9s...Good in GCSEs, Bad in Golf!!

How Golf and Studying for your GCSEs seem to have many parallels. 

On Monday this week, I spent a fabulous day with Phil Johnson from Archway Business Solutions Ltd at the Mapledurham Golf Club, where Phil had kindly sponsored 2 teams at the ReadiFood Charity Golf Day and I was fortunate enough to be one of his guests.

Practice and learning is key to enjoying all aspects of life

On the same day, my 15-year-old was head down and locked into his GCSE study programme, with eight subjects still to go and three maths papers to face. I was trying to remember what that was like, as his school is what I would call ‘highly competitive’ and I think that my experience was less so. I pondered that “Maybe it’s important in today's world that young people start to be exposed to that level of competition” as I was enjoying a competitive round of golf.

I think that really hit home when I was teeing off at the 14th hole and I ‘smoked the drive’ It was an exceptional shot, 225 yards in a straight line and with just a little chip onto the green. That’s where it all ended! From then on I headed into the bunker, not once but twice, and the hole ended in a 9!!

Any golfers out there will know exactly what that felt like, I had to work hard to change my mindset and my next tee off didn’t go anywhere near as well as I had hoped, but after a stiff talking to myself, some great encouragement from my team, I was able to get my head back in the game. Finishing with a respectable albeit not, straight A score.

Maybe it’s important in today's world that young people start to be exposed to that level of competition

The day ended with food and lots of laughter, especially about my disastrous 14th hole.

My son's exams may be similar; he might have an exceptional day and come out of an exam feeling like he ‘smoked’ the paper (not literally), but there may be other papers he doesn’t feel are going so well. At least we can share our experiences over recent days and commiserate together and motivate each other.

Studying hard can be its own reward when you know you've tried your best

It seems to be that exams and golf are similar to life experiences in general, and I would rather my son wasn’t having to study quite so hard, but after my day at the golf course, I may need to get in some additional practice to help improve my game.

When Life throws you a golf ball, do your very best to catch it! If my son ends up with a few 9s on his scorecard come August, then he will have done amazing work but I will be a proud dad whatever he achieves, because of all his hard work.