A Break and Refresh

It’s been a few weeks since the last edition of The Scorecard. Three weeks, and sometimes, that’s exactly what you need. A bit of time away from the laptop. More time with the family. A few rounds of golf. A chance to switch off, recharge and come back with a few fresh ideas.

There’s certainly been plenty happening while I’ve been away. The golf world has delivered some brilliant stories, my own game has provided the usual mixture of highs and lows, and Golf Dads UK continues to grow one dad, one round and one conversation at a time, now almost up to 200 members.

So, we’re back on the tee.

This week, I’m looking at why sometimes stepping away is exactly what you need, a few simple tips to help you make the most of your golf and family time, and a quick catch-up on everything that’s been happening around the golfing world.

Welcome back to The Scorecard.

It's been three weeks since I last sat down to write The Scorecard. I've had a bit of time away and really enjoyed it.

The first part of the break was spent up with my dad while my mum and siblings were away. I managed to get out for a round with some friends and even squeezed in a club fitting. I wasn't buying anything, and the guy doing the fitting knew that, but the service was exceptional. He took the time to look at my swing, talk through what he was seeing and give me some genuinely useful advice. No hard sell, just someone who clearly cared about doing a good job. Maybe I will go up to Peterborough if and when I decide to change my clubs.

Then came a week in St Lucia with my wife and the kids. Most days, we put our phones in the safe. Not on silent. Not face down on the table. In the safe. It was brilliant. We talked, laughed and paid attention to what was going on around us. It made me realise how rarely we properly switch off. There's always something to check, someone to reply to or something happening somewhere else that apparently needs our attention. I came home feeling refreshed, although there wasn't much time to ease back into normality.

The following week involved a bit (ok, a lot) of golf. I practised on Wednesday and Friday ahead of a club greensomes play-off on the Sunday. On Saturday, I played in the club competition and shot 104. Not exactly ideal preparation but it did get rid of the rustiness. The next day, my partner and I won the greensomes with a net 63. At one point we had back-2-back quadruple bogeys. Golf really is ridiculous. We then came back from those and shot four over par for the remaining 11 holes, both of us with handicaps in the low 20s!

The next day I played a new course at a Golf Community Day and came joint first with 38 Stableford points. Then last night I tried something completely different, spending a couple of hours at a new local indoor golf simulator.

Three weeks away and I've somehow managed to experience almost every version of golf.

When I started playing more golf earlier this year, I thought I was mainly looking for improvement. I wanted to lower my handicap, shoot better scores and become a better golfer. That's still important, but somewhere along the way I've realised that golf is giving me a lot more than that. It's given me something that's mine. A reason to get out of the house. A way of meeting people, reconnecting with friends and making new friends. Something I can share with my kids. A few hours where I'm not thinking about work or everything else that needs doing.

The break reminded me that this shouldn't become another thing I have to do. It's something I want to do. The last few months have been a bit of an experiment really. The book, the Facebook community, Instagram, TikTok, the newsletter, the golf and all the people I've met along the way. None of it was particularly planned. I just started doing things and seeing where they went. Three weeks away hasn't changed that.

If anything, I've come back with more ideas, more enthusiasm and a better understanding of what I'm actually trying to build. The scores will still matter. I'll still be chasing that next personal best. I'll still be trying to work out how I can shoot 104 one day and 38 points a few days later. I'm increasingly convinced that the score is only one part of the game.

Maybe that's the bit I've been learning all along.

First: You don't always need to buy something to get better.
My club fitting was a good reminder of this. You can learn a lot about your game simply by getting someone to look at what you're doing and explain it to you. A lesson, a fitting, watching someone else's swing or even spending a bit of time understanding your own numbers can all help. Don't assume improvement always starts with buying something new.

Second: If you want to switch off, actually switch off.
Putting your phone on silent isn't really switching off if you're still picking it up every ten minutes. Put it away. Put it somewhere you can't reach it without making a conscious decision to do so. A week in St Lucia reminded me how much more present you can be when you're not constantly checking what's happening somewhere else.

Third: One bad round doesn't define your game.
I shot 104 on Saturday. The following day, we won the greensomes with a net 63. Same golfer, same clubs, very different result. Golf has a habit of making you think you've either figured it all out or completely forgotten how to play. Neither is usually true. Take the round for what it was, learn what you can and then go and play the next one.

Don't buy your way to improvement. Switch off properly and always play the next round.

PGA Tour — Scheffler does it again
Scottie Scheffler finished the PGA Tour season in familiar fashion, winning the TOUR Championship at East Lake and claiming his second FedExCup in three years. He shot a final-round 66 to finish three shots clear of Viktor Hovland. Another season, another reminder of just how good this bloke is.

Walker Cup — What. A. Comeback.
Great Britain & Ireland produced one of the great comebacks in Walker Cup history, beating the USA 13½–12½ at Lahinch. Three points down after the Americans swept the Sunday morning foursomes 4–0, GB&I somehow turned it around by winning 7½ of the 10 singles. Stuart Grehan eventually secured the winning point. Brilliant team golf.

Solheim Cup — Europe v USA
Next it’s the turn of the women. The Solheim Cup gets underway this Friday at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands, with Team USA arriving as holders after their 15½–12½ win in 2024. Anna Nordqvist leads Europe, with Charley Hull, Leona Maguire and exciting rookie Lottie Woad among the names to watch. Nelly Korda headlines a strong American side. Europe haven't lost on home soil since 2015 — so expect another belter.

European Masters — Lawrence makes history
Thriston Lawrence successfully defended the Omega European Masters in Switzerland, beating Paul Casey in a dramatic four-hole playoff after both finished on 18-under. That makes Lawrence just the second player, after Seve Ballesteros, to win the event three times.

One to watch: With the Walker Cup just finished and the Solheim Cup starting this week, team golf has definitely stolen the show. If the Solheim Cup is anything like the Walker Cup, we could be in for a cracking weekend.

Front 9 Dads — Find something that’s yours.
It’s easy for life to become all about work, family and everything that needs doing. Find something that gives you a reason to get out of the house and do something just because you enjoy it. It doesn't have to be golf. It just needs to be yours.

Back 9 Dads — Make the most of the time you have.
You don't need three hours for golf to be worthwhile. Nine holes, a quick practice session, half an hour at the range or even a couple of hours on a simulator can be enough. Don't let the perfect amount of time stop you doing something you enjoy.

Clubhouse Dads — Say yes to something different.
A new course, a different group of golfers, a competition you've never played, or even an indoor simulator you've never tried. Golf has a funny way of opening doors to new people and experiences, but sometimes you have to be willing to walk through them.

Find something that's yours. Make the time you have count. And say yes to something different.

The golf season might slow down, but the competition doesn't. Join the Golf Dads UK Fantasy Premier League Mini-League and enjoy a season of friendly rivalry, questionable captaincy decisions and plenty of banter with fellow golf dads.

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If this week's issue resonated, the best thing you can do is forward it to one dad who'd get it. That's how this community grows.

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See you on the fairway

Matt

18 Hole Dads

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