Night of the Living Double Bogey
Few things in golf are more frightening than a rising handicap.
I've been in a "horror-endous" slump for the past three Halloweens. My handicap index reached a spooktacular 14.8 in early 2024. Today, it's around 21. Haunting. Why? Mostly, I don't practice enough, not enough to stay out of trouble. I spend far too much time in scary places: woods, water, and bunkers.
I can practice driving, hitting irons, chipping, and putting on the practice area, but sooner or later a bloodcurdling shot sends me somewhere I never intended to be. That's when my real practice happens during a round: when I'm hitting off twigs, beside tree roots, from bunker sidewalls, on severe sidehill lies, or under hanging branches, and that's just one hole!
Those "practice" strokes pile up on the scorecard like Halloween candy dumped on the living room floor.
So how do I practice? Easy: I play by myself, then reserve the last tee time of the day—after Kevin Gravedigger has finished searching for lost balls but well before twilight. That way, there's no fear of slowing the pace of play, rushing, or playing every hole. Instead, I can drop my ball into a spot that has always been a son-of-a-witch to hit from and hack away until I finally hit something that won't land in another hazard.
If any of this sounds familiar, don't blame a curse or wait for a magic spell. Treat yourself to lessons from our pros. The only thing frightening about your game should be how quickly your scores improve.
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