There's a quiet resignation that sets in for golfers of a certain age. It's not a single moment, but a slow acceptance.
You stop going for the hero shot over the water. You start planning your week around a "recovery day" after every round.
You tell yourself, "This is just what happens when you get older." For me, that's where I was.
The joy was being systematically drained from my game by my own body. My weekly game had turned from a highlight into a grind.