Practice makes par

Today I shared in a delightful 9 holes of golf with two good friends up on the Central Coast.

It was an excellent game for my friend, Ferg. I didn't ask him the final score, but I'm pretty sure his game sailed close to par (he was once offered the opportunity to 'go pro' with the sport). This is the first game he's played in around a year.

Andy also did pretty well; I think his game was about 12 over by the end. He enjoys a fairly regular stroll around his local courses.

Both these guys know how to smash a ball hard and straight. It was an inspiration to watch both of them.

Meantime, I had the pleasure of losing around 4 golf balls (Andy's, and mostly in the briny deep), wading through (and hitting into) acres of mud, and collecting a car with my opening shot of the day, and a house on Hole 3; not a bad day on the course for me all told.

The differences between their style and mine seems to be so small. After all, we seem to hold the club the same way, stand the same way, point in the same direction etc. Yet while Ferg lands yet another drive on the green, I land one on the roof of a Falcon.

Good golfers make it look so effortless. But it's the years of practice, and the small differences that make all the difference.