Golfing and Other Life Lessons

I grew up golfing. Let me rephrase that: I grew up in a family where golf was a major part of our lives. My dad was an avid golfer. I mean AVID. Our home was filled with his championship trophies and as a child it was one of my chores to dust those darn things! Every summer our family took a ‘golfing’ holiday to Waterton National Park. (We also went plenty of other places, too.) I spent lots of time at golf courses, either waiting in the clubhouse, sitting near the tee off boxes, or traipsing along as an unofficial caddy. (I doubt most courses allow that any more.) When I was about eighteen, my dad bought a small rural golf course and for ten years our family ran it and I had lots of opportunities to practice my game. (Opportunity isn’t the same as actually doing it…)

With all this golf history, one would think I’d be pretty good at it. Both of my brothers are excellent golfers, as is my husband, but I never really excelled. Part of the problem is my impatience. For every good shot I make, I seem to hit ten duffers. I usually feel more frustrated than invigorated by the end of the game.

This Mother’s Day, my husband bought me a new set of clubs. (They are new to me – he got a good deal at a garage sale!) My old clubs were more than thirty years old, and although they weren’t worn out by any stretch, they were heavy and cumbersome. We went out to the driving range and I couldn’t believe the difference! It was like a totally new experience and I actually had FUN! I think there are a couple of reasons for this:

1. The proper tools make all the difference.
2. Practice is key to any kind of growth.
3. Success breeds happiness and thus more success.

I doubt that I will suddenly become the next Nancy Lopez, but I felt a new desire to ‘try again’ after that one hour of hitting balls. I think these points apply to most things in life, whether it be writing, relationships, or whatever. If you’re experiencing frustrations, don’t keep doing things the same way. Update your ‘tools’ and adjust accordingly. Don’t expect overnight change, but practice until change becomes a habit. And finally, don’t give up, but celebrate the successes – even the small ones.