If you’ve ever golfed with me, you’ve probably heard me say “forward progress” more than once after I top a ball ten feet or send one slicing thirty yards into the trees. Golf, healing, recovery, life—they all have a lot in common: one of which is that growth isn’t always linear. It can be slow, messy, even frustrating. The key is to continue to show up for yourself (and to ask for help when things feel like too much). Learn, adjust, and keep going. One shot at a time. One day at a time. Forward progress.
#forwardprogress #mentalhealth #golftherapy
Golfweek ranked the best public courses for every state earlier this year. Here’s the full 30 for California:
1. Pebble Beach ✅
2. Pasatiempo ✅
3. Spyglass Hill ✅
4. Torrey Pines (South)
T5. Rustic Canyon
T5. Yocha Dehe ✅
7. Spanish Bay ✅
T8. Rams Hill
T8. CordeValle ✅
10. Torrey Pines (North)
11. PGA West (Stadium)
12. Poppy Hills ✅
T13. Pelicans Hill (Ocean South)
T13. Pelican Hill (Ocean North)
15. Bayonet ✅
16. Trump National LA
T17. Quail Lodge
T17. PGA West (Nicklaus)
19. Grand Del Mar
20. Maderas ✅
T21. TPC Harding Park ✅
T21. Desert Willow (Firecliff)
T23. Soule Park
T23. Aviara ✅
25. Tahoe Mountain Club (Old Greenwood)
T26. Oak Quarry
T26. Whitehawk Ranch
28. La Purisma
29. Fantasy Springs (Eagle Falls)
30. Classic Club ✅
In the 3 years I’ve been golfing, I’ve played 12 of the 30 courses listed and have heard consistently great things about at least 10 others. Of the ones I’ve played, TPC Harding Park ranks as my least favorite—it feels too flat, and the course lacks variety, with holes running back and forth without much distinction until the 18th. I really enjoy Bayonet, though I think it’s ranked a bit too high. Personally, I’d put courses like Cinnabar, Wente, and Presidio ahead of both. I also don’t think Classic Club deserves to be last. Last but not least, Sandpiper not on the list is a travesty.
Which of these courses have you played?
Do you agree with the list?
What else do you think should’ve made it?
If you don’t live in CA, which courses have you played on your state’s list?
#forwardprogress #mentalhealth #golftherapy
For me, this game exists on many levels.
At its simplest, it creates space—time to be with friends in the middle of an otherwise busy life.
But it’s also been something deeper. When life felt like a constant wave of grief and pressure, golf became a kind of anchor—a place where I could step away, breathe, and not feel so overwhelmed. I feel free. In the moment. Feeling the sun. Grass under my feet. Wind across my face. Birds chirping. Ocean waves crashing.
I’m drawn to anything with a process, and golf is full of them. There’s a quiet satisfaction in the grind: hours on the range, dialing in a swing, refining a chip, chasing consistency on the greens. It’s repetitive, but never empty.
And then there are those rare moments on the course — when a putt feels right the instant it leaves the face, or a drive is pure because everything moved in sync without thinking. You don’t force it; you just recognize it as it happens.
It’s all of that—the people, the peace, the process, and those fleeting moments of perfection—that keeps bringing me back, again and again.
What does it mean to you?
#forwardprogress #mentalhealth #golftherapy
Night Golf Kareoke?!?!?
Millennial Golf Group sings "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls during Night Golf. Spotify Playlist "Divorced Dad Rock" was on point.....
Our group of 12 caught up to the 4 some in front....
IRIS by @googoodollsofficial started playing. It was the perfect storm for a group kareoke haha
#nightgolf #iris #kareoke #fyp #golfisfun
Perseverance and resilience aren’t fixed traits; they’re skills you build over time and through experience. We all fall at some point, but every time you get back up, you learn something new and grow stronger and that growth builds confidence.
It won’t be easy. There will be days filled with frustration, pain, anger, and even emptiness—moments that shake you to your core. But in most cases, failure isn’t final unless you decide to stop. The key is to turn setbacks into lessons, take a step back to reassess, make adjustments, and then step forward. Lean on others when you need support, and focus your energy on what comes next.
One quote that stays with me is:
“Everything you want is on the other side of hard.”
How are things in your life coming along?
(Shouts to @worldasmollyseesit for putting me on to The Good Place)
#forwardprogress #mentalhealth #golftherapy
One of the most important lessons life has taught me is timing. There’s a rhythm to everything—a season for beginnings, endings, and everything in between. When things don’t work out, it’s not always because they weren’t right, but because the timing wasn’t. Friendships, relationships, careers, even family dynamics—sometimes they fall out of sync. And sometimes things end simply because their time has run its course, making space for something new to begin.
Golf reminds me of this constantly. You can’t rush a swing without throwing everything off. If I hurry my backswing, my tempo breaks down, I early extend, and the whole motion unravels. The game rewards patience, presence, and trust in the sequence.
But timing isn’t just about waiting—it’s also about readiness. Opportunities tend to appear when patience meets preparation. Success, however you define it, often comes down to recognizing the season you’re in, trusting your own timeline, and having the courage to act when the moment is right—not when the world tells you it should be.
#forwardprogress #mentalhealth #golftherapy
Legendary golfer Walter Hagen once wrote “You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry, don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.”
#forwardprogress #mentalhealth #golftherapy
