Dependency On Results

It's good to care about how you're playing because that's what makes golf fun, but there comes a point where you care too much or you care about the wrong things. playing to impress people counts as one of those things. I would call this "ego golf".

You know you're an ego-golfer when your happiness hinges on your success on the golf course. When the good shots provide emotional highs and the bad shots make you feel depressed. A simple round of golf can be an emotional roller coaster for the serious ego-golfer. If you find that your good shots make you feel the desire to snap your clubs and throw them into the nearest pond then the diagnosis is coming out positive for ego golf. But you know you've really got it bad if you lie awake the night before a tournament worrying about your performance. (That has been me at times).

Other signs of the ego-golfer include bragging about your achievements and making excuses for your failures. And anything that involves straining to hit the ball further than your playing partners for no reason other than to see the look of awe on their face and know that you are more of a man than them. Alright, I still enjoy that one, but hell who's perfect ;).

The irony, the bitter irony, of this whole situation is that being an ego golfer makes you play worse. It's utterly self defeating. You get tense, nervous, sometimes euphoric and sometimes angry and make a lot of bad decisions. And golf really isn't much fun any more because as we all know golf has a nasty way of knocking you down one way or another.

Fortunately there is a definitive test to determine whether you are an ego golfer, which happens to be the cure as well.

Here's what you're going to do:

It is incredibly easy. You are going to play a really bad round of golf. Intentionally.

If a normal round for you is 80 then go out and take 100. If you're normal round is 90, aim for 110... go crazy and shoot 120, you get the idea. The whole point of this is to play about as well as the average baboon on ecstasy and have your playing partners believe that you are really trying.

A golfer who has no desire to impress anybody will probably find this an amusing thing to do, but overall it won't be a big deal at all. Maybe even a bit pointless.

However for an ego golfer this could be a huge epiphany. It can completely destroy the mindset of trying to impress other people. To intentionally play badly in front of others is the ego's worst nightmare, right? Topping the ball off the first tee in front of a large crowd. But soon you'll realise that nothing bad happens at all when you do this. playing badly does not hurt you. The worst that can happen to you is people will playfully joke about it with you and that's just fun. In fact, you'll probably have a great time without the pressure of needing to impress people.

The key to this process helping is to make it seem believable to other people. If they find out what you are up to the whole thing will be ruined. Your acting must be on top form. If somebody mentions how badly you are playing appear to be distressed and be all like, "Yeah, I don't know what's wrong with me." If your ego forces you to tell someone well then you'll just have to do it again!

If you're feeling conservative just do this on a practice round but it's most effective to do it in a competition and completely screw up. Get the dreaded point one on your handicap. The most bold amongst you will do it whilst playing foursomes when the need to impress is highest. NOTE: www.goodatgolf.com will not be held responsible for any bloody noses inflicted by your partner's fist after you have hit two of his brand new ProV1's out of bounds, followed by lipping out from 4 inches for birdie after he has hit the best approach shot of his life.

But seriously, try this out. If you're scared all I have to say to you is you must be an ego-golfer, otherwise you wouldn't care! That's right I have you now, mwahahaha. Meh.

Happy hacking to one and all.

Fraser Hasell is the owner of www.goodatgolf.com.

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Romania - Land of Castles and Dreams

I first travelled to Romania in 2005 and arrived at Otopeni Airport in Bucharest. I came over for a weekend trip to do the normal tourist route of seeing Bran castle in Transylvania.

After travelling on the coach to the far side of Romania I sat and wondered at how magic this land is. Once you have broken free of the grey centre of Bucharest the rural areas have some of the most scenic landscapes I have seen also the mountains in winter time are very spectacular.

The centre of Bucharest needs to be brightened up too many grey buildings of little or no character. The town centre needs to have the kids run round with paint ball guns and really add all the colours of the rainbow to it and I'm sure it would be an improvement.

I also travelled to another castle that weekend Pele's Castle in Sinai this castle is spectacular and is all gold inside a very well kept its definitely worth seeing and there are many good restaurants in the area.

I found staying in Brasov a very enjoyable and also travelling up the mountains in the cable car exciting. In the winter this is a very popular skiing resort. Having never tried skiing yet but I saw many people enjoying the slopes and having a great time in the snow.

I have travelled to Romania a number of times since and found it a land emerging from the years of communistic dictatorship rising now to become part of the European Union. this will bring a great deal of prosperity to this land with Romania being sighted as the best place in europe to invest in property and property prices ranging from as little as 2000.00 pounds upwards.

Romania is emerging into a strong stable place to invest in I have invested in property there and its part of my dream to live there and watch my investments in Romania grow. Romania is quickly becoming the hidden jewel of eastern europe.

looking back at the photos of my first visit I remember our tour guide taking us through the story of Vlad Tepes the man who most believe that the Dracula story is based on. Vlad Tepes was known as Vlad the impaler who obviously used that method to dispatch his enemies. Vlad was never a resident of Bran castle, He was no vampire either and the true vampire legend is still shrouded in mystery.

Romania has long suffered at the hands of the worst dictator in europe but now emerges as a refreshing place to visit Bucharest has many tree lined boulevards and is considered as the paris of the East. The palace in the centre of Bucharest is a vast building I was looking at it thinking about how I would be hate to be the window cleaner for that lot. It was built by the dictator but now used as a government building.

I found that I liked being in the mountains the best of my times I have spent there the Carpathian Mountains are a wonder and the clear air and stunning views make it the most memorable part of my time there. Romania has now become one of my most favoured places to travel to mainly because it has no tourist traps just good people, good food and spectacular scenery.

2007 Andy Bolton 39 Liverpool, http://www.bravemain.com http://www.romanian-bride.com

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