CHAPTER 1
THE COURSE
The Land of Good and Plenty
The golf course is relatively straightforward and reasonably understood by players. The game is simple enough—even with the variety of rules. However, good golfers know how things can get mixed-up on the golf course. A big part of the game is handling the quirks, coincidences, and amazements that come with every hole. A golfer's reactions to the course conditions seriously impact scoring, and there is no way to help a player handle all the feelings presented on the golf course. It is interesting that a player brings his or her best game and deals with controversy, frustration, group dynamics, personal discovery, failure, and success while the golf course just sits there, being what it is, as if it is simply watching to see what you will do.
The golf course appears to just sit there in all its glory, doing nothing but remaining beautifully available for you to enjoy. But it can appear to rise up and have a tremendous influence on your game, seeming to take control of your golf ball. A course can evoke intense feelings and impressions—just as people do with each other. While appearing totally neutral and apparently indifferent, the golf course communicates directly and completely with the player. The course presents a variety of inspiration and creative impulses. The natural setting for golf is more than mountains, lakes, trees, and horizons with birds and animals. Nature includes tremendous feelings of balance, rhythm, and power.
The natural setting brings resources to a player's game. Identifying and harmonizing with nature means learning to demonstrate many of nature's qualities, such as patience, strength, wisdom, and peace. The golf course exudes rich feelings of control, fellowship, confidence, timing, and even a sense of humor; these qualities are good for the game. Golf strategy needs to be built to relate to the golf course in the best way possible. A golfer relates to the golf course as his or her primary partner and tends to focus on—and express—the qualities of nature during the game. The more a player can focus on the course and learn to play in harmony with it, the more he or she will receive from it—and the golfer will see more good strokes.
To say that the hole or the ball doesn't speak Is to miss the humility golf tries to reap. Remember the course must call all the shots, Since the hole will get smaller and smaller if not.
CHAPTER 2
THE PLAYER
The Golfer's Biggest Hope Is to Be a Nice Person
A mature golfer moves in harmony with the elements of the golf course and the game in order to create great strokes and good scores. This player expresses the appropriate character traits and mannerisms in the game, which results in better scores. The advanced player shows a natural balance with the elements of the golf course and is relaxed, joyful, and humble. This golfer exhibits a wise state of mind. This style of play or awareness strategy for good golf works specifically by knowing what needs to be known, doing what needs to be done, and operating strategically without getting in its own way.
A large part of the game for the professional golfer is practicing how to express an appropriate temperament that supports good strategy. They practice being mentally quiet, intuitive, imaginative, and confident on the golf course. The good player works to enjoy golf with power, wisdom, and peace, which results in pointed and consistent focus. Good golf character is forgiving, grateful, and forthright. An advanced golfer tends to leave people and things alone and simply goes about the business of good golf. This player takes the course and game variables very seriously while expressing a wonderful balance of simplicity and innocence.
To become advanced, a golfer must practice becoming athletically minded and learn to work innovatively in order to respond appropriately to experiences on the golf course and the driving range. The mental gymnastics for good golf requires flexibility, a sense of creativity and freedom of thought. These ideas around the course helps the player move with and adjust to different strokes and changing situations. Golf requires the right kind of concentration on stroke focus, and it shows how to support this concentration from one stroke to another. Such understanding and expression means that the player has learned to practice what it takes to focus on the golf ball and on what the ball needs the player to do to hit the target.
Can you accept that you must show respect? You must give the honor that truth can detect. Wanting the box is a desire that's good. But until you earn it, behave as you should.
CHAPTER 3
ONE STROKE
Golf
Golfers realize that every stroke is different. This fact determines that the game will forever be a collection of single strokes. When the player steps on the first tee, it is time to focus on the play at hand and only on the play at hand. The idea is to work golf awareness completely into the stroke and to focus absolutely on the ball and where and how it needs to go. In order to do this, it is important to understand that the creation of the next stroke begins when the ball stops rolling. This requires learning to avoid reactions to a stroke that would distract or disturb the next one.
Good golf revolves around keeping the current stroke alive in the best way possible. It is wise to use the available time between strokes to assimilate how you feel and what you see into what you do with your next stroke. Some golfers play along with very little focus on playing the stroke or the game. Business associates, friends, or personal matters may occupy a player's time on the course. What a golfer chooses to think or feel on the course is his or her business, but how well the strokes are played or how the holes are scored depends on the right sense of motivation and strict concentration on the task at hand.
Involvement in each golf stroke helps a player enjoy and succeed at hitting each particular target, and it ensures the fewest possible strokes for the round. Concentrating on any relevant variables keeps a golfer focused and allows him or her to spontaneously feel and control the ball. Awareness and concentration make a stroke more intuitive, creative, and successful. Understanding the appropriate thoughts and feelings for good concentration comes from experience or learning what does or does not contribute to good play. Ideally, the player will come to see that each golf stroke is a treasure that brings meaning to everything else.
Oh, get the whole set and begin just...
