Focuses on Stephen Cohen, president of the Shivas Iron Society in
California. Promotion of golf as a vehicle for mental and spiritual
transformation as original purpose of the organization; Total number of
organization's members; Comments from Cohen.
By
Dennis Pottenger, published on September 01, 1995
Why would a guy who hated golf give up his career to start an
organizationpromoting the game as a vehicle for mental and spiritual
transformation?
Stephen Cohen, president of California's Shivas Irons Society, says
he founded the group three years ago as a way for fans of Michael
Murphy's mystical novel, Golf in the Kingdom, to network. But Cohen, a
former gestalt therapist at Big Sur's Esalen Institute, reports that the
Society has grown far beyond his initial expectations.
Indeed, the group boasts some 1,200 members, from nearly every
state and 10 countries. The society may also be the only group to host a
gathering covered by both Sports Illustrated and New Age Journal.
But Cohen, who learned golf as a kid but gave it up on the grounds
that it was elitist and trivial, says the biggest headlines are yet to
come. Word is that a Golf in the Kingdom film is in the works. Plans are
also under way for Operation Golfstart, a national educational effort
aimed at introducing the virtues of the game to youngsters.
For those unacquainted with "true gravity"--the state of mental
bliss golf pro Shivas Irons describes in Kingdom--just what is the
society out to accomplish? "We are all rooted in secret powers," claims
author Murphy. "The Society will open new windows on the vistas of
self-discovery."
Golf as a transformative experience? "I remember when I realized I
had the potential to play the game really well," says Cohen. "I started
trying to play well--and as soon as I did, I stopped playing
well."
Eventually golf became a mirror on the rest of his life. "It became
clear that the way I was approaching golf was how I was doing everything
in my life. As soon as I started trying to do well, my performance fell
off. But when I let go and just did what needed to be done, performance
would take care of itself. Golf is a perfect tool for self-discovery,
because to do well you have to lose yourself in the doing. And that's
what true gravity is all about."
PHOTO (BLACK & WHITE): A guy with his golf club.
Tags:
big sur,
esalen institute,
golf,
headlines,
initial expectations,
mirror,
novel,
self discovery,
self-discovery,
spiritual,
spiritual transformation,
sports illustrated,
transformation,
transformative experience,
virtues,
youngsters
