
291: How Well You Play and How Well You Score Are Not the Same Thing - Peter Melton
From The Mental Golf Show by Josh Nichols
May 18, 2026 · 39 min
About this episode
Peter Melton discusses the distinction between how well you play and how well you score in golf, emphasizing enjoyment over results.
Peter Melton is a Golf Enjoyment Coach and author of Conversations with Par. He spent three decades stuck in the same trap most golfers never escape — believing his score determined his worth. In this conversation, we dig into the inner golfer versus the outer golfer, why your survival identity is quietly running your game, and whether enjoyment is just another arrow in the quiver or the whole bag. You're going to leave this episode with a completely different answer to the question "How did you play?" and “Why do you play?” Get Conversations with Par here. Check out Peter Melton Golf here. Topics and Chapters: 00:00 - Intro: Join Mental Golf Club! 00:36 - How You PLAY and How You SCORE Are Different Things 7:07 - How to Play Without Getting Upset 11:26 - Are ‘Results’ and ‘Score’ Naughty Words? 13:49 - Basic Practice Plan: joshnicholsgolf.com/practice 14:52 - You Need to Work On the “Outer Golfer” and the “Inner Golfer” 23:33 - PutterCup: puttercupgolf.com/mentalgolfshow and sign up for the PutterCup newsletter for 15% off 25:45 - Why We Play Small and Safe and Get Protective and Bail 34:07 - What Role Does Enjoyment Play in Scoring? ----- Join Mental Golf Club for FREE here…
People in this episode
Host: Josh Nichols
Guest: Peter Melton
Topics covered
- golf enjoyment
- inner golfer
- outer golfer
- scoring
- enjoyment in golf
Keywords
- golf
- enjoyment
- scoring
- inner golfer
- outer golfer
- mental game
- performance
Sponsors
PutterCup
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Mental Golf Club, joshnicholsgolf.com, puttercupgolf.com
Books & works: Conversations with Par
More episodes of The Mental Golf Show
- 294: Dr. Justin Ternes (Breath Expert) - How to Breathe To Play Better Golf · June 8, 2026 · 1h 10m
- 293: Deep Dive Into How Josh Prepares for a Golf Tournament · June 1, 2026 · 29 min
- 292: My Mental Game Has Gotten Worse (I Have Proof) · May 25, 2026 · 10 min
- 290: Perfect Mechanics Don’t Matter If Your Tempo is Off - Chia Chou (Master Pianist) · May 11, 2026 · 1h 6m
- 289: The Mindset Shift That Almost Won Me the U.S. Mid-Amateur · May 4, 2026 · 14 min
- Announcing: Mental Golf Club · April 28, 2026 · 4 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Mental Golf Show podcast page.