Personal Narrative: My High School Golf Career

Golf legend Bobby Jones once said, “I never learned anything from a tournament I won.” And I tend to agree. For while I have been fortunate enough to experience success during my high school golf career, the most valuable lesson I ever learned on the golf course came after shooting a 99 - the worst score I have posted in high school competition.

I earned a spot on the golf team as a freshman and, after practicing all summer and scoring well at tryouts, I received the opportunity to play in the first varsity meet of the season. In the days leading up to the tournament, I was unable to sleep. I was anxious to prove to both myself and to my coach that I belonged on the varsity team.

When the day finally arrived, I was really nervous; I feared that I would let the team down if I played poorly. Unfortunately, I did not play my best. From the beginning, things were not going well and, as the round drudged on, I became more and more frustrated. When I teed off on the, 12th hole, I hit another bad shot, which landed on a steep bank and rolled into a pond. I then had a lapse in judgement. I should have taken a penalty stroke and re hit from the tee box, but I decided to hit my golf ball from the muddy bank of the water hazard instead. Once I submerged my feet, I knew that I had made a terrible mistake. For not only was I attempting a low percentage shot, I had also forgotten to take off my shoes.

They were useless. At that point, I had to make a choice. I could slosh around in my soiled shoes for the final six holes, or I could finish the round barefoot. I chose the latter. Perhaps I should have been embarrassed but, because I knew that playing shoeless would do less harm than playing in waterlogged shoes, I was not. In fact, I finished the round well - playing the last six holes in even