Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/646572
Spring 2016 - 73 www.turftrends.com BALANCING WORK AND CLIMBING "Having a life outside of work is just as important as your job," Cook said. "Climbing for me has made me a better person and a better superintendent. It gives me more confi dence. It makes me feel like some of the problems I face here are minor compared to trying to keep yourself safe in a dangerous environment. Whenever you summit—even if you don't summit—it's a big confi dence booster. "You kind of feel like the challenges you face back home when both feet are on the ground and safe are small in comparison to the challenges you face up on a mountain. It takes extreme focus when you're climbing, and I think that it helps me back here." Cook's focus now is on the 2016 U.S. Amateur on Aug. 15-21 at Oakland Hills. It will be the second U.S. Amateur and 11th USGA championship to be hosted by the club. "The club was generous enough to give me a month off," Cook said. "So I'm completely tied to that this year." Cook has no plans to make another climb in Nepal. "There's something the Dalai Lama said and that is we must learn to let go of the things that are not meant for us. That mountain is not meant for me to summit. "It would be very selfi sh as well," Cook said. "That last 2,000 feet would be totally for me. I don't think that's God's plan. I'm very comfortable that this is God's plan. This is what He intended. I feel very satisfi ed and at peace." Steve poses with Pasang Sherpa, lead climbing Sherpa for Steve's team. Pasang has reached the summit of Mount Everest nine times.