Yesterday’s round has to fall into the category of frustrating. Part of the reason was that I played mediocre and the rest was purely the pace of play. I realize that if this is might seem like small potatoes, but there is a rhythm to my game and yesterday’s 4 hours and 45 minutes crushed any chance I had to develop any momentum. I found myself being overly frustrated with my many poor shots and could do nothing to change my mental approach to my game. But wait, there is much more!

Actually, I was about to go through a very long diatribe about what was wrong with my round, but that goes against The Grateful Golfer. So, I am going to change direction by doing an about face and talk about what was wonderful about my round.

First, Rick, Blair and I were teamed up with Mark. He was a retired police officer who was taking advantage of the bright and sunny day. We were lucky to have him join us because he fit right in with his easy approach to golf. He was a long ball hitter who calmly hit good shot after good shot. When he did hit a poor shot, his reaction was calm and relaxed. He was great to talk to and he really opened my eyes at the stressors that police officers face. I found our discussions very interesting and at the end I thanked him for his service.

The course was in fantastic shape. The greens were quick and receptive so, it made my approach shots fun and challenging. I hit a mix bag of irons, but did have 9 putts for birdie. I had for real chances and made one of those….on the 18th hole. My game was okay and I ended up shooting a 79, but felt that I my score could have went higher or lower. This part of my day was the frustrating part because I could not do anything to change my direction.

Lastly, as I was playing, I realized that golf is still my passion and even though it was hot and slow, I had a great time. I hit some good shots that reaffirmed that I love this sport. I think the best part of the day was hanging with my friends. It is always great to chat with them and enjoy the moment. So, I hope my start did not through you off, but I needed to reaffirm that I am a grateful golfer regardless of my time on the links unfolds.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!