On Sunday past, I played my first round of golf of my 2023 season. I had to travel to the Cambridge Golf Club about 4.5 hours away. To be fair, I could have played a more local course, but my trip had a twofold purpose. The first was to play golf in 2023, but more importantly, I played in the World Hickory Golf Day. Hosted by the Golf Historical Society of Canada (GHSC), this event was a culmination of efforts by Durel Billy first run back in 2016. (more on this event in future posts) As a member of the GHSC, I was excited to journey to Cambridge and play my first round of 2023. As a recap, my trip did not disappoint and I am now excited to hit the links now that my golf season has started.

The Cambridge Golf Course was a great track. It offered opportunities to score, take chances, and unseen challenges around the greens. We played off of the golf tees (5000 yards) which helped keep our scores down, however this distance was a challenge considering I played with my hickory shafted golf clubs I purchased late last season. Yup, my first round of golf this year was with my hickory sticks!

The golf course was playing long due to the very wet conditions. Additionally, it rained for about 10 holes just to add to our challenges. My round was very much like a roller coaster. I made some very good shots with the irons and putted very well all things considered. The Cambridge Golf Club offered many opportunities to hit great approach shots, however hitting the green in the right spot was critical to have a chance at sinking the putt. The greens are small and very undulating; this combination always makes for a fun round of golf.

Our day was full of rain that added to the already wet conditions. We did play a great deal of lift, clean and place because we wanted to protect the course as much as possible. Also, using the casual water rule was a must. The greens rolled out very well and for the time of year, I would consider the course in excellent condition.

My 2023 golf season has started. I am thrilled to be hitting the links and need my local course to open sooner than later. For now, I am happy that I participated in the World Hickory Golf Day at a new golf course. This is a great start to my season and I am grateful to have made the journey.

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