What that quiet walk says about the game—and about us
There’s a special kind of silence that follows a truly bad shot. Not the kind where you just missed the green or left a putt short. I’m talking about the shank—the absolute soul-snatcher. The kind of shot where you feel it in your spine before the ball even leaves the hosel.
And then comes the longest 40 feet in golf: the walk back to the cart.
You know the one. No one says a word. Your buddy politely looks in another direction. Maybe offers a soft, “You’re alright, man,” even though everyone knows… you are not alright.
I’ve taken that walk more times than I’d like to admit. One second you’re standing over a smooth wedge with a good look at the pin, and the next, your ball is screaming sideways toward the tree line, ending up somewhere between the snack shack and emotional collapse.
It’s humbling. But it’s also one of the things I weirdly appreciate about this game.
Golf Finds a Way to Keep Us Grounded
At this stage in life, most of us aren’t out here chasing tour cards. We’re chasing clarity, connection, maybe a decent front nine. And then a shank shows up to remind us—yep, you’re human.
Golf doesn’t care if you had a good warm-up. It doesn’t care if you’ve been playing for 30 years or 30 minutes. One swing, one misfire, and you’re back to square one—mentally, emotionally, sometimes spiritually.
But here’s the thing: you do walk back to the cart.
You move on. You shake it off. And somewhere around the next tee box, after the embarrassment fades, you’re laughing again. Maybe even hitting a solid 6-iron and wondering how the same person could hit both shots in the same round.
It’s About More Than a Bad Shot
The long walk after a shank isn’t just about failure—it’s about resilience. It’s about knowing that this game will hand you a slice of humble pie with a side of turf, and you’ll still show up next week. That walk might be awkward, but it’s also a quiet reminder that this game—like life—doesn’t give up on you just because you messed up.
So yeah, shanks happen. We all hit them. What matters is that we keep walking.
Even if it’s a little slower than usual.
—Kurt
MidLifeGolf.com
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