Life is just a game but Golf is serious.

From Ballet to the Fairway: Lessons in Humility, Growth, and Mastering the Mind—Join Me on the Journey and Discover Your Own Game

I come from what you could call a Golfing family, all except my Mother were really into it. I had a golf club in my hands before I could walk. It wasn’t until I went to my first golf camp that I started to hate it with a passion. It could’ve been out of rebellion in the sense of not wanting to follow in my family’s footsteps, or perhaps from the suffocating monotony of forced practice in that specific setting.

Little me started dancing ballet at the age of three, I loved everything about it. I continued to practice and train ballet for fourteen years. Growing up with two older brothers, who were consistent golf players, both went on to be national champion, and one made it to the world championships for our country. My Dad was a national champion too, and made it into the local newspaper as the best golf swing of the year when he was nine or twelve. 

There was never any pressure to be a national golf champion, however playing golf on the odd occasion made me feel closer to my Dad. I was always honest about not being interested in golf the same way my brothers were, I had my ballet, I loved it and was good at it. 

Golf was always there though, present every other weekend, and a beautiful albeit frustrating many times as I was always coached by my incredibly talented golfer father. 

When I graduated high school I had eight months of free reign before I started my foundation course before my bachelors degree. I felt extremely called to give golf a proper go, so I did. The next eight months were spent at the range and on the course, from nine in the morning till six in the evening. A time was had, learning, focused on myself, not my family’s legacy on the course. Just me learning how I can get better at this beautiful game. 

I realised that I understood golf poorly up until that point. 

Golf is a game much like life. The only real competition is with yourself, your mindset, how you bounce back from a bad shot knowing you can do better. There will be many more bad shots than good ones. Especially on the course. 

During my gap year before my continued studies it was a magical time. I met semi pro golf players that remain my closest friends to date. I will forever be grateful for this time in my life.

There is something about being around others that are working on their craft. Each on their own journey while you are working on yours. Connected without competitiveness, no envy, no comparison – only support, sharing tips, and parts of yourself that no one else gets to see: Your grit, commitment in the face of adversity, humility and grace. 

Golf inspires humble values, when you mess up (and you will) you go again. No one to blame and a sea of unforeseen circumstances. There is a spiritual aspect to the game. It’s you against you, in the middle of incredibly breathtaking beautiful nature.

Nature plays an incredibly important role in the game, you can’t control what mother nature is going to throw at you, but you can control how you adapt and make the most of the changing environment around you. 

This begins in our mindset. We can either lean into our fears of not being good enough, or we can lean into our humility and take the hardships as lessons to be better. To learn from our mistakes and appreciate every setback as a necessary catalyst to be propelled forward. 

Life is just a game but Golf is serious.