The Test of Inner Surrender—The Practice of Presence Golf

Returning to the Sacred Path

After taking about a two-month break from golf this summer, I recommitted myself to embodying my work—to walk my talk—and to live out the practices I’ve written about in my upcoming book, Presence Golf: A Sacred Path of Self-Mastery. It’s one thing to write about Presence on the golf course. It’s another thing entirely to live it.

This is my vow: to use golf not as a game to conquer, but as a path of soul evolution and Self-Realization.

Before every round now, I choose one Presence Golf practice from my book to guide me—not to improve my score per se, but to awaken to a deeper way of being.

My Mantra: I Surrender the Outcome

Last week, I chose inner surrender as my practice. Before I teed off, I consciously gave the round over to something greater than myself.

Today I surrender the outcome. I play for the joy of the game and the awakening of my soul.

This became my silent mantra. The invitation was simple: Let Presence lead.

When the Test of Presence Golf Comes Early

And then came the test.

I was playing with a friend and paired with two men I hadn’t met before. After the usual greetings and choosing our tees, it was my turn to hit first.

But something in my body felt… off. A familiar surge of adrenaline rushed through me—like I was back in my college football days, right before impact. That fight-or-flight energy was helpful on the football field. But on the golf course? It hijacked my swing.

I topped my drive. It dribbled thirty yards off the tee box. I recovered with a decent shot, but then bladed a lob wedge over the green and lost the ball. I yipped a chip. Grabbed my putter quickly and tapped in. Flushed with embarrassment.

Shame, Embodiment, and the Wake-Up Call

On the second hole, the pattern continued. A weak iron off the tee. A second chance to hit a lob wedge… and again, that same unrecognizable force overtook me. I barely made contact.

More shame. More inner turmoil.

As I waited on the next tee box, I had an epiphany.

This is a test. This is the test of inner surrender. Will I live what I teach?

I laughed quietly to myself. And in that moment, something shifted.

I hit a beautiful high-launching 8-iron on the next par 3. Then I three-putted. And again, I laughed.

I am not my score. I am not defined by a three-putt.

The Shift into Presence

As the round progressed, I leaned deeper into surrender. I stopped chasing results. I began to breathe more slowly. I noticed the beauty around me—the trees, the sun, the relationships being formed.

The game softened. My body relaxed. And slowly, I entered the flow.

Those first two holes, as painful as they were, were exactly what I needed. They weren’t a curse. They were a gift.

When Golf Becomes a Spiritual Mirror

Two days later, I played again. This time, I took everything I learned and integrated it into the next round.

I slowed down.I breathed into my heart.I let go of any need to prove myself.I surrendered again—to Presence.

Golf has a way of humbling us. It reveals where we’re tight, where we’re attached, and where we still identify with ego.

But it also offers us a path to freedom—if we’re willing to stay open to the lessons it brings.

Our Greatest Challenges Are Our Greatest Teachers

The first two holes—when it felt like I had never swung a club before—became a springboard into a deeper understanding of both my swing and my Self.

That is Presence Golf.

That is why I wrote this book.That is why I practice.That is why I continue to show up and choose Self-mastery, even when it’s hard.

An Invitation to You

Presence Golf isn’t about avoiding bad shots or winning tournaments. It’s about using this game we love as a vehicle for awakening—to play golf in a way that helps us know who we truly are, on and off the course.

It is both challenging and beautifully rewarding.

I invite you to play the game for more than a score. I invite you to breathe.To surrender.To detach from outcome.To enjoy the miracle of the moment.

Because when you do, golf becomes more than a game.

It becomes a sacred path to Self-realization.