Golf Chick
When I was a child, my family made fun of golfers. Golf was a game that if you made it past the windmill on 18 for a hole in one, you got a free pizza. I took up the game to make my ex-boyfriend happy and so we could play together on vacations. We had gone to Maui and Scottsdale and I thought it would be great to have something else to share. To be honest, I thought I'd hate it. I've spent a lot of time in country clubs and thought "golf dork" was far beyond my capacity. Let's face it, tennis has sexier outfits and golf bags alwatys seem dirty. That doesn't sound like something I'd enjoy. I should've known better than to make such a quick and passing judgement.

Well, the boyfriend is now ex-boyfriend, but now I'm stuck with this addiction. The last thing I needed was another expensive hobby. For my birthday, I decided it was necessary to get rid of the clubs the ex had bought me. I went out and bought all new woods and irons and putter, as well as a new cart bag to get around with. Actually, my game instantly dropped a few strokes as I went and was fitted for the right shafts for my swing speed. My current handicap is 15.5.

I'm currently playing the Ping G20 driver and fairway woods with stock senior flex shafts. I'm hitting drives up to 240 on the course from the red tees, so I'm pretty happy with them. I play Adams a12 OS hybrids and irons (light flex), a Fourteen MT-28 V5 56-08º and a Titleist Vokey SM4 60-07º wedges and the Odyssey Two Ball Divine Line putter. No one has accused me of "buying my game" as my index is 15.5. I started playing in the end of May 2011, so I'm progressing pretty quickly. Golf is similar to photography in that there's always something new, something that'll add a little tweak here or there. Then there is the wardrobe - I've got to look good :)

With the time I put in the gym and my resurrected yoga practice, I know feel like I have an aim with those activities beyond just loooking good naked. It also ties in with some of my spiritual beliefs. I ghaven't met too many spiritual golfers and was surprised to hear about "Golf in the Kingdom" by Michael Murphy. Murphy was one of the founders of the Esalen Institute which I highly regard (and have received massage training at).

There's also an incredible mental component to the game which I am nowhere near mastering. It's so easy to let a bad shot totally knock you off your game. Each swing should or can be the first of the day. A friend suggested I read "Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect" by Dr. Bob Rotella.There is so much I'm learning from this book about psychology, both sports and general. State of mind is a matter of choice. Good attitudes = good moods. People by and large become what they think of themselves. You can not hit a golfball consistently well if you think about the mechanics of your swing as you play. The hot streak represents the golfer's true capability. It results, essentially, from trust. These are beyond golf for me. This is what my experience has shown of life. I'm really good at getting in my own way. When I trust myself and let my natural abilities in what ever facet of life I'm dealing with, things gop well. When I start over analyzing things, that's when they go wrong. Our thoughts are energy, energy which shapes us and our world around us.

I've been fortunate (read: spoiled) by having been invited to play at a number of private clubs such as the Olympic Club, Castlewood CC, San Jose CC, Saratoga CC, Sequoyah CC, etc... Besides the immaculately maintained grounds (I'd sleep on the fairways at the Olympic Club), the clubhouse and amenities make a day of golf a great experience. Oysters and sparkling wine have never tasted so good as after a tough round. On the upside, there are a number of really nice public courses that I've really enjoyed as well. We're lucky to have a lot of good golf in the area and varied course types. My home course is the Ocean Course at Half Moon Bay. I find the drive down Skyline Blvd. to be the perfect way to mentally prepare and an incredibly beautiful route. Napa has a few courses I frequent too, as I prefer to play in warmer weather - the less layers the better. I hope to join a private club closer to the city in the near future.