May Hezlet once said of golfing, No golfer can ever become too good to practice.

Its so true. As with anything, if you want to be good and stay good, you have to practice and work at it. But its hard. Theres the evening work meeting, the school play, the birthday party. Theyre all clamoring for your attention every week. How do you fit in regular golf?

Discipline. Discipline and patience. You have to have the discipline to practice your sport regularly. Tiger Woods has often said that were it not for his fathers constant enforcement of discipline and patience with his development as a golfer, he would never have become the golfer that he is today. Although as recreational golfers we dont aspire to become Tiger Woods we do seek to improve our game. We can apply some of the same principles of good discipline to our games that have helped championship golfers for years.

Peter Thompson once said, When you dont play very often, you just dont know what is coming next.

So play often, and apply some of these tips to keep you disciplined in your game.

*Read. Pick up a golf magazine once in a while or even better, subscribe to one. Keeping current on various aspects of the game will not only help your game when you do play, but inspire you to get out there by reminding you how much you enjoy playing.

*Practice at home. Buy a golf video and apply some of the tips to your game. Slow it down or even pause it so you can really work on your posture, your swing or whatever is causing problems in your game.

*Practice away from home. You might not always be able to give up the requisite hours needed for a full game, but head to a practice facility and take a few swings now and then. Keep your golf clubs in your car so you can do this whenever the mood strikes, or whenever you have the time.

Keep at it regularly. Golf is addictive. More than one person has been taken to a golf course unwillingly and has left with a passion for the sport. As with any hobby or sport, you must apply yourself regularly in order to be good at it.

Keeping disciplined at golf is like using discipline in any other area of your life. You will feel more in control and enjoy the game a little better. And you just might play better as well.