Change the Game…I Want It to Mean Something : Lessons from the Dojo
What if golf could become more than a game — a path to Self-mastery, healing, and discovering who we truly are?
“We’ll change the game. And that’s what I want, I want it to mean something.”— Billy Beane, Moneyball (2011)
Those words are resonating deeply within my soul.
In the movie Moneyball, Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland Athletics, challenges the conventional way of building a winning baseball team.
With a fraction of the money available to the wealthiest teams, he embraces a different approach, using statistical analysis to recognize the value in players others overlooked.
He faces criticism, skepticism, and resistance.
But he believes there is another way.
He isn’t interested in simply winning games. He wants to change how the game is played.
He wants it to mean something.
And that is exactly how I feel about Presence Golf.
What If We Changed the Game?
I created Presence Golf from a deep desire to experience golf differently.
Not to change the rules.
Not to eliminate competition.
Not to suggest that score doesn’t matter.
But to change the perception of why we play the game in the first place.
What if golf could become a platform for healing, Self-mastery, and ultimately Self-realization?
What if the greatest victory wasn’t over another golfer, but over ourselves?
What if we could play the best golf of our lives while discovering who we truly are?
I believe that possibility exists.
Not because I’ve mastered it.
But because I’m experiencing it.
And I want to see how far this journey can take me.
Why Do I Play Golf?
On August 29, 2024, I wrote a question in my personal journal: Why do I practice and spend so much time, energy, and money on golf?
My answer was simple: To practice and attain Self-mastery on and off the golf course, with the ultimate goal of Self-realization.
I then asked myself what Self-mastery actually meant to me.
Three things came forward.
Bringing my body under the conscious direction of my mind through concentration, will, determination, and intuitive wisdom.
Training myself to live and play from my soul, transcending the limitations of the egoic mind.
Ultimately, realizing the union of my soul with Spirit and discovering the divine power within me.
That’s why I play golf.
And that’s what I’m practicing every time I step into the dojo.
The Golf Course Doesn’t Let Me Hide
The more I play, the more golf reveals where I still have work to do.
Perfectionism.
The constant need to prove myself.
Fear of being judged.
Fear of not belonging.
Fear of failure.
Fear of success.
Giving my power away to other people’s opinions.
And that was just on the front nine!
Okay, I’m joking. Sort of.
But seriously, golf has an incredible way of bringing these patterns to the surface.
And I’m beginning to see them as opportunities rather than obstacles.
When fear, frustration, or an old wound surfaces, I practice bringing it into awareness and offering it to Spirit for healing.
Sometimes the struggle is incredibly frustrating.
Other times, the realizations are exhilarating.
But each experience brings me closer to understanding myself.
Golf is the Practice. Presence is the Way.
I Still Want to Shoot the Lowest Score Possible
Let’s be clear.
I love competition.
I love practicing my swing.
I love the challenge of shooting the lowest score possible.
And I have no intention of giving that up.
In fact, since fully committing to Presence Golf, my handicap has dropped approximately two strokes in two months.
I’m excited about that.
But what excites me even more is discovering what might be possible when I stop allowing my score to define me.
When I stop trying to prove myself.
When I stop manufacturing the perfect swing and begin trusting what I’ve practiced.
When I allow performance to become a natural expression of Presence.
Stillness. Awareness. Surrender.
These are the foundations of Presence Golf.
I’m discovering that I don’t have to choose between playing great golf and awakening spiritually.
I can pursue both.
A Different Kind of Victory
I wrote Presence Golf: A Sacred Path to Self-Mastery because I needed it.
I needed a guide to bring me back to Presence when I became consumed by score, performance, perfectionism, and the need to prove myself.
It’s a book about golf.
And it’s not about golf at all.
I believe this approach has something to offer anyone who loves the game, from the weekend golfer to the elite professional.
Especially those who have spent years pursuing better scores, lower handicaps, and greater achievements, yet still feel something is missing.
What if golf could offer something deeper?
What if the game itself became a sacred path to discovering our true Self?
I don’t know how far this idea will go.
Maybe it will resonate with one golfer.
Maybe a thousand.
Maybe a million.
That’s not mine to control.
What I do know is that I feel deeply called to live this practice for myself and share what I’m learning with anyone who feels drawn to it.
I’m not here to convince anyone.
I’m here to practice, play, learn, and share.
And I believe we have an opportunity to change the game.
Not by changing golf itself.
But by changing what the game means to us.
I Want It to Mean Something
I want my golf to mean something.
I want my practice to mean something.
I want the struggles, breakthroughs, frustrations, and moments of pure joy to become part of a journey toward greater freedom, love, and Self-realization.
I want to discover what becomes possible when I stop playing to prove who I am and start playing as an expression of who I truly am.
And I want to invite anyone who feels called to join me.
Not as followers.
As fellow Spiritual Athletes, each walking our own path.
I don’t have all the answers.
I’m in the dojo doing my work, just like everyone else.
But I believe there is something extraordinary waiting to be discovered through this beautiful game.
And I’m all in.
Golf is the Practice. Presence is the Way.
Reflection
What if the greatest victory golf could offer you wasn’t a lower score or a championship, but the discovery of who you truly are?
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