Hope Joy Golf
  • Welcome Home!
  • Cathy's Blog
    • Tees2Greens Archive Posts >
      • Masters 2020
      • Ryder Cup 2016 Blogs
  • Shop Golf
    • Holiday Gift Ideas for Golfers
    • Product Reviews
    • It's a Deal!! Great Golf Sales

When Life Gets in the Way of Golf

1/4/2016

0 Comments

 
Posted Jul 27 2011, 12:06 AM by Cathy Erickson
I really don't do this very often, but I was thinking about Tiger Woods.  If you are a fan of golf you've probably read about Tiger parting ways with his caddie Steve Williams.  Depending on what source you read it sounds like going their separate ways wasn't exactly a mutual decision.
 
The gist of what I got out of it was, Steve was asked to caddie for someone else...he asked Tiger, Tiger and his people said "okay", but maybe weren't really excited about it...Tiger's still on the DL so Steve is asked again...this time he doesn't ask he just caddies...well, seems like the Tiger camp was miffed about it, throwing words out like "loyalty" and pretty soon Williams can decide whatever he wants because he doesn't have to worry about being on TW's bag anymore.
The observation of human nature has always interested me, and this whole evolution of Tiger's life over the past few years has sort of given me some insight into what focus, determination, and life choices are all about.
 
Now don't worry, I'm not going to get all "Golf is Just Like Life" on you, (but I could!)...what has struck me lately is how much buffers and folks running interference in life must be the things that allow a person to be successful at golf.
 
I watch golf week after week and see player after player going along and then, seemingly out of no where the wheels start to get loose - sometimes they can wobble in, but other times is just a crash and burn situation.  In his hey day (and it seems so strange to talk about TW in the past tense), the guy seemed to have so many wheels that even if half of them fell off he was still going to cruise to victory.
 
Of course he went through some bumpy patches but it didn't take long to smooth things out and then have the need to find more trophy space.  Then "it" happened at Thanksgiving and ever since we've sort of been watching this soap opera of sorts, not sure whether we're watching the last episode or not.
 
In the past year we've talked about I don't know how many "he's the next Tiger" - just off the top of my head... Graeme McDowell, Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood and the latest, Rory McIlroy....and I think we can even throw in Matt Kuchar, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Luke Donald.  But so far, none of these guys have done anything like TW in any certain span of time.  I can attest to this because I keep picking these guys on my fantasy golf teams and they are doing NOTHING for me!! (except for Matt, of course!)
 
My conclusion on this is that life must get in the way of golf, even for the best players in the world.  I mean something must cause them to all of a sudden be pushing all of their drives right or pulling all of their irons left.  People talked about Tiger's steely eyes and almost creepy concentration (okay, maybe I just think it was creepy).  He had a found a way to lock out all of the chaos and then it could be all about golf.  He was a winner, but at what cost?
 
I don't think it's that way for many other people - maybe it's because they don't have the right "people" to make all the stress and chaos go away, or maybe they don't want to.  I'm guessing life has to be a little harder and maybe a little lonelier when you block every thing and every one out for the sake of success.
 
What sparked this you might ask?  Well, I've been seeing chaos infiltrating my life for the past few months now...I'll admit I've let it in, but in some ways it's felt like I haven't had a choice in it.  The chaos has kept me off the golf course more than want, and I've seen it in my game.  Just tonight, I had 4 pop up drives - what would normally be an autopilot swing for me just isn't there - thankfully I was able to focus and wobble in with a few decent drives, but it wasn't the same.
 
The golf course is where I escape life, but this year, so far, it hasn't been able to fend off the chaos...so can you imagine what it must be like to be a professional golfer with family obligations, sponsor obligations, not to mention needing to make a living on a pure golf swing?
 
As I think back on Tiger's life and how insulated he must had to have made himself to be as successful as he was could now be the very thing that is now his unraveling.  Sure he has injuries, but I've got to believe, even if he was completely healthy, there are just too many cracks in the mortar to keep him shielded from, well...life.
 
I learned awhile ago that golf, for many professional golfers is just a job.  They have a talent, they can make money, and that's about it.  It's not about the passion, the character building, or the life lessons...it's about doing it for the sake of doing it.  That revelation really impacted me...I've have spent my life thinking these are the luckiest guys in the world to be professional golfers and they just see it as a grind week after week...I know this may sound weird but it felt like a slap in the face to golf to me!
 
So even though I said I wouldn't do it, I'm going to (sorry Sam!)...just like life, we get out of golf what we decide to put into it - and tonight I was reminded that golf is just too dang important to me to allow chaos to jump on my cart.  That's not to say I can erase all of the outside forces that might impact my concentration or patience, but I know I have the power to choose to enjoy the time at my happy place.
 
I wonder if Tiger will ever feel that way again...believe it or not, I hope so.
​
Filed under: Golf, Cathy Erickson, life
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Author

    When I found Tees2Greens website and forum I found a happy place.  There were great people there and in 2009 they asked me if I wanted my own blog space.  It was a dream come true!!  The site is down now, but I was able to get all of my posts to be able to post here.  I will always be grateful for all of the Tees2Greens folks!!

    Archives

    January 2016

    Categories

    All
    2008
    2009
    2010
    2011
    2012
    2013
    2016
    2Putt
    Accessories
    Accident
    Adam Scott
    Alvaro Quiros
    Amy Grant
    Andy Paulson
    Angel Cabrera
    Anonymous Pro
    Anthony Kim
    Apology
    Apparel
    Arizona
    Atlanta
    August
    Augusta National
    Azaleas
    Babe Zaharias
    Back Pain
    Believe
    Benchmark
    Bethpage Black
    Betsy King
    Birdie
    Bobby Jones
    Bob Hope Classic
    Bo Van Pelt
    Brandt Snedeker
    British Open
    Bubba Watson
    Cameron Beckman
    Cathy Erickson
    Celebrate
    Chad Campbell
    Champions Tour
    Character
    Chipshot
    Choices
    Christina Kim
    Christmas
    Clayton Rask
    Comparison
    Competition
    Concentrate
    Concentration
    Confession
    Confidence
    Corporate
    Coverage
    Crystal Golf Ball
    Curling
    Dallas Cowboys
    David Toms
    Davis Love III
    December
    Divot
    Donald Constable
    Don Berry
    Dormie
    Doug Barron
    Dream
    Dreamer
    Dream Team
    Dubai Desert Classic
    Dustin Johnson
    Dwan Golf Club
    Eagle
    Easter
    East Lake
    Economy
    Emotions
    Encouragement
    End Of The Season
    Endorsements
    Enthusiasm
    Equipment
    Erik Compton
    Erik Tammar
    Ernie Els
    Europe
    Excitement
    Expectations
    Eye2
    EZ Links
    Fall
    Fall Series
    Family
    Fan Bus
    Fans
    Fantasy Golf
    FedEx Cup
    Floods
    Focus
    Fred Couples
    Friends
    From The Fringe
    Frustration
    Funk
    Geoff Ogilvy
    Georgia
    Goals
    Golf
    Golf Allowance
    Golf Channel
    Golf Digest
    Golf Fever
    Golf Is Like Life
    Golf Now
    Golf Swing
    Golf Talk
    Gonzo
    Good Good
    Grateful
    Greens
    Greg Norman
    Handicap
    Hang On
    Happiness
    Happy Place
    Hazeltine
    Heart
    Heart Transplant
    Heath Slocum
    Hermitage
    Hockey
    Home Course
    Honda
    Honda Classic
    Honesty
    Hot Ball
    Hotel
    Hunter Mahan
    Hybrid
    Incentive
    Increasing Play
    IOC
    Jason Dufner
    Jeff Rude
    Jerry Kelly
    John Atkinson
    Johnson Wagner
    Jon Sauer
    Journey
    Journeyman
    Juli Inkster
    July
    Junk Points
    Justin Leonard
    Justin Rose
    Justin Smith
    Ken Green
    Kenny Perry
    Kerplookee
    Kodak Challenge
    Lee RInker
    Life
    Limited Status
    LPGA
    Luke Donald
    Lung Cancer
    Magazines
    Majors
    Marathon
    Marc Leishman
    Marketing
    Martin Kaymer
    Masters
    Match Play
    Matt Kuchar
    Media
    Mediocrity
    Memorial
    Memories
    Mental Game
    Merchandise Tent
    Michelle Wie
    Mike Gray
    Minnesota
    Mom & Dad
    Money
    Money List
    Mother Nature
    Motivation
    Municipal
    Nashboro
    Nashville
    Nationwide Tour
    New Year
    Niall Turner
    Nick Watney
    November
    Numbers
    October
    Odds
    Olympics
    Online
    OWGR
    Padraig Harrington
    Passion
    Past
    Pat Bradley
    Patience
    Patty Berg
    Paul Azinger
    Pebble Beach
    Peggy Ference
    PGA
    PGA Championship
    PGA Tour
    Phil Bundy
    Phil Mickelson
    Phoenix
    Player Of The Month
    Players Championship
    Playoff
    Play & Stay
    Points
    Policy
    Potatoes
    Practice
    Practice Round
    Predictions
    President's Cup
    Priorities
    Putter
    Putting
    Q School
    Qualifier
    Queen
    Ranking
    Rant
    Rate
    Refrigerator
    Research & Development
    Resolutions
    Retief Goosen
    Rich Beem
    Rory McIlroy
    Rory Sabbatini
    Routine
    RSM McGladrey
    Rules Of Golf
    Ruling
    Ryder Cup
    Ryo Ishikawa
    Sam Johnson
    Sand Trap
    San Fransisco
    Schmooze
    Scramble
    Sectional
    Senior British Open
    September
    Sergio Garcia
    Seve
    Shark Shootout
    Shazbah
    Shopping
    Si Woo Kim
    Slice
    Solheim Cup
    So-Lo
    Solus
    Sony Open
    Spirit
    Sponsor
    Spring
    Springhouse Golf Club
    Stereotype
    Steve Anderson
    Steve Stricker
    Stress
    Stretch
    Summer
    Super Star
    Tees2greens
    Tennessee
    Texas
    Thankful
    The Classic
    The Golf Club Of Nashville
    The Hermitage
    The Legend
    The Quarry
    The Wilderness
    Thomas Campbell
    Tiger Woods
    Time
    Tips
    Titleist
    Tom Gillis
    Tom Lehman
    Tom Pernice
    Tom Watson
    Top 20
    Top Ten List
    Tour Championship
    Tournament
    Travel
    TV
    Under Par
    USA
    USGA
    US Open
    US Women's Open
    Vacation
    Vaughn Taylor
    Vijay Singh
    Vikings
    Visualize
    Waste Area
    Waste Management Open
    Weather
    Web
    Webb Simpson
    Web.com Tour
    Wedge
    Wednesday
    WGC
    Whistling Straits
    White Tees
    Wind
    Windtree Golf Course
    Winter
    Women In Golf
    YE Yang
    Zach Johnson

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Welcome Home!
  • Cathy's Blog
    • Tees2Greens Archive Posts >
      • Masters 2020
      • Ryder Cup 2016 Blogs
  • Shop Golf
    • Holiday Gift Ideas for Golfers
    • Product Reviews
    • It's a Deal!! Great Golf Sales