One Swing Philosophy — What Golf Taught Me About Life

Today, I played nine holes with two gentlemen who were about eight years older than me. There were six golfers in total, and we planned to play in two groups of three. After a little confusion about which group I should join, I ended up playing with two gentlemen I hadn't played with for a while. Our group leader smiled and said, “Angie, you've joined the champion group!” I immediately replied, “Of course! I'm a champion, aren't I?” (Smile.) And so, our round began. A Little Teasing Before the First Tee One of the gentlemen usually plays from the blue tees. He told me that he had just returned from the United States and hadn't held a golf club for a month and a half. I looked at him and said with a big smile, “Oh, you're going to have a terrible day today!” (Smile.) Then, at the first tee, he suggested a 2,000-won bet per stroke. I wasn't sure whether he really hadn't played for a month and a half or whether he was trying to fool me! So I said, “I haven...

Today, I like myself. It feels a little strange to say that. Golf can make me frustrated. Sometimes, it can drive me crazy. 😂 But today, I came home from the driving range feeling proud of myself. About nine months ago, my driver impact was pretty accurate. Since then, I took a break from practice, started again, and spent quite a while trying to figure out what was wrong with my swing. I practiced my 5-wood and 7-iron a lot. Little by little, I found and fixed several things in my swing. But my driver was still not quite right. I practiced my driver on Wednesday, and it still didn't feel right during my round on Thursday. Today was the first time I went back to the range after that. I kept hitting balls and thinking, What is wrong? Then I finally found it. I was putting too much tension into my left shoulder and arm. Because of that little bit of tension, my go-through was not natural. My balance was off. And that affected my impact. Then suddenly— CLICK! Ah! That's it! No on...

Thank Goodness I'm Not a Professional Golfer! Golf can drive you crazy. I really mean it. Today, I followed the final round of the Aramco Korea Championship. I was especially interested in two Korean players I like, Sung Hyun Park and Hyo Joo Kim. Unfortunately, they were hardly shown on TV. So, in the afternoon, I went to bed and enjoyed a good nap. (Smile) But when I saw the final results, I had several things to think about. Miyu Yamashita won the tournament with an amazing score of 22 under par. Hyo Joo Kim played a wonderful final round, shooting six under par. She finished at 13 under par and tied for seventh place. Sung Hyun Park finished at 10 under par. Although she did not win, she gave her fans some exciting moments to remember. She made an eagle on the 17th hole, a par-five, in both the second and third rounds! An eagle on the same hole two days in a row! Golf fans know how exciting that must have been. A birdie is wonderful, but an eagle brings a completely different k...

Today was one of the happiest golf days I’ve had in the past few months. When I arrived at the driving range, Hallasan was right there on my left, perfectly clear without a single cloud. “Wow. Today is going to be a good day.” I started practicing in a very good mood. Today, I didn’t try to force my swing from the beginning. For more than 20 minutes, I simply did some free swings . I just let my body move naturally. After my body felt warm and relaxed, I moved on to full swings. This time, I focused on making solid contact with the ball . I mainly practiced with my 8-iron, 4-hybrid, and 5-wood. And then something really nice happened. My 4-hybrid , which I had been struggling to hit well, suddenly started making solid contact. “Wait… why am I hitting it so well today?” ㅎㅎ I was so happy. Maybe what I had been looking for wasn’t a perfect swing after all. It wasn’t a swing created by force. It wasn’t a swing built around repeating one particular movement over and over. Maybe it was simp...

16 Years After Korea’s Last Men’s Individual Golf Gold I love golf, so I naturally pay attention when golf becomes part of a big international event. And this time, there was some very good news. Tom Kim, also known as Kim Joo-hyung, won the gold medal in the men’s individual golf event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. He played the final round at Kasugai Country Club in Japan on October 3. He shot a 6-under 64 and finished at 18-under 262 for the tournament. He won by three strokes. It was also an important moment for Korean men’s golf. Korea had not won the men’s individual golf gold medal at the Asian Games since Kim Min-hwi won in 2010. That means it had been 16 years . A Message From Tiger Woods There was another interesting story before the final round. Tom Kim received a message from Tiger Woods . The message was very simple: “Just be you. Nothing more, nothing less.” I like this sentence. Maybe because it sounds so simple. But golf is not always simple. When we play, we ...

These days, I am trying to find my golf swing again. I had my own basic swing. But because I wanted to become a better golfer, I started learning from other people’s swings. There is nothing wrong with learning good things. The problem was that I mixed too many things together. A little movement from this golfer. Another movement from that golfer. Before I knew it, my swing was no longer really mine. And it was not really theirs, either. 😂😀 Now I am slowly finding my original swing again. It is not 100% back yet, but at least I know which direction I should go. And that made me think about life. Maybe everyone has their own swing. And maybe everyone has their own way of living, too. I have actually tried many things in my life. I have driven nice cars. I have driven a sports car. I once even lived at the InterContinental Hotel in Gangnam, Seoul, for a whole month. The first week was wonderful. It was comfortable, convenient, and a little exciting. But after that? I was so bored and f...

Until yesterday, my golf swing was a complete mess. I had a really frustrating time at the driving range. But today, I went to Raon Country Club for a round of golf. On my way there, I decided to let everything go. “Don’t think about distance today. Just make a light swing and get the ball up in the air.” That was my entire strategy. I didn’t say much before my first tee shot. I don’t like making excuses or giving a long explanation before I even hit a ball. Let’s just play first and see what happens. And strangely enough, my driver was flying beautifully today. I also didn’t lose a single ball. Yesterday, I had put two extra balls in my little golf ball pouch, just in case I lost some today. Both came home with me. 😍😂 Then, on the third hole, I made par. That was when I finally started telling my younger playing partner everything about yesterday. I had been extremely busy last week with interpreting work and my students’ midterm exams, which ended today. And yesterday, I had anothe...

Today, I played golf with three people I had never met before. We joined the same small golf group, so we were a little shy at first. One of the men was in his 40s. He was strong, athletic, and a very long hitter. I thought, “Wow. He is scary. He hits the ball so far.” 😂 And then golf did what golf always does. Yesterday, my driver was terrible at the practice range. I could not hit the ball the way I wanted, and I felt a little down. But today? Boom! My driver was flying. Again. Boom! I was laughing to myself. Golf is crazy. Yesterday, it made me sad. Today, it made me feel great. 😂 Then one of the players said, “You hit your driver very well.” In Korean, he used a word that means something like “neat, solid, and skillful.” So I asked, “Is that a compliment?” He laughed. “Of course!” 😂 From that moment, I started to notice something. At first, I was just the new woman in the group. But after a few holes, the atmosphere seemed to change. My driver was...

The more I play golf, the more I realize that golf is a lot like life. To lower my score, I need two things: Confidence and consistency. Confidence comes from practice and experience. Consistency comes from knowing my own strength and staying steady. But even when I have both, every shot is still different. Before each shot, I think about many things. How is my body feeling today? Where is the fairway? Where is the green? What is the distance? What is the lie? What kind of trouble is around the hole? Then I have to choose a club. My caddie gives me good advice, and I listen carefully. But in the end, the decision is mine. And then I take the shot. Sometimes it is a beautiful shot. Sometimes... Oh, no. 😂 I know exactly what I want to do before I swing. Relax my shoulders. Take a full backswing. Loosen my grip. Stay relaxed. But golf is such a strange game. A tiny change in my thought, perhaps for just 0.0001 seconds, or a very small movement in my body can make everything slightly out ...

These days, my golf practice feels like riding a roller coaster. Yesterday, my irons were hitting the ball so well. I thought, “Oh! Maybe I finally found my swing!” I went home feeling great. So today, I went back to the practice range thinking I would hit the ball even better. But my very first shot was… A fat shot. Oh, no. 😂 I felt a little embarrassed. Someone might be watching me, you know. I tried again, and the ball flew beautifully. “That's it!” But today's practice was not that easy. I practiced for 80 minutes, and for almost 40 of those minutes, I was quietly struggling with my swing. Golf is such a strange game. If just one little thing is wrong in your swing, you can lose a good impact. But sometimes, when I don't think about anything and just swing, the ball comes off the club perfectly. Click! “Wait… what did I just do?” I have no idea. 😂 Today, I went back to some basics with my 5-wood. I tried to feel the weight of the clubhead during the backswing and comp...