Over the past 6 years of playing golf I have learnt many valuable lessons about the sport technically and other skills and values that have assisted me in life off the course as well. Golf is a sport that covers an array of technical aspects from how you swing the club, how you chip from short distances to how to stroke your putter. I have gone through many swing changes and am continually working on it with my coach Gary Barter to improve. An important lesson I have learnt is to stay patient and persistent in whatever you are trying to achieve. Just because you don t hit the ball flush instantaneously after a lesson it doesn’t mean you give up. You have to keep working at the advice your coach has given and it may take a day, week, month or even a year, but the main thing is to keep at it. Then once you have achieved that something there is always another goal to create and strive for. This also applies to your short game – remember a very crucial part of the game, they earn your trophies! I have also learnt many other values and skill sets to assist in life apart from playing the game itself. Golf has opened many doors into my life with new opportunities frequently coming. I have met many new friends who I will remain in contact with for a very long time. Golf has allowed me to work and improve on my social skills as I am always meeting new people from all over the globe. I have gained trust in myself and the ability to confidently talk with everyone. I have also been lucky enough to travel around to different countries and experience the diversity in cultures. It has taught me the value of respect and etiquette for not just other people but things such as people s house or the golf course. Time management and structure is a crucial skill to attain. I try and set a schedule to follow for my day so I can plan ahead what I will be doing. I also list what tournaments I want to play in so I know what spare time I have in between to spend with my service providers to improve my game technically, physically and mentally. Those are just some of my many lessons, skills and values I have learnt from playing the game of golf. I have still many more to learn and I hope everyone is working hard on their game!
Author: Cathleen Santoso