Eye on the Birdie – Post #3 Knowing Your Limits

Hello! I have some great news! The 16th was the first high school Junior Varsity tournament. It was a two-person scramble (meaning two people hit, and both people play from wherever the best shot lands), and my partner and I came in second in the girls’ section! However, I regret to say that I cannot write about the tournament because I did not remember to ask my partner if I could talk about her in my blog. Instead, I have more tips on how to enjoy golfing! As the title implies, this post is about knowing your limits. Knowing your limits is important–such as knowing when another helping of ice cream would be a bad idea and knowing when you’re going too far into the deep end of the pool. This is also true for golf. If you’re not having fun, struggling to stay awake, or something else like that it might be wise to call it a day. This is especially true if you’re struggling to stay awake. Yesterday, I had a bad day. I got in a fight with my mother and then went golfing before I resolved the conflict. This was a VERY bad idea. I cannot golf when I’m angry, period. This is not true for everybody, of course, but it’s true for me. I had no fun at all and didn’t get anything below a double bogey during the entire four holes I played. (Considering the circumstances, I was doing remarkably well. Normally I would be scoring double digits.) I skipped the fifth hole and then my dad and I went home. I was very unhappy with how the outing had gone, and I felt that I had “given up.” I do not like feeling like I’m a quitter. I am still a little sore about how the fraction of a game went, and part of the reason I’m writing this is to remind myself that it’s perfectly okay to stop doing something if you are not having fun and have no obligation or commitment to it. Everybody golfs for different reasons. Some people golf because others are doing it, some because they want to win, and some because they just love golfing. If you are golfing for yourself (and not at a lesson or a tournament) and the game is not satisfying you, just stop. You’re not quitting or being lazy, you’re doing what’s right for you. If you really want to stop but feel bad about it, don’t think of it as stopping, think of it as making a tactical retreat so you can have a better time another day. That’s what I do! -Birdie