Golf — the Ultimate Spiritual Analogy

It is a game of awareness, acceptance, embracing failure, patience, personal responsibility and accountability

I woke up thinking golf may just be the perfect spiritual analogy for life. It can be frustrating and difficult to understand at times, yet when it resonates it feels amazing and peaceful. I, like so many others, am drawn to it. It is an individual sport where, although professionals do compete, the sport can be played solo where I simply try to beat my own personal best score. There are not many sports that are as accommodating to such a diverse group of people as golf where it attracts both men and women of all ages from around the world and spirituality has the same draw.

“Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time maddening- and it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented.” ~Arnold Palmer

When you think about it, it really is odd to think of hitting a small white ball with a stick. Moreover, then to sit and observe on a golf course the number of people who get just downright frustrated is actually comical. In fact, I remember many years ago my ex-husband and I were playing golf at our country club, and I was frustrated that I was not playing well. My ex looked at me and laughed and said, “exactly why are you frustrated?” and I replied, “because I am not playing well at all,” to which he quickly rebutted “you are not supposed to play well, you’re a terrible golfer!”

Well, that put it all in perspective. I took a sip of my Budlight and was happy when I hit my occasional good shots, but mainly I was just out for a nice afternoon. He was right, I was an awful golfer but the only way to get better was to practice, like everything else in life.

“Forget your opponents; always play against par.” ~ Sam Snead

I have learned through my yoga practice and self-study the importance of self-acceptance — golf provides the same opportunity for spiritual growth and self-improvement. I had to keep my ego in check and accept that I was not good before I could improve. I had to embrace failure and release the fear of failing. There were days, many in fact, when I would tee off and swing and completely miss the ball. Oh, so embarrassing! Yet, when I connected and hit a two hundred and fifty yard drive down the center of the fairway boy that felt fantastic. So, it all balanced out. Those good shots are what kept me going back and wanting more. Similar to meditation, when the moments of clarity shining through me keep me returning back to the meditation practice, with golf, those breakthrough moments overwrite the failures and keep me returning for the time in nature, camaraderie with friends, and visions of the long and left-to-right breaking putt tracking towards and dropping in the hole.

Golf, like spirituality, is a game of awareness. I have to stay very focused in the present moment when I golf. If my mind wanders I will hit a deep, fat divot on the wrong side of the ball, which the groundskeepers are not fond of, or I will shank the ball into the woods or the water, which are never good. I have lost far too many balls.

Why are golf balls so expensive anyway?

“If you watch a game, it’s fun. If you play a game it, it’s recreaction. If you work at it, it’s golf.” ~ Bob Hope

I used to feel a lot of pressure when I played golf, which is really silly considering it is a game. Now, I always try to remind myself just to have fun and practice acceptance and awareness. Now that I am further along in my spiritual journey those techniques help me. I wish I had known those ten years ago, but I wish I had known a lot then that I know now, but then my journey would have been different and possibly not as rewarding, so all I can do is continue to forge forward with the knowledge that I now have and continue to grow.

Today I write for you, hoping for my hole-in-one someday but not necessarily on the golf course. Just for life to perfectly align where it all comes together. It is almost there — it just needs a bit of tightening and toning. For now, I will metaphorically practice pitching, putting, and driving. Eventually, the whole game of life will come together, but what is most important is that my vision for what I desire is now very clear and I make choices each day that get me closer to that vision.

It is most important in life, just as on the course, to remain patient where we are while on the journey to where we want to arrive. Practice, showing up each day, and remaining consistent is how we ultimately arrive at our desired destinations. It is ok to take a day off occasionally, rest, and then come back into the game with a renewed spirit. Observe, and notice what you learn about yourself along the way, but most importantly enjoy the process.

Now I need to tie this essay back to the end of my subtitle, where I promised you that I would discuss personal responsibility and accountability.

Golf is also a game that values personal integrity — a game in which calling a penalty on oneself garners more respect from fellow players than winning. Where it doesn’t matter that no one besides me saw the rule violation. I did — and the universe did.

Ask anybody. It’s fun. It’s hard and you stand out there on that green, green grass, and it’s just you and the ball and there ain’t nobody to beat up on but yourself; just like Mister Newnan keeps hittin’ himself with the golf club every time he gets angry. He’s broken his toe three times on account of it. It’s the only game I know that you can call a penalty on yourself, if you’re honest, which most people are. There just ain’t no other game like it. — The Legend of Bagger Vance

Here is part of the plot description from Wikipedia:

Junuh pulls back to a tie with Jones and Hagen, then has a chance to win on the final hole, but has the integrity to call a penalty on himself when his ball moves after he tries to remove a loose impediment.

Seeing Junuh has grown and matured, Bagger decides that his golfer does not need him anymore. With the 18th hole left unfinished, Bagger gives the position of caddie to Greaves [a child who spoke the above quote] and leaves Junuh as mysteriously as he came.

Though losing a chance to win because of the penalty, Junuh sinks an improbable putt and the match ends in a gentlemanly three-way tie. The three golfers shake hands with all of Savannah cheering.

When you embrace spirituality this is also the lifestyle you live seeking honesty, integrity, patience, humbleness, and yet infinite space for continual learning, growing and striving for a higher level of personal development. It is a determination to be a little better each day than you were the day before. A complete commitment to yourself and a knowing that you are one with all living beings as well as the divine within. So just like not every day on the golf course will be pretty, not every day in life will be peaceful, but it is not supposed to be. We are given challenges to show us our depth and teach us how strong we are, and we are given the grace to endure.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. I am Libby Shively McAvoy. Surviving both physical and emotional abuse I was given a choice to let life crush me or to rise and expand with love. I chose to expand and many years later after self-study, yoga, meditation, hikes in the woods, therapy and self-help books I was able to heal and dismantle my PTSD. Now I strive to empower and inspire others through Emotional Intelligence, Personal Development and Relationship Coaching as well as through my writing. If it helps one person it is well worth it to me.