I was travelling to visit friends last month and stopped for gas. As we walked into the store, my darling wife noticed this golf cart graveyard!
I guess this answers the internal question of where golf carts go for the winter!
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
Groundhog Day is tomorrow. On 2 February, all golfers in the northern hemisphere wait in anticipation for the weather prediction of rodents: Wiarton Willie and Punxsutawney Phil. The pressure on these special creatures to predict an early spring is overwhelming. Each year, these loveable creatures climb out of their hole; if they see their shadow and scurry back home to safety, it means that golfers will have to wait an additional 6 weeks for winter to slowly become a distant memory.
Is it GroundHog Day Again!!!
Groundhog Day is also a famous saying that stems from the movie “Groundhog Day” with Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. This romantic comedy is set in a small northeastern town in the United States where “a weather man is reluctantly sent to cover a story about a weather forecasting “rat” (as he calls it). This is his fourth year on the story, and he makes no effort to hide his frustration. On awaking the ‘following’ day he discovers that it’s Groundhog Day again, and again, and again. First he uses this to his advantage, then comes the realisation that he is doomed to spend the rest of eternity in the same place, seeing the same people do the same thing EVERY day.” (IMDB)
The storyline in the movie should be familiar to most amateur golfers. We hit the links time after time with no substantive change in our golf score. We try quick fixes in the hopes of permanently lowering our score. Unfortunately, the only real result is frustration and confusion on why the changes are not having their desired effect. It reminds me of the Albert Einstein definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results!
Real change in golf, as Phil in the movie discovered, comes from within. The realization that to successfully and permanently change our golf game takes real effort, focus and desire. To effect change in your game, I recommend developing a plan, taking the time to execute it, and accepting the results. After a reasonable time (reasonable is relative to every person) repeat the process by making small changes to your learned behaviour. By following your successful game plan, like in the movie, your golf game will have miraculously changed and frustrations of Groundhog Day will be gone forever!
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
I was fortunate to walk with my best friend today in the cold frozen landscape of Southern Ontario, Canada. For those who don’t know, we recently experienced a 48-hour freezing rain storm. If you have never experienced a freezing rain storm, I recommend it is something to avoid.
However, our walk on the trail did reveal some beautiful scenery of a freshness only experienced on a walk in the snow. As I walked and thought about tomorrow’s special day, I wondered if there was a possible connection to golf.
Well, not surprisingly there was. During our walk, I felt like I do while walking on the golf course early in the morning! Today, the air was fresh and clear, the views spectacular and the company fantastic. Walking (Playing Golf) at anytime is excellent, but there is something about being the only ones on the trail (course) that makes it even more special.
Later today, I was talking to my friend in the UK and he is playing golf on Christmas Day with his son and a couple of friends……talk about a bucket list! For an early Christmas present, my friend should give his son a couple of strokes aside….not that his son will need it. Regardless, playing golf with your son and friends at anytime is awesome ….. especially at Christmas!
Golf is an awesome sport! It provides many opportunities to connect with great people, better yourself in many ways, and to enjoy the great outdoors. Most importantly, it opens doors to enjoying new things like walking with your best friend on a trail meant for two!
I am a grateful golfer! Merry Christmas!
It is cold and the courses have been closed for at least 3 weeks. Northern Canada is beautiful, spacious, and has a short golf season. So what to do in the fall to keep my spirits up and reduce the anxiety of not hitting the links.
The thing I like to do at this time of year is look at the new technology from last year. I never rush to try any new club, bag, or miscellaneous equipment. I research, ponder, check reviews and watch for sales. I also prepare for the big Christmas sales.
I do not mean the Christmas sales before the big day, I mean the sales between Christmas and New Years. That is when most places want to clear out inventory and make room for next years kit. With a pocket full of money (well not really) I hit the stores to save money and buy new equipment for next year.
I know it does not sound like fun, but it helps pass the time until the courses open in April. What do you do to pass away the time during the off-season?
I always knew there were plenty of golf blogs out there. Many come and go, but a few strike a chord for the average golfer. As I explore more, I am surprised at the different types of golfing blogs that peak my interest.
I mostly follow the blogs that are not selling anything, that have a personal interest and will help my game in one way or another. Here are a couple that I enjoy:
Ian Hardie at Golf Habits.com – this blog has plenty of useful tips and interesting discussions.
Tony Carbon’s the Duffers Digest talks about everyday stuff that I enjoy.
Golf Tutorials Hub has many tips and hits in video format that will help the weekend golfer.
Slicedtee deals with the trials and tribulations of a new comer to the game of golf.
Just a Few Photos is a photo blog that has many interesting photos with some relating to golf.
These are just a few blogs that I check every day or two. Some give great tips, some make we think and some just make me laugh. So now that the winter months are closing in, you can use golf blogs as ways to stay connected to the game I love in preparation for next season! I am a grateful golfer….see you on the links!
The Grateful Golfer 