the course I came home cursing and throwing my equipment into the garage.

My son was almost four years old at the time was playing in the yard and rushed to see what all the commotion was about.

"Are you mad, Daddy?" he asked.

"Yeah, I played golf today, and I didn't do very well."

He looked at me quizzically.

"Did you have fun?"

I laughed.

"N

Don't let a bad start to a round of golf define your whole day on the course.

Too often when we get off to a rocky start the rest of our round is shot. We become our own worst enemy and create a doomful sense of self-fulfilling prophecy.

But does one hole define another? If one hole didn't go as planned, does that necessarily mean more will follow?

Chances are there will a domino effect, and the whole round will come cascading down. But, does it have to be that way?

Have you struggled through a round, determined to get control of all that's gone bad, and then suddenly at some point said, "Ah, to hell with it. I'm just going to shoot my shots and have some fun."

If you're like me, letting go of this attempted form of control can have a liberating effect on your round of golf. Not only are you enjoying yourself more, but you play better golf as well. Odd, isn't it? But it happens.

We are so result driven that we often forget to learn. We have in our minds the perfect golf swing and an idea of the perfect result it should achieve. When that doesn't happen the negative inner dialogue begins. With that comes a lot of trouble.

Personally speaking, I used to one of those golfers that was score and result driven. That was my priority while playing golf. And, I was miserable playing, but I was also determined I was going to better. I was going to achieve that place in my mind of being a 'good' golfer. That's how I was defining my time on the course.

Once after a particularly rotten day on the course I came home cursing and throwing my equipment into the garage.

My son was almost four years old at the time was playing in the yard and rushed to see what all the commotion was about.

"Are you mad, Daddy?" he asked.

"Yeah, I played golf today, and I didn't do very well."

He looked at me quizzically.

"Did you have fun?"

I laughed.

"No

ill a domino effect, and the whole round will come cascading down. But, does it have to be that way?

Have you struggled through a round, determined to get control of all that's gone bad, and then suddenly at some point said, "Ah, to hell with it. I'm just going to shoot my shots and have some fun."

If you're like me, letting go of this attempted form of control can have a liberating effect on your round of golf. Not only are you enjoying yourself more, but you play better golf as well. Odd, isn't it? But it happens.

We are so result driven that we often forget to learn. We have in our minds the perfect golf swing and an idea of the perfect result it should achieve. When that doesn't happen the negative inner dialogue begins. With that comes a lot of trouble.

Personally speaking, I used to one of those golfers that was score and result driven. That was my priority while playing golf. And, I was miserable playing, but I was also determined I was going to better. I was going to achieve that place in my mind of being a 'good' golfer. That's how I was defining my time on the course.

Once after a particularly rotten day on the course I came home cursing and throwing my equipment into the garage.

My son was almost four years old at the time was playing in the yard and rushed to see what all the commotion was about.

"Are you mad, Daddy?" he asked.

"Yeah, I played golf today, and I didn't do very well."

He looked at me quizzically.

"Did you have fun?"

I laughed.

"N

iberating effect on your round of golf. Not only are you enjoying yourself more, but you play better golf as well. Odd, isn't it? But it happens.

We are so result driven that we often forget to learn. We have in our minds the perfect golf swing and an idea of the perfect result it should achieve. When that doesn't happen the negative inner dialogue begins. With that comes a lot of trouble.

Personally speaking, I used to one of those golfers that was score and result driven. That was my priority while playing golf. And, I was miserable playing, but I was also determined I was going to better. I was going to achieve that place in my mind of being a 'good' golfer. That's how I was defining my time on the course.

Once after a particularly rotten day on the course I came home cursing and throwing my equipment into the garage.

My son was almost four years old at the time was playing in the yard and rushed to see what all the commotion was about.

"Are you mad, Daddy?" he asked.

"Yeah, I played golf today, and I didn't do very well."

He looked at me quizzically.

"Did you have fun?"

I laughed.

"N

f trouble.

Personally speaking, I used to one of those golfers that was score and result driven. That was my priority while playing golf. And, I was miserable playing, but I was also determined I was going to better. I was going to achieve that place in my mind of being a 'good' golfer. That's how I was defining my time on the course.

Once after a particularly rotten day on the course I came home cursing and throwing my equipment into the garage.

My son was almost four years old at the time was playing in the yard and rushed to see what all the commotion was about.

"Are you mad, Daddy?" he asked.

"Yeah, I played golf today, and I didn't do very well."

He looked at me quizzically.

"Did you have fun?"

I laughed.

"N

the course I came home cursing and throwing my equipment into the garage.

My son was almost four years old at the time was playing in the yard and rushed to see what all the commotion was about.

"Are you mad, Daddy?" he asked.

"Yeah, I played golf today, and I didn't do very well."

He looked at me quizzically.

"Did you have fun?"

I laughed.

"Nope. Not today, I sure didn't."

More quizzical looks came my way.

"Daddy, if you don't fun, why do you play?"

That simple question from a four-year-old boy stuck with me a long time.

Why was I playing? I had reached a plateau, and I wasn't getting any better. Playing golf and become a practice in frustration.

It was then I made a commitment to attempt to enjoy my time on the course more or to quit and do something else with my time.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, I'd strongly recommend you do the same. Stop worrying so much about your score or the result you want. Make it your goal to enjoy your time on the course more, to learn no matter what transpires.

You just might be surprised at all that begins to unfold, both on the golf course and inside of you.