Golf Is the Trojan Horse
This is not about Scottie Scheffler
We Were Duped
My favorite podcast is Chasing Scratch. It’s hosted by two guys, Mike and Eli, who are on a quest to become “scratch” golfers.
For the non-golfers out there, being a “scratch” golfer is insider-speak for being really, really good. You don’t just say you’re scratch, you have to prove it. Every score goes into a massive database, and a “rating” (called your handicap) gets calculated with surgical precision.
Only about 1% of all golfers ever reach that level.
So how’s it going?
Well, they’re in season eight. So, yeah. This is taking a while.
When they started the podcast, Mike and Eli were two guys in their thirties. Now they’re two guys nearing their mid-forties.
I found them at the end of season four, back when I was playing a lot of golf myself. Like most hobbyists, I enjoyed listening to other people “talk shop.”
These guys were funny and relatable. They brought on great guests, shared useful tips, and spoke my language. It was fun. Their journey was interesting. And it was free.
Two years ago, I quit playing golf regularly because I didn't want to live my life as an angry man. But I still listen to Chasing Scratch.
Why?
Because after season five, this podcast stopped being about golf. It became something else. Something deeper. At least that’s the way I see it.
Turns out, golf pulled a fast one on all of us.
Golf was a Trojan Horse.
You probably remember the story. In Greek mythology, the Greeks built a giant wooden horse and offered it to the Trojans as a gift. The Trojans pulled it into their city, not realizing it was full of Greek soldiers. That night, the soldiers emerged, opened the gates, and won the war.
Today, the term Trojan Horse refers to anything that gains access by appearing harmless or familiar, but once inside, changes everything.
For Mike and Eli, golf was the Trojan Horse. They let this hobby into their lives. They embraced it. Engaged with it. Obsessively chased it. And then, by season five, the “soldiers” emerged.
This is no longer a podcast about golf.
It’s a podcast about transformation.
It’s about finding purpose, breaking habits, confronting your past, improving your mindset, and rebuilding your relationship with failure.
It’s about friendship and community.
I’m not trying to sound cliche, but it’s about life.
I was tricked, in the best way. I signed up to hear two guys debate whether to use a 58° or 60° wedge, and what I got was a masterclass in personal growth.
Mike and Eli started out chasing scratch. But along the way, they had to confront:
Their eating habits
Old insecurities and playground scars from childhood
Their sleep routines
Their physical health
Their coping mechanisms when things didn’t go as planned
Along the way:
One of them changed careers
The other got a new hip
They both hired personal coaches: for diet, mindset, and yes, golf
They tried hypnosis, physical therapy, dry needling, and a countless new practice routines
They’ve dissected every nook and cranny of their lives chasing this goal.
How could something so innocent—and honestly, kind of unimportant—produce such big results?
To be clear, I don’t know Mike or Eli. I wasn’t there at the beginning. But I can guarantee that when they first talked about starting a podcast, neither of them said, “Hey, want to face every demon from our past, attempt to fix all our bad habits, and record it for the world to hear?”
They thought they were on a golf journey.
Golf was the Trojan Horse.
Here’s why this matters for you and me:
Any meaningful goal you chase is a Trojan Horse.
You think it’s about writing a book.
Losing weight.
Starting a business.
Getting married.
Earning a C-suite title.
Raising kids.
Completing a marathon.
Making partner.
Staying married.
But it’s not just about that.
If you chase it with your whole heart, that pursuit will remake your life. It will break you down and build you back up. It will reach into your habits, relationships, fears, and self-talk. And it won’t ask permission.
Kara Lawson, the head coach of Duke Women’s Basketball, said it best in her now-famous Handle Hard Better video:
“If you have a meaningful pursuit in life, it will never be easy.”
Doing something hard takes all of you. You can’t fake it. You can’t do it halfway. Once the Trojan Horse enters your life, it starts to remodel everything. That’s how meaningful goals work, they’re never just about the goal.
So here’s the moral of the story:
If you’re chasing something, chase it fully. Don’t hold back. Don’t coast. Don’t hedge.
And if you’re not chasing something right now?
Mike and Eli would probably tell you:
Start.
Pick something. Anything. It doesn’t matter what. Because once you commit, the transformation begins. And the Trojan Horse never shows up for people who are standing still.
The Fog of Work Update
For those of you who “voted” on your favorite subtitle last week…thank you! The winner was:
The Fog of Work: How Managers Can Win, Lead, and Bring Dignity Back to the Middle
I have no clue if this will make the final cut, but your feedback was appreciated!
Finally…
I’m not certain which city is more overrated: Denver or Austin?
This week, I just realized that the symbol for OluKai shoes is Maui’s fish hook. You’re welcome.
Thanks for reading!
-Adam