From time to time I have a challenge with my golf swing. It suddenly shows up mostly because I forget to stay focused. I feel like I am all over the place and no matter what I try I cannot get comfortable over the ball. It is a failing of mine, but over the years of struggling, I found a solution that works for my game. Sometimes I can regain my swing quickly and others it takes a few holes. Regardless, I can reset my swing but there is one thing that I have to do first and it is a must!
Continue readingGrateful Golfer
Feeling Good About Losing A Match
I was knocked out of the Open Match Play event held at the Mattawa Golf and Ski Resort. It was the second round and he is a very good player. I played very well, but I was out gunned yesterday. Golf is an amazing sport where on any given day anything can happen. The interesting thing about our match, each of us only gave one hole to our opponent. The rest of the time, the holes were won outright by a birdie. Misha closed me out 3 and 2, yet the match was much closer than the score.
My opponent, Misha, is a long hitting player whose greatest advantage is length. I hit some very good drives, yet Misha was easily 40 yards longer. Not only did he hit the ball a great distance, he was straight and in play on all shots except for one (he still shot par on the hole after taking one penalty stroke).
During the front nine, neither of us putted all that well. We had several opportunities but I was the only one to make birdie. After the front nine, I was 1 up and I shot a one over par 38. Misha also shot a 38 with only one bogey for the round.
On the 10th hole I missed a short putt to go two up. I opened the door a crack and Misha took total advantage. Rattled off four consecutive wins with three birdies and a par. Suddenly, I was down three with four holes to go. After pressing the next two I was closed out 3 and two.
I played Misha last year and won the match. The difference this year was Misha’s control with every club. If he missed, he did so by the narrowest of margins. His putting heated up on the back and I could not keep pace. When we finished I was one over and he was two under. It was a great match and I am hoping to play against him again next year.
On a side note, I mentioned that I play hickory sticks and had an extra set given to me by Lorne Emery, president of the Golf Historical Society of Canada. He said that he would be interested in playing a round with them in September. I will connect with in a few weeks and he can give them a try.
Well, I am out of the match play competitions for this year. Not winning is new, but my ego can take it. 😉 I a happy to lose to Misha because he won the match!
I want to thank Mike and Brenda the owners and operators of the Mattawa Golf and Ski Resort for their continued support of the match play tournaments.
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
Congratulations To Lydia Ko For Winning a Gold at the 2024 Olympics
Photo Credit: Andrew Redington
I did not get a chance to watch all of the golf today, but I have to give a shout out to Lydia Ko for winning the gold at this years Olympics. It is yet another milestone in her amazing career.
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
What To Do When I Am Not Playing Strong Golf
There are times during my season when I feel I am not playing my best golf. This happened yesterday during a fun scramble I played in at Pine Grove Golf Course. It is my yearly event with some great friends (Bruce, Jack and Blair) where we have an opportunity to have fun and shoot well. Pine Grove is a fun course that is short, but have fantastic greens. It is an event look forward to playing each year. This year we finished third, one stroke behind the dual leaders. As with most teams, we felt we left many shots on the course that could have propelled us to the top of the leaderboard. Alas, we did not get there and the score did not diminish the great time I had with my playing partners.
Continue readingOne Too Many Golf Swing Thoughts
The golf swing is a complicated maneuver that incorporates many minor movements. When I first started playing, I tried to manage as many of positive swing factors as a could just prior to starting my swing. It is something that most, if not all, amateurs find overwhelming. The number of thoughts that would bounce around in my head during my entire swing process seemed uncountable. I fixed this common error after I talked to my mentor Bob Fortune, who explained that I needed to find a way to stop overthinking. Never accursed of thinking too much in the past 😉 I decided to take his advice to heart. Now, I have very little to no swing thoughts and it has helped my improve my ball striking and aim effectiveness. You can as well if you start to eliminate as many swing thoughts as you can prior to and during your golf swing.
Continue reading
The Grateful Golfer 