You played golf last Tuesday and made a par on eight out of the eighteen holes. You birdied two more, and the rest—bogeys aren’t bad. You played again on Friday and did even better. Then there is today. You played a round on the same golf course, using the same golf clubs, same weather, same conditions, and you totally blew it. You were lucky to get a par on the fifth hole, and every other hole was a disaster. You have to ask yourself: “Who’s playing golf today?”

It’s days like this that make you wonder why you are playing golf at all. No other game comes close to being as satisfying when you playing well, or as frustrating when you are playing badly. The experts say golf is 90% mental, and 10% talent. And I have to agree. Every stroke played well supports and encourages even better performance in the next stroke. Playing a round of golf with a player better than yourself usually encourages a player to play well. The reverse is also true. A bad chip or putt can “get in your head” and be impossible to shake. A vision of your ball disappearing into a bunker more often than not ends up with the vision coming true.

Working through the mental side of the game takes discipline and practice, and a great deal of self forgiveness. How do you get through those crazy moments?

Talk to your LPGA golf instructor at your club for advice. Discuss the issue with your fellow players and ask how they get through those “cloudy” mental moments. And keep your sense of humor. Remember golf is a game you want to enjoy.