Golf

Golf is no pastime for the unimaginative—at least not where I play. For me, it is not merely a sport but a lifelong passion, a meditative ritual, and a mirror of character. In the sun-kissed landscapes of Belek, Türkiye—where I now call home—the fairways are more than turf; they are sacred ground, where silence speaks and every shot is a conversation with the self.

Until April 2019, I shared the common misconception: that golf was the idle amusement of overweight, cigar-wielding men cruising in carts, lazily ordering takeout and indulging in trivial distractions. I could not have been more mistaken.

What I have come to understand is that golf is a study in paradox. It is intricate yet innocent, refined yet elemental. It defies the pursuit of perfection, demands humility, and nurtures resilience. At times, it has brought me so low that even pride had no choice but to surrender—yet it is precisely in those moments that it shaped me most.

After years immersed in this discipline, I have learned that the soul of golf is not found in competition with others but in the relentless drive to surpass one’s own previous self. The truest fulfillment lies in quiet progress, in personal victories unseen by others but deeply felt within. This is the reality for golfers like me: the tireless pursuit of mastery—a pursuit that endures until our final breath.

In the words of Jack Nicklaus, one of the game’s towering legends: “Because you have so many elements to master, including yourself.” It is this battle—with ego, with expectation, with nature—that makes golf unlike any other human endeavor.

My sanctuary is Belek, a golfer’s paradise where the sport is not a luxury but a way of life. Here, I have built not only a home but a haven for golf—a place where my passion breathes freely, and where every round renews my sense of purpose.

If you seek meditation, serenity, self-discovery, and, ultimately, joy, I invite you to walk a fairway with me. There, between the silence and the swing, you may just find yourself.