Golf and writing: where’s the common ground?

02 May 2021 Golf

Mac Logan, Chair of the Society of Authors in Scotland, compares the shared skills between a golfer and a writer.


What on earth do writing and golf have in common?
‘You name it, and I’ll write it,’ I said. Talk about cocky.
‘Has golf and writing got anything in common?’ Claire* said. ‘Write me around 500 words, please. By the 25th of April… this year.’ She smiled her challenge.
No pressure? Did my confidence wobble? Of course! How else do you get Writers’ Block? And that’s where I’ll start, at the beginning, before anything happens.

*That’s Claire Watts, the SoAiS Committee member responsible for finding content for these occasional pieces.

The Writer
A writer sits down and stares at a stark, blank sheet of paper, its emptiness a scary yet seductive invitation. At that moment, her creative potential is unlimited. For instance, she could produce a best-selling novel, a poem of inspiring power and insight, or a play to rival Shakespeare.

Then, as the quill is dipped in the ink-pot and a charged nib glides over parchment, a creative spark takes tangible form for better or worse.

The Golfer
Meanwhile, on the teeing ground, a golfer follows his personal ritual of preparation, gripping and swishing a club. Traces of anxiety betray their presence on his pale face and blinking eyes. Name called, he glides on to an empty rectangle of grass and tees up his golf ball. With (aspired to if not actual) poised athleticism, he takes his stance, readies his club and whacks his ball.

Creative or what?
Words flow on to a page. A golf ball bounces down a fairway. Two people dare to begin an imaginative journey.

A piece of writing may take years of diligent endeavour or less time than playing a round of golf. In every case, the care, thought and skill of producing a coherent work is undeniable.

Golf is time-pressured. Creativity happens all the time. Imagine a ball landing forty metres from a tree standing between a golfer and his target. A thick trunk and well-leafed branches await an error of judgement or execution. Under pressure, the player must decide how to overcome the obstacle without delay. Three creative options are open. He can play his shot over, under or around the oak. Decision made, the ball is struck.

The Common Ground
I don’t know about you, but when I put pen to paper, the words flow out of me with an almost-tidy spontaneity. Before long, sentences, paragraphs and chapters fill pages and await the shaping caress of an editing hand.

With golf, a creative opportunity arises with every shot. The golf ball rockets forth with sometimes disappointing and often disconcerting outcomes. Yet, every now and then, the intended result happens, and someone says, ‘good shot’.

A writer and a golfer’s common ground is creativity, the application of developed skills and a willingness to stay the course. Then, after a good day, a warm mug of something burnishes the satisfaction of a job well done.

The only thing missing is a golfer’s ability to edit a poor score.


Mac Logan is Chair of the SoA in Scotland and  author of the Angels’ Share series, the up and coming Reborn Tree saga, a couple of business titles, and many business-related articles and blogs. He lives in the beautiful East Neuk of Fife, Scotland. His website is: https://maclogan.online