The Forget About It Guide to Better Golf

My friend Craig beat the pants off me a couple weeks ago. No big surprise, because he doesn’t know as much about the game as I do. He scores better, because he knows less. 

We were playing Tetherow, a spectacular new David McLay Kidd golf course in Bend, Oregon. If you’re not up on the hottest golf architects, Kidd designed Bandon Dunes and just completed the Castle Course at St. Andrews. That’s Scotland, The Holy Land of golf. 

Now, I love links golf and the traditional “roll it over the crazy swale” school of golf architecture. I had been anticipating the round ever since Tetherow’s preview event last year, where we walked the course with Kidd.  I was dying to see if it would live up to its reputation as the toughest in town, and boy was I pumped up! 

Craig was happy to be there, I guess. Ho hum. That’s the thing about Craig… He’s happy to play anywhere. He doesn’t care. It could be Augusta National and you’d never notice a difference in his demeanor. He’s totally unflappable.

So while I was admiring the architecture and exploring parts of the course that were never meant to be in play, Craig was swingin’ easy and scoring well. Either he didn’t know enough to be enamored with the course, or he was just really focused on playing one simple shot at a time without thinking about all the danger lurking in the “Scottish nubs.” 

Even though the first five holes were a disaster — and I didn’t get to experience the course as it’s meant to be — I found some enjoyment in that round of golf.  But I have to admit, it would  have been more fun had I given Craig a run for his money. 

I’m always envious of how he can put everything else out of his mind and just play his shots. It’s nothing fancy. He just pokes it out there, keeps it in play, and gets it on the green. Nothing to it.

I know Craig could hit it 50 yards past me if he’d just hold the angle a bit longer, delay his release a tiny bit and make a bigger shoulder turn ala John Daly. But Craig doesn’t think like that. In fact, he doesn’t think much at all, which is precisely why he plays well. The only swing thought I’ve ever heard Craig mention is to just “slow it down.” 

In this game, ignorance Is bliss. The less you know about the tecnicalities of  the golf swing, the more likely you are to play to your potential.

Craig just won low net in his club championship. On a horrible golf course! We’re going to find a spot for him on staff at Forget-About-It Golf.