Golf Strips You Naked!

Sujit Dasgupta is a regular golfer at the Poona Club Golf Course. Sujit is a tall, lanky guy, clean-shaven, with a full head of hair. Sujit loves to talk and share his experiences and is very warm and engaging in an aggressive sort of way. A few weeks ago, I was enjoying a beer with Sujit at the Golf Course clubhouse when he said something to me that was incredibly perceptive, and sums up the character building aspect of golf very well. Sujit’s exact words were “Golf strips you naked”.

Golf is different from other sports in a couple of significant ways. Firstly, two people with very different playing abilities can, and do compete against each other very meaningfully, often fiercely. This is enabled by the handicapping system in golf, which gives a person with lesser ability a head start. It is like me competing with Carl Lewis in a 100m sprint, with the stipulation that I start from the 60 metre mark, while Carl starts from the 0 metre mark! The handicapping system levels the playing field for everyone.

Secondly, barring professional tournaments, golf is played without any referees or umpires. It is largely a self-regulated game based on trust. The very large playing area means that playing partners/competitors are often widely separated depending on where their ball lies.

These factors create opportunities and motivation to cheat, whatever the stakes. Consider a situation where I am the competitive type and want to show my regular playing partner that I am playing better than him. The game gives me ample opportunities to cheat by kicking the ball out of a rough, count strokes incorrectly, take an illegal drop and so on. However it is not hard for a playing partner to see through this type of behavior. Therein lies the beauty of the game – it really does strip you naked.

There are other personality traits that come out loud and clear. For example:

• How do you react when you are not playing well, while your playing partner is having a good day? Are you generous enough to appreciate his good play?
• How do you react when you are playing well, while your playing partner is having a miserable round? Do you gloat about your shots, or encourage your partner?
• Do you call out the fact that you hit the ball twice when no one else saw it, and it might lose you the round?

I have learnt a lot of things about myself while playing golf – some good, some not very pleasant. However, it has given me an opportunity to become a better person. Playing with others has also given me insights into their minds and motivations in a two-hour period, things I probably won’t discover in two years of business interactions.

All in all, Sujit absolutely hit the nail on the head – Golf does strip you naked!

Ouch!

Today was not a good day for me at the golf course. The weather was marvelous, the company was good, and I wasn’t playing that badly. However the round left me feeling very disappointed with myself because I abandoned my friend and playing partner Parag just when he needed me the most during the round.

I started playing golf about 2 years ago. As my game has evolved, so has my appreciation for the game as a great teacher. One huge difference between golf and the other sports I have played is that Golf Etiquette embodies one of my biggest core values – “Respect for the individual”. Respecting another’s right or Honor to tee-off first, waiting for your turn to play, staying close to the green until the last person in your group finishes, and other such principles are a necessary part of the game. Adhering to this etiquette is in no way meant to diminish one’s competitive instinct, but is a way to establish the ground rules to treat your competitors and playing partners in a way that you would want to be treated yourself. Isn’t this just the way one would want to live life? Play hard, do your best, but be humble and respect those around you.

Well, this morning Parag and I were playing in a four-ball that included another friend who I will refer to as Speedy Joe. Speedy Joe loves to play like he is the only person in the group. He always tees off first even if he made the worst score on the previous hole. Often he tees off even before the others have arrived at the tee. He loves to hit a practice ball when he doesn’t like how he hit the first one – off the tee, in the fairway, or on the green. He doesn’t usually wait for his turn to play. He often walks off to the next tee after having finished his putt, while others are still lining up their putts. It is not unusual for him to hit a practice chip or putt while another person in the group is about to hit his/her chip or putt. Speedy Joe plays in this fashion because “playing slower or waiting upsets his rhythm”.

After two holes, I got carried away and started sub-consciously imitating Speedy Joe’s behavior. On the par-5 12th hole, Parag lost his second shot in the thick rough on the left. As we were looking for the ball, the group behind us had teed off. Speedy Joe was by now within chipping distance, oblivious of what was going on behind him. Meanwhile Parag took a lost ball penalty and hit another ball into the rough on the right! While Parag was looking for his ball, the rest of us, including me, had given up on him and finished the hole. Parag joined us on the 13th tee, fuming and disappointed. Obviously we should have waited for him, and let the group behind us go through if required.

We did not treat Parag with respect. I should have known better.