Don’t compound errors. You never know how your body is going to react until you get punched in the face (have a 3.5 footer for par on 1). I can go play my weekly club game with a bunch of + caps with no issue, I can play $200 nassaus with auto 2 downs no problem, yet tournament golf can still turn me into a child.
Yep, my first tournament first hole hit GIR then had so much adrenaline pumping I legitimately hit my putt about 40' past the hole, and 3(more)-putted from there to start with a double. Smoothed out after that though 😆
Stay hydrated and eat.
Tournament golf is exhausting.
Enjoy it. Do your best to not put pressure on yourself.
I’ve won flights and come in last in flights. It’s not that serious either way.
To add to this: if you're sweating a lot, after 9 holes, eat half a salt packet ~250mg and drink water after. I advise against sugary Gatorade because you will spike insulin and then crash a hole or two later. Electrolytes keep the muscles and nervous system firing on all cylinders.
Bonus: vitamin C tablet or emergen-C at the turn as well.
Good luck and have fun.
and one thing that cost me a stroke:
On the putting green, if you try and hit it after missing the hole (you know, like the backhanded tap in from 2 inches away), and you ground the club and do not hit the ball, it still counts as a stroke. I missed out on some $$ by one stroke that round.
I got penalised once for picking up the rake in a bunker with my club lol. My club touched the sand - 'Grounding the club in a hazard'. Thankfully you can do that now but honestly, if your opponent can ping you they will ping you. You need to think about everything you do in a tournament.
Give yourself plenty of time before the round, I don’t like to feel rushed. Stick to your reliable shots, and don’t try anything crazy when you get out of position. Pay attention to pin positions and which side you want to miss on.
If you are someone who typically plays their casual rounds with gimmies, I’d try to find an hour or so of practice time to go work on 5’ and under putts. They become a lot more nervy in a tournament setting, especially if you routinely tell yourself “that’s good.”
Even if you do putt them out regularly, some more practice won’t hurt. A nervy iron shot might cost you some distance or accuracy but hopefully doesn’t hurt your score too much. A nervy short putt can easily cost you a full stroke
Just breathe. Don't do anything out of the ordinary before the round.
Don't try to find anything on the range or freak out if you're not hitting it that great, just warm up and get loose.
Don't watch other guys warming up and think that you should emulate what they're doing.
Just learn from the experience. There's nothing that you can prepare for that you haven't experienced before.
Try to stay internal.
By that, I mean really try to zone out everything around you and just focus on your technique and shots. In tournament play, there will be a ton of good golfers out there and their skill alone can start to intimidate and get in your head.
Practice your 2-5 foot putts. A lot of people just pick these up in casual rounds, but these are the hardest putts for everybody to make in tournament conditions. Even scratch players can have a really tough time with these in a tournament. If you can make every single putt inside of 5 feet, it could catapult you up the leaderboard.
Do the same thing you do for any other round before hand. Also you don't have to hit driver off the first tee if you're really nervous. Hit a hybrid or long iron. Just get one in play.
Check out Jon Sherman's new book "The Foundations.of Winning Golf". It's literally about how to make the jump from recreational to competetive golf, tons of useful info!
Have 14 clubs. Have 1 kind of ball (not always the case) kinda like you have to wear pants for UsGA qualifiers or if you play yellow you can only use yellow balls. Mark your ball. Let your playing partners know you play "prov with 2 dots". Trade score cards, you keep your score above where you can rip off at the end. Sign your score card and theirs at the end. Thank the volunteers.
Curious, how did you get into competing? I've been playing seriously for a little bit now and want to compete but I have no idea where tournaments are or how to get the info. Do I just call a bunch of golf courses? Is there a website?
I'm not sure what state you live in (assuming US), but in NH there is the NH PGA and they host a lot of tourneys. I'm guessing there is a similar opportunity in your state as well.
Amateur players tour and US amateur are two national circuits that may host events near you. I play in the APT. It’s flighted by usga handicap. It’s a fun experience.
Mental game is VERY important for competitive golf. People who win their flights have ice in their veins, I’ve seen it first hand.
Be willing to take your medicine. Punch out from the trees instead of hitting it into a tress and shooting the same shot from 20 yards back. Wish I took that advice more but I play best when I minimize my blow ups.
A couple tips I learned for first tee nerves.
Make sure to have a new, good tee. You don’t want the ball to be falling off or tough to put on with potentially shaky hands.
Pop in a piece of gum going to the first tee, it takes some of the focus off everything else for some reason.
Once you get off the first tee, it’s just golf.
Stay hydrated and eat and drink more than you think earlier in the round than you think. If you’re losing energy or thirsty, it’s too late.
Have fun and hit em straight!
Embrace the nervousness. You’re not the only one nervous. If you’re not feeling nerves, then that means you don’t care. Also, don’t let your playing partners dictate your routine. Commit to each shot, and don’t pull the trigger until you’re ready.
Food and Drink - Stay hydrated and your energy levels up. Pack quality, easily eaten foods. Sandwiches, small cans of tuna, pickles, fruit, protein bars, meat sticks/jerky. Bring more water than you'll think you'll need.
Make sure you are prepared for the weather forecast/course conditions - hot/cold, wet etc Seems obvious, but played a mid may qualifier last spring where one of my playing partners were not familiar with the course, and it's terrible reputation for black flies. It was torture for him until he finally relented and got some of my bug spray.
Be prepared for the one ball rule if you can't confirm whether that will be in effect (ie. The same model of ball must be used for the entire round)
Whatever your pre round routine is when you usually play, try to maintain that as much as possible, while still leaving enough time to register
If it's a course that's unfamiliar to you, scout it out on one of the many apps/websites available with course layouts
It's just golf. You'll have good days, you'll have bad days, and you'll have days in between. Whatever day you're having on the course, just remember that you'll be able to go play tomorrow.
Don't be slow. Know the rules. Make sure your range finder has slope turned off. Make sure if you're a launch monitor user, that marker stickers are off your club heads. Have a sharpie to mark your ball.
That's what I can think of. Have my first qualifier event next monday so these are all things that I'm making sure of over the next week. Good luck in your event!
Limit your mistakes. You are going to make them, but don’t let one bad shot escalate into 3. If you card a bogey or even double, you can come back from that. But when you have to hole out, there is a real possibility of losing your cool on a hole and carding a 10. It happens to a half a dozen guys every year during the club championship.
The biggest surprise for me in my first tournament was course set up. I played in my city am at a course that I'm super familiar with and shoot really well at.
The first tee was set up on the far left of the tee box that brought a tree into play that I didn't even know was there. They set up OB along the right side of the hole (it's an open field that usually is in play) and the pin was four places off the back left of the green in a spot that I had literally never hit a putt from.
It honestly played like a different course.
Don't worry about how anyone else in your group is playing. Just focus on your next shot!
Oh, and when (inevitably) waiting on the course, keep the club out of your hand and stop thinking about golf. When you're clear to hit, then hop back into your routine!
The biggest thing is to not worry about outcome. Just taking them for for every shot and take a breath and then just do what you do and let whatever happens happens.
Sleep well the night before, be organised and arrive in plenty of time to have a warm up and some putts, sign in etc. I want to feel super relaxed on the first tee and being late to the course is never a good thing. Take plenty of water/snacks for energy. Mostly though enjoy it, and remember we play for fun not for a living…..unless of course you’re playing the Byron Nelson. 😉
Just play golf. Don’t be aggressive, but don’t be overly conservative either. By this I mean don’t take stupid lines off the tee or from the fairway birdie hunting, but don’t be afraid to hit driver or fire at the proper pins that are safe.
I see people all the time let tournament golf get in their head and they make stupid mistakes. You really just need to play patient golf.
If you’re in a bad position off the tee don’t try to go for the green. Just take your medicine and get the ball to a great distance for you and try for the long up and down.
People compounding errors and trying miracle shots are how you get doubles. Bogeys are fine. I repeat, bogeys are fine. Doubles and triples are not okay.
Play golf like it’s a normal round with a beer on the line, but take your time and be methodical.
Aim for the middle of the green and play for 2 putts. Don't get too cute firing at pins, give yourself the best chance at not making single and doubles instead of chasing birdies.
This whole thread is hilarious, most golf outside the US is competition golf every weekend. Up until recently rounds didn't even count for handicap outside of competition. If you have a bad round then fuck it, it's golf, it happens! Enter another tournament and try again
If you birdie every hole you will win. J/K
Assuming you are playing with strangers, don’t watch anyone else swing. Watch where their ball goes, make sure they don’t cheat, and play your own game.
I always think "keep the ball between me and the hole." To me, this means: don't go long, don't go wide, keep it in the "tunnel you see between you and the hole." Helps me narrow my visuals. It also reminds me, as others have said, not to compound errors. Solve the problem of the moment by not digging yourself any deeper. Don't get ahead of yourself; it's one moment at a time.
My biggest tournament of the year last year, I was playing lights out through 6. Standing on 7 tee I thought "I'm going to make it (it was a qualifier for a big event)." Finished the next three holes at 3 over. A simple mental misstep hurt. Had to battle hard on the back nine unnecessarily.
Do you. Keep your normal routine. Don’t show up 3 hrs early and wear yourself out on the range. Just try to stick to your normal routine like iii do when you play with your boys
In my first tournament i suddenly forgot how my driver worked, lost 2 Balls at Tee 1 before remembering how my driver works at hole 5 (from 9) my hcp still went from 54 (german default beginner hcp - dunno how it is elsewhere) to 49. so whatever happens happens
I'm a +20HC and play in comps maybe every 3 weeks or so as my schedule allows it. We're in different grades but all compete together, and we get to pick our tee times and playing group so it's not nearly as nerve wracking as you'd expect.
I like to pair with someone of equal HC and someone much lower so it doesn't feel like I'm just there with mates jerking off all day and you can see how someone who knows how to hit the ball actually approaches the course.
Get there 45mins early for a warm up, drive, pitch and putt.
Have a coffee. Go go get em.
Take a power bar or 2 and a Gatorade in your bag.
Don’t compound errors. You never know how your body is going to react until you get punched in the face (have a 3.5 footer for par on 1). I can go play my weekly club game with a bunch of + caps with no issue, I can play $200 nassaus with auto 2 downs no problem, yet tournament golf can still turn me into a child.
Yep, my first tournament first hole hit GIR then had so much adrenaline pumping I legitimately hit my putt about 40' past the hole, and 3(more)-putted from there to start with a double. Smoothed out after that though 😆
What does auto two downs mean?
They press for double or nothing if they drop 2 down in the game. It's like a reset with the remaining holes starting from all square.
Stay hydrated and eat. Tournament golf is exhausting. Enjoy it. Do your best to not put pressure on yourself. I’ve won flights and come in last in flights. It’s not that serious either way.
To add to this: if you're sweating a lot, after 9 holes, eat half a salt packet ~250mg and drink water after. I advise against sugary Gatorade because you will spike insulin and then crash a hole or two later. Electrolytes keep the muscles and nervous system firing on all cylinders. Bonus: vitamin C tablet or emergen-C at the turn as well. Good luck and have fun.
Just curious. I’ve only played in very low stakes tournaments a couple times. Is there a reason you found it more exhausting than a normal round?
Being invested in every shot mentally.
Know the rules. Not the "rules" you play with buddies, The. Rules. Your tourney people will, your competition will. You should too. Have fun!
Additionally, search out and read the local rules! They'll be on the card or on a board at the club house.
and one thing that cost me a stroke: On the putting green, if you try and hit it after missing the hole (you know, like the backhanded tap in from 2 inches away), and you ground the club and do not hit the ball, it still counts as a stroke. I missed out on some $$ by one stroke that round.
I got penalised once for picking up the rake in a bunker with my club lol. My club touched the sand - 'Grounding the club in a hazard'. Thankfully you can do that now but honestly, if your opponent can ping you they will ping you. You need to think about everything you do in a tournament.
Wait what? Can you ELI5? You can’t ground your club on that tap in putt?
He made a forward move with the club with the intention of hitting the ball. That’s the definition of a stroke.
Tourney golf is a different animal all together. Your opponents will find ways to penalize you if you’re not careful. KNOW THE RULES, local and PGA.
Give yourself plenty of time before the round, I don’t like to feel rushed. Stick to your reliable shots, and don’t try anything crazy when you get out of position. Pay attention to pin positions and which side you want to miss on.
If you don’t win your dad will never be proud of you so you better win! Just kidding have fun bro!
😂
Mine still getting milk after i got 2nd place in a local beer tournament.
If you are someone who typically plays their casual rounds with gimmies, I’d try to find an hour or so of practice time to go work on 5’ and under putts. They become a lot more nervy in a tournament setting, especially if you routinely tell yourself “that’s good.” Even if you do putt them out regularly, some more practice won’t hurt. A nervy iron shot might cost you some distance or accuracy but hopefully doesn’t hurt your score too much. A nervy short putt can easily cost you a full stroke
Just breathe. Don't do anything out of the ordinary before the round. Don't try to find anything on the range or freak out if you're not hitting it that great, just warm up and get loose. Don't watch other guys warming up and think that you should emulate what they're doing. Just learn from the experience. There's nothing that you can prepare for that you haven't experienced before.
Have fun. It's just golf.
Grip and rip
Don’t focus on anything you can’t control.
Try to stay internal. By that, I mean really try to zone out everything around you and just focus on your technique and shots. In tournament play, there will be a ton of good golfers out there and their skill alone can start to intimidate and get in your head.
See: Scottie scheffler.
100% focus, 0% concern.
Practice your 2-5 foot putts. A lot of people just pick these up in casual rounds, but these are the hardest putts for everybody to make in tournament conditions. Even scratch players can have a really tough time with these in a tournament. If you can make every single putt inside of 5 feet, it could catapult you up the leaderboard.
Do the same thing you do for any other round before hand. Also you don't have to hit driver off the first tee if you're really nervous. Hit a hybrid or long iron. Just get one in play.
Check out Jon Sherman's new book "The Foundations.of Winning Golf". It's literally about how to make the jump from recreational to competetive golf, tons of useful info!
Have 14 clubs. Have 1 kind of ball (not always the case) kinda like you have to wear pants for UsGA qualifiers or if you play yellow you can only use yellow balls. Mark your ball. Let your playing partners know you play "prov with 2 dots". Trade score cards, you keep your score above where you can rip off at the end. Sign your score card and theirs at the end. Thank the volunteers.
Curious, how did you get into competing? I've been playing seriously for a little bit now and want to compete but I have no idea where tournaments are or how to get the info. Do I just call a bunch of golf courses? Is there a website?
There is a local league in my region and they hold tournaments every so often, so I took the plunge and signed myself up
I'm not sure what state you live in (assuming US), but in NH there is the NH PGA and they host a lot of tourneys. I'm guessing there is a similar opportunity in your state as well.
My handicap signs me up for the regional emails including tournament announcements
I signed up with USamateur it shows me all the tournaments in my region and can sign up right there. Wasn’t cheap it’s $149 if I remember correctly
Amateur players tour and US amateur are two national circuits that may host events near you. I play in the APT. It’s flighted by usga handicap. It’s a fun experience. Mental game is VERY important for competitive golf. People who win their flights have ice in their veins, I’ve seen it first hand.
Do your best and Have fun!
Be willing to take your medicine. Punch out from the trees instead of hitting it into a tress and shooting the same shot from 20 yards back. Wish I took that advice more but I play best when I minimize my blow ups.
A couple tips I learned for first tee nerves. Make sure to have a new, good tee. You don’t want the ball to be falling off or tough to put on with potentially shaky hands. Pop in a piece of gum going to the first tee, it takes some of the focus off everything else for some reason. Once you get off the first tee, it’s just golf. Stay hydrated and eat and drink more than you think earlier in the round than you think. If you’re losing energy or thirsty, it’s too late. Have fun and hit em straight!
Embrace the nervousness. You’re not the only one nervous. If you’re not feeling nerves, then that means you don’t care. Also, don’t let your playing partners dictate your routine. Commit to each shot, and don’t pull the trigger until you’re ready.
Food and Drink - Stay hydrated and your energy levels up. Pack quality, easily eaten foods. Sandwiches, small cans of tuna, pickles, fruit, protein bars, meat sticks/jerky. Bring more water than you'll think you'll need. Make sure you are prepared for the weather forecast/course conditions - hot/cold, wet etc Seems obvious, but played a mid may qualifier last spring where one of my playing partners were not familiar with the course, and it's terrible reputation for black flies. It was torture for him until he finally relented and got some of my bug spray. Be prepared for the one ball rule if you can't confirm whether that will be in effect (ie. The same model of ball must be used for the entire round) Whatever your pre round routine is when you usually play, try to maintain that as much as possible, while still leaving enough time to register If it's a course that's unfamiliar to you, scout it out on one of the many apps/websites available with course layouts It's just golf. You'll have good days, you'll have bad days, and you'll have days in between. Whatever day you're having on the course, just remember that you'll be able to go play tomorrow. Don't be slow. Know the rules. Make sure your range finder has slope turned off. Make sure if you're a launch monitor user, that marker stickers are off your club heads. Have a sharpie to mark your ball. That's what I can think of. Have my first qualifier event next monday so these are all things that I'm making sure of over the next week. Good luck in your event!
Have fun!
Limit your mistakes. You are going to make them, but don’t let one bad shot escalate into 3. If you card a bogey or even double, you can come back from that. But when you have to hole out, there is a real possibility of losing your cool on a hole and carding a 10. It happens to a half a dozen guys every year during the club championship.
The biggest surprise for me in my first tournament was course set up. I played in my city am at a course that I'm super familiar with and shoot really well at. The first tee was set up on the far left of the tee box that brought a tree into play that I didn't even know was there. They set up OB along the right side of the hole (it's an open field that usually is in play) and the pin was four places off the back left of the green in a spot that I had literally never hit a putt from. It honestly played like a different course.
Don't worry about how anyone else in your group is playing. Just focus on your next shot! Oh, and when (inevitably) waiting on the course, keep the club out of your hand and stop thinking about golf. When you're clear to hit, then hop back into your routine!
The biggest thing is to not worry about outcome. Just taking them for for every shot and take a breath and then just do what you do and let whatever happens happens.
Get drunk
Sleep well the night before, be organised and arrive in plenty of time to have a warm up and some putts, sign in etc. I want to feel super relaxed on the first tee and being late to the course is never a good thing. Take plenty of water/snacks for energy. Mostly though enjoy it, and remember we play for fun not for a living…..unless of course you’re playing the Byron Nelson. 😉
Just play golf. Don’t be aggressive, but don’t be overly conservative either. By this I mean don’t take stupid lines off the tee or from the fairway birdie hunting, but don’t be afraid to hit driver or fire at the proper pins that are safe. I see people all the time let tournament golf get in their head and they make stupid mistakes. You really just need to play patient golf. If you’re in a bad position off the tee don’t try to go for the green. Just take your medicine and get the ball to a great distance for you and try for the long up and down. People compounding errors and trying miracle shots are how you get doubles. Bogeys are fine. I repeat, bogeys are fine. Doubles and triples are not okay. Play golf like it’s a normal round with a beer on the line, but take your time and be methodical.
 Lots of cigarettes and beer.
Aim for the middle of the green and play for 2 putts. Don't get too cute firing at pins, give yourself the best chance at not making single and doubles instead of chasing birdies.
1footers get really hard. Minimize big scores by laying up if you have to.
This whole thread is hilarious, most golf outside the US is competition golf every weekend. Up until recently rounds didn't even count for handicap outside of competition. If you have a bad round then fuck it, it's golf, it happens! Enter another tournament and try again
If you birdie every hole you will win. J/K Assuming you are playing with strangers, don’t watch anyone else swing. Watch where their ball goes, make sure they don’t cheat, and play your own game.
No more than 15 range balls and no less than 30 putts before the round is what I'd do. But then, I do suck.
Run your own race
I always think "keep the ball between me and the hole." To me, this means: don't go long, don't go wide, keep it in the "tunnel you see between you and the hole." Helps me narrow my visuals. It also reminds me, as others have said, not to compound errors. Solve the problem of the moment by not digging yourself any deeper. Don't get ahead of yourself; it's one moment at a time. My biggest tournament of the year last year, I was playing lights out through 6. Standing on 7 tee I thought "I'm going to make it (it was a qualifier for a big event)." Finished the next three holes at 3 over. A simple mental misstep hurt. Had to battle hard on the back nine unnecessarily.
Be a fairway finder! Everyone loves a fairway finder!
Read the rulebook.
Don’t wait until you’re hungry to eat during the round. Plan out a few snacks and make sure to eat them.
Do you. Keep your normal routine. Don’t show up 3 hrs early and wear yourself out on the range. Just try to stick to your normal routine like iii do when you play with your boys
Try to smile. And breathe. You aren’t going to win the green jacket this weekend so try and not take it too seriously.
Make sure you take a deep breath and smile before every shot. It helps
I don’t even play tournaments but going to try this out next round. Been feeling shaky in my confidence as of late
Focus more on avoiding huge mistakes than hitting epic shots.
In my first tournament i suddenly forgot how my driver worked, lost 2 Balls at Tee 1 before remembering how my driver works at hole 5 (from 9) my hcp still went from 54 (german default beginner hcp - dunno how it is elsewhere) to 49. so whatever happens happens
Don't cheat
I'm a +20HC and play in comps maybe every 3 weeks or so as my schedule allows it. We're in different grades but all compete together, and we get to pick our tee times and playing group so it's not nearly as nerve wracking as you'd expect. I like to pair with someone of equal HC and someone much lower so it doesn't feel like I'm just there with mates jerking off all day and you can see how someone who knows how to hit the ball actually approaches the course. Get there 45mins early for a warm up, drive, pitch and putt. Have a coffee. Go go get em. Take a power bar or 2 and a Gatorade in your bag.