One of my favorite sitcoms was always My Name Is Earl.  For those who aren’t familiar, the show is about a guy who, for most of his life, was always.., well.., a low-life dirtbag.  He lied to, stole from and hurt people both physically and emotionally – just an all-around bad guy.  Until one day, by “accident,” he learns about karma.  He then goes on a mission to fix all of the things he’s done to ruin people’s lives.  I mention this because I saw a re-run of an episode I didn’t remember seeing before.  An episode called “Stole Beer From a Golfer.”

In this episode, Earl and his brother convinced a guy that he was a really good golfer who had a shot at the tour even though he was terrible.  Why did they do this?  So they could get free beer.  The poor guy became so obsessed with golf, thinking he had the potential to be great, that he lost his job, his girlfriend left him and he ended up living out of his car.

Obviously, this was a big joke and a far-fetched sitcom.  But in a strange way, there’s some truth to it.  Simple fact, if you stink at golf, just accept it.  If your buddy stinks at golf, don’t hype him up.  Instead, let him know.  You can’t have your golfing buddies going around thinking they’re better than they are.  That’s how they lose money in golf bets.  That’s how they end up looking and sounding like idiots, both on the course and off.

Have you ever been around that guy who talks the part, dresses the part and carries the equipment that looks the part, but when he gets out on the course, it looks like he left the game part at home?  Of course you have.  How do you think he got to be that way?  Because he had one of two things – either his buddies hyping him up, or no one to talk him down.

It’s like when you leave your house looking stupid.  Or when you have a little too much to drink and you start acting like a fool.  You need your friends there to straighten you out before you go too far.  Well, it’s the same in golf.  You need your friends to keep you from doing anything foolish.  And just the same, your friends need you.  Keep your golfing buddies in check and have them do the same for you.  And above all else, remember…if you stink at golf…you stink at golf.  The sooner you accept it, the better off you’ll be.

Swing ’til you’re happy!