Over the past 18 months, I have probably played more golf than I have done in the previous six years...
The reason for that comes down to many factors. Three years at university, doing all the things a sensible students does, is one of them, as well as a global pandemic and a job at Golf Monthly that requires me to work weekends.
Since 2024, though, I have been able to manage my time better with weekend work and, consequently, I am now able to play more competitive golf than ever.
However, is this necessarily a good thing? Well, following a busy summer period that has ended with the nights drawing in and the weather turning greyer and colder, I've decided now is the right time to put the clubs away... something that, in all honesty, I've been looking forward to doing for a number of weeks.
To some, this will sound like madness. 'You're a golf writer, how can you want to put your clubs away when you write about the sport for a living?' some may ask.
Well, in all honesty, I've played too much golf in 2025. Whether it is knockout competitions, monthly medals or social rounds, I have been on the course too many times and a reset is needed.
It's a bit like when you tell someone that you really like a particular dish and then, for the next six months, you end up consuming your body weight in that particular food, eventually growing so sick and tired of it that you can't consume any more.
Okay, this isn't as extreme and, included within that year there have been some incredible memories, such as golf trips to Tenerife and Mallorca. For the end of 2025, though, I want to take some time away from playing the game.
Change Of Mindset
Everyone plays this wonderful sport for different reasons. Some tee it up on the course for the social aspect, others golf to get that competitive kick and more still do so for the exercise.
Pre-university, I found myself in the competitive camp, as I played junior events up and down the country. Post-university, I've very much changed to the social aspect, as a round of 18 holes and a beer afterwards is a good getaway to switch my mind off from other things going on in my life.
I've enjoyed this aspect, but after finding myself playing in more competitions and knockouts, the return of the competitive streak has me sitting in no man's land. Am I playing this game for competitive reasons, or the social side?
Throughout 2025, I've played really good golf but haven't been rewarded for it. I've alluded to it previously, but I can't recall losing as many matches as I have this year, nor scoring so well in competitions but not even coming close to a win.
Obviously, this has been frustrating, which is why I see this coming winter as somewhat of a blessing in disguise – a time where there's an opportunity for change, not just within my golf and how I want to go about it, but other aspects outside of the sport.
The way I see it, there are 162 days until the first tee shot of The Masters is struck. This is when, officially for some, the golf season starts.
Of course, my clubs won't be in the cupboard for the whole of that six-month period, but between now and then, and with more limited playing time, I will hopefully have more of an idea of what type of golfer I want to be.
Will it be more social, or more competitive? Will a few weeks away from the game provide a new outlook to chase major improvements, or will it mean I keep playing the sport to keep my social tank topped up?
Either way, I'm already looking forward to a more settled me hitting the fairways in the spring of 2026...
