The summer golf season is underway, which provides the ideal conditions for charities, fundraisers, basketball teams, church groups and endless other organizations to raise money by hosting a golf outing.

Any golfer, or anyone that exists within a community, has at one point or another been invited to play in a charity golf event.  A hefty entrance fee is backed by the assurance of prizes, giveaways, free lunch/dinner, cold beer, a closest to the pin/long drive contest, a putting contest, the chance to win a car with a hole-in-one, or a number of different lures to make the venture attractive.

As community members and golfers, golf outings are appealing for numerous reasons — the event is being held at a course you’ve always wanted to play, friends/neighbors will be attending, the opportunity of competition intrigues you, or you just can’t pass up the chance for an all-inclusive round of golf.

The format used in almost all golf outings held for charity or fundraising purposes is a scramble.  This means that the foursome you are in comprises a team, where every player hits a tee shot. The best drive is selected and each player hits their second shot from that point.  The best second shot is then determined, and the process repeats until a putt is holed.

This system works well for golf outings because of the variance in skill level, allowing for every foursome to have a chance to be competitive, while maintaining pace of play.  It’s also fun to develop team camaraderie.

The chief word there is “fun.” The problem with that word is that for some golfers and competitors, fun directly derives from the word “win.”

This drive to win the event can ultimately put unwanted pressure on golfers, especially with an assortment of playing abilities on the same team. Members of the team may have different expectations for their round (winning vs. just playing for enjoyment and charity).

Often, this leads to uncomfortable situations, like when a less skilled golfer feels pressure to perform, and embarrassed when he/she fails to meet that expectation. Or when a lower handicap golfer is pressured to “carry” the group to a victory, and goes for broke on every swing.

Due to the nature of a scramble, it’s easy to have the mentality that your particular shot doesn’t matter since the team can pick you up with their shots. On the other hand, it’s also easy to feel like you must hit a miraculous shot on every swing.

Regretfully sounding cliché, it’s best to just “play your game.”

Playing to exceed your skill set, and attempting to hit shots that you couldn’t possibly hit, does more to deteriorate inner confidence than it does help the team. The best way to avoid embarrassment, poor shots, or hits to your ego is to know your playing abilities.

If your average drive is 250 yards, it may be damaging to your psyche to try to hit a 300-yard bomb, only to see the ball sail out of bounds or not make it off the tee box.

Don’t pull a hamstring trying to win the long drive contest, either. I’ve seen it happen to my dad on several occasions, and it’s about as far from Freddy Couples-suave that you can get.

The higher handicap golfer in the group would benefit more from hitting a solid lay-up shot on a par 5 with an iron, than swinging beyond their capabilities with a wood and topping the ball.   It’s ok to know your limits, especially in this format.

A lower handicap player could also feel compelled to stick one close on every approach shot, aiming at pins they normally wouldn’t. It may be beneficial to his/her game, and the team’s success, to play less aggressively.  A chance at eagle is fun, but fishing the ball out of a pond is not.

Golf is a supremely mental game where uncharacteristically poor shots can have long lasting detrimental effects. It’s a game of misses, but playing out of your comfort zone can exacerbate the influence those misses have on your game.

Ultimately, the point of a scramble, and a golf outing in general, is to raise money while enjoying a round of golf with friends, colleagues or associates.  Knowing your game and capabilities will ensure that everyone enjoys the round, and the group can be as competitive as possible within the realm of amicability.

Don’t take it too seriously, and don’t feel pressure to outperform your handicap.  Enjoy the round, especially since you paid all that money.