The weather lately has not exactly been conducive to playing Golf here in northern Alabama! I have seen a few brave souls making their way around the course. I admire them! I lived in Scotland for four years. During that time, I played in conditions far worse than what we’ve been having here recently. Then again, that was 30 years ago.
If the weather and other holiday commitments keep you from the golf course, take a look at my previous post, Don’t Let Winter Slow You Down. In that post, I suggest you sit quietly for a few minutes each day and mentally relive the best shots you’ve ever hit. The great Bobby Jones once said, “Golf is a game that is played on a 5-inch course.” Jones, of course, is referring to the gray matter residing between your ears. Training your mind is just as important, perhaps more so than training your body. Your body will respond to what your mind wants to do. Train your mind with the best shots you’ve ever hit.
While you take those few minutes each day to relax and think about your golf game, consider these additional Bobby Jones quotes.
“Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots – but you have to play the ball where it lies.”
“You swing best when you have the fewest things to think about.”
“The real way to play golf is to take pleasure not in the score, but in the execution of the strokes.”
“The object of Golf is to beat someone. Make sure that someone is not yourself.”
And now my favorite quote from Bobby Jones.
“Golf is assuredly a mystifying game. It would seem that if a person has hit a golf ball correctly a thousand times, he should be able to duplicate the performance at will. But such is certainly not the case.”
Never beat yourself up on the golf course. Everyone, yes, everyone hits terrible shots. Forget the past. The only shot that matters is the one you’re about to hit.
Enjoy the winter. Enjoy the holidays. When you catch a nice day, get out, and play some golf!
Doug