The Spirit of the Game of Golf

Present Moment Golf

www.presentmomentgolf.com

“Do unto others as you would have done unto you."

The Golden Rule

When new golfers are first introduced to the game of golf, it is common to have a feeling of being overwhelmed by the rules and etiquette of the game.  After all, the rules of golf come in book form and the "Decisions on the Rules of Golf" looks like a Quantum Mechanics textbook.  There is also that natural human desire to rebel against oppressive rule-making from on high.  As Mark Twain put it, “If God didn’t want Adam and Eve to eat the apple in the Garden of Eden, he should have never told Adam and Eve not to eat the apple in the Garden of Eden.” In that example I believe kicking a ball out from behind a tree or "Put me down for a ummm...four" would fit in as the apple in the analogy.  

However, even with all this complexity, the Rules of Golf gives the reader some sense of what is deemed as being most important to the game by the ordering of subject matter in its presentation.  The very first section of the rules deals with the subject of the “Spirit of the Game”.  As someone who believes that golf carries with it a distinct spiritual quality, I find this title to have a double meaning.  It is, of course, referring to the essence of the game and with what kind of motivation we play it.  It is also, from my perspective, a reference to the sacred qualities that one can experience in the game of golf and the reverence we are all called to bring to a game that offers this kind of opportunity for the direct experience of the divine in our lives.

For those who have not yet had golf touch them in this deep way, what I describe above sounds ridiculous.  “It’s just whacking a white ball around a field” is a common observation from those on the outside looking in.  For those that have played the game for a while and spent some time allowing the experience to color their lives, the “divinity” I describe above seems so normal as almost to be taken for granted.  When you find yourself walking down the fairway with a group of friends (old and new) on a stunningly beautiful morning, your steps and the rolling ball leaving traces in the fresh dew, surrounded by natural beauty and a quiet and stillness that soothes the soul...the spiritual elements of the game (connecting with something greater than our egos) are palpable.

The United States Golf Association (USGA) is the organization that oversees the rules of the game of golf in the US and who works in collaboration with the Royal and Ancient (R&A) in Great Britain to make changes to the rules on “both sides of the pond”.  The USGA “Rules of Golf” opens with the following statement.

“Unlike many sports, golf is played, for the most part, without the supervision of a referee or umpire. The game relies on the integrity of the individual to show consideration for other players and to abide by the Rules. All players should conduct themselves in a disciplined manner, demonstrating courtesy and sportsmanship at all times, irrespective of how competitive they may be.  This is the spirit of the game of golf.”

Can you imagine a close call in other sports being decided by the players?  Was the runner safe at first?…and both dugouts clear for the second time in the first inning.

Golf, at its Best

Many players, at the highest levels of the game of golf, have a deep and abiding understanding of the challenge and difficulty of the game they are playing.  They respect others that play the game at this level and they also engage in a behavior that is rarely seen in other sports.  For example, I have seen golfers make amazing shots and receive high fives from fellow competitors in their group.  This would be like opposing players coming out to congratulate an opponent for hitting a home run or catching an amazing touchdown pass.  It is virtually unheard of…but is the essence of what is meant by sportsmanship.

I have seen players who are not playing particularly well, in an event that means a lot to them, cheering on their playing competitors in their group. I saw Billy Horschel do just this in the US Open in 2013 and I remain a huge fan of him for that act.  I have seen players who lose a heartbreaking defeat and those that have won a championship that they have always dreamed of winning, and they handle it with grace and poise.  They show that they are immediately aware of other people and how these events have affected them.

For me, golf at its best, is a game about other people.  It is an awareness that there is a shared connection to this wonderful activity and that we are fellow travelers in life and in golf.  Our journey, with its ups and downs, is our playing companions journey as well.  With this understanding, we can support each other along the way.  We can have compassion for each other while we all come to the understanding that there truly is no competition in the game of golf…outside that of the game that goes on between our ears.

I invite you to experience the game of golf as it was meant to be played, beyond the ego.

Contact Steven Miller, M.A. to inquire about participating in a Golf Retreat with Present Moment Golf. Visit the website at www.presentmomentgolf.com