Are the golf gods Real?

People ask me if the golf gods are real. I always answer honestly.

They are real if you believe they are real.

The power of positive thinking created a billion-dollar industry with self-help books. Millions of people have improved their lives dramatically by simply thinking positively. Is my new children’s book, “Finding Ti Ming and Tem Po, Legend of the golf gods,” a self-help book?



The perfect Christmas gift for the golfer in your
life. Available at http://www.timingandtempo.com/.



Absolutely it is. The story of Ti Ming and Tem Po helping golfers of all ages master, respect and appreciate the game of golf also teems with real-life lessons. Tem Po, the mystical caddie, tells his students, “You can’t go for every green.” The non-golf lesson is pretty clear: Sometimes the conservative approach to one of life’s challenges is the best option.

Ti Ming, the all-knowing golf god, reminds his believers that the Champion Golfer is honest at all times and is respectful of his opponents. Another obvious lesson. There are several similar metaphors lying just beneath the magical and inspirational story.

The book was written for kids aged 8-17, but the messages within the story transcend age. The lessons golf teaches us are salient reminders of how to conduct ourselves as respectful, honorable people.

Now, back to the question. Do the golf gods exist?

The answer is up to you. As Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can do something or you think you can’t, you are right.” Belief and trust in the golf gods are the same.

For the past seven-plus years, I’ve worn a Trion:Z magnetic bracelet on my right wrist. The product claims to boost blood circulation, which increases the flow of oxygen and nutrients.

Does it work?

It’s like the golf gods. If you think magnetic therapy benefits you, then it does. It could be a placebo, but I can truthfully tell you this: When I was introduced to the technology, I was feeling little twinges of a pain in both of my wrists. I called these annoying twinges a pre-symptom to a possible case of carpel tunnel syndrome.

Since the day I first put on the Trion:Z bracelet, I’ve never felt those twinges of pain again. So you tell me if the product works.

How many times have you horribly bladed an 8-iron only to have your ball roll up the fairway, onto the green and stop inside 20 feet of the pin? I know that happens to you because it happens to me. So was the result of the bad swing just dumb luck? Or were the golf gods at play?

It depends on what you believe.

Home with family for Thanksgiving this year—one of the many, many things for which I’m thankful—I played golf with a high school buddy on Wednesday. I swung the club pretty poorly overall but still shot an 80, which is a good score for me.

There were several moments during the round in which Ti Ming and Tem Po helped my cause. I bladed a wedge from the rough on the first hole, but my ball chased up to the back fringe. I shanked a 5-iron off a tree on the sixth hole … my ball bounced to the middle of the fairway. I pulled my drive on No. 8 into the trees and out of bounds … but my ball kicked back in play. I made par to swing all the bets. On No. 12, I chunked a lob wedge that traveled about two feet. Then chipped in for par on the next shot.

You can call all of that blind luck. You can call it whatever you want. That’s your choice. I choose to believe in the golf gods. I believe they helped me shoot a winning score.

This year I’m thankful for many things. My health. My family and friends. The U.S. Armed Forces -- active troops and the veterans -- who keep our country safe and freedom in tact. I’m thankful for my job. I’m thankful for the 13 years I spent with the Jack Dog. I’m also thankful for the golf gods. They helped me win a bunch of bets yesterday.

Are the golf gods real? You know where I stand.

What do you believe?

Learn more about the mystical golf gods at http://www.timingandtempo.com/.