What can your golf reveal about how you handle pressure, setbacks and challenges away from the course?

In this episode, Kris Lynch is joined by Paul Miles, founder of In the Swing Leadership, to explore how the golf course can become a powerful environment for self-discovery, feedback and personal development.

They discuss imposter syndrome, vulnerability, being open to coaching, and why highly successful people can sometimes struggle when their golfing ability doesn't match the confidence they've built elsewhere.

Paul also shares the fascinating idea of “Seventh Hole Syndrome” - the point in a round when conversations can move beyond small talk and people begin sharing the things they really need to talk about.

You'll also hear why being intentional about what you want from a round of golf can change the experience completely - whether that's competition, improvement, connection, recovery or simply enjoyment.

Paul Miles is the founder of In the Swing Leadership, where he develops leadership capability using the golf course as a classroom. His work uses the pressure, feedback and uncertainty of golf to help leaders explore how they respond to real-world challenges and create learning that sticks.

• What can golf reveal about you? Paul explains why the golf course can be such a powerful environment for self-discovery - and why it can be difficult to hide behind the professional version of yourself when you're playing.
• How can golf help us understand pressure and setbacks? We explore what happens when the game challenges our confidence, expectations and sense of capability.
• What can golf teach us about imposter syndrome? Paul shares a fascinating story about a successful professional who struggled to believe they were good enough, despite the evidence of their achievements.
• Why is feedback so important? We discuss the immediate feedback golf provides, the importance of being willing to be coached, and why recognising our strengths can be just as important as working on our weaknesses.
• What is “Seventh Hole Syndrome”? Paul shares how conversations on the golf course can sometimes move beyond small talk and create the space for people to talk about things they're really struggling with.
• Does every round of golf need to be about performance? We explore the importance of deciding what you actually want from your golf - whether that's competition, improvement, connection, recovery or simply enjoyment.
• Can golf help us become more aware of ourselves away from the course? Paul shares how he uses his own golf as a way of noticing what's happening in other areas of his life.

Paul Miles — In the Swing Leadership

Website link here

LinkedIn profile here

If you'd like some personalised support with the mental side of your golf, you can also book a free 30-minute discovery call with Kris using the link here

Thanks, as always, for watching or listening.

And until next time, remember:

• Happiness First. Handicap Later.

Are your golf expectations helping you improve - or keeping you stuck in the golfer you used to be? This episode explores a different way to approach your mental game.

Recent goal-setting workshops with recreational golfers surfaced bigger questions about consistency, identity, values, confidence, and what people actually want from golf.

Kris Lynch explores why consistency can be an unrealistic target for everyday golfers, and why starting from where you are now may be more useful than trying to recover a previous version of yourself.

You'll hear four practical alternatives to fixating on consistency: compassion, candor, clarity, and curiosity.

Kris explains how compassion can change the way you respond to poor shots, why candor means being honest about your goals and circumstances, how clarity helps you understand what you really want from golf, and how curiosity can help you investigate patterns such as first-tee nerves, frustration, and blow-up holes.

The episode also looks at golf identity, confidence, values, and the difference between short bursts of happiness and a longer-term, healthier relationship with the game.

Golf Yourself Happy is the podcast for recreational golfers who want to use their mind as their greatest asset on the golf course — covering the mental game of golf, golf mindset, confidence, emotional control, resilience, wellbeing, enjoyment, and happiness. Hosted by Kris Lynch, golf mindset coach and founder of Golf Yourself Happy.

In this episode:

• Why recreational golfers struggle with consistency
• The four alternatives to chasing consistency
• What compassion, candor, clarity and curiosity look like in golf
• Are you trying to improve—or recover your old golf game?
• How your golfing identity can affect confidence
• What do you actually want to get from playing golf?
• Why frustration can be part of a healthy golf relationship

Resources

• Visit golfyourselfhappy.com and subscribe/follow the podcast on your preferred platform.
• Book Kris’s free, no-strings-attached 30-minute discovery call if they want help with the issues discussed.
• Rory McIlroy's take on Golf Goal Setting

Most golfers think golf coaching means booking a lesson, hitting some balls and being given something to work on.

But what if great coaching is about more than what happens during the lesson?

In this episode of the Golf Yourself Happy Podcast, Golf Mindset Coach Kris Lynch is joined by Sam Kiloh, PGA Professional and Head of Junior Development at Deeside Golf Club, to explore how golf coaching is evolving and what golfers really need to improve.

Sam has competed professionally on mini tours including the EuroPro Tour and Pro Golf Tour, and now combines his in-person coaching with online coaching through Skillest.

Together, Kris and Sam explore why online coaching can be just as effective as traditional in-person coaching, how ongoing feedback can strengthen the coach–golfer relationship, and why the best coaching doesn't necessarily involve giving golfers more information.

They also discuss the challenges faced by recreational golfers - from frustration and inconsistency to embarrassment and even wanting to give up the game - and why mindset can become increasingly important as golfers become more committed to improving.

The conversation also explores what adult golfers can learn from juniors about playfulness, patience and resilience, and why keeping practice simple can sometimes be more effective than chasing technical complexity.

Whether you're considering working with a coach, curious about online golf coaching, or simply looking for a simpler way to improve your game, this episode will encourage you to think differently about what great golf coaching should look like.

• How online coaching is changing golf instruction
• Why ongoing feedback can make coaching more effective
• The difference between online and in-person coaching
• Why good coaching should be simple and individualised
• The mindset challenges facing recreational golfers
• What adults can learn from junior golfers
• Why playfulness and experimentation can improve learning
• How mindset coaching can complement technical coaching

✔ Great coaching isn't about giving golfers more information - it's about giving them the right information.

✔ Online and in-person coaching can complement each other.

✔ Keep improvement simple, focused and individualised.

✔ Golfers can learn a lot from the patience, resilience and playfulness of juniors.

• Golf Yourself Happy website
• Book a free 30-minute Golf Yourself Happy Coaching Discovery Call
• Explore Sam Kiloh Golf
• Book online coaching with Sam on Skillest

Most golfers think about the health benefits of golf in pretty simple terms.

You walk. You get some fresh air. You spend time outdoors.

But what if we're only scratching the surface of what golf can do for our health and wellbeing?

In this episode of the Golf Yourself Happy Podcast, Golf Mindset Coach Kris Lynch is joined by Professor Charlie Foster, Professor of Physical Activity and Public Health at the University of Bristol, to explore the fascinating relationship between golf, health, wellbeing and behaviour change.

Charlie has spent much of his career researching physical activity and advising on public health policy. He is now applying that expertise to golf and is currently writing a book on Golf and Health, featuring insights from some of the leading figures in the game.

Together, Kris and Charlie explore the “tyranny of the handicap”, why the scorecard can be a poor measure of what we actually get from golf, and the many physical, mental and social benefits that can come from playing the game.

They also dive into some fascinating research around golf and brain health - including what happens in our brains when we putt, why slow-motion swings can stimulate the brain, and how simply holding a golf club creates a surprisingly interesting physiological response.

The conversation then turns to behaviour change and habit formation: why we're so attracted to quick fixes, why meaningful change takes time, and how small, consistent actions can ultimately compound into much bigger results.

And perhaps most importantly, Kris and Charlie explore a question at the heart of Golf Yourself Happy:

If golf can give us so much more than a scorecard, how can we make sure we're actually getting the most from the game we love?

Whether you're interested in the health benefits of golf, curious about what happens in your brain when you play, or simply looking for a healthier and more enjoyable relationship with the game, this episode will encourage you to think differently about what golf can give you.

• Why the handicap can become a “tyranny” for golfers
• The physical, mental and social benefits of playing golf
• What happens in your brain when you play and practise
• Why golf can be a powerful form of physical activity
• How small habits can compound into meaningful change
• Why enjoying the way we play golf matters as much as the score

✔ Golf's value isn't just measured by your scorecard.

✔ Small, consistent habits can lead to significant results over time.

✔ Don't be seduced by quick fixes - meaningful change takes patience.

✔ Pay attention to everything you get from playing golf, not just what you shoot.

• Book a free 30-minute Golf Yourself Happy Coaching Discovery Call
• Subscribe to Golf Yourself Happy podcast
• Connect with Professor Charlie Foster (LinkedIn)
• Listen to Charlie in conversation with Golf in Society Founder, Anthony Blackburn

Most golfers have experienced it.

You hit the ball beautifully on the driving range, then step onto the golf course and suddenly it feels like a completely different game.

So why is it so difficult to take what we learn in practice and actually use it when we play?

In this episode of the Golf Yourself Happy Podcast, Golf Mindset Coach Kris Lynch is joined by Will Stubbs, Head of Education at Zen Golf, to explore how golfers actually learn and why some of the traditional ways we practise and receive coaching might be holding us back.

Together, Kris and Will explore the “practice gap” between the driving range and the golf course, why repetition alone isn't enough, and how play, experimentation and problem-solving can help us become more adaptable golfers.

They also explore why putting offers such a powerful opportunity for enjoyment and learning - before the conversation leads to a bigger question:

What if golf coaching became less about fixing golfers and more about empowering them to understand and develop their own game?

Kris and Will discuss golf's obsession with quick fixes, why golfers need to become active participants in their own learning, and how curiosity, autonomy and a better relationship with improvement could ultimately help us become not only better golfers, but happier ones too.

Whether you're struggling to take your range game onto the course, constantly searching for the next swing fix, or simply want to learn more effectively, this episode will encourage you to think differently about what getting better at golf really means.

• Why your range game doesn't always transfer to the course
• How play and experimentation can improve learning
• Why putting is such a rewarding skill to develop
• The problem with golf's obsession with quick fixes
• Why great coaching should empower, not simply fix, golfers

✔ Practise for the golf course, not just the driving range.

✔ Be curious and take ownership of your learning.

✔ Great coaching should leave you more capable, not more dependent.

✔ Don't wait until you're a better golfer to enjoy golf, learn to enjoy becoming one.

• Subscribe to Golf Yourself Happy on YouTube
• Book a free 30-minute Golf Yourself Happy Coaching Discovery Call
• Explore Zen Golf
• Connect with Will Stubbs on LinkedIn

Most golfers believe they'll enjoy golf more once they start playing better.

But what if we've got it the wrong way round?

In this episode of the Golf Yourself Happy Podcast, Golf Mindset Coach, Kris Lynch explores why the happiest golfers aren't necessarily the lowest handicappers - they're the golfers who've built a version of the game that's authentic to them.

Drawing on Self-Determination Theory, one of the world's most researched theories of human motivation, Kris introduces three psychological needs that influence not only how we play golf, but how much we enjoy it:

• Autonomy – Are you playing the golf you want to play?
• Mastery – Are you continuing to learn and grow?
• Purpose – Do you know why golf matters to you?

You'll learn why judging every round by your scorecard can leave you frustrated, how to build more resilient motivation, and why lasting enjoyment comes from something much deeper than your handicap.

Whether you're trying to break 100, lower your handicap or simply rediscover your love for the game, this episode will encourage you to rethink what success in golf really looks like.

• Why scores aren't the best measure of a good round
• The psychology behind lasting golf motivation
• Why comparison steals enjoyment
• How to define your own version of golf
• Why learning is more rewarding than perfection
• The coaching question every golfer should ask themselves
• How purpose transforms performance
• Practical reflection questions to take to your next round

✔ Play the golf that's right for you—not the golf you think you should play.

✔ Measure progress, not perfection.

✔ Connect your golf to something bigger than your handicap.

✔ Build a version of golf that fits your life.

• Book a free 30-minute Golf Yourself Happy Discovery Call
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow Golf Yourself Happy on Instagram

Most golfers think lower scores come from hitting more great shots.

PGA Professional Ian Taylor disagrees.

Known as The Break 100 Guy, Ian has helped countless everyday golfers become more consistent - not by chasing perfection, but by reducing the costly mistakes that ruin scorecards.

In this episode, Kris and Ian explore:

• Why breaking 100 is about eliminating big numbers rather than making more birdies
• Why your expectations may be holding you back
• The hidden reason many golfers turn down corporate golf days
• Why identity should come before outcome when setting golf goals
• How mastering the "boring" parts of golf leads to more enjoyment
• Practical coaching insights that any recreational golfer can apply immediately

Whether you're trying to break 100, become a more confident golfer, or simply enjoy your golf more, this conversation is packed with practical advice and a refreshing perspective.

Resources

🏌️ Free Goal Setting Session (5 August) - https://www.golfyourselfhappy.com/goal-setting

📲 Follow Ian Taylor

Website - iantaylorgolf.co.uk

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/iantaylorgolf

What if the reason you're struggling to achieve your golf goals isn't a lack of talent or effort, but the goals themselves?

Like countless golfers, you probably started this season with high hopes and ambitious goals.

💯 Break 100.

⛓️‍💥 Break 90.

📉 Reach single figures.

🏆 Win a competition.

The problem is that most golfers either struggle to achieve the goals they set themselves, or they know they're capable of reaching them but lack a clear plan to get there.

In this episode, I sit down with James Wood, founder of Goof Golf, to unpack his recent experience of playing his first ever competitive round at The Creator Cup.

Ahead of the event, James had set himself a number of goals. But when the day arrived, things didn't quite go to plan.

Together, we explore what happened, what he learned from the experience, and why many golfers unknowingly set goals that are either unrealistic, unhelpful, or disconnected from what they actually want from the game.

Through a live coaching conversation, you'll discover:

• The most common mistakes golfers make when setting goals

• Why outcome goals alone rarely lead to lasting satisfaction

• How to build goals that support both enjoyment and performance

• A simple framework for creating a healthier relationship with golf

• Practical ideas you can apply immediately to your own game

This conversation also serves as a preview of an upcoming free online workshop that James and I are hosting together:

A Better Relationship With Golf

🎯A Goal Setting Workshop for Golfers Who Want to Enjoy Golf More and Improve More Consistently

In the workshop, you'll learn how to build better goals, create a practical plan for achieving them, and discover why the happiest golfers often approach the game very differently from everyone else.

🎟️ Reserve your free place:

https://www.golfyourselfhappy.com/goal-setting

📅 Date:

Wednesday 5 August 2026

⏰ Time:

8pm (20:00) BST (UTC+1)

Connect with Kris Lynch @ Golf Yourself Happy:

🌐 Website - https://www.golfyourselfhappy.com/about

👥 Join Happy Hackers - https://www.golfyourselfhappy.com/happy-hackers/free-community

💻 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kris-lynch-a9166037/

📱 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/golfyourselfhappy/

Connect with James Wood @ Goof Golf:

📱 https://www.instagram.com/goof.golf/

🌐 https://www.goofgolf.co.uk/pages/our-story

Golf helped me through one of the darkest periods of my life.

Following the loss of my son, golf gave me something I desperately needed: routine, purpose, connection, and a place to direct my attention when life felt overwhelming.

That experience led me to launch Golf Yourself Healthy, inspired not only by my own journey but also by a growing body of research highlighting the health and wellbeing benefits of golf.

But over time, I found myself wrestling with a difficult question:

If golf is so good for us, why are so many golfers struggling because of it?

In this episode, I share the story behind the evolution from Golf Yourself Healthy to Golf Yourself Happy, and explore two of the core convictions that now underpin everything I do.

We discuss:

• Why golf may have defined success too narrowly
• How golfers often move the goalposts on their own achievements
• The hidden cost of tying self-worth to performance
• Why belonging might be more important than playing ability
• The subtle ways golf culture can make people feel like outsiders
• The difference between measuring golfers and valuing golfers

Along the way, I share a personal story about joining a golf club in Wales, serving on the board of directors, and an encounter that revealed something deeper about how we decide who belongs in golf.

If you've ever felt frustrated by the game, doubted whether you're "good enough" to call yourself a golfer, or found your enjoyment of golf rising and falling with your scorecard, this episode is for you.

• Golf is good for us, but its benefits are not automatic.
• Golfers are remarkably good at telling themselves they're not "good enough"
• Success becomes almost impossible to achieve when it is defined too narrowly.
• The same culture that narrows success can also narrow belonging.
• Your right to belong should not depend on your performance.

https://www.golfyourselfhappy.com/happy-hackers/free-community

The Happy Hackers Club is a community for golfers who want a healthier, happier, and more sustainable relationship with the game.

If this episode resonated with you, I'd love to invite you to join us.

• Kris and Innes story features in the PGA's GBQ magazine -https://www.gbqdigital.com/featuresarchive/inspiration-golf-yourself-healthy
• Golf Yourself Healthy - www.golfyourselfhealthy.com
• Golf Yourself Happy - www.golfyourselfhappy.com
• Golf and Health report - https://www.randa.org/en/key-projects/golf-and-health
• World Handicap System - https://www.whs.com/

Closing Thought

Remember to put your Happiness First and your Handicap Later

What happens when you finally put your mindset framework to the test... and discover that the biggest challenge isn't your golf swing?

In this final episode of my NCG Top 100s mini-series, I reflect on my experience playing at Edgbaston Golf Club and share what the day revealed about judgement, belonging, self-awareness and acceptance.

I arrived with a plan.

To stay present.

To focus on enjoyment.

To connect with my playing partners.

However, I was given a timely reminder that competitive golf has a way of exposing the gap between our intentions and reality.

• Why seeing my playing partners' handicaps before the round instantly triggered comparison
• The assumptions I made about what better golfers might think of me
• Why being filmed added pressure...and what it revealed about my fear of judgement
• The surprising moment that challenged my belief that I didn't belong
• What acceptance actually means when performance still matters
• How self-awareness often comes before meaningful change

I discovered that wanting to perform well didn't disappear simply because I'd decided enjoyment was important.

The challenge wasn't eliminating competitive thoughts.

It was learning how to respond to them differently.

I spent the opening holes worrying about what everyone else thought of me.

Then I realised something:

👉 Nobody was judging me.

I was doing that job perfectly well myself.

I arrived wondering whether I deserved to be there.

By the end of the round, I realised nobody else was asking that question.

Only me.

The purpose of this series was never to prove that my coaching framework works perfectly.

It was to test it under pressure.

To expose blind spots.

To learn.

And to bring those lessons back to the everyday golfers I work with.

Because growth doesn't happen when we talk about ideas.

It happens when we test them in the real world.

This is Episode 3 of 3.

Across the series I've explored:

• First tee nerves
• Competitive pressure
• Acceptance and control
• Social connection
• Comparison
• Judgement
• What it really means to enjoy golf

👉🏻 Check out the full NCG Top 100s Tour Schedule (use discount code GYH10 at checkout for 10% off your booking)

👉 https://www.golfyourselfhappy.com/happy-hackers/free-community

👉 https://www.golfyourselfhappy.com/free-5-day-reset

Most golfers aren't struggling because they don't belong.

They're struggling because they've convinced themselves they don't.

Happiness First. Handicap Later.™