The Good Golfers

The golf professionals arrived days before the tournament. It’s customary to arrive in time to practice on the course, to learn the twists and turns of the fairways and ups and downs of the greens. With strategies designed and shots practiced, they begin the tournament as prepared as possible.

I tried to imagine being one of the golf professionals and how I would approach the days of preparation. With each successful hole, I would plan to repeat it throughout the tournament. With each struggle, I would try to eliminate every mistake. Such an approach would be naïve, since it relies on good shots being as replicable as documents in a copier and mistakes erasable as words on a page. Not only does it assume a perfect, or near-perfect, game is possible, it also ignores the changes in hole and tee locations and weather conditions.

Watching the good golfers, I was reminded that while preparation is helpful, even essential, at some point they need to stand over the ball an hit it. No past shots, good or bad, matter at that point. Good golfers are fully present and enter the round, the hole, and the particular shot as if it's the only thing that matters. Good golfers face weather conditions by adapting their strategies and shots, rather than complaining or fighting them.

 As I think about my daily life in recovery, and my life of faith, I realize how much I have to learn by watching the good golfers. Too often I celebrate the good days - the days when I feel connected and sane - and expect them to continue. Too often, I recognize mistakes and think I can eliminate them through sheer perseverance, but, like my imagined golf performance, such an approach assumes a perfect round or day is possible.

Better to learn from the good golfers that at some point we all need to stand over the ball and hit it. Yes, preparation and strategy can help, but eventually the present moment is all that matters. The good and bad shots will come and go, and the weather conditions will change. A prayer I know reminds me to accept the things I cannot change and have the courage to change the things I can.

How much better my golf game, my life of recovery, and my life of faith would be if I could remember what the good golfers know.