“It’s all about clubhead speed,” I said recently to a friend and fellow golfer. It was the first warm day in spring, and we weren’t the only ones that left the office early to hit some balls at the range.

I spent much of the winter reading up on how to get more distance on my drive and was pleased to find out my friend had similar intentions.

“The more you extend your arms in your backswing,” I explained, feeling quite capable of offering my counsel, “and the wider your arc, the more time and room your clubhead has to build up speed.” I went on about keeping your left arm straight, I mentioned the dreaded flying right elbow, and I even brought up the towel trick my grandfather taught me: place a towel under each armpit for proper positioning in your backswing.

Now it’s been said that scrutinizing the details of routine actions uses a part of the brain that monitors behavior and impedes decisions that are normally made without thinking—too much thought can lead to second-guessing skills that have been perfected through practice. In John Lefrer’s book, “How We Decide,” he makes this point by referencing the infamous 1999 British Open at Carnoustie when tournament leader Jean Van de Velde fell apart on the finishing hole. With a three-shot lead, one miss-hit drive was followed by six more. In the end, his swing was virtually unrecognizable from those of previous holes, and a triple-bogey seven on No. 18 cost him the tournament.

At the driving range, my friend listened politely to my advice. Her next drive was hit perfectly straight, and she was thrilled to be hitting every drive that followed 25 yards further. I, too, felt some satisfaction to see my own advice so effective.

I addressed the ball and thought to myself, “Keep your hands soft, it’s all about clubhead speed, wide arc, keep the left arm straight.” I duffed my first drive, skulled the next two, shanked a few right, then quit in frustration.

Sometimes the best way to shake off the frustration of a few bad shots is to remind yourself that there’s more to golf than swing mechanics; take a step back to think about the unparalleled richness, beauty, and history of the game or of the course you’re playing.

The Old Course at Saucon Valley graces the cover of Pennsylvania Golf. The land for the course was purchased in 1920 by a group of local business leaders, many of the Bethlehem Steel Corp., and was transformed into a golf course under the watchful eye of Eugene Gifford Grace, former president of Bethlehem Steel, and course architect Herbert Strong. Over the years the course has challenged golf greats like Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, and Arnold Palmer, and will continue to do so this summer as it hosts the U.S. Women’s Open championship.

It is game that is simply played on acre after acre of rolling green grass fairways and in the company of friends. Also in this issue, Bill Noble directs us to some of the must-play courses in Pennsylvania’s Dutch Country, and we’ve paired this golfer’s trail with some suggested stops at local wineries for the ultimate golf getaway. Consider golfing in the Pocono Mountains region this season and choose from more than 30 unique golf courses. And with more than 75 courses in New York’s Adirondack State Park alone, there’s no shortage of golf options for those looking to vacation outside of the Keystone State this summer.

In the end, I’d love to get more distance out of my drive, but I’ll try not to let frustration from overthinking take away from everything else this game has to offer. Writer John Updike once said, “The golf swing is like a suitcase into which we are trying to pack one too many things.” Next time I experience frustration about my swing, I’ll just have to remind myself to think about not thinking about keeping my hands soft, my clubhead speed, a wide arc, or keeping my left arm straight, and enjoy the game for everything else it has to offer. Easy, right?