GOLF IS YOUR GAME-- MAKE IT WHAT YOU WANT IT TO BE: Its Very Hard To Learn And Get Good At It

     Its time.  I'm going to get my clubs and shoes and put them in the car.  The golf course is not that far away. I'm excited because I am going to play golf today and shoot a two under par 70--right.  Now comes the truth.  I can't play today as I have a busy day scheduled slaving away here at the computer.  This blog won't get written for next week and I have some stuff I have to do to update the website.  That's the first thing.  The second thing is that there is no way I will ever shoot two under par.  I'm not being negative, its just a fact. I am not built to shoot two under and I am just being realistic.  However, when I do play, I know I am going to have a ball playing.  I always do. That my friend, is the important part.  Whenever I go out I enjoy playing no matter how I play.
     Many critics of the game say that it just takes too long to get good at it and that the game is very hard to learn.  So is Monopoly or chess, but we still play those games.  How many of you don't play Monopoly or checkers because the rules are too complex and it takes too long to get good at the game. I occasionally play poker and am still learning the rules of Texas Hold-Em. I still play, although it has been a drain on my bank account. I don't know what my wife is going to do with all that money.
     How many of you play baseball or softball? Can you field a ground ball like Brandon Crawford or hit a home run like Buster Posey--OK, I'm a Giant fan, what can you say?  Do you play softball? Can you play high level fast pitch or do you play church league.  You play the game not because you are good at it--although many of you are--but because you love the game.  Maybe this is a news flash for you but we all play to different levels depending on skill and ability.  How good you are depends on how good you want to be and your abilities, but if you don't ever get good at golf you shouldn't let that stand in your way of enjoying the game and playing it.
     Yes the game is hard to "master"--no pun intended. Yes it is a hard game, but you also have to remember that you are never EVER perfect in golf.  There just is no such thing. Remember what Baggar Vance said, "Golf is a game that is meant to be played.  You never can win."  That is so important. You play the game to play it, you can never beat it. There is always something to learn, but it just takes time and playing the game.
      It may be helpful to think about this.  Try not to concentrate on your performance--your score and how you are playing--and focus more on the process of playing the game. Like most sports, if you concentrate on the process of the game, that is playing the game and having fun the performance part of the game or score will follow along. As I have written in past posts, the choice is up to you.
     Enjoy the game where you are at.  You can make the choice of getting better or not.  That is up to you.  Yes, getting good at this game takes a while but the rewards are there.  Even if you play poorly, you can still enjoy the game. Its all a matter of perspective.  It takes time and playing.  I have another news flash for you.  You may never get as good as you want to. That's OK too.  The bottom line is, enjoy the game you have and over time that game will get better.
     If you played baseball or softball, do you remember T-ball?  Yep, you didn't start playing in the friendly confines of AT&T park and you certainly wouldn't lower yourself to play in Dodger Stadium.  You started playing T-ball in order to learn the fundamentals of the game. The same is true in golf.  You don't have to start playing the big course.  Why not go to an executive par 3 course to hone your skills and then move up to the regulation course.  Another alternative is to play the regulation course from 150 yards out or at a distance that is comfortable?  Why not tee up each shot until you feel comfortable hitting the ball off the ground.  These are all modifications that a new golfer can make to enjoy the game more.
     Simplify the game and make it easier for you and as your skills progress, try hitting the ball off the ground.  Oh, and why should you take ten putts on the green?  Try a long putt and then a short putt from about three feet and limit your putts to three.  You will get the hang of putting.  In and case, don't beat yourself up when you first start.  Your goal should be to get better and more importantly enjoy the game.
     If you want to get better in this game, at some point take a lesson from a PGA or LPGA professional. they can diagnose your game and tell you what y you need to improve on. Remember to that practice is important to improving.  The game is not hard, as long as you keep it in perspective.  It takes time and there is a lot to learn.  I haven't learned all there is to learn in golf and I have been playing golf for more than forty five years.  That one of the challenges and fun parts of the game. Enjoy the game and have fun.

The range is a great place to work on your game.  I'm sure the PGA or LPGA pro will help you.