Golf Books #273 (The Perfect Round: A walk in the rain)

The story is about a golfer and his caddie. Their history goes way back — to middle and high school — when they first found companionship on the golf course. One was seeking friendship, the other was seeking a better score. They both succeeded. But their success came not without surprises. The story is about what you see and what you think you see. Sometimes the two are different.

This is true on the golf course as well as in life. In fact, most of what we learn on the golf course is also an important lesson for us off the golf course. The story is about friendship. Shakespeare once said it was misery that made strange bedfellows. Friendship does too. The strings tied by friendship are often long and the knots often tight. The story is about one round of golf. Eighteen holes. Many of the golf shots are good. Some are not. There are always mistakes. And as in life, it’s how you handle them that makes the difference.

Walter Hagan told us to get used to it: “I expect to make at least seven mistakes a round, therefore, when I make a bad shot, it’s just one of the seven.” Bobby Jones said, “Golf is the closest game to the game we call life.” A few years ago I would have scoffed. Today, I believe.

Publication date: March 27, 2017 (source)