Golf is a very unique sport in many aspects. Golf has a great ability to attract and retain participants while simultaneously frustrating most of those participants on a regular basis. Here we will explore one aspect of the psychology of golf in terms of why it both attracts and frustrates us.

Most sports or games require an interactive component between participants. For example, in ball sports there is typically only one ball that is shared between opponents. This is in essence the nature of the competition for most sport activities. The essence of golf psychology is somewhat different.

For one thing, in golf the ball is not shared. Everyone must play their own ball and have their own equipment. While on the surface this may not seem so extraordinary it does have psychological implications.

Child psychologists have long known about a period of time between the ages of 2 -3 where most children go through a phase called parallel play. At this time children will enjoy being around each other. Each will have their own toys and play simultaneously but not interact with each other in the playing. Interaction with the toys can actually lead to distress. This sounds a lot like golf. Psychologically speaking golfers play in parallel.

Each player has his own bag of clubs and a ball to play with. But you dare not hit the other person’s ball. Think about the last time you sliced a ball into another fairway and you thought someone else was going to hit your ball. How did you react?

Also think about when someone asked to try that new driver you just bought. You may have let them hit it but you watched them like a hawk and you were deathly afraid they would hit it poorly and put a mark on the club. You wanted it back in your possession or your golf bag very soon after they were done admiring it. The psychology is not so different from our youth.

Like children golfers gather together and share each others company for 5 hours or so. However, most of that time is spent playing your own game. Obviously, golfers are adults and a lot of social interaction does go on in a much more mature manner than two year olds. However, there are some uncanny relationships to the play in parallel childhood development phase.

To anyone who has raised kids these symptoms may be shockingly familiar. It’s because in many way golfers are reverting to a form of playing in parallel. So the next time you find yourself acting like less than an adult on the golf course don’t be surprised! After all, golf, psychologically speaking is child’s play. Just remember to share and play nice.