“Learn about yourself and your golf game. Remember, Spring is the time of the year to be enlightened.”
-- Professional golfer and commentator Gary McCord (B. 1948)
Spring is officially here. It started on March 20th here in Kansas City at 4:01 a.m. I was ready for green – leaves, grass, flowers. And now I need to get mentally ready for golf. Despite the fact that my home course is going through a renovation this year and I will be a golfing nomad for the next 14 or 15 months, golf is golf regardless of where you are playing. You hit the ball, find the ball and keep going until it is in the hole. It’s the “keep going until …” that can result in a mental breakdown and severe depression.
Golf is a forever journey that will always have its highs and lows. The goal is not to eliminate the lows but to limit them. That’s why you must go into each season in the right frame of mind. As author and humorist Robert Orben (1927 – 2023) said, “Spring is God's way of saying, 'One more time!'”
That’s the spirit I need to go into this season with. I need to be positive and learn how to accept a few mind-boggling decisions and bad bounces. Afterall, as 1969 Masters winner George Archer (1939 to 2005) said, “Golf is a game you can never get too good at. You can improve, but you can never get to where you master the game.”
Below are a few more quotes that I hope will keep me in the right frame of mind this year.
“Don’t hurry. Don’t worry. You’re only here for a short visit. So don’t forget to stop and smell the roses.” – Walter Hagen (1892 to 1969), who won 11 Majors (U.S. Open: 1914, ‘19; The Open Championship: 1922, ‘24, ‘28, ’29; PGA Championship: 1921, ‘24, ‘25, ‘26, ‘27).
“Don’t let the bad shot get to you. Don’t let yourself become angry. The true scramblers are thick-skinned. And they always beat the whiners.” -- Paul Runyan (1908 to 2002), winner of two PGA Championships.
“You can will something to happen with your body, with your mind. The mind is that strong. You can say, ‘I want to get this close to the hole.’ That’s where the mind comes in. The mind has to produce positive thinking. All the great players do that. – “Lord” Byron Nelson (1912 – 2006), winner of five Majors – Masters, 1937& 1942; U.S. Open, 1939; PGA 1940 & 1945. In 1945, he won 18 of 30 tournaments, including 11 consecutively.
“You can't catch a fish unless you keep your line in the water. You have to be patient. A cold wind can be blowing and ice can be forming on your eyebrows, but you have to keep at it.” – Sam Snead (1912 – 2002), winner of seven Majors. His 82 PGA Tour victories are tied for 1st all-time with Tiger Woods.
“A buoyant, positive approach to the game is as basic as a sound swing.” – “Champagne” Tony Lema (1934 – 1966), who won The Open Championship at the Old Course in 1964 at St Andrews.
Advice to seniors: “Don’t become a grouch on the golf course – your bad shots will bother you too much, and you won’t play well. Instead, enjoy your golf, have fun. You’ll play better.” – Nine-time Major winner Gary Player (Born 1935)
“A bad attitude is worse than a bad swing.” – Payne Stewart (1957 – 1999), who won three Majors.
“Let your attitude determine your golf game. Don’t let your golf game determine your attitude.” – Davis Love III (Born 1964), winner of 21 PGA Tour tournaments, including the 1997 PGA at Winged Foot GC (West Course).
And don’t ever forget what Harry Vardon (1870 to 1937), winner of six Open Championships and the 1900 U.S. Open, said,“The true value of golf lies in the friendships it creates and the memories it leaves behind.”
Play Happy!
The CommitteePhoto Credits:
Spring Flower by kindphotos on Depositphotos.
Walter Hagen card – public domain.
Payne Stewart by proshooter on Depositphotos
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