Greetings Golfers,

Did you ever read Golf in the Kingdom by Michael Murphy? I’m reading the sequel: The Kingdom of Shivas Irons.

Murphy was/is a maniac. A golf maniac and just a bottom line eccentric guy in search of meaning and spirituality. He’s probably now in his 80’s, grew up around San Francisco, majored in Philosophy at Stanford, and founded the Esalen Institute.

Remember the scene in Caddyshack when Chevy Chase wears the blindfold to hit shots and then has Danny try it while Chevy is advising him to “be the ball?” Well, they were making fun of Golf in the Kingdom. And how about Bill Murray in the same movie, talking about caddying for the Dalai Lama? Murphy was the guy who brought the spiritual side of golf to the mass market.

But in 1908 – way before Michael Murphy’s books – Arnold Haultain wrote The Mystery of Golf. Haultain says, “There is no other game in which these three fundamental factors – the physiological, the psychological, and the social or moral are so intimately combined or called into play”. Wow. That’s pretty out there.

Yeah, golf is out there. It is spiritual/mystical. And Murphy and Haultain were right – the mystery is an essential part of the game.

Golf is a fun game. We’ve always emphasized that at Deer Run. But it’s also a mystical experience. That’s why our new image captures the original Scottish/Celtic magic. Take a look at www.DeerRunGolf.com/2013.htm

Cheers,

Tom Abts
GM and Head Golf Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com