Scotland
St. Andrews
When you are older and look back on your life, it is easy to come up with a long list of “what if’s” and regrets. I try not to do that too much, but I do wish I had been introduced to golf when I was younger, when my body was more flexible, and I had more time to play. I didn’t get introduced to golf until one day in medical school I went out to play with some of my medical student friends. I have always liked sports in general and had been able to pick up the fundamentals of other sports quick enough to play along reasonably well as a novice, but golf was a whole different beginner’s experience. I was horrible and confused as to what I was doing wrong and how I might fix it. That is a common experience in golf; it takes a while to learn to hit the ball any reasonable distance and then you need to add accuracy. Altogether, the whole beginner experience in golf is painful.
Maui
Chambers Bay
Golf courses are some of God’s special places in nature. When I play golf, I usually walk the course using my pull cart (4-5 miles). On a most golf courses, I quickly get immersed in my surroundings. There is grass and trees and all kinds of other objects like mounds, sand traps, and ponds. It has all been arranged by a golf architect to look natural and pleasing. It is usually quiet and peaceful; birds and small animals are plentiful. There’s always a mystery as to what is around the next bend. Generally, I’m totally present in the moment when I’m playing, and the surroundings (the course itself) make it a peaceful “get-away” place. I find it especially enjoyable to walk and play alone, particularly early in the morning or at sunset.
Black Desert
Black Desert
My last lesson learned Is a very important one: don’t let the quality of your game on a particular day, determine your enjoyment of the game. At every skill level, the sum of 70 to 120 swings can vary day to day despite your best efforts to shoot a lower score. When I think back and consider every round of golf I have ever played, I can always recall shots that I could have hit better. That is true, but don’t let it tarnish your overall enjoyment of the game. I am generally quite happy and relaxed after I play golf, no matter how well I played. Living in the moment for 4 to 5 hours invariably leads to a good perspective.
Scotland
Bandon
GOLF: MY PERSPECTIVE
Medical school led me into a demanding career. For 35 years, I played golf just a handful of times a year, took a lesson or two, and stayed a hacker. When I retired in 2014, I finally got serious. I took more lessons, bought top-of-the-line clubs, and found I could actually get better in my 70s. Now, I’m playing my best golf ever. Weightlifting keeps me strong and loose, and I’m hitting the ball farther than I did decades ago. I’m not a great golfer, but I’m good enough to tackle tough courses and have fun doing it.
Chambers Bay
As a photographer, I’ve taken many pictures of golf courses. I have found it to be difficult to consistently get good interesting pictures. This is true probably because when I do take golf pictures I am playing at the same time. I grab my camera, hope the settings are correct and take a quick shot and get back to my golf game. Good photography requires more concentration. Nevertheless, I have managed to get a few good golf pictures over the years and these are displayed here. I don’t show any pictures of my swing because I don’t think I have a particularly pretty swing [functional yes, attractive no].
I need to dispel some common misconceptions about golf as held by many of those who just observe the game. That swoosh sound when the ball is struck that you hear on TV is not common unless you are a professional. That sound occurs when you hit the ball flush in the center of the club face. I hear that sound maybe several times only during an entire round. Barry, my golf instructor in Utah, talks not only about hitting the ball in the middle of the club face but also on a particular groove (there are 5 ), which is relatively easy for him and only an aspiration for me. Another assumption is that putting should be easy, but it isn’t. Putting incorporates a whole other set of skills separate from the golf swing. To roll the ball at a particular speed to a specific point [the cup] about 15 to 20 feet away on a surface that intentionally is confusing and not flat, is a challenge to say the least. The quality of equipment, the clubs, do matter: a set of clubs from a department store or a pro shop may look pretty much the same but the performance is very different: Clubs come in different weights and lengths for a reason. And golf shafts come in different weights, materials [metal or carbon fiber], and degrees of flexion. Each shaft generally costs more than the head itself. Grips come in different sizes and texture; match the size of your hands to a proper size grip; hard or soft is personal preference. Spend as much as you can afford on a good set of clubs.
Maui
Scotland
Bandon
Chambers Bay
Chambers Bay
