There are days and moments in a golfer’s life that will forever be etched in time. I remember mine well: Aug. 31, 2024. It was the day I learned that I was a gamer.
As part of a small group of journalists attending a press day at GrayBull, Dormie Network’s seventh club (and the first built from the ground up), I was chatting after dinner with the course’s architect, David McLay Kidd, who played with us earlier in the day. That’s when the kind Scotsman dropped the bomb on me.
“You’re a player,” he told me. “He has a good game. But he’s slow.”
I was still trying to figure out in my head the best way to accept his compliment when that dreaded ‘S’ word came up. Just like that, all my thoughts came to a halt.
“It’s painfully slow,” he added, emphasizing his point.
It was an absolute gut punch. It was also hard to believe. So much so, in fact, that I was sure I wasn’t drinking.
I had played with my fair share of slower players over the years – guys who were faster than Kevin Na or Brian Harman – but I knew my shot was stronger than that. It is very strong. I was convinced of that years ago.
I also knew that David liked to play fast. The sooner the better – that seemed to be his motto. So maybe, I thought, I don’t drink at normal rates, but only when compared to the pace he likes to keep us.
“Well,” I began, “I’m methodical.”
“No,” came the reply. “You walk slowly.”
But his explanation about why I was slightly dispelled of any doubts.
Air testing; lasering the distance to the flag, the face of the bunker, or the edges of the putt – all these things take time. So, too, is club selection and lie checking. In fact, they all take more time than you realize. And, as I learned, I was guilty of waiting too long to do any of them.
Over the years, I made it a point to always pay attention to what my teammates were doing and where they were on the course. I never want to disturb them or disturb them during the swing. Obviously, I had taken those good intentions too far. By waiting until my start time to check conditions and confirm yardage, I would have the players on my team wait several minutes before I began my pre-shot routine with club in hand.
David was right, I was slow. Just thinking about it made me cringe; but, luckily, I knew how to fix the problem. Even better, in less than a month I was scheduled to play golf with the architect again.
When David arrived at the Tributary in Idaho on the evening of September 18th, I had already played a round of golf with the other members of the media who had visited. And you can bet that during those 18 holes I was focused on getting a head start on the analysis step of my process. I intended to have the club in hand, ready to start my pre-shot routine as soon as it was my turn to hit.
Over a cigarette that night, the topic of my playing speed came up in conversation. (Knowing David and his consistency in bringing good ribs, I was ready.)
“Who played with this boy today?” asked the group pointing at me with a wicked smile. “And did you play a bit?”
“Slow?” one of my teammates replied. “He doesn’t drink at all!”
The reaction was both reassuring and relieved. Anyone who plays golf knows that correcting most mistakes takes time. Ironically, however, when the error involves time, the correction can be quick. Of course, it helps to have a playing partner like David McLay Kidd, who doesn’t hesitate to call attention to the story. From there, all you need is to commit to changing a few bad habits.
