Constraints

I expect that one of the common themes of this blog, aside from inconsistent posting intervals, will end up being constraints one one sort or another.

Virtually every recreational golfer acknowledges that one of the things holding them back from reaching their potential is the limited amount of time they have to practice and play. Except for retirees and people with trusts, most of us need to work most of the daylight hours. Those of us with families also usually have considerably family responsibilities that need to be balanced with practice and playing time. There are certainly a number of ways in which many golfers can improve the efficiency of their practice time, but time constraints are real. It’s no coincidence that the times when my game as been at its best have been when I was devoting the most time to practicing and playing.

Physical constraints probably aren’t talked about as much, but they are very real as well. For me the biggest physical issue is needing to manage my back, though increasingly my hands have been less than happy – I had to take a few months off at the end of last season due to a hand issue. My body can only handle a certain amount wear and tear from practicing and playing. Even if I had unlimited time to practice and play, I wouldn’t be able to practice as much as I’d like, at least not on the full swing. For many people, especially older golfers, physical constraints also include limitations to how they are / aren’t able to move due to things like joint and mobility issues, as well as a general loss of strength.

Cost constraints don’t seem to get quite as much attention except for general complaints about how expensive golf can be. While I certainly don’t think that you can just buy a golf game, money can absolutely make a difference. Even for someone who has unlimited time and has no physical limitations, there are things they can spend money on that will help them to shoot lower scores. This can include things like properly fitted equipment, lessons, and fees for both the driving range and rounds on the course. All things being equal, the person who can spend the money on these things has an advantage over the person who cannot.

I am extremely, I guess one would say, value conscious. Back in my single days, I really didn’t think about money much at all. So long as I had approximately the same amount of money coming in as going out, I was perfectly happy. I took a decent number of lessons for the first few years, and they really helped a lot. I loved it when I could find a deal on used clubs (and still do) which helped save some money. I got into club making, which when all was said and done, probably didn’t really save as much money as I thought at the time. However, it is a fun hobby, and I still do some reshafting from time to time, as well as all of my own grip changes.

Fortunately, where I live, you really don’t have to spend much money to play. Our local muni has been struggling for years, and they now offer unlimited play for just $450 a year. I was fortunate to join during the promotional period, which locks me in for $300 a year for several years. They have no walking restrictions, so there’s no need to pay for cart fees if you’re physically capable of walking the course.

For the time being, I am trying to stay committed to improving my game as much as I can while spending as little as I can. For balls, I am “living off the land”. I rarely lose balls, and seem to easily find more than enough premium balls on the course to play and practice with. I do think there is some real benefit to finding a single ball that works well for you and sticking with it. However, the differences between different premium balls isn’t enough for me to justify spending the money to just play one model right now.

As much as I would like to get a full set of fitted clubs, I just can’t justify spending a few thousand dollars at this point. I’ve never had a true fitting, but in the past I would always have loft / lie adjustments done on my irons and wedges. Right now, however, there’s not a single club in my bag that was either purchased new or has been adjusted for me. Several of my clubs came from Goodwill, and the rest came from places like Play It Again sports. All told, even with two fairly modern adjustable drivers and three fairly modern adjustable hybrids, the total cost of the clubs in my bag has probably been less than $500.

Could I immediately shave a couple of strokes off my handicap with a full set of fitted clubs and a box of shiny new premium balls? Could I shave a couple of more strokes with some lessons? Perhaps.

To some this may be viewed as making excuses. I would argue that one of the keys to enjoying the game is to accept that we all have some constraints that we are working with, and to play to the best of our abilities within those constraints. Let the handicap system take care of the rest.