What does Olympic Snowboarder Shawn White know about playing great golf?

I just saw a tv commercial for the upcoming Winter Olympics (Sochi) featuring gold medal winners. One of them is gold medalist snowboarder Shawn White who, in his own words, defines the ideal state of mind for optimal performance. He says you need...

"...complete focus with a bit of not caring." 

I like what he's getting at here as I think it can be applied to most activities in our lives. Its not that Shaun White doesn't care about what he's doing, its that he doesn't care about the outcome. There's a difference. There are many times out on the golf course where I'm focused but also overly consumed by the stifling expectation of results.

Round: 2013 Deutsche Bank Championship / TPC Boston

I was lucky enough to play a private company outing at TPC Boston the day after the final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship. The combination of watching the tournament on Monday and then playing the course in tournament conditions, made for a weekend I'll never forget. We played a fourball tournament with longest drive and shortest to the pin prizes. As we got out to our first hole we noticed the pins were in the same locations as the final round. This did not make things any easier for us! The management staff left all the tournament grand stands in place which added to the experience for sure. Overall, I didn't play my best but I made sure I enjoyed every step of the way. The course is gorgeous and the amenities were impressive. What I liked most was the fairness of the setup. You have to put the ball in the right places, and if you don't, the penalty can be brutal (ie. the 18th green complex is insane). My struggles lied on the greens. I've never played on such extreme slopes and changing of speed. I really couldn't get a feel for them which resulted in many three putts. When it was all over, the experience was pretty inspiring. If I am lucky enough to get another chance to play TPC Boston, I will be sure to prepare to give it my best.

Final score: 95

Range Session - Divots from the pros

The caddies direct us to our starting holes!

I was the long drive leader for most of the afternoon!

Digging out of bunker on the 8th

Stuffed my tee shot on the Par 3 16th

16th green

Beautiful 18th fairway

Diabolic 18th green complex

Found the mountainside of the 18th bunker :(

Good indication of what we dealt with on the 18th

The short Par 4 4th

Classy locker rooms!