What Golf Taught Me About Painting 

It has been 30 years since I last picked up a golf club. Pre-kids. A different lifetime.

So when I found myself back at the driving range recently, I expected a bit of rust. What I didn't expect was a full-blown lesson in patience and practice and why beginners deserve so much more grace than they give themselves.

You Can't Just Pick It Up and Be Good

Here's the thing about golf, you cannot simply pick up a club and hit a great shot. You have to practice. I've been out at the driving range, played a few rounds, and let me tell you, it is not easy. It's frustrating. My swing is inconsistent, my aim wanders and some days it feels like I'm starting from scratch, it's been 30 years so I really am.

But here's the good part. I am getting better. Slowly, with every session, something clicks a little more.

And that's when it hit me: this is exactly what learning to paint feels like.

Art Takes the Same Practice, the Same Patience

Watercolour is no different to golf in this way. You don't pick up a brush and instantly create something beautiful. It takes practice. Then more practice. And a good dose of patience while you're figuring out how the paint moves, how much water is too much, and why your "happy little tree" looks nothing like the reference photo.

I think this is something beginner painters forget, or maybe never fully believe until they experience it themselves. Every wobbly line, every muddy colour mix, every "that didn't work" moment is part of the process. It's not a sign you're bad at this. It's a sign you're learning.

The Best Part Isn't the Score (Or the Perfect Painting)

Despite the frustration, I am genuinely having fun out on the course. My sons are playing too, which makes it even better, and there's something lovely about being out in the sun and fresh air, not worrying too much about the result.

And here's my favourite bit. Being out on the course, I've started noticing things. The trees. The plants. The shadows. The colours of the landscape changing as the light shifts. All of it is quietly feeding my next artwork.

Win win.

The Real Lesson

Whether it's golf or watercolour the lesson is the same. Progress comes from showing up, not from getting it right straight away. So if you're a beginner painter feeling frustrated that your work doesn't look like you imagined, take it from someone learning a very wobbly golf swing, keep going. The practice is the point and the fun is allowed to happen along the way.

Paint more, stress less. Swing more, stress less too, apparently.