Golf’s Sacred Journey: Seven Days at the Links of Utopia, by Dr. David Cook, is a fictional tale set in a real location: Utopia, Texas.  In the book, a chance meeting between a disheartened golf pro and an improbable mentor – a small-town rancher with uncommon insight – leads the pro to a crossroads in his life. After an on-course meltdown, the pro finds himself some 80 miles west of San Antonio in the town of Utopia where a 9-hole “goat track” surrounds an old cemetery.  The pro meets up with Johnny, the local rancher who takes him through a seven-day journey on the Links of Utopia. This book is much, much more than simply a story.  Beyond being an interesting tale, it is also a serious lesson in the mental game of golf.  On top of that, it is also a deep spiritual journey. Dr. Cook is recognized as one of the country’s top sport and performance psychology consultants.  He has served as mental coach to over 100 PGA Tour players, and has also

Without a doubt, the 2008 U.S. Open was one of the greatest golf tournaments I’ve ever had the pleasure to watch and it probably ranks somewhere solidly within the list of the most exciting ever played. The storyline was almost surreal.  Tiger Woods, probably the best player who ever lived, had come back after knee surgery, and as we found out later, was still seriously injured.  He was stared down to the bitter end (and then some) by Rocco Mediate, a player often described with terms like “journeyman” and “everyman”. It took 91 holes to decide the battle and, as we know, Tiger Woods came out victorious. Tiger needed to hole a knee-knocking putt on the 72nd hole to even get into a playoff with Mediate.  The two then stayed neck and neck for an 18 hole playoff and Tiger finally won it on the first sudden-death hole where Rocco didn’t make the putt he needed to extend the playoff. Tiger’s performance became more legendary after we learned the true nature of his injury.  Throughout

The Downhill Lie: A Hacker’s Return to a Ruinous Sport, by Carl Hiaasen, is a look at his return to the game of golf after having sworn it off in 1973.  After 32 years, and a couple of chance encounters, he ended up back on the course and, before long, was plunged headlong into golf again. The Downhill Lie is a humorous account of the year and a half following Hiaasen’s return to golf, the “ruinous sport” that it is. From an innocent 9-holes with a friend that culminated with a big member-guest tournament, his return was filled with ups and downs and, frankly, more downs. I won’t tell you whether he decided to stick with golf at the end of the journey, but I will say that he experienced some nice personal revelations. The Good Hiaasen has a great writing style and is really funny.  There were several parts in the book that actually triggered laugh-out-loud moments for me. Players that have been playing golf long enough will personally identify with every success that