How Machiavelli Can Save Tiger Woods -- and Jordan Spieth at The Masters

With The Masters just around Amen Corner, Alan Shipnuck and others in the sports world are asking that ever-vexing question, "What happened to Tiger Woods?” and “Will he a win a major again?” For the latter to happen, Tiger would be well-advised to take advice from the great sixteenth-century political strategist, Niccolò Machiavelli.

Sounds strange, right? But some of the strategies of warfare and statecraft that Machiavelli prescribes in his iconic political treatise The Prince can be successfully applied on the course. Consider the following tips:

Cultivate Machiavellian Virtu

In The Prince, Machiavelli repeatedly refers to his central term virtú. Unlike the modern term virtue that connotes moral goodness, virtú, for Machiavelli, is the essential quality, the touchstone, of political and military success.

In particular, the concept entails the idea of a tremendous inner fortitude to overcome even the most formidable and recalcitrant opposition and embraces such traits as boldness, bravery, foresight, flexibility, ingenuity, action, and decisiveness. And these very same traits, as Machiavelli might say, are also critical for success on the course.

Here again, Tiger’s most formidable opponent is himself, and, to reclaim his former greatness as a player, he must cultivate those behaviors and character traits that he so shamelessly lacked in the past in order to achieve the kind of Machiavellian “virtu” that is critical to success, whether you’re a sixteenth century Florentine prince trying to acquire and maintain power or one of the greatest golfers of all time trying to win another major.

Go To the Effective Truth of the Matter

Despite his bad rap, Machiavelli was actually a very honorable and upright if somewhat bawdy and abrasive guy. And while he did habitually cheat on his wife as many Florentine men did at the time (not that it makes it right!), he was a loving father, loyal friend, and brutally honest observer of the human condition. He commented on everything he saw — the cruelty, brutality, lies, and deceit, as well as the bravery and brilliance — and wasn’t afraid to tell it like it is.

Machiavelli’s hardheaded analysis later established him as the founding father of political science, a field that investigates politics as it is actually practiced as opposed to how some philosophers and idealists might think it ought to be practiced.

His commitment to the truth is also at the heart of his originality and is, if not explicitly then implicitly, on each and every page of The Prince. We see it in his dedicatory letter to Lorenzo de’ Medici where he writes of telling “the effective truth of the matter.” We see it in chapter 15 when he says, “It seems best to me to go straight to the actual truth of things, rather than to dwell in dreams.” And we see it in chapter 23 where he says that in seeking advice a leader must make it clear that “the truth does not offend him.”

And all of these tips are directly relevant to the question: What happened to Tiger Woods? So what should he do? Machiavelli would advise him to go to "the effective truth of the matter" and make it clear that "the truth does not offend him."

So, here's another memo to Tiger: the truth of the matter is the only thing that will set you free from the imprisonment of your own tortured psyche and soul. We all know that the excruciatingly painful and public demarcation between the Old Supremely Confident and Dominant Tiger and the New Supremely Humiliated and Haunted Tiger was indelibly drawn that shocking night in 2009 when the effective truth of your lurid personal life was so brutally and unceremoniously exposed for all the world to see.

Or, as the French writer and philosopher Emile Zola put it, “When truth is buried underground it grows, it chokes, it gathers such an explosive force that on the day it bursts out, it blows up everything with it.” And so trying to convince us - and, far worse, yourself - that your problems on the course stem from your new swing or ailing back or any other obstacles or ailments is to avoid, subvert, bury, choke, suppress the effective truth of the matter.

And that, to be brutally truthful, is ultimately what is holding you back. You need to be honest with yourself. Or, you don't. Again, it's your choice.

Study the Actions of Illustrious Men

Machiavelli was all about learning from the past. In fact, he backs up his many edicts in The Prince with an astonishingly wide array of historical examples, from classical antiquity to Renaissance Italy. He also advises that the study of history can do much to enrich the life of the mind. This, for him, was an important “end” in itself. But he also believed that a deep knowledge of history could be used as a means to help rulers become great.

In particular, he writes that “to enrich the intellect, men ought to read histories and study there the actions of illustrious men to see how they have borne themselves in war, to examine the causes of their victories and defeats, so as to avoid the latter and imitate the former.”

This might be so obvious that people might dismiss it. But, for Machiavelli, it was extremely important, and he believed that those leaders who failed to do so were doomed. Similarly, in sports as in war, Tiger should study the actions of past champions to see how they conducted themselves on "the battlefield of the course" and to examine the causes of their victories and defeats, so as to avoid the latter and imitate the former.

Use Humor in Times of Adversity and Crisis

For some five hundred years, Machiavelli has been condemned for his political realism, for advocating the preservation of power at all costs, and for being the founding father of modern-day power-politics. Yet, despite his bad rap, Machiavelli was actually a warm, witty guy who, while arrogant and abrasive at times, was well-loved by his friends for his bawdy, ironic, self-deprecating sense of humor.

In fact, there's a lot of evidence in his correspondence which suggest that he was a very likable, down-to-earth guy who was probably a blast to hang out with in local taverns and bars. But it’s his poems, tales and plays that give us the clearest glimpse of his dark humor and wit.

In his comedic play, Clizia, for example, he mocks the folly of an older man’s pursuit a beautiful younger woman, and in the novella Belfagor he has his protagonist choose between the torments of hell and "the anxiety of the marriage yoke." Anyone who’s been married with kids for long enough can see the humor in that, right?

Even the dark and brooding German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche found humor in Machiavelli’s prose, noting that in The Prince, he “lets us breathe the dry, refined air of Florence and cannot help presenting the most serious matters in a boisterous allegrissimo, perhaps not without a malicious artistic sense of the contrast he risks—long, difficult, hard, dangerous thoughts and…the very best, most capricious humor.”

But the most startling example of Machiavelli's lewd humor and lascivious wit can be found in a letter he wrote to his friend Luigi Guicciardini. In it, he tells a tale about an encounter he supposedly had with a grotesque old hag that he was duped into having sex with one day in Lombardy.

“Damn it all, Luigi!” he begins. “You see how fortune can bring about in men different results in similar matters. You, when you have had her once, you still get the urge to have her again.” He then recounts his own recent foray in a dimly lit room, only to discover, after the fact, that he had been sorely duped.

“My God!” he writes. “The woman was so ugly I almost dropped dead.” On the top of her bald head, he said, “were a number of lice taking a stroll”; her “eyebrows were full of nits;” “one eye looked up and the other down”; her “nostrils were full of snot and one of them was cut off” and “her mouth looked like Lorenzo de’ Medici’s” but “it was twisted on one side and drooled a bit since she had no teeth to keep the saliva in her mouth. And I swear to God!" he quips at the end, "I don’t believe my lust will return as long as I am in Lombardy.”

Did this actually happen?

Who knows. But that’s not the point. What matters is that Machiavelli could find humor in even the grimmest of situations. That he was a master at this is reflected in a letter he wrote near the end of his life in which he cites the lines from one of Petrarch’s sonnets: If at times I laugh or sing/ I do so because I have no other way than this/ To give vent to my bitter tears.

Aww. Poor guy. But here’s the bottom line: there’s a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt, as humorist Erma Bombeck observed. And that's a fate we can’t ever escape.

So what should Tiger do? Laugh and sing, my friends. Laugh and f@*%g sing, just like Machiavelli!

Bottom line: if Tiger can finally “divide and conquer” his inner demons, cultivate “virtu,” honestly acknowledge that his greatest obstacles stem from within and study the actions of past champions while maintaining a sense of humor in his times of adversity and crisis, he will increase his chances of reclaiming his supreme confidence, total dominance and former greatness as a player — and what, I ask, could be more Machiavellian than that?

Suzy Evans, J.D., Ph.D. is a senior editor at California Golf + Travel and the author of Machiavelli for Moms (Simon & Schuster).

The Story of American Golf

There's a reason Herbert Warren Wind earned the appellation "the dean of American golf writers." The only writer ever honored by the USGA for distinguished contributions to the game, Wind related to golf both intimately and encyclopedically, analyzing and reporting on the players, personalities, events, highlights, lowlights, and advances in technique with a fluid mix of style and grace, insight and understanding.

In the late 1940s, he compiled this monumental history of the game, from the 1880s to World War II. Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, and Sam Snead are just a few of the big hitters whose stories and accomplishments Wind puts into perspective with fine detail and sophisticated analysis. (Amazon)

The West Coast Swing: A Brief History of Three Courses

If you’re making travel plans in California, you might want to time your trip to coincide with the West Coast Swing, which will once again be staged at some of California’s most legendary courses, most of which have histories dating back nearly a hundred years.

Torrey Pines Golf Course – Farmers Insurance Open

Before it was a world class golf facility, the land that would become Torrey Pines Golf Course was Camp Callen, an anti-aircraft replacement training center during World War II. In exchange for an occupational permit to use the lower portion of the park, the military, according to the City of San Diego, had to guarantee that no part of the park would be damaged and that it would be kept open to the public.

After the war, the camp was closed and its buildings were torn down and used for lumber to build housing for veterans. It was around this time that legendary golf architect William P. Bell “began envisioning the design of a wind and sea swept golf course that would afford golfers both rugged play and breathtaking surroundings” and so a special city election was held in 1956 that resulted in about 100 acres of what had been Camp Callan being set aside for the construction of a public golf course.

After Bell’s death in 1953, his son, William F. Bell, realized his father's vision by overseeing the completion of the North and South courses at Torrey Pines, which have hosted some of the most exciting finishes in PGA history, including Johnny Miller out-dueling Jack Nicklaus to win the 1982 San Diego Open (now Farmers Insurance Open) by one stroke and Tiger Woods’ battle with Rocco Mediate to win the 2008 U.S. Open in a sudden-death playoff.

Pebble Beach Golf Links – AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am

Shortly after it was completed in 1919, significant changes were made to Pebble Beach Golf Links. The California Golf Association, which reportedly didn’t accept the new course as a site for its amateur championship, felt that the 345-yard par-4 18th hole was too easy. With this in mind, course owner Samuel F.B. Morse hired Arthur H. Vincent, who lengthened the course to 6,200 yards, changed five greens, and moved the 18th tee to its current location near the 17th.

The next major changes took place in preparation for the 1929 U.S. Amateur Championship, when H. Chandler Egan re-shaped and re-bunkered each green, moved the 1st tee to create today’s dog-legged opening hole, reconfigured the 10th hole, added length to the 2nd, 9th and 14th holes, and moved the 16th green to a natural depression behind a grove of trees, extending the hole more than 100 yards.

Almost 60 years later, Pebble Beach Golf Links unveiled a new 5th hole designed by Jack Nicklaus, which was placed on a parcel of prime oceanfront land that Pebble Beach Company had wanted to re-acquire for 80 years. And under the direction of Arnold Palmer, additional preparations were made for the 2010 U.S. Open: four greens and 16 bunkers were rebuilt, altered or installed; 11 tees were enhanced; six holes saw the addition or adjustment of trees; and the total length of the course was extended to 7,040 yards.

The Riviera Country Club – Northern Trust Open

In 1922, Los Angeles Athletic Club Vice-President Frank Garbutt began a search for the site upon which The Riviera Country Club would be built. To purchase the land from an oil millionaire, a syndicate was formed, according to therivieracountryclub.com, with final negotiations and financing details for the deal taking nearly three years to complete.

Though initially unimpressed by “the barren site in the Santa Monica Canyon,” golf architect George C. Thomas Jr., who had recently completed the design and construction of the Bel-Air Country Club, agreed to design a course for Riviera, with the condition that he be allowed to hire William P. Bell as the construction supervisor.

After 18 months of construction, Riviera opened on June 24, 1927, with George Thomas hitting the inaugural drive off the first tee. The total cost of construction reportedly amounted to $243,827.63, making Riviera the second most expensive 18-hole layout in the world at the time.

Harvey Penick's Little Red Book

Before titanium drivers, before oversized heads and bubble shafts, before electronic systems to tell you how far you are from the pin, golf was much the same way as it is today. The lessons Penick taught in the pre-gadget days still stand. The golf swing is basically the same, and Penick could teach it better than anybody.

For most of his life, he never intended to publish his Little Red Book, a notebook of golf wisdom and anecdotes that he compiled with the idea of passing it onto his son. But for the sake of history, it’s a good thing he did. Contained in its 175 pages is just about everything you need to know about golf from a technical standpoint, along with Penick’s priceless memories of working with famous pros like Ben Crenshaw and teaching absolute nobodies to get the ball in the air.

This book makes you feel good about playing golf, that you’re part of something steeped in ritual and mystery and tradition, and that the game was played perfectly well before perimeter-weighted graphite-shafted irons came along. (Amazon)

A Perfect Pairing: Grapes and Greens

The PGA TOUR and William Hill Estate Winery recently announced a new, multi-year marketing relationship that designates William Hill Estate Winery as the “Official Wine of the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Web.com Tour” in North America.

Located in the Napa Valley, William Hill is owned by the E&J Gallo Winery and is a purveyor of luxury Chardonnay and other sought-after varietals crafted from California’s premier coastal regions. The collaboration reflects the trend of PGA and LPGA Tour players launching their own vineyards to produce wines or partnering with vineyards to launch private-label vintages. Here’s a sampling:

David Frost

Frosty and his family have been in the wine business in South Africa for more than 60 years. Frost’s father's vineyard is reportedly the first place he hit balls and the pocket money he made from picking grapes funded his first set of clubs and “an on-going supply of balls.”

In 1994, Frost bought his own 300 acre vineyard in the Paarl wine region, and, with the help of Napa winemaker Jason Fisher, produced his first 3,000 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon in 1997. The David Frost Wine Estate range now comprises an exceptional range of fine Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Par Excellence (traditional red blend) and Shiraz.

Ernie Els

The concept of Ernie Els Wines was born in 1999. With the help of award-winning winemaker Louis Strydom, they produced the maiden 2000 vintage of Ernie Els – a “classic” Bordeaux blend. The intention from the outset is “to focus on delivering a quality product that could hold its own in the company of the world's finest wines.”

Luke Donald

The creation of Luke Donald Collection wines has its origins in a longstanding friendship between Donald and fine wine professional Bill Terlato of the family-owned Terlato Wine Group. The Terlato-Donald friendship resulted in a new Napa Valley wine partnership, with the first release in April 2008, of a Claret-style red wine blend.

Greg Norman

Launched in 1996, Greg Norman Estates offers a collection of wines from Australia, California and Argentina. Accolades for the collection include thirteen 90+ points from Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast, three Wine Spectator “Top 100 Wines in the World” and the 1998 Reserve Shiraz received #8 Wine in the World recognition.

Arnold Palmer

Arnold Palmer Wines label is produced in collaboration with Luna Vineyards in California, with the first vintage appearing in 2005. Arnold Palmer Wines can be found in high-end restaurants, resorts and wine shops around the country and the collection includes Cabernet Sauvignon and a vibrant Chardonnay.

Jack Nicklaus

Jack Nicklaus Wines, a line of handcrafted, limited-production wines from California’s Napa Valley, is a partnership between Terlato Wines and Jack Nicklaus and his family. The Cabernet Sauvignon, according to the label’s website, is “a brilliant garnet color in the glass with aromas of blackberry, red plum and notes of cedar” and “is full bodied and rich with intense, layered mocha and red current flavors with undertones of sweet spice.”

Gary Player

Established in 1998, Quoin Rock Winery of South Africa was selected by Player’s Black Knight Wine for the production of their wine. Grapes are grown on the slopes of the Simonsberg, in Stellenbosch, and in the cool climate region of Cape Agulhas.

Mike Weir

Canadian native Mike Weir launched Mike Weir Estate Winery in 2005 to showcase Niagara Region wines and raise money for the Mike Weir Foundation, a charity that assists the many causes that support children in physical, emotional or financial need. The first vintage was a 2007 Cabernet Merlot and subsequent wines have included Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs.

Down the Fairway by Bobby Jones

To write your autobiography at the age of 24 normally takes a lot of hubris. Robert Tyre Jones, Jr. – a.k.a. Bobby Jones – did it, but with great effect and humility. Originally published in 1927, his Down the Fairway has become what Sports Illustrated calls "an incontestable classic."

Part memoir, part golf instructional, part golf history, it's a must read for all who care about this most fascinating sport. His thinking was that, having just become the first golfer ever to win both U.S. and British Open titles in one year (1926), he would never perform at such a high level again. It seemed a good time, then, to tell his story.

In an age of big money, lucrative endorsements, TV contracts, and pouting millionaires, this ernest volume comes as a breath of fresh air. Infused with Jones's deep knowledge of and pure passion for the game, it evokes a long-ago time when an amateur could be the best in the world.

But what makes this autobiography so moving is the wisdom he acquired through numerous drubbings, hot-headed meltdowns, and runner-up finishes. “I never learned anything from a match that I won,” he wrote. (Publisher's Description)

The 2015 Golf Resorts of the Year

The International Association of Golf Tour Operators has named PGA Catalunya Resort, Pinehurst Resort, and Casa de Campo as the 2015 Golf Resorts of the Year as part of the golf industry’s “Oscars” – the IAGTO Awards. The honors are awarded in three regional categories: Europe, North America, and the Rest of World.

Voted for by more than 500 IAGTO’s golf tour operator members from 62 countries, criteria for the awards include customer satisfaction; quality of golf courses and accommodations; value for money; support from suppliers, tourist boards and airlines; professional conduct of suppliers and accessibility to tee times.

Europe — PGA Catalunya Resort, Spain

The spectacular Stadium Course is consistently ranked among the best ten golf courses in Europe since it’s opening in 1999, and was recently voted #1 in Spain, #3 in Continental Europe and #77 in the world.

The equally beautiful but kinder Tour Course is slightly less challenging. Dominated by towering pine trees and lakes, most of the holes feature wide fairways and strategically placed bunkers, which can be forgiving of a less than perfect shot.

North America — Pinehurst Resort, North Carolina

In the heart of the North Carolina Sandhills is Pinehurst, the cradle of American golf, according to the resort’s website. “Walk beneath the whispering pines and you’ll understand the wonder Donald Ross experienced as he first surveyed the property in 1901…and the exhilaration Payne Stewart felt in his stunning 1999 U.S. Open victory on No. 2.”

Pinehurst No. 2, the centerpiece of the resort, remains one of the world’s most celebrated courses. It has served as the site of more single golf championships than any course in the United States, and, in 2014, hosted 14 days of championship play with back to back U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open Championships for the first time in their history. The U.S. Open will return in 2024.

Rest of World — Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic

Renowned golf course architect, Pete Dye, along with his wife, Alice Dye, created three of the most challenging courses in the game for Casa de Campo — Teeth of the Dog, The Links, and Dye Fore.

Teeth of the Dog — "The opportunity to carve out Teeth of the Dog was a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Pete Dye wrote in his book, Bury Me In a Pot Bunker. "Without proper heavy machinery to crack the coral, the tireless Dominican crew used sledgehammers, pickaxes and chisels." The result was a true masterpiece.

Dye Fore — The numbers are staggering — 7,740 yards, 7 cliff-side holes dropping 300 feet below to the Chavon River — with 40 m.p.h. gusting winds and breathtaking 360 degree views.

Of all the picturesque holes on the course, #12 and #15 are two of the greatest par three holes in the world, according to the resort’s website. "Dye Fore has spectacular views of the Caribbean Sea, the Dominican mountains, the Chavón River, and the Casa de Campo Marina.

The Links — “This beautiful inland links course may not seem as exciting or challenging as its sea-side and cliff-hugging siblings,” according to the resort website, “but don’t be deceived. With its spectacular views of the Caribbean, its moderately hilly track with tall bahia and guinea grass roughs plus multiple sand traps, and its several lagoons and even lakes with wading birds, the Links will keep you on your toes.”

For more information, see www.pgacatalunya.com, www.pinehurst.com, www.casadecampo.com.do and iagto.com.

Golf Dreams by John Updike

In his preface to this volume of essays and short fiction, Updike speculates that his addiction to the game has "stolen my life away." As he addresses the frustrations, humiliations and rare "soaring grandeur" of the game, Updike's dry wit and ironic insight enliven such entries as a spoof on instruction books and an evaluation of viewing golf on TV.

Essays range in theme from the specific to the ethical and philosophical. If there is a general theme, it is that golf can be both a mystical experience and infernal torture, what Updike calls "the bliss and aggravation of the sport." (Publishers Weekly)

The Five Hundred World's Greatest Holes

This is an altogether magnificent volume, big in size, big in contents, visually rich, and thoroughly engaging. Peper's opening essay explains how he and his editors identified the ultimate one-tenth of 1 percent of the 500,000 or so holes on the planet, and explores the question of what exactly makes a great golf hole.

Challenge and difficulty, certainly, but also beauty, fairness, reputation, history, and the way it begins to eat into a golfer's mind as he or she takes it in from the tee box. It's all in the mix.

Then the fun really starts, with a comprehensive look at the best 18--the 15th at Cypress Point (but not the more terrifying 16th), the 18th at Pebble, the 16th at Merion, the 17th at St. Andrews, the 6th at Royal Melbourne, and the 13th at Augusta among them -- complete with lush photography and an artist's depiction of each. The next 100 are then rolled out in somewhat less depth, with the remainder of the 500 receiving a thumbnail sketch and photo, along with either appreciation or curses from golfers everywhere. (Amazon)

The First Tee and the 9 Core Values of Golf

Established by the World Golf Association in 1997, the stated mission of The First Tee, a national, non-profit organization, is "to impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character-development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf. Toward that end, the organization has established Nine Core Values that represent some of the inherent values of the game. The Nine Core Values have been defined as follows:

Honesty - the quality or state of being truthful; not deceptive. Golf is unique from other sports in that players regularly call penalties on themselves and report their own score.

Integrity - strict adherence to a standard of value or conduct; personal honesty and independence. Golf is a game of etiquette and composure. Players are responsible for their actions and personal conduct on the golf course even at times when others may not be looking.

Sportsmanship - observing the rules of play and winning or losing with grace. Players must know and abide by the rules of golf and be able to conduct themselves in a kind and respectful manner towards others even in a competitive game.

Respect - to show deferential regard. In golf, it is important to show respect for oneself, playing partners, fellow competitors, the golf course, and for the honor and traditions of the game.

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Confidence – self-reliance or trust. A feeling of self-assurance. Confidence plays a key role in the level of play that one achieves. Players can increase confidence in their abilities by being positive and focusing on something they are doing well regardless of the outcome.

Responsibility - accounting for one’s actions; being dependable. Players are responsible for their actions on the golf course. It is up to them to keep score, repair divots, rake bunkers, repair ball marks on the green, and keep up with the pace of play. Perseverance - to persist in an idea, purpose or task despite obstacles. To succeed in golf, players must continue through bad breaks and their own mistakes, while learning from past experiences.

Courtesy - considerate behavior toward others; a polite remark or gesture. A round of golf should begin and end with a handshake between fellow competitors. Players also should be still and quiet while others are preparing and performing a shot.

Judgment - the ability to make a decision or form an opinion; a decision reached after consideration. Using good judgment is very important in golf. It comes into play when deciding on strategy, club selection, when to play it safe and when to take a chance, as well as making good choices on and off the golf course.

In addition to teaching these Nine Core Values to children, The First Tee also runs such programs as the Future Leaders Forum and the National School Program. And through a recent congressional appropriation, The First Tee will also provide life skills education and character development to children of men and women of the United States Armed Forces.

Among the founding partners of the First Tee are the PGA TOUR, the LPGA, PGA of America, the USGA, and the Masters Tournament, and former President George H.W. Bush has served as the organization's honorary chairman since its founding in 1997.

For more information, please see www.thefirsttee.org

Golf in the Kingdom by Michael Murphy

Instantly hailed as classic, Golf in the Kingdom is an extraordinary confluence of fiction, philosophy, myth, mysticism, and golf instruction. The central character is the bawdy Scotsman Shivas Irons whom Murphy meets in 1956 on the links of Burningbush in Fife.

The story of their round of golf ends in a wild night of whiskey and wisdom, where, as Shivas demonstrates how the swing reflects the soul, the game finally takes on a metaphysical glow. The events of the day change not only Murphy’s game, but also radically alter his mind and inner vision. Amazon.com