for consistency - one dropped shot can be the difference between winning and losing.
For this reason, winning any golf tournament is a sign of immaculate concentration, immense skill and supreme dedication.
Change consistency over a single round of 18 holes to consistency over an entire season of county competition and you have the winner of the Kent Order of Merit, you have Jason Barnes.
The Order of Merit pitted Kent's top amateur golfers, 163 in total, against each other over 25 competitions.
Points are awarded relating to position finished and each golfer's top eight results are totted up at the end.
The 22-year-old, who plays off a +2 handicap, said: "I am very proud of it and it is a fantastic achievement.
improve my handicap.
"I don't want to go professional just yet, as I want to learn my trade a bit more and if I can have another good amateur year then it helps in terms of sponsorship and financial backing."
Jason, whose mum and stepdad run the Westcourt Inn, St Hilda's Way, Gravesend, wants to turn professional at the end of a new season competing in the English, British, Portuguese and Spanish amateur opens.
included wins at Littlestone, New Romney, and the Prince of Wales Cup at Royal Cinque Ports, Deal.
At the cup event, Jason not only collected full points, he also broke the course amateur record over two rounds.
To put it into perspective, his eight under par beat the former record held by Lee Westwood, who has since won numerous professional events as well as being a member of the past five Ryder Cup squads.
But the season has not been without harsh lessons for Jason, none more than when he appeared in the qualifiers for the British Open.
Stepdad Ian Jones said: "Jason was in the final qualifying of the British Open over two rounds in Liverpool.
"He got himself to two under par but went for a score and ended up two over.
"He made level par the following day, so if he had just consolidated on the first day he would probably have qualified, as the cut-off was three-under-par and he was two-under at one point."
He added: "But it was a lesson he had to learn and we are incredibly proud of him."
Jason, who plays at Chart Hills in Biddenden, first took up a golf club aged 14 when injury prevented him playing football and he started to go to the golf course with his father.
Ian said: "Winning the Order of Merit is like sending a message out to the England selectors saying, for this year, I am the best golfer in Kent.
"It is the county amateur version of winning the European Order of Merit like Padraig Harrington has recently."
He added: "Jason has done so well.
It is costing me a set of new irons as a well done'."
And while the new irons will not be cheap, the forthcoming season is expected to cost around 10,000.
If you are interested in sponsoring Jason and want more information, contact the News Shopper sports desk at tashton@london.
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