If you are like me, you are always balancing playing golf with your other commitments in life. For me, that includes work (of course) and coaching youth sports. Coaching sports gives me so much pleasure that I think I’ve become addicted to it. I’ve created a new blog, designed to document my experiences, but to also encourage anyone who does coach youth sports, to really put some effort into it and give the kids a fantastic experience.

Check out my Coaching Youth Sports blog now.

P.S. No, I do not coach golf, that would be scary.

Reading a recent Golf Magazine issue, I stumbled onto an interview with Paul Goydos, my new favorite golfer outside Tiger.

Yes, we all remember him fighting it out with Sergio and losing at TPC last year, but what I didn’t realize was his amazing back story and pure authenticity as a human being.

Are you better than Tiger and anything?
At being older.

Hysterical.

Goydos tells the story about the BBC asking him to do commentary for the Ryder Cup. He sat with Bob Costas who at one point apparently told him that it was OK for him to comment. Goydos said what was on his mind and after watching a highlight of himself making a 30-footer he says “He’s a good looking guy.”

In a million years, I’d never come up with something so funny.

Later in the interview, Goydos calls Ayn Rand a Nazi and said his shot of the year (2008) was the tee shot into the water off 17 at TPC. Great interview.

While looking for a funny interview with Paul Goydos on Golf.com I saw that they launched a new Facebook golf game. Hours of addiction await you… go here to play. (Note: you have to have a Facebook account to play).

They have 3 games (long drive, closest to the pin and putting) and you can challenge your friends and enter tournaments. Silly, but fun.

It’s not even winter and I’m already complaning about it.

Winter sucks because I live in CT and it’s too damn cold to enjoy a round of golf.

I can’t wait until spring. In the meantime, I think I’ll start practicing my putting in my basement and dream of warm summer days.

Love her or hate her (why would you hate her?), big props to Michelle Wie for getting her card. One of the lessons I have been trying to give my daughters is perseverance. I haven’t read anything about Wie’s training plan or how hard she worked to get her card, but I do know she didn’t give up. Good on ya Michelle.

I did some searching but didn’t find much info on how she trained or even (re)dedicated herself online, if you have any links, please send them!

That said, I did fine one quote that sort of stuck out:

“I closed my eyes, I closed my ears to everything,'' she said. “It was a tough period. This seems like the world for me. I've come from really far below, and it feels like it's a clean slate. It took a long way to get here, but I feel really good about it.”

More on the Wie story here on Golf.com.

I think thats about it for this season of golfing. My goal was to break 95 this year, and I didnt manage it. I came close and played well, but honestly, things never came together the way I expected this year. Ah well.

I did manage to play some really amazing courses including The Broadmoor and Steele Canyon, two really terrific layouts.

I managed to play the entire year without a driver, but I recently remedied that with a recent purchase of a Nike Driver. I cant wait to play with it!

Some stats from oobgolf.com:

• 33 scores entered
• 2 birdies (doh!)
• 52 pars
• 107 bogies
• 85.4 miles played
• 97.4 scoring average

I literally cant wait until next season to start, but I need a break for now.

When is Tiger coming back?

I think that’s about it for this season of golfing. My goal was to break 95 this year, and I didn’t manage it. I came close and played well, but honestly, things never came together the way I expected this year. Ah well.

I did manage to play some really amazing courses including The Broadmoor and Steele Canyon, two really terrific layouts.

I managed to play the entire year without a driver, but I recently remedied that with a recent purchase of a Nike Driver. I can’t wait to play with it!

Some stats from oobgolf.com:

• 33 scores entered
• 2 birdies (doh!)
• 52 pars
• 107 bogies
• 85.4 miles played
• 97.4 scoring average

I literally can’t wait until next season to start, but I need a break for now.

When is Tiger coming back?

No, I didn’t win.

From Steele Canyon

• We didn’t finish last by a long shot
• In our foursome, I was the best player.
• We shot +1 on the back 9.

From Steele Canyon

From Steele Canyon

Just finished reading a terrific book “How Tiger Does It” by Brad Kearns. It provides some great insights into Tiger’s life and how he maintains his competitive edge. The book is much more interesting however, when read from a parent’s point of view, I think.

The author talks a lot about kids and parenting (he must have his own!) and translating Tiger’s winning ways into tools you can give your kids. The biggest takeway for me, across the board however is the idea that your child must be internally motivated (pure motivation), and that motivation must come from inside them.

My daughters both play sports (softball, basketball, soccer and golf) but never, ever practice on their own without being asked. Never. They do however, read, write and practice their instruments. My younger one draws pictures just because she feels like it. It’s hard as a parent who knows that in order to get better, your kids have to practice - but the very act of pushing them to practice could be just the push your kid is looking for to quit. I’d prefer they keep playing casually instead of quitting because I’ve been an overbearing, winning obsessed parent.

The author points out “tips for raising a Tiger” towards the end of the book. I think they are worth listing here:

1. Nurture your child’s pure motivation and natural potential (in other words, don’t project!!)
2. Be a good caddie (help your child navigate, but let her take her own shots!)
3. Place high expectations on your child (no for results, but honest, sportsmanlike and maximum effort in competition - direct praise at effort and behavior, not at ability or results)
4. Apply the success formula (don’t over do it, enforce expectations for effort and character and reduce emphasis on natural ability and winning)

The book is filled with great stories about Tiger’s youth, his dad and mom’s approach and full of quotes and bromides from the man himself. Well worth the time to read this book.

Full disclosure: I was not asked to do this review, I found the book in the library!

Is a Four-putt.

This sage advice comes directly from Jeff Foxworthy in his new golf handbook “How to really stink at Golf."

The good news is that this book will take you about 10 minutes to read. More good news is that it makes for a terrific gift for your golf obsessed friend, spouse, etc. It’s also worth 2 or 3 really good laughs.

In particular, I loved Jeff’s swing thoughts:

“Feet shoulder width apart, relax at the knees, arms straight, hands forming a perfect V, remember to rotate your hips, not too fast on the takeaway, are your shoes tied? Yea, I’m pretty sure they are, check the wind, did I leave the stove on this morning?” Etc, Etc, Etc.