pyrodactyl

Thanks to all for the congrats and advice. Pretty much unanimous that I went kinda nuts and need to dial down the brain a bit, much like right before I swing. I think the best advice was to feel good about providing beer to other seniors whether they need it or not. I think buying drinks is one of the fine golf traditions that should be upheld within reason. I do think that golf is capable of providing lessons and benefits aside from exercise, camaraderie, and proficiency at manipulating physical objects through practice and craft. This was an unexpected mind trip that gave me some insights to putting things in perspective in golf and life. I promise I will fully enjoy my next ace.

Early last summer I got my first hole-in-one at a local seniors tournament. It was a well struck ball that did not fade like I wanted but hit a banked slope just off the green and rolled about 15' onto the green and in the hole. KP hole also. Celebration ensued, there were over 100 people in the tourney and everyone wanted to shake my hand and drink my beer. (Had bought hole-in-one insurance for $1 for the tournament so I came out ahead even after opening the bar to all). Anyway this obviously made my day and I had a glow and spring to my step for hours afterwards. I then realized that it was incredibly rare that I would have such a feeling of well being. That is when my evil subbrain took over and I thought 'My God, I haven't helped anyone, or made the world a better place, what right do I have to feel good about something that was basically unearned and almost completely luck. I had dark guilt thoughts for a while (I was not brought up in a guilt encouraging religious environment). After a while I turned it around and I thought about how I struggled for a long time to overcome thoughts of personal inadequacy low esteem because due to crappy golf play. Maybe this was some kind of Zen lesson in avoiding the pitfalls of crazy roller coaster golf. Maybe success and failure at golf need to both be taken in perspective. Some people say I'm nuts and should just roll with the buzz. I don't know.