To a non-golfer, the sport might seem deceptively simple. Just hit the ball into the hole? But once you grip the club and face the fairway, reality hits harder than a snap hook off the tee.
Even seasoned pros aren’t immune to the chaos. Just ask Paige Spiranac, former LPGA hopeful turned golf influencer, who recently took it to X to voice her frustration.
“I hate golf lol I went 8 over through 3 holes. Hit an impressive 5 shanks. Then proceeded to shoot 2 under for the next 15 holes,” she tweeted.
Spiranac’s confession wasn’t just about poor scoring but the mental spiral that follows.
Going 8-over through three holes means multiple double bogeys or worse, and five shanks, where the ball rockets off the hosel, are enough to rattle any player’s confidence.
Yet, her bounce-back with a 2-under across the next 15 holes shows how volatile golf can be. One moment you’re questioning your existence, the next you’re striping irons like a tour winner.
Spiranac’s tweet echoed a frustration many golfers have voiced
LPGA pro Jenny Shin revealed earlier this year that she struggled with tee shots and self-belief, saying, “I had a lot going on in the past… I couldn’t believe in myself.”
Even Lindy Duncan shared, “I felt like a complete failure… not just as a golfer, but as a person.”
Suppose that was not enough to prove how common the issue is. Fans also rallied around Spiranac’s honesty.
“Been there. It’s just a mental cleanse away from being awesome again,” one wrote on X.
Another chimed in saying, “That’s golf.”
A third summed it up perfectly, typing, “Golf is hard, yet, golf is good ha.”
This isn’t new for Spiranac. Her LPGA journey was short-lived, but emotionally intense.
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – DECEMBER 05: Paige Spiranac of the United States is overcome by emotion whilst talking about being a victim of Cyber Bullying during her press conference as a preview for the…
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – DECEMBER 05: Paige Spiranac of the United States is overcome by emotion whilst talking about being a victim of Cyber Bullying during her press conference as a preview for the 2016 Omega Dubai Ladies Masters on the Majlis Course at the Emirates Golf Club on December 5, 2016 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)
More
David Cannon/Getty Images
“I mentally couldn’t handle playing golf and especially keeping score. I equated my score to my self-worth,” Spiranac revealed last year, adding, “Competitive golf really beat me up emotionally.”
She’s since shifted to content creation, gaining over 4 million Instagram followers. But her love-hate relationship with golf remains.
“I’ve seen sports psychologists, I’ve tried everything. And your girl is just not mentally strong on the golf course when there’s pressure,” she said during an Instagram Q&A last year.
For Paige, the game is still beautiful, but brutal. And by sharing the ugly parts, she’s made golf feel more human.
Because whether you’re a weekend player or a former pro, we’ve all had days where golf feels like the worst. And yet, we keep coming back to it.
More Golf: Tiger Woods’ ex-caddie names turning point during historic reign
