GUYS TALK
Putt into the hole
Ratanang Mogatusi
In a game of golf, it is the person
with the lowest score who wins. This
score is determined by the number
of strokes it takes a player to get the
ball from the tee, and into the hole in
the green. In other words, the fewer
times you hit the ball to get it from
the start of the course and into the
hole at the end of the course, the
better. Inherently, due to this fact, the
greatest aspiration of any golfer is to
hit a hole-in-one; which is the act of
scoring one’s ball into the hole with
the golfer’s first stroke when teeing
off. This is however much easier said
than done, as the distance to each
hole is typically 240 yards from the
tee. The average recreational golfer
can hit a ball about as far as 200
yards, whereas pro golfers can hit a
ball as far as 300 yards.
There are eighteen holes on a golf
course. That’s eighteen opportunities
to get your hole-in-one. Sadly, this
does not necessarily improve one’s
odds to do it. One can however still
score a bogey, or even a birdie. This
would be one stroke over, or under
par, respectively (par is a standard
score for a whole). They aren’t as
profound as a hole-in-one, but they
are a good standard by which you
can measure your game. More than
that, they can help you attain a decent score, and maybe even to win
the game. Herein lays the moral of
our story. Life is like a game of golf;
you might not hit it right into the hole
with that first hit, but you still have
seventeen more holes to try again.
Likewise, each that we rise to see
the sun again is like a new beginning,
and another chance to try for a new
hole-in-one.
Much like life, golf has its challenges
along the way to that goal. A player
is faced with several adversities that
will try to break one’s spirit and contest their devotion to getting the job
done. It is for this reason that it is important to take on every trial as you
would a round of golf. When stepping up to the tee, the player assertively stands his ground ready to drive
the ball into the air using a wooden
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club. Once you’re in the fairway (the
area between the tee and the green)
things can become frustrating, and
one may find him/herself in a sand
bunker, or water hazard, but so long
as you have your irons and hybrid
clubs you should be able to battle
your way into the green.
Quitting is always an option, but if
you do, you’ll never make it into the
green; therefore you will never win.
Once you’re in the green, the end is
now in sight. Your goal now becomes
more real, as you can see it before
you. It can feel both so near, and yet
so far. It now becomes more important than ever that you maintain your
composure and focus on that final
stretch. To taste victory, you equip
yourself with your putter; or whatever tools you need to overcome
your obstacle. Relax. Take a moment
to breath, and putt that ball into that
hole.