Golf and Mysticism: Michael Murphy’s Golf in The Kingdom

Inspired by a newsletter article I wrote in December, 2008 I can’t help to revisit this interesting topic.  Golf in the Kingdom, one of the famous golf books of all times will make you ponder the connection between mysticism and golf.  After my third try getting through the book, something finally sunk in. . . You actually have to dig deeply and question your own view of reality (and golf) and wonder why we are so drawn to the game.

At first, I was comparing all his characters to my background in eastern studies and yoga training.  I then realized there was an entirely other side of the intellect he was addressing.  Not only the “Zen” aspects of the game, but the mathematics and ancient Greek philosophy of the 6th century BC, the entire development of the human progression. . . all this in a golf book!

All golfers have experienced this euphoric feeling of a perfectly well struck ball.  Most of the time it is “by accident”, or “luck.”  Murphy takes these chance encounters and dissects them into plausible accounts and trainings for creating these “zone golf experiences”.  Turning them from chance encounters to structured knowledge.  His deep study of cutting edge golf from a philosophical perspective makes me question why we spend so much time on learning the game from a technical perspective.  What about all the other aspects of golf, beyond our analytical thoughts and psychology. . .the energy forces (and possibly spiritual forces) that are awakened when we play the game?  Shouldn’t we be learning about “true gravity” and our “inner body” along with “swing plane” and “X factor”?

Something to ponder as we challenge our growth as golfers, yogis and human beings. . .

Dodie Mazzuca is the Director of Instruction at Troon Country Club in Scottsdale, AZ (November – April).  She also teaches golf in Santa Cruz, CA (May-October).