Discussion

Do You Really Care About the FedEx Cup?

/ The Grateful Golfer / 10 Comments

The FedEx Cup is intended to be an interesting golf competition because of the “play well – move on” format. However, over the past few years, my view on the FedEx Cup has started to change. At the Barclays, 125 players will start, but only 100 players will move on to the next event at the Deutsche Bank Championship. The third week at the BMW championship will only have 70 players competing; then at the TOUR Championship, 30 players will be left to vie for the 10 million dollar grand prize.

In previous posts, I suggested that the FedEx Cup would become infinitely more excited by adopting the World Cup format. Keep narrowing the field, but base it on how a player performs that week, not on the accumulation of points throughout the year.  Continue reading →

Tiger Woods is Coming Back, Again!

/ The Grateful Golfer / 10 Comments

The golfing world is a buzz with the news that Tiger Woods plans to make his return to golf after a year of rehabilitation. His initial steps back to competitive play will be at the Safeway Open, Oct. 13-16, at Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa, California. Now the discussions will start on why, not whether, this is good for golf.

I am not the biggest Woods fan and I am a bit skeptical that his return will do anything for golf. I understand he has seemingly limitless star power, however his brilliant light will only last so long if he cannot win early in his return. Continue reading →

What is Your Favorite Piece of Fall Clothing?

/ The Grateful Golfer / 7 Comments

Laurentide Golf CourseIt is still very early to worry about layers and keeping warm on the golf course, but I was wondering if you are looking 1 month into the future. I have talked about golfing in the rain, cold, heat and snow to help improve your game (which I hoped helped). I have mentioned various articles of clothing, but nothing really specific.

As the autumn leaves bring a vibrant array of joy, I start to plan for the cooler temperatures. As it gets colder and colder, I start to fill my golf bag with layers and ‘must have’ items to play my best all the time.

Continue reading →

An Interesting Golf Photograph

/ The Grateful Golfer / Leave a comment

Golf has a long and interesting history. I enjoy reading, writing, and viewing the historical aspects of this game/sport. It sparks my imagination and allows me feel what life might was like hundreds of years ago.

I enjoy the mental journey as I play a round of golf with Bobby Jones. Or join the crowd as Francis Ouimet, a 20-year-old amateur and local hero, tie Harry Vardon and Ted Ray after 72 holes at the 1913 US Open. Or witness Gene Sarazen’s “Shot Heard Round The World”, during the final round of the 1935 Augusta National Invitational. These and many more historical events help spark my imagination and for that I am grateful. Continue reading →

How Far Would You Travel to Play Golf?

/ The Grateful Golfer / 19 Comments

Living in Canada, travelling just for golf is a given. “There are an estimated 2,400 golf courses across the country, while Statistics Canada pegs the number of golfers in Canada at about 1.5 million. That’s one course for every 625 players, or 14,500 Canadians—among the highest number per capita in the world.” (Mcleans 2014) However, once you leave the Trans-Canada highway or 401 / Golden Horseshoe corridor, options for golf become less and less.

For example, within 100 km (60 miles) drive of Trenton, Ontario, (where I lived at the beginning of the 2016 golf season), there were over 80 golf courses. Now I live in North Bay, Ontario, and there are only 12 courses within the same distance. My options of quantity and quality diminished greatly, but my desire to travel for golf has not.

Continue reading →