Every round of golf provides some excitement for every golfer. Regardless of how well we play, there are always a shot or two (or more) that make us smile or frown depending on their complexity. During my last round of golf I had two situations worth mentioning because they demonstrate the highs and lows of my round. There were a few other shots that made me think, but for the most part these two stood out the most as I shot three over par 77. There are some teaching points here and they are worth sharing.

During my round, I played two balls that equates to 18 holes on my 9 hole track at the Mattawa Golf and Ski Resort. I know that is not normally how to play 18 holes, but it allows for less time on the course. For those reading, I ensure that I never hold anyone up or impede any other players. I am always alone and have the course to myself when I play.

I usually talk about knowing your distances for your irons and to try and develop a consistent swing. On the par three 6th hole, I hit two balls with my seven iron. The distance was 156 yards and is a perfect distance for my selected club. The results were great as I walked off the green with one birdie and a tap in par.

My two golf balls are in the blue circle six feet from the pin. I hit almost two identical shots from the tee. The teaching point of this image is understanding your iron distances and having the confidence to swing away. I worked on knowing my iron distances for years and it does pay off knowing this information.

The second is making the correct choice on a difficult shot. As you can see, there are very tall trees blocking my approach to the pin which is almost hidden by the trees. I had three options on this shot. Try to go over the trees, which I could not because they were too high, hit my ball low at the pin under the branches, and aim left an try and grab a bit of the green leaving a birdie putt. For distance concerns, I was 65 yards from the green.

The first shot I hit was left of the green and missed the green by two yards. I easily got up and down for my par. It was the smart shot and one I would make every time unless I am playing in a scramble and we have a ball in play.

For fun, I tried the other two shots and fail miserably. Trying to go over the top was not possible for me as I hit about 3/4 up the tree and into the branches. The second ‘just for fun’ shot was low. This shot had a greater chance of success than trying to go over, but judging where the ball was to land in order to stay on the green without hitting the trees was next to impossible. My ball hit the long grass and stayed short about 8 yards and I was short sided.

As you can see, each round of golf offers something that we can learn and place in the experience data bank. In this case, knowing my distances and making the correct shot choice saved me strokes. There is really nothing profound about each of the shots, but they are something that many of us will face during most rounds of golf. In my case during the round, both worked out in my favour. Another reason to be a grateful golfer!

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