One Swing Philosophy — What Golf Taught Me About Life

These days, I sometimes ask myself: “What has really changed between the person I was when I was young and the person I am today?” When it comes to social responsibility, perhaps not as much as I might think. When I was younger, I worked hard, kept my promises, and tried not to cause trouble or inconvenience for others. I did not always think deeply about why I should live that way. I simply believed that I should work hard, be responsible, and do my best. Looking back, however, I realize that those habits of responsibility and sincerity helped me grow into the person I am today. So what is different now? I think I can see the bigger picture. I still believe in social responsibility, but I have learned that I also have a responsibility to myself. Golf Can Reveal a Lot About People In Korea, golf is not just an individual sport. A round of golf is usually a social activity. When you play 18 holes with other people, you spend several hours together. You share a cart, wait for one another...

Today was one of those days that made me realize: Golf season is finally here! After such a hot summer, the weather was absolutely beautiful. It wasn’t too hot, there was a gentle breeze, and the clouds kept the sunlight from getting too strong. It was simply perfect for golf. Before the first hole, while I was getting ready to take the cart, one of my golf friends quietly came over and said, “I have something for you.” He handed me this adorable little golf ball carrier that holds two balls. The funny thing was that he had noticed me carrying two golf balls in my pants pocket during our previous round. He had said, “Your pocket is all bulky. That doesn’t look good. I’ll give you something to carry them in.” I had laughed and said, “Oh, it’s okay. Really.” But he remembered. And today, he actually brought one for me. I thought it was so cute and thoughtful. Of course, I immediately put two golf balls inside and showed him. 😂 Maybe this is one of the little joys of life. Not a big gift...

After playing golf for a long time, I think every golfer has had this thought at least once: “I think I've finally figured out my swing.” I did, too. For a while, I was playing pretty well even without practicing much. My shots were good, my swing felt comfortable, and I started to become a little too confident. At one point, I honestly thought: “Maybe I've conquered my golf swing.” Now that I think about it, that's hilarious. 😂 I mean, I'm an amateur golfer! If Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, or Adam Scott had heard me say, “I think I've conquered golf,” I wonder what they would have thought. They might have looked at each other and said, “You conquered golf?” 😳 And then quietly thought, “This woman must be joking.” 😂😂😂 The more I think about it, the more ridiculous it sounds. But that ridiculous thought taught me something important. Golf is not an easy sport to conquer. When I stopped practicing regularly, my shots slowly became less consisten...

People often think golf is an expensive hobby. And yes, if you play 18 holes at expensive golf courses every week, golf can certainly cost a lot. But does golf really have to be that expensive? I don't think so. I live in Jeju, and I have found my own simple way to keep enjoying golf. I don't need to play 18 holes every week. I can play 9 holes once a week . And the 9-hole course I often visit, Castlex, is not just a small or simple course. The grass is very well maintained, just like a regular 18-hole course. So even when I play only 9 holes, I still feel like I am having a real golf round. And then there is my driving range. It is an outdoor 250-meter driving range , not an indoor screen. And the best part? I can see Halla Mt. while I practice. 🏔️⛳ Honestly, I love that. I can hit golf balls while looking at the sky, the green field, and Halla Mt. in the distance. For me, that is already a pretty good golf life. What does it cost? My 9-hole rounds cost about: ₩160,000 a mon...

Today, I played a round at Plaza CC Jeju . But honestly, golf was not easy today. It was extremely hot, and although I had played this course once before, I played in heavy fog that day, so I barely remembered the course. My friends were also playing the course for almost the first time. The course was challenging, and because of the heat, I couldn't really focus on my swing. So, hole after hole, we kept shouting: “Double!” “Double again!” 😂 Near the end of the front nine, one of my friends suddenly said: “For us, a double is a par. And a bogey is a birdie!” We all looked at each other with serious faces for a moment… Then we burst out laughing. 😂😂😂 So I shouted, “Okay! Let's call a double a par today! We came all the way here, so let's stop worrying about golf. Let's just pretend we're here for a picnic and enjoy the day!” And something funny happened. The whole atmosphere changed. A few minutes later, our caddie suddenly said, “I'll make you some iced cof...

I recently started a very important project. Project: Flat Belly. 😂 And there is actually a reason why I started it. Ever since I started my blog, I've been taking a lot more photos of myself. Golf photos. Walking photos. Everyday life photos. Pictures with friends. Pictures of me doing all kinds of things. And when I started looking at all those photos… I noticed my belly. 😂 Not in the mirror. In the photos. Apparently, cameras are much more honest than mirrors. 🤣 At first, I thought, “Hmm… maybe it's just the angle.” Then another photo. And another. And another. Okay. Maybe it isn't the angle. 😂 So I decided to do something about it. I'm giving myself about six months to work on my posture and gradually make my belly flatter. I'm not adding another workout to my already busy routine. I already play golf, swim, walk my dogs, and stay active in my everyday life. Instead, I'm paying more attention to my posture and the way I use my body throughout the day....

Yesterday, I played nine holes with five gentlemen, and somehow, I was the youngest in the group. Yes, even after turning 60, I can still be the youngest! 😊 We had two groups playing that day. Originally, I was supposed to play in the second group with PD, but when I arrived, I noticed that most of the members of the first group were already there. The band leader still had his golf bag in the second group, so I asked, “Are you not putting your bag in the first group?” He simply told me, “You decide.” So I did. Honestly, I wanted to play with PD. But then I thought about the two gentlemen in the first group. They might have a little more fun if I joined them. So I moved my golf bag to the first group. And as soon as I arrived at the first tee, one of the gentlemen handed me a cup of coffee. “Here, have some.” Well… I guess I made the right decision. ☕😊 There were six of us in total, and I was the only woman. Whenever I play with these older gentlemen, they always make me feel welcome...

For many years, I believed that the second half of life should become quieter. I thought peace meant protecting my small world. Living simply. Enjoying golf. Taking care of Ruby and Rich. Reading books. Growing vegetables. That seemed like enough. If you had asked me ten years ago whether I would openly share my mistakes with the world, my answer would have been simple. "Never." Back then, I would have shared only my good shots, my achievements, and my successes. The rest would have stayed hidden. But something changed this year. When I turned sixty, I didn't just grow older. I changed the direction of my life. Instead of asking, "How can I protect my peace?" I started asking, "How can my experiences help someone else?" That one question changed everything. Today, many people post perfect moments on social media. Beautiful trips. Beautiful swings. Beautiful lives. There's nothing wrong with that. But I've discovered that perfect stories rarely ...