Have you had a good golfing year?  BBC news journalist and presenter Naga Munchetty has been on an emotional roller-coaster and she is happy to bare her soul!


Have you had a good golfing year? BBC presenter Naga Munchetty has been on an emotional roller coaster and she is happy to bare her soul!

I suppose that it’s this time of year when we sit down and contemplate what we’ve achieved over the past twelve months.

My golf has certainly been up and down. I remember not being able to hit a golf ball after a month long holiday and seriously considering giving it up for a few months. Then I embarked on a series of lessons (still ongoing), which have renewed my enthusiasm for the game. I also took on a personal trainer to make me stronger and more agile, and if I’m honest, I’ve been more concerned about how it will help my golf than my fitness! In between this, I’ve won a few competitions, which is pleasing, and I believe I’ll be collecting four trophies at the next AGM which isn’t bad going.

However, I still need to work on my mindset when it comes to this torturous game.

I’ve been beating myself up this past week for letting my husband down in a foursomes match, which we deservedly lost on the 18th. We did the usual post game analysis (we hit an equal number of poor shots) but I have continued to replay my three approach shots into the last three holes. Each one was a pull of an iron to the left and made worse by the fact that I didn’t have the sense to correct my swing, despite knowing what the problem was. The result was three missed greens and a slightly grumpy husband. It’s all I can think about ahead of my next round. It’s like my last round of golf has defined me! THIS VICIOUS CYCLE OF SELF-FLAGELLATION AND BROKEN CONFIDENCE NEEDS TO STOP!

As I write this, I have a feeling of déjà vu. Am I destined to be on a roller-coaster ride with this game where my emotions are regularly toyed with? I like to think of myself as a generally positive person. I enjoy seeing the brighter side of life and relish the prospect of fun, so how has golf managed to get such a firm grip on my emotions? I have more often than not been found in a self-dug pit of despair after a disastrous game. I know that I can be melodramatic but surely I’m not the only one who thinks like this?

The above is an extract from Naga's column in the January/February 2016 issue of Women & Golf magazine, on sale on Friday 4 December. Never miss an issue click here to subscribe and enjoy W&G delivered to your door