I was playing a round of golf by myself the other day when I caught up to a threesome playing just ahead of me. I noticed as I approached the hole that they were off in the trees searching for their balls. The course where I play is very tight. There is little room for forgiveness, when it comes to errant tee shots. The frustrated players motioned for me to go on and hit. I really don’t like to do that.

I hate teeing off with a group watching me. (I would have never made it as a professional golfer with an entire gallery looking on.) Images started filling my head of my ball dribbling down the fairway just a few yards short of the ladies tee box. And in Texas, we play by the “Ft. Worth Rule.” If your tee shot does not exceed the ladies tee box, you have to drop your britches and prove you are a man. I was clearly shaken by the time I teed up my ball.

And then it hit me…Golf is a mental game. I know this to be true. There is no good reason to let the presence of those guys on a ball searching mission intimidate me. Confidence must carry the day.  I just need to swing the club nice and easy.  Miracles don’t cease. I drilled the ball right down the center of the fairway a few yards shy of the creek situated about 100 yards in front of the green. On the way to hit my second shot, I stopped to talk to the group ahead of me for a moment as a matter of courtesy and golf etiquette. I really should have mentioned to them that I was on a first name basis with every squirrel that lives in the clump of trees adjacent to the fairway on hole #8. But I was enjoying the moment way too much. And I also knew that I had a second shot that would have to be executed in front of that same threesome.

Once again confidence carried the day. I sent that ball to the fringe of the green directly in front of the pin. I smiled and waved at my fellow golfers, as I drove off to play the next hole. I hope those poor guys are not of a mind that first impressions should be lasting ones. If they joined me for the rest of the round, they would find that I too make regular expeditions into the trees.

Golf teaches you a lot about yourself. You quickly find out if you possess patience or not. It is game that tests the male ego. Do I hit the ball on this side of the water or go for it? It is also game that requires a tremendous amount of concentration. Distracted golfers don’t play well. But most importantly golf reveals a lot about our level of confidence.

A book I read about the mental aspects of the game stresses the importance of hitting each shot as if the ball was going in the hole. In other words, don’t be satisfied with just getting the ball on the green. Don’t putt a 30 foot putt with the intent of just getting close to the hole. Plan on sinking that putt! Actually that author’s counsel actually led me to sink two chip shots over the past two seasons; one for an eagle and another one for a birdie.

Last year I could see that my golf game was reflective of the lack of confidence I felt in certain areas of my life. That was a healthy experience. I have really tried hard to address such concerns both on and off the golf course. It has made a huge difference. Consequently the visions of having to play by the Ft. Worth rule when aremore fleeting now. Why let such thinking rob us of our confidence? Why allow anyone or anything take our confidence away from us? /Why do we choose to allow ourselves to be intimidated?  It does make sense.  Excessive egotism will land a golf ball in the water trap, but heathy confidence makes for a fun game.
I do believe that has some life application!