Last month I finally achieved my goal of breaking through a 3.0 index after getting stuck here several times before. I'm now down to 2.5! This progress continues a trend of cutting my index by about one half in each of my three years playing. I got down under 9 my first year, 4 my second year, and am now approaching 2. The key has been getting up and down more frequently and making more 4-8 foot putts. I'm now averaging slightly more than 2 birdies per round. But what continues to plague me are 2-3 footers!


Career Handicap Index, March 2005 to June 2008

In the last 5 weeks I've played 15 rounds, breaking 75 in nearly half of those rounds and failing to break 80 only twice. Amazingly, I missed 4 putts within 2-3 feet in 4 of these rounds - and still shot 74 each time! Perhaps I need to copy Phil and sink 100 3-footers on the practice green before each round. I probably won't do that, but I do need to find a way to overcome this ongoing challenge.

On longer putts, I've gotten much better at reading the break and committing to the line I've chosen, then trusting my ability to stroke the ball down that line. There is very little tension in my grip or in my putting stroke. In fact, I feel like I'm barely holding on to the putter. But on short putts, I can't seem to commit. Sometimes I can't decide whether to be bold and ram the ball into the back of the hole or finesse it in with a gentle stroke. Other times I just can't decide where to aim. When I stand over those short putts, I can't seem to see the line like I can on longer putts. Perhaps I miss most of my short putts simply due to peeking early to see if it went in. Whatever the reason, I could use some help.

As I was writing this post, I made my way over to The Wedge Guy blog, and as I expected, I found some great advice on Avoiding Three Putts. Terry suggests the following 3 steps to avoid missing short second putts. I'll certainly give these a try later this week!

1. Lighten your grip - We tend to squeeze the putter too tightly when faced with a short putt. Particularly lighten the pressure in your thumbs and forefingers, as that is where tension sets in first. Feel the putter in the last three fingers of each hand.

2. Slow down - Make your practice strokes very s-l-o-w-l-y. This sets up a good tempo – it’s a stroke, not a hit ! I see golfers make these quick back and forth practice strokes – what kind of tempo is that setting up ?

3. Stare down the hole - Your eyes are the key to putting, so pick a small target at the back of the hole (for a straight putt) or on either side (if a little break is to be allowed) and focus intently on that spot.


Rainbow by adrians_art at flickr

If anyone has some additional advice on how to sink those short ones - which for me would be a little like finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow - please leave me a comment and enlighten me! I'm pretty confident that I can get down to 2 and finally break through that elusive score of 70 when I start making the 'gimmes'.

Labels: About, Progress, Putting

As 2007 winds down, it's time to reflect back on the year, and make plans for a new one.

Last January, I posted my goals for 2007, along with a review of my 2006 accomplishments. 2006 was a big year for me. In my second year of playing, I cut my handicap by more than half, recorded my first sub-par round, hit my first hole-in-one, and competed in my first club championship and took 1st place net. Entering this year, I was hopeful about continuing this progress. I shared that I intended to play more new courses, stretch daily, continue my improvement by reducing my index to 2.0, consistently shoot rounds in the 70's, and shoot my first round of golf under 70!


Golf Course Winter Shadows by Steve at flickr.com

Well, I came close. I took 3 golf trips and played 7 new golf courses. I spent time with a golf conditioning coach, and even visited a chiropractor, and am now stretching every morning. My back still gets sore, but the chronic pain is gone! Although I didn't cut my handicap in half again as planned, I did get down to a low index of 3.3 and will be closing the year near 4.0. I did manage to come in under 80 in more than half my rounds, but breaking 70 eluded me.

I flirted with a round in the 60's on a few occasions, but the usual bad hole or a couple 3-putts stopped me. My last round was a 75, even with an OB, a lost ball, and 2 3-putts! I had a quadruple bogie during a round of 73 and a triple bogie during a round of 72. My best opportunity came during my recent round of 71. I was 2-under after 15, but double bogied 16 after someone in my foursome made a point to tell me my score.

Even though my progress slowed, it didn't stop. My putting and chipping have improved the most. That recent par round included only 24 putts! And even though I had a couple 3-putts in my last round of 75, I sunk a number of long putts and didn't miss anything close - and rarely do anymore. I'm finally confident with my putter! My chipping is improving too. This week while practiced getting up and down from different locations around the practice green using chips, pitches and lobs, I did so 23 out of 25 times, with 20 in a row!

My scores haven't come down in proportion to my improved short game mostly because my ball striking has gotten worse thanks to a shoulder injury. But even though I'm hitting less fairways and greens temporarily, I'm getting much more consistent about getting up and down to save par. I'm pretty confident that once my ball striking returns early next year, I'll see some extraordinary results.

I recorded 125 rounds this year, about 15-20 less than last year. I shot rounds of 75 or below in 1 out of 5 rounds (consistent with my handicap) and broke 80 in well over half of those rounds - leaving plenty of bad rounds for my handicap calculator to throw out. I shot 8 rounds of 73 or less, including 2 rounds of par, and only shot in the high 80's in 5 rounds. Plotting my scores for 2007 made for a perfect bell curve with an average score around 79.

This year I participated in 3 competitive leagues. I finished 3 points out of first place in my men's league that plays monthly tournaments at a local course. After leading in the standings all year, I slipped out of 1st place when I decided to take a trip to Bandon Dunes instead of competing in the club championship. I took third place in a weekly 9-hole team league where points are earned for both stroke and match play. Our team took 2nd place. The third league was a travel league where we play a different course each month. I've learned to score as well under the pressure of competition as I do recreationally.

I'll probably join these leagues again next year, along with a new men's club and travel league getting started at my home course. In the travel league our team will compete against 3 other local SGCA member courses in home and away matches during January and February. Somehow, I'll find the time to keep playing in the roller hockey league I just joined, continue donating my $20 to our local youth in our weekly skins game, and keep up with my work too. Now what was that I said recently about balance?

I truly enjoyed all the competitive golf, but it was my golf trips that highlighted the year.

My wife and I traded our timeshares twice this year to travel to Arizona and Hawaii. I played 3 rounds of golf in Arizona at the Sedona Golf Resort and 3 rounds at The Prince Course in Princeville, Kauai. Instead of playing more courses during these trips, I decided to play the same course a few times to see if I could improve on my prior round - since I struggled in both of my 1st rounds. I managed to shoot rounds of 76 and 77 on my second attempts at these courses. Good play or not, it was a pleasure playing golf in the incredible settings offered by these courses!

The biggest highlight of the year came during my trip to Bandon Dunes, with Fred Shoemaker and the Shivas Irons Society. I had recently attended my first event with the Shivas Irons Society, playing with its founder Steve Cohen at the Alisal Ranch Course in Solvang. When I then learned they offered a trip to Bandon Dunes, co-hosted by Fred Shoemaker and Jo Hardy, I jumped at the opportunity!

I didn't shoot any low scores at Bandon, but did have a few stretches of good play. I played a sequence of at least 9 holes at each course in only 1-over and succeeded in driving a short par 4 at each course. I was simply awestruck by the beauty of this place and the natural setting and links-style designs of these courses along the windswept dunes of the Pacific Ocean - golf as it was meant to be! The best part of the trip however was meeting and playing golf with Fred and Jo, along with all the other participants. It was a great group of people! If time and money permit, I think I'll repeat this trip next year!

One other golf-related event that I really enjoyed this year was watching our local golfer, Josh Warthen, compete in Big Break Mesquite on the Golf Channel. He demonstrated the exemplary character and attitude we all know him for, along with some great golf. Congratulations Josh on making it all the way to the finals!

2007 will undoubtedly be memorable, but I'm eagerly awaiting 2008.

Next year will be my last year before turning 50 and is the year both of my children graduate college! As they finally get started in their careers (fingers crossed), I will finally focus on fitness (out of necessity). I'm really motivated to improve my strength and flexibility so I can continue to play golf and hockey - into my old age. In my golf game, I'll make it a goal again to lower my index to 2.0, but my main goal is to continue to play for the love of the game, and look to its opportunities for community, discovery and transformation.

Wishing you all an Artful Holiday and New Year!

Labels: About, Goals, Progress

As a new year approaches and I near the end of my third year of playing golf, I'm finding it's time to reevaluate my goals and priorities and perhaps regain more balance in my life. I've made golf a big priority over the past 2 years, playing an average of 10 rounds per month and practicing once or twice a week while staying gainfully employed as a software developer. With my spouse working and both kids in college, my family commitments are minimal, so it's been rather easy to spend most of my free time playing golf.

I've kept up with my responsibilities at work, but I've admittedly let many of my tasks around the house go. I've got termites munching on our veranda, woodpeckers pecking on our chimneys, gophers feasting on our new landscaping, a lawn needing reseeding, dead trees needing removal, burn piles needing burning, fencing needing replacement, and of course, the never-ending honey-do list to attend to.


Balance in snow by Oilinki at flickr.com

Even activities that I enjoy have been set aside. I've only recently returned to playing hockey. I've barely made any trips to the mountains to go snowboarding or hiking. And my wife and I have hardly taken any weekend trips in our little motorhome.

I've continued to neglect my health and fitness too. With one more year before turning 50, I've never been to a gym, never exercised regularly, and only recently began stretching for a few minutes each morning. My back is better, but continues to limit my ability play or practice more frequently, and now a new shoulder injury threatens to sideline me from the game for a while.

I initially hurt my shoulder a month ago after purchasing a new driver, then spending the next 3 days on the range, hitting way too many balls trying to hit 'em straighter and longer - to justify the unnecessary purchase. I continued to play despite the pain and found myself in even more pain after each round. Last weekend I played in a 2-day match tournament and followed that with my weekly skins game on Monday and weekly roller hockey game on Tuesday. Now my shoulder is throbbing and affecting my sleep.

I'm certainly not complaining. I realize how fortunate I am that such a trivial injury is the only real challenge I'm currently facing. My family is healthy, my wife is happy, and my kids are doing well in school. I'm actually viewing this more as an opportunity to regain balance in my life. Or perhaps the injury is life's little way of telling me that I need to regain some balance. Either way, I'm eager to make some changes.

We've all watched friends make a religion out of something, whether it's golf, or fitness, or nutrition, or even work. It's important to maintain balance and put sufficient energy into all aspects of your life - family and friends, body and spirit, education and career, and travel and recreation. As we all know, golf can easily consume a lot of time and energy, taking time away from other important areas.

That said, I've also found that putting extra energy into a single activity for long periods of time is sometimes necessary and can even benefit other aspects of our life.

In my twenties, I put my career first. For the first time in my life, I applied myself at something. I put all my energy into my studies and my work. In the Navy, I gradually climbed from the bottom half of my class during my training as an Electronics Technician and Reactor Operator to finally graduating #1 in my class. I was rewarded with instructor duty, reducing my submarine duty to 2 years. I then continued this drive after the Navy, graduating from Coleman College with a 4.0 GPA, and was soon rewarded with a challenging and successful career in software development.

But over time, life seeks balance.

When I turned 35, I gradually started spending less time at work and more time with my family and having fun. I started coaching my son's soccer, baseball, and hockey teams. I learned how to snowboard while teaching my family how to ski, and I started playing roller hockey. I tried playing golf on two occasions, but didn't stick with it - mostly because my son and I were enjoying hockey together.

I loved playing sports growing up, but gave them up completely after our family moved when I was 12 years old. I got a job at a gas station in 7th grade, caddied during 8th grade, and worked and partied through high school. Then I joined the Navy for 6 years, got married 1 week after I got out, and found out my wife was pregnant 4 months later. Responsibility meant having fun had to wait.

But having met those responsibilities, I made a choice several years ago to leave a very stressful career and take a step back. Now, with a less demanding job and less family commitments, I've enjoyed the opportunity I've had to take up golf. And even though I've put a lot of time and effort into my game, perhaps at the expense of other responsibilities, this little obsession with golf has made me happier and has even taught me patience!

However, I think it's time I let go a little with golf and catch back up on other activities and responsibilities. I'm still planning to play golf on a regular basis once my shoulder heals, but with a different attitude and focus - one that makes time for hockey, snowboarding, hiking, friends and family, and my fitness and health!

I have one year before I'm 50... I'm planning to get there in better shape than I've been in since my 20's!

p.s. I'll still be posting here. I'm currently reading 3 golf books that you'll want to hear about.

Labels: About, Balance, Disciplines

Since creating this blog at the beginning of the year, I've attempted to share information from books and other resources that I've found helpful in my quest to play extraordinary golf, as well as highlighting some successes and failures I've experienced implementing what I've learned on the course. I hope at least a few readers have found some of these resources and experiences helpful in their own efforts to improve.

But going forward, instead of boring you with only stories of my own, I thought I'd begin to share the stories of other artful golfers -- ones who have inspired me along the way. I'll introduce you to some of the the golfers I've played with, along with golfers I've never met, but who nevertheless inspired me.


Fab Foursome by Gerard at flickr.com

Just in the past year, I've already played with nearly two-hundred different golfers. I've probably met nearly four-hundred golfers since taking up the game in 2005. And I honestly haven't met one I didn't like. I've played with a 45 year old who won 6 PGA tournaments but didn't make the final cut at Q-School in 2005, a 70 year old who still throws clubs, a 40 year old who is a retired drug dealer, an 80 year old who shoots his age, a 50 year old who has 15 career aces, a 60 year old who is still hitting 'em 300 yards, a 20 year old who only weights 140 pounds who hits 'em further than anybody, along with hundreds of others who shot rounds anywhere from under 70 to over 140. In some way each of them taught me something that helped my game.

I'll start by introducing you to my friend Russ who got me started playing golf in 2005, and who I still play with several weekends each month. As long as I've known Russ, he's been an avid golfer. He plays to about an 8, which is pretty respectable for someone who picked the game up as an adult and who only has time to play once a week. In early 2005, Russ was between jobs and looking for someone to play with during the week, before getting busy with a new job. I had quit playing hockey about a year prior due to ongoing back pain, and needed a new physical activity to get me moving again, so I joined him. We've been playing together regularly since.

Our approach to the game and individual strengths are entirely different. Russ is a technical golfer who depends on lining up and swinging correctly to make the ball go where he wants. I just focus on the target and visualize where I want the ball to go and trust that my body knows how to make it go there. Russ is long, but inconsistent off the tee, but has an incredible recovery and short game. My strength is my accuracy off the tee. We make great scramble and best-ball partners.

More than anyone else, Russ has taught me how to play competitively. In fact, Russ isn't that interested in playing unless it's competitive, so every round we play includes a low-wage nassau. He used to give me as many as 8 strokes, now I give him a few. But we always seem to take turns taking each other's money. And since the winner buys drinks afterwards, it's essentially meaningless. Our serious matches, along with his British wit, not only make for enjoyable rounds, but have shown me how to play with integrity and by the rules, and how to stay patient and calm when I want to get frustrated and discouraged.

But what's most interesting is that Russ and I have synchronous lives. I was born in California in 1959, just 3 days before Russ was born in England. We both got married in the summer of 1984 and are still married. We started careers in software development soon after, experiencing major career milestones in the same years. We both managed software projects at competing, and later the same, companies, developing the same type of retail software. We both had daughters born in 1987 who both graduated from the same high school and who both went on to UC Santa Barbara to major in Psychology. We both have sons, but of different ages.

When we started playing golf together, I discovered we had the same make and model laptops, the same make and model digital cameras, and the same make and model cars (and color). Even our personal license plates nearly match. One day, I went over to Russ's house to pick him up for a round of golf, and noticed that he had a hole in his front bumper in the exact same spot I did. We both had something fly up and hit our bumpers during the same week while driving on the freeway. The list goes on. I told Russ to be really careful not to get hurt or come down with some disease. Turns out he dropped his motorcycle on a sharp turn yesterday, injuring his shoulder. I'll stay in the house and be careful for a few days!

Next post, I'll introduce you to Josh, an artful young golf pro I met a while back and played with recently, who you'll actually meet soon too, if you watch Big Break VIII.

Labels: About, Golfers

"You’ll come away from the links with a new hold on life, that is certain if ye play the game with all yer heart." -- Shivas Irons

I'm currently rereading Golf in the Kingdom by Micheal Murphy. I'm drawn to its unique insight into the game of golf and the spirit with which it can be played. Shivas’ reminder that "your handicap is not an exact mirror of your soul, it is your relation to your score that really counts," reminds us that the game can be about self-discovery instead of just about performance.


Surreal by insight32 at flickr.com

Golf is played at many levels and for many reasons, but as Murphy shares, "Golf is first a game of seeing and feeling. It can teach you stillness of mind and a sensitivity to the textures of wind and green. Golf is also a game to teach you about the messages from within, about the subtle voices of the body-mind. And once you understand them you can more clearly see the ways in which your approach to the game reflects your entire life."

That's what golf offers at its deepest level, that opportunity to discover more of who we are and to evolve towards who we can be. Instead of playing golf as a simple pursuit of recreation or competition, golf can inspire us toward inner growth. For, as Flower A. Newhouse shares, "evolution is working on us, chiseling and refining us, bringing all its tools of experience to bear on us." And golf is one of evolution's tools!

After rereading this novel, I discovered the Shivas Irons Society, which was formed fifteen years ago in response to the popularity of the book and the outpouring of letters from readers. This non-profit society is dedicated to furthering the game of golf as a mindful pursuit and as a tool for personal growth and transformation. Having a similar philosophy, I decided to become a member. I'm looking forward to meeting some of the 1000+ members who share a common love for the game and a respect for golf's deeper dimensions.

I've also been inspired to reevaluate my goals. Instead of focusing solely on shooting lower scores and lowering my handicap, I'll place more attention on raising my awareness and developing my character. It doesn't hurt that the self discoveries and transformations that I've already made have also improved my game! Approaching the game with a humble spirit has helped me the most in making such swift progress. The challenge now is to stay the course and not become focused on those results, but continue on the path of self-conquest that enabled those results.

Labels: About, Books, Flower A. Newhouse, Golf in the Kingdom, Michael Murphy, Shivas Irons Society

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 discovered last year that many of my best rounds had occurred immediately after being inspired by reading a new book about mental aspects of the game - many of which I've already referenced in this journal. However, I found that a round or two later, I'd revert back to my old habits of trying too hard and expecting good results, leading to frustration and anxiety.

Although these books inspired me, they hadn't changed me. I began rereading several of these books to keep the ideas and suggestions fresh in my mind. That helped me make progress, but I'd eventually regress again.

Upon further analysis, I found that these new approaches were helping me to get mentally prepared for a round beforehand, but that I rarely evaluated a round afterwards in enough depth or detail to determine what I did well and where I still needed improvement. Perhaps doing some post-game analysis would prevent me from having to keep relearning from the same mistakes and make my improvements more lasting or permanent.

I therefore decided to start this journal to record my evaluations, insights and experiences while learning to play more artful golf. From past experience, I've found I learn best by writing, which helps me sort out my thoughts and forces me to evaluate a subject more deeply, eventually resulting in a lasting understanding and change.

And if, along my journey to playing more artful golf, I happen to share a perspective or approach that helps or inspires another beginning golfer, that's even better.

Labels: About

When I took up golf on a regular basis in early 2005, I set one goal for my first year - to break 80. I broke 80 for the first time that June, after about 4 months of weekly play. Interestingly, I didn't break 80 again until the following November, my only other sub-80 round that year.

For 2006, it occured to me that perhaps my goals should be more geared towards ongoing improvement instead of achieving only a specific score.

I decided to join the Men's Club at my home course to get tournament experience and set a goal for the year to reduce my index on an ongoing monthly basis and to shoot one round of par golf.

Turns out I achieved each of my goals last year, and more!

I joined the local Men's Club and learned to play as well in competition as I did in recreational rounds, and ended up winning the "Net" Club Championship.

I reduced my index from 10.3 in January to 4.2 in November, and lowered my index each month from the prior month in 8 out of 11 of those months.

Late in the year, I flurted with par several times, shooting 1-over one round and reaching the 18th tee at even par another round, but then double bogied 18. On December 13, with only 2 weeks and a couple rounds left to reach my goal, I shot a 1-under par 71!

I also experienced other significant milestones in 2006 - I shot my first ACE in October, first Eagle in August, and first 9 holes under par in October.

Memorable rounds last year include shooting 3 Birdies in a row during one round and 8 Pars and an Eagle on the back nine during another round in December, shooting a round with 5 birdies in August, 14 GIR in September, 13 Fairways in October, and a streak of 7 rounds under 80 ending in December. I didn't shoot a round over 90 in the entire second half of the year.

In addition to playing 4 new local courses for the first time last year, I also took my first golf vacation. I played 5 courses in Palm Springs in March and 4 courses in Whistler, B.C. in August.

My second year playing golf was quite a success. I increased my frequency of play to twice and sometimes three times per week, along with my enjoyment and passion for the game!

For 2007, my goal is to play more new courses, stretch daily, continue my improvement by reducing my index to 2.0, consistently shoot rounds in the 70's, and shoot my first round of golf under 70!

Labels: About, Disciplines, Goals

Nearly 2 years ago, in my late 40's, I took up the game of golf, again.

My 4 prior attempts to play ended early due to other commitments, injury, lack of time or lack of money. I'd never stuck with the game for more than a few months.

My current life circumstances have enabled me to pursue golf more seriously this time. Determined to stick with the game and improve, I've gradually increased my frequency of play over the past 21 months from weekly the first year to 2-3 times per week last year, and succeeded in cutting my handicap in half twice - from 16 to 8 in the first 12 months and 8 to 4 in the past 9 months!


Scores Over Past 21 Months

I've made this progress without taking lessons and without an emphasis on learning about, thinking about or fixing my swing. Instead, I've focused on my inner game - improving concentration, visualization, awareness and attitude.

In this online journal, I'll share some of the insights I've learned from others and discovered myself along the way to my eventual goal of shooting par.

Labels: About

Here at The Artful Golfer, I'll share insights and experiences pursuing Golf as Art, a unique approach to golf that I was inspired to explore after reading Extraordinary Golf, by Fred Shoemaker.

Shoemaker believes that anyone, beginner or pro, can play golf in an artistic way and have experiences so deep and compelling that they will benefit others as well. He shares, "when you disappear, Golf as Art shows up. The resulting void is where all the important discoveries, personal development, satisfaction, joy and fulfillment take place."

Labels: About, Books, Extraordinary Golf, Fred Shoemaker