While he didn’t coin the phrase, Pele certainly popularised the football’s nickname of ‘The Beautiful Game’. 

And for much of my life, I’d agree with that summary. For me, it’s the tension between simplicity and complexity that makes football beautiful. 

There are so many ways to achieve the simple feat of kicking a ball into a net – different individual skills, different tactics, different personalities.

But I’m increasingly disillusioned with the way football is going. I’ve found myself more drawn to golf in recent times.

Golf is also beautiful. It too possesses that same blend of simplicity and complexity. All you need to do is hit a ball into a distant hole with a stick – but there are near-infinite ways to do it.

I think golf’s got loads to offer a sportsperson looking for a new pursuit. Here are my reasons why.

Golf is social

Being an individual sport, you might think that golf is quite a solitary pursuit. Not like football, cricket or rugby where you’ve got the changing-room camaraderie. 

But this is far from the case. Sure, those who play seriously and to a high level might spend hours practising alone, but this is the case with any activity. 

In a typical four-hour round of golf, you’ll actually spend very little time hitting a ball. Most of the time is spent walking to the ball after each shot. There aren’t many other sports where 90% of the time you’re strolling around with your mates having a laugh.

Add into the fact that most golf courses have a comfortable clubhouse and a well-stocked bar, you can really make an enjoyable social event of it. Hell, you can even load up your golf bag with your beverage of choice and make merry on your way around these days.

Four men standing around a putting green, smiling because they all hit good shots.
The only time in history all of us hit the green on a par-3

Golf is scenic

Golf courses come in all shapes and sizes. Windswept coastal ‘links’ courses with rolling dunes, rugged moorland courses engulfed by heather, immaculate parkland courses with towering trees and stunning lakes, and everything in between. 

There’s an old quote, often incorrectly attributed to Mark Twain: “Golf is a good walk spoiled.” 

Whilst whoever really said it evidently didn’t appreciate the ups and downs of the game, at least they recognised you’re sure to take in some natural beauty while hacking your way around.

A golf course putting green surrounded by beautiful trees and a scenic viaduct.
The famous ‘Viaduct’ hole at Hollins Hall, Leeds. Pic credit: Britannia Hotels

Golf is challenging

Waxing lyrical about having a laugh with mates and getting closer to nature on a round of golf can make you forget that it’s a sport. 

And sport is meant to be challenging. 

If you’ve ever watched golf on TV, you’ve probably thought that it looks like a piece of cake. The pros on Sky Sports certainly make it look that way. 

And on paper, it seems straightforward. After all, the ball isn’t moving, like it is in cricket or tennis. You get as long as you need to choose your club, think about what type of shot you want to hit and get yourself set up. Just aim and hit it. Simple, right?

But as many people find when they first pick up a club and give it a try, the reality is starkly different. 

Golf is a test of self

There’s actually a lot more to golf than meets the eye. What first appears simple often becomes an obsessive spiral into infinite minor details for those who get into it. 

Miniscule, imperceptible changes in your swing can drastically alter the flight of the ball. People spend their entire life trying to figure out why they can’t hit shots consistently. Even the world’s best players often mishit shots. Those who do well at golf understand this and learn to manage the inevitable fluctuations.

My old man likes to say that all golf is played on a 5 ½ inch course: the space between your ears. 

While skill helps, what really matters out on a golf course is mastery of the mind. The simplest shot in the world can be scuppered by all manner of mental lapses: lack of concentration, frustration, overthinking, overconfidence, and more. 

With golf, there are no excuses. Sure, sometimes it doesn’t seem fair. You can hit a good shot and an unlucky bounce will leave it up behind a tree or in a divot. You can also hit a terrible shot that gouges a three-foot crater and dribbles along the ground but ends up two feet from the hole. That’s just life. It doesn’t always make sense but it’s the same for everyone.

Ultimately, you are the only person who affects how you play the game. Like life, golf will elate, infuriate and humiliate you in equal measure. It is solely down to how you respond that determines your success.

A man hits a golf ball and it rebounds off a tree and hits him.

Golf is satisfying

It might sound like I’m trying to put you off golf. Well, there’s no sugar-coating it – golf is hard. But there are two big reasons why you should stick at it, no matter how long you spend searching in the trees for your ball.

Firstly, nothing beats the immense feeling of hitting an awesome shot, a shot that turns out exactly as you imagined it, or better.

The crunching drive that takes off like a ballistic missile to strike the far-off fairway. That sweet approach shot that hangs in the air for an eternity before gliding down to stop dead next to the flagstick. The rattle of the ball hitting the bottom of the cup after a long, meandering putt from what seems like another postcode.

You might only hit one or two shots like this in a round. But they’re the ones you’ll all talk about in the bar afterwards. 

For a few fleeting moments, you might even think you’ve cracked it – you’re ready to start qualifying for The Open, a globetrotting golfer mixing with the elites…

Of course, your next shot will bring you crashing back down to earth. But it doesn’t matter. You’ll never forget that shot. It’s what keeps you going through the regular bouts of suffering. 

Golf is forgiving

The second reason why golf is worth persevering with is that it’ll always give you another chance. 

The pros you see on TV mostly play stroke play. This means that every shot counts. One tiny error can unravel hours of impeccable golf. 

However, most golfers play different formats that enable you to stay in the game even after the most disastrous holes. 

It’s not like cricket when you get a first-ball duck and you’re out. Done. Essentially you’re stood in a field for the rest of the day. In golf, there’s always the next shot.

For example, in the popular format knowns as Stableford, you score points based on your nett score for each hole. 3 points for a birdie, 2 for a par and 1 for a bogey. Anything worse and you simply don’t score points on that hole. So a disaster like taking eight shots to get out of a bunker or hitting it into a lake three times in a row doesn’t kill your chances of doing well. 

Also, the handicap system means that golfers of vastly different levels can still have an even contest. 

Golf is good for you

If nothing else, golf can form a big part of your healthy lifestyle.

The average course length is around 3-and-a-half miles. That’s a fair old walk. And that’s assuming you hit it straight. If you’re anything like me, your route around the course will take more of a zig-zag form, adding another mile or two to your hike.

A round of golf can burn around 1500 calories. If you do it the old-school way and carry your bag (weighing 10-15 kilos) rather than use a trolley, you’re talking about a serious workout. 

Not to mention the benefits of fresh air and nature to your wellbeing. 

Golf is refreshingly honest

Golf is often held up as the pinnacle of sportsmanship. The scoring system relies on the integrity of the players. The rules are absolute, so controversies over differing interpretations are almost non-existent. 

Players who try to cheat or bend the rules do so at their peril, with those kinds of antics severely frowned upon. I’ve heard of players being banned from their clubs or snubbed by their usual playing partners for persistent cheating.

It’s a far cry from the pathetic stuff you see in football, such as players hounding the officials or feigning injury to get others sent off.

Will Zalatoris (right) had just missed out on winning the hardest golf tournament in the world, but had nothing but words of praise for the winner, Matt Fitzpatrick, afterwards. Pic credit: Sports Illustrated

Conclusion

Historically, golf hasn’t been a particularly inclusive sport – the stuffy domain of rich, white men. 

But things are changing. Sure, it still has its problems, but no more so than society as a whole. And definitely not to the extent seen in other sports (ahem, football). 

It’s definitely becoming more accessible for kids too. More and more local courses are trying to grow their junior sections, offering coaching and activities. It’s also becoming part of school PE. Many schools now have Tri-Golf equipment, which is particularly good for getting kids from disadvantaged, inner-city communities into the game.

There’s never been a better time to get into golf, as was evident following the lockdowns when thousands took it up since it was the only sport available. 

If like me, you’re a dad to young kids, you’ll probably get precious few opportunities to play. But it makes it all the more sweeter when you do get the chance. 

Give it a try!