7 Lessons From 200+ Days of Competitive Golf

Competitive golf is just next level… there is truly nothing like it. 

After jumping out of airplanes, going on massive roller coasters, and bungee jumping, I’m convinced tournament golf is still more of a thrill. 

Let’s get real, golf is the best sport ever. But when you up the ante and play for money or in competitive events, the pressure kicks up 10X normal. It’s an adrenaline rush that non-golfers simply don’t understand. 

But if you’ve played in any competitive event, chances are you know what I’m talking about. After playing 23 years and competing in hundreds of events (from high school tournaments to Q-school), I’ve seen it all.

I’ve had some epic events with shots I still think about to this day and events that were so horrific I had to block out of my memory. But that comes with the territory of playing in competition.

In this post, I want to share my seven biggest lessons to help you play better golf, especially in tournaments.

7 Competitive Golf Lessons 

If you’re ready to start playing in more competitive tournaments, use these tips to speed up the learning process. Or, if you prefer to listen check out the podcast version too. 

1. Mindset is Everything

Your mind is the most important part of competitive golf. As Arnold Palmer said, “Golf is a game of inches. The most important are the six inches between your ears.” 

I’ve seen great ball strikers card horrible rounds because their mindset was terrible. If you want to play good in events, you have to monitor your self-talk and mental game. Which is easier said than done and something that I see a lot of player struggles with.

But just know, it’s 100% possible and a continuous learning process. Here are some ways I’ve upgraded my mindset

• Hypnotherapy
• Using a mantra
• Breathing exercises
• Transcendental meditation
• Focusing on staying present 
• Developing an optimistic attitude 
• Knowing that if I miss putts early it’s because they’re going to go in later in the round.

Just remember, you control what you say and think during a round… choose your words and thoughts carefully. Compounded over time, this can make a massive difference on your game and separate you from the rest of the field. 

To get some more mental game tips, check out episode #40 of Wicked Smart Golf Podcast with David Mackenzie (a top mental coach). 

2. You Need a Pre-Shot Routine 

Playing in tournaments will make you nervous. 

I don’t care who you are, you’ll feel the stress, excitement, and other emotions that come with tournament golf. As Tiger Woods said, “If you’re not nervous, it means you don’t care.” 

If arguably the greatest player of all time is saying this, I can assure that every golfer feels nerves on some level.

So how do you calm the nerves and persevere?

A pre-shot routine. As Dr. Bob Rotella said, “Your pre-shot routine is like your wingman on the course.” I’ve found the more locked in my pre-shot routine, the easier it is to play solid golf. 

But this doesn’t just magically happen in events; you have to create and practice your own pre-shot routine on the range. The more you do it, the more comfortable you’ll feel and the better you will play. 

Related: How to Create Your Own Pre-Shot Routine (Episode #10 Wicked Smart Golf Podcast)

3. Short Game is Everything 

Some days your swing will decide to take a day off. While a lot of golfers get frustrated by this in tournaments (I know I have), I’ve also learned that it’s part of the deal. No one can show up every event with their best swing. 

But that’s okay, it’s not who has the best swing, it’s who shoots the lowest score.  

Shooting your lowest scores come from honing your short game. It’s so important to work on your wedges, chipping, pitching, and putting before an event. Because unlike your swing, these parts are easier to adjust and don’t tend to go AWOL on you during the round.

Because let’s face it, missing greens is inevitable. Even the best guys in the world only hit 11-13 greens per round on average, which means you’ll have plenty of missed greens yourself. But when you’re able to get the ball up and down, you’ll be able to keep your momentum alive.

Before the round, spend time hitting shots to see how the ball reacts on the green. On the course, do everything you can to hit your chips/pitches close to leave yourself easy, care free putts. 

4. Putting is the Key to Confidence 

To build on point number three, your putting is the key to success in tournaments. Usually, it’s the guy who putts the best is the one that walks away with the trophy. 

But for some reason, putting is one of the biggest struggles for most golfers in events. And nothing kills a round like a few three putts.

Here are some tips to help you putt better in tournaments:

• Leave the fundamentals at home. Tournaments are not the time to tweak your stroke. 
• Keep breathing. I see so many guys get tense and stop breathing resulting in lackluster efforts.
• Master your putting routine before the event. This will help you feel more comfortable and trust your stroke in tournaments. 
• Spend plenty of time warming up on the practice green. Figuring out the green speed is vital to making more putts and avoiding three jacks. 
• Make a ton of short putts before the round to see the ball going in the hole. 
• Hit it harder. When golfers get nervous, they tend to leave putts short. Man up and give the ball a chance to go in the hole. 

Listen to episode #8 of Wicked Smart Golf to learn my favorite putting practice routines. 

5. Practice Rounds Are Key 

Practice rounds are like a comfort blanket for golfers. I’ve found them to be incredibly helpful in preparing for events and showing up to the first day prepared. 

When playing practice rounds, here are some things I always think about:

• Carry distances off the tee (over bunkers, water, etc). 
• Watch how much spin you get around the greens to plan accordingly. 
• Watch how much the ball releases on approach shots to learn the firmness of the greens.
• Use the slope on my rangefinder to notate how much uphill or downhill each green is (since you can’t use slope in events). 

Also, make sure you buy a yardage book and take notes throughout the round. Then, factor in slope during the event to make sure you have the right yardage for each shot.  

6. Do a Post Round Recap 

Most golfers finish a round and head home (or the 19th hole). While I’m all for a cool one after the round, use this time immediately after a round to recap your round. Chances are, you still have plenty of adrenaline and can probably recall any shot you hit.

This is vital to helping your game overall and making quick changes to adjust accordingly to the next day. When doing a post round recap, I either log everything in a Google sheet or a Trello board. Here’s what I track and notate:

• Mental state/attitude.
• Total number of putts.
• Number of fairways and greens hit.
• Number of up and downs (and bunker shot up/down percentage). 
• My misses - this way I can spot a trend and think about adjusting after the round at the range or before the next one. 
• 3-5 (or more) of my best shots. This way I’ll create a bank of good shots that I can turn too if my game vanishes. This could be epic drives, stiff approach shots, amazing chips, and huge putts. I challenge myself to at least five but usually come up to 5-10 epic shots that were executed perfectly. 

Remember, to play your best it’s vital to measure what you can so you know what to work on between events. 

7. Play More Tournaments to Score Better 

Finally, you need to play more tournaments. It’s really hard to play in one or two tournaments a year and expect to shine on the big stage.

Can it happen? Sure, but in general, it comes down to getting familiar with playing in competitive events. The more tournaments you have under your belt, the less scary it feels and the comfortable you are for each event. 

Increase your frequency of events to stay prepared and ready for the higher stakes. Plus, who doesn’t want to play more golf!? 

Final Thoughts

Tournament golf separates the men from the boys. 

But man, when you get into the swing of things and feel comfortable in events, I’d argue there is nothing like it. It’s so fun to test your game out vs. the field and see where you end up after a few days. 

Just remember though, it takes some time to get comfortable in this new setting. The more tournaments you play in, the easier it gets. 

Finally, get out of your comfort zone and play in events that you don’t feel you’re ready for yet. By entering these events, you’ll often accelerate the learning curve and learn a ton in the process.

I’m confident that when you use these tips, you’ll have more fun, play better, and thrive in competitive atmospheres.