5 Reasons to Play in that Next Big Tournament

As a golfer, you know that feeling of wanting to sign up for a big tournament - only to have that little voice in the back of your head convince you to skip registration.

Whether it is your Club Championship, a District Qualifier, or your First Club Invitational - big tournaments can be so intimidating that you don’t even want to bother putting yourself out there.

There have been a ton of opportunities in my career that I have passed on because they made me feel uncomfortable. Simply put, I chose not to play because I was scared of the potential outcome.

Let’s be honest. Playing poorly at a tournament and losing can be tough. To make matters worse, we sign up and pay willingly! The fear of the first tee box shot, playing in front of strangers, coming in DFL - all of these fears are valid and understandable.

But the only way to overcome those fears and become the golfer you know you can be is to push past those insecurities and sign up! 

This past year I made an effort to stop playing scared. Deep down, I knew that avoiding these tournaments was stunting my growth in the game. So I decided to stop playing scared, and go for it in the big tournaments.

The results were better than I could have imagined. Far beyond getting more big tournament practice under my belt, I found several other benefits that could only be found by stepping out and playing big.

1. Playing in More Tournament Situations Will Make You a Better Overall Player

Are you sick of being nervous during your regular golf rounds? Get out there and play more!

The bigger the rounds you play, the easier the regular rounds get. Typical golf rounds are put in perspective when you play a variety of situations. By putting yourself into competitive situations, you can enjoy the casual rounds much more!

2. Playing in High-Pressure Situations Will Teach You Twice as Many Lessons

What is one of the biggest reasons you are avoiding signing up for a tournament? If you are like many, you may fear playing in high-pressure moments and embarrassing yourself in front of a crowd.

Here’s something I’ve learned from years of putting myself out there in these tournaments: You will learn more lessons and deposit more into your confidence bank when you consistently put yourself in these high-pressure situations.

Imagine the confidence you’ll gain when you:

• Make that difficult shot
• Sink that 4-foot putt
• Finish on top after a slow start

You can only get there by putting yourself in the opportunity to learn.

3. You Will Make Lifelong Golf Friends

Don’t be shocked if you come out of that next big tournament with life-long friends.

Nine years ago, I played in my first state partner tournament. I am still close with the two gals that we were paired with on the first day! In fact, some of the closest golf friends I’ve met in tournaments have opened the door to other opportunities to play in more events.

4. The Opportunity to Play Fabulous Courses at Discounted Rates 

An unexpected benefit of signing up for tournaments is the benefit of playing on some pretty fantastic courses at a much better price.

Golf courses agree to host these tournaments at a discounted rate. Those discounts are then passed on to the participants. This means that not only is your tournament fee much less than the regular, peak-time tee times, but it also includes prizes and a tee gift!

5. You Just Might Win the Whole Damn Thing

Want to know one of the best reasons to sign up for that tournament? You might just win it all.

In the past year alone, I have FORCED MYSELF to sign up and play bigger golf events - even those that seemed far outside my abilities.

Guess what? In every single one, I placed higher than I expected or won the whole damn thing. None of those would have happened if I had listened to the voice of fear and never signed up.

Regardless of the result, I have never been more proud of myself. Beyond any win on the green, the ultimate prize was the knowledge that fear didn’t stop me from showing up, working hard, and finishing.

What’s Stopping You from Signing Up?

Getting over my fears has helped me in so many unexpected ways. I’m a better play today because I forced myself to sign up for those big, scary tournaments and actually show up to play.

So what’s stopping you? Make today the day you finally put your doubts to rest and sign up for that big upcoming tournament! Your career will thank you!