Golf: a mental game with comrades

“I want to tee up first,” junior Sachi Verma said enthusiastically as we walked down the dirt path single file to the first tee at the Saratoga Country Club.

After gathering on the wooden deck by the club house that overlooks the course just after 3:30, the girls’ golf team decided to play the course during practice on Sept. 26.

On the first tee, I watched the girls strap on their gloves before retrieving a tee and a ball from their matching red golf bags adorned with “Saratoga High School” stitching on the large pocket. The green course was calm and serene, and deer were were often grazing, grazing between the fairways.

Before each girl hit the ball, she first carefully set her tee into the ground between the two painted rock markers and took a practice swing to the side. Each swing was then followed by commentary from the team, be it “oohs” and “aahs” or advice on form. 

As I played through the course with the team, I found that there is a lot more to golf than simply swinging a metal club at a small white ball over and over. 

The sport depends on muscle memory, something I have not developed.  My performance was composed of balls going anywhere between 5 and 35 yards in random directions, but I had to start somewhere, and the team gave me advice and encouragement.

“I don’t think it would be hard to start [playing golf],” Sachi Verma said.  “All it requires is dedication and an actual thirst to learn.”

Originally I was disappointed to find that my mini golf skills didn’t help me at all, but I found that the two activities are not remotely related.

“I think [mini golf]’s harder because of the obstacles, so the shots are more based on chance than skill,” senior Samika Kumar said. “But I guess golf is like that too. You can never completely guarantee how you will shoot.”

At first, golf struck me as a finesse game that only takes practiced skill, from the details of the grip to the flow of the swing, aspects that commentators often discuss during professional tournaments. This is no doubt a part of the game,  one that demands admiration.

“I like the focus on perfection,” Kumar said.  “Every single detail in your swing will affect the slightest change in degree and distance travelled by the ball.”

The other part of golf comes from the mind. Bobby Jones, one of the greatest golfers of all time, had the right idea when he said, “Golf is a game that is played on a five-inch course — the distance between your ears.” 

I’ve often heard it said that you can tell a lot about a person’s character on the golf course, and I’ve come to find this true.  When one is surrounded by serene nature and given the task of sending a small white ball far into the distance using a stick while battling the threatening par, patience, honesty and a sense of humor are put to the test. 

Luckily for me, the girls’ golf team is composed of girls with all of these qualities and who enjoy themselves while partaking in this focused sport. They display a beautiful example of how golf can provide one with a relaxing afternoon—about two hours in a typical practice—and gives one a useful mental skill set.