Listen to what Dr. Kilstein has to say:

"In the past, I would've stayed mad for four holes, but that was
everything I promised myself I wasn't going to do when I came out on the
Senior Tour.  About midway through last year [1994], I made up my mind that
I was going to play golf and enjoy it."  Bob Murphy 1995

When Bob Murphy changed his emotional response to his golf game, great
things happened.  He went on to win four times in 1995.

Emotions affect our desire to drive for show, putt for dough,
and hit the best approach shots possible.

Everyone has seen people lose it on the course. Balls, clubs, golf
bags end up in the water.  People mangle their Big Bertha drivers after
blowing both another drive and their cool.

Everything you do on the course is affected by your emotions.

The best golfers are in control of their emotions.

They don't ignore them.  They don't pretend they are not there.
They acknowledge them and deal with them.

What are some of the factors involved in emotions:

1. Expectations.  Tiger Woods does not drive every shot with perfect
accuracy.  One of my clients came in all excited on the day of the
British Open after Tiger lost his ball on the first hole.  "Today I played a
shot as well as Tiger."
Do you have realistic expectations on the course?  What is driving
those expectations?

2. Perfectionism.  Look at your palms.  Do you see any nail holes?  No?
Good.  That means you are not perfect.  If you expect your golf game to
be perfect, you are bound to be disappointed.

3. Injuries.  If you play with an injury, not only will you stress your
body, you may also stress your game.  Take care of your body to play
your best golf.

4. Tiredness.  Golf is a mind game.  You need to recharge your mental
batteries on the links.  Listen to your favorite music.  Take a break.
Smell the breeze.

5. Personal Issues.  If there is "stuff" going on in your life - your
job, your homelife, etc.  Don't be suprised if it affects your game.
Hey, you're human.  The more you deal with the issues, the quicker your
handicap is going to head down.

If you are not managing your emotions and stress, they are going to
manage you.

Only regular work on your emotions is going to produce the results that
you want on the course.

Most of the great golfers have hobbies aside from golf.  Do you?