Golf's Sacred Journey, the Sequel: 7 More Days in Utopia

By David L. Cook

Golf is more than a game. Behind every stroke and ace, there are hours of practice. Before every trophy, there is sacrifice. At every driving range, there are successes and failures. And inside every golfer, there is a story.

In Golf's Sacred Journey, the Sequel, the book that follows bestselling Golf's Sacred Journey, professional golfer Luke Chisholm returns to his winsome and wise mentor, Johnny Crawford, for what he's best at: advice. This time, Luke needs help of a different sort. He needs guidance on playing in the most difficult golf tournament in the world: the U.S. Open. Victory is in sight.

From bestselling author and performance psychologist Dr. David Cook, Golf's Sacred Journey, the Sequel is the fascinating byproduct of counseling thousands of athletes over the decades--from PGA Champions to Olympic athletes. His expertise weaves throughout this suspenseful and memorable sequel.

Luke's story unfolds from the practice course of Utopia, Texas, to the fairways of the U.S. Open. It's there that T.K., Luke's rival, re-enters the picture. Their rivalry comes to a head at the U.S. Open. Their clash is epic, the payoffs and costs are great.

In this memorable book, readers will acquire lessons about golf and life that they never expected as Luke and T.K. overcome gripping fears, trials, and brokenness as they pursue their God-given dreams. Golf's Sacred Journey, the Sequel will deeply inspire readers both on and off the green.

This is a story of two golfers. This is a story of redemption. And in the end, it's not just about a game.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: May 8, 2018
• ISBN: 9780310350187

David L. Cook

Author, speaker, entrepreneur, and mental training coach are the roles Dr. David L. Cook has assumed over the past two decades. His clients have included NBA World Champions, National Collegiate Champions, PGA Tour Champions, Olympians, and many Fortune 500 companies. He is the author of the bestselling book Golf’s Sacred Journey. He and his wife, Karen have been married for over 35 years, have two daughters, and live in the hill country of Texas.

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

I ended the first book (and movie) of this series, Seven Days in Utopia (original title of the book: Golf’s Sacred Journey: Seven Days at the Links of Utopia), without the reader knowing if the golfer made the putt to win the Texas Open. I purposely left this to the imagination to encourage the reader to consider the deeper issues of the heart. My initial answer to the inevitable question of whether he made the putt was: Does it really matter?

As I contemplated writing a sequel, I knew I would need to address the question, since its answer would determine the direction of this story. I started the sequel journey with a single, stand-alone chapter that answered the question. To start with, I posted it on my website for the curious. But this new stand-alone chapter didn’t fit at the end of the first book. Neither did it fit at the start of the sequel. So what to do?

I decided to use this chapter as a bridge between the two books. I filmed a reading of this bridge chapter in the Waresville Cemetery in Utopia, Texas. This cemetery is located in the center of the Links of Utopia golf course and was the location of the defining Easter morning cemetery scene in the first book and movie. I posted my reading of the chapter on the website as an open invitation to anyone who wanted to continue their journey and bury their lies in the Buried Lies Cemetery in Utopia, Texas.

I could not have imagined what would happen next. Over 1.5 million people have gone to the website http://www.didhemaketheputt.com after reading the book or watching the movie. Thousands have emailed their buried lies for us to print out and bury in Utopia. We continue to receive more daily. We have also witnessed literally hundreds who have made a trek to Utopia to personally bury their lies and explore the Links of Utopia golf course and movie sites.

I encourage you, before you start this book, to go to the website http://www.didhemaketheputt.com, view the short reading of the bridge chapter, bury your lies by emailing them to us, then return here to continue the journey with Chapter 1.

Finally, if you have not read the first book, please take the time to start your journey there. Like most Hollywood movies adapted from a book, the story lines of the book and movie are significantly different. When faced with the decision to write a sequel to the screenplay or book, I chose the book. I wrote it as if the movie had never been made. For example, in the movie Johnny is an elderly divorced recovering alcoholic with no children. In the book Johnny is a middle-aged married man with a delightful family whom you will meet within these pages. I also took the liberty of adapting a couple of themes from the screenplay that will help the story of this book unfold. Therefore don’t be surprised when you read about the Obra Maestra, a theme that appeared in the movie but not in the first book.

Should you need one, your copy of the first book is available at http://www.linksofutopia.com.

1. A RETURN TO UTOPIA

How can a game have such an effect on a man’s soul? That was the question I was asking on my first trip to Utopia. When I stood over the putt to win the Texas Open I knew in the big picture that it didn’t matter if I won or lost. And because of that I was fearless. And when you are fearless you can do anything . . .

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When I made the putt to win the Texas Open a few weeks ago my life changed. Not because of the unexpected financial windfall or two year exemption on the PGA Tour that I earned. Not because of the notoriety of beating out TK (aka Travis the Lion). No, it was deeper than that. I discovered that life is a sacred journey. I learned that a meltdown can lead to greatness, common strangers can become pathfinders, and a fork in the road can change a destiny. I also found that around every bend of this wild adventure, modern-day parables are revealed to those whose eyes are open, and often a name is more than a name.

The past few weeks on this new path were extraordinary. While I played well and had four top-thirty finishes on the PGA Tour, it wasn’t my play that I will remember the most. It was the addictive force of freedom. I was captivated by the power and transforming impact of the dual meaning of SFT. SFT defined the purpose of every shot I hit: see it, feel it, trust it. SFT also defined my life’s purpose: see His face, feel His presence, trust His love. Johnny set me on a revolutionary path with these three letters.

Others noticed and wanted what I had. I had a new platform and the chance to share my story. When it struck a chord with other people, fulfillment went deep for me.

Until a few weeks ago I was trapped by fear. I had been stuck with a meandering purpose and a life of unsettling prospects. The fear of failure haunted me. But now I was breaking off the old pattern of thinking and identity. Because of that, I was emerging as a player in golf and life.

With the U.S. Open looming in two and a half weeks, it was the perfect time to return to Utopia. At the conclusion of the PGA Tour’s Texas swing, I used Memorial Day as an opportunity to take another trek on the back roads of Texas to see my friend for a tune-up. However, I didn’t know that my journey with Johnny had only just begun.

Late in the afternoon on Memorial Day after a long day’s drive, I rolled up to Johnny’s home. The 1930s farmhouse fit quaintly among the century-old live oaks. The St. Augustine grass spread its cool blades of green throughout the expansive yard shaded in part by the oaks. Fruit-bearing trees were grouped in an orchard next to a large garden displaying their early buds. Fresh rows of new plantings were evident in the dark, rich dirt of the Sabinal Valley.

The house was a turn-of-the-century Texas Hill Country home born of both necessity and art. I had learned this and more from my grandparents who lived in the country. They taught me that old farmhouses start as a simple rectangle then evolve: A keeping room is added to this side, breakfast nook to that, a new porch over here, and a bedroom bump out there. That’s what gives them character. Unlike the developers of urban sprawl, the early settlers built with cross breezes and sun position in mind. Porches were strategically placed to catch the warm, southeast sun on a winter’s morning, yet to block the cold, northwest winds of an approaching storm. The warm kiss of the early morning sunlight streaming through the kitchen window was as important to the life of the home as the smell of freshly brewed