I often have golfing anxiety dreams, and they often involve awkward situations on first tees. A typical one is that I find the first tee is positioned in such a way that I just can’t get a stance or proper backswing because of a wall, a bush or some other irritatingly placed object. Everybody else in my dream seems to cope just fine, but I can’t make it work and become increasingly flustered.
Normally, there’s a decent crowd looking on. In fact, normally I’ve somehow found myself playing in a significant tournament. I once had a dream, I was playing in the US Open at Bethpage Black and hit my first tee shot left, through the door of a Portakabin that contained various strange people from my past, working in an office environment. I was given a free drop away from a water cooler onto an unmade bed… Strange stuff.
Anyway, the point is – The first tee can trigger huge anxiety and the first tee shot is one of the most (possibly the most) daunting in golf. The main image for this article is of a particularly daunting one I faced, playing the original 12-hole layout at Prestwick GC in the year of the 150th Open Championship, using hickory shafted clubs. I managed to get it airborne but only just!
All golfers, at all levels have felt first tee nerves but there are some situations that are more daunting than others. These, in my opinion (and experience) are some of the most daunting first tee shots in club golf.
The Old Course St Andrews
When I think of the most nervous I’ve ever been on a first tee, there are few moments to compare with the first time I ever played the Old Course at St Andrews. Almost every legend of our sport has played on the hallowed links at the home of golf, their ghosts tread the fairways. Old Tom Morris looks out at you from the wall of the Royal and Ancient clubhouse, crowds of onlookers stop to watch on enviously as the groups start their games.
The starter asked me to play away. I, sort of, settled and took a final look out at one of the widest fairways in golf. 'It should be so easy,' I thought. Just make a decent contact. But the image of Ian Baker Finch hooking it out-of-bounds left fleeted into my mind, then I glanced down the white fence on the right, then I noticed a group of students walking across Granny Clark’s Wynd and was forced to step off the shot. By the time I did finally make a swing, it was the quickest ugliest swing ever, and it produced a low scuttler that, only by some miracle of fate, ended up reasonably ok. Terrifying stuff.
The first shot of the season
For those who put their clubs away through the winter, this shot is a nerve-jangler because it will be something of an unknown. You haven’t played for months, you can barely remember how to grip the club, let alone swing and almost anything could happen. Watch out playing partners, watch out other groups on the course, watch out car park, clubhouse, greenkeepers and dog walkers! – This could go anywhere!
Royal Lytham & St Annes
I find any course that starts with a par-3 testing. There’s a very difficult par-3 start at Aboyne Golf Club, just a few miles from me. The clubhouse and car park are on the right side and in serious danger if you make a tight swing and get the hosel involved.
But Royal Lytham has the added daunting element of being an Open venue. You’re playing a course that’s hosted the oldest major on 11 occasions and you’re standing on the first tee with a long iron in your hand. Those who've suffered the shanks in the past will feel the pain. Good luck.
Driving in as club captain
Those who have had the “privilege” to be captain of their golf club will know the sheer terror of opening the season by driving in as captain for the year. When I did it, I have never hit a tee shot surrounded by so many people who, ostensibly, want you to bang it down the middle but secretly are hoping you totally nobble it.
My technique for getting through the drive-in successfully was to “generously” buy a few bottles of whisky for the first tee on the season’s opening day so that members could all have a wee dram to toast the new season. I made sure to give a little speech and then, heartily, toasted the new season before attempting to play a shot.
Royal Aberdeen
The first tee shot at Royal Aberdeen is a fantastic and appealing one, as you play straight out towards a distant flag with nothing but the North Sea behind it. It’s also a challenging drive with bunkers waiting in the fairway, thick rough on the left and gorse to the right. You need to get one well down there too or face a very long second.
But it’s not the challenge of the hole that makes this one so daunting. It’s the location of the 1st tee. If you’re off the whites, you’ll be teeing up about five yards from the window of the clubhouse lounge. Almost always, there are tables of “well-wishers” looking out, urging you to do something amusing.
Playing with better golfers
If you’ve put your name down in the Saturday medal with a couple of the club’s hot shots, a great deal rides on your first tee shot. It will set the tone for the day. Will you ride on their coattails or be dragged along in the mud behind their runaway wagon? You want to make a good impression and, so often, the pressure gets to you and you hit a scudder. A daunting one for sure.
As a final anecdote, the most nervous I’ve ever been on a first tee was playing in the pro-am for the 2016 Scottish Open at Castle Stuart. I was playing with Henrik Stenson, first off from the first tee. There was a fog delay so, by the time we were finally able to go, quite a crowd had gathered, waiting for some action. Backing onto the 1st tee, other groups were starting from the 10th tee. First off that one was a fourball led by Phil Mickelson. The American kindly said that our group should go first. Henrik belted one away and then it was me. Phil, Henrik and about 300 spectators were looking on. I could barely take the club away and was quite happy with a powder puff block into the right rough. Phew.
Let me know what is the most daunting first tee shot you’ve ever faced!
