Is Golf Hard to Play? Well … it’s Complicated

You are very unlikely to break a sweat when playing golf.

The ball just sits there waiting to be hit. No one is trying to tackle you or block your shots.

And your opponents are expected to stay perfectly still while you swing the club.

So given all that why would anyone think is golf hard to play or even in the opinion of some the hardest sport of all!

Here’s the short answer.

Golf is one of the hardest sports to play consistently well – not because it is physically demanding but because it combines unpredictable playing conditions, a series of intense mental challenges and the need to repeatedly put together a series of movements with a small margin for error.

But that’s also why golf is so addictive.

So let’s explore in depth why golf challenges us so much – and what you can do to make it easier (and more fun)!

Golfing Focused Takeaways For Time Pressed Golfers

• Golf is hard because it presents a series of physical, strategic and tough mental challenges.
• Every course is different. Golf’s never played on the same field twice, so strategy and decision-making matter as much as technique.
• Tiny errors have big consequences. The swing demands precision few sports require and even the smallest change to your golf swing can cause disastrous scoring results.
• The hardest part of golf is mental. Golf punishes overthinking; the best players stay calm, trust routines, and leave emotion out of decisions.
• Avoid mistakes, don’t chase miracles. Most scoring gains come from cutting bogeys, not hitting more birdies.
• Make arguably the hardest sport of all easier on yourself. Play from the right tees, use forgiving gear, pick relaxed formats, and keep perspective — even the pros miss half their putts from eight feet.

Why Golf Is So Hard: The Physical, Mental and Strategic Challenges

Scott Fawcett, the world’s leading golf course management expert and creator of the DECADE course management system, highlights that golf is “the only sport not played on a uniform field.”

Every hole you play is different. Fairways tilt at varying angles, greens change speed, bunkers, rough, water and/or trees lie in wait. And that’s before you add the variability of weather and the impact the wind and rain especially can have on a golf ball.

That alone makes learning the game strategically – not just technically – incredibly difficult. You don’t just learn a swing; you also have to learn how to make decisions in an ever-changing environment.

And unlike most sports, on competition or game day you can’t practice on the same “field” you compete on. The driving range is flat, predictable, and forgiving — the course isn’t.

That gap between practice and play is one reason golfers of all levels find the game frustrating.

Golf is the only sport not played on a uniform field of competition. You also don’t practice on that field, get lessons on that field. And also the holes on that field are not all the same.

SCOTT FAWCETT, golf strategy expert and founder of decade golf

The Physical Issues

Added to the strategic challenge of dealing with a playing field that is literally alive then comes the golf swing itself. An un-natural and complex series of muscle movements that need to combine:

• Fine motor control and balance
• Flexible and strong, upper and lower body, muscles, and
• Hand-eye co-ordination.

And then there is the fact there is also a small margin for error.

The smallest change to your golf swing, which you also can not look at while you are doing it to check if you are doing anything wrong, can cause disastrous scoring results.

As Fawcett points out, even the world’s best golfers have huge shot dispersions. On a 200-yard par 3 for example, PGA Tour pros can scatter balls over an area 40–45 yards wide and deep.

That’s like aiming at a door and missing by the width of a house.

Then moving on from the physical requirements of the golf swing come the basic physical dimensions of the sport that make it so tough to play well.

The golf ball itself is only 1.68 inches or 42.67 millimetres in diameter and can weigh no more 1.62 ounces or 45.93 grams.

The game then requires this small ball to be put into a hole which is itself only 4.25 inches or 107.95 mm in diameter and which can often be hundreds, sometimes over 600, yards away.

Only a squash and table tennis ball is smaller than a golf ball and they are not required to travel nearly as far and have a far bigger target area to hit.

Which brings us neatly on to the biggest challenge golf presents to its participants – the mental one.

Golf can play havoc with the mind. It tests your patience, confidence and ability to recover after mistakes.

Every shot counts without exception – no retries, no teammates to bail you out.

A tennis player can have a 2^nd serve, a batter at baseball or cricket can ‘foul’ or miss a ball and get another go without penalty. A soccer, American football or rugby player meanwhile can miss a tackle or drop the ball without it automatically resulting in an opposition goal, touchdown or try.

And the scoring system which sets a ‘scoring par’ on each hole. It reminds the vast majority of golfers who don’t frequently make par that they have ‘failed’ on almost every hole.

But consider this also. Sometimes one shot will count as one plus another one as a penalty so your next shot will actually be your third.

So without even doing anything else after you have hit a shot you can be penalised another one.

Golfers also spend a tiny fraction of the amount of time out on the course actually hitting the golf ball – only a few minutes over a 2½ -4 hour round – so to maintain concentration, and repeat an already complex golf swing consistently, is tough to focus on and achieve.

In addition, and like everything in life, if you want to get better you need to practice.

But golf can be particularly time-consuming in this respect.

Not only can it take up to 4 hours to play a round but professional players can spend more than 6 hours a day just practising.

Others estimate that it takes players between 3-4 hours a day of practice to reach a scratch handicap.

That is an awful lot of practice and playing time to fit in around a busy family life.

Add to that the money required for clubs, balls, course fees and occasional lessons and the steps required to make significant improvements to their game can be unrealistic for the average player.

Golf is Hardest on the Mind

Such are the mental tests that the game presents that it is argued it is the hardest sport mentally for players to play.

Golf punishes overthinking and demands emotion be taken out of your decision-making on every shot no matter what went before. The more you try to control the swing consciously, the less likely you are to execute it.

That’s because the golf swing happens in under two seconds. Once you’re over the ball, you can’t “think” your way through it — your subconscious has to take over.

The best golfers train to rely on routines, not thoughts, and they practice simple cues that quiet the mind.

In addition, it is tough to deal with the fact that one shot which travels over 200 yards counts the same as one which goes just over a centimetre.

There can be nothing more frustrating than hitting 2 great shots over 400 yards on a long par 4 to within a couple of feet of the hole to then miss the following putt and be required to count the 2 putts which travelled a matter of inches the same as the previous two which covered hundreds of yards.

Sir Nick Faldo, one of the greatest golfers of all time, once described the tricks golf can force on your mind as follows.

He talked about how golfers often repeatedly tell themselves not to do things rather than reinforce positive instructions and compared it to how we rarely do this in everyday life.

“Do not hit the ball into the water, do not hit the ball in the trees, do not hit the ball into the bunker …. ” is a common inner monologue of golfers.

And by repeating this to ourselves over and over he said that our brain often translates that as a positive instruction to hit the shot straight into the hazard we were telling ourselves not to.

He then compared this to driving a car and asked his audience how often they get into their car and say to themselves over and over …… “Do not hit that traffic light, do not drive into that person over there, do not drive into that car to the left?”

We do not (or certainly shouldn’t!) and so we drive the car safely within the lines on the road.

And that sums up the real mental test of golf — knowing when to be aggressive, when to play safe, and how to keep emotion out of your decision-making.

Scott Fawcett says when he caddies for elite players, they perform better simply because emotion is removed from the process. They pick a target, commit, and move on — good shot or bad.

It sounds simple, but doing it for four hours or more under pressure is brutally hard.

6 Ways to Make Golf Easier to Play

Golf will always be challenging, but there are plenty of ways to make it more enjoyable:

• Play from the right tees – Match the course length to your distance and skill level — you’ll score better and have more fun. The ‘Play It Forward’ Initiative guidelines are a great starting point for this,
• Use forgiving gear – Cavity-back irons, hybrids, and modern golf balls are built to reduce punishment from mishits. Take advantage of them.
• Try easier game formats – Stableford or match play reduce pressure compared to medal stroke play. You don’t have to hole everything out or record every blow. So, when you can think, about whether you want to choose a golf game format that will make the game a bit easier.
• Focus on avoidance, not aggression – Choose targets that keep you out of trouble rather than trying to hit perfect shots.
• Practice purposefully – When you get a chance to practice don’t aimlessly hit balls on the range. Practice with a goal in mind for every shot.
• Keep perspective – The best players in the world miss half of all their putts from 8 feet. They hit their drives over an area that measures 70 yards from left to right. So manage those expectations and you’ll fair much better!

Golf is without doubt hard to play consistently well but when you do it’s great.

Before You Go …

The game is supposed to be about enjoyment and spending up to 4 hours with good friends can be a great way to spend an afternoon. And that is not the only reason why golf is fun to play. Check out our next article to find out 4 more

What is Fun About Golf? 5 Reasons It Really Is

And for a lighter sided look at the game watch the late great comedian Robin Williams’ take on how golf was invented!

More Top Articles Related To This Topic

• How Long Does a Round of Golf Take – for 1, 2, 3 & 4 Players?
• How Many Clubs Does a Beginner Need? Save Your Money to Start With!
• Should Beginners & High Handicappers Use a Driver? Yes & Yes
• Going the Distance? How Far Should Beginners Hit A Golf Ball?
• How Much Do Golf Clubs Cost? A Giant Guide With 32 Examples
• Are Golf Shoes Worth It? Just Make Sure You’ve Got a Grip!
• How Much Should You Pay for Golf Lessons? A Complete Guide
• How Many Golf Lessons Do You Need? 3 is the Magic Number
• What Should You Wear Golfing? Do’s and Don’ts for Men & Women