I'd rather shoot a 95

"They say golf is like life, but don’t believe them. Golf is more complicated than that.”  Gardner Dickinson

While playing a life and death golf match with a buddy, who bought the beers afterwards was on the line, a situation came up where he had to make the choice between a safe take your punishment and probable bogey shot or a near impossible miracle shot with a 20% chance of success and 80% probability of a triple bogey.

Now any person who proclaims themselves a golfer has watched Tin Cup multiple times and will rarely hesitate when deciding to go for the miracle shot.  Which my buddy did and which resulted in a triple bogey.

Later in the round another similar situation came up and now trailing me by a couple of strokes he went safe, took his bogey and continued on.  The inevitable conversation followed about how if we used more 3 woods off the tee, chose more layups instead of "go for it" shots and played to keep the ball in the fairway that our scores would undoubtedly improve.

So I told him about my mother-in-law.  She is a beautiful, spry and healthy 78 and plays golf two to three times a week.  Her golf game consists of hitting the ball 125 yards.  Every.  Single.  Time. Always in the middle of the fairway, always close to the green, almost always for bogey.

So my buddy upon hearing this story pulls his driver out in hopes of clearing the 250 yards of swamp between the tee and the fairway and calls out over his shoulder "I'd rather shoot a 95".

And that, my friends who have the sanity to not play the stupid game, is the essence of WHY we play the stupid game.  Because no "3 wood, 7 iron, pitching wedge, two putt" bogey compares to a "Driver (off a tree), cowled 5 iron (from under the bush), rescue club (into the sand trap), sand wedge (to 6 inches) for a tap in" bogey.

Yes, they both show a "5" on the scorecard.  But sitting at the 19th hole afterwards you never talk about the safe bogey.   You talk about that impossible shot from under the bush and the perfect sand wedge.  To my buddies point a round of 95 can be of much more interest than a round of 85 depending on how its played (and who it's played with but that's a later topic).

Business works kind of the same way.  When in the start-up phase it's more free-wheeling, go for the gusto, damn the torpedoes, drive for show, I'd rather shoot a 95 but if it all comes together I could break 70.  Once established but still not mature, it's let's layup on this one, practice our short game, shoot for the center of the green, let's not screw this up, take your 80 and go home.  Once mature it's 125 yards down the middle.  Every.  Single.  Time. Knowing you're going to shoot no more than 79 and no less than 77.

Determining what kind of golfer you are probably should determine where you work.  Nice and safe usually doesn't fare well in start-ups.  Swing from the heels it's either a birdie or nothing usually doesn't mix well with stoic, established and conservative.

If you don't golf consider taking it up.  I have a future post that discusses how a day golfing with someone will tell you everything you need to know about them (and whether you should do business with them.)