golf

Round Two of The Match Play Event Is In The Books

/ The Grateful Golfer / 4 Comments

Osprey Links Golf Course runs two match play events each year. They happen simultaneously and the winner has receives a parking spot next to the club house. I have mentioned this event before as it represents our club championship. This year, I offered to organize the stroke and net events and it was open to all members of my home club.

These events run all summer and the players have 2 weeks to finish each leg of the competition. If you lose, you are out. At this time, won both matches in the second leg and I am on to the next stage. It is a fun event and will be finished by 15 September. Here are the details:

  • Start: 2 July 2019
  • End: When Final Match is Complete
  • 2 Events: Stoke Match Play and Net Match Play
  • Prize: A parking spot close to the Club House
  • Participants: Only open to members of Osprey Links Golf Course
  • Tournament Chair: Jim Burton
  • Rules Committee: Jim Burton and Jeff Rogerson

The net side had more players registered, 23 players, which was not surprising. However, the stroke side did manage to have 19 players sign up. This year, after discussion with previous organizers, I implemented the following handicap differential for the net side:

For Match Play bracket, your Official Golf Handicap will be used throughout each match. The higher handicap will receive the differential of 2/3 on the lowest handicap holes

The 2/3 differential allows for fluctuation of handicaps and a more equitable representation of how players are hitting the ball. I researched other club match play rules on line and this also seems to be the norm. I have received some positive feedback on this rule from two of the players. So far, it seems to be working and I expect to keep using it in the future.

The players make their own arrangements for their matches. If they do not complete their match in the allotted time, I will contact them as to why. If one player was completely unavailable, then they will forfeit the match. If both had challenges, I will find an equitable way to determine who moves on. A coin might be used, but I that has not be completely determined yet.

Personally, I have won both my matches (one in each event). I was given a by in both because of my ranking. My first match (as I described before) my competition encountered a hot putter and was out 6 and 5. The second match played yesterday was a little closer. It was a net match and Jerry fought me to the end. I did squeak out a win and now I am on to the next stage.

The match play events at Osprey Links are fun and we get a fair number of members playing. I am hoping that next year we can expand the field and that will be on me to advertise more. It is my first year of ‘getting involved’ and I will take my lessons learned from this year and expand them to improve the event. Besides, who does not want their name on placard close to the club house!

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

How to Pick the Proper Loft of 3 Wood for Your Game

/ The Grateful Golfer / 5 Comments

Depending on who you talk too, selecting the proper 3 wood is a challenging task. Some styles are designed to fit your eye and others are like having a useless stick in your hand. After going through my fitting, I think I have an understanding on how to pick the proper loft of 3 wood for your game. It is not a difficult chore, but does take a bit of effort.

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How to Bounce A Ball On Your Wedge

/ The Grateful Golfer / 3 Comments

Believe it or not, this is not something have actually tried often. I am quite surprised because in my younger days, I was all about trying trick shots with a basketball and spinning it around my body. Yet, this skill was never transferred to golf. So today, I am presenting a short video on the basics.

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Time to Stop Harassing the GM and Superintendent For Things They Cannot Control

/ The Grateful Golfer / 4 Comments

It is golf season in most of the northern climes! I chomped at the bit for so long waiting for golf season, I just need mother nature to cooperate. I have played 3 times (9 hole only) and want to get out more. On those days I could have played 18 holes, but carts were not available because the course was “too wet”. I mean common on, it does not seem that wet to me. So, lets get on with it! Additionally, the front 9 is still closed with no indication of when it is going to open. These are only a few of the current challenges facing my golf season from charging into full steam. So, what is the hold up; it has to be the General Manager and Superintendent!

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Preventing Golf Injuries Early In Your Golf Season

/ The Grateful Golfer / 10 Comments

My biggest fear is injuring myself early in the golf season. I have, unfortunately, did this before and it makes for a long road to recover because of the amount I want to play. Given the challenges of a rusty swing and very wet terrain, the possibility of injury increases so I must be wary to avoid potential injury scenarios. Well, my second round of the year was one of those scenarios I need to avoid!

The worse injury I ever had was golfer’s elbow for two years in a row. I injured myself early in the season and it too months to recover. This injury did slow me down and as a result I had to cut back on the number of rounds and practice time to allow healing to occur. Of course, I cannot compare myself to someone like Tiger Woods who has recovered from 24 reported injuries throughout his career (not to mention the number of minor injuries unreported), but as an amateur, any injury sucks.

On Saturday past, I played my second 9 holes of the year. The course was in good shape, but still very wet. My swing was not in good shape, but the rust is slowly being knocked off. As I made my way around the course, I found that I was digging in with my irons more than normal and as such cause additional stress on my elbows. Well, around the 5th hole, I pulled something on the inside of my right elbow and it bothered me for the rest of the round. Fortunately, if I did not dig in too deep, there was less pain so I figured my injury was not as serious as I feared.

On a side note, I wrote about golfer / tennis elbow before. It is something that many golfers are aware of and try to avoid…..right Brian Penn?

After my round, I could notice some pain when rotating my arm. So, I took it easy that night and rested it on Sunday (although it was the best weather of the year) to ensure my injury had a time to recover. It is the smart think to do because I want to be able to play for the entire season, not just a few early rounds.

I seems that back injuries is the most common. But, it is not the only one:


Avoiding injuries early in the golf season (well actually any time) is important to us players who have a short season. Not only does it limit your playing time, but it hurts your handicap index because of the higher scores. Taking things slow and easy in early stages of your season is a great first step to enjoying your entire season. This is what I plan to continue doing; how about you?

Do you try to avoid golf injuries? If so, how?

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