Good fun yesterday morning with Bill Condaxis and Ben Kline playing The Old Course at Half Moon Bay for the first time. The prevailing wisdom seems to be that the Old Course is a better challenge with tighter fairways and more shot-making required. On the other hand, the links-style Ocean Course is more open and more scenic with fewer houses. Both courses have fantastic finishing holes along the ocean. (The Old Course #16, #17 & #18 are highlighted in the first ever TheJoyofGolfing.com video that’s at the bottom of this post.)

None of us played that well. My biggest learning awareness was that I’m not really that aware much of the time. Seriously. I’m going to work on my awareness more than my swing. Playing around with the video also showed me some things including how right my feet are lined up. That said, it was an absolutely gorgeous day. The course is really top quality. And Bill and Ben are wonderful company, so it was a big win and a real privilege to be able to get out and have fun in such a gorgeous environment.

This short little 3-minute video was shot with my little Flip video camera. Enjoy!

Now that “the battle of ‘08″ is over, the noise about Tiger’s mental prowess is still loud and clear. Of course, it’s nothing new. In fact, I found this photo on a USA Today article from 2004 called “Tiger’s biggest club is his mental strength.”

Beyond the new Nike TV spot linked below, a friend was also nice enough to forward a link to today’s New York Times op ed piece called, “The Frozen Gaze.” It’s a good read and relevant not only to golf, but also to how we deal with all of today’s information overload.

Who says that the inner game isn’t the most important of all? Rocco was amazing and I loved seeing him do so well; but in the end, I don’t think there’s any question that Tiger simply outlasted him thanks to his mental toughness. And that’s no hype.

Regardless of what happens in today’s playoff, I just have to point to Rocco Mediate as a great example of the kind of “good things” that can happen when you focus on just having fun on the golf course. As he kept saying, he was “just having a blast.” And, of course, so are all the fans watching a true underdog, super long shot go mano-a-mano with “World #1″ Tiger Woods on the world stage. My opinion is that there’s no chance he’d be where he is today, in as much contention for a major golf title as you can be, without his upbeat attitude of total enjoyment. Thanks for the inspiration, Rocco!

Just a quickie post. I played yesterday with great guys at the beautiful Eagle Vines in Southern Napa County wine country. Enjoyed being out with the guys and the beautiful scenery. And loved playing our beloved game. But I wasn’t really my true Self. Not centered (most of the time). Still trying too hard, not relaxing (most of the time) and not just plain enjoying each swing enough. Still learning. 101 from the blues. Great up and down par on #9. Several bad kicks into hazards and lip out putts. Also, realizing the need for regular practice. It really helps when I’m able to get in a practice session the day before a round. Thanks for reading!

Personally, I’m making progress… now at my lowest index ever: 15.6 But if you want to learn, there’s only one real master in today’s golf world: Tiger Woods. I like the way the media is catching onto the value of a mind that’s trained to focus and to stay in the present. Sheding new light on this age old challenge are both this YouTube clip of Ekhart Tolle (with Oprah) and the new Nike Tiger Woods commercial (linked below):

The new Nike Tiger Woods commercial is called “Focused.” It will premiere this weekend on TV:

Click here to view the new Nike Tiger Woods TV spot

In case you didn’t catch it, The New York Times’ Sunday sports magazine, “Play” featured Tiger Woods in a stimulating cover story called “It’s Good to Be Immortal.” Clearly, Tiger fascinates each one of us for different reasons, but this perspective piece is interesting in its own right. I particularly enjoyed the story about Stewart Cink’s mother going out to watch Tiger at a junior event when he was only 14. That’s when Cink first realized that Tiger was something “different.”

Bottom line, to me, I think Tiger is an awesome inspiration (in the true sense of the word “awesome”) who illustrates by example the power of a focused mind and a will (dare I say “willingness”) to win. And then there’s the extreme excellence of his performance and the way that shows us what’s possible. What do you find most interesting about Tiger?

And when you comment below, please keep in mind that what you say about him probably tells us something about you…

Click here to read the story from Sunday’s NY Times >> 

I played so poorly last Saturday that I just had to practice on Tuesday before playing beautiful San Geronimo on Wednesday. I more-or-less found my groove again and I think besides having a better feel for my tempo, it was a focus on fun with a heavy helping of gratitude that provided the basis for a satisfying round.

How could I not feel good? Well, you probably know that’s a rhetorical question, right? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made golf stressful. On the other hand yesterday, before I even arrived at the course, I was feeling good about the opportunity to get out and play. I was also looking forward to spending time and having fun with three guys whose company I definitely enjoy. And the weather… well, I just love days that are mild, with a slight breeze, and a mix of clouds and sun. Perfect.

The idea that is starting to sink in is that when you focus on fun (or any other feel good positive process… for example, I’m still remembering my “stress-free swing of total enjoyment”), the results take care of themselves. Really.

I also appreciated the way keeping a positive attitude let me bounce back quickly after my higher scoring holes.

The result yesterday was a 90 with a 42 on the front nine. One of my best scores at San Geronimo ever, and two below my “personal par” (my current 16.5 index translates to a 20 at San Geronimo.) Progress good.

(FYI, the photo above of #16 at San Geronimo–the site of a surprising sandy par for me yesterday–is by Bay Area photo blogger Jung Kim.)