Interesting post. What is good enough? That could depend on so many things I suppose. When I first took up golf at 30 I just wanted to be “good enough” to play in my work league. There were a lot of hackers so that didn’t take long. I was the worst player for about 2 weeks and then I was just a hacker like the rest. Good enough for 5-10 years for me. I liked golf a lot, but didn’t really love it. I had a family and other interests.
I did get better, but just because I enjoyed beating balls on the range as therapy. No practice plan though, I just enjoyed trying to hit a good shot mindlessly and it helped my play. Then one Spring I’m unexpectedly out of work with a great severance package and no job prospects. I had slowly become hooked on golf almost without realizing and with time on my hands I started figuring out how to get better…and playing more helped too. My short game was what really improved. I went from shooting 95-105 to shooting mid 80’s and with bad putting. I even broke 80 several times…really should have worked on my putting that summer as I 3 jacked multiple times in those rounds lol. My wedge game was strong and my irons were good even though the driver and putter were still weaknesses.
Once that season was over I went back to work/life reality. I’ve shot 81 a # of times since, but I can’t seem to break 80 any more. I can easily/sadly shoot high 90’s again though. I say it’s not good enough, but it really is because I still enjoy the game and other things have priority for my time. I also know that if I practice enough to shoot mid 80’s constantly again that it won’t be good enough. I’ll want to break 80 and get a PR.
Any way I think you have to figure out where your priorities lie and what is good enough with respect to golf. There is only so much time in the day especially if you have a full time job and a family. Ultimately you will have to give up doing something so that you can practice and you have to be okay with that.