Happy Father’s Day 2026

/ The Grateful Golfer / Leave a comment
JimDad

30 years ago. How time flies!

I have the best Dad in the world! I am sure this statement is being lauded around the world again and again. Of course, we think our father was the greatest because of the positive impact he had on our lives, but really, my Dad was the best. Unfortunately, our time together was far too short and over the past 25 years, I sure could have used some of his sage wisdom to get me through some tough times. Fortunately, my father-in-law was there to help fill some of the void and I am grateful for his advice, wisdom, and love along the way.

My Dad taught me so much that it is difficult to list it all. He demonstrated how to be a father through kindness and love that he showed towards my Mom everyday, how to stand up and be accountable for my actions, when to sacrifice for the good of the family, and how to have fun on life’s journey. He taught me that friendship is more important than money and to treat everyone as if they were your friend. His life lessons are the core of my being and for that I am ever grateful to my Dad

He taught me how to fish, the importance of tipping your barber, how to build a cottage, how to play horseshoes, how to hang a picture straight (well I am still learning that lesson), how to ride a bike, and why it is important to spend time with the ones you love. I could go on and on, but I think you get the point.

My Dad was always around for us. His greatest gift to my siblings and I was time. He played games with us, took us places, and understood when to give us our space. He always made the time for everyone and never demonstrated frustration or disappointment when asked for help. My Dad showed me the value of personal discipline in all areas of my life. Looking back, he always seemed to know what to do at the right time.

Also, my Dad taught me how to play golf! He taught me how to swing and how to use of the different clubs. He taught me the importance of etiquette, fixing your ball marks, and where to stand on the green when someone was putting. He showed me all the fundamentals that are essential to being a good golfer. These lessons and more, I have used repeatedly for 40 years. I have taken my Dad’s knowledge and passed them on to many people as his lessons were valuable both on and off the course.

I have the greatest Dad in the world. Although he is gone, he is in my heart and I talk to him everyday! Today is a special day for all Dads. It is a day to express how grateful we are for everything they did to make our lives better.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Is Your Golf Game Evolving?

/ The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

It is a challenge to figure out it our golf game is moving to the next level. One of the key goals is to find out what drives you to improve your game. I have played golf for over 50 years and I still try to find a way to lower my score each spring. This year is no different and I think I have found the area to which I want to focus. I am going to work on my mental game in the area of hitting off the tee. I know that most of the time I hit the fairway with a reasonable distance. So, this year I am going to work harder on setting up my next shot in order to avoid hitting over any obstacles. I realize that this might seem like a silly area to focus, yet I am convinced it will save me a stroke or two each round. Let me explain further.

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Ottawa Hickory Open Championship – Another Must Attend Event

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If you have read some of my previous posts, you will start to see a bit of a trend going on. For the first time, I attended the Ottawa Hickory Open Championship. Organized by Chris Hawes, the Hickory Open Championship is in its third year and has grown to 50 players across 4 divisions. The championship uses the Stableford system of scoring in order to eliminate the high hole errors most hickory stick players experience. Held at the Stonebridge Golf Course in Nepean, this course was perfect and the 5100 yard distance fit well for the Open category of the Hickory Open Championship.

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Ottawa Hickory Golf Challenge – A Must Attend Event!

/ The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

If you missed the Ottawa Hickory Golf Challenge on 5 Jun 2026, then you missed an amazing time. Organized by Chris Hawes, this event provided 124 golfers an opportunity to step back in time and play golf like many of the greats from the past. Chris hosts an amazing opportunity for any level of golfer to experience golf with hickory shafted golf clubs. There were many golfers who embraced this spirit of the Hickory Golf Challenge by dressing up in clothes of early 1900s era and this enhanced the experience for many newbies trying hickory shafted golf clubs for the first or second time. Overall, this was an amazing event and think it is a must attend for all golfers looking for a one-of-a-kind golfing experience.

I attended this event and was dressed in the proper attire. I did not originally have a partner so my friend Chris Hawes set me up with James Edgar, a first time player with hickory sticks. We had a great time and as James became more familiar with the clubs, he hit his hickories with greater results. Here is the CTV coverage of the tournament and James made the cut:

Specially made hickory sticks by Chris Hawes

Our playing partners were Lorne Emery and Fred Boland. Both are amazing golfers with hickory sticks. On a side note, Fred is 84 years young and holds his own against any hickory stick player. They provided lots of laughs and some amazing golf shots. I was happy to play hickory golf with these two as they have a mountain of knowledge, stories and a few jabs for all. They made my round extra special.

James and I shot a one over part 73; which was good for 10th overall. We had a few tough shots that cost us a bogey or two, but overall we played very steady. James’ shot of the day was on the second to last hole where he hit his shot on a 165 yard par 3 to 12 feet. It was wonderful to watch. Yes, we made the putt for birdie.

I personally played well throughout the day. After buying a replica sand wedge and being gifted a couple of long irons from Lorne, I feel my hickory set is complete. As I navigated the round, I found that I was hitting the ball with a bit more distance due to warm weather and relaxed playing atmosphere.

The Golf Historical Society of Canada, for which I am a new member of the board of directors, was out in full force. All members of the GHSC represented the amazing history of playing hickory golf with the many other participants. As per normal, the GHSC is trying to spread the history of golf and want to thank everyone for embracing this amazing event.

Birch Bark Golf Bag

I wanted to give a shout out to Kelly Mcqabbie, also known as Amikwa. He is an Anishinaabe and Ojibwe traditional specialist and artist from the Henvey Inlet and French River First Nations. He is renowned for building authentic Ojibwe Long Nose birch bark canoes using exclusively pre-colonial methods, hand-crafted tools, and locally sourced natural materials.

My shout out is because he made a hickory stick golf bag out of birch bark (see image left). It was amazing to see and the quality of his work is first rate. I had the pleasure of chatting with Kelly for a few minutes and explained the efforts required to make such a unique golf bag. He is obviously passionate about his craft and it shows in the final result.

Chris gave out a fair bit of swag for the Hickory Challenge and the picture to the right is one I found very funny. It is a prescription (image on the right) on how to play hickory golf with two golf balls in the bottle. This is the first time I have seen this type of gift and thought I needed to share it with everyone.

The Ottawa Hickory Golf Challenge was a fantastic event. I had a great time and enjoyed playing my round of golf with friends (old and new). This type of event is not purely about golf; it provides and opportunity to all level of player to get out and have some fun by reliving the roots of golf. If you are around next June, be sure to join us at the Ottawa Hickory Golf Challenge; we would all love to see you there!

One last shout out to Chris and his crew. Events like this do not happen overnight. I am grateful that Chris invites me to play in this amazing event and I already have it on my calender for next year!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

I Have Two Different Golf Swings!

/ The Grateful Golfer / 4 Comments

Golf is a funny game because no matter how hard I try, it seems my swing changes from day to day. Okay, that is a bit dramatic, however I have noticed that I do have a tendency to swing differently from time to time. This ‘hiccup’ is most prevalent with my hickory sticks as I am working on my early season game. I am fairly confident that every golfer has this challenge and often seeks remedies to eliminate at least one of the multiple swing errors. Fortunately, I have two things that help my game and I am confident they will help yours as you navigate towards improving over the 2026 golf season.

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