Consolation of Golf
“Hey Coach!” I yelled across the driving range, to my coach sitting in his golf cart. Coach was still oblivious to the crisis I endured on the course during our practice round the day before.
“What?” he responded, disregarding the panic in my voice.
“I lost all my golf balls yesterday!”
“Just grab a box from the bus.” he said. Gesturing towards the bus in the parking lot.
I walked towards the bus with my head held down in shame and utter despair. After my well deserved walk of shame, I finally reached the bus. “Where are they?” I asked.
“Over here!” yelled a muffled male voice.
“Huh? What was that?” I replied in astonishment.
“I’m over here!” The annoyed voice answered.
I realized the voice was coming from a box that had fallen under one of the rows of seats. I reached down and picked up the box, when I opened the box I noticed that one of the balls on top was unbranded. When I picked up the ball, a face appeared on it and the voice said “took you long enough”.
“AHH! Sweet baby llamas” I screamed. “The golf ball is talking! Why are you talking?” I asked it.
“Well, why wouldn’t I talk?” replied the ball in a sarcastic tone.
“I do not have time to deal with a talking golf ball right now!” I said as I shoved the ball into my back pocket.
I left the bus, confused about both my golf game and the talking golf ball. I knew I had to start my round but now I had to deal with both a terrible swing and the fact that I was going insane. I had no business being on the golf course, clearly I was losing my mind. I had no idea how I was going to be able to focus on my round now. Although, I was in the middle of an existential crisis, I grabbed my driver and prepared to tee off on the first hole.
With my team watching, I felt my heart racing, as if I was running from a clown. My hands began to sweat, as if I was on the standing on the surface of the sun. I set up to the ball and swung. Completely missing the ball, sending my club flying uncontrollably behind me.
I was dying of embarrassment. Trying to hide my tears, “forget it” I said “I’m never golfing again”.
“Hey, is that what Jones said during the 1930 Open tournament?” asked the golf ball in my pocket. I grabbed it and looked at the face that appeared again.
“What?” I sniffled.
“When Jones was playing in the 1930 Open, he had a quadruple bogey on the 15th hole and he shot his worst score ever. But did he just give up? No, even in his failure, he kept playing and improved.” he said, in a soft tone.
“I’m not Bobby Jones. I’m just me!” I cried.
“You can’t just give up. As bad as you feel now you would feel even worse if you just quit.” he told me. “I can help you but you have to be willing to keep trying.”
“Okay, I’ll try” I said, wiping away my tears.
“Go back to the tee box and just focus on the fairway, nothing else.”
“Alright” I responded and I turned towards the tee box.
I walked back to the tee box with my driver and my talking golf ball. As I teed up my ball, I started to feel anxious again, but I heard the voice,”Focus on the fairway, forget about everything else.” I stepped back and gazed out toward the hole, my heart’s pace returned to a calm level. I felt as if I was standing in a field all alone and as if these people watching me disappeared. I heard the voice telling me to feel the grip of the club in my hands and to focus on being one with it. I felt at peace for once and my mind was finally calm, I stepped up to the ball and swung.
The ball flew for what seemed like an eternity, “wow!” I exclaimed.
That was my first good golf shot in months and it felt amazing. I jumped on the cart and drove up to where my ball had stopped. “How did you do that?” I asked.
“I didn’t do anything, that was all you” he replied.
“Me? What did I do?” I asked confusedly.
“The strongest people are those who can keep pushing, even when all seems helpless. Keep working and there won’t be anything you cannot accomplish” he told me.
“I still don’t understand”
“Golf is a game played in the distance between your ears. You have to be ready mentally to perform physically” he exclaimed.
“So, if I want to golf well, I have to think well?” I asked.
“Exactly. You swing your best when you think less. Center yourself in the moment and just have fun. Always remember, no matter what happens if you start a hole, finish it.”
“Then let’s finish this hole” I said.
I grabbed my pitching wedge, mentally stepped into my field and prepared myself. I took my practice swing and felt like it was the smoothest swing since Walter Hagen played. I set up to hit my ball, “Let’s do this” I smiled.
“What?” he responded, disregarding the panic in my voice.
“I lost all my golf balls yesterday!”
“Just grab a box from the bus.” he said. Gesturing towards the bus in the parking lot.
I walked towards the bus with my head held down in shame and utter despair. After my well deserved walk of shame, I finally reached the bus. “Where are they?” I asked.
“Over here!” yelled a muffled male voice.
“Huh? What was that?” I replied in astonishment.
“I’m over here!” The annoyed voice answered.
I realized the voice was coming from a box that had fallen under one of the rows of seats. I reached down and picked up the box, when I opened the box I noticed that one of the balls on top was unbranded. When I picked up the ball, a face appeared on it and the voice said “took you long enough”.
“AHH! Sweet baby llamas” I screamed. “The golf ball is talking! Why are you talking?” I asked it.
“Well, why wouldn’t I talk?” replied the ball in a sarcastic tone.
“I do not have time to deal with a talking golf ball right now!” I said as I shoved the ball into my back pocket.
I left the bus, confused about both my golf game and the talking golf ball. I knew I had to start my round but now I had to deal with both a terrible swing and the fact that I was going insane. I had no business being on the golf course, clearly I was losing my mind. I had no idea how I was going to be able to focus on my round now. Although, I was in the middle of an existential crisis, I grabbed my driver and prepared to tee off on the first hole.
With my team watching, I felt my heart racing, as if I was running from a clown. My hands began to sweat, as if I was on the standing on the surface of the sun. I set up to the ball and swung. Completely missing the ball, sending my club flying uncontrollably behind me.
I was dying of embarrassment. Trying to hide my tears, “forget it” I said “I’m never golfing again”.
“Hey, is that what Jones said during the 1930 Open tournament?” asked the golf ball in my pocket. I grabbed it and looked at the face that appeared again.
“What?” I sniffled.
“When Jones was playing in the 1930 Open, he had a quadruple bogey on the 15th hole and he shot his worst score ever. But did he just give up? No, even in his failure, he kept playing and improved.” he said, in a soft tone.
“I’m not Bobby Jones. I’m just me!” I cried.
“You can’t just give up. As bad as you feel now you would feel even worse if you just quit.” he told me. “I can help you but you have to be willing to keep trying.”
“Okay, I’ll try” I said, wiping away my tears.
“Go back to the tee box and just focus on the fairway, nothing else.”
“Alright” I responded and I turned towards the tee box.
I walked back to the tee box with my driver and my talking golf ball. As I teed up my ball, I started to feel anxious again, but I heard the voice,”Focus on the fairway, forget about everything else.” I stepped back and gazed out toward the hole, my heart’s pace returned to a calm level. I felt as if I was standing in a field all alone and as if these people watching me disappeared. I heard the voice telling me to feel the grip of the club in my hands and to focus on being one with it. I felt at peace for once and my mind was finally calm, I stepped up to the ball and swung.
The ball flew for what seemed like an eternity, “wow!” I exclaimed.
That was my first good golf shot in months and it felt amazing. I jumped on the cart and drove up to where my ball had stopped. “How did you do that?” I asked.
“I didn’t do anything, that was all you” he replied.
“Me? What did I do?” I asked confusedly.
“The strongest people are those who can keep pushing, even when all seems helpless. Keep working and there won’t be anything you cannot accomplish” he told me.
“I still don’t understand”
“Golf is a game played in the distance between your ears. You have to be ready mentally to perform physically” he exclaimed.
“So, if I want to golf well, I have to think well?” I asked.
“Exactly. You swing your best when you think less. Center yourself in the moment and just have fun. Always remember, no matter what happens if you start a hole, finish it.”
“Then let’s finish this hole” I said.
I grabbed my pitching wedge, mentally stepped into my field and prepared myself. I took my practice swing and felt like it was the smoothest swing since Walter Hagen played. I set up to hit my ball, “Let’s do this” I smiled.
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