Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Thoughts for a Young Golfer (or actually thoughts for everyone)

Dear High School Golf Team,

We're proud that you've taken the step to represent your school as a member of your golf team and welcome to Lake Michigan Hills Golf Club.  I hope you appreciate our hospitality and don't waste this precious opportunity. Many others who love to play don't have this chance that you've been given so don't blow it.

You have a short season here in Michigan and a little more than sixty days to give it your best and I hope you do just that.  Just because you don't have a scheduled practice doesn't mean you're not welcome to practice here during your golf season during the slower times of the day.  In fact, I expect you to be here.  And when you're game is not going well, I will take the time to help you for a few minutes so you can get your game on track.  It's always been my policy to do so since my very first day as a golf professional.

I only ask a few things in return for our hospitality.  The first is that after a round when you're asked "How did you play?", please don't respond with your head hanging down that I played bad.  Even after a less than desired round, always say something along the lines of "I didn't play my best, but I never quit trying hard until the last putt" and do it with your head held up high. I once shot my two worst rounds back to back in a club championship and finished dead last and an experienced pro told me "It takes a lot more character to turn in the high scores that I did with my head held up high than the time when I shot my best tournament round ever!"  Don't forget, I am always around the club and will make time to help you out.

The other thing is that you make no excuses.  Accept bad shots.  In winning the tournament at Bay Hill this past weekend, Tiger Woods snap hooked a ball so far out of bounds it almost made it into a backyard swimming pool.  If he can hit a shot this bad, shot, any of us who aren't on tour better be ready to hit some less than perfect.  Also, whenever you are offered help, never tell me that you can't do something.  I'll never ask you to do something that you're physically incapable of or try something that would take you a long time to learn in the middle of the golf season.  I usually interpret "I can't" as "I won't".

Most importantly, when you're asked if you practiced over the weekend or on Spring break, please don't respond with I didn't have time.  "I didn't have time" usually translate to I chose to do something else.  Your expectations of your game should only be equal to the amount of time well spent that you have invested.

Guys, the reason I'm asking that you do this for just a little more than the next sixty days and give it your best is so that no matter how the team finishes, you can hold your heads high and say we gave it our best and like they say it the football movies "we left it all out on the field!"  This will make you a true winner.  It may sound like I'm quite demanding, but truth be told Life in general is so much more demanding.  If you can follow these simple requests for the next sixty days, my hope is that you'll develop a habit that you will carry on in every other aspect of life from today until well past the day you graduate from high school.  So, for the next 60 days use your opportunity here to develop habits that will make you a winner in the game of life.