I played in a senior pro am at Cortland Country Club last week with a team of members from Dutch Hollow.

We arrived at the club a little early, so I went down into the men's locker room and found a copy of "The Majors of Golf 2005" magazine.

A funny thing happened. I opened the book up right to the last page where I read the title of an article: "Using Pressure To Help You Play Better," by Dr. Rick Jensen, the founder of the Performance Center at PGA National in Florida.

It's another funny thing about tournament golf. You have to learn to play your best playing the way that you play best.

It has never been an easy road for me, although back in the days when I was learning the game and played and practiced everyday I couldn't shoot worse than 75 if I tried. You have to play in tournaments to know how you perform best under that particular kind of pressure.

Being someone who took up golf at a later age, I have never had the opportunity to play in as many tournaments as I would like.

But it has been painfully evident that playing tournament golf is something you have to learn how to do.

The only pressure one

really experiences under the gun is self-imposed, but that is the worst kind of pressure there is because we all tend to be our own worst critics.

It is difficult to build on positive memories if you have few positive memories on which to build.

The article by Jensen points out that the some of the greatest players in major championships - perhaps golf's ultimate measure of greatness - manage the

pressure and not only use, but welcome the pressure as a motivating force.

Jensen also points out that we should seek not to get rid of, or eliminate the pressure, no matter where it comes from, but rather that you can learn to use it as a tool to "help yourself perform better and better."

This probably is good advice and a positive approach to what we may experience as a negative stimulus. The magazine points out that

Jensen's clients have combined for 195 tournament wins including 32 major championships.

I did take something positive away from the tournament this time.

I actually started playing the game again and played to a level that is comfortable for me.

I played well for a while and just let myself hit some golf shots, and I have the muscle memory of a time not so long ago to prove it.

I hope it builds and carries on into the future.

So the event was a success no matter you look at it. There comes a time when you have to let it fly and play the way you know how to play.

If you have ever played golf, you know this is easier said than done.

Like Jack Nicklaus said, "You can never own a golf game, you only rent one for a while."

See you on the links!

Lombardo, a PGA professional at Dutch Hollow, is The Citizen's

golf columnist