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Blog
Welcome.
This is where I share reflections, insights, and lessons from the path of Presence.
Some articles explore golf as a sacred path to self-mastery through Presence Golf.
Others focus on the deeper journey of becoming a Man of Presence—awakening inner power, cultivating courage, and living with greater purpose and freedom.
My writing is inspired by the game of golf, spiritual practice, ancient wisdom, personal experience, and the everyday challenges of being human.
You won't find swing tips or quick fixes here.
You will find conversations about self-mastery, healing, awareness, resilience, trust, surrender, and what it means to live and play from a deeper place.
Whether you're a passionate golfer, a truth-seeking man, or simply someone searching for a more meaningful way to live, I hope these writings encourage you to slow down, look within, and reconnect with what matters most.
The path is different for each of us.
The invitation is the same:
Awaken your inner power. Live with daring courage. Walk the path of soul evolution.
— Troy Ismir
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Read the Latest Blog
Living Inside the Shot: Ben Hogan, Presence Golf, and Self-Mastery
What can Ben Hogan teach us about Presence, Self-mastery, and the art of practice? In this article, I explore Hogan's craftsman-like devotion to the game through the yogic principle of Pratyahara, or interiorized awareness. More than a lesson about golf, it is an invitation to live inside the shot rather than outside of it—on the course and in life.
Troy Ismir
5 days ago4 min read
What's Your Gongfu?
Golf is more than a game. It can become a sacred training ground for discipline, humility, concentration, and spiritual evolution. In this reflective essay, Troy Ismir explores the Taoist concept of gongfu and how the challenges of golf — including the chip yips, slow play, and unpredictable conditions — can teach us presence, inner peace, and self-mastery.
Troy Ismir
Jun 103 min read
The Jester Knows
This piece is a reflection on the pressure many men and golfers place on themselves to constantly prove, perform, and achieve. Through personal stories of athletic intensity, burnout, and overcoming the chip yips, Troy explores how golf—and life—can lose their joy when identity becomes tied to performance. Inspired by Kristoffer Reitan’s journey through professional burnout, this article invites readers to rediscover play, Presence, and freedom from perfectionism.
Troy Ismir
May 144 min read
Beyond the Chip Yips...Overcoming Chip Yips in Golf with Presence
A raw and honest reflection on my decades-long struggle with the chip yips and the deeper realization that changed everything. This post introduces the Presence Golf Chip Method, a simple yet powerful approach to moving beyond fear, overthinking, and control to rediscover trust and freedom around the greens.
Troy Ismir
Apr 214 min read
Self-Forgiveness: The Missing Step to Inner Peace and Freedom
A raw and honest reflection on self-forgiveness, this piece explores the hidden habit of self-punishment that keeps many men stuck in guilt and shame. Through personal insight and spiritual awakening, it reveals that true inner peace doesn’t come from fixing the past—but from releasing it. This is a call to take responsibility, forgive yourself fully, and step forward with clarity, freedom, and Presence.
Troy Ismir
Apr 143 min read
Most Men Are Suffering in Silence-I Saw It in Tiger Woods' Eyes
A powerful reflection on quiet desperation in men, inspired by Tiger Woods, and the courageous path inward toward healing, truth, and inner freedom.
Troy Ismir
Mar 313 min read
I Get Crazy A Lot...And That's Why I Meditate
n the middle of a chaotic spring break season in Panama City Beach, a simple interaction with a 13-year-old boy sitting in meditation becomes a powerful reminder of why inner stillness matters. In this heartfelt reflection, Troy shares how meditation helps us stay centered in a noisy world—and why even a kid who learned meditation from Kung Fu Panda understands something many adults forget: sometimes we meditate simply because we “get crazy a lot.”
Troy Ismir
Mar 175 min read
Non-Attached to Outcomes: When Wanting It Too Much Costs You Everything
Shane Lowry’s heartbreaking finish at the Cognizant Classic reveals a truth we all face: sometimes wanting something too badly keeps us from having it. In this raw reflection, Troy Ismir explores how attachment to outcomes tightens the ego and disconnects us from Presence — and how golf becomes a sacred training ground for playing free, detached, and whole regardless of the score.
Troy Ismir
Mar 33 min read
From Quiet Desperation to Realizing the Greatness Within
After sixteen years away from professional victory, Anthony Kim’s win at LIV Golf Adelaide is more than a sports headline—it’s a resurrection story.
Behind the talent and early fame was decades of silent suffering, addiction, and thoughts of suicide. Through sobriety, faith, and the support of those who refused to give up on him, Kim reclaimed not just his career—but his life.
This post is a call to every man living in quiet desperation: your gap is not your grave.
Troy Ismir
Feb 193 min read
Change the Game
n Change the Game, Troy Ismir invites men and golfers to redefine success by letting go of ego, outcomes, and performance-based identity. Drawing inspiration from Moneyball, the Beatitudes, and modern golf, this piece calls readers into inner surrender—where Presence replaces pressure and the soul becomes the true measure of the game.
Troy Ismir
Feb 103 min read
What Are the Lies You Are Telling Yourself?
Many men live constrained by stories that no longer serve them—about age, relevance, and worth. Inspired by Justin Rose’s refusal to buy into limiting narratives, this reflection invites men to question the lies they’ve believed, reconnect with their inner power, and live from the freedom of the soul rather than the fear of the ego.
Troy Ismir
Feb 32 min read
Golf for Peace: An Invitation to Presence
Golf for Peace: An Invitation to Presence explores how golf and sport can become pathways to inner peace in a chaotic world. Through reflections on Presence Golf, spiritual teachings, and Scottie Scheffler’s transformation, this piece invites athletes and seekers to discover peace, identity, and purpose from within.
Troy Ismir
Jan 203 min read
Spiritual Weightlifting on the Golf Course
Over three days at Streamsong Resort, Troy Ismir uses golf as a spiritual dojo—revealing how adrenaline, ego, and external stimulation disrupt Presence, and how calm awareness restores freedom. A real, honest reflection on nervous system regulation, fatherhood, and learning to live from inner stillness rather than control.
Troy Ismir
Jan 53 min read
The Intimate Game
The word intimacy used to make me shudder. I would let people get close to me—but not too close. Not close enough to really see me. More than once, people have told me I’m hard to get to know. For a long time, I wore that like quiet armor. It kept me safe. It also kept me lonely. As I continue walking this spiritual path, something has become painfully—and beautifully—clear: If I am not intimate with myself, it is impossible to be truly intimate with anyone else. My life is b
Troy Ismir
Dec 29, 20252 min read
Breaking Through the Upper Limit: How a Round of Golf Exposed My Greatest Saboteur
In this powerful reflection, Troy shares how a recent round of golf exposed a deep unconscious pattern — the fear of outshining — and how it sabotaged an otherwise excellent round. Through the lens of Presence Golf, he explores how the Upper Limit Problem limits both golfers and men in their everyday lives. This story invites golfers to break their own self-imposed ceilings and step into their God-given greatness.
Troy Ismir
Dec 15, 20255 min read
Masculine Spirituality and the Way of Jesus: A Path Back to Our True Self
A powerful and grounded exploration of Masculine Spirituality and why men today are longing for a deeper connection to their true selves. This post reveals how Jesus—beyond dogma or religion—embodies the archetype of the awakened masculine and invites modern men into a path of Presence, courage, compassion, and spiritual alignment.
Troy Ismir
Dec 9, 20254 min read
Tapas: The Grit Required for Conscious, High-Level Golf
Tapas—the Yogic principle of inner fire and discipline—is essential for golfers committed to conscious, high-level performance. This post explores how grit, awareness, and Presence elevate not just your swing but your entire inner game. Learn to practice in a way that awakens true athletic intuition and deep Self-mastery.
Troy Ismir
Dec 2, 20252 min read
The Grit to Keep Going—Even When It’s Hard
A grounded, soulful reflection on the grit required to stay on the path of Self-mastery—especially when no one else sees your vision. This letter explores Tapas, Presence, and the courage to believe in yourself even when you feel like you’re dancing alone.
Troy Ismir
Dec 1, 20252 min read
The Art of Aloneness
A powerful invitation for men to transform loneliness into inner strength through the art of aloneness and courageous self-connection.
Troy Ismir
Nov 24, 20253 min read
Being Myself On and Off the Golf Course: Embracing Authenticity Through Presence Golf
In this reflective Presence Golf article, Troy shares how embracing his introverted nature on the golf course has become a path of Self-acceptance, authenticity, and freedom. He explores the power of honoring who we truly are—without shape-shifting to fit in—and invites you to discover where you may be sacrificing yourself for belonging. This piece guides readers toward deeper Presence, inner power, and authentic living on and off the course.
Troy Ismir
Nov 17, 20252 min read
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