Why is golf so hard?

NORTH OAKS, Minn. -- Golf season is in full swing in Minnesota.  And the sport is exploding in popularity. 

According to the National Golf Federation, one in three Americans over the age of 6 played, watched, listened to or read about golf in 2021.That's 106 million people.

It's a game that's alluring, it's a game that's exciting. But it's also a game that can be, well, frustrating.

Phil Anderson is a PGA pro at North Oaks and will soon be general manager at Hazeltine National Golf Club.

"I think there's like three or four components I think that make it a little bit challenging," Anderson said.

First off, physically, it's just different.

"If you think of any other sport that's out there, whether it's football, basketball, hockey, usually the ball's coming at you and you react to it," he said. "Whereas you have to think about it and make a movement away from a golf ball."

In golf, you're not reacting to a ball or puck, you're directing all of the movement. And it's not just tricky for your body. Anderson says it can mess with your head, too. It is a "mental game," as one bad hole can ruin a player's headspace.

And then there's that completely uncontrollable factor.

"You certainly have all these factors out there. Weather. If it's raining out, if it's windy out. If it's been dry, the golf ball's running. If it's been wet, it's stopping," he said.

Complicated, unpredictable -- and rewarding.

"There's just nothing else like it, which makes it so amazing," he said.

Turns out the game of golf is lot like the game of life.

Anderson says there are a few key ways to make golf easier: Find the right gear, take lessons, commit to go all in, play often, and keep trying.