Mental strength or fortitude is one of those things that each person needs to find a way to build throughout their lives. The only real way to do so is by putting yourself in situations that cause stress and then learning to dig your way out. 

Sports is where many people first find their mental strength.

As I write this, I am one week away from my first individual tournament in 15 years. To say that I am excited is an understatement. Every day I wake up and review the courses I am playing using Shot Pattern. 

While I review the courses, I envision how I will be playing each hole. This helps to paint a clear picture and strategy in my head. It also helps to battle the anxiety that is building over that first tee shot. 

In this series, I will be documenting my journey to become a scratch golfer and return to competitive golf. I will go over my physical training, practice, and play. 

Week 1 is now over and boy, oh boy, was it a rough but good stretch of golf. One part of my game has been cursed. 

My story with golf begins when I was about 6 or 7 years old. This was 1996/97. Of course, it was the beginning of the Tiger Era of golf. 

Since that moment in time, I have been enthralled with the game. Everything about golf is absolutely awesome.