Golf, my friends, is often seen as a leisurely pursuit for the well-heeled. A game of country club cocktails and pastel sweaters with Buffy and Trip, or beer-chugging, cargo shorts and hats worn backwards with Willie, Karla, and Mack. But let’s peel back the layers of this green-jacketed onion, shall we? Golf is a brutal, unforgiving mistress that requires a mental toughness akin to a Navy SEAL and the physical dexterity of a ballerina. It’s a full-body workout for your mind, your soul, and yes, even your glutes. Like life, it is a three-legged stool of the physical, mental, and emotional with only the first two really addressed in the hundreds of years playing
Beyond the obvious physical benefits – the walking, the swinging, the occasional rage-induced sprint after a wayward ball – golf is a masterclass in mindfulness. Every shot is a meditation in patience, focus, and acceptance — and allowance. You’re out there, alone with your thoughts and a tiny white ball. It’s like therapy, but with better scenery. And being in nature, if you’ve traveled and played a bit, the list of wild life you’ve seen might impress a zoo keeper. Mine has included grizzly, wild elephants, black panthers, a large mountain lion, nasty wild pigs, a host of gators, snakes, and birds, and being attacked by a crow on a course not more than half a mile from where I grew up.
Now, don’t get me wrong, golf can be a frustrating game. You’ll shank balls into oblivion, three-putt more often than you’d like, and have moments when you question your life choices. But it’s in these moments of adversity that we truly discover our resilience. Golf is a mirror to the soul, reflecting our strengths, weaknesses, and our ability to bounce back. It is a game of etiquette, rules, and manners that, like society, are changing.
Think about it. Have you ever stood over a putt, heart pounding, palms sweating, and felt a sense of calm wash over you just as you struck the ball? Worse yet may be that first tee shot. Who is watching and will you impress or be embarrassed? That, my friends, is mindfulness in action. Or perhaps you’ve experienced the zen-like state of being fully present, so absorbed in the rhythm of your swing that the rest of the world fades away. That’s golf’s gift to your mind though it seldom happens.
Yes, golf is a humbling game that strips you of your ego, no matter if your name is Nicklaus or Woods. Incredible athletes of other venues are made to appear as clumsy fools while titans of society flail feverishly. It is a game predicated on honor that will build character given time or reveal the lack of it in an instant. You call your own balls and strikes with a plethora of rules most “experts” don’t even fully comprehend. One day you’ve found the secret to success and the next round you’ve been exposed a fool.
Yes, golf is that cruel mistress, and always so tempting. Why do so many quit the game only to return a week or two later? How many partners and children have wondered where you went? Their only choice is to join you, which can make for wonderful bonding … and exhaust an entire day and a good chunk of your savings.
Perhaps the endearing part of golf is the easy ability to get to know others and make friends. Playing a round of golf is the best way to interview someone for the most critical positions or screen a possible romantic partner. You learn more about someone in four to five hours on the course than you would in a series or tests or interview, or six months of dating.
You never know what a round of golf will bring you. I have witnessed club pros throw temper tantrums, brothers fist fight, a bartender shoot a course record, high office-holders and judges cheating, and a chubby, little twelve-year old outhit and outscore me when I was playing better than scratch. Golf has a way of bringing out the stupid in some of the smartest. First, alcohol and golf carts don’t mix. They spell “fatality.” Then there was a modest Montgomery County, Pa. judge, a proper senior who thoughtfully stood behind a tree at a prestigious Philadelphia country club. He had to relieve himself. He turned away from his companions to carefully expose himself, but in a total fog did not realize that he was fully facing a three-car train full of commuters loudly going down the tracks not more than twenty-five yard away. And yes, he was sober. (And the list could go on and on … and on.)
So, the next time you’re out there, struggling to find your ball in the rough or cursing your wayward drive, remember: it’s not just about lowering your score. It’s about improving your mental game, finding balance, and connecting with nature. Enjoying life. Whether your game, the challenge of the course, the weather, ground conditions, or the unpredictable, the golf experience is always uniquely interesting. Golf, like life, is a journey, not a destination. And like any good journey, it’s the experiences along the way that truly matter.
