It is officially here! The first day of spring has arrived without any fanfare or celebrations unless you are a golfer from the north. This special day is the first sign that the golf season is quickly approaching and it is time to prepare. For some, this means dusting off the clubs and waiting; others, like myself, this means that my ‘to do list’ just grew tenfold.

These flowers were growing in the middle of a dead thicket! Talk about persistence!

Preparing for the golf season is something that has become a ritual. It is nothing special, but something I enjoy because it helps me to mentally prepare for playing for the first time of the year.

Of course taking my clubs out of storage is near the top. I look them over ensuring that their long winter’s nap did not damage them. I also fill the pockets with my various treasures and discard the items that have no real value to my game.

Next, I start to think about my plan of being  a scratch golfer. I have already have a training program, now I need to focus on the golf side of things. It is great to talk about all things golf, but now it is time to actually do some of the things I identified over the winter. This part of my routine takes time, but it is fun and totally worth it.

Lastly, this is the abridged version, I revel in the happiness of getting ready to play. I start to visualize hitting the links, feeling the joy of hitting a great shot, and to manage my expectations about the state of my game. This mental exercise is very important because it sets the foundation to playing great golf in 2017.

That is the short version of what the first day of spring means to me. Are you excited that spring is officially here and that golf season is just around the corner?

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