Why the Irish are suddenly great at golf
By: The Yank | Published Wednesday, August 24, 2011, 2:32 PM | Updated Friday, September 9, 2011, 10:21 PM
CBSsports.com Senior Writer Steve Elling
said last week - before
Darren Clarke's victory in the British Open - that there is "no rational explanation" for why "the Emerald Isle has accounted for five major championships since this very month in 2007."
Now what I know about golf could fit on a matchbook cover. I don't play and I only rarely watch it on television. What I do know is this: Irish people LOVE golf and they play it all the time.
By 'all the time' I don't mean every single Saturday from May - October. They play year round in just about any weather. Honestly, unless the courses are covered in snow - a rarity - or it's one of those days where you can be drowned while standing on the side of a hill - less of a rarity - Irish golfers will be out there playing. {I bet Rory McIlroy will regret his
whine about the weather in England this weekend because (a) the average Irish golfer knows he learned to play in those conditions and (b) Irish people don't like weather wimps.}
Playing golf in any weather - warm, cold, dry, damp - has got to be excellent preparation for the rigors of top level golf.
The other contributing factor to Irish success on the golf course is the transformation of life here over the past 25 years. The winding down of tensions in the north and the Celtic Tiger in the south were massive, intertwined confidence boosts for everyone in Ireland.
More than more physically demanding sports, golf is dominated by confidence. Self‑doubt is a killer in golf and if there is one thing Ireland has been great at producing it's self‑doubt. Once Padraig Harrington was able to channel that national confidence into success on the biggest stage it opened that psychological door for Graeme McDowell & Darren Clarke. McIlroy was raised in the new confident Ireland, brought up to believe he can succeed. Greatness awaits.
One other thing the Celtic Tiger brought to Irish golf was a lot more golf courses. The sport, which was a preserve of the well‑to‑do in times past, is now played by youngsters from all walks of life. For that reason, I expect Ireland's golfing prowess to continue to grow. Ireland will be a golf powerhouse.
{Photo - Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell & Padraig Harrington}
3 Comments
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.EdinCali | Jul 22, 2011, 10:37 AM EDT
I occasionally have a great shot, but stringing them together consecutively is the key, but that's the draw that keeps me coming back. There is no substitute for practice however. I watched the pros practicing at Pebble Beach and they made the most difficult of shots seem ordinary.
jamieLM | Jul 20, 2011, 09:20 AM EDT
The Yank - it must be some other reason than practicing/playing in undesirable weather to account for the success that Irish golfers are enjoying. Driving by in my air-conditioned car yesterday, I saw golfers on 2 different courses. The temp. was 101F and the heat index was between 110-115F due to the high (suffocating) humidity. Hardly golfing weather for wimps. Count me among the wimps.
jamieLM | Jul 18, 2011, 12:11 PM EDT
My husband and I are golfers who live in the Midwest where there are golf courses everywhere, even in very smallest towns. Golfers are on the courses every day of the week. No matter what course we play, we almost always have to reserve a tee time. We see golfers playing year-round except when there's lightning or the course is closed due to snow in the winter. Avid American golfers don't let bad weather keep them off the course. If the course is open, they're there. Good technique is important, but it is a game of pshychology, too. To do well, you really have to get your head in the game and keep it there. It does take self-confidence and focus. Poor shots can "rattle" a golfer and lead to more poor shots if the golfer doesn't get control of himself/herself mentally and maintain focus. There is no guaranteed winner in the pro tournaments, because even the best pro golfer can get "off his game", mentally. Of the ranked top-ten pro golfers, any one of them can be a winner today and a loser tomorrow. Tiger Woods has physical problems, but just as importantly, he lost his concentration and focus. Look how that affected his game. Trying to combine good technique with consistent mental focus is what makes golf fun and equally frustating to play.