I try never to point out a member here on a thread without their approval but after a moment on the Winter Solstice yesterday I feel the need.
In Zen Buddhism, a Bodhisattva is a wisdom being, one who has attained enlightenment and reaches Nirvana but renounces it to go back and help all human beings attain it (enlightenment).
Enter Neil Regan. I've been fortunate enough to be at some interesting venues with him. Sand Hills, Yale, Fishers Island, Winged Foot etc.
Those who play with Neil see something almost childlike in his play. I mean this as a serious statement b/c he does not play for score nor glory, he just plays for fun. He creates, he invents, he discovers.
It was at Sand Hills late one evening on what was I think our 40th or so hole of the day recommended I jump off a tee box after a huge drive.. Just to experience and internalize the fun of the shot, the joy. It is Neil who stands on a tee box and tries to get you to play a shot you can create in your mind. Then there are the challenge putts--all who know Neil obviously are aware of his penchant for them. I think he has X-ray vision b/c some of his hole locations are sublime.
It was at Fishers Island one day that I got in a personal zone and was hitting the ball as well as I could. Neil left me alone for most of that day except he saw me taking things a bit too seriously on the 14th hole. I had hit a perfect drive but Neil got their first and embedded my ball in the fairway. I got there and was shocked and saw him sly-grinned. I got his point immediately.
At Yale this past year I was hitting the ball well again but had some poor distance control etc and I was obscessed with accurate distances and playing slowly. On my last shot of the day while looking for a sprinkler head, Neil rushed up to me handed me a club and winked, that it was the right club for the shot. It was a 9 iron. I normally hit a 9 iron about 140 ish yards. I flushed my shot to 3 feet and birdied the 18th at Yale. The distance was only 122 yards and he knew I would immediately grab for a wedge at that distance and come up short-- the pin was way back and I wouldn't have played for the yardage correctly. Again, Neil saved me and enlightened me.
Yesterday, on the shortest day of the year, Neil gave me a call to go play a quick 9 holes. I had a huge shot of cortisone in my shoulder/rotator cuff last week and I wanted to test my swing out. I hit it so sideways and it was horrible golf even if I was blessed with playing on a December day. Afterwards in the clubhouse, Neil said to me-- Just imagine even if you hit a poor shot that it went straight and play the 2nd shot accordingly i.e. don't fret and play on...
It is my contention is that Neil has achieved golfing enlightenment and has gone back to the world of the rest of us to help us too.