“Golf, like Life, is a game of inches.  With the most important being the 6 inches between your ears.” -Ty “Happy Spackler” Webson

The start of the new school year has come and gone. Hopefully everyone has settled in and is ready to embrace the challenges that lie ahead. Lately, I’ve had golf on my mind. My kids are starting to play, Happy Gilmore 2 hit theaters the week before school started, and both our Girls and Boys Golf teams are poised for strong seasons. With all that in the air, I keep coming back to the ways golf and education overlap.

Here’s the truth both fairways and hallways whisper: it’s not about perfection—it’s about progress. Every swing, every lesson, every challenge is part of a journey toward something better. Whether you’re teeing off on the first hole or stepping into a classroom on the first day of school, what matters most is the commitment to improve, learn, and serve with integrity.

Golf teaches humility quickly. You will find the woods, the sand, and—on truly memorable days—the water. But the scorecard rarely tells the whole story. Recovery does. The smart punch-out, the steady two-putt, the choice to breathe and reset—these are wins. Education mirrors that arc. Students stumble on tough units, teachers face shifting standards, and schools navigate new demands. What separates average from excellent is not the absence of trouble but the presence of resilience. We bounce back, adjust our stance, and stay in the game.

Every round is a classroom if we let it be. No one “masters” golf; we just get a little better at solving the course in front of us. Learning works the same way. A growth mindset reminds us that skill and success are built through effort, feedback, and a willingness to try again.

So here’s the invitation for this season: swing with purpose, teach with heart, and keep score by the growth you see—in yourself and in others. Celebrate the small gains: a cleaner contact, a calmer conversation, a concept that finally clicks. Progress compounds.

“I will be better today than I was yesterday, but not as good as I will be tomorrow.” On the course and in the classroom, that’s the game. Keep moving. Keep learning. Keep serving. Be the ball (unless the ball is on fire, then be the fire extinguisher).