The TOP 50 Things I Learned This Season

By doug lawrie | October 7, 2015

top-50Wow, another golf season is coming to a close here in “The Great White North”, most of Canada is going to be glued to their TV’s watching the Toronto Blue Jays vie for a World Series Championship for the first time since 1993.

I am on the other hand getting ready to head indoors to continue my quest for “World Domination” (Oh, of the Junior Golf instructional market, silly me for not including that!).

Each year I find I have learned valuable lessons and grown in so many ways. I always reflect and look back at what I’ve learned from the good and the bad. Failure is a constant instructor. It teaches you immediately and in golf there is a whole lot of failure. When you are a Junior Golf Coach it’s these failures (both by student and instructor) that help you grow into being the absolute BEST you can be day in and day out.

Here are my   top-50Things I’ve Learned This Season. 

  1. Junior Golf is the Future of the Game
  2. Kids make me laugh
  3. Parents have the ability to seem possessed by evil                          (only for fleeting moments!)
  4. Milkshakes are a perfect reward
  5. 8 yr old boys are very silly
  6. Saying the word “Booty” will make a child laugh 100% of the time
  7. Golf Courses need to EMBRACE the family dynamic of today’s society if they want to survive
  8. Some of my fellow professionals absolutely ASTOUND me with their ability
  9. Words like “DUDE” “BRO” “SWEET” “AWESOME” “RIDICULOUS” & “INSANE” are regular words in my vocabulary
  10. I have the most AMAZING and UNDERSTANDING Wife.
  11. That giving 150% does not guarantee students will stay with you
  12. God has blessed me with the ability to connect with children
  13. Listening to a 5 yr old tell you about the caterpillar she caught on the 4th hole is worth it’s weight in gold
  14. Water Balloons = Laughter
  15. Games = Learning without them knowing it.
  16. Hot Yoga has changed my mind, body and soul
  17. Caddying for a Junior under 12 is NOT easy
  18. Siblings don’t always play nice with each other
  19. 240 FPS (Frames Per Second) makes golf swings look AWESOME
  20. Water, Sunscreen and a Huge Bucket hat are staples of being a golf instructor
  21. Fibreglass Driveway markers have about 25+ uses
  22. Early mornings at a golf course are my favourite time of day
  23. Superintendents are unsung heros of the golf course
  24. The right footwear is essential when you are on your feet 10 – 12 hours a day
  25. Girls are VERY competitive
  26. The US Kids Golf World Championships is a special place
  27. No one has made a cap that won’t fade, show sweat marks or last longer than 2 weeks outside
  28. A aluminum yardstick is a fantastic putting aid
  29. Golf is a wonderful instructor for kids
  30. Golf needs to change with the world
  31. Launch Monitors and Pressure Mats have allowed us to expand our learning
  32. Apple has changed the way golf instructors teach
  33. It’s not about the money
  34. 61 lbs of Dynamite can make a golf ball go 180 yards
  35. Social Media has allowed me to build some incredible relationships with some fantastic professionals
  36. Jordan Spieth is something special
  37. Jason Day makes it look easy
  38. Teaching is different than Coaching
  39. A Child’s laughter is nature’s Red Bull
  40. You need to have compassion
  41. You must be invested
  42. You have to show patience
  43. Sometimes you need to take a moment and EXHALE
  44. Its important that your passion comes out in your communication
  45. Doing things for others is important and can have long lasting repercussions
  46. Smile … a lot
  47. A Double Espresso tastes so good at 3 pm
  48. Take time for the ones you LOVE the MOST
  49. Be HUMBLE and show good CHARACTER
  50. That #ilovemyjob

What’s your TOP 50?

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