The beginning of a new year is always an opportunity for a fresh start (I mean, you don’t have to wait until the start of a new year – you’re allowed to make life changes whenever you want, but I digress). Some people quit smoking. Others have decided 2020 is the year they’re going to lose that 20 pounds they’ve been carrying around. Still others might have career goals that they want to meet in the next calendar year.

As for me, my resolutions are all about golf because well…isn’t that what’s really important in life?

I invite you to join me in these resolutions in 2020. These are different from personal goals. My yearly goals article is usually more about actual numbers. My golf resolutions are a little bit different.

PRACTICE – Every time you go out on the golf course, it’s an opportunity to get better. That’s how every round should be treated. Did you begin the round with an ugly triple bogey? Who cares? Use the rest of the day to pick out one or two aspects of your game to really work on. This doesn’t even have to be during a real round of golf, of course. Go to the driving range with just your lob wedge. Learn how to hit that flop shot that has eluded you for all these years. Spend some extra time on the practice green each round and learn how to hit those lag putts. You’re never going to get better just by *wanting* to get better.

STAY COOL – Golf is frustrating. Three truer words were never spoken. It’s easy to let a few curse words fly or flip a club in a moment of weakness. Be better than that. It makes you look worse than the shot you just sliced into the woods. Everyone hits bad shots. You’re not alone there. But trust me when I say you’re making everyone else extremely uncomfortable with your fits of rage. Be able to laugh at yourself. One of my favorite moves is holding my pose at the end of a swing that resulted in a terrible shot. Pretend to look for your ball in the air when you know darn well that it rolled 25 feet in front of you. Be the guy that lightens the mood.

ENJOY THE GAME – This could have been the headline for the last one, too, but this is a little different. Find the reason you love golf and run with it. I got an email from a reader after my “How do you break the rules?” article that stated he regularly plays without even keeping score. Personally, the competition with myself to constantly improve is one of the reasons I fell in love with golf, so I wouldn’t do that myself, but I absolutely see the value in leaving the scorecard in the clubhouse. Why put that added stress on yourself if that’s not part of the game you enjoy? Fall in love with golf all over again.

BE PATIENT – Again, maybe this could have gone under the “STAY COOL” portion of this article, but I think it warrants its own section. We were all beginners once. Try to remember that when you’re stuck behind that foursome of newcomers to our sport. Don’t roll your eyes when you see that dad out with his two young children. Yes, they might slow down your round, but how else are those kids going to learn the fundamentals (not to mention the etiquette) that we probably take for granted?

IMPROVE FITNESS – Yes, this is kind of a stereotypical New Year’s resolution, but it can definitely help with golf. Look around the PGA Tour. No longer can you find guys like John Daly with their guts hanging over their belts.

Dustin Johnson. Brooks Koepka. Tiger Woods. These are strong, athletic individuals. Personally, at the end of last summer, I lost 19 pounds while simultaneously visibly adding muscle mass to my chest, arms and shoulders (though I’m admittedly still pretty slender by most standards). Still, I’m anxious to see how that translates to my golf game.

There is it, folks. Five things to help you get the most out of golf in 2020.

Join me again next week when I look back at the goals I set for the 2019 season. I honestly don’t remember any of them and I shudder to think how short I fell from reaching most of them, but it’ll be a fun ride regardless.

Until then, golf is great. Go get some.