Reading the greens is a tough skill to develop for most amateurs. There are many factors to consider which change for each putt. I wish I could give you a 100% guaranteed process for sinking more putts, but I cannot. It is a skill that is developed over time as you develop more experience reading greens. There is, however, a quick overview of the five aspects of putting that every player should know. I realized there are a great deal more as you skill improves. However, this is a great place to start.
Continue readingAuthor: The Grateful Golfer
Which Golf Shot Should I Hit Next?
Golf is a sport of decisions. Regardless where you are on the course, you are making a plethora of decisions in order to shoot your lowest score possible. I think this game has more definitive decisions than most sports and as such experience is a key factor to being successful. Another critical factor about playing well is to check our ego. Sometimes our ego lures us down a rabbit hole into a wonderland of crazy. The key for most amateurs is to understand what they can and cannot do with their clubs in order to select the right shot for any given situation. This is a lesson I still learn from time to time, but I am getting better at checking my ego at the door. Are you?
Continue readingMy Golf Season Is Coming To An End
It is always a challenge during the fall season to get out on the links to play a round of golf. Most of the time, I am engaged in other activities, but once in a while I hit the links in order to play that one last fantastic round with friends. Yesterday was one of those days. I had not swung a club in a bit and was a bit rusty which is to be a expected. However, no matter how I hit the ball, nothing replaced the great time I had with my friend Mike as we looped the Mattawa Golf and Ski Resort.
Mike does not live in the area, so we try to play a round or two when he visits. We met about 8 years ago at the Osprey Links Golf Course and have become good friends every since. Over the years, we developed a little match play game where the winner can receive the maximum of three dollars, but the real prize is the bragging rights. I have to admit that before yesterday Mike has dominated the matches over the past three years. Well, yesterday is a different story.
When we hit the links yesterday it was sunny and 20° C (68° F). The course was in good shape, it was empty and it felt like we owned the place. Overall, the conditions were fantastic to play a round of golf.
We both started off rough that led to me being up one after the first hole. It took a couple more swings for the both of us to start hitting some decent shots. We trade points (and jabs at each other) so that we were tied heading into the 9th hole. This is where Mike’s wheels fell off. Normally a very consistent player, Mike struggled for three holes and that was enough for me to step on the gas and win the match. Interestingly, we still were trading blows for the rest of the round, but not enough to Mike to make a dent in the score. The final tally was that I won three dollars and all the bragging rights!
The golf was secondary to the great time I had on the links. We laughed, joked, told stories and just enjoyed the moment of playing golf with friends. We scooted around the course as if we did not have a care in the world. And at the end of the round we went into the golf course for Brenda’s world famous turkey club sandwich. I raved about this sandwich to Mike for years and I am happy to say that the meal did not disappoint. Mike loved the turkey club and agreed that it was on of the best he ever tasted. What a fantastic way to top of our round.
Hitting a white ball around a huge open space is always fun. What makes the round fantastic is playing golf with friends. That is what happened yesterday as Mike and I had the chance to enjoy on of the final days of my golf season for 2025. I hope I can get a couple more rounds in before the snow flies, but for now, if my season was to end, I am grateful it ended on a high note.
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
Scramble Vs Best Ball Format
Often confused terms are scramble vs best ball format. Most amateurs have the opposite views on these formats and as such mix up the meanings. I thought it would be a good idea to explain these two formats as they are the usual playing methods of charity or team golf tournaments. It really is counterintuitive, but not hard to understand.
Continue readingWhy Do We Hit Behind A Golf Ball?
Do you hit behind the ball often during a round of golf? The ‘chunk’ shot is so frustrating that it literally causes fits in many players. Bottoming out your swing plane at the wrong position is a constant theme of an unsuccessful golf swing. This challenge is very prevalent in beginner golfers, some mid handicap golfers and sometimes in elite players. It is something that all golfers are wary off when playing and fortunately there are a few fixes after you identify your swing challenge. Lets delve into why we hit behind the ball and potential fixes.
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The Grateful Golfer 