Waiting our turn to tee off, Tom and I watched as our friend Tom A., dribbled his third drive right into the Barranca bushes about 6 feet in front of us. I started to giggle as he threw down his club and started swearing ,face red. Tom S. yelled at him, “It’s just a game!” Tom A. turned and shouted “Golf is not a game it’s a metaphor for life!”
But think about it and he’s right. Both golf and life are full of strife.
You stand at the tee, take your swing and hope for the best. When all of a sudden your ball heads way west. Go north, go north you shout but it seems your ball doesn’t want that route. It’s the grip, the stance, head down, follow through. If you get those right, your balls flies north for you. Which mistake did I make or did I make them all? Forget it, don’t think the experts say, but thinking I’m doing on this day. Golf and life require some luck, so when that Westward ball comes, prepare to duck.
For golf is just like life in every way. Ups and downs, failure, success. Usually life is a great big mess. You move to places you would not have gone, and sometimes these places can be all wrong. You went West instead of North, or South instead of East. But you strive to make the best of it at least. Things will get better your Mother said and she was right. You get that break, full steam ahead, success fully in sight.
In golf a 4 putt, there is nothing worse. Standing over that putt, hands shaking, thinking, just do away with me now, send out for the hearse. In life, 4 putts happen all the time, it does you no good to moan and whine. So get up on that tee, take a big full swing, then watch your life and your ball really take wing.
