other people competing for first place. Trust me, the real opponents are you and the course and they win a lot. Keeping this in mind, you should never lose your temper on the course, if you do then you are beating yourself. To beat the course you have to know the course, this comes with experience and playing the course multiple times. Learning the subtle things about the course like landing zones on the greens and how it plays in different weather conditions are things that come with playing a course multiple times.

The next time that you are out on the course is necessary to have a short-term memory when it comes to your bad shots. This is one of the hardest things to remember out on the course because bad shots are always the ones that are stuck on replay in your mind. I find it helpful to focus on where I want to swing and how to approach the next shot. I also find it relaxing to clear my head and listen to what is happening around me, whether it be birds chirping or just the wind through the trees.

My last piece of advice is to find a group of people to golf with. It is always nice to joke around with other golfers to forget about the bad days on the course. Golfing together breaks up the stigma of golf being boring because it gives you the ability to learn about the thought process of other golfers. Some of the best rounds that I have had were with people who made the time on the course more enjoyable. This gives you an opportunity to catch up with old friends, or even make new ones out on the course. Through the use of these tips, I have been able to shave strokes off of my scores and I think that you can do the same.

If you have any tips for a better golfing experience, send them to contact@cypressmag.com or visit our Facebook at www.facebook.com/CypressTN to get in on the conversation!