I love sports movies. In particular, I love baseball movies.
Whether you’re talking about Bull Durham, The Natural, Major League, or even The Sandlot, baseball movies seem to resonate more than other sports movies.
My favorite baseball movie happens to be Field of Dreams.
It is a story about a cornfield in Iowa that becomes a baseball sanctuary for players of the past. It is awesome, and I highly recommend watching it if you haven’t already.
I am able to relate to Field of Dreams, because I was fortunate enough to practice on my own version of this “field” while growing up in Southern New Mexico. One of my earliest mentors in golf was a former college golfer turned chili farmer.
His house was surrounded by acres of chili crops, which had a similar look to those cornfields in Iowa.
One summer, my friend decided to install a small practice area for golf inside of these crops.
The result was three separate chipping greens, with a maximum distance of 100 yards between two of these greens.
It was awesome.
Soon, I was spending as much time at this house as I was at the actual golf course. I loved everything about it. It was private, it was fun, and it smelled amazing from the crops that were surrounding the area.
My routine was pretty sound, as I would arrive with some cool refreshments for the day, and eventually kick off my shoes before practicing wedge shots for hours at a time.
I enjoyed practicing in my bare feet. The grass felt cool, and I learned that this was a great technique for learning balance in the golf swing.
Not to mention that I wasn’t allowed to play in my bare feet on an actual golf course, so this made it feel even more special.
I am convinced that the practice time I spent within those chili fields had a resounding effect on my overall success as a junior golfer. It was an experience that only I was able to have, and that gave me plenty of confidence knowing that I had this amazing opportunity.
I still find myself reliving some of the memories I experienced while practicing on my field of dreams.
Back then, golf was still a game, and I couldn’t imagine spending my time doing anything more fun. It was my passion, and this experience added so much to that.
During those times when golf seems less fun than it used to be, it is important to look back at those times growing up when it was the most fun experience in my life.
There is a saying in the movie Field of Dreams that says, “If you build it, they will come.” Well, my friend built my golf field of dreams, and I wish I could go back one more time.
