Sunday Service: April Edition

APRIL 12, 2026 - 

It’s not how you start. It’s how you finish.

We played nine holes the other morning before work. First hole, I couldn’t hit the ball to save my life. Nothing felt right.

Second hole, par 3 over water. I hit an 8 iron to about eight feet. Closest of the group. Missed the putt, of course, but walked away with a solid par.

Next hole, I stripe a drive right down the middle. Not the longest in the group because Shaun and his mini driver love to remind me of that, but it didn’t matter. I was in the fairway and feeling good.

Just like that, the round turned.

I didn’t play my best nine. Not even close. But it wasn’t my worst either. More importantly, I finished the round feeling good. Laughing, talking, enjoying a perfect morning with my friends.

I didn’t let that first hole dictate the rest of the day. I shook it off and kept going. Stayed out of my head and in the moment.

That’s the whole game, isn’t it?

Not the score. Not the bad start.

Just being out there and finishing wanting to play again.

That’s why we play.

APRIL 19, 2026 - 

I was talking to someone who’s actually good at golf, and he told me, “you’re not good enough to get that mad after a bad shot.”

At first, it stung me. Felt like a shot at my game. But the more I sat with it, the more it made sense.

This isn’t my job. There’s no paycheck on the line. No trophy waiting at the end of the round. I’m out there to get better, to compete with myself, and to enjoy the time.

Getting pissed after every bad swing doesn’t move any of that forward. It doesn’t fix the next shot. It doesn’t speed up improvement. It just drags everything down and, honestly, makes you look like a guy who thinks he’s better than he is.

Bad shots are part of the deal. Always have been, always will be.

The real skill isn’t avoiding them. It’s how fast you recover from them.

Shake it off. Learn what you can. Step up and hit the next one.

That’s the whole game.

APRIL 26, 2026 -

I just need to get the ball up and down.

I kept saying it to myself as I walked to my ball for my third shot on a long par 5.

I smashed the drive. Hit a great second. Exactly where you want to be. Clear look at the green. No trouble. The kind of hole you picture in your head before the round even starts.

And still… all I could think about was getting it up and down. Not even stuffing it close. Just give myself a chance. A makeable putt for birdie.

It’s happened before. So why not again?

That’s the battle, isn’t it. You’re standing there with a real opportunity and instead of trusting it, your mind starts negotiating. Don’t mess this up. Just get it on. Just don’t waste it.

Somewhere along the way, you stop playing to make something happen and start playing not to screw it up.

And that’s where it usually goes sideways.

Because “just get it up and down” sounds simple. But it’s not a defensive shot. It still takes commitment. A clean strike. A clear picture. You can’t guide it there and expect it to work out.

The times it does happen, when you stick it close and roll in the putt, it’s never because you were careful. It’s because you picked your shot and trusted it.

No hesitation. No second-guessing. Just a swing.

That’s the lesson I keep coming back to. Not just in golf.

You put yourself in position. You do the hard part. Now you’ve got to let it go and actually take the shot.

Because if you’re always trying not to miss, you’re probably never going to make it.