It finally happen last Saturday! I was able to play 18 holes of golf because our course was finally dry enough to open the front 9. The front was a bit beat up and there were 2 temporary greens, but I am grateful to the staff at Osprey Links for all their dedicated work to bring the course to a point were we can loop 18 holes. Well, I must say it was fun and challenging at the same time!

We started off the back and we knew the round was going to be slow. The course was full and this is to be expected on a Saturday afternoon at 2 pm of a long weekend. So, we adopted the right mindset and prepared for a 2 and half hour first nine. We decided that we would wait to see were we were after playing the front before committing to the back. As it turned out, conditions were great, so we played the whole 18 holes as stated earlier.

My golf swing is still being developed because of the lack of playing last year and the 7 month layoff because of winter. There is a fair bit of rust that needs removing and each swing is slowly shaping my 2019 golf swing.

My biggest strength was my short game. The practice in my basement, as mentioned by Brian Penn a month ago, is paying dividends. I feel confident over the ball and my putting stroke is solid. Of course I still need to practice distance control with a real golf ball, but that is very minor considering the work the rest of my swing needs.

My greatest weakness was off the tee. For some reason I felt I had to try and hit the ball hard instead of letting the club do all the work. I was all over the place on the first nine. This is a bad think because of how tight the fairways are and unforgiving the rough is. As a result I took two penalty strokes for hitting into two differed hazards. Not the my usual experience for sure. The second nine was much better and I felt more in control.

The other challenge I am having in inconsistency. Of course, I expect this and only practice will cure this issue. Some of my iron shots are mid-season form and others are…..well…..I am not really sure. I believe that I am standing too close to the ball, but range time will fix that. I intend to get to the range next week and fix my challenges.

On the second nine, Rick and I were joined by a very nice young man named Joel. He is leaving our area soon for Montreal, but it was pleasure meeting him. After watching him hit the ball a ton, I realized that his balance was key to his consistent hitting and it is something that I will have to work on moving forward. Thanks for the tip Joel and good luck in the future.

As stated in previous text, I am going to take 3 lessons this year. After next week and some range time, I will head to my local pro (person to be determined) and start with my long clubs, then irons, then wedge play. I do not think I will focus on my putting because that is the strongest part of my game and I feel it is already in good shape. Regardless, after talking to my local pro, will develop and more focused game plan.

The last thing I wanted to discuss is my physical conditioning. I did okay considering all my health woes from last year. I did find the last 4 or 5 holes a bit challenging because I walked with my push cart. Being physically fit is always important and walking for 4 hours proves that staying active during the off-season is critical to solid golf in the spring. However, I am confident my conditioning will improve over the summer as I continue my golfing journey towards being a scratch golfer.

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