"Do one thing every day that scares you" - Eleanor Roosevelt
I do not live by this quote. I can't remember the last time I deliberately chose to do something that utterly terrifed me, until Friday last week.
Fore!
Back in January, I wanted to learn a new skill, maybe take up a new hobby and - if I’m being completely honest - find new places to network to try and grow this agency. I stuck 'take up golf' on my new year's resolution list and left it there. That was until last month, when a friend shared an event link for the World Short Hole Golf Competition on Bruntsfield Links in Edinburgh, and I signed right up!
Zero pause for thought, and probably just as well.
Oh god, why
As the competition - and my first ever round of golf - loomed closer, the fear began to properly kick in. Having had only two lessons, owning no kit and struggling to hit the ball every time I tried, it was clear golf might not be the sport for me. I was deeply regretful of my choices and starting to panic about how bad this was going to be.
You name it, I freaked out about it - I was going to truly embarrass myself. I'd dragged my lovely mate Alex into it too, she was going to hate me. Golfers would be furious we were in the way. We'd be asked to leave. They’d think we were taking the piss!
Despite lots of back garden practice and coaching from my incredible brother, who happens to be a golf pro and actually very good at this sport, by Thursday evening I could have thrown up with anxiety. My husband quipped he’s only ever seen me look as grey as I did walking out the door, when boarding a flight - I am scared of flying.
You hit the first ball!
Yet, at lunchtime on Friday, Alex and I paced our way through the thick mist towards a fairly intimidating tent full of men. Most considerably older than us, all definitely able to play golf, and probably wondering who these two interlopers were.
We registered our team - ‘Surf and Turf’ - for our first ever round of golf and first ever competition.
We were paired with two impeccably well dressed golfers, the only team to bring a caddy with them, alongwith their best game. I think my opening line was "Hello, I'm really sorry we're going to be awful", and I was ushered forward to hit the first ball...
But what unfurled was 4 hours of brilliant fun and banter.
We hacked our way around the course with three guys who were very up for a laugh and some coaching too! We celebrated the awesome shots together - I hit one perfect par 3 and danced - and we went wild when our team mate Andy hit a hole in one. Lots of folk also struggled, people moved forward to the wrong hole, you were constantly watching for cyclists, dogs, and kids on the course. But we were welcomed, included and the vibe all day was light and jovial.
Diversity matters
As we got ready to collectively tee off, the founder of the event stood and gave us a pep talk - "If you're a good golfer this course will make you bad, and if you're a bad golfer this course will make you good. Treat the day like therapy instead.”
It was instantly soothing to two non-golfers. With that simple quip as its masthead this event could probably be so much bigger. We were the only two young women in the room who were playing. We were two of ~10 women total - and four of them were running the event, socials and photography!
You didn’t actually need to be a good golfer to take part and everyone I spoke to seemed keen to get more women and more younger people into both the event, and the sport. The competition started back in 2001 and is exceptionally well supported, with long standing and very generous donors. Diversity and inclusivity always matters, but as an event raising vital funds for three incredible local charities - Euan's Guide, PTSD UK and St Catherine's Mercy Center - drawing a larger crowd has tangible pound signs and direct community benefits.
Maybe they don’t want or need it to be larger. Maybe it’s fine that it’s a bit exclusive and that's a separate draw for others. Maybe I’m missing the point. But personally, doing that ‘one thing a day that scares you’ and joining this competition was a fantastic experience, I've raved about it to a load of others, and I can’t wait to take part again next year. My next golf lesson is already booked!
So, if you have the stomach for some fear and anxiety, do a thing that truly scares you. It's 100% worth it.
