Football has been the focus of Tom Lockyer’s life for most of his career. But off the pitch, the former Luton Town captain has found another passion that brings balance and perspective: golf.
After his recent health challenges, gaming has become an important outlet to help him stay active, focused and connected. Although Lockyer has been involved in the sport as a teenager, it wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic that he truly fell in love with golf.
“I played on and off as a kid in secondary school but never really took it seriously. It wasn’t until after the pandemic when I joined Luton Town, who had a golf school there, that I really started taking it seriously,” he said.
From that point on, golf was no longer just a pastime, it became a source of concentration, calmness and healthy competition throughout his football career.
With the demands of training, games and family life, it’s not always easy to find time to compete, but he still tries his best to do so.
“What I wear varies a lot from week to week,” he admits. “But since having the baby, it’s been a big drop!”
Even so, Lockyer remains fascinated by the sense of freedom the game provides. He explained: “I love being out in nature first and foremost. It’s a great escape from reality and I really enjoy the sport, whether it’s competing against other people or going out and trying to get the lowest possible shot.”
As a professional athlete himself, Lockyer sees clear similarities between football and golf, particularly in terms of performance and the mindset required to recover from mistakes.
“I like to think I handle bad shots well, just like losing a game in football. The game you lose is over now and there’s nothing you can do about it, but you can correct it by winning the next game.”
During his time at Luton, golf became a regular part of the team’s breaks, often played with close friend and team-mate Carlton Morris. “We used to go out two or three times a week and come and go,” he recalls. “I remember one time we went to Portugal for a long weekend to play golf and I beat him 6-0 in six rounds!”
His golf journey has already produced some great moments. Lockyer smiled as he recalled an early moment in his golfing career when he hit an albatross on the 8th hole at Luton Hoo Golf Club during the 2022 Mick Harford Charity Day.
“I didn’t quite understand the rarity of it, so I kept playing with the ball and lost it,” he said with a laugh.
Recently, he added another incredible memory to the list – a hole-in-one at Bearwood Lakes. He revealed: “It was a 9-iron and there was a little bit of wind coming from the left. It flew a yard and then spun back. That was one of the best feelings because it went in as soon as it left the club.”
He even joked about the timing: “Luckily we had a late kick-off and the bar was empty when we got back!”
While football remains his career, golf has become a passion he plans to pursue long after his career is over. “I always say when I retire, my first goal is to start over,” he said. “I’ve started the process, but it’s not my main focus right now.”
After his cardiac arrest, golf was no longer a pastime but part of Lockyer’s recovery journey. A month after the incident, he returned to the court with a friend.
“Golf was one of the first things I did after my cardiac arrest. About a month later, I was hanging out with my friend Trev near Woburn. It was so nice to be out in nature and play golf. Once you’re out there, you don’t really think about much else.”
Even while undergoing treatment in Amsterdam, golf was with him. “I was there for about four months in total,” he explains. “But the first thing I packed was my golf clubs! I found the largest golf practice facility in Europe and I used to go there regularly to practice my game after training and hospital visits.”
He said golf is a huge help mentally and physically. “I rarely get upset over a bad shot, and I enjoy spending time in nature on a beautiful golf course.”
It’s also an exercise he recommends to anyone, regardless of fitness or ability.
“I would recommend golf to anyone. It completely fascinated me and I am mentally and physically addicted to the game. I can never get away from it!”
Lockyer even joked that he would still be playing ball decades later. “I will still be playing this game when I am 80 years old and can barely move. I love the fact that everyone, regardless of ability, can compete on a level playing field and whoever performs their best ability on the day wins.”
As Lockyer puts it, his association with iGolf began with some animated “debates” in the Luton dressing room. He admits: “We had a bit of a debate in Luton about handicapping and fairness, so we all decided to go with a reasonable handicap. That’s when we found MyEG.”
As a footballer who frequently changes clubs and cities, joining a traditional golf club is not always feasible. “No matter where you go, it’s not financially feasible to join a golf club and pay some joining fee,” he explains. “Especially when you know you’re not going to be in a particular area long-term.”
This is where iGolf, the only Handicap Index® for non-club golfers under WHS™, really comes into play.
“Having iGolf allows me to hold official handicaps and play tournaments if I want, even though I haven’t done that yet!”
It also supports his love of exploring new courses. “I love playing on new golf courses,” he said. “I have a map that marks every course I’ve ever played. Since 2020, I’ve played 192 rounds at 97 different golf courses, and MyEG allows me to register scores for each course.”
For Lockyer, iGolf has become the perfect choice, giving him the flexibility, consistency and motivation to continually improve his game no matter where he plays. He added: “This gives me an official handicap for each new course, depending on which tee we play, and allows me to continue pursuing my goals from scratch.”
