Today, during my practice session, I paid particular attention to the sound environment. Not while I was playing my shots, since my concentration (I’ll come back to that) allows me to tune out my surroundings, but between each shot and during my breaks, I listened particularly carefully.
Why ?
Because a few days ago, I played a game with a friend in a friendly club competition, and this friend is particularly bothered by the slightest noise. As soon as he plays !
It so happened that on that day I had a very nice caddy, but she was a bit talkative and had a particularly loud voice, so he had to call her to order twice while he was addressing the ball.

So today I listened carefully to what was going on around me, and I think I’m very lucky to have been training for two years now at the Royal Golf Club Hua Hin driving range.
Because it’s a particularly noisy place :
It’s almost always full when I arrive , all the mats are occupied, including a number by instructors giving lessons. And as the driving range is often full, you have to take a number and wait your turn. People waiting can sit on benches behind the mats, and inevitably, if several people are waiting on these benches, conversations start.
Add to that the sound of balls, the sound of dogs occasionally fighting in the car park, the sound of certain birds, which are particularly loud here in Thailand, and you have a relatively noisy environment. This morning, I realised how much I have developed my ability to concentrate, which allows me to completely forget the ambient noise when I take my shot.
I sympathise with the difficulties my friend encountered on his last course. Apparently, on several occasions, the noises behind him bothered him to the point of causing him to miss shots. He even said that sometimes, when the conversations stop, he continues to hear them as an echo, which bothers him.
I think it’s really important to practise in a variety of conditions, including the worst ones, to improve your concentration. What do you think ?
Of course, this does not detract from the respect we owe our playing partners. And I fully understand that in major competitions, there are people responsible for asking for silence before each shot.
Thinking about my friend and how this inconvenience ruined his game, I realise how lucky I am not to be affected by it.
I wish you all a peaceful and enjoyable round of golf.