I’m coming to believe that there’s some advantage to being a golfer in training. Because as one, I have a weapon in my bag that pretty much promises me every round will be relatively great.

It’s called happiness.

I also have yet to be saddled with another weapon that can tank a round: That’s called ego.

There’s no question that a more relaxed and forgiving attitude along with the ability to savor the beauty and the (sometimes very small) victories out there makes for better play overall.

And yet, humans tend to lean toward angst and golfers – particularly those who don’t play often — do so all the more. I’ve seen it while playing with friends recently (and I’m thankful they will play with a learner like me, so all respect). They grumble after an errant tee shot; stomp their feet if they struggle out of the sand. Sometimes, they are just plain angry.

Me? In this “happiness at the ready and ego yet to show up phase,” I’m just delighted to be out there. I celebrate the victories (like my down-the-middle nearly 210 yard drive the other day. Yay me! No need to mention the score that hole was nearly a snowman; I just celebrated that great shot).

And when I know I may be in trouble I see it as another chance to try, learn and sometimes succeed. After all, since I’m learning, I have no right to beat myself up over a miss.

So, here’s the question, since I recently felt a smidge of angst slip into my soul during a round: How do I hold onto this phase? Because if there’s one thing every pro knows it’s this: Happy golfers play better golf. And also: can a golfer who has developed some anger habits out there turn things around?

Wanting to continue to improve but hold back that negative ego input (positive ego is a good thing; it’s all about balance), I turned to Chaz Babin, Head Golf Professional at the Sugarloaf Golf Club in Maine, a challenging and beautiful course where you really could lose your cool from time to time. First, Babin backed up my belief that fighting away the golf anger gods is the right choice.

“Getting angry can ruin your momentum and affect your confidence for your next shot,” he told me. “This will snowball to a poor round every time.”

He also told me it’s not a matter of never facing that anger and frustration. In fact, he said, every golfer – even the pros, face it “almost every round.”

So what do they do about it?

Babin coaches players to stick to a pre-shot routine. For sometimes golfers, it can seem silly. But if you stick with your pre-shot routine no matter how big or small the shot is, you “put yourself in the best position to execute.”

For me, that means, if I step up and feel a bit jittery, I step back and start the routine again. It’s like a “reset button” you can train your body — and your attitude — to respond to.

Other methods I’m working on out there include:

Embracing perspective: I’m not a champion golfer. I’m going to miss, I’m going to choose the wrong club, and I’m going to three-putt (ouch). But that’s for one simple reason: Golf is hard. I’m going to remember that, do my best and pay attention to moments of improvement, victory and just plain fun while I’m out there.

And as my teaching pro Dean at Crosswinds Golf Club in Plymouth told me, “There’s always another shot with another chance.” Perspective.

Using positive self talk: As silly it may sound, a little bit of “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough and gosh darn it, people like me” talk out there works. I don’t let (at least not yet) negative talk enter my inner chatter.

Let’s say I completely blow a chip shot after a fantastic drive and fairway shot put me in a place where I may just par (this is a common situation for me, so I’ve had practice). Rather than rage about ruining a hole, I truly congratulate myself on the good shots and jot down notes on what I can learn about the blown shots.

I also make sure I feel a decent practice swing and then, when I do, quietly say “that’s the one” and take my actual shot. It’s dorky, sure: But it works for me.

Remember the No. 1 rule of golf: I’ve heard this from the group of really experienced, really great golf writers I’ve been lucky enough to travel with. I’ve read it in the golf magazines. And Dean the pro tells me this all the time.

It’s as simple as this: Golf is supposed to be fun. If you stay within realistic goals and let some dreams float out there to reach for too, and if you stop with the “every shot has to be great or the round is a fail,” and if you don’t always, always focus on the score, you might just be able to hang here with me in the Freshman/Sophomore lounge. It’s a pretty fun place. To tweak a pop hit: Don’t worry. Play happy.