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Play
alone at sunrise while sipping a steaming cuppa
joe. Notice the pink sky, feel the crisp
morning air, trace the line the ball makes as it
rolls across the dewy green, Exhale.
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A
golf lesson is like a Rodney Dangerfield monologue:
you're laughing the whole time, but when it's over
you can barely remember the joke! So keep a
notebook in your bag and jot down the golden tips.
Refer to them in times of need, like when you shank
the ball off the first tee.
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Wear
loud golf pants at least once! They are a great
reminder not to take the game ... or yourself ...
too seriously.
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Adopt
this two-word mantra for happiness: comfy shoes.
If you own golf shoes you truly love, treat them
with TLC and buy an identical pair for safe-keeping.
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Read
"The Magic Plus Fours" and other short
stories in P.G. Wodehouse's The Heart of a Goof,
a lyrical, humorous look at golf. For
inspiration, curl up with Mona Vold's Different
Strokes: The Lives and Teachings of the Games Wisest
Women and learn about pioneers such as Ellen
Griffin, Wiffi Smith and Pat Lange.
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Ditch
the golf cart and walk. One step as a
time, you'll gain a more intimate appreciation of
each fairway's luscious curves ... and you'll get
fitter, too!
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Practice
your putting while watching reruns of The
West wing. A great pair of stroke perfectors: The
Cameron Cube
(www.scottycameron.com)
which helps you groove a smooth back-and-through
motion, and the very retro Birdie
Deluxe Putting Center
(www.dwquailgolf.com),
which includes an 8 foot strip of "green"
and a gizmo that kicks your ball back to you.
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Indulge
yourself. Every once in a while, don't look for
your out-of-bounds ball. Just drop another
one and keep moving. Chances are, you'll pick up an
extra ball along the way the way.
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Pick
an LPGA Tour player and root for her.
Look up her scores in the fine print on the sports
pages, or follow her progress on www.lpga.com.
Toast her great rounds, and if she has a bad one (or
two), pull for her to play better next tournament.
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Hit
a few backyard pitch shots in your bathrobe before
breakfast. Think of the excitement of
being spied on by curious neighbours, and never mind
what they think. (Note: If they're fellow
golfers ... they'll understand)
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Be
the movie. Rent Caddyshack. Buy
a big box of Raisinettes. Pop some popcorn.
Need we say more?
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Hire
a caddie and take his or her advice on every hole.
Remember as much as you possibly can. Tip well.
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Take
your shoes of after the first hole and play
barefoot. There's nothing like wiggling your
toes around on a patch of cool grass. It makes
you feel more connected to the turf and opens your
senses; you smell more, see more, feel more.
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Bag
the numbers. Play 18 and don't keep score.
Revel in your swings. Laugh at your mistakes. Use
your imagination. Enjoy the freedom of golf without
numerical consequences.
-
Attend
a pro tournament, walk the course alongside the
pros and marvel at how easy they make the swing ...
and the entire game ... look! For schedules
and ticket info visit www.lpga.com or
www.pgatour.com
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Gather
your favorite foursome and write your own rules for
a round: Play the entire 18 from the 150 yard
mark on each hole so you can work on your short
game. There's nothing like changes to help you see
the game differently.
-
Remember,
less is more. Work on only one part of your
game at a time. That's what LPGA pioneer
and physics whiz Betsy Rawls did. Her teacher,
Harvey Penick, recalls in his Little Red Book,
"If a Phi Beta Kappa and talented golfer like
Betsy can't concentrate on more than two things at
once, what chance does the ordinary golfer
have?"
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Find
a home course, get to know the staff and talk
with them while scheduling a tee time or just
hanging around the pro shop. Nothing beats simpatico
buddies who share your love of the game. Need
inspiration? Watch a few Cheers reruns.
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Partner
with a youth. Kids have a intuitive sense of
fun, and their simple approach brings the game back
to its elementary hit-it-chase-it-hit-it-again
essence. You can also share a kid's deep
appreciation for a chocolate bar at the turn.
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Talk
to your ball. After hitting a good shot, shout,
"Thank You!" Eccentric behavior
keeps the game positive, and if you're lucky, you'll
win over the golf gods (that's who you're really
thanking, right?).
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Have
faith in yourself. Use a new ball on a tee
shot over water. And if it ends up in the drink,
know you've made some discriminating fish happy.
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Hit
a bucket of range balls at twilight. When you
finish, head up to the clubhouse deck to watch the
sunset with an icy-cold libation in hand.
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Remember
the one really good line from the really bad movie Tin
Cup: "Sex and golf are the two things
you can enjoy even if you're not good at them."
