I've often been asked why golf seems to be so addicting. More than once I've heard someone muse that they had always thought " golf was a dumb game and could never understand what attracted people to it," only to find themselves totally obsessed once they began to learn it.

Believe it or not, there is a real explanation for that feeling of obsession. Golf is the slot machine of sport!  By that I mean the game is a perfect example of "intermittent reward." You know, the kind of reward that occurs in a random pattern.  And even if you've only played putt-putt golf you know that's true! And if you remember your most basic psychology, you remember Pavlov's dogs' proving that when he gave them treats every time for doing a trick they eventually tired of it, got bored, got full of treats--maybe some of all of above, and stopped performing. When he gave them no treats, they stopped even sooner. BUT, when he gave them treats with no pattern, they performed much longer. Welcome to golf!

Now that you know what REALLY attracts you to the game at the basic level, use this knowledge to help yourself stay more patient in your play.  After all, it's not you missing those shots, it's just the the way it is!