"When I retire, I'll finally get my golf game in shape." This is a myth- unless you dedicate yourself to a plan for healthy living and a focus on the principles of good golf. The myth of better golf in retirement is based on a few faulty assumptions. 1. If I play everyday, I will get better. 2. The absence of work and more control over my time will result in better golf. I will be relaxed and stress free. 3. My current set of clubs and my old swing will work even better now that I am playing more. The truth about building a better game of golf in our later years is based on a very different set of principles, not mythical assumptions. The principles of improvement are: 1. Your life must become a "portfolio" of living that includes health, conditioning, positive relationships, higher purpose and meaning. 2. Your golf game must become a project with goals, objectives and specific action items that elevate your game. 3. You will need to invest in modern equipment, swing analysis and find a local teaching pro to help you build an enduring game. I have an admission to make you you, the reader and golfer. Currently, I am at a 15 year low point in my game. Two years of cancer treatment and back injury have elevated my handicap from a "5" to an "11." Selfishly, the writing of this book is for me. However, the greater good of book is for you, the recent retiree. Together, we will learn how to have a great "back nine." The following pages are a blueprint for my recovery and rebuilding of a respectable golf game. Perhaps it will serve as your blueprint as well. Today is truly the first day of a better game of golf- and life on our "back nine."