My uncle Dave is a great golfer in California, who taught me to play when I was young.
In golf, you meet lot of characters. Here’s a snapshot of three I can remember:
- My late nana. Nana played for years, and in her 70’s, she still had a fire in her belly. If she missed a shot, you would sometimes see her come flying around the corner in her golf cart towards the ball, skidding out with the rear wheels. Nana used to take the emotional charge of the golf shot, and apply it to her driving.
- My friend Richard. Richard was fun, but volatile. When he screwed up a shot, you could see him start to churn inside, and sometimes he would storm off, or suddenly drive his ball from the side of the green over the highway, and quit the round. Richard let emotional charge of a bad shot fuel him to break the rules of the game.
- My uncle Dave. Calm, considerate, and careful. An ex-gymnast and now scratch golfer, Dave walked the course with me, and while he cared immensely for the game, each shot (even a “terrible” one for him) didn’t seem to have an impact on the next.
Nana had played the longest. Richard was the youngest, and strongest, but Dave had an emotional posture that could actually work with the game to help him get better.
Dave’s attitude isn’t this way because he’s practiced the game and gotten good.
His attitude is this way because he’s practiced his attitude.
And alongside this, he developed a great game.
