All things are possible.
I say this in reference to how I feel at the beginning of a round of golf. Hope springs eternal, optimism is the word of the moment. But often enough, with each passing hole, I am reminded of how baseless my optimism truly is.
The reminder quickly comes that playing golf decently and well is highly unlikely to happen when one plays sporadically, once every month or two. The lack of reps eventually—or often quickly—catches up with you.
This happened yesterday, as I played in a tournament we’ve been part of for four or five years now. The excitement and optimism are palpable as we all await the starting gun—or, less dramatically, the announcement that it’s time to head to our first hole. From then on, there will be more than enough reminders that I haven’t come remotely close to the 10,000 hours of practice often cited as critical if one hopes to master anything.
But no matter. It’s a great day for being outside with friends, occasionally making a good putt or driving the ball straight down the fairway, and making a contribution to lowering the team score. In reality, I can’t expect anything more than that.
3 Cents' 