Song of The Day-“Unchained” by Van F…in Haaaalen

Big week of competition coming up for me starting on Monday. And I’m really looking forward to the test. First, the sectional qualifier for the USGA Senior Open on Monday out in Riverside CA. And then on Wednesday, the Senior Club Championship at Bel Air. I’ve won it once before and I’d like to make it 2. A couple of years back I met with one of my golf team members, Bob Rotella, who gave me some great advice when it came to getting in the right frame of mind for tournament golf. Bob likes his players to have a little swagger. He wants them thinking that they are King S…, and to wear an air of I just dont give a f…. I remember him telling me that when I walk on the first tee that “you are the rock star”. And I try to take that attitude to heart. And it actually works. So, when I’m driving to the golf course this week I’ll be pumping up my inner rock star by listening to one of my all time favorite bands and rock stars David Lee Roth. Crank this baby and get “Unchained”.

Down on the Rockpile-Pickax in Hand

As you all know, I spent some time with Brandon at his studio last week talking about golf and music. Well I’m happy to say that his new record is finally out and its doing great. I hope everybody enjoyed sharing some of our recent conversations. I know it was fun for me and Brandon. But what was even more fun for me was having Brandon come out to my favorite golf course. In all the time I’ve worked with the band and Brandon we never spent anytime at ‘my office’. In this little clip we go down to the rockpile for our continuing discourse on music and golf. Enjoy.

The key to hitting great shots is to first paint the picture in your minds eye and then just let it go. Easier said than done but when I’m painting that picture in my mind I’ll have the memory of this great shot to draw on. On the final day of the Bridge I came to the the 10th hole one under par. The 10th tee at Bel Air is a particularly scary place to be on any day. It sits just outside the clubhouse, right in front of the putting green, and just outside the golf shop. Lots of noise, lots of traffic, and lots of editorial from those folks gathered around. A real test of your mental focus on a quiet day, a complete balls-rattling affair on Saturday at the Bridge. On this one I got it all right hitting a 3 hybrid 215 yds right at the pin and our wonderful photographer captured the whole sequence of events. I’m filing this one in my memory banksfor future reference.

Song of the Day: “Straight Down The Middle”-Bing Crosby

I played today at one of my favorite golf courses, Edgewood, in Lake Tahoe. Normally, I’m a pretty straight driver of the golf ball. But not today. A shaky driver and putter made for a 78. Not bad, but not good enough for what I need. Tomorrow is a new day and I need a song for the day and so I thought of this old golfing ditty by Bing Crosby who knew a little something about singing, AND, golf. Enjoy.

Part #3-Chatting with Singer Brandon Boyd About Music and Golf

So by now you know how much I would love to compete in this years Senior Am. And its not just some whim. This is something I’ve been working towards for the better part of 6 years now. I want it so bad I can taste it. And yet in spite of all my hard work and dedication, the simple reality is that I could fail. And then how stupid would I look. The very thought of wanting something and not getting it is frightening. One of the things I do to help myself understand and deal with that prospect is to seek the experience of other folks who’ve dealt with those very same thoughts and fears. And when I say I’m a lucky man I really am. Golf has provided me the opportunity to meet and chat with some of the most legendary people in the sports and entertainment world. As we walk the fairways I never miss an opportunity to try and get inside their head, the minds of champions, and see if I can learn something. Last week I had a chance to have that conversation with another talented and successful person whose not a golfer but his thoughts, experience, and words of wisdom are just as valuable. Check it out.

Part #2-Chatting with Singer Brandon Boyd About Music and Golf

While its true that there are a number of team type games you can play in golf, this past week’s Swinging Bridge was a partner style event, for the most part, golf is an individual game where the golfer is totally dependent on his own skills. Unlike other sports, in golf you can practice by yourself and play by yourself. You don’t need anybody else. And while working solo in golf has its benefits it also has its downside as well. Sometimes golfers can be their own worst enemies, prone to overthinking and self critical analysis that can keep them from doing their best. My friend Brandon Boyd has always straddled the line between individual pursuits, art and surfing, with his role as a team member in a band called Incubus. And what a team they turned out to be. But in his latest musical journey he took that path of the golfer. Brandon has a new album out Tuesday, July 6th, called the Wild Trapeze. And unlike his previous work with Incubus, this one he did all by himself. In this clip Brandon talks about the differences between playing on the team and playing all by yourself. Check it out.

Chatting with Singer Brandon Boyd About Music and Golf

I’ve spent the better part of my adult life indulging two of my great passions, music and golf. In doing that I’ve had the good fortune to meet and work with some wonderfully talented artists. Some worked with a guitar or a paint brush. Some worked with 14 clubs in a golf bag. Whether you are an artist or a golfer I’ve come to find that there are some remarkable similarities in the pursuit of great music and great golf. My friend, Brandon Boyd, has suffered through a steady stream of my silly golfing analogies over the last 12 years but it turns out that we have alot in common and those analogies may have been more on target than I might have imagined. Recently, I told Brandon about my golfing blog and he actually checked it out. In fact, against all odds he liked enough to agree to sit down with me at his studio to talk about the similarities between the pursuit of great music and great golf. I’m going to share some of our conversation with you over the next few days and I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. We talked about all kinds of things from tools, to headspace, fear of failure, self doubt, and rising to a challenge. I think you’ll find it interesting whether you are a musician, a golfer, or just somebody looking for the inspiration to do something great in your life. Today, I’ll start with something light while me and my blogging team, Joe Bielski, Matt Rennie, and Evan Rennie put together some more tidbits .

The Shark and the Renman Nab 2nd Place at Swinging Bridge Tourney

There’s nothing quite like a great round of golf. Even more so when you can pull it off in a tournament. Better still when you can do it with a bunch of your buddies. This past week the 59th annual Bel-Air Swinging Bridge golf tournament took place and I’m happy to report that my long time buddy Mark “The Shark” Silverstein and I battled our way to a 2nd place finish in the Gross division with a score of 296. Each day is played to a different format with the final day’s play an add em up, all in grindathon. Last year we finished 5th and I shot a final round even par 70. This year we did even better and I’m proud to report that for the 2nd year running the old Renman had the low score of the day at 71, one over par on a brutally tough final day layout. Not bad for a 55 year old manager and a sign that my game is starting to take the kind of shape I’ll need to make it to Lake Nona in October.