At the start of 2024 I was invited to my first Dorset County squad training session. On a wet and windy Sunday morning, with the course closed, we sat in the clubhouse and were asked to write down our golfing goals for 2024. My list was pretty comprehensive, at the top of it was: get down to scratch.
For as long as I can remember (probably since I got my first handicap) my golfing ambition has always been to achieve that elusive scratch handicap. In my thirty years of playing golf I’ve come tantalisingly close, getting to 0.6 whilst living in Surrey and playing for the county first team in my late twenties.
Fast forward 15 years and life has very much changed. I’m now a parent with responsibilities. Work comes first. But I’m fortunate to be able to earn a living doing what I love, and that affords me the luxury of getting to play competitive golf twice a week.
(Image credit: Howard Boylan)
I started the year off a handicap index of 3.4 and it looks like I’m going to end it around the same mark (at the time of writing I’m 3.6) While frustrated that I haven’t reduced my handicap in 2024 I’m not disappointed because there are a number of factors that have affected it.
The Worst Winter Ever
Dare I mention the dreaded weather! 2024 was the worst winter I can ever remember. It felt like it rained continuously. Courses were closed, a lot. We almost skipped spring altogether and went straight to summer. Where, historically, I would have played at least one, often two qualifiers every week, there was at least three months at the start of the year when I didn’t play golf at all.
What this meant was I was extremely rusty with a scorecard in my hands when the courses finally dried up and reopened. I’m a firm believer in marking cards all year round. Those that don’t are a) not playing off a realistic handicap (see my article on the WHS) and b) not going to be as competitive as players who do, fact.
Motivation To Practice
I recently interviewed Georgia Hall. The former AIG Women’s Open champion has had her worst year since turning professional a decade ago, falling out of the Top 50 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. She admitted to me that she hasn’t had the best work ethic towards practice this year and she intends to address that over the winter.
(Image credit: Carly Frost)
I could very much say the same for my own game. While the golf courses were closed, driving ranges certainly were not, so I had no excuse not to practice and work on my swing technique. In reality, I didn’t do enough of this because I find practice incredibly boring. After just a small basket of balls my attention span has lapsed.
Yes, there are ways to make practice more fun, like playing games on the range, practising with friends, trying to manipulate the ball flight, videoing you swing and practicing with a purpose, like replicating shots on the course, but I still didn’t do this enough. It was simply a poor choice and I will address this in 2025.
Personal Circumstances
2024 turned out to be a whirlwind year for me off the course. I started a new business, I moved into a new home with my son, coached him successfully through the 11-plus secondary school entrance exam, came through a divorce intact and attended my long-time best friend’s wedding in California…the list goes on.
To say that there were one or two off-course distractions would be an understatement. None of the aforementioned I had foreseen when I wrote those golfing goals back in January, however life is like a rollercoaster ride of unpredictable rises and falls. You have to be on the ride to embrace it and this year I certainly did that. Achieving what I have achieved off the golf course has put me in a much better emotional place and I think that will reap rewards next season.
(Image credit: Howard Boylan)
The Positives Of Goal-Setting
Below is the list of those golfing goals I made back in January:
Get down to scratch handicap
Play for the Dorset county ladies team again
Win the county championships
Get golf fit – stronger and more flexible
Hit the ball 10+ yards further
Play more fun golf
Help my friends get more enjoyment out of the game
Looking at the positives, one of my big goals for 2024 was to play for the Dorset County Ladies again, and I achieved this, being selected for 1st team. We went on to win the south-west matchweek at Perranporth Golf Club and play in the England Golf National finals at Stover Golf Club in September.
These county call-ups were among my golfing highlights of 2024. Playing for the team boosted my confidence, put me out of my comfort zone, surrounded by better players, and above all else, showed me the level I now need to be at to compete at the highest level of the women’s game. Needless to say, there’s work to be done this winter.
Why Golfing Goals Are Good Regardless
On reflection of my golf in 2024 I would say that I’m not disappointed because my handicap hasn’t got worse and I didn’t have the time to concentrate on getting better. My one big takeaway of this year is the motivation that writing that list of goals gave me in January. For the first time in years it focused me on what I wanted. And yes, have fun was on the list!
Golf means different things to different people. For me, I remain steadfast in my desire to get down to scratch by the age of 50, so that I can compete on the England seniors circuit and who knows, maybe even get a cap for my country. With a plan in place, and my life in a better place, I feel confident that I can make great strides forward with my game in 2025.
Now all we need is for the weather Gods to be on our side and give us a dry, crisp winter where the only thing that’s needed is a woolly hat and not a pair of wellies to give us a better chance of achieving our goals.
(Image credit: Carly Frost)
Take Time To Write Your Golfing Goals
Reflect on your golf, what you need to do to get more enjoyment from the game? Maybe it’s to set yourself the challenge of taking less puttsin 2025. It’s great to keep this statistic (and very easy to add putts hit to an empty column on a scorecard.) Maybe you desperately want to hit the ball further? In which case that top goal should be to take lessons, improve your swing technique.
Maybe you tire easily over 18-holes so need to work on your golf fitness? How about joining a gym or attending a once-a-week Pilates or Yoga class to work on strength and flexibility? When you start writing your goals down, a course of action required to achieve them will become clear. They are a powerful tool!
