Your Handicap and the “One Bad Hole”
Day 7 from “Be the Ball” by Charlie Jones and Kim Doren
The Golf Book Club: Every day, we share a mental game lesson inspired by great golf books—stories and strategies to help you think better so you can play better.
To learn how to deal with failure, the authors interviewed Jean van de Velde.
At the 1999 British Open, Jean stood on 18 with a three-shot lead, triple-bogeyed, fell into a playoff, and lost.
That has become one of the most epic collapses in golf history. Many people gave Jean a hard time for teeing off with a driver.
Johnny Miller said, “If I were caddying for Jean, I would have broken the driver, broken the 3-wood, the 3-iron, the 4-iron, and the 5-iron. Then I’d say: Jean, hit the 6-iron, pitching wedge, three-putt, and win the tournament.”
A soul-shattering triple bogey.
Before we hear from Jean, let’s review what happened.
The Open was played at Carnoustie in Scotland. The 18th hole is a 499-yard, par-four monster. Water on both sides, rough up to your knees, big bunkers, and more water in front of the green.
Instead of playing a safe 3-wood or iron, Jean pulled the driver. He sliced over the water and onto 17. Instead of pitching back, he pulled a 2-iron and went for the green again. His ball hit the grandstand and bounced into the deep rough.
Instead of chopping out sideways, he went for the green again. His ball looped into the shallow water.
He took a penalty drop, knocked the ball into a bunker, blasted out, and made the putt for a soul-shattering triple bogey.
Just one bad hole.
But Jean doesn’t see it that way.
He says, “I’m not saying I never think about it. But if I only focused on the bad things, I’d never play golf again.”
Then he offers one of the best mental game strategies I’ve ever heard. He says, “I concentrate on what I did right on 71 holes and try to learn from that.”
For Jean, the 18th wasn’t the worst collapse in history. It was just one bad hole in a lifetime of good golf.
The poet Khalil Gibran said, “Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life.”
Baseball legend Babe Ruth said, “Every strike brings me closer to a home run.”
You may not lose the British Open, but we all have to shoulder our losses. Jean’s mantra can help keep defeat in perspective.
He said, “I concentrate on what I did right and try to learn from that.”
One bad hole doesn’t ruin a round or hurt your handicap. That’s a philosophy that can change your game and your life.
It did for Jean. After he retired from pro golf, he became an ambassador for UNICEF and raised a lot of money that saved a lot of lives. Talk about a healthy perspective.
I hope you enjoyed “Be the Ball” by Charlie Jones and Kim Doren. This book contains interviews with great players and coaches. It will help you smile and think your way to a lower handicap.
That’s all for now. Tomorrow, we’ll keep the mental game workout going with a new 7-day series.
Until then, keep imagining what’s possible.
Today’s Photo
More from Hamilton Island Golf Club Island in Queensland
