Golf is a true test of character they say. After so many years of playing the sport, I couldn’t agree more. A round of golf is played over 18 holes and takes more than 4 hours to finish. During this, a golfer is presented with multiple challenges and their goal is to navigate their way through these challenges while taking the least number of strokes. A round, good or bad, is full of highs and lows. As a golfer attempts to tackle these situations, his/ her character traits come forth. These can be strengths or weaknesses. Here is a list of 10 such personality traits that according to me can be identified during a round of golf.
Honesty:
Golf unlike other sports is built on the premise of honesty. Here, a golfer is expected to follow the rules and uphold the integrity of the sport without constant interference of the rules officials. The amount of importance a golfer gives to these rules goes to show how honest they are. Are they willing to cheat when no one is looking? This tells how this person would even be in the outside world.
Golf unlike other sports is built on the premise of honesty. Here, a golfer is expected to follow the rules and uphold the integrity of the sport without constant interference of the rules officials. The amount of importance a golfer gives to these rules goes to show how honest they are. Are they willing to cheat when no one is looking? This tells how this person would even be in the outside world.
Patience:
This sport constantly tests your patience. Getting held up by slow playing partners, constantly missing short putts, bad breaks one after the other are few of the situations that can really test your patience. How a golfer responds to these situations, tells us about the limit of their patience. This will consequently also reflect in their normal day to day life.
Willpower:
The ability of a golfer to bounce back after a run of bad holes, wayward tee shots or in adversity shows their determination. It is very easy to give up in these situations and surrender to one’s fate. But, only the ones with strong will power can muster courage to bounce back. This will power doesn't only reflect in their golfing but also in everyday life.
Responsibility:
I have noticed that many times golfers blame their caddies, conditions, green-keeping staff and other external agencies only to mask their own abilities. We hear the most ridiculous excuses and I can write a separate article about it. According to me, these people lack the ability to accept their shortcomings and work on it.
Ego:
How one responds to defeat or conducts themselves after victory tells us how egoistic they are. Golf is a sport that has to be played within one’s limitations. All golfers, even pros have certain limitations. If a golfer gets perturbed by someone out-driving them or playing better than them, that means their ego is getting in the way. Your ego is your worst enemy.
Empathy:
Its is very easy to judge a golfers empathy quotient by observing the way they behave with their caddy. There are primarily 2 types of golfers. One who is consistently trying to make his caddy’s job easy by acting as a team and the other, who is constantly reprimanding their caddy and being overbearing all the time. Player’s response to distressed playing partners (Example: assisting is searching for lost balls, making up for lost time, etc.), also shows how empathetic they are.
Etiquette:
Golf is a gentleman’s sport and there is a lot of emphasis on etiquette. However, it is not compulsory to follow these guidelines. So, how much importance a golfer gives to things like order of play, mindfulness towards playing partners, adhering to dress code, refraining from using crass language, gives us an idea of their personality.
PR Skills:
We as golfers end up playing rounds of golf with people from various walks of life. One needs to have a great deal of mind elasticity in order to hold a meaningful and engaging conversation with all the different types of people. A person, who can do this with ease and finesse, has very good PR Skills.
Creativity:
We spend hours in the driving range practicing our stock shots and full swing. But, on the golf course conditions and situations often demand us to make adjustments and improvise. Like ball lying in a divot, having to hit from under a tree or around it, being stuck between clubs, etc. A golfer’s ability to adapt and respond shows their level of creativity.
Anger Management:
We often encounter frustrating moments during a round of golf. It could be missing a short putt after hitting a glorious shot to within a few feet, missing the green from a short distance, three putting, dunking it into the water hazard, etc. Such instances can easily trigger fits of anger, club abuse and other such actions. Golfers need to be able to compose themselves before playing the next shot. This is tougher to do for short -tempered individuals, compared to the easy going ones.
Personal Hygiene:
From wrinkle free attire, sparkling shoes to clean clubs, bags and even ‘balls’, are all indicators that a golfer is particular about his personal hygiene. If you ever enter a golfer’s car and get a whiff of musty smell, it is probably due to smelly shoes/ socks/ or/and semi-wet towel in the back of their car. It will be safe to assume that this person doesn’t care too much about hygiene.
Indeed, our actions speak louder than words!
Personal Hygiene:
From wrinkle free attire, sparkling shoes to clean clubs, bags and even ‘balls’, are all indicators that a golfer is particular about his personal hygiene. If you ever enter a golfer’s car and get a whiff of musty smell, it is probably due to smelly shoes/ socks/ or/and semi-wet towel in the back of their car. It will be safe to assume that this person doesn’t care too much about hygiene.
Indeed, our actions speak louder than words!
This was a short list of my observations. Its complex nature is what makes golf such a beautiful sport. How we are on a golf course will also reflect in our day to day life or vice versa. You can check, in case there is a person who blames a caddy for his follies on course he sure will do the same at home or in office. That's why golf is the game closest to life. On a daily basis, we are being taught lessons of life on the golf course.
Happy golfing!
Abhishek Jha is a top 20 professional golfer competing on the PGTI. Touted as one of the longest hitters in India. He averages driving distance of over 300 yards. Twitter handle @abhishekjha86
34 comments
An introspective and thought provoking piece. You should be a single digit Hcapper Sir. Sharing in groups. Can elaborate two more qualities :
1. Betting. If you are a betting person then it shows that it’s the money that is making the mayor go. If you are a big better then probably you are a big time business man or good financial backing. If you are a small time better like me then you are using the blessings of Goddess Lakshmi for the mind to control matter and require it as a facilitating tool to focus on your game as you do not like to lose money. If you are not the betting type it shows that 8 out of 10 times you don’t take the golf game seriously.
To.punctuality reaching 10 minutes before the tea of is an indicator of your sense of discipline. There are some who are perennial elite and one is forced to forward their company. Out of this about one fourth will teach you at the last moment and leave your football incomplete.
3.magnanimity. The prompt willingness to pay for the mid game breakfast or the 19th hole fraternising is an indication of the friendly spirit of a person or an ulterior motive in sponsoring his business for example in LIC agent.
Please pardon any spelling mistakes or typos but these are practical observations of a soldier who is always on a mission to win
Nice one. Very true and this article has been helpful
This ,I knew is a game of judging character of your opponent, but detailed, enumerating was listed in your article , thanks brother.
Superb article Coach. Thank you.
Amzing!