Turning a Triple Bogey Into a Learning Moment

Let's be honest: triple bogeys hurt.

For a junior golfer who's been playing well, a blow-up hole can feel like the end of the world.

The card is "ruined." The round is "over." The day is "wasted."

Except, none of that is true.

Every Great Golfer Has Triple Bogeys

Here's a fact that might surprise your junior: every professional golfer makes triple bogeys (three over par on a hole).

Every. Single. One.

The difference is what they do on the next hole.

Jordan Spieth made a quadruple bogey at the 12th hole during the 2016 Masters. He didn't win that day, but he came back and won the very next month.

Because he knew something every junior needs to learn: one hole is just one hole.

The RESET Framework

When your junior makes a big number, teach them this five-step framework:

R — Recognize the Emotion

It's okay to be frustrated. It's okay to be mad. Pretending the bad hole didn't bother them doesn't work. Instead, teach them to name it: "I'm frustrated right now."

Naming the emotion takes away its power.

Also, assure them that it's normal. Validating feelings can take much of the sting out of them.

The ultimate goal is to show your child that you understand.

E — Exhale

Take three deep breaths between the green and the next tee.

Physically release the tension. Drop the shoulders. Unclench the jaw.

The body holds onto stress, and that stress shows up in the next swing if you don't let it go.

Have them try different methods if, for instance, the shoulders don't work. Maybe they want to shake their wrists instead.

Whatever works is fine; the point is not to let mental tension become physical.

S — Shrink the Focus

Don't think about the scorecard. Don't think about the round. Don't think about the tournament.

Shrink the focus to one thing: the next tee shot.

That's it—one shot.

That is the only action you can take right now, so focus all your energy on it.

E — Execute the Routine

Go through the normal pre-shot routine (e.g., adjusting your glove, taking a practice swing, or repeating a phrase like "next shot, best shot").

Same steps, same rhythm, same commitment.

The routine is an anchor — it brings the mind back to what's familiar and controllable.

T — Trust the Process

Hit the shot and trust it.

Don't steer it. Don't try to "make up" for the bad hole with a hero shot.

Just play the next shot the way you've practiced.

Having faith in the skills you've built, rather than stressing over immediate results, helps you stay calm, patient, and consistent amid uncertainty.

Why Recovery Matters More Than Prevention

You can't prevent every bad hole.

Golf is unpredictable. Bad bounces happen. Lips-out happen. Wind gusts happen.

What you can control is your response. And the juniors who learn to respond well — to recover with composure — are the ones who develop into truly competitive golfers.

Track the Comebacks

Here's a powerful exercise: after every round, ask your junior to identify their best "comeback moment." Not their best shot — their best recovery.

Maybe they made a par right after a triple. Maybe they hit a great drive after topping one. Maybe they just stayed positive when everything felt hard.

These moments deserve recognition. They're proof that your junior is building mental toughness — the most important skill in golf.

At JrCaddie, we build space for this into every round.

Each hole in our yardage books ends with a "reflect" section — three quick questions your junior rates from 1 to 5, like "Did you stay calm after any bad shot on this hole?"

No long journaling, no homework — just a circled number and a line to jot down the moment before moving on.

It's an easy way to make sure a comeback like theirs doesn't go unnoticed just because the scorecard says triple.

The Bigger Picture

A triple bogey on hole 7 doesn't define hole 8. A tough round on Saturday doesn't define Sunday. A bad season doesn't define a career.

Golf, like life, is about how you respond to adversity. And every triple bogey is a chance to practice that response.

Teach your junior to see bad holes not as "the end of the world," but as opportunities. Because the golfer who can bounce back from anything? That golfer is unstoppable.