It’s true to say that the one hole you play accuratley this week is the one that convinces you to come back and play again next week. There is something extraordinarily satisfying about playing a good shot - drive, chip or putt. It’s that one lovely shot that makes the game of golf so much better than a simple walk through the park.

Golf is the great leveller. You can win a game but you can never beat the game. It will make a fool out of you, sooner or later.
Some play to relieve the tension and anxiety they have built up at work and others work up incredible tension and anxiety playing the game.

So why do we do it? Of the tens of million of people who play golf in all parts of the world each week very few are much good at it. Yet we come back, week after week, to play again.

It may be that every game is different and so we do not easily become bored. No two trips to the golf course will ever be the same, regardless how pleasant a player you are.

It’s always funny to hear individuals claim to play golf ‘for the exercise’ and then watch them downing beers at the 19th. Yet, beer drinking aside, there is an element of physicality to the game and a long walk around a golf course, trying to knock the cover off a little white ball, is a relatively robust form of exercise. A round of 18 holes is equal to walking about 4 miles.

It’s nice to get away from home and be outdoors and golf courses are generally lovely parks with manicured lawns and shady areas and a bit of water here and there. Nice places to get a step closer to nature. Maybe that’s why we do it?

There is also the need we have to relieve tension and pressure and golf can certainly help to do this. The exercise alone helps to relieve stress but there is also the pleasure of repeatedly clubbing something very hard. Maybe the modest golf ball serves as a metaphor for whatever is stressing you at that time. Do you see the picture of your bosses/wifes/husbands head on the ball? Look closely! Maybe they’re all there.

It’s a great way to spend time with friends, and the few hours spent around the course and at the clubhouse afterwards, is a very satisfying way to catch up on all sorts of social issues that have nothing to do with golf.

Many individuals use golf as a business device – a way to lure a prospect away from his/her office and have them alone for some bonding time. Many business deals have been done on golf courses and the value of the game as business meeting place should not be underestimated.

So which is it? Which characteristic of the game brings you back to play, week after week? Is it the boundless challenge to master the game or is it the exercise? Could it be that for you golf is just a necessary de-stressor or do you come back for the social aspects and the chance to spend time with friends? My guess is that its all of these things and sometimes its just the masochistic need we have to punish and humiliate ourselves.

Whatever our motivation may be, all golfers would dearly love to play better golf. Did you know that making a small improvement in simple 3 areas can improve your game beyond belief?

The best guides on improving your game are reviewed here.

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