On any given day, I could not tell you which of my golf games is going to show up. I expect that my normal game of five over is the baseline that should make an appearance. Unfortunately, I could not tell you whether I will shoot over that or under that on any given day. Sometimes the elation of a great start is slowly eroded by a few poor swings. On other days, just the opposite happens. I never know when these shifts will occur or why for the sudden change. It is frustrating, but all part of my golf journey.
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Throwing Caution To The Wind
Kirk making an amazing shot out of a tough spot!
While playing golf, throwing caution to the wind is never a good strategy. Navigating the links takes thought and meticulous observation of the course conditions to score well. From the first time I tee it up to my final stroke, I zero in on the shot at hand. I stay focused for 4 hours and, in the end, I feel a sense of accomplishment that I achieved all my goals and left nothing on the course… Okay, wake up and grab your coffee! Of course, we all want the above to happen, yet it happens rarely. Now, for the real story! Continue reading
Day Three – Ontario Golf Regionals for the Military
Day Three of the Ontario Golf Regionals for the Military started of just great. For the third day in a row, it was a hot day with beautiful sunshine. Atypical for late September, we hit 29° C with very little wind. It was a bit hot for playing golf, but who is going to complain about a perfect day. As I stood on the first tee, I was mentally ready to play solid golf. So off we went! Continue reading
Day One – Ontario Golf Regionals for the Military
Day one of the Ontario Golf Regionals went as hoped. I played a strong round overall, but with mixed 9s. The course was set up to score and considering that it is late September, it is in fairly good shape. The only real challenge is the greens because they are playing slow and are a bit shaggy compared to earlier in the season. But we have to play the condition that is tournament golf. Continue reading
Perception is Reality in Golf
Golf is a funny game. No matter how well (or poorly) we play, there is always more to accomplish. How often have we shot a poor round, but felt that, regardless of the score, it was a good round. Conversely, shooting a low score, we sometimes feel that we left something out on the course.
You read about my recent adventures in Petawawa at a 54-hole golf tournament. After shooting 79 three days in a row, I felt really good about my score. I earned each 79 and although I could have shot a stroke or two lower each day, my perception is that it was three great rounds of golf. I walked away grateful for the results and felt like I contributed to our team win.
On the flip side, yesterday I shot an even par 72. It was smooth and easy. I was not in trouble at any time, my swing was under control and my short game was pretty good. However, my putting was off and on. I know that sounds weird considering my score, but I did not feel comfortable over the ball for about half my putts. The most frustrating aspect about the round was the two easy putts I missed. One was a three-footer for par and one was 18 inches for birdie.
The birdie putt was the most disappointing. If I would have sunk this 18-inch putt on the 16th hole, I would have been even par heading into 17 and 18. Normally, I birdie one of these two holes (par 3 and par 5 respectively) and yesterday was no different. I birdied the par 5 to end up even par.
As a result, I left the 18th green with the perception that I could have been under par for the first time this year! This perception translated to being slightly disappointed with my even par 72.
Before everyone starts ordering me a straight jacket because they think I am crazy, I am trying to illustrate that perception is a person’s reality. An outsider looking in would not see or think the same way as me, but they are not the ones walking in my shoes. For clarification, my disappointment was very short-lived and I am extremely happy with my final score.
The caboose to this train of thought is that: in golf, perception is reality! You have heard me talk about remaining positive as much as possible through previous articles and the reason is to shape my perception to form a positive reality. If I constantly perceive positive aspects about my golf game, then my positive reality equates to positive things on the links.
I believe that the power of positive thought is a game changer in golf and it works for me. It is all a matter of perspective!
I am grateful golfer! See you on the links!
The Grateful Golfer 