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Those of you that have been around these last few years, or that have dug through the archives and poked around are aware that since the beginning, my weight has been something I’ve felt the need to address to make the most of my golf game. To be truthful, it’s something that affects my health and life beyond golf.

It’s also something I’ve struggled mightily with since a very young age.

After a lot of research and preparation, about a week from today, I will be undergoing a surgical procedure to help me with weight loss, and hopefully to get the weight off, and keep it off for good. The procedure is known as a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy.

I’ll leave the gory details for you to Google, but I want to talk about the situation some more detail.

I can’t remember a time in my life where I wasn’t overweight to a fairly large degree. At birth, I was 11 lbs., which I’m told is bordering on ridiculous, but it didn’t bother me any (sorry, Mom!). I think I was relatively normal in early childhood, but it wasn’t long before I was putting on weight.

Who knows what the factors are for something like that. Genetics? Psychology? Societal factors? Upbringing? I don’t know, but the situation is what it is.

I have believed since I started Life in the Rough that losing weight would be critical to my success. And I’ve tried 100 different ways to make that happen. I tried many times before Life in the Rough, and many times during. I tried named diets, I tried just changing habits, I tried tools like food journaling. Nothing has been successful.

I know a lot of you are thinking that it’s a simple mathematical formula of calories in and calories out and that all that needs to happen is for me (or any overweight person) to eat better and exercise more.

I implore you to believe me, it’s not that simple. No one wants to be in a situation like this. Maybe I’m weak or undisciplined. Or maybe there are genetic or biological factors that cause me difficultly. I don’t know, but I do know that I need a tool to help me succeed.

And that’s exactly what this is: a tool to help me succeed. It’s not a magic pill. It’s also not something decided on the spur of the moment. I’ve been researching and preparing for this since October. Nearly 11 months ago, I started this journey within a journey.

Last April, I read something about how one of my favorite players, John Daly, had tackled his own weight problems. Of course, I was highly interested, and learned that he had a surgical procedure called a Lap Band. I read up on it and was interested, but I kind of dismissed the idea because it felt like I would be “taking the easy way out” or “giving up”.

Around that time, I had a visit with a respiratory physician to address my newly diagnosed sleep apnea. He told me that weight is a factor and if I lost a bunch, it would probably go away. He’s the first person that recommended surgery to me. Again, I felt I could do it on my own and I felt the negative connotations of surgery.

Yet another failure. By summer, I had basically given up. Again. In late summer, though, I had given it some more thought and by chance, heard that there is a bariatric weight loss surgery program at my local hospital. Figuring I had nothing to lose, I went in for a personal consultation and then for a group information session.

I was quite surprised to learn that with lap band and sleeve gastrectomy procedures, the risk of complication is very low, and the long term success rate is very high. I had heard of gastric-bypass procedures before and about the serious complications and about how the success isn’t great for some people, so it wasn’t really ever an option for me. These other procedures, though, warranted more exploration.

From there, participation in the program (and health insurance coverage) demanded a lot of medical testing, psychological testing, nutritional education, supervised dieting, and support groups. This long process gave me a lot of time to take in all the facts, as well as to seek out information externally, to make a certain and informed decision.

With the vertical sleeve gastrectomy, part of the stomach is removed. I know, it sounds awful and dangerous and like something too drastic to even consider. It might seem that way, but complications are very low, and unlike the gastric-bypass, it doesn’t change the way the digestive system works. I just restricts the amount that can be consumed. Also, the part of the stomach removed is part that has to do with the amount of chemical that the body uses to trigger hunger, which as those of us who have dieted know, is one of the biggest sources of difficulty.

What seems awful and dangerous and too drastic to consider, to me, is diabetes, borderline high blood pressure, sleep apnea, lack of energy, arthritis, as well as risk of heart attack, cancer, and who knows what else.  It’s something that greatly diminishes quality of life. Not only that, but let’s forget life and death for a moment and consider why I’m here in the first place. I absolutely believe without any doubt that my weight has a detrimental affect on my golf game, in a number of ways.

So, that’s the situation in a nutshell. I definitely realize that there are many of you who don’t understand the need for something like this and maybe you never will. But there are also many of you reading this that should probably be giving it some thought.

At this point, I have already begun a pre-surgery high-protein diet. The purpose of which is to shrink up my liver a little, reducing the chance of it getting in the way during the procedure. On Monday, I will be consuming clear liquids only, in preparation for surgery. The procedure is first thing Tuesday morning.

I will have to stay overnight in the hospital. Assuming there are no leaks in the staples and assuming my digestive system functions as expected, and assuming everything else is fine, I should go home the following afternoon. I’ll be home from work for two weeks, and away from golf for about four weeks.

I’ll be on a soft diet for four to six weeks, at which point, I will begin to be able to introduce normal foods again. I’ll have to take a multi-vitamin every day forever and make extra certain that I always stay hydrated, and be sure to eat sufficient protein at each meal, which are all things I’m willing to live with.

While I’m anxious to move on with it, I’m also fearful of the unknown. Just being on this pre-surgery diet has been more mentally difficult than I ever expected. Knowing I’ve not succeeded with weight loss in the past makes me have that kernel of doubt that I can succeed now. Especially since, as I said at the top, this isn’t a magic cure, it’s a tool. It’s still going to be incumbent upon me to change life-long bad habits.

I certainly don’t relish the idea of getting surgery of any kind. I know that things can go wrong and that my life is literally in the hands of others. There’s a minefield of complications that are possible (though statistically very unlikely).

I’m definitely feeling the anxiety of the situation. But I’m also sure that I’m making the right decision. There’s too much to gain to not do this. I know all the risks and the down sides, and they don’t even come close to the risks and down sides of not doing it.

Part of me wanted to not even tell you all about this and just do it. But that would be kind of ignoring a big part of what it’s going to take to get me where I want to be. And another part of me typed all this out to make sure I’m really as convinced as I think I am. And yet another part of me realizes that there are some of you in the same situation that can benefit from knowledge of my experience.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for updates mixed in with regular posts. I’ll let you know how everything turns out. If you want to know more about my experience feel free to leave comments and ask questions and of course, you’re welcomed to contact me privately, if you prefer.

I love golf. I love history. Naturally, I really love golf history.

That’s precisely what The Story of Golf delivers. This three hour documentary has an ambitious purpose. Namely, it aims to adequately cover a sport whose rich history literally spans centuries.

Hosted by Golf Channel personality Rich Lerner, The Story of Golf starts at the very beginning, exploring the birth of the game and moves forward through time covering changes in the game that include everything from advancements in equipment to the various stars to the lesser known but equally important figures that have had a lasting effect on the game.

The big names are given ample coverage: Jones, Hagen, Nelson, Snead, Sarazen, Hogan, Palmer, Nicklaus, Woods, and others. But many of the other issues of the game are touched upon: gender and race issues, the evolution of equipment, architecture, golf in the digital age, and much more.

Aside from Lerner’s narration, the Story of Golf is told through a lot of historical photographs and footage, as well as various interviews with many experts who have knowledge of the history of golf. Information and anecdotes are shared by journalists, editors, publishers, authors, players, historians, officials past and present from golf’s ruling bodies, TV commentators, course architects, and many others. Their experiences and insights really add to the telling of The Story of Golf.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching The Story of Golf. If you’ve been coming by for a while, then you probably know that I love golf and while it doesn’t come up as much, I love golf history. The Story of Golf is well-produced and is packed with tons of historical information (much of it from the current era, so, maybe “future historical information” would be a good description for those segments).

Without a doubt, it’s the most complete picture of the game of golf that I’ve seen told in a documentary format.

I really liked watching The Story of Golf and I highly recommend it. If you didn’t get a chance to see it when it originally aired on Golf Channel, I recommend picking up a copy on DVD or Blu-ray. Or, if you wait a while, maybe it will show up on Golf Channel again.

If you’d like more information about The Story of Golf, please click here to visit the website.

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Disclaimer:

I received a complementary copy of The Story of Golf for review purposes, but was not compensated in any way for this review.

As I sit here watching Dustin Johnson get the short end of the stick in the PGA Championship, with rain outside my window, I thought I’d take some time to take inventory of my own game. It’s been a while, but then again, it’s been a while since I’ve even stepped on the course.

I’ve made mention before about some kind of rib pain that hit me on the driving range about five weeks ago. I was hitting shots when suddenly, in my follow-through, it felt like someone stuck a knife between my ribs in my side, kind of more toward my back.

I hung the clubs up for a week while I was in pretty bad pain, which only really affected me when coughing, sneezing, or swinging a golf club. At that point, I left town for vacation for three weeks. It slowly improved during that time. When I got home, I gave it one more week, which took me up to yesterday.

I went out to the driving range yesterday to test out the situation. I started with some nice easy wedges which caused no trouble so after a while, I throttled up to some full shots. I’m happy to say that aside from some slight tenderness, there was no trouble, and even a day later, I still feel fine.

On the bad side, after not having picked up a club for five weeks, I wasn’t feeling very comfortable or confident. I wasn’t hitting the ball terribly, but the rust was obvious.

On the better side, I didn’t lose as much ground in the short game as I expected. After finishing at the range, I went to the practice green where I felt much more in tune. More with chips and pitches than with putting, but that will come back quickly.

Surprisingly, the stuff from my last lesson that I had right before the rib injury came back pretty quickly on the driving range. Without question, my practice journal is a big help there. I also use it to keep notes from my lessons so I can easily put together problems with causes and fixes down the road.

At that lesson, I had worked on not fanning the club face open on the takeaway, as well as my ever-present issue of making sure my tempo is solid because when it’s not, my transition from the top is poor, causing me all sorts of problems.

I concentrated on those things and overall, it wasn’t a bad day at the range. A few more sessions, and I should be right back to where I was.

In a few weeks, I have a big change coming which will directly affect my quest (and life, in general) in a positive way. Stay tuned for full details on that.

Ah, the return to normal life. Three weeks on the road was just what I needed. It was awesome!

I wish I could say I was glad to be back, but honestly, I’m not. I could have stayed out on the road for a while longer. There was so much to see and do that I would have liked but that we just couldn’t get to.

I must admit that every time I saw a golf course, it was calling to me to play. Unfortunately, the pulled muscle or whatever I have going on in my rib area isn’t completely healed, though it is much, much better than it was before I left. I’m going to take it easy for a while longer and try to ease back into practicing this week, but I don’t regret not taking my clubs with me because I needed to let myself heal.

I saw a lot of great stuff on the road, and by my count I passed through 16 states. If you haven’t taken advantage of the natural beauty that the United States has to offer, I highly recommend you plan a trip of your own, especially if you already live here.

If you’d like to see a few photos of my epic three-week adventure, click here.

Vacation is over, but I have memories (and photos) to last a lifetime. Now, it’s time to get back to work. Back to my day job and back to working on my golf game.

I don’t really like the way that sounds. I’d better start planning my next road trip. Maybe next time, I’ll make it a golf vacation.

Ok, Ok, I’m not technically going fishing, per se, but I’m going to be on vacation for the next three weeks so you may or may not see any new posts showing up before I get back. It all depends on whether I have any rainy days or other down time which would allow me to crank out some stuff while I’m gone.

This vacation is certainly well-timed. I know I haven’t done a progress update in a little while, but a week ago at the driving range, I hit a shot, got into my follow-through and immediately felt something blow right along my ribs on my side (kind of more toward my back). It felt like someone sticking a knife between my ribs. Right now, coughing is very painful and sneezing makes me want to cry.

It’s not a back problem or anything like that (I’ve dealt with a herniated disk in the past), so I’m assuming it’s some kind of pulled muscle that just needs rest. Oddly, it doesn’t hurt to walk, sit, drive, or anything like that. So, at least I’ll be able to enjoy the next few weeks.

Healthy or not, I wasn’t planning on playing any golf the next few weeks anyway. I’m headed out on the open road for an epic road trip. On a similar trip in 2008, I only managed to play one round of golf and get to the driving range once, so I think I’m going to leave my clubs home altogether this time and just step away from everything for the whole three weeks. Physically, I need to recuperate and mentally, I can certainly use the break.

I’m leaving New Jersey early Saturday morning and headed through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, down to New Mexico and back, Nebraska, and then back from whence I came.

I’ll be hitting several of the major sites along the way: Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park. I’ll also be visiting an eclectic mix of other places. For instance, how can I pass through Iowa without seeing the Field of Dreams? I’m going to try and make a stop at the Minuteman Missile National Historical Site in South Dakota. A missile silo? You’re on drugs if you think I’m going to pass up visiting a missile silo.

I’ll be driving the Beartooth Highway, recognized as possibly the most scenic byway in the country. I’ll make a stop by the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. How’s this one: I’m going to head down to New Mexico to visit the town where they filmed Red Dawn. WOLVERINES! I might even stop by the set where they filmed Dances with Wolves in South Dakota (the Fort Hayes location).

That’s not enough to fill three weeks! So, I’ll take a day hike in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area in Montana (to Mystic Lake – maybe I actually will do a little fishing there). I’ll drive to the top of Pike’s Peak, ride the 1880 Train in South Dakota, and stop and see the Little Big Horn National Monument. I might even see the Cody Stampede Rodeo in Wyoming. Then, of course, there’s Triple-A baseball in Salt Lake City, Pictograph State Park near Billings, Montana, and the Strategic Air & Space museum in Nebraska.

And I’ll spend a lot of time staring out the window admiring the awe-inspiring scenery that the United States has to offer. Now, we’re talking.

Anyway, hold down the fort for the next three weeks and I’ll be back and all recharged. Hopefully this rib thing heals by then because I’m already missing playing golf and it’s only been a week. By the end of three more weeks, my hands are going to be shaking from withdrawal. I’ve been making nice progress too, but it’s going to have to wait a little longer.