Unleash the Dragon 11-18-11 from World of Welcome on Vimeo.

No Thanks, but a lot of Appreciation.

This Thanksgiving I thought about my luvv affair with Golf and all that I had to be appreciative about.  It came out as a list so here it goes.

Very appreciative of finding the game in 1991, prior to my son Pharoah being born

Appreciative of discovering Bobbie Riggs the golf pro at Westchester golf course that took me through my first year of learning the game. It’s funny after 18 years how things that she was trying to teach me then, I now understand.

My wife Gail, wow, what can I say. From the beginning she has encouraged me to pursue the addiction and along with the Spirit and the All, been my greatest backer. She is absolutely a great companion to have in this life.

My son Pharoah. Amazing kid, with an Amazing name. I know one day we’ll spend more time on the golf course (game is too slow for him right now), but he’s always embraced the game with me and encouraged me to play it.

I met my best buddy Dave on a golf course in 1992 and then the following week, we were paired together again. We’ve been playing golf with each other ever since. I like to say he’s an acquired taste.  His heart full of luvv.

Sharon McKenzie, the sexy one. I remember taking her to the range in her sexy short skirts and having all the guys ask me who she was.  I still owe her golf lessons.

Mary Suz. wow how am I surrounded by all these amazing women. Mary Suz and I have a connection that belies the flesh. It’s deep in the soul. She was the driving force behind the original On The Green Comic book.

Eric Graves, he was the adventurer who said  “I will”, when I was looking for an artist to draw my first comic book, “On The Green “. His willingness to learn and discover will stay with me always.

Gus at the Grill, at Penmar, make the best food and is has a funny attitude about everything. He is always right.ha.ha.

Big Game James, my brother has that name because he at least talks be game, for a guy who only play Tiger golf on the 360, but he keeps me laughing (which is very good), and on occasion can hit a 250 yard drive on the range

My buddy Tony. Who constantly invites me to special golf events, on great courses and to his private club from time to time. I feel that I have a membership

Brian Benedict, who is Superintendent at a very find course in New York. I was able to play the course for my birthday because of him.

Joe Benedict, just a great companion and soul mate.

To John, my business partner with Hoop Masters. He doesn’t always understand me, nor I him, but we hang in there with each other.

To Nora who several years ago, when I had no money and was a little down, gave me $1000 to just golf. I’ve never forgotten that.

To MP, who is the first comedian who warms up his own jokes. What a spirit.

To Lori, Rain, or Brooke, whatever name she decides to hold on to for introducing me to Lou

To Lou who brought color and life to www.onthegreencomic.com. He is a very talented guy who I know will continue to grow as an artist and a person.

To Henry who has encouraged me, prodded me, kick my butt, and who is an explorer of life and learning.

I appreciate all I’ve mentioned and haven’t mentioned. The journey of golf has also been a journey of life. Be Happy Today And Everyday.

Getting back into golf has rekindled a spirit of learning and desire in me that has been on a bit of hiatus. Today I played in the local skins game at the 9-hole course, Penmar, by my house. Last week was my first week playing in the game and my skill level was about as close to being ready to play as someone waiting for the sun to rise in the west. I realized that the first thing I needed to do was to start having fun again and just go out and play. Once I started doing that, then I needed to work on the skills so that I could play the way I wanted to play, and strike the ball with better precision. After todays round, I realized that the next cobweb I needed to shake loose was my ability to compete. I haven’t competed in so long, that the residue of staleness was evident in my competitive self. I had 6 pars and 3 bogies. I realized that the 6 pars I had were a waste. I was holding, back, not going for it, and in a skins game you need birdies. I would have been better running my putts 3-4 feet pass the hole, instead of lagging as many putts as I did for Par, but again, rust in still in my game.

I thought about the Movie Tin cup and how Roy, on the final hole of the fictional US Open, insisted upon not laying up, event though it could cost him the open championship. As a golfer, when I first saw this movie in the theatre, I was disgusted at the ending. I said to my wife Gail, that no one would do that in real golf. Exactly, in real golf, no one would. Right now, real is a “real downer”. Let’s see what’s really real. . The economy is really been hit hard. The Jobless market is almost at double digits in most states and people are having a hard time really paying bills, putting food on the table, etc. The real American Dream no longer exists. If you think it’s like television show that goes on hiatus for the summer and returns in the fall, wake up; there is no more American Dream. There is the Fantasy.

There is no better time to tap into the fantasy than there is right now. Hell, what do you have to lose, your credit rating. I had a golfing buddy that has a 820 credit score, and the bank rescinded his line of credit, because they determined that he was in an at risk business-construction. It’s a time to not be real. This period in our lives calls to reach for something with a little bit more substance–fantasy. Many of the ideas and products that have been produced in our world have come out of fantasy. Fantasy is having an idea, putting vision to that idea and then going to work to produce the idea. Dreams are without vision and purpose. Fantasy allows one to tape into vision and purpose. By the Wright brothers tapping into fantasy, we can now go from coast to coast in 6 hours. If you saw the movie Tin Cup, what first comes to your mind, Renee Russo, Kevin Costner or the finals scene?

In the PGA tournament final round on Sunday, Y.E. Yang, dared to live out his fantasy and refused to listen to all the media, fans and even me, who said he didn’t have a chance against Tiger. By doing so, he won the PGA championship and denied Tiger of winning a Major this year. Did Y.E. Yang tap into something that Tiger has always known? If you want to beat a Tiger, you better not be laying up and learn to go for it, and definitely, don’t think in real terms, because the world that Tiger lives in is full of fantasy.