Golf Advice We Could Use

Great story from our friend Terry Moore, past editor of Michigan Golfer Magazine and one of the men who played a key role in getting the Andy and Chuck Summer Golf Tour started in 2000. Terry is a Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member and a great guy. He writes in Michigan Golfer.com

"Next week marks the 100th Michigan Amateur Championship, conducted by the Golf Association of Michigan, and contested at The Heather Course at Boyne Highlands. It will be a memorable week for competitors and observers alike. There’s something special and unadulterated about amateur golf especially in head-to-head match play competition.

I once asked five-time Michigan Amateur champion Glenn Johnson what were some of his hard-earned lessons after so many tournaments. He shared an insight that has stuck with me through the years. Johnson said when you’re in competition and happen to see your opponent engage in some rules-violating behavior, you must immediately take charge of the situation and voice your concern, even if you’re not exactly certain of the rule or even what you saw. “Otherwise what you observed will gnaw at you and affect your game and possibly even the match,” said Johnson. “You must reverse the situation and place the situation’s mental burden on your opponent.”

I only followed Johnson’s wise and golf-savvy advice once. Later that night and still going over the round while trying to sleep on the living room couch, I wondered: “Why in the hell did I ever bring that up to my wife?”