IP & Art

A few years ago, I was invited to LPGA from the chairman of the Korean host and I has a chance that I headed to the University of Michigan golf course early morning. The clubhouse was under construction, so it was hard to find the entrance, but when I arrived, the golf course facilities were relatively well maintained. There was a manager in the tee box to help with the process, and there were escorts all over the place. Retired faculty members were assigned the position of ‘facilitator’ and entrusted with course management. They took great pride in their work. I was very diligent in managing the course. For some reason, the fairways and greens were well maintained.

What is even more surprising is the fact that this golf course, built in the 1930s, was built by Alister Mackenzie (1870-1934), who is called the “father of modern golf design.” One of McKinsey's quotes goes like this:

“The purpose of course design should be to mimic the beauty of nature.”

Interestingly, I could often see a person who looked like a graduate student playing rounds alone. Are you tired of 'studying too much hard' and enjoying the rounds with a change of airs? I felt a sense of friendliness because I fully understand their feeling indirectly. An official from Volvik, who accompanied him, said, "The course design and course management are well done, so we may consider holding the LPGA Tournament at the University of Michigan Golf Course during the Volvik hosting period (3 years)." The golf course overall was good. However, in my case, as I entered the 9th hole in the second half, my swing was so bad due to exhaustion of stamina. I realized once again that golf cannot perform properly without the support of physical strength.

As soon as I entered the LPGA venue, So-Yeon Ryu, In-Ji Jeon, and Min-Ji Lee formed a team, and the time was just right in time, so I decided to follow this team. Jeon In-ji was so impressive that she was nicknamed ‘Baby Elephant’, and her smile was particularly attractive. Ryu So-yeon, in white and red outfits, was showing off her cool figure on the green grass. She looked much better in person than on TV. Lee Min-ji looked refreshingly soft and cute in a neat orange top and white skirt. All three players not only had great swings, but the drivers also hit the long shots, and the irons and elaborate shots towards the pins made the gallery's eyes happy.

Towards the Korean players, the galleries smiled from beginning to end, clapping and shouting. The players and the gallery have become one. It was so impressive because the golf course and the season of May appeared to get along together. The three players played a round of 18 holes and showed a beautiful and elegant round as if they were showing an art performance on the course. In particular, Ryu So-yeon's wood 3 tee shot was more precise than ever, and the iron always went straight to the pin. In the case of the first half hole, it made up birdie shows for three consecutive holes.

The galleries were like the audience, the three players were stage actors, and the golf course was like stage floors. I was able to feel a lot of things from seeing the audience immerse themselves in the stage, breathe and enjoy together.

Golf is often compared to life. He faces numerous adversity and trials while reaching the 18th hole, i.e., flying out of bounds (OB), sometimes falling into bunkers, and even a slight loss of concentration can always lead to danger. But never give up.

In life, you may face challenges you never expected. However, it is important to never give up and try to break through to the end. The mental stress experienced by professional golfers will be beyond our imagination. However, if players do not have the heart to “enjoy” rounds even in the midst of pain, it may be difficult for them to get good grades. So is life. Maybe we should try to enjoy it even in the midst of trials and challenges. You must have 'molar teeth' that can devour pain like ribs. Those molars are born of positivity and joy in life. Today, the Korean players showed a bright, confident, and enjoyable way to play golf. It was so a moving and enlightening experience to my life.