Bill Rand
My name is Bill Rand and I’ve been fascinated by human performance since 1986.
I first became interested when I worked as a financial consultant to the entertainment industry. Using my spare time to concentrate on my golf game for three years, I wondered why my 7-handicap did not reflect the natural athlete I knew myself to be.
Realizing that there was more to the game than what appeared on the surface, I began exploring the “mental” side of the game. A chance meeting with Fred Shoemaker, a devotee of Tim Gallwey’s “Inner Game” methods, led us to co-found The School For Extraordinary Golf in Carmel, California. For five years, we conducted this boutique golf school at resorts in Carmel and Palm Springs extending Gallwey’s work using the principles of Mastery and Transformation: how to master any skill and how to transform yourself into whatever you want to become.
Inspired by others studying human potential, I decided to demonstrate the efficacy of these ideas to the world of golf by qualifying to play on the Senior PGA Tour (now the Champions Tour). Beginning as an untested amateur golfer with no significant tournament experience, I dedicated nine years to the effort. Over that time, I sold my home of eighteen years for the better practice conditions in Arizona, took lessons from some of golf’s best teachers, practiced six to eight hours per day, followed a strict workout regimen and played with some of the best professional golfers in the world.
I played in 124 Monday qualifying tournaments, 8 annual Q-Schools and 3 U.S. Senior Open qualifiers. And although I never came close to qualifying, I walked away with my head held high, exhilarated for having tried and filled with a lifetime’s wisdom I can’t imagine having acquired any other way.
Based on public interest in the rigors and fantasy of playing professional golf, I was the subject of a Wall Street Journal article and an evening news feature on the ABC affiliate in Salt Lake City. I was also featured in articles in The Indianapolis Star, The Pensacola News Journal, and a segment for CNBC‘s Inside the Senior PGA Tour.
I spent the first eight years of my career working in corporate finance, first with the Bank of America as an Assistant Vice President and corporate loan officer and then as the Assistant Treasurer at Lucasfilm Ltd., George Lucas’ Star Wars and Indiana Jones film factory.
I graduated with a BBA in Management from Florida International University in Miami, Florida and an MBA in Finance from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California.
I grew up in Stony Brook, L.I., New York and my career has taken me to Miami, Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. My college sweetheart wife, Helene, and I currently reside in the golf mecca of Scottsdale, Arizona.
Really cool stuff cuz.
I just had the pleasure of playing golf with Mr Rand last week. Bill is one of the special people in this world without a doubt. In the time it took to play 18 holes I gained a friend that I hope to have for life. It just goes to show you how golf brings people together. Thank you golf for bringing me a new friend. Good luck on the book, can’t wait to read it.
What a completely flattering thing for you to say, Guy. Thank you so much for sharing your highly discriminating thoughts on our round together. (As we discussed, the check is in the mail.)
Paid in full. Keep in touch.
Bill,
Thank you for the kind words, Dreams do come true with alot of work and backing from your family and friends.
Thank you,
Tim Thelen
Thanks for your note, Tim, and glad you stumbled across my post. As your dreams play out going forward, have a great ride. You can be sure that I won’t be the only other dreamer pulling for you.
Fairways and greens!
Bill
hope our paths cross one day so we can meet in person. stay in touch.
Tim Thelen
I look forward to it. Send me an email if you ever get to Scottsdale.
Bill,
Just stumbled across this site! Wow! You are an inspiration to all of us who have dreams! I turn 50 this year and will be working hard to Monday qualify on the Champions Tour in the near future. BTW, Scottsdale is beautiful – I’ve spent the first week of November there for many years playing in the MSBL/MABL World Series (baseball). Never got rained on once! That’s a big deal for someone from Upstate NY! Anyway, good luck in all of your endeavors!
Sandor
Sandor,
Thanks so much for your comment. Go for it! You can do it! And here are some things that will help: (1) Get another pair of eyes in a good coach, the one that all the good players in your area use, (2) Play as much competitive golf as you can; when you tee it up on Mondays it has to be an experience that’s familiar to you, (3) Get yourself physically fit, all the good players will be, (4) Hit balls as much as you can to hone your swing and then segue to as much play as you can because playing is where the rubber meets the road. (5) In all of the above, the only thing that matters is getting the ball in the hole. Good luck and let me know how it turns out.
Bill
Bill,
Sage advice! Thank you! I’ll be in touch.
Sandor
Bill,
I just found your blog and the only bad thing is, I have to do other work and I don’t have time to just sit and read and read and read. Thanks for sharing. I linked your interview with Paige Mackenzie on my blog today. I hope to catch up with past posts over time, but you can bet I will be reading your future posts as they come out. My goal this summer is to become better at coaching confidence. Any advice for where I should start? Anything within your blog that comes to mind?
Thanks again for sharing!
Jeanne Sutherland
SMU Women’s Golf Coach
Thanks so much for the kind words, Jeanne. I’m in the middle of a demanding project right now, so I’ll get back to you with more ideas on confidence next week as time permits. But in the meantime see “Confidence and Scoring” and I also recommend the early-days posts at the “Catch-Up” tab. They will help you with a lot of the foundational thinking behind the blog. Thanks again and I’ll be in touch.
Bill
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