Category: Passions

Another W (J.W. Parks)

Stay patient. Calm. Ready for your chance. The biggest take-a-way I had from my 3-under par win at the J.W. Parks weekend tournament is staying focused to have your bad holes result in pars… not bogeys or doubles with a silly missed putt, or unfocused stroke. Here’s what I mean: Managing your disappointment—paring a short par-4 (like #6) can feel…

Burn down the House

  The fire is dead Smoldering in the ashes, Deep in hiding, like a dog kicked one too many times   Lurking in the shadows  Searching for a chance To burn this cruel house down.   All it takes Is a gust of wind, Or a blade of grass To start the blaze anew… Somewhere else.

Churning the Waters

  It was warm and sunny With not a ripple on the placid lake So why’d I rock the boat?    Sending waves towering above To come crashing down  Soaking all, and then some   For when winter comes  And I realize… We’ve all been frozen in place.  

Florida Golf

What a different game Florida golf is: the lack of elevation change, slow greens, and no pesky woods to swallow up errant drives, makes for a completely foreign game to the one I grew up playing in New England. Aggressiveness off the tee offers a much greater reward when paired with the defenses Florida courses bring to the table. Firm…

Show up. Keep up. Shut up.

A caddy receives that bare bones instruction before his first loop and I’ve seen the principle of that statement applied by those around me, with sayings like: “Do the bare minimum.” “Strive for mediocrity.” “Thank god it’s Friday…Oh god, it’s Monday.” You can hear those phrases in high school classrooms, sports fields, and office buildings around the world. It’s a…

Cali Cars

Californians love their cars, driving through beautiful Palo Alto I saw tons of Audis, BMWs, Mercedes, and Teslas, but a few cars stood out above the rest. The first one was a Ferrari 458 convertible ripping down the palm tree lined streets. Then there was a 1965 Ford Mustang convertible, which belonged to my mother’s aunt back in New England and has since found its…

Powering Down

Apparently, Maine was on the naughty list. Last night we received a late Christmas gift of over a foot-and-a-half of snow, and as a kicker, we lost power sometime during the night and it just recently came back on. On the bright side, I got an opportunity to play around with my new camera and make use of the vicious…

New Adventure

Today I received the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark-II digital camera from my awesome parents. Along with the camera, I also got two lenses, the Olympus M. Zuiko ED 40-150 mm digital lens, and the Panasonic Lumix G 20mm digital lens. I’ve always liked to be in front of the camera and now I’ll get to see the other side of the picture.…

Only One More Sleep

The snow is coming down and it feels like Christmas is here. The tree is lit, presents are wrapped, and it’s time for everything to slow down once more. You can call me a grinch if you want to, but I’m usually not a fan of this time of year for a couple reasons. #1. When the snow comes down golf…

Pressure

Pressure: it transforms coal into diamonds. It can lift you to new heights, or it can send you crashing down. I crave being in the lead of a golf tournament. I’m out there alone, being chased by a pack of wolves, who want nothing more than to swallow me up. It’s the ultimate chance to prove myself. I have to keep my…