Golf and Philosophy PDF Download

Author: Andy Wible
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
ISBN: 0813139678
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 406

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Book Description
Reflections on the game and getting through life’s hazards and roughs. In a game where players are expected to call their own penalties and scoring the least points leads to victory, decorum takes precedence over showmanship and philosophical questions become par for the course. Few other sports are as suited for ethical and metaphysical examination as golf. It is a game defined by dichotomies—relaxing, yet frustrating, social, yet solitary—and between these extremes there is room for much philosophical inquiry. In Golf and Philosophy: Lessons from the Links, a clubhouse full of skilled contributors tee off on a range of philosophical topics within the framework of the fairway. The book’s chapters are arranged in the style of an eighteen-hole golf course, with the front nine exploring ethical matters of rationality and social civility in a world of moral hazards and roughs. The back nine pries even deeper, slicing into matters of the metaphysical, including chapters on mysticism, idealism, identity, and meaning. Taken together, the collection examines the intellectual nature of this beloved pastime, considering the many nuances of a sport that requires high levels of concentration, patience, and consistency, as well as upstanding character. Golf and Philosophy celebrates the joys and complexities of the game, demonstrating that golf has much to teach both its spectators and participants about modern life. “Any volume built on the premise that if Aristotle and Plato were still here they’d likely be ardent golfers is apt to tickle a few brain cells.” ―Golf Magazine

Author: Andy Wible
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
ISBN: 0813173884
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 290

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Book Description
In a game where players are expected to call their own penalties and scoring the least points leads to victory, decorum takes precedence over showmanship and philosophical questions become par for the course. Few other sports are as suited for ethical and metaphysical examination as golf. It is a game defined by dichotomies—relaxing, yet frustrating, social, yet solitary—and between these extremes there is room for much philosophical inquiry. In Golf and Philosophy: Lessons from the Links, a clubhouse full of skilled contributors tee off on a range of philosophical topics within the framework of the fairway. The book's chapters are arranged in the style of an eighteen-hole golf course, with the front nine exploring ethical matters of rationality and social civility in a world of moral hazards and roughs. The back nine pries even deeper, slicing into matters of the metaphysical, including chapters on mysticism, idealism, identity, and meaning. Taken together, the collection examines the intellectual nature of this beloved pastime, considering the many nuances of a sport that requires high levels of concentration, patience, and consistency, as well as upstanding moral character. Golf and Philosophy celebrates the joys and complexities of the game, demonstrating that golf has much to teach both its spectators and participants about modern life.

Author: Walter Thomas Schmid
Publisher: Lexington Books
ISBN: 1498550096
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 235

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Book Description
Golf as Meaningful Play offers a philosophical introduction to golf as a sporting practice and source of personal meaning. It is intended both for scholars interested in the philosophy of sport, and for intellectually curious golfers who seek a better understanding of the game. This book describes the physical, emotional, mental, and ethical aspects of the game and how they influence golf instruction. It looks at golf as play, game, sport, and spectacle, discusses golf’s heroes, communities, and traditions, and analyzes the role of the virtues in golf, linking them to self-fulfillment, the ultimate good of golf experience. The book concludes with discussions of classic works of golf literary and film art, including Caddyshack, Missing Links, Tin Cup, and Golf in the Kingdom, which celebrate its follies and glories. The fact that golf can serve as a playful laboratory to test oneself is a deep part of the game’s attraction. Golf, if played well, conveys an experience which unites happiness, excellence, and interpersonal flourishing. This book strives to give an account of golf both as it is and as it ought to be—how golfers may improve their games and even themselves, in meaningful play.

Author: Andrew Sola
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781489538444
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 158

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Book Description
Golfito, ergo sum. I golf, therefore I am. In this revolutionary new mediation on golf, professor Andrew Sola and professional golfer Bruce Loome use the ground-breaking ideas of the great philosophers to help you become a better golfer. The Philosophical Golfer is not just another instructional book that only shows you how to increase your distance or cure your slice. By using unique insight from geniuses like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, it teaches you how to become a complete golfer, technically and mentally, from tee to green. Furthermore, it explains how golf can help us understand the perennial questions of human existence. Do we have free will? Why should we obey the rules? How do we achieve happiness? And, of course, what is the meaning of life? The great thinkers dedicated themselves to understanding the universe and improving our lives. But until now, no one has considered how their wisdom can help us understand the game of golf. Becoming a philosophical golfer will certainly improve your game-it may also change your life. Volume I, From Ancient Greece through the Middle Ages, covers the origins and early development of Western philosophy, as well as the predominant Greek and Roman schools of thought, including cynicism, hedonism, and stoicism. Each chapter is accompanied by practical tips to improve your performance on the course.

Author: Andrew Sola
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781511827140
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 158

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Book Description
Golfito, ergo sum. I golf, therefore, I am.In this revolutionary meditation on golf, philosopher Andrew Sola and PGA professional Bruce Loome use the groundbreaking ideas of the great thinkers to help you become a better golfer.The Philosophical Golfer is not just another instructional book that only shows you how to increase your distance or cure your slice. By using unique insight from geniuses like Descartes, Kant, and Marx, it teaches you how to become a complete golfer, technically and mentally, from tee to green.The great thinkers dedicated themselves to understanding the universe and improving our lives. But until now, no one has considered how their wisdom can help us understand the game of golf.Becoming a philosophical golfer will certainly improve your game--it may also change your life.Volume II covers modern philosophy, beginning in 17th century France and ending in 20th century America. Each chapter is accompanied by practical tips to improve your performance on the course.

Author: Andrew Sola
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781505644623
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 158

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Book Description
Golfito, ergo sum. I golf, therefore I am. In this revolutionary meditation on golf, professor Andrew Sola and professional golfer Bruce Loome use the ground-breaking ideas of the great philosophers to help you become a better golfer. The Philosophical Golfer is not just another instructional book that only shows you how to increase your distance or cure your slice. By using unique insight from geniuses like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, it teaches you how to become a complete golfer, technically and mentally, from tee to green. Furthermore, it explains how golf can help us understand the perennial questions of human existence: Do we have free will? Why should we obey the rules? How do we achieve happiness? And, of course, what is the meaning of life? The great thinkers dedicated themselves to understanding the universe and improving our lives. But until now, no one has considered how their wisdom can help us understand the game of golf. Becoming a philosophical golfer will certainly improve your game-it may also change your life. Volume 1, From Ancient Greece through the Middle Ages, covers the origins and early development of Western philosophy, as well as the predominant Greek and Roman schools of thought, including cynicism, hedonism and stoicism. Each chapter is accompanied by practical tips to improve your performance on the course.

Author: Michael Murphy
Publisher: Open Road Media
ISBN: 1453218815
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
A spiritual journey, a lush travelogue, a parable of sports and philosophy—John Updike called this unique novel “a golf classic if any exists in our day.” When an American traveler on his way to India stops to play a round on one of the most beautiful and legendary golf courses in Scotland, he doesn’t know that his game—and his life—are about to change forever. He is introduced to Shivas Irons, a mysterious golf pro whose sublime insights stick with him long after the eighteenth hole. From the first swing of the Scotsman’s club, he realizes he is in for a most extraordinary day. By turns comic, existential, and semiautobiographical, Michael Murphy’s tale traces the arc of twenty-four hours, from a round of golf on the Links of Burningbush to a night fueled by whiskey, wisdom, and wandering—even a sighting of Seamus MacDuff, the holy man who haunts the hole they call Lucifer’s Rug. “Murphy’s book is going to alter many visions,” The New York Times Book Review declared. More than an unforgettable approach to one of the world’s most popular sports, Golf in the Kingdom is a meditation on the power of a game to transform the self.

Author: Andy Wible
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781979170383
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 160

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Book Description
A frequent comment about the eternal issues of philosophy is that everything is a footnote to the ancient philosophers Plato and Aristotle. Subsequent philosophers are simply clarifying and expanding their comprehensive consideration of the ultimate questions of humanity. So why write a book about golf and philosophy? Plato and Aristotle never played golf, so what is there to discuss? The short answer is that if Plato and Aristotle were alive today, they probably would be avid golfers. For at least a few hours a day, they'd change their togas and sandals for knickers and spiked sandals. Lovers of wisdom and the good life are lovers of golf. In fact, given the chance, what most people really want to do is play golf. When stars retire from basketball, baseball, tennis, football, and other sports, they usually hit the pastures of the world's golf courses. Presidents, physicians, celebrities, CEOs, and philosophers commonly choose golf as their main recreational activity. Yet golf is not simply a sport of the rich, powerful, famous, and tenured. Thousands of public golf courses and driving ranges across the globe allow more than 61 million people to play golf. From Tokyo to Seoul to Sydney to Cape Town to Stockholm to Dubai, golf has emerged from the grazing fields of St. Andrews. The expansion of golf has been the greatest in the United States. The United States contains more than half of all golfers, hosts the most prestigious professional tour, and in the Ryder Cup and the President's Cup takes on much of the rest of the world. With the help of television, the world has watched great American icons like Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus popularize golf for the world's masses, and has seen Tiger Woods reenergize and diversify the sport.

Author: Deepak Chopra, M.D.
Publisher: Harmony
ISBN: 140005088X
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 210

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Book Description
Deepak Chopra has discovered the delights—and frustrations—of golf, and he is passionate about the game. Confronted by the wild ups and downs of his own play, he consulted with golf professionals and developed a new approach to the game that any golfer can follow—from the novice to the expert. The results can be measured not only in increased enjoyment and skill, but also in greater wisdom about life beyond the 18th hole. Chopra’s own game has improved dramatically since incorporating the elements of his program. Instead of focusing on the mechanics of a “perfect” swing, Chopra reveals how golf can be mastered through mindfulness, a form of awareness that combines sharp focus and relaxation at the same time. Expanded awareness, he tells us, can accomplish much more than external mechanics to improve one’s game. But Golf for Enlightenment is also an engrossing story about Adam, an Everyman who is playing a terrible round of golf when he meets a mysterious young teaching pro named Leela. In seven short but profound lessons detailing spiritual strategies, she teaches Adam the essence of a game that has much to explain about life itself. Chopra has spent the last year taking the unique message in Golf for Enlightenment nationwide, teaching the essential tenets of his program at lectures and seminars to golfers everywhere. His message continues to help players turn an obsession into a positive life path.

Author: Roy M Barineau
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781704685915
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 266

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Book Description
The first part of the book consists of humorous stories inspired by a golfing group called "The Hucks." The group plays at Golden Eagle Golf and Country Club in Tallahassee, Florida, and I have been a part of the group since about the year 2001. The stories are offered purely for their entertainment value. I knew the Hucks had been a rather amusing golf group over the years, but as I began to compile and record our stories, I was surprised at the extent of our antics. I hope outsiders will laugh as much as we have.The second part of the book is a short biography or "remembrance" of Bert Yancey (1938-1994), a professional golfer who struggled with manic depression (bipolar disorder). I was honored to develop a friendship with Bert, and I have tried to tell his story in the same manner as he would, that is, with openness and honesty. Bert wanted others to know his story, be inspired by his story, and learn from his story.The third part of the book is a golfer's rendition of Dante Alighieri's famed Divine Comedy (1321). The reader will witness an array of golfing sins and their punishments as he/she joins me on my journey through hell, purgatory, and paradise. In hell, find slow players confined to a hole where they can never hit a shot, and find loud players with corks clamped down into their mouths. In purgatory, find those who threw clubs now having to protect their clubs, and find a device of penance being prepared for a big cat or Tiger. In paradise, find the greats of the game, purged of their sins, and enjoying communion with the divine.The fourth part of the book consists of my religious and philosophical meditations as they relate to Golf. As Golf came to dominant more and more of my life, I was faced with the prospect of acknowledging that I had devoted a great deal of time to an ultimately meaningless game. Rather than admit that a substantial portion of my life had been spent in vain, I explored the possibility that I was attracted to Golf because I found in the game a metaphor for life and a vehicle through which I could discover and express my own philosophy of religion. I agreed with Walter J. Travis, America's most successful golfer in the early 1900s, that "Golf is something more than a game, it is a religion. It reveals a man to himself in all his pristine weakness, and exposes to others weaknesses which he is ordinarily at great pains to conceal." I found an apology for Golf, and I mean "apology" in the classical sense of the term, that is, a defense of Golf. Golf is a sport, a leisure activity, or a game, but it can also be construed as a religion, a form of worship, a cult. Golf provides a set of symbols by means of which golfers can understand reality. Golf has its High God, its minor gods, its places of worship, its priests, and its worshippers. Players may treat Golf as merely a game, if they choose, like Christians can treat church as merely a place to meet people, but for others Golf has a spiritual quality that cannot be denied.