How do you find your inner calm?
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
Author: The Grateful Golfer
Canada Day 2015!
Golf – When to Say Uncle!
Today, was an unusual day for me. I was excited to have the opportunity to play in the afternoon after travelling for 3.5 hours home from helping my brother-in-law build his house. The forecast was for rain, but that does not stop me! With the Regional Military Competition in just 3 weeks, I need to hit the links as much as I can. So, I called my friend Jean and convinced him that it was only drizzling and it was suppose to clear up. After bribing him with coffee, he agreed to meet me at the course.
First green at Roundel Glen Golf Course! Just a little wet!
As we prepared to go out, our friends at the Proshop gave us the lazy eye and shook their heads in disbelief that we were heading out to play a round. I was still full of hope and confidence that the weather would quickly change and we would be playing in the sun and warm weather!
Well, the shroud of hope quickly turned to the realization that we would do well to finish the round! As the rain continue to pour down, it was like a boxer taking body blow after body blow!
As I walked up to my ball on the first hole, I realized that my dream of a great round continue to fade. But, ever the optimist, I refuse to give in. The fact the bunkers had 6 inches of water in them was nothing, I convinced myself that this was only one bunker and the rest would be fine.
Walking down the par 5, second fairway, we dodged a lake of puddles. I am not talking casual water, but standing water we could fish in! But, I was not to be deterred! It was going to get better….oh yeah, it started to rain harder!
Second green at Roundel Golf Course. Just a little wet!
When I reached the second green, I was convinced that my dream of a 18 holes today was still possible, but the probability of finishing was in question. As I saw the river flowing down the 2nd green, we realized that it might be time to look for an exit strategy!
With our course design, it was just as quick to play 3 and 4, then 8 and 9, then to just walk in. So that is what we did. We played six holes on a course that was actually unplayable. I was just fooling myself from the beginning. However, I am sure, if the rain had stopped I could have convinced my friend to play all 18 holes.
But since the rain has not stopped, and it is 2 hours since we left the course, it was a good decision to call ‘UNCLE’ and walk off the course! Having played 6 holes was fun and better than nothing, but tomorrow is another day and I am looking forward to hitting the links after work!
Have you ever left the course because of rain? Share your story!
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
The Grand Slam of Golf
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
Does Jordan Spieth have the game to win a grand slam of golf? He is well on his way and as predicted after day three of the US Open, the golfing pundits are starting to pose the question. Given he is half way there, it might be a fair question.
A grand slam in golf consists of one person winning all four Majors (The Masters, US Open, The Open, and PGA Championship) in the same year. To date, only Bobby Jones has completed a Grand Slam of Golf. In the modern era, no man has ever achieved a Grand Slam. Although it is important to note that Tiger Woods won all four Majors consecutively, but over two calendar years.
The other milestone in golf is the Career Grand Slam. This consists of winning all four Majors at different times in a career. In the modern era only five golfers have a Career Grand Slam: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods. A special acknowledgment goes to Woods and Nicklaus because they have won each of the four majors at least three times in their career. We are still waiting for Phil Mickelson to join this élite group, but as each year passes, it becomes tougher and tougher.
Back to the original question: Does Jordan Spieth have the game to win a grand slam of golf?
I consider Spieth as the best golfer in the world at this moment. His three wins, three 2nd place finishes and one 3rd place finish out of 18 events, is very typical of Tiger Woods in his prime. The fact that he is first in the FED Ex Cup standings and is 1.75 points behind Rory McIlroy in the world rankings, only adds fuel to speculation of a grand slam in 2015.
Jordan Spieth is a great golfer, and at 21 years of age appears to have the golfing world in his hand. However, let us not forget Rory McIlroy. At 26 years of age, he is not to be taken lightly. He easily has the game to match Spieth and at any given time will rise to snatch victory from this young upstart! McIlroy has plenty of game and while he respectfully gives Spieth his due, is not quite ready to hand Spieth the keys to the mansion.
The rest of the top 10 in the world are no slouches either. At any time, players like Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose or Jason Day could knock off either Spieth or McIlroy. The current field in golf is the strongest ever and on any given day, anyone can win. Additionally, let’s not forget players like Louis Oosthuizen, who shot the best final three rounds in US Open history! There are many players who have the game to compete against Spieth and McIlroy; professional golf is extremely competitive at this moment.
Is it possible for Jordan Spieth to win the grand slam of golf? The short answer is yes; however, it is not very probable. With The Open just three weeks away, Spieth will have to finish his US Open congratulatory media events, play golf, and then mentally prepare to compete at The Old Course in St Andrews. That seems a bit to ask from a professional golfer, but I am sure Spieth will give it his best shot.
Regardless of which side of the fence you are on, watching Jordan Spieth try for the grand slam of golf will be very entertaining. The road ahead is challenging, but given he is playing better golf than anyone in the world, anything is possible. It would be exciting to see his name in the history books beside the immortal Bobby Jones, but to achieve such greatness; he must first go through Rory McIlroy and the rest of the golfing world.
Fixing My Golf Swing Through Video
While practicing at the range I decided to video some shots with my pitching wedge. The reason was to see if I notice anything out of the ordinary because lately I was not hitting my PW crisp or solid. If I miss hit my PW, it was usually a thin shot. It was a bit frustrating because my PW is one of the best clubs in my bag.
As I watched this video (I realize I was hitting a bit quick) I noticed that when I was hitting the ball thin, my right knee was locked straight. I watched this video over and over to make sure and I was right.
So, I made an adjustment on the range and now hit my PW like the old me. This is an important club for me because my lay up distance is 115 yards – a full and controlled PW!
I find that using video to periodically check my swing really helps identify potential problems. How about you?
Do you use video to help with your golf swing? If so, what did you find out?
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
