Golf has been described by some as “a great walk, spoiled,” but just because you’re shooting three times your age doesn’t mean you can’t learn anything. Here are a few life lessons you can take from the green to everyday life.
- Respect for Others
From not stepping in the path of someone else’s putt to keeping quiet while someone else is taking their tee shot, golf teaches you to respect others.
- Always Learn
No matter if you’ve played golf for five minutes or fifty years, there’s always something to learn and improve on, just like life.
- Quality First
In golf, it’s not about how many shots you take, but about the quality of those shots. The last thing you want is a bunch of meaningless strokes.
- Be Patient
Unless you’re riding a motorcycle and golf cart hybrid, playing a round of golf will most likely take you a while, so sit back, enjoy the view, and have fun with it. Take your time and live in the moment.
- Value of Communication
Yelling “FORE” down the fairway is one way you interact with others on the course, but spending four hours in a group of people that you don’t know can also be a great way to develop social skills and make new friendships.
- Accept Any Outcome
Bank your tee shot off a tree? You have to play it. Drive it down the fairway into a sand bunker? Still have to play it. Whatever your round throws at you, you have to adapt, as you will in life.
- Remain Still
Our world is filled with so much noise, but when someone is about to take a four-foot putt for birdie, you have to remember to be quiet. Still your mind and don’t fill every void with words.
- Honesty and Integrity
Chances are, no one will notice that you took an extra swing when your ball only moved a few inches, but if you resort to cheating on the course, you may resort to cheating in life as well.
- Stay Focused
In golf, you have to be able to put everything else out of your mind and concentrate on the task at hand. In your life, you’ll have to do the same thing.
- Find a Way to Win
Strategy and problem-solving skills are vital to a successful golf round. Even if you can’t see the most direct route, you still have to find a way to get the ball in the cup, no matter what.
