Up to Par: How Life Imitates Golf

By Charlotte K. Frank

It's midafternoon and sunlight is flashing on the water hazard of the 17th hole. The past two Saturdays I have tried to drive over it and onto the green, but each time the ball fell just short of the far bank and into the water. This time I make the decision to try to slice around it. My shot is good for me (120 yards, landing to the left of the water). With a chip, I'm left with a 12-foot putt to sink. I study the roll of the green and aim accordingly. I sink the putt for a par and my husband shouts, "Great!" This time he's right. Most of the time, though, I take his praise with a grain of salt. He tries to encourage me by saying "good shot" when I hit 120 yards off the tee, while he's unhappy when I call his 180-yard...