Tough Luck in the Rough
From a WSJ ‘golf’ article comes an excerpt about the long run:
So how should golfers treat luck, both good and bad, when it happens to them? Don’t be paranoid or solipsistic. Gio Valiante, a mental-game consultant and author, says golfers “must separate what is controllable and what is not controllable.” Weather and bounces, both good and bad, are definitely not. Dr. Valiante, who wrote the book “Fearless Golf,” said golfers must “expect the best, but prepare for everything.” When it seems that all the bounces are going your opponent’s way, remind yourself that golf is a “fair game” and over many rounds of golf, the bounces do even out. For what most of us call luck, Dr. Valiante uses the more mathematical neutral term of probability. In other words, the golf gods aren’t always against you. Really. But this time, pay up, pal.
