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Let the Games Begin!

/ The Grateful Golfer / 10 Comments

No Caddie RacesThe Waste Management Phoenix Open starts in two days. This tournament has been one of my favorites over the years because of the caddie races and the interaction of the players with the golfing fans. Unfortunately, my excitement is waning for this event. The first blow came in 2013 when they cancelled the caddie races and to add salt to my wounds, this year, the players are not allowed to give out swag on the 16th hole. I guess the over indulging and exuberant fans were taking away from the real reason they were there; to watch professional golf.

This year, after a 14 year hiatus from the Waste Management tournament, Tiger Woods chose this event to return to professional golf after 10 months of rehab. He and Chris Como, his new swing coach, will be trying to make their way back into the winners circle. I do not expect too much from Woods this weekend, but it will be great to see him golfing again.

Other notables like Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed, Rickie Fowler, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson and Graham DeLaet will be teeing it this weekend. If they have anything to do with it, Woods triumphant return will be short lived. Woods, Spieth, and Reed will be playing partners for the two days and Mickelson and Fowler will be in another group. I am pretty sure the coverage of both days will focus on these players regardless of how they are playing.

As this weekend unfolds, I expect plenty of media coverage to focus on the 16th hole. This is one of the best holes in golf. The stadium just enhances the atmosphere for the fans. It looks like a Roman Coliseum where to people go crazy as the gladiators enter the field of battle. Well that was before the PGA cancelled caddie races and swag give away….but I transgress. It is still one of my favorite holes in golf.

The Waste Management Phoenix Open should be a great tournament this weekend. I know who is my favorite. But what I really want to know is who is yours?

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

2016 USA Ryder Cup Captain

/ The Grateful Golfer / 7 Comments

Who will be the next USA Ryder Cup Captain will be announced mid way through the 2015 professional golf season. After the crushing defeat last year at the hands of the Europeans, the US created a task force to examine how the US team is selected (including Captains and Vice-Captains). Unwilling to accept the current trend of losing (4-10-1 since 1985), the USA is attempting to find a better way to field a winning Ryder Cup Team.

The task force was created in the wake of Europe’s victory in the 2014 Ryder Cup in Gleneagles, Scotland. In addition to Sprague and Bevacqua, its members include past captains Raymond Floyd, Tom Lehman and Davis Love III; past Ryder Cup team members Rickie Fowler, Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods; and PGA Vice President Paul Levy. Rydercup.com

I am not sure a “task force” is required to right the sinking ship, but that is the approach the PGA of America has decided to go. Given the big names involved, some unique solutions and ideas will be bantered about to find a winning solution.

Fred Couples

From Golf Digest

I could not find an official list of candidates for the Captaincy, but the first name that popped into my mind was Freddie Couples. He would be perfect for the job. He has led the US to three wins in the President’s Cup; is a well-respected veteran; and has the perfect temperament for The Ryder Cup.

As seen from the tweet above, many big names are in agreement with my choice. Freddie Couples is an obvious candidate and with any luck he will be selected as the 2016 USA Ryder Cup Captain!

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

 

Setting Golf Goals for 2015

/ The Grateful Golfer / 10 Comments

It is that time again! It is time to set my golf goals for the upcoming season. This does not mean I have a plan yet, but it is time to set some achievable goals that I can build my plan around. Last year, I set four goals and met them with moderate success. These goals were realistic and achievable, yet one thing or another prevented me from reaching my full potential.

My partial success was due to the goals themselves. They were very…..mmmmm…..vague. Here is what I said last year:

  • get fit – focus on exercises designed to improve my golf game;
  • research – the drills and techniques required to improve my game;
  • practice – dedicate time to practice to improve my game; and
  • compete – either formally or informally compete every time I hit the links.

Realistically, I achieved all these goals with ease. Unfortunately, I did not tie a result to my goals. Thus, technically all were met, but the bar was so low, it was impossible not to succeed.

 

This year, I am trying something different. My goals will be tangible, realistic, achievable and results oriented. Here is what I am going to accomplish this year:

  • Win 1 golf tournament;
  • Make the Ontario Military Regional Golf Team;
  • Place in the top 10 at the Military National Golf Tournament;
  • Help someone become a better golfer;
  • Play 60+ rounds of golf; and
  • Become a scratch golfer!

My 2015 golf goals are quite lofty. I will have to dedicate the proper time and effort to accomplish all of them. GrowthPersonally, I love a challenge and these goals will spark the motivation I need to become a better golfer.

Finally, I will use positive intent while golfing this year. I will focus on the positive aspects of my golf game. I will objectively analyze the areas of my game that need improvement! I will gratefully accept any golf advice as it is intended.

Setting goals is a helpful way to improve your golf game. My 2015 goals are in place and my desire is strong…I am ready to succeed!

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

The Mental Challenges of “Can’t” in Golf

/ The Grateful Golfer / 34 Comments
Lost and Confused Signpost

Golf is all Mental!

The mental challenges in golf are vast and numerous! What distinguishes an average player from a great player is usually their mental toughness. The ability to have laser like focus when required is something that is honed over time. There are a few who have the innate ability to be mentally strong, but for the most of us, mental toughness must be nurtured and developed.

Through my many years of playing sports, I have developed a keen competitive edge that has served me extremely well. Like other athletes, I have played at the élite level in several sports with much success. However, the great times have also been marred with periods of self-doubt and lack of confidence. These dark times always started with one small insignificant word that has the ability to wreak devastation in its path. That word is “Can’t”!

I must have heard this word 10,000 times in my 50+ years of life! But, the greatest negative effect this word has is when I use it against myself.

Years back, a volleyball coach that I knew, always told his players “you are right, you Can’t” if they used that negative word. He told the young athletes that as soon as they say they can’t do something, their mind and body will immediately agree. He further explained that the biggest effect of that word lies in the six inches of real estate between their ears!

This coach’s teachings have stuck with me through the years. He taught me that being mentally strong is extremely important to any athlete. Last year was a great year for me on the links. There are some things I still have challenges accomplishing, but last year’s successes, as I worked towards being a scratch golfer, helped remove the word “Can’t” from my vocabulary.

This does not mean that I am successful all the time, but ‘by removing that word that shall not be spoken’ the doors of possibility stay open. Last year, I tried learning to shape the ball last year with mixed success; I tried chipping the ball with a new stance with greater success; and I stayed focused on the positive aspects of my game with the best results of all. Through this entire journey, I slowly reduced my self-doubt and increased my confidence on the links.

The greatest success story of last year was the improvement in my mental toughness.

I am no longer afraid of tough lies, hitting into the green from 200 yards, or playing over water into the wind. I found that using the word “CAN” helped improve my game significantly. Now, I did have some challenging times and that bad word did try to creep back into my mind, but I quickly vanquished it with a positive attitude and positive self-talk.

Golf offers many challenges when a player has any self-doubt. As I told my friend Brian from All About Golf, I am going improve my game by focusing 70% of my efforts on the mental side of golf. I believe that removing “that negative word” is the first place to start. I am mentally preparing to be a scratch golfer and it all starts here and now!

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

It is Golfing Weather – Time to Suit Up!

/ The Grateful Golfer / 7 Comments

Golfers are the best predictors of weather! Better than any groundhog, golfers can sense when the weather is going to cooperate before they hit the links! Some have the innate knowledge of weather by the way the grass leans as they load their clubs into the car and yet others have a divining rod that never fails. Regardless of what they use to determine the weather, it is always “time to suit up”!

Have you ever listen to golfers enjoying a libation at the 19th hole. They can recount every stroke, miss hit, and triumph of their previous round. They know the exact yardage of every shot, the distance of all hazards from their ball and the exact what time their playing partner coughed in their backswing! It is truly amazing the plethora of details every golfer can recount at a moments notice. But, this is nothing compared to their ability to predict weather.

How many of us have been on the links and noticed the weather turning bad. As the clouds start to roll in, (although we heard about it in the morning weather report as we drove to the course) denial of the obvious occurs and the weather predictions start rolling in. Golfers instinctively know exactly when the first drop of rain will fall. Their time appreciation is so exact, Swiss watchmakers use them instead of the world atomic clock!

At all times, golfers know the exact wind speed and direction. By tossing a few blades of grass in the air, golfers make a million precise calculations to determine the exact effect the wind will have on their ball flight. With this critical information, amateurs will compensate their aim by two or three yards! It is truly amazing.

The last important weather factor is temperature. Golfers know that a slight change in temperature will cause their game to improve or not. A couple of degrees is the difference between being too cold and stiff to swing a club or to hot and sweaty to effectively hold a golf club! So, selecting the exact tee time will correspond with the known variations in temperature is as much an art as a science!

Actually, all these weather factors are most important when determining when “it is time to suit up”! Knowing the weather will determine what to wear and this is important to playing great golf.

All golfers have an obsessive focus on the weather. By fine tuning their weather predicting skills, golfers feel they can gain that slight advantage needed to win their next match!

Personally, I think it is all a bit crazy, but it is fun to talk about. Knowing the weather is important because I hate being caught on the golf course without my umbrella!

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