There's a great scene from the 2000 golf film "The Legend of Bagger Vance" in which the main character "sees the field" for the first time. What that entails is him blocking out all outside factors and putting himself completely in the moment in order to focus on the shot in front of him. It's like entering a state of complete Zen. The whole sequence may be a bit hokey, a bit over-the-top and cinematic, but there is an element of truth to it. When golfers are in the zone, a sense of calm and serenity can sweep over them like a wave. They are focused, unshaken by external forces and completely at home under the bright blue of the sky and above the sharp green grass of the course.
At least that's the sense that golfer Shane Dobesh, 23, gave off.
"When I'm out there, I feel focused. I feel very comfortable and at peace," Dobesh told HNGN in an exclusive interview. "I'd rather be on a golf course, outside in the sun and swinging at golf balls than anything else. Especially when you're competing, there's absolutely nothing like it. It's a rush you want to get back to."
Although Dobesh has the passion and the talent for the game, he lacks the financial support to compete on a consistent basis. He doesn't have the luxury of picking and choosing when and where he wants to play like many other golfers, and that puts him at a significant disadvantage before he even steps on the course.
"Most people who do what I do have a financial backer, someone who covers tournament fees, training costs, equipment and all that. I don't have that," Dobesh explained. "A lot of it is just me. I'm working full-time so I can pay for tournament fees. People don't realize how expensive golf can be. I'm trying to do it all alone."
Despite the scales tilted in the competition's favor, Dobesh still managed to land himself in the top three of three different tournaments in 2014, including first place at the Mike Bello Invitational. He won the Peter King Memorial in 2013 and cites his NJCAA Division III Nationals win at Monroe Community College in Rochester, N.Y., as his biggest success to date. Nothing as trivial as money is going to stand between him and winning.
That's likely due to his long history within the sport. Dobesh's father put a toy golf club in his hand when he was 10, and the rest has been second-nature ever since. Like many golfers his age, Dobesh, who grew up in Rochester, is a loyal supporter of Tiger Woods, pointing to the future Hall of Famer's unprecedented run of dominance as a source of inspiration. He also admires Jordan Spieth's well-rounded game and respects how, mentally, "he knows how to get around the course better than anyone."
When Dobesh isn't playing golf, he's still playing golf. That full-time job he mentioned is at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, Fla. To him, the sport isn't just a hobby, it's an around-the-clock way of life.
Dobesh's method of attack when it comes to golf is to remain mentally strong. He talks at length about how important it is for a golfer to never get too high or too low. What became apparent, though, is that this strategy comes in handy for his daily life. As someone who is working full-time on top of playing golf at the pro level, it would be understandable if he was stressed out or frustrated with his lot. Yet Dobesh comes across remarkably calm and in control. It all comes back to his approach to the game.
"Golf is one of those sports where you can be on top of the world one minute and on the bottom the next," he said. "You just have to get back on the horse and keep fighting through all those obstacles. You tell yourself that mistakes are going to happen. You just make sure it doesn't crush your confidence. Golf is 90 percent mental, 10 percent physical."
Since it's such a mental game, it's no surprise that Dobesh has his next few moves mapped out. His hope is to join the Web.com tour in the near future, a move he believes will help prepare him for the PGA Tour one day. He's slowly but surely working his way up to this goal.
In many ways, Dobesh comes across as your average post-grad young adult. He likes to hang out with friends, watch sports and play "Clash of Clans" (his clan is currently on an impressive win streak, I'm told). But when the conversation turns to golf, there is a noticeable change within him. His voice becomes steadier and his words come out more freely. His attraction to the sport, that magnetic pull that can't be seen by outside eyes, becomes palpable.
"The fact that you have to constantly improve," he answered when asked what he loves most about golf. "It's never something you can master. As they say, it's only a game that can be played, never won."
