Here it is, October. The month where golf balls seem to hide under fallen leaves, causing many of the desperados to start claiming gallery drops. It’s a time when the ratio for daylight and patience begins to take a turn. For those in the northern parts of the world, it is the last month of solid golf before the cold white encompasses the warm green, and the early morning tee-times begin to turn into frost delays.

It is also a month of reflection in the golfing world, but how to weigh season after season of this pastime? We can do it quite literally with countless apps that track your statistics, but what about our insights and values? How can we quantify that? I decided this year to pay more attention my playing partners, mainly how was their quality of golf compared to their approach to the game.

Golfers are just people, and we all know how diverse it can be walking out the front door. However, there was one trend I began to notice after getting to know my playing partners throughout the rounds this year. There are generally two types of good golfers (single digit handicappers).

Good golfer type one: This one is quite common in the golf world. They are the self-proclaimed “degenerates”. They are crass, they have vices, and they play a lot. When they are around their types, they swear like pirates, and enjoy themselves. They tend to fly around the course on a cart, blasting through holes. I have noticed that when they are partnered up with randoms, they will generally be cordial and well-mannered, as though the customs of golf were whipped into them at an early age. They have an addictive personality, and they could go low any day. I feel like the majority of members are these.

Good golfer type two: The dangerous introverts of the golfing world. They are simply well-rounded individuals who know themselves quite well. When you can get a conversation going with these individuals, they always reveal to be well balanced and have a fulfilling life that gives them a reason to go back home after 9 holes (or sometimes 18, but no more). I have met many ex-high school/college players in this group, but that is not an exclusivity. There are plenty of them who have picked up the game later in life, and they just have systems in place for them to succeed at any pursuit.

Overall, I absolutely enjoy playing with either type. They appreciate in different ways, both life and golf, and sometimes you want steak instead of a banana. Perhaps there are golfers in both groups, and they just behave differently depending on the environment.

I think it’s easy to see how each individual truly sees the game in October. There are those who are determined to continue the grind, on a constant path towards lowering the limbo bar. They want to get their handicaps and personal bests set before they hang up the clubs. Some players just want another day off to go day drinking with their friends embodying some form of escapism. Personally, I like to think of October as a bonus, as it is not always guaranteed to play, especially with the waning daylight, and the existence of frost.

It is an important time to remember that for 99.9% of us, playing golf is not a job. Put away frustrations and realize that we got into this sport for social connections, forgetting the burdens of life, and hitting that one buttery shot that keeps us coming back.