ANGER
Does It Have To Be Part Of One's Golf?
By Dr. Gary Wiren, Sr. Director of Instruction for all Trump Golf Properties & Chairman of Golf Around the World

          You don't have to have played golf a long time to discover that it can be a very emotional experience. When you are on "top of your game" the world is viewed from the heights of Mt. Everest; when you "hit bottom" as a pathetic hacker you are in the depths of Death Valley. The joyous days are a gift, but what we need to learn is how to handle our response to the bad performance days; to appreciate the opportunity of just being able to spend time on the course. One of my favorite quotes comes from Masters Champion Larry Mize, who said, "If you play golf you are going to experience a certain amount of disappointment and frustration...but misery is a choice." So how do we learn to savor the experience regardless of the "verdict of the scorecard?"
          One of the ways is by controlling our temper when it shows up as a result of poor play. Let me list four types of players with whom I am certain you are familiar and the ways in which they respond to anger.

1. The Verbal Abuser: The golfer whose anger takes the form of a stream of not-so-polite epithets. This player's targets can include the greens, the caddie, the weather, the #%&#$^ tree or bush, or any thing remotely connected to his last bad shot.

2. The Physically Violent: This more demonstrative player takes his rage out physically upon his equipment, the course or himself. The run-of-the-mill types simply break clubs when they get hot. The most rash punish themselves...just use your imagination and think painful.

Dr. Gary Wiren, Ph.D.

3. The Quitter: Some people get so mad they quit. They may quit in the middle of a round, much to the discomfort of their fellow players; or they may just quit after a particularly bad day filled with humiliating shots. Some players quit a couple of times a year and swear they will never play again, but they seldom keep their vow.

4. The Crier: The golfer who turns his anger into self pity is a sorry sight. They are technically quitters as well, but they go through the motions of playing after they have quit in their hearts. It is soon apparent to his companions that the crier feels the world is against him, and no matter what he does to play a hole well, the gremlins of fate will step in to sabotage his efforts.

SITUATION

• Finding your ball in a divot.

WINNER'S RESPONSE

• This may actually help me as I will work harder to stay with the shot to hit it solidly