Golf The birth of Disco Dick Finally, you say, after dropping this moniker in his opening sentence, he’s finally going to tell us what the heck this “Disco Dick” business is about. The year was 1982; it was Zokol’s rookie season on the PGA Tour. By the time the Greater Milwaukee Open rolled around in July, Zokol’s inaugural campaign in golf’s big leagues was marked mostly by non-starts and missed cuts. Enter the Sony Walkman and a dose, from tee to green, of classic rock. This is where Zokol’s story resonated with me the most strongly because I’ve also witnessed – and harnessed – the power of music to calm the mind. During the first round, Richard pulled his Sony Walkman from his bag and, between shots, donned headphones and cranked The Eagles’ Hotel California at top decibel. Approaching the green, one of his playing partners – Larry Rinker – saw Zokol with his goofy looking headgear on, turned to the third member of their group – Ronnie Black – and said: “Look at Disco Dick!” That he was not listening to disco music did not matter; what did is that for the rest of that round, Zokol got into a flow state and started racking up birdie after birdie as the likes of Pink Floyd and other classic rock anthems kept him focused. In that first round, Disco Dick – as he would be affectionately known from that day forward – shot 65 and led the tournament. A stumble in the final round led to Zokol finishing in a tie for fifth. While the Walkman was returned to his golf bag and not used again in competition after that memorable week in Milwaukee, what this experience taught him was the importance of the mental side of the game and staying present in each and every moment. MindTRAK Following that 1982 rookie season, Zokol went on to play on the PGA Tour for 22 more years, winning twice and finally retiring in 2003. What made the biggest difference in finding success was a change in mindset – discovering what he calls the Holy Grail and describes in layman’s terms as This Present Moment – a secret to performing and competing at the highest levels of golf. This new mindset led to the MindTRAK Golf system and the creation of the MindTRAK golf app. Zokology by Richard Zokol, ECW Press, 320 pages, $24.95, May 19. Looking for some other golf books to while away the hours this summer when not playing? Here are three new ones that I recommend. Happy reading! 1. The Story of Golf in Fifty Tournaments by Tony Dear, Back Nine Press, 280 pages, $50, February 1. 2. Rory by Alan Shipnuck, Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster, 320 pages, $32.50, April 7. 3. Tiger v. Jack by Bob Harig, St. Martin’s Press, 304 pages, $30, May 5. Photo credit: PGA TOUR Archive / Contributor CSANews | SUMMER 2026 | 43
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