It’s been a while since I last wrote, predominantly due to a fairly consistent failure to play. Nobody’s fault but my own.
Looking back at the Summer of 2021 I seldom visited the first tee. But I practiced a lot. I’ve hit every ball in the range dispenser several times and worn tracks into the practice green. If I were to attempt to rationalize the lack of tee-to-green I would highlight the time required to put a card together vice a lunch-hour hit-and-run at the range. However I think the honest truth is that a phobia of the course has developed over time - my drive to achieve a low handicap has actually resulted in me avoiding the very thing I need to complete the cards required. In the RAF this is known as becoming “Ground Happy”; a protracted period without flying leading to anxiety at the thought of the next trip. If I am ground happy my own terra-firma is a 10 square foot piece of Astroturf where countless swings are made without pressure or consequence. On the range bad shots are easily forgotten and you never lose a ball.
In hindsight I think the driver (forgive the pun) has been striving for excellence at the cost of enjoyment. I’ve been so committed to a first handicap I can brag about that I've forgotten the very reason we play golf - for fun. (PGA Tour players not included)
So, Plan B. Actually 3 x Plan Bs;
Balance time at the range with time actually playing.
Cease trading in equipment and invest in more lessons.
Manage expectations. I have a full-time job, a family + dog. I’m going to try and enjoy golf regardless of the score.
I’m going to attempt to write more. To focus now on the balance of the essential vice the desirable, both in golf but also in life. Scratch golf will remain the quest but it’s time to go back to what’s important in life in a much wider sense.
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