I’m reading a great book: Four Foundations of Golf by Jon Shermann. It provides many interesting pointers to help us manage our expectations on the golf course. Too often we watch the top LPGA and PGA pros playing their best on Sunday afternoon and think that is how we should play. We don’t appreciate how challenging golf can be for all levels of play…including tour players! Consequently, we minimize our good shots rather than celebrate them. We get down on ourselves, putting ourselves in a state that will decrease the likelihood we will play our best. Consider the following stats…

• From 100-125 yards from the green, tour players average 20 feet from the hole with a wedge…hardly a tap in. If you hit your ball on the green, celebrate.
• Tour players make bogey 80% of the time from the trees. Don’t be heroic! Bogey is a good score when you are out of position.
• Scratch golfers average only 1-2 birdies per round. Lower scores are not through more birdies, but rather through bogey avoidance.
• Tour players only make 50% of their putts from 8 feet. Give it your all to sink those 8 footers. Just don’t get down if you miss.

Consider some of these stats the next time you tee it up. You’ll not only have more fun, but you may find you play better too!