The green is starting to show through the snow and I’m starting to dust off phrases like “f***ing come around” and “shanked that f***er”. It must almost be golf season.
Last year I made an effort to hit the course more. I wanted to bring it back into my life. When I was in high school I golfed all the time. Lanigan has a great little nine hole course. They still do. Go and check it out. But…life happened. I turned focus to my career and family. “Me time” dwindled and I put the clubs away.
Enter 2023. Life had been particularly stressful for me over the last few years. I needed something to get me away from everything now and then. Luckily, Evan and I were approached with “Whack Off Wednesday”. We would have the opportunity to golf Aspen Links with listeners once a week. Then, I moved out to that very course. I look out on it every morning. So, I decided to grab the clubs and go by myself once a week as well.
Golfing alone is daunting for some. Golf is a very social sport. I was the same. I thought “what kind of loser just goes and does 18 holes by themselves?”. This loser. And I love it. It’s nice to be anti-social sometimes. Going out and just sitting in silence between shots is great. I had a lot of time to reflect during those rounds. Afterward I would always feel a sense of clarity.
I saw a comparison between golf and yoga the other day. It’s true. Both take total concentration. Both can rob you of all ego. There is no faking you’re good at golf or yoga. It’s very humbling. You can have all the best equipment in the world, but it doesn’t matter when you shank one 3 holes over and have to grab your ball in front of another foursome wondering where the hell that shot came from.
You learn so much about you. Are you the type of person to go for it or lay up? Do you duff your approach shot after nailing a perfect drive? Do you crumble under pressure or thrive in it? Are you the guy with Smirnoff Ice in his golf bag waiting patiently?
I can’t wait to hit the course in a few short weeks. My game may not get any better, but at least my mind will..
-Chad