Everyone who plays golf wants to get better. You play. You practice. You play some more. After each round you look back on the outcome. And no matter how many great shots you hit or what you shot, you ask the same thing: “How do I get better?”
I admire the determination. But I believe there’s a better question: “Am I making progress?”
“How do I get better?” has no finish line. “Am I making progress?” has an answer. You can check it. You can act on it.
Golf is personal. Your game is yours alone, which means only you can say what progress looks like. That starts with being honest about what would make you happy with your game. Which leads to a more basic question: Why do you play golf?
Take your time with that one. Once you know what draws you to the game—what part matters most or, better yet, what part is the most fun—you can chart a path toward it. That’s progress.
Start With Why You Play
Most golfers play for more than one reason. But one usually leads. Here are some things worth considering. Feel free to create your own.
You play to score. Count the strokes you give away: double bogeys, three-putts, and missed up-and-downs. These add up fast. Cut them and your score follows.
You love striking the ball. Count your pure strikes. You know one when you hit it—the sound, the feel, the flight. Also count the shots that started on the line you picked. Putts count too. A solid putt on your line is a pure strike.
You play to unwind. Count the holes where your mind stayed on the course—not at work, not on your phone. Then ask one yes-or-no question after every round: Do I feel lighter walking off the eighteenth green than I did walking onto the first tee?
You play for the challenge. Track your Delta—how much your scores swing from round to round. A shrinking Delta means a steadier game, often before your scores drop.
You play to compete. Count where you finished in each match. Track your net score against your handicap. And watch how you finish—strokes over par on the last three holes. Competitors are made or broken down the stretch.
Pick two that matter most to you. After each round, write down the numbers and record how you felt. One round is weather. Five rounds is climate. A single good or bad day tells you nothing.
Now ask again: “Am I making progress?” This time you have a real answer. And it will show you where to spend your practice time. Progress is cumulative.
Know why you play. Count what matters. Never stop asking questions.
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