Following
is an account of how I prepared for and twice broke the Guinness World Record
for the fastest single hole of golf ever played (minimum hole length of 500 yards.) On May 8th at Bing Maloney
Golf Course in Sacramento, CA, I broke the previous record of 1 minute, 50
seconds, with a performance of 1 minute, 40 seconds, scoring a bogey six on the
503-yard, par-five ninth hole at Bing. On June 1st, 2018 at the Woodley Lakes
Golf Course in Van Nuys, CA, I beat my previous record with a time of 1 minute,
38 seconds. I scored a birdie four on the 503-yard, par-five fourth hole.
This
was a really fun, complex, and challenging process to prepare for and execute
two successful record attempts. Maybe the details will inspire you to set your
sights on a peak performance goal and go for it. Here’s how things went down:
YouTube Video of June 1st record at Woodley Lakes Course
Guinness
Record!?
In
late 2017, I stumbled upon this awesome YouTube video of British Speedgolfer
Steve Jeffs breaking the Guinness World Record for the fastest golf hole. Dig
the 161,000
views (okay well, 1,000 of them are mine, but still…pretty viral!) and the dog
pile celebration at the end. Jeffs did a 1:50 to beat the old record of 1:52 at
his course in England. I didn’t even know that this record existed! It was a
perfect opportunity to blend my two favorite fitness activities of sprinting
and Speedgolf! However, Speedgolf tournaments are contested over the entire
18-hole course. Competitors carry a handful of clubs and run at a good pace
while shooting good scores. A player’s minutes and strokes are added together
to produce a total Speedgolf competitive score. For example, my best tournament
performance, a 3rd in the 2017 California Speedgolf Professional Championships,
was a score of 78 in 45 minutes = 125 Speedgolf score.
This
fastest single hole world record endeavor is an entirely different beast. Rather than running at a steady pace for ~5.5 miles during a Speedgolf
tournament, the athlete is compelled to run an all-out sprint for a single hole
of 500 yards minimum length. Pretty simple - the score doesn’t matter (but it
does…details follow), and you start the clock when the first shot is hit and
stop when the putt drops.
Humility
I was pretty stoked to
watch the amazing record video, but honestly my first thought afterward was
that I could go out there right away and bust that record! After all, I’m a
sprinter (As Primal Endurance Mastery Course students know, since there
is a disproportionate number of videos on the niche topic of running technique
instruction, form drills and proper execution of sprint workouts!)
The
day after viewing the video for the first time, I went out to the ninth hole at
Bing and made what I thought was a very good informal attempt. I was shocked to
see a finishing time of 2:12—a full 22 seconds slower than the record! I tried
again the following week, running faster this time, and threw down a 2:13 -
this time due to a crooked shot here and a missed putt there. After these dry-runs
and exchanging emails with Jeffs, I realized this was an extremely impressive
record. Jeffs informed me he practiced his chosen hole hundreds of times to
hone his fitness and shot sequences.
Strategy
I studied the video of
the existing record, considered my typical Speedgolf tournament strategy, and
devised a strategy to shave time off the record as follows:
One
club: Developing
the ability to compete the hole with a single club improves running speed from
carrying multiple clubs, negates the need to carry a cumbersome bag (even a
small bag will slow down your sprinting significantly), and also eliminates the
need to drop and retrieve clubs from the ground after each shot. However, it
adds a significant degree of difficulty to be without a trusty wedge for short
approach shots and a putter to sink putts.
I
chose to attempt the record with just a three-wood. This is great for the first
two shots, but very difficult for a short pitch shot and for putting. For the
third shot onto the green from a probable distance of 10-40 yards (depends how
well the first two shots are hit), an abbreviated three-wood stroke is going to
produce a screaming grounder - far more more dicey than using a wedge to hit a shot in the air and landing it softly
onto the green. Hit the grounder too softly and you are stuck in the grass
short of the green for another delicate attempt. Hit it even a tiny bit too hard
and it hits the green too hot, sails quickly past the pin and off the
back of the putting surface. Death to a record attempt in either case. I got frustrated a few times during practice sessions because the single club technique is so high risk. Thanks to Alex Kampmann for the original idea, and Mark Sisson, and Christopher Smith for encouraging me to keep at it and stay committed to my strategy.
Straight
line approach: The fatal mistakes for this record are to hit a shot offline
into the rough, or to hit a shot past the pin, which unnecessarily lengthens
the hole. It’s absolutely essential to stay close to the tangent line from tee
to green with each stroke. While you can’t be too conservative on a world
record attempt, hitting a shot straight but a little short is not a deal
breaker like a long or wide shot is.
Do
or die: Guinness
record rules allow for multiple attempts, but truthfully the first attempt at
an all-out sprint will be significantly faster than successive attempts due to
fatigue slowing running speed. Try running the 400-meter dash at a track meet over and over! Not
happening. For a record performance, a do or die mindset would be essential. Go
all out on the first try and hold nothing back!
Be
quick, but don’t hurry: I trained myself with repeated practice to hit my shot almost
immediately after arriving to the ball—one to two seconds pause only. In
Speedgolf tournament rounds, you run at a good tempo between shots, but it’s customary to reach the ball, drop your other clubs, take a couple deep breaths, take
careful aim at target, and swing when ready. This precious 5-7 seconds (or more)
wastes valuable time on the single-hole record. Let’s face it, you are not
going to catch your breath after a full sprint of ~240 yards even if you wait
10, 15, or 20 seconds. Through repetition, I made myself feel comfortable
hitting a full power three-wood shot, or a delicate, soft-wristed pitch shot, or
sinking a pressure putt, with my chest heaving and my heart pounding in my
throat!
However,
I also had to train my brain to immediately transition from the frenzied
aggressive mindset of sprinting into a calm, focused state prior to striking
the ball. In the video you will see that I break stride ten yards before
arriving at my ball each time to gather myself. This technique honors the late
John Wooden, legendary UCLA basketball coach, prolific author, and pyramid of
success creator. His frequent admonition to his ballplayers: “Be quick, but don’t
hurry.” Trivia: the Woodley Lakes
Golf Course is about a mile from Wooden’s longtime residence in Encino, CA.
Context
specificity: Christopher
Smith of Eugene, OR, perhaps the greatest Speedgolfer of all-time, Nike Golf
consultant, and also top-100 ranked teaching professional, coined this term to
describe the absolute necessity of making practice effective and meaningful by
simulating your competitive environment as closely as possible. Smith relates
that banging balls on the range to hone your swing is an overrated component of
becoming a good golfer, and is vastly different from hitting the assortment of
shots during a golf round. Similarly, sinking twenty short putts on the
practice green is great for honing your stroke mechanics, but has little to do
with sinking a four-footer on the final hole of a tournament. This is why we
still see the world’s best professionals choke routinely.
In
Smith’s interesting golf instruction/life philosophy book called, “I’ve Got 99 Swing Thoughts, But ‘Hit The
Ball’ Ain’t One,” he cites brain research revealing that a different part of
the brain lights up on MRI imaging when you are casually practicing versus when
you are asked to perform under pressure. Yes, you are stroking a three-footer
on the practice green, just as you might on the final hole of a big match, but
it’s literally not the same exercise to your brain. Similarly, shooting 50 free
throws in succession or delivering your presentation in front of the bathroom
mirror is going to have a minimal crossover application to the real deal.
This
concept was never better evidenced than by the famous Caddyshack scene when
Rodney Dangerfield’s character (Al Czervik) yells to Ted Knight’s character
(Judge Elihu Smails) as Smails address his ball on the first tee. “A hundred
bucks says you slice it in the woods.” And of course Smails slices into the
woods. And refuses to pay up.
Smith is also not a big fan of golf instruction (how’s that for a guy who teaches
golf for a living?!), and prefers that golfers relax, enjoy their walk in
nature, and hone and trust their natural tendencies instead of obsessing upon the
perfect swing. If you are not yet acquainted with the amazing sport of
Speedgolf, you must check out this fabulous high-speed video of what in my
estimation is one of the greatest golf rounds of
all-time. It’s
Christopher shooting a four-under par 68 in 53 minutes at the world-renowned
Bandon Dunes, OR, Golf Course. Smith was instrumental in keeping me focused and
confident in my months of preparation for the record. It’s easy to get
discouraged trying to become a magician with a three-wood, but he urged me to
stay the course and continue to put myself under pressure situations in
practice.
In
my practice sessions, I simulated over and over hitting sprinting up to my ball
on the fairway and hitting quickly. I practiced the delicate and wristy short
distance grounder with a three-wood on my chosen hole (after sprinting up to
the ball of course). Surely, casual golfers at Binge wondered who this guy was slapping three-wood shots and repeatedly sprinting up to the 9th
green in the dark all winter!
I
also started putting exclusively with a three-wood, even during regular
Speedgolf rounds, so my brain could form the strong association of my
three-wood as my putter. While it’s far too strenuous to make a dry run record
attempt more than occasionally, I did put up a 1:47 one night at the 9th hole
at Bing. That was under the official record, but of course nothing like doing
it under pressure with a full crew per Guinness guidelines.
Teamwork
Perhaps the most daunting
and pressure-packed element of all is to arrange for ten people to come
out and support your record attempt. Guinness rules are very exacting: First, a
12-week application process before you are even approved for an official attempt, then the attempt guidelines require two official timers, two independent witness, including an
expert witness, who have no vested interest in the record attempt, video
footage of the entire record and photographic evidence of each shot along the
way. For both the Sacramento and Los Angeles record attempts, I had to arrange
for approval from the golf course, secure cart rentals for timers, photogs and
spectators, and rally the dream team of supporters to appear just before
sunset. Furthest traveled award goes to Shawn and Maria Watts, driving three
hours each way to Sacramento for the May 8th occasion. Talk about
pressure—you don’t wanna send home the dream team empty handed!
Break
The Record To-Do List
*Rise
to the (rare) occasion, knowing how difficult a record attempt is to
orchestrate
*Get
really good at using a three-wood for straight long distance shots, pitching, and putting
*Hit
the ball straight and in-line to the hole (never past)
*Sprint
full speed for a do or die first attempt
*Balance
the frenzy of sprinting with a zenlike focus before each shot
May
8th Sacramento Record
My
first attempt on May 8th was a 1:40, ten seconds under the existing record! I
scored a bogey but kept the ball straight and short of the hole each time. I
ran very well and was pleased to take that much time out of the old record.
However, I hit a poor second shot (offline but luckily hit a tree and bounced
back into the fairway) and a poor third shot (from 80 yards out it only
traveled 50 yards). It didn’t cost me much time to hit an extra shot up to the
front fringe of the green, and then two more excellent putts into the hole.
I
made two more attempts just for fun that night. The second attempt was two
perfect shots that almost reached the green. The third shot nearly went into
the hole, but I choked and missed the short putt, then missed the comeback
putt, then missed again! Whew. I was also informed that despite the vastly
superior first three shots, I would have finished in about the same time even
had I made the birdie putt, because I sprinted much slower.
I
submitted the footage of the record performance and the sworn timer and
observer statements to Guinness and awaited a 15-week approval process. In the
interim, my competitive juices started flowing again and I wondered, “what if?”
What if I hit a succession of perfect shots on an initial full-sprint attempt?
Perhaps I could take the record down further? I also wanted to make an attempt
in front of family and friends in Los Angeles, so I arranged for another
attempt on June 1st, 2018.
June
1st Los Angeles Record
I
had only one practice session on my chosen hole at Woodley Lakes Golf
Course prior to the record attempt, but it’s all about hitting good shots, not memorizing every
grass blade. On the record attempt, everything went to perfection as I hit a
straight drive, a straight second shot to about 20 yards short of the green,
and then a perfect third shot that raced through bumpy grass, poured onto the
green and finished about six feet from the hole. With this much success in the
bank, I carefully strided up to the final shot, taking care to be deliberate
and hit a nice, square putt—which dropped for a birdie 4 and a time of 1:38.75!
The
Future
As
revealed in the video, I was quite satisfied with this performance and welcome
all attempts to break it. It’s gonna be tough. Granted, the sport of Speedgolf
has some elite runners who are significantly faster than I am for a 500 yard
sprint. New Zealander Nick Willis is an Olympic silver (2008) and bronze (2016)
medalist at 1500 meters. He is one of the fastest milers of all time and an
excellent Speedgolfer with multiple top-20 finishes in the Speedgolf World
Professional Championships. Mac McLain reached the #1 world-ranking in
Speedgolf in 2018 and is a former collegiate champion at 1500 meters - another
sub-4 minute miler out there with some legit golf game! Alas, lot’s of work is
required to take this thing down with an official Guinness-approved attempt.
Life
Lessons In A Minute Thirty-Eight
The
most enjoyable aspect of the experience was sharing it with family and friends.
I was truly touched and honored at the support I received, and you can see the
credits to both dream teams at the end of the video.
Through
this challenge, I learned the value of a methodical and strategic approach to a
peak performance goal. This is not always my strength, especially as a
triathlete where I chased money and recognition across the globe, occasionally
in a haphazard manner. I was patient through the record approval process,
honing interesting new skills like three-wood pitching and putting. This was
a stimulating challenge and a refreshing break from playing regular Speedgolf
with my usual five club arsenal.
I honed my sprinting abilities with workouts and
extensive technique drills on the track (including taking a few simulated golf
swings right after every sprint), a handful of informal all-out attempts at the
golf course over several month’s time, and lots of short sprinting as I
practiced the final few shots near the green over and over at the end of each
Speedgolf outing. Mind you, all this practice on the course happened just prior
to darkness at Bing Maloney and other courses so as not to disturb other
golfers playing regular golf.
As
I mention on two podcasts I recorded for my new show (launching in summer 2018), there is tremendous value in
cultivating a competitive edge and pursuing distinct peak performance goals
throughout life. This crazy Guinness pursuit kept me honest and focused for
many months. That said, my career as an elite professional triathlete ended 23
years ago, and today I try to align my competitive mindset to my age (53) and
other responsibilities and realities of daily life. It was great to devote a
decade (I raced on the circuit from ages 21-30) to an extreme and narrow focus
on peak athletic performance, but it’s always healthy to move gracefully into
the next stage of life and recalibrate your goals accordingly.
An
important clarification: While this Guinness record pursuit was certainly not
life or death and had no economic consequences, I hesitate to say it was “just
for fun.” Every minute of the process was indeed fun and rewarding, but this
pursuit was more than just for fun, it was for personal growth and a catalyst
to leverage the focus, discipline and risk-taking required in athletics into
other areas of life. The greatest happiness and fulfillment in life come when you
cultivate and express passion, curiosity, enthusiasm, and pursue the highest
expression of your talents without compromise or excuses. The trick is to keep
things in perspective such that you cultivate a pure motivation for your peak
performance goals—a deep appreciation for the process, and release your
attachment of self-esteem to the outcome.
Sir
Roger Bannister, the first human to break the four-minute mile barrier in 1954,
and who passed in 2018, delivered the most beautiful quote on this subject: "The
essence of sport {fill in the blank here for anything else - parenting, career, etc.} is that while you’re doing it nothing else matters, but after
you stop, there is a place, generally not very important, where you would put
it.”
Bannister quotes are second to none—hit this page and you will be regaled.
Another of my favorites: “Struggle gives meaning and richness to
life.”
