2012 WORLD AM WRAP UP

By mustang6560 on 9/5/12

The 2012 Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship is officially in the books and I've returned to the real world (sigh). It's always tough to adjust back to your routine after an amazing trip like the World Am. But, as some say Dr. Seuss once said, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened". I have a few final thoughts I want to share with you regarding my experience in Myrtle Beach.

Top 5 — My Advice For Future World Am Competitors

1. Be social. I had the privilege of playing with eight different golfers last week from around the United States and I had the most fun with the ones who were social. I know there are different personality types, but being social not only helps keep you relaxed, you can also learn a thing or two from the people you play with. I learned there is no sales tax in Delaware and you can't pump your own gas in New Jersey. It's also amazing to learn what people do for a living. One of my playing partners was a salesman for a company that buys and sells scrap zinc. I know the economy is struggling here in the US and around the world, but it fascinates me what kind of jobs that are out there.


2. Don't worry about your score. I know it's easier said than done, but it's easy to fall into a competitive trap where you are more focused on scoring than you are on enjoying the experience. I caught myself in this competitive trap on Wednesday and it hurt my score and my momentarily affected my on-course experience. Once I realized the error of my ways, I was able to settle down, play some good golf, and enjoy the company of my playing partners. You hear professional golfers and golf commentators say that tournament golf is an entirely different game and it's true. If you focus on your score, it'll most likely ruin your experience and who wants to let a little game get in your way of enjoying your vacation? After all, the World Am is a vacation for most of the competitors.


3. Play the skins game. For those of you who plan to compete in the World Am next year, go ahead and budget $20 per day for the skins game. It's silly not to. Even if you buy in for the whole week and don't win, you're only down $80. But, if you birdie a hole and it holds up and you're not in, you'll kick yourself. I was fortunate enough to win a skin on Thursday, but there were several players who were too [insert reason] to buy in for $20 and ended up on the wrong side of the money.


4. Get to the course early. One of my playing partners on Wednesday took a wrong turn on the way to Rivers Edge Golf Club and nearly missed the start of the round. He pulled up as the head golf professional was going over the local rules. Because he was running late and felt rushed, he quadruple bogeyed his first hole of the day. Nobody wants to start with a quad ever — especially at the World Am. I would recommend getting to the golf course at least one hour ahead of time in order to allow yourself enough time to find your golf cart, chit chat with your new friends, and warm up. You'll be surprised how quickly an hour goes by just doing the aforementioned three things.


5. Starting planning your trip for the 2013 World Am. There are several of you (I'm not going to name any names) who have said, "I hope to go to the World Am next year" for a few years now. It's time to do as Nike's motto says and "Just Do It"! There is nothing special or challenging about signing up for the World Am, you just have to budget for it and commit to it. If you and three of your buddies go, split the cost of a condo for the week, eat at the 19th Hole for dinner each night, the World Am is very affordable. The only thing that makes the World Am difficult is you have to take a full week off of work. Vacation days are few and far between but if you've got a few days and a few bucks to spare, the World Am will not disappoint!

I'm grateful I had the opportunity to compete in my second World Am and I enjoyed taking you guys a long for the ride. If you missed any of my coverage from the World Am, you can find it here, here, here, here, and here. The good news is the folks at the World Am want to partner with us again next year, so one lucky ClubSGer will win a FREE trip to the Grand Strand next year!