Golf Vision Board 2026: Setting Goals That Actually Stick

Every year around this time, I see the same posts flooding my social media feeds. "New year, new me!" "This is MY year!" And look, I love the energy. I love the optimism. But by February? Those same people are radio silent about their goals.

Here's what I've learned from my own golf journey and from watching hundreds of women in the Queen City Links Ladies community: the problem isn't the goals themselves. The problem is that we're setting goals without creating a vision for what success actually looks like.

So this year, I want you to do something different with me. Instead of just listing goals, we're going to create a golf vision for 2026 that's so clear, so specific, and so exciting that you can't help but follow through.

Why Vision Beats Goals Every Single Time

Last January, one of my friends texted me: "My goal is to get better at golf this year!"

Okay, great. But what does "better" even mean?

Does it mean breaking 100 for the first time? Playing without apologizing after every shot? Finally feeling confident enough to join that company golf outing? Being able to keep up with your husband or boyfriend when you play together?

See, "getting better" could mean a hundred different things. And when your goal is that vague, your brain has no idea what to aim for. It's like standing on the tee box and saying "I want to hit it somewhere out there" instead of picking an actual target. And if you are only defining “getting better” by your score alone, you are setting yourself up for disappointment because progress is rarely that straightforward or that linear.

A vision is different. A vision is specific and meaningful. It’s not just a list of activities or accomplishments to check off. A vision is something you can see, feel, and almost taste. And when you have a clear vision, the goals practically write themselves.

The Golf Vision Exercise That Changed My 2024

Let me tell you about a moment that completely shifted how I approached my golf goals.

It was December 2023, and I was sitting in my living room scrolling through my phone, looking at all the golf I'd played that year. I had joined a league. I had taken a couple lessons. I had played some new courses. But if I'm being totally honest? I felt scattered. I was doing a lot of golfing, but I wasn't sure I was actually getting anywhere.

Then I asked myself a question that changed everything: "When I look back at the end of 2024, what do I want to remember about my golf year?"

Not "what do I want to accomplish." Not "what should I work on." But what do I want to REMEMBER?

And suddenly, instead of a list of technical swing thoughts or vague improvement goals, I had this crystal clear picture in my mind:

I wanted to remember playing twilight golf with my girlfriends on warm summer evenings, laughing so hard we could barely finish the hole. I wanted to remember confidently saying "yes" when someone invited me to play a course I'd never been to. I wanted to remember the feeling of walking off the 18th green in Hilton Head during my girls' trip feeling proud of how I played. I wanted to remember teaching one of my daughters how to grip a club and watching her face light up when she made good contact.

That vision made everything else fall into place. Because once I knew what I wanted to remember, I knew exactly what I needed to do to make those memories happen. (If you’ve been following along you know that I love to turn regular stuff like scorecards and golf pencils into keepsakes like holiday ornaments… so thinking about things this way was so fitting for me because quite literally I’m here for the memory making!)

Your Turn: Creating Your 2026 Golf Vision

Grab a notebook, open up the notes app on your phone, or just find a quiet spot where you can think for a few minutes. I want you to close your eyes and imagine it's December 31, 2026. You're looking back on your golf year.

What do you see?

Don't think about swing mechanics or handicaps yet. Just picture yourself. Where are you playing? Who are you playing with? How do you feel when you step up to the tee box? What's different about you as a golfer compared to today?

Here are some prompts to get you started:

The Confidence Vision: Picture yourself getting an invitation to play golf. In 2026, when someone says "Want to play 9 holes on Saturday?" what's your immediate reaction? Are you excited instead of nervous? Are you saying yes more often? What does that confident version of you look like?

The Experience Vision: What golf experiences do you want to have this year? A golf trip with friends? Playing a bucket list course? Learning to play golf alongside your kids or your partner? Joining a golf league? What memories do you want to create?

The Growth Vision: How do you want to grow as a golfer this year? Not just in score, but in skill, knowledge, comfort level, or consistency? What does the "better" version of you do that current-you doesn't do yet?

The Social Vision: How does golf fit into your social life and relationships in 2026? Are you meeting new friends through golf? Strengthening existing friendships? Building professional relationships? How does golf show up in your life beyond just the game itself?

The Competitive Vision: Have you gotten pretty comfortable on the golf course and feeling ready for a challenge? Are you finally ready to bet that $1-5 each week on yourself in your league games, and perhaps get rewarded when you have a hot week? Are you ready to go out on a limb and challenge your partner or your friend to a test of skills on the golf course? Or maybe you have been thinking for years about entering the club championship and this is your year?

From Vision to Goals (The Easy Way)

Once you have your vision clear in your mind, the goals become obvious.

Let me show you what I mean. Let's say your vision includes "confidently saying yes to golf invitations from colleagues without panicking about whether I'm good enough."

That vision naturally leads to goals like:

• Join a beginner-friendly league where I can practice playing with others regularly

• Learn the basic etiquette and terminology I need to feel prepared

• Play at least twice a month so I maintain consistency

• Build up a mental toolkit of conversation starters for business golf situations

See how those goals came directly from the vision? You're not just randomly deciding to "practice more" or "get better." You're taking specific actions that move you toward the life you actually want.

The Secret Ingredient: Make It Visible

Here's where the vision board part comes in, and yes, I'm serious about this even though it might feel a little woo-woo.

Your brain responds to visual cues. When you can see your vision regularly, it stays front and center instead of getting buried under the 47 other things you're trying to remember.

You don't need anything fancy. You could:

• Save images to a folder on your phone of courses you want to play

• Create a Pinterest board of golf outfits that make you feel confident

• Write your vision on a note card and tape it to your bathroom mirror

• Set your phone wallpaper to a photo from a past golf experience you loved

• Keep a running list in your notes app of golf memories as you create them

I save many of my golf scorecards (not all of them!). I have a little drawer full of them. When I have a round I’m particularly proud of - maybe the total score itself wasn’t amazing but there was a memorable thing that happened - I played a new course, I played golf with someone I admire, I had a par on a challenging hole, I finally landed my 30 yard chip shot softly on the green without it rolling off the back, etc... On days when I'm feeling discouraged, I pull out the scorecards, looking at my little positive notes that I made for each one I saved, and remember how far I've come.

My 2026 Golf Vision (And Why I'm Sharing It)

You know what? I'm going to get vulnerable with you and share mine.

My 2026 personal golf vision is this: I want to remember the year I stopped overthinking every shot and started actually enjoying golf for what it is - a game that lets me spend time outdoors with people I like while challenging myself with something that's never boring.

I want to remember confidently playing in events without that voice in my head telling me I don't belong there. I want to remember those moments on the golf course where I finally execute the chip shots I’ve been practicing in my golf lessons. I want to remember hilarious chats on the patio after golf league while cheering on the rest of the league members as they finish up on the last green.

My 2026 QCLL organization vision is this: I want to remember the smile on the face of the new golfer who has a great experience at our beginner golf clinics. I want to remember the woman who tells me, “I never played in a league before but I’m so excited to join!” I want to remember and celebrate putting on more fantastic golf events & experiences for those in the Cincinnati area this year. I want to learn what worked well, and listen intently and make the necessary changes to best meet the needs of women golfers.

And here's the scary part - I want to remember launching my online golf educational program Confident & Prepared: The Complete Women’s Golf Foundation System for the second time and watching women transform from nervous beginners into confident golfers who know they belong on any golf course.

There. I said it. That's my vision. And now that I've named it, I can't un-see it, which means I have to make it happen.

Your Next Step

Don't let this be another blog post you read, feel inspired by, and then forget about by tomorrow.

Right now - yes, right now - I want you to write down one sentence that captures your 2026 golf vision. Just one sentence. Make it specific. Make it about how you want to feel or what you want to remember, not just what you want to accomplish.

Then put it somewhere you'll see it every single day.

Because here's what I know about you already: you wouldn't be reading this blog if you didn't care about golf. You wouldn't be investing your time learning about this game if you didn't see its value in your life. You're already doing the hardest part, which is showing up.

Now it's time to give yourself something worth showing up for.

What's your 2026 golf vision? Drop it in the comments or send me a DM on Instagram (@queencitylinksladies). I read every single one, and I love hearing about what drives you.

Here's to making 2026 the year you actually remember.

Ready to turn your golf vision into reality? My free Beginner Golf Guide & Checklist will help you take those first confident steps. Download it now and let's make this your year.