A crack pierced the air as my grandmother’s golf ball whizzed down the center of the fairway. I could do nothing but stare, awestruck, as she confidently stepped off the tee box. I was perplexed by how a short, older woman was able to create enough force to send a ball almost 200 yards. She signaled to me that it was my turn to hit, and my twelve-year-old self enthusiastically raced to the box. I placed the ball down and focused on my target in the distance. I was eager to impress my grandmother and show her that I too could gracefully crush a golf ball. I swung my driver as hard as I could, and the golf ball unceremoniously sliced right and smacked into a nearby tree. Confused and disheartened, I turned to my grandmother in search of
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My world was turned upside down when we moved to Philadelphia in the middle of my freshman year, so I turned to the one constant in my life, golf, to ease the initial social and academic discomfort. Once, after hitting my third consecutive drive behind a tree on a cold, fall day, I felt the urge to pick up the ball in defeat; however, instead of giving up, I found a thin gap between the tree’s branches, took my club, and scrambled my way to a par. Inventively taking advantage of the opportunities in front of me taught me to view life through a new lens. It was at this moment that the golf course became a sanctuary, one where I could be alone and wrestle with adolescence. It also served as a potential source of common interest with new friends. Beyond the personal solace I found in golf, I also found the confidence to adapt. I saw the moves and subtle cultural changes that come with new geography for what they were: minor obstacles that simply require a creative approach to overcome rather than immovable forces that control my success.
When my grandmother referred to golf as a four-letter word, she was right because it’s a tangible representation of adversity. Nevertheless, I choose not to be discouraged by frustrations that come with inevitable obstacles – in life or in golf. I am committed to being resilient and now take initiative, actively assess situations,
My world was turned upside down when we moved to Philadelphia in the middle of my freshman year, so I turned to the one constant in my life, golf, to ease the initial social and academic discomfort. Once, after hitting my third consecutive drive behind a tree on a cold, fall day, I felt the urge to pick up the ball in defeat; however, instead of giving up, I found a thin gap between the tree’s branches, took my club, and scrambled my way to a par. Inventively taking advantage of the opportunities in front of me taught me to view life through a new lens. It was at this moment that the golf course became a sanctuary, one where I could be alone and wrestle with adolescence. It also served as a potential source of common interest with new friends. Beyond the personal solace I found in golf, I also found the confidence to adapt. I saw the moves and subtle cultural changes that come with new geography for what they were: minor obstacles that simply require a creative approach to overcome rather than immovable forces that control my success.
When my grandmother referred to golf as a four-letter word, she was right because it’s a tangible representation of adversity. Nevertheless, I choose not to be discouraged by frustrations that come with inevitable obstacles – in life or in golf. I am committed to being resilient and now take initiative, actively assess situations,