Boring Golf, Personal Bests, and the New Zealander Who Exposed His Ego on the Gold Coast
G’day golfers!
I’ve got a story for you today that’ll probably annoy the hell out of those of you who spend four nights a week on the range trying to find the "secret" to a perfect backswing.
Meet Kieran.
Kieran is a "relatively competent" player. He’s a 7-handicap from New Zealand who was already breaking 80 a fair bit. But he was stuck. He was frustrated. He felt like he was making the same "shoulda, woulda, coulda" mistakes over and over again, like a bad song on repeat.
So, he did something radical. He didn't book a swing lesson. He flew across the ditch to the Gold Coast to join one of my 3-Day Breaking Bad Golf Camps.
The Diagnosis: Fiction vs. Reality
When Kieran arrived, we didn't start on the range. We went straight to the course. Why? Because the range is a liar’s paradise. I needed to see his game under the actual pressure of a scorecard.
It turns out Kieran didn’t have a swing problem. He had a decision-making problem. He was standing over long irons and hybrids with total indecision, trying to "throw darts" at pins he had no business aiming at. He was playing "Ego Golf" instead of "Scoring Golf."
The "Shocking" Truth: You’re Not as Good as You Think (and That’s Great News)
I told Kieran something that shocks most golfers: Your expectations of your own game are wildly delusional. Even the pros aren’t as good as you think they are. By trying to be "perfect," Kieran was putting massive pressure on his swing, which led to those blow-out holes that ruin a card.
We implemented my R.E.P.A.R. System:
Risk: Is the shot worth the potential disaster?
Environment: What is the lie actually telling you?
Plan: Pick a conservative target (aim for a comfortable par, not a miracle birdie).
Act: Swing with 100% commitment to that plan.
Review: Look at the result objectively, not emotionally.
The Result: "Boring" Golf and a First-Ever Under-Par Round
Kieran went back to New Zealand and used the CoachNow app to stay in touch with me. He stopped blaming the greenkeepers and started being his own caddy.
Three months later, I got the message every coach loves: Kieran shot his first-ever under-par round.
His takeaway? "It was just a solid day. Nothing amazing. But boring golf can have its rewards."
Below are the messages I received from Kieran:
That’s the secret, folks. When you stop trying to be a YouTube swing model and start being a tactical problem-solver, the game gets "boring"—and your scores get lower.
Ready to Break Your Bad Golf?
If you’re a local player and you’ve been waiting for the right time to seriously improve your game — this is it.
Right now is the ideal time to join our 9 Shots Lower in 9 Weeks program.(Next Program starts January 29th)
This is the exact program Kieran followed, and in just nine weeks he built a golf game he’d always dreamed of — and in some areas, even better than he expected.
Why 9 Shots Lower Works
The 9 Shots Lower program is designed to do more than just give you great information. It’s built to lock in the right habits with:
A clear 9-week structure
Weekly feedback and accountability
Ongoing support so improvements actually stick
If you want faster, more reliable results — this is the program that delivers them.
Click here to learn more about my Breaking Bad Golf programs.
Watch the part 1 here: https://youtu.be/L00S4s6yifw
Watch the part 2 here: https://youtu.be/G6gjVYvbQQ0
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The Gold Coast offers a range of options including Emerald Lakes, Palm Meadows, Hope Island, Southport, and Coolangatta-Tweed. Paul Williamson provides personalised on-course coaching that goes beyond traditional lessons, covering skills, strategy, and mental game in real playing conditions.
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One-hour lessons provide quick tips but rarely translate under course conditions. Paul’s on-course coaching uses 9-hole assessments to build a tailored plan that actually drops strokes from your scorecard.
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Paul Williamson, a PGA Professional with 30+ years’ experience, provides personalised on-course coaching at courses around Carrara, Hope Island, Robina, Southport, Coolangatta-Tweed, and the broader Gold Coast.
