The Quest for 99

Astute readers of my blog may have noted the "perpetual to-do list" that graces the right-hand side of this blog. One of the items was my goal of breaking 100 in my golf score by the time I turn 40. Of course, now that I have joined the ranks of "house-poor" Americans, my practice time on the links will be curtailed. And the list has been revised as a "honeydew" list.

A recent article came across my desk that illustrated for me that it might not be within reach anyway. I am getting away tomorrow morning with friends for a round of golf and some relaxation and a long weekend. I'll have a recap for you on Sunday night.

Southwest Airlines Spirit Magazine (a wealth of blog fodder, by the way) contained an article by a freelance sports writer, Brett Topel, who also wrote this book, which looks like a good read. The article begins, "About ten years ago, I decided to stop fooling around on the golf course and to start playing the right way . . . the Quest became a common bond of futility . . . the more I failed to break 100, the more I had to break 100 . . . I'm still obsessed, and I'm not alone."

These words were followed by an ominous prediction, "Unfortunately, if you haven't broken 100 yet, you probably never will." According to the National Golf Foundation, the average adult golf score is 99. Topel notes "the math is as easy to understand as it is hard to accept." He continues by noting the answer begins with physical limitations. Then we "lose the game in our heads."

Hey, golf, a thinking game? Really? Duh. It is clear to those of us so afflicted that the mind game is much more important than the physical game. As much as I tell myself every time I play that the game is not about power, the more likely I am to try and kill the ball (and hook it into the woods). Golf experts evidently can now tell us why our brains let us down on the golf course.

It's about the number.

"Players on the quest to break 100 are constantly adding up their score," says Dr. Bob Rotella, former head of the University of Virginia sports psychology department. "They are usually trying to figure out what they need to do on the remaining holes in order to break 100. It really becomes a curse."

That's not true . . . OK, maybe it is . . . Um, yeah, I do that . . . Every time.

So the secret? Stop keeping score. But then, how would we know if we break 100? Relax and enjoy the game. But how can we do that if we have hurled our driver into the woods after another shank? I'll keep trying and I'll be sure to let you know how I do.