How do you measure success?

One of the greatest aspects about the game of golf, is that players of any ability are able to enjoy a round of golf.  Whether you are a beginner heading to the course for the first time, or a PGA Tour professional trying to win a major championship, there is something for everyone.

But what is that something?  What drives a player? What makes them enjoy the game?  How do they measure their success?  Obviously, if you’re an elite player, playing competitive golf, success is measured by your number of victories or how well you place in tournaments.  But the average player golfing on the weekend with some buddies isn’t going to look at golf the same way.  Success to them might be breaking 100, making a par, not having a 3-putt, or simply hitting the ball over a water hazard.

Take a look at your own game, how would you define a successful round or practice session?  It isn’t always the time you shoot a personal best score.  A personal example for me was when I had the opportunity to play Oakland Hills prior to the Ryder Cup in 2004.  In their preparations for the event, I don’t know that I have played a golf course with tougher conditions.  Fast, hard greens, thick, tall rough, and narrowed fairways.  At the end of the day I ended up shooting a 74.

Now was this the lowest round of golf that I’ve shot?  No.  Was it one where I didn’t have a 3-putt.  No.  It was a round of golf in which I made few mistakes and some great recoveries.  In looking at the difficulty of the course, my 74 felt like it would have been a 65 on any other course that day.  I was able to walk away from that round knowing that there wasn’t anything that I could have done differently or better to improve my score.  Even with a personal best round of 65, a round of golf that included 7 birdies and an eagle, I still consider my round at Oakland Hills one of my most successful.

So no matter what your goals are, or how you measure a successful round, if you are able to walk away knowing that you’ve done something that you consider an accomplishment is what will make you a champion of your own game and a very successful player.  Happy Golfing!