why golf?

Pretty much the first question anyone asks, especially those who know me, is “why golf?”

First of all, I’m not exactly the most “sporty” guy in the world.  That said, I do enjoy watching a variety of games, from tennis to college football, and am a really big fan of stats (grew up in a numbers/math oriented family).  And so, have watched a bit of golf in my day, but by no means follow or even completely understand the game at this point.

So.  Why golf?

There are a number of reasons why I chose to pursue golf.

First and foremost:  It is a field of work completely different from what I currently do or have ever done.  I’ve worked in offices, in restaurants, in the field as a photojournalist and even a stint as an apple picker, but never have I concentrated on a physical pursuit.

Second:  Golf, to me, seems like an endeavor that by it’s nature does not become routine.  There is a nearly infinite number of ways in which to get the ball from point A to point B.  You could play the same hole a thousand times, but unless you are playing in a vacuum, the challenge of that hole will change each time.

Third:  I enjoy the physics of the game; velocity, momentum, spin, trajectory, wind speed, loft..

Fourth:  The game is played outside, and all over the world.  Traveling has always been a passion, and I’m not a fan of florescent lighting.

Fifth:  It is you against yourself.  The only person I can blame for failing is myself (perhaps this will be added to the “top reasons I no longer golf” list years from now)  Along with this is the idea of being your own boss.  It will only be me telling me how hard to work or whether or not to take a break and what time to go home, etc.

Sixth:  It will force me to go against my own nature and take things slowly.  I generally have a bad habit of just wanting to finish things as fast as possible and not concentrating on details.  This won’t be possible when my goal for the first month is to learn how to putt from three feet away.  Patience is a must.

So those are a few of the reasons that I chose golf, but it’s important for me to reiterate that The Plan is not really about golf.  There are also a few advantages to the sport that help demonstrate the point of human potential that I would like to explore in the documentary.  (yep, a list, again.)

First:  Athletes are “pedestal people.”  Point being, it is hard to look at someone like a Albert Pujols, Roger Federer or Tiger Woods as an average guy.  We see them as extreme examples of “talent” and that they were born with something that the rest of us were not.  If the plan is successful, there is no reason why anyone, even if they think it is too late, couldn’t concentrate their energy for a four year training and become what they dream of being.  Just like how some people say they are not good at math and others cannot draw, if I can document the training through and through, it will be possible to see what it takes and how someone becomes great at a specific field, leveling the playing field and showing how “pedestal people” are in actuality just really, really, hard workers.

Second:  Golf is measured in numbers.  It would be much more difficult to document how a person becomes an architect, plumber or creative director.  In golf, I can notch my successes and failures on a daily basis, so progress is easy to delineated.

Third:  To repeat from earlier, it is outside.  Outdoors makes for much more entertaining video footage than endless hours pouring over a book crunching for a final.  Hopefully when the tournament season is upon The Plan, we will be able to take the show on the road and get some good shots.

Fourth:  Small point, (that kind of meshes with the “why golf,” but also will help make an interesting documentary) but I am fascinated by the idea and challenge of “Q-School.”  It is where amateurs compete to obtain their PGA tour card and is apparently a brutal annual competition.  At this point, I know little about it other than it sounds interesting.

Those are a few of the reasons.  A little deeper than just the surface, I hope.  There are of course other reasons, but all in all golf just seemed to be a perfect fit.