Life is peculiar in that we strive to rid ourselves of all obstacles in an effort to make life easier and then we search, to find a combination of artificial difficulties, assemble these into a single entity and call it,

"A Game."

This is inevitably followed by a code of conduct (rules) designed to lend a sense of order to the activity and solidify its integrity. Those who participate will abide by these rules if they make intuitive sense and help protect the very essence of what makes the game so attractive, "The Challenge."

Every member of the human species has an instinctive but subconscious urge to evaluate himself. This is patently evident through examination of the frequently performed simple act of tossing a piece of paper into a wastebasket across the room. Even with no one but the participant to judge the outcome of the act, the satisfaction and warmth derived from success, or the disappointment from failure, is real and without blemish and in some small way satisfies the need to go through the self evaluation process.

Fellow competitors, partners and friends sometimes cloud the fundamental forces, which attract us to the game. The competition, socializing, being outdoors and getting a little exercise, are attractive by-products, which make participation more enjoyable but insufficient, even in the aggregate to support the game. Golf is a very personal challenge and it is the subconscious recognition of this that leads the participants to seek and abide by an accepted common code against which to judge true and personal performance.

It is this subconscious recognition of why one is participating in the game and the personal challenge it offers, which allows the golfer to distinguish between his short term wants verses his long term needs.