Mindfulness on the Golf Course: Play the Ball Where It Lies

“Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots and good breaks from bad shots–but you have to play the ball where it lies.”

-Bobby Jones

My husband is the Golfer in the family. I honestly didn’t know what he found so appealing about hitting a small ball into a small hole. (I’m sure you can take that statement in many ways and get your mind out of the gutter. lol)

I played the game with him a few times and frustrated myself with my lousy swing and form. And forget the putt to sink the damn ball. My scorecard resembled snowmen, mocking my 8s on a par three course.

I couldn’t figure out what made this game so alluring for others.

Wanting to spend more time with my husband and embrace the things he loves to do, I made a pact with myself to jump into the game with both feet and try to understand the intrigue.

I watched tutorial golf videos, we went to the driving range, and I even made it a point to ask more questions and get tips from my husband, who loves to teach. Not only did I start to appreciate how much this game mimics life, but I also began to enjoy being with nature again.

I realized that my perfectionism was hindering my enjoyment of a game that was supposed to be fun. My expectations of stepping onto the green and becoming Tiger Woods was something I could never live up to, nor do I have to. This isn’t a career. This game gives me time with my husband, time in nature, and exercise. It’s also given me humility and patience(sometimes) and pushed me to look at things differently.

Once we’ve hit that ball, it’s out of our hands, and no matter where it lies, you have to play it.

We get so comfortable trying to control the outcome that we forget that a higher power is always leading the way. I’ve learned that the tighter the grip, the less energy I have over where that ball lands. Just like life. The tighter we hold on to things, the less control we have because we haven’t given enough breathing room to let God lead the way.

I’ve spent my entire life struggling to relax and being afraid of uncertainty. I plan and have rigid expectations of how things should be done. I know I was trying to create a sense of security and predictability. That’s not life. As much as we want to control every piece of the outcome and as much as we want to see that ball land in the cup on the first swing, the game of life is unpredictable. We have to play it where it lies. If it’s the sand trap, at least it’s not quicksand.

Just like life, Golf requires perseverance to overcome challenges and make progress. It’s a game of good and bad shots. So, my Fabulous Fighters, whether in a sand trap or just circling the cup for par, remember to play the ball where it lies and leave your worries to the higher power.

Love and Light,

Fab xoxo