Blair Pulling into the Osprey Links Golf Course parking lot.

Yesterday I hit the links for only the fifth time this year. As many of you know, my medical woes have severely limited my ability play, but I am grateful I have played this much. Blair and I got off to a rocky start around a half hour late thanks to some confusing texts. This was the worst thing that happened all day, so in the end, it was a very good day. After we loaded his clubs on the cart, we were off to the races.

The course was very quiet because of the cool weather and a risk of rain. However, that did not stop us from playing at all. As I waited for Blair, I practised my putting and short game. It was time well spent because I learned something about my set up that I will share in a future post. Additionally, as I waited for Blair, 3 groups of 4 went off the front and I was afraid we would be stuck behind them for 4 hours. So we slid out the back. The course was wide open and we finished our round in 3 hours.

Jim hitting over the water to 120 yards from the green on the dogleg right 7th hole.

My round was filled with ups and downs. I had no 3-putts, 3 birdies, 8 bogeys and 7 pars for a smooth 76. I felt very smooth swinging the clubs in the first nine but started to tire on the back. This is normal considering I have not played much and my energy levels are lower than usual. Of the 3 birdies, my closest hit was on the par 3, 15th hole. I hit my ball to within 6 feet from 100 yards and made the easy putt. Overall, I played very well.

Surprisingly, I did not have any double bogeys. I was able to get up and down for no worse than bogey all day and felt

Blair hitting a great drive.

in control of my short game. After practising while waiting for Blair, I found a visual cue that really helped with my aim, select ball flight, and landing area. I realize that landing area seems odd, but the first two feed the last and my short game all came together.

Blair had an up and down day as well. He played great for 15 holes and struggled on 3. Each time, his higher score was the result of one poor shot. It is the nature of his game right now, but I think he has the ability to score consistently in the 70s and this might be his year.

Jim’s best shot of the day. 6 feet to the pin on a par 3, 15th hole.

The golf course is really coming along. The greens are in great shape and rolling very well. The grounds crew are doing a fantastic job fixing all the winter damage and work tirelessly to make each golfing experience special. Thanks to everyone, I am grateful for your efforts.

Lastly, my season is quickly coming to a close. In two weeks I will be undergoing a minor procedure that will further limit my physical activity. Therefore, my golf season will be over. But, I am not going to focus on that right now and I will keep trying to play as much as possible. I also have a plan to stay involved in golf, but that is an article for another day.

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