Navigating Sticks

l'amour du jeu Recently I played 18 holes at Lakeside golf course, the local muni my college teammates and I tore up the most during my tenure at Kentucky State. Not luring to some, but to me a round from the parking lot tees with my good friend and former teammate RK was exactly what I was looking for on my first day off in 6. It was my best round of the year thus far, a 72 with the legit eyes and pressure on me. We played the front alongside a random father and son pairing on their way to Gatlinburg for a golf trip and the back with our other former teammate Rhett. The entire experience felt great, meeting new people and making friends on the links has been a pastime of mine for quite some time. As an assistant professional in the golf industry my rounds have become far and few amidst a busy work schedule, but this shift in free time and play per year has only created more of a lure over the game that already mesmerizes me. I rarely gamble on the course, not because of lack of co...

FLOWERS x TRADITION Mom and me on Magnolia Lane  P almetto Dunes Arthur Hills July 2016 “April showers bring May flowers," an adage my Grandma infamously says around Easter hits differently with deeper analysis.  Although literally true,  around this time the construct reminds me of everything that is great about our Creator. The beauty in vegetation dying only to come back to life every Spring represents the cyclical love he has for Earth and mankind.  This dichotomy of life and death presents itself on the golf course when their taxing efforts are about to come to a bustling end after days of being in a rut of the dreaded pulls or banana slices is met with pured 50 degree wedge from 117 that backed up just as you had envisioned.  I’ve celebrated Jesus Christs’ resurrection on Easter Sunday at my Grandma’s with my family every year I was born. Following my 24th I find myself reflecting on the immense power that is tradition. Fried chicken, banana pudding, and c...

Training Aids, Practice versus Playing, and Dissolving the Ego 2023 GHIN Rewind  Practice makes permanent and this year I am fore fronting my attempt to get better with the use of training aids. Coming from a former self labeled “natural” I've been humbled by my results up to this point. For years I lied to myself by not using alignment aids, swing video analysis, as well as fundamentals to score. I was able to maneuver junior golf solely based on my talent opposed to dedication, practice, and hard work. This resulted in my shortcomings, but I am blessed to still have my talent and am just in need of some fine tuning. Luckily, I have the speed and the experience. I am finding the dedication and routine required to glide around golf courses with ease.  I am now on a strictly mastery oriented approach to the game of golf meaning my ego is dissolved entirely. My glaring weakness in junior golf was my inability to separate my ego from my golf game. Rather than playing for the love...

(Harbour Town Golf Links 2016) Sundays x Daylight Savings I find myself writing this post during an early Sunday morning shift at the course while reflecting on how I should be in Church.  Today marks the first day of the year where Daylight Savings is in effect. The promise of warmer weather, longer days, and earlier sunrises ensures calm in the winter locked golfer lusting to dig some dirt. Many of us find ourselves making off season equipment changes and additions which are surely going to solve our woes despite the previous years unsuccessful efforts. This hope and search for improvement keeps us all coming back for another hit, full junkie mode initiated. However, this year I challenge myself to embrace the journey that is pursuing mastery in a sport in which cannot be mastered. A certain beauty exists in this venture to do the impossible. A coveted fraternity of the attempt has become the modern day golfer.  Previously mentioned, I work in the golf industry and am fortun...

(more pictures posted below) Current WITB 2024 My tools of the trade have been culminated after years of competitive golf where I found my ideal loft & lie as well as heavy offset preferences, etc. I am ecstatic with my current set up and other than miner shaft testing in my driver I am locked in for this season. Ol' trusty and reliable wedges stayed in the bag and an interesting lob wedge addition added fuel to my short game practice fire. Can't wait to see what 2024 has in store for these tools. My goals are listed below. Nothing can be achieved without first a dream.  Driver:  Callaway AI Smoke Paradym Triple Diamond 9 degrees w/ Fujikura Ventus Blue TR 6x tipped ¾  in. or Fujikura Ventus Black 7x tipped ½ in. (testing) 3 Wood:  Callaway Rogue St LS 15 degrees w/ Fujikura Ventus Red 8x tipped 1 ¼  in. 5 Wood:  Callaway Rogue St LS 18 degrees w/ Mitsubishi Chemical White 75x tipped 1 ¾ in.  Irons:  Miura Passing Pointe 9903 w/ Dynamic Gold x...

I picked up the game bright eyed and bushy tailed as an eleven year old upset with his parents for making him quit football. The past thirteen years of life have been a testament to the virtuous decision they made. I grew up on a small farm on the outskirts of Boyle County, "Title Town," where needless to say Golf didn't quite fit the stereo type of the hyped up blue collar football culture. Danville Country Club provided me a safe haven to discover the endless pursuit of the mastery of golf. For seven years, I seemingly grew up on those 18 holes escaping out to play any chance the weather allowed it. Finding myself on those late summer nights fueled by BBQ chicken wraps from the clubhouse I ducked the stressors of the outside world. Despite having success on the junior level I egotistically declined offers to to play collegiate golf because I didn't get the billboard D-1 full ride scholarship to the University of Kentucky like I dreamed. So with the summer of 2018 co...