Taking Golf Too Seriously
Day 7 on “Golf the Wright Way” by Mickey Wright
She walked away from pro golf.
Mickey always felt tension and anxiety. So she turned to the toughest player she knew, 11-time major champion Louise Suggs.
Mickey asked, “How long do you have to play before you get over this nervousness?”
Louise grinned and said, “You never do.”
She was talking about that healthy nervousness you feel on the tee. That buzz of excitement when you’ve got a good round going. The uphill climb of golf. Louise loved all that.
But Mickey took golf so seriously, she squeezed the joy out of the game. She became the #1 player in the world, but she wasn’t having any fun.
In the summer of 1965, she walked away from pro golf.
The Inventory Exercise.
Mickey knew the problem was her perspective. But if you’re a serious person committed to success, how do you redefine your purpose and rediscover your joy?
Psychologists offer an inventory exercise. Here’s how it works.
Consider everything involved in your project, whether it’s golf or anything else. Imagine putting those things on the table in front of you. Now think about who you want to become—and pick up only those things that help you get there.
It’s about letting go—and that’s exactly what Mickey did.
“The more I play, the more I respect the game.”
It took months of soul-searching, but Mickey made some big changes. She’d play fewer tournaments, forget about being #1, and stop chasing the money list.
She told Sports Illustrated, “I believed that you had to succeed. You had to work to be the best. There was no joy in it. And there’s a whole big bunch to be said for doing things for the joy of it.”
In spring, Mickey was back on tour. She opened with a 68. The next day, she shot 78.
She said, “A year ago, I would have been up until midnight. I’ve changed. Now, the more I play, the more I respect the game and its constant challenge to me as a golfer and a person.”
Over the next four years, Mickey won 16 tournaments and loved every minute of it. She wasn’t just back on tour. She was back in her life.
The poet Maya Angelou said, “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.”
We wanted to end the week with this story because we’ve all taken golf so seriously, we lose the fun. And not just golf. We do this in school and work too. Today’s lesson is a reminder to step back, lighten your grip, and rediscover the joy of the game. Ironically, you’ll often play better as well. To quote Mickey, “There’s a whole big bunch to be said for doing things for the joy of it.”
That wraps up our time with “Golf the Wright Way” by Mickey Wright. This slender book is packed with relatable stories and practical strategies: our favorite combination.
Meet me back here tomorrow when we’ll continue our lifelong journey to find more purpose, more joy, and lower scores.
That’s all for now. Until next time, keep imagining what’s possible.