Golf is like marriage

We've all heard that golf is a metaphor for life and business but after attending probably the best wedding ever in my life (including my own), I’ve come to realize that golf is a lot like marriage.  Or should I say, marriage is a lot like golf.

My lovely niece Vanessa and her golfguy Wes kicked off their marriage in August with a shotgun.

No, no...not THAT kind of shotgun!  Get your heads out of the bunkers, people... I’m talking about a shotgun golf tournament!

I counted close to 50 people who showed up to shoot, drink and be merry. What a blast we all had!

It was a wonderful mix of golfgals and guys who were there to have a good time and really didn’t care how they scored.

Actually, that’s not true; my 2 nephews were trying to score with the cart girl all afternoon. ;)

The next day as I was lounging by the pool waiting for the ceremony later that day, it occurred to me that if we treated marriage the way we treat our golf games, then ‘‘one round’’ might all we need and divorce rates among golfers would the lowest in the country.

Think about it - to be successful in both golf and marriage you need:

• Patience
• Trust
• Commitment
• Practice
• A little Luck

...And sometimes a good dose of amnesia.  Bringing up past transgressions in a marriage is like hanging on to the agony of that last 3 putt - you gotta let it go or you’ll screw-ith up your next shot.

Gentlemen, taking your range game to the golf course isn’t easy; neither is treating your wife every day like it’s your first date.  But you gotta find a way to do both.

Ladies, does your husband do something that just drives you crazy - are you constantly trying to change him? Sometimes it’s better to just play him as he lies.

Speaking of lies..

In golf and in holy matrimony, there are those lies that get us bunkered and some that are just unplayable.  When you really screw up at home, take a drop, accept the penalty and then scramble.  You will discover that saving par feels a whole lot better than a birdie after a foot wedge.

We all know it’s better to give than to receive, so be generous with gimmees on and off the course. 

And the next you time you think of packing it in because no matter what you do, you seem to end up in a hazard, remember that marriage, like golf is played between your ears, not between the sheets.   

Don’t give up when your relationship is in a slump.  Tee it up one more time - a come back tomorrow shot is just around the dogleg and if you trust your swing, you may find yourself falling in love all over again.

So whether you’re out to play a round or play around, do it with the one you love.

I hate cliches but this one says it so well and is worth repeating, “Couples that play together, stay together.”

Play on Vanessa and Wes!


Golfgal