Articles: In Golf as in Life | Wayne DeFrancesco

The Final Word

When my editor asked me to write an article that would be the “last of the season”, I began to wonder: “What if it were the last one, period?” What if this was the end and I had to say what I wanted to say now, because there would be no more chances? Well, luckily I’ll be around and kicking for a while, so that won’t be the case, but it does offer up an interesting approach, almost like a last will and testament. So instead of telling a story, or making one particular point, I thought I might dispense some random thoughts that I find important, or that have been important to me in what has been my career in golf up to this point.

Why America Won’t Play Golf

By Wayne | Articles: In Golf as in Life

I am asked at least once a week by struggling students if I would tell them if I thought they were “hopeless”. I tell them that I would never do that, that there is no telling when a breakthrough might occur, and that as long as they wish to try I will be there trying just as hard to help them.

No Excuses

By Wayne | Articles: In Golf as in Life

I recall reading Carlos Castaneda’s epic “A Journey to Ixtlan” my junior year of college, my first year at Louisiana State U. after transferring from Wake Forest. According to NCAA rules I had to sit out a year before playing for LSU, and I found myself with quite a bit of extra time on my hands, especially considering I had injured myself while lifting weights and was unable to practice or play. I took Spring Break and headed to Arizona in my yellow Chevy Vega to see an old high school classmate I had convinced myself was destined to be the love of my life, in spite of the fact that I had not seen her in years and had never even dated her in the first place.

Getting to the Next Level

By Wayne | Articles: In Golf as in Life

Some years back I played in the Michelob Championship at the Kingsmill Resort, the PGA Tour stop in Williamsburg, Virginia, where I shot 68-74, even par, and missed the cut by one stroke. My intent as I thought about the subject for this article was to recount my second round in detail, and I will get to that in a bit. But as I thought about the lessons learned from my experience I saw a larger theme that runs through all of my day to day dealings with the game as well as those of the people who take lessons…

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In Defense of the Game of Golf

By Wayne | Articles: In Golf as in Life

I’m getting a bit tired of reading about the “problems” with golf. Check out a recent article in GolfWorld Magazine titled “Intensifying the Solutions Search- Hack Golf Seeks Grow-the-Game Ideas From Any and All”: “…Golf participation is dwindling in the United States, and there is no indication the decline is about to stop. According to Joe Beditz, CEO of the NGF (National Golf Foundation), the game has lost 5 million golfers in the last decade. Moreover, the number of core golfers-defined by the NGF as playing at least 8 times a year, a subset that is responsible for 90 percent…

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Golf Dreams

By Wayne | Articles: In Golf as in Life

O.K., admit it. You’re in the midst of your morning shower, another day of work ahead of you, and there you are, eyes closed, conjuring up the sensation of that one sweet swing that flights the golf ball in the absolute optimum trajectory, arcing in toward the flag with an almost arrogant assurance, digging into the firm surface of the green with enough spin to send it recoiling back to the cup for a tap-in birdie. For you it might be the last hole of the club championship; for another, the tee shot on the water guarded par 3 where…

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Fighting Back

By Wayne | Articles: In Golf as in Life

Have you ever noticed that when all your body parts are working properly you have no real thought about how any one of them feels? Why think about your feet, for example, when they feel fine? I can walk 36 holes and while my feet have performed admirably it certainly doesn’t occur to me to commend them for a job well done.

Another Interview With the Devil’s Advocate

By Wayne | Articles: In Golf as in Life

Some year’s back I wrote an article titled “Interview with the Devil’s Advocate, in which I assumed the guise of a somewhat belligerent interviewer and asked myself questions on a number of topics concerning my experiences with the game of golf. I found it to be a nice vehicle to express thoughts and opinions in a fashion that differed from the usual lecture mode most pieces drift into.

Another Take on Tiger

By Wayne | Articles: In Golf as in Life

Picture Tiger Woods on a 320 yard par-4, striding up to the tee to assess the situation. Where is the pin? What trouble surrounds the green? Where is the best entry point? What kind of lay-up would it be? How do I stand in the tournament? What are the risks and what are the rewards? What is the consequence of failure? Is it worth it to try? All of this happens in about 30 seconds or less. He then walks over to the bag and pulls out a club. It may be the driver, or it may be a 5-iron.…

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