THE GOLF INSTRUCTOR

Just recently, say, two weeks ago, I felt very proud of one of my students.  She was playing in a two-day ladies’ tournament, and after the first day’s play, she came to me and said, “Coach, I need to say something to you concerning today’s play.  While marking my ball on the green, I accidentally pushed the ball forward.  No one saw what transpired, but I replaced my ball and called my marker to inform her of what had happened.  I then called a penalty shot on myself.” Golf shows who we are, what we are made of, what values our parents have instilled in us, and what our coach or teacher is teaching us. I hugged her and said, “Well done!”  She shot 78 with the penalty on that day.  On day two, she played very well and shot 75, thereby tying for first place.  There was a playoff, and in the playoff she three-putted the first hole and lost, but yet, there was a smile on the young lady’s face.  I again hugged her and said, “Well Done!  Did you learn anything from all of this?”  She replied, “Yes Coach.  I feel good about myself.” All of us as golf instructors have a special role to play in the lives of our students.  Whatever we teach them can have an effect on their golf game and on the rest of their lives in general.