If you play golf seriously or for leisure, "I want to quit," has surely gone through your mind once or twice. If it hasn't, you haven't really played. That being said, I began playing golf competitively when I was in sixth grade. Somehow, nine years later I'm still playing competitively. Golf is a mental sport, if your mind isn't there, neither is your game. Just like any sport, you will have your ups and downs; however, if you don't want to throw a club across the fairway at least once during a round, you're having a good day.
Thoughts during a normal round consist of:
1. FORE
2. What the hell was that?
3. Can you please for the love of God just go in the hole?
4. Did that just go in the water?
5. Was that OB?
To the better thoughts of:
1. How did I just hit that so far?
2. Did that just go in?
3. It rolled out of the sand trap?
These are just the beginning. I will be the first to say golf is more a mental sport than physical. Everyone has good days and everyone has bad. Yet, you never really hear anyone say that they have a "perfect round." After any 18 holes you always feel like you could have done something better, and that's true. You can't perfect golf. Practice doesn't make perfect, it makes better. That being said, if there's one thing I've learned from my past nine years of competitive golf, it's one bad "I want to quit" hole, will never ruin a round unless you let it. Here's to the golfers who are still playing after a truly awful round of golf, because that is enough to make you never want to play again... (me last week) but here you are, so congratuations.