It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It's not the French Revolution, but many people are calling it the most revolutionary times in our history.

It's the start of a New Year, one that's filled with economic gloom and personal fear. People are losing their jobs, the government is bailing out everyone from Wall Street to the California Coast and forgetting about the stalwarts on Main Street.

Despite this foreboding forecast, golfers await the dawning of a New Year with great anticipation and unending expectation. The switch in calendars brings renewed strength and revitalization to golfers all over. It's the perfect time to ask ourselves how we can improve our golf games so that we can enjoy the game more.

There's a mechanical aspect to this question, as well as a mental. I'd like to focus on the mental for this column. I'm not sure which one of the legendary golfers of my lifetime uttered these immortal words, but they are as true today as they were when he said them, "The game of golf is 90 percent mental, and the other 10 percent is some other aspect of mental."

I mention this phrase because I put forth in this column two mental options for golfers to pursue in their quest for a "better golf game." I'll call one the "Don't Worry, Be Happy" option. The other will be the "Practice Makes Perfect" option.

Far too many golfers come to the 19th hole, sit down to enjoy some drinks and conversation with their golfing partners, and end up lamenting that missed putt, sliced drive, skulled trap shot, or other imperfectly hit golf shot. I admit to being one of these persons, although I try "to stay positive."

The Don't Worry, Be Happy golfer stresses the importance of a positive attitude toward enjoying the game and improving your scores. This person says that if you play golf once a week, hit golf balls once a week and practice putting before your round, you need to set realistic expectations. The chances of hitting a perfect shot during any one round of golf are astronomical. We have to lower our expectations, approach the game with a better attitude, and then highlight those "nearly perfect shots." If we have an 18 handicap, for example, par on every hole is a bogey.

The Practice Makes Perfect golfer is committed to becoming a better golfer by spending more money on clubs and technology, playing more rounds of golf on increasingly difficult golf courses, spending more time on the range hitting golf balls, and saying that this is fun. This golfer acknowledges the importance of practice, but as Jack Nicklaus often noted, "is practicing without a purpose."

I believe that we need a combination of both options to improve our golf games. One can never underestimate the importance of having a positive attitude on one's golf game. It's a simple fact that if one doesn't think they can make a putt, the odds are very high that they won't make it. On the other hand, just thinking about making a putt won't produce the result.

We need to be committed to improving our golf games through playing and practicing. If we go the range and hit golf balls, we're not helping ourselves. If we go there to work on a particular flaw or swing problem, that's a good positive step. If we go to the range and work with a golf pro to improve our golf games, that's even better.

Technology can certainly help us become better golfers, but it can also overwhelm us. We can be so confused over which clubs to buy, which golf balls to buy, and which shoes to wear that we don't know which to turn. That's why customized club-fitting is so essential, as if a program of "golf physical fitness."

Finally, there's no merit badge given to golfers who play difficult courses from the back tees "to challenge themselves." My golf buddies describe these golfers as "golf masochists" who like beating themselves up.

So, one of my New Year's resolutions for 2009 combines these two options. I resolve to have a more positive attitude toward my golf game, enjoy it more and commit to a practice routine that is clear, concrete, and practical.

ON THE GREEN is courtesy of the Senior Connection Newspaper, visit their web site. The author is Jerry Koncel, a free-lance writer who lives in Schaumburg, IL.

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