In an article by Golf Digest, they investigate why putting so difficult for so many golfers. As I suspected, the problem isn't the mechanics of the stroke. Our bodies have little trouble learning how to hold a putter and hit the ball. The difficulty lies in using your eyes to detect the right information about distance and direction at the right time, then using your mind to relay that information so you can consistently make the ball go in the hole.


Iris by Ran at flickr.com

A scientist at the University of Calgary, Canada, is getting impressive results from testing and training players' vision, using eye-tracking and motion analysis technology to do so. Professor Joan Vickers, a specialist in kinesiology -- the study of anatomy and body movement -- has been researching the role of gaze and attention in sport for more than 20 years.

She has been developing the "Quiet Eye" technique since the early 1980s, in an effort to understand how vision can control and guide the body's movements.

The technique is a measure of visual focus, recorded with a variety of technologies, which, according to Vickers, gives an athlete insight into their actions. The "Quiet Eye" is based on key elements of data, which Vickers compiles during her research -- what the athlete sees and when, and for how long.

The first is the optimal location of the eyes' focus in space. For example, the best place on which to focus in golf is the back of the ball, while in basketball it is the front of the hoop. The precision of the quiet eye location often mirrors the precision required to perform well in a sport. In golf, precision of movement and precision of focus are paramount.

The second is the when the eyes begin to focus. The timing of focus is crucial, and varies depending on the sport.

The third is when the players' gaze leaves the "optimal location." In golf putting, for example, it has to stay on the back of the ball through the stroke and dwell for 200 or 300m on the green, after contact. Most golfers do not do this consistently.

The final quality is the duration of the quiet eye's period. It's about their ability to maintain a single focus even as all the motor activity is going on.

Vickers research backs up my philosophy that most golfers have plenty of physical ability and don't need to dwell on the mechanics of the swing or putting stroke, but simply improve their concentration and focus.

Trust your artful eyes. As this article states, "your hands are controlled by your brain, which gets valuable information about what to do from your eyes. As you putt, your brain needs to organize more than 100 billion neurons. These neural networks are informed by your gaze, and control your hands, arms and body as the stroke is performed. These networks will stay organized for only a short period of time; a window of opportunity opens that must be used when it is at its most optimal."

Article: The Quiet Eye, Dr. Joan N. Vickers, Jan. 2004

Labels: Articles, Concentration, Disciplines

Ever since my little mishap a couple weeks ago with the lake where I splashed 2 balls from 95 yards out to quadruple bogie the last hole after getting to even par, I seem to be having issues with water.


17th at Big Island CC by Achrisvet at flickr.com

A couple days later, I played a 9-hole event and skipped a 5-wood across the lake on the par 4 1st, but still got up and down for par. But I put another ball in the lake on the par 3 8th and double bogied. In a best-ball tournament last weekend, I hit a 5-iron into a lake on my 2nd shot on 9 after playing 8 really good holes, and tallied another double. And this week, I hit a drive that rolled into a lake on the first hole. I did manage to make a pretty nice up and down for bogie though.

I've played with many golfers who seem to think they'll always hit the ball in the water or who have a certain hole that always plaques them, where they consistently hit a horrible shot. But I've never experienced this before. I nearly always avoid water hazards, and give them little attention. I've always had pretty good success in focusing on where I'm trying to hit the ball instead of all the hazards lying in front or to the side.

I'm playing again today and I'm eager to see if I can face this apparent new fear and regain my fearless focus on the target! Golf provides so many opportunities to face small fears and to learn to rise above them by trusting in that higher artful self of ours.

Labels: Disciplines, Fear, Rounds

As I've already shared, in my quest to play to my potential in golf, I made a conscious decision to research and discover golf's inner and mental aspects instead of going the traditional route of getting instruction on swing technique. This video pretty much sums up why ;).



But seriously, even if you introduce only one of those swing thoughts, that's enough to interfere with your natural ability to swing a golf club. Instead of working on technique and depending on swing thoughts, I've found that the more effective I become at simply focusing only on the precise flight path and target I want before and during my swing, the more frequently the ball goes there.

While most golfers are taking golf lessons and spending time on the range working through a rigid pre-shot routine, lining up your stance, and placing the ball in the "correct" position, I enjoy simply experimenting and "playing" during practice. I do think if you're just getting started, a single lesson is useful to learn a proper grip and perhaps a couple other fundamentals. But this information is also available in tons of golf books. I found that standing in front of a mirror to check your grip, find a comfortable stance, and observe your swing is very helpful too.

I like to experiment with open and closed stances, weak and strong grips, and different ball positions in my stance when I practice. I try to hit the ball exactly where I want with these variations and observe the various ball flights they create. What I've found is that no matter how I place my feet or where I put the ball, I'm usually able to hit the ball pretty close to where I want, without thinking one bit about my swing. By simply focusing only on the desired target, my body seems to figure out how to get it there.

All it takes is a deep trust that our human bodies already know how to do something as simple as swing a golf club. You just tell it precisely what you want it to do through visualization. However, this is only effective to the degree that you free your mind from the interference created by thoughts introduced by fear and doubt. That's where trust comes in. The range is a perfect place to experiment with this since it's much easier to be free from these interfering thoughts on a wide open golf range with nothing on the line.

With practice, I've learned how to take this "care-free" attitude out to the course, visualize and create the shots I desire, swing freely, and let go of judgment about the outcome and move on to the next shot. I find I only get into trouble when I start "trying" to steer the ball or hit it too far, resulting in over-swinging and a quick tempo. I'm learning to slow down, be still, and trust my body to deliver exactly what I ask for.

I've used the same approach throwing a ball to 1st base, shooting a free-throw, swinging a bat, and taking a slapshot. Those simple actions don't require professional instruction. Seems as if putting and hitting a stationary ball shouldn't either. Give it a try.

Labels: Disciplines, Golf Lessons, Self Coaching

I know from past mishaps that there is a valuable lesson for me in my not so artful finish yesterday. I believe my willingness to meet and overcome failure has been the biggest contributor to my relatively quick improvement in golf, as well as other successes in my life. Finding the hidden lesson in my collapse on 18 yesterday will help insure I meet the challenge next time I get the opportunity.


Sunset Golfer by hugo on flickr.com

Last night I began reading The Cosmic Laws of Golf by Printer Bowler. In his chapter on the Law of Polarity (cause and effect), he challenges us to "trust that you are creating your experiences, as a way your soul has chosen to teach you about your choices and beliefs." He later explains that, "if you aren't getting the results you expect, take a gut-check to see if you truly want it because you always get what you accept and believe you are.

That pretty much says it all. Bowler is suggesting that I created my collapse, or sabotaged my chance to win, to teach myself who I truly believe I am. At some level, I wasn't ready to win.

I started playing competitively to further challenge and test myself. My intention hasn't been to win tournaments or be the best. However, I can't ignore the fact that I've improved to a point now where on any given day, I can win.

I worked harder than I ever have yesterday to make every shot my best, to make birdies, to save pars - up to the point of the collapse. Going 3-under for a stretch of 13 holes with no bogies is perhaps my best performance in a round ever. It took intense focus over every shot and every putt. I feel like I played to my potential for the first time. But I failed to finish it off. Not because there's still a part of my game that needed improvement, but because at some level I just wasn't ready.

I don't think my problem was so much a fear of success, but that I was simply unprepared to win or shoot level par in a tournament. This was new territory for me. Like anything else, you can rarely do something you haven't done before until you first try, and fail.

The second time I got to 3-under after 7 holes, I pared the 8th instead of quadrupling it. The second time I got to 17 at 1-under, I parred the round instead of finishing with a triple and double bogie. And the next time I get a low round in a tournament, I'll birdie 18.

Labels: Books, Cosmic Laws of Golf, Disciplines, Failure, Printer Bowler

I pulled a Phil today. I'm such an idiot! Yes, I learned what it feels like to totally choke on the 18th coming in with an easy win.

Okay, this was just a men's club tournament, not a U.S. Open., nothing really on the line but some script money, but I still feel like an idiot!


Cypress Ridge Golf Course, 15th hole

I started today's round a little more tense that usual. I got paired with some good golfers that I haven't played with in over a year. Last time I played with any of these guys, I was about a 10-12 handicap at this course. These golfers are all long-time low handicappers. Now that my handicap is down under 4 and I'm currently leading the men's club in point standings, I feel like the "real" players who haven't seen me play in a while are watching me closely to see if I can really play, or if my index and standings are just a fluke.

So, a little tense, I was happy when I at least hit a decent drive off the first tee, but I came up short on my approach shot. I then hit a poor lob wedge over the green to the back fringe, and 3-putted from there for double bogie. I took a deep breath on the next tee and was rewarded with a perfect 7-iron right at the pin, but I hit it so well that it bounced off the back of the green. I couldn't imagine that an 8-iron was the right club for this 163-yard downhill hole, but apparently is was. Still feeling my nerves, my first thought was to just forget scoring well today and enjoy the round. But the guy with me in the cart then gave me a smile and reminded me there's a lot of golf left. I needed the reminder. I then hit a lob wedge to just 4 feet past the hole and made the return putt for par. Whew! Just hang in there.

I then hit 3 great shots into the par 5 third and 2-putted for par, but I still felt tense. I then hit an 8-iron over the green on the uphill par 3 fourth and chunked the resulting chip back, but managed to roll up to the fringe. I then smashed my putt from the fringe 6 feet past the hole. The putt was so bad, one guy asked me what I was thinking! Good question. I collected myself, focused, and sunk the return putt for a much needed bogie. Now 3-over after 4, I just made myself settle down. I just reminded myself to get back to playing my game, one shot at a time. Forget the outcome, have fun.

I succeeded. I went on to shoot 2 birdies to finish the front just 1-over, then birdied again on 15 to get back to even! I started crushing my drives and hitting quality irons into the greens. My putting just kept improving too. I sank some pretty impressive par and birdie putts. I then parred the difficult 16th and 17th and walked up to 18 still even par, 4 strokes ahead of anyone else in the group! I felt pretty confident at this point. I was striking the ball well and can often give myself a decent chance to hit a fairway wood into this par 5 to get on in two and get an easy birdie.

Again, I crushed another good drive, but pulled the shot slightly left and landed a deep fairway bunker. No problem, I can still layup and play for par. I picked the ball out perfectly with an 8-iron, probably one of my best-ever shots out of a deep bunker, leaving me only 95 yards in to the green, and over a lake. Oh, did I mention the lake? Yes, I did. Splash! I dropped next to the lake. Splash again! Jeez, I now was sitting 6 and not on yet.

Still a little rattled, I got the third one over, but nowhere near the pin. I really wanted to make this long putt for triple bogie, but missed by a fraction of an inch to the left and left the ball above and past the hole. I didn't even leave myself with an easy putt for a quadruple bogie! I took another deep breath. Thank God! I made the slippery putt and ended with a 4-over 76!

Turns out, three golfers including myself shot 76 today to tie for the lead, but our club uses the score on your back nine to break ties. My 39 was the highest. I went from 1st to 3rd simply by getting a quadruple bogie on the last hole when all I needed was a triple! I hope Phil feels better now. One guy tried to make me feel better by telling me Tiger shot 76 today too, landing a lake on 17 AND 18. Funny, that did make me feel better.

Oh well, I'll chalk it up as another learning experience. It appears that Phil has begun to recover from his mishap and I will too. But to be honest, I sure would have loved to shoot my first par in a tournament round! I'll get more chances though. I played extraordinary golf today for 16 holes, going 2-under between the first and last holes. Hard to believe I went 6-over on the other 2, but I'm not going to wine about a 76. I played some good golf today! And I'm pretty sure my playing partners now know my game is no fluke. They were even routing for me!

Labels: Cypress Ridge, Rounds

I met a golfer from Ireland last week online who challenged himself to shoot a round of par golf within one year of starting to play regularly. Although he played as a youth and off and on as an adult, his rounds prior to the challenge had resulted in scores close to 100.

Shaving 30 strokes in one year was quite a lofty goal. On the first day of his challenge he shot 103. Then, 363 days later, John Richardson shot a round of 1-under par at Blackwood Golf Centre! He disusses this remarkable journey at Scratch to Scratch. John has a book in the works too. Make sure to request his first three chapters! It's an enjoyable read.


John Richarson, Scratch to Scratch

Although John's approach was much different than mine - he took lessons, hit tons of balls, and read dozens of books - we both focused heavily on improving our mental game and faced many of the same obstacles. What makes John's accomplishment especially impressive and unique from mine is that he made his goals public prior to starting the challenge. This not only added an additional element of pressure that I didn't experience, but created an army of naysayers as well. I, on the other hand, kept my goals to myself, and only started sharing my experience after accomplishing some of the major goals I'd set for myself. His approach undoubtedly added difficulty to the challenge, adding an element of humiliation if he failed.

Meeting John and learning about his remarkable archievment, inspired by a childhood dream, made me reflect on my own golf story. This is an opportune time to do so too, since this month marks my 2nd anniversary. I have, as it turns out, made several attempts to play in the past, but never stuck with it. A trait John and I apparently shared.

I played once a week one summer when I was 13 or 14 years old when I worked as a caddie at Inverness Golf Club, an exclusive private golf course outside Chicago near my home in Palatine. Caddies were allowed to play for free every Monday when the course was closed to members for greenskeeping. I remember the first time I shot 100, shooting 55 on the front and 45 on the back. I was pretty proud of that 45! I don't remember ever breaking 100 that summer. I do remember trying to get my Dad to take me out to a public course that summer, but he had made up his mind years before that he didn't have the temperament for golf. He had little or no patience and quite a temper. He was however, a very good athlete. I always wondered if the fact that his dad died instantly of a heart attack while playing golf in his home state of Mississippi was another factor. My grandfather was 60 years old when he died. By the time the other members of his foursome got to him on the fairway, he was already gone. It was at that time that my dad began a lifelong commitment to health and fitness. He's now 78 and in as good a shape as I am. I've never exercised a day in my life. He still won't play golf.

When I was 21, stationed in Idaho Falls in the Navy, I went to K-Mart and bought a full set of clubs and bag for $99. I had just completed training as a reactor operator at a submarine training facility in Idaho, and after graduating #1 in my class, I was given the opportunity to stay on as an instructor for 2 years. I jumped at this opportunity since it reduced my submarine duty commitment from 4 years to 2 years. Trust me, less time stationed on a submarine is a good thing. Our rotating shift work schedule in Idaho was grueling however. We worked 7 graveyard shifts followed by 2 days off, then 7 swing shifts followed by 1 day off, then finally 7 day shifts followed by a welcome 5 days off. Not only was the rotation difficult to adjust to, but each day consisted of a 4-hour round trip bus ride to and from the training facility in the desert. As a trainee, we worked 12 hour days as well - 16 counting travel time. Anyway, it was during these 5 days off each month that I spent a little time playing golf one summer. I played 2 local courses in town. I broke 80 for the first time during a round on the easier course. I found it pretty easy to shoot rounds in the 80's with my very low quality clubs. That experience with golf soon ended once I got shipped off for submarine duty in San Diego. I then got discharged, got married, started a career, and started a family.

I didn't play golf again until I was 35 years old when I played for a couple months with friends from work. I was living in San Diego at the time and we mostly played Balboa Park, but ventured over to Torrey Pines once. I bought another complete set of clubs for about $400 without getting fitted. I still have this Penzer golf set stashed away in the garage somewhere. The clubs are way to short for me and way to upright. But, like before, I found it easy to get back in the 80's and broke 80 during one round. Also like before, I didn't stick with it. I started playing roller hockey with my son that same year along with switching from skiing to snowboarding, and made them the priority. Golf would have to wait.

Then at 41 years old, living near San Luis Obispo, good fortune struck. I was managing a very large software project that took our team three years to complete. Midway through the project our company was bought by a competitor. Soon after, the dot-com boom began and our new company's stock skyrocketed. Stressed out and burned out at the end of the project and after many years of crunch modes and deadlines - and with some stock option equity to hold me over for a while - I quit my job, unsure of what my next career step would be. In the short term, I decided I'd give golf another try. I bought some Orlimar woods and used Ping Zing2 irons. Once again, I didn't spend much on clubs, I didn't take lessons, I quickly got back in the 80's, and I broke 80 during one round. But four months after starting, I got a bad case of tendonitis in my left arm hitting too many balls off a mat at the range. I was still playing hockey at the time, and found that hockey didn't irritate my injury as much as golf. I quit golf and stuck with hockey. My tendonitis didn't heal for nearly 3 years. I finally quit hockey after suffering from too many years of back pain.

Finally, two years ago, now 46 and after gravitating back to work in web and software development - to help put my two kids through college - I got a call from an old co-worker from the prior job. He was recently laid off from work and was looking for a golf partner while he hunted for a new job. He is an avid golfer who plays nearly every weekend, carrying an index of about 7 or 8. We started playing together once every weekend and continue to do so pretty regularly to this day. For the remainder of that first year, I mostly limited my play to these weekly rounds and practiced once during the week. As in the past, I was shooting in the 80's pretty quickly and managed to break 80 twice. Towards the end of that first year, I established an official index and got down to 10.3 by year's end.

Beginning last January, after now enjoying my longest ever continuous stretch of playing golf (10 months), I decided to pursue the game more seriously. I joined a men's club to get some experience in competition and started playing once or twice during the week in addition to my weekend round. Without any concrete goals in mind, I decided I just wanted to see how good I could get without taking lessons and without getting caught up in club and ball technology. Although I bought a new driver, hybrid, wedge and putter, I'm still playing my Orlimar woods and used Ping irons that I bought 7 years ago.

I considered taking lessons this time, but after one free session with a well-respected local pro, I bailed after hearing him share a story about another golfer "he'd gotten down to scratch". I know that's his job and he's good at it, but I didn't want to feel like someone else did it for me. I wanted to see what I could achieve on my own. Like throwing a ball, shooting a puck, or swinging a bat, I figured swinging a golf club at a ball that doesn't move was just as easy and didn't require professional help. I was right.

I found myself very drawn to the philosophy and approach presented by Fred Shoemaker in his book, Extraordinary Golf. I learned about Fred from a local yoga instructor who knows Fred quite well and worked with him in the past at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, co-founded by Michael Murphy, author of Golf in the Kingdom. Shoemaker's approach inspired me to learn how to coach myself by becoming more aware of my own swing. The biggest benefit I gained from self-coaching is that I avoided the ongoing dependency on tips and fixes from others that many golfers seem to suffer from.

Secondly, I improved quickly!

I began last year with an index of 10.3 and a round of 92 on New Year's day during the grand opening of a new local course. I succeeded in reducing my index to 4.3 by October when I shot my first round of 72, a 1-over par at Avila Beach Golf Resort (69.6/130). Then, in December, just 337 days after starting my more frequent play, I shot my first 1-under round of 71 at Cypress Ridge Golf Course (68.5/124), improving on my first round of the year by 21 strokes! I also shot my first ace last year.

Last month in February, I shot my best round thus far, scoring my first par round at the very challenging Monarch Dunes Golf Course (70.7/135), the course where I'd started last year with the round of 92 and which has now been rated among the top 10 new courses in America for 2006. It took me 21 rounds at this course to break 80 last year and 37 more rounds after that to reach par! This par round and subsequent other rounds have helped me get down to my current index of 3.4, making my goal for reaching 2.0 by the end of 2007 seem within grasp.

It's been quite a journey so far, and I thank John for inspiring me to look back and enjoy it. And even though I've focused quite a bit over the past year on performance, my main goal for the future is to keep playing, play more courses, stay healthy, meet interesting people, and experience even more enjoyment and personal growth from this great game!

Labels: About

I am now a member of three men's clubs at two different local golf courses. Last year I joined my first men's club to get some experience playing competitively. I quickly got down to a 10 handicap and progressively improved all year, getting down to a 4.2 towards the end of the year. I even won the Net Club Championship!


Cypress Ridge 8th Green

This year I became a charter member of another men's club at a new local course that just opened last year. Both of these men's clubs play monthly tournaments on the weekend and fortunately don't have any conflicting dates. I also just put together a team for a third men's club that plays 9 hole stroke and match play tournaments every Tuesday night at our new course.

Things are off to a great start. I'm currently ranked first in points in the first men's club after playing 5 tournaments and just won the gross competition in our first Tuesday night event. I tied for 3rd gross in the first event of the season at our new course.

We have our sixth tournament at the first course on Sunday. I haven't played this course but once since last month's tournament and it's greens are significantly slower than the new course I now play more often, so I headed out today for a practice round to get the feel for the greens. Boy, did that turn out to be a good idea!

I 3-putted the 1st 2 greens and again on the 5th! My lag putts were just coming up way too short. However, the rest of my game was incredible. I hit a personal record 15 greens in regulation, hitting every green on the front nine, and hit a respectable 12 fairways, barely missing the other 2.

After getting to a quick 3-over after those 3-putts in the first 5 holes, I then recorded 10 pars, 2 birdies, and 1 double bogie to end with a 3-over 75. I nearly eagled 2 holes. I drove the par 4 7th green and came up a few inches short on my 10 foot eagle putt. I then hit the long par 5 13th in 2 with a 3-wood (which I've only done once before), and missed that 15 foot eagle putt by an inch. Those were my 2 birdies. I missed an easy 6 foot birdie putt on the par 5 9th and another on the par 3 11th.

I only had one bad hole. I hit a good drive on 15, but plugged my ball in a green-side bunker on my 9-iron approach. I got the ball out with a sand wedge, but it ran across the green into a bunker on the other side. I then got on and nearly made my bogie putt. I almost got another eagle opportunity on 18, hitting a 5-wood over a lake onto the green from 210 yards out, but barely bounced over the green into another bunker. I got out and 2 putted for par, ending the round 38/37/75 with a whopping 37 putts! If I'd 2 putted those first 3 greens and made just one of the eagle putts or easy birdie putts on 9 or 11, I could have easily gone under par.

Regardless, I had more fun playing this round than I have in a while. I played aggressively and gave myself a lot of quality eagle and birdie chances. I really only hit one bad shot all day, the one which ended up being plugged in the bunker on 15. That wasn't even that bad a shot. It was a very rewarding and fun round which I hope prepared me for a great round on Sunday with better putting.

What I learned today is how well I play when I don't over emphasize scoring. I truly enjoyed my company today, playing with a friend and a couple we hooked with from Southern California, and simply took pleasure in making good shots. I didn't even react one bit to any of my 3-putts. I just picked up my ball and walked to the next tee, happy to be playing golf!

Labels: Cypress Ridge, Rounds

During my first year playing golf in 2005, I took my family on a vacation to Kauai. Being a family vacation, I didn't bring my golf clubs, but thought I'd rent some and try to get one round in with my son, who was 19 at the time. This would be my first golf round I'd ever played away from home and my son's first ever round of golf on an 18 hole course, so I wanted to pick a good one.


Kauai's Poipu Bay Golf Course by golfslo at flickr.com

Since we were staying on the south side of the island, I decided to play Poipu Bay Golf Course - one of the best 18 courses in the U.S. according to Golf Magazine and home of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf!

This obviously turned out to be a great pick! I was a little unprepared for the strong headwinds the course is known for, but managed just fine. My first experience renting clubs went well too. The course provided a nice set of Ping i3 irons and woods.

I introduced my son to the twosome we joined from Los Angeles. I let them know right away that he'd only played twice before on a 9-hole course, but was a good hockey player.

My son then stepped up and drove his 3-wood right down the middle of the fairway within a couple yards of my drive. He then hit the green with a 7-iron and 2-putted for his first par. As expected, he didn't keep that up the entire round, and had a few blow-up holes, but he surprised all of us by finishing with a very respectable 101. I was impressed with how well he played in his first round with strangers and on a full-length course, and at Poipu Bay no less. He even recorded his first birdie!

I shot a 41 on the front nine, with 4 pars and 1 double bogie. I found the greens slow, but putted well overall. I had a more difficult time shooting pars on the back due to strong headwinds. I ended with a par on 18 for a 45 on the back nine and 86 for the round. I was pretty happy with the round, especially for my first visit to this course and using rental clubs.

I forget what the round cost, but I think I paid about $150 each for my son and I to play with a cart and rental clubs! The expense wasn't much of a factor since I felt so fortunate just to have the opportunity to play this beautiful course along the Pacific Ocean, and with my son.

Labels: Golf Destinations, Golf Vacation, Hawaii, Kauai, Poipu Bay

My wife and I traded one of our timeshare weeks this year for a week in Sedona, AZ next month. She doesn't play golf, but is generous enough to let me sneak out and play a few rounds in between our hiking adventures. Traditionally, our vacations have centered around our mutual love for hiking in the mountain ranges of our western states. We've enjoyed many trips to Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Washington, Oregon, and of course, California. Now that I play golf, I enjoy traveling to places where I can do both.


Sedona's Seven Canyons Golf Course

I realize that Sedona is not a true golf destination, like Scottsdale is to the south. But from what I gather, it does offer some good courses in an awesome setting. For instance, the Sedona Golf Resort was voted among the "Best Places to Play" in 2006 by Golf Digest Magazine and has received a Golf Digest 4-star rating.

But the course I really want to play is Seven Canyons, an exclusive private destination resort, rated among America's Best Courses by Golfweek Magazine.

Estates West Golf Living Magazine describes Seven Canyons as, "a masterful Tom Weiskopf-designed golf course that weaves past canyon mouths and features one picture postcard view after another. It will immediately jump to the very top of your 'most memorable' golf course list, and deservedly so. There are few sites in the world as naturally blessed as this; Cypress Point Club and Augusta National Golf Club in full bloom come to mind."

If anyone knows anyway I can get on this course, let me know! I'd also welcome any other golf course suggestions within an hour drive of Sedona.

Labels: Golf Destinations, Sedona, Sedona Golf Resort, Seven Canyons, Travel

Our artful self is always present, waiting on the sideline for its chance to play. All we have to do to invite it's artistry into our game is surrender our ego. Creativity only appears after we let go of the ego and it's urge to impress, control, manipulate, and cling.


Solitude by hb19 at flickr.com

Deepak Chopra discusses surrender when putting in Golf for Enlightenment when he states that, "Only when you give up and surrender to the putt does it start pouring into the hole as if drawn by a magnet or a string. Under those magical conditions, even distance doesn't seem to matter. A 30-footer will go in as surely as a 2-footer. If I couldn't control the magic, I could give in to it. So now, after taking my stance and gripping the putter the way I was taught, I take one look at the cup and inside myself I say to the hole, 'I'm giving my ball to you.' Only then do I hit it and just let go. I trust that there is always a string tied between the ball and the cup. The string isn't a mystery, it is a form of exact coordination that can be organized only by a higher intelligence. Putting is one of those deep riddles best solved by knowing you can't solve it. When you truly know that, the door of simplicity opens. You perform the necessary setup without worry, repetition, and fuss."

I've only had one experience where I completely surrendered my ego to the higher intelligence of my artful self.

I had just hit a great drive and lay-up on a long par 5, but left myself with a downhill lie in front of a large bunker protecting a raised green. The pin was tucked in front with very little green between the pin and bunker.

I decided to play it safe and just get the ball on the green, although I'd be faced with a slippery downhill putt back to the front of the green. I got tense and hit my wedge a little too strong and ended up on the back fringe, 70 feet above the hole.

I stood over the putt, confident that I had no chance of 2-putting from here. Any putt made to the hole would run down off the green's false front and back into the fairway next to the bunker. If the putt was short, I'd face the same dilemma on the next putt.

With a feeling of complete helplessness, I just closed my eyes and said to myself, "okay Artful Self, let's see what you can do". I surrendered completely. I opened my eyes and looked at the ball without looking up at the hole, took the putter back, and stroked the ball. I then looked up and watched as the ball rolled down the middle of the green, then broke left towards the hole, and finally slowed down - and dropped!

I've never made a putt anything like it since. It was quite a memorable birdie for everyone in the foursome.

As Fred Shoemaker shares in Extraordinary Golf, "When you disappear, Golf as Art shows up."

Labels: Books, Deepak Chopra, Disciplines, Ego, Golf for Enlightenment, Surrender