I’ve started reading True Boo —Boo Weekley’s autobiography— and ran across an interesting tidbit:

Seriously, though, there must be something in the water down there in the panhandle of Florida, where I come from, and I ain’t talking about no oil. That’s a while different story and I probably shouldn’t get started on that. Nah, I’m talking about something else in the water. Some sort of magic golf potion or something. ‘cause little East Miton High School down there produced three pro golfers who currently play on the PGA Tour. Heath Slocum, Bubba Watson and I all come from that little school. Oh, and all of us have won at least one championship on the Tour. Like I said, magic golf potion.”

That’s pretty amazing. Weekley, Watson and Slocum. My coach’s heart was aflutter with the thought of being able to field the three at a match. Then I looked up their ages.  Weekley was born in 1973, Slocum in 1974, and Watson in 1978, so Watson wasn’t playing with the previous two. Still, two future pros on the high school golf team at the same time is pretty good.

True Boo: Gator Catchin’, Orangutan Boxin’, and My Wild Ride to the PGA Tour

This one has just rocketed to the top of my reading pile.

Weight Training For Golf: The Ultimate Guide

Review forthcoming—right after I get some equipment.

Mastering Golf’s Toughest Shots, The World’s Best Caddies Share Their Secrets of Success

In the mail yesterday was a prepublication copy of “Mastering Golf’s Toughest Shots.” The book offers the advice of top Tour caddies (including Steve Williams) on “analyzing every troublesome situation, avoiding bad decisions and making every shot a “Green Light” special.

A full review is on the way.

In my mailbox yesterday was a pre publication copy of Jim Hardy’s new book, Solid Contact: A Top Instructor’s Guide to Learning Your Swing DNA and Instantly Striking the Ball Better Than Ever.

I’m a big fan of Hardy’s The Plane Truth series, so I’m really looking forward to this one. I’ve even got an opportunity to interview Hardy after I’m done.

More to come ...

I ran across a book of golf poetry from the Edinburgh Golf Society from 1856. Here’s an ode to the Gutta Percha ball. It seems the satisfaction of having the latest in technology isn’t a new phenomenon:

Of a’ the changes that of late
Have shaken Europe’s social state—
Let wondering politicians prate,
And ‘bout them mak a wark a’—
A subject mair congenial here,
And dearer to a Golfer’s ear
I sing—the change brought round last year
By balls of _Gutta Percha_!

Tho’ Gouf be of our games most rare,
Yet truth to speak, the tear and wear
O’ balls was felt to be severe,
And source o’ great vexation;
When Gourlay’s balls cost half-a-croun,
And Allan’s no a farthing doun,
The feck o’s wad been harried soon,
In this era of taxation.

But times are changed—we dinna care
Though we may ne’er drive leather mair,
Be’t stuffed wi’ feather or wi’ hair—
For noo we’re independent.
At last a substance we hae got,
Frae which for scarce mair than a groat,
A ba’ comes that can row and stot—
A ba’ the most transcendent.

Hail, _Gutta Percha_, precious gum!
O’er Scotland’s links lang may ye bum;
Some purse-proud billies haw and hum,
And say ye’re douf at fleein’;
But let them try ye fairly out,
Wi’ ony balls for days about,
Your merits they will loudly tout,
And own they hae been leein’.

And noo that a’ your praise is spent,
Ye’ll listen to a friend’s comment,
And kindlier tak on wi’ paint,
Then ye wad be perfection.
And sure some scientific loon,
On Golfing will bestow a boon,
And gie ye a cosmetic soon,
And brighten your complexion.

Buddha Plays 18
Grade: A
Teacher’s Comments: Unlike many in the genre, this is a worthwhile read.

I think that it all must have started with publication of “Golf In The Kingdom ,” Michael Murphy’s 1971 book about a golfer’s encounter with a mystical golf guru in the hills of Scotland. Since that decisive moment, dozens, if not hundreds of books have been written on the metaphysics of golf. I’ve read more than I care to admit, and have found most to be either unapproachably obtuse, or just plain ludicrous.

Edward Balian’s Buddha Plays 18, on the other hand, is both approachable and somewhat sensible. It’s actually the first of the genre that I thought usable by the average golfer.

The premise of Buddha Plays has the author serving as a caddy for Buddha during a round of golf (yes, thats ridiculous, but stick with me here.). During this round, as Buddha is confronted by various golfing “situations,” he explains to his caddy/disciple the proper applications of the principles of the Eightfold Path. Thus, it’s less “be the ball” or “let the mystical energies flow through you,” than it is practical.

For example, in the pursuit of “right thinking” Buddha says he treats misfortune on the course as opportunity.

“In fact nothing here is ever really bad. I’m merely confronted with some new exciting challenges in my next shot you need to see it that way. Your journey has challenges not errors. Change the negative words you use to positive words and your brain will eventuality get the message. Then your thinking will change the same way, from negative to positive.”

To this end, he calls “sand traps,” “sand opportunities” and relishes the challenges afforded by difficult lies.

Balian also manages to relate the “Four Noble Truths” to the golf game:

1) Golf is suffering
2) Your golf desires, or attachments, continually feeds your suffering while on the course (eg. Desire for ten more yards, one putts, perfect weather)
3)Eliminate your attachments and you will alleviate your suffering
4) Practicing the Eightfold Path is the only way out of your suffering.

Great quote: “To those who have never played the game please just trust that at the international hall of fame for suffering the game of golf has a entire wing of its own built right on the premises.”

I am not normally one to subscribe to eastern mysticism, but I agree with much of what Balian writes. Indeed, I have always thought of golf misfortune as an opportunity to use creativity to solve a puzzle. It’s the puzzles that golf offers that keeps me most interested in the game. I am reminded of a line in Jonathan Livingston Seagull (not coincidentally dating to about the same time as Golf in the Kingdom - 1970): You seek problems because you need their gifts

As an aside, I wonder what golf’s Scottish fathers would have thought of the application of Eastern Philosophy to golf. Scotland is, after all, the home of Common Sense Realism, and of such philosophers as Francis Hutcheson, David Hume,  and my favorite, Adam Smith. Heh. I may have to write a book about my mystical encounter with those luminaries on a haunted course.

In the end, I found Buddha Plays 18 to be a worthwhile read. It’s light—I finished it in about an hour—and enjoyable. I think that nearly every golfer can find something in its pages to help his game.