Grateful Golfer

A Duck Sighting!

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Kirk and duck2

Hello Duck!

The duck is the topic of many happy conversations at The Grateful Golfer. It is a competition between best friends who have found a way enhance their time on the links. If you want to read more about the duck, check out a recent update at the following link or type duck in the search function on the right and see the whole story!

Every golfer needs a duck!

Every golfer needs a duck!

This duck has travelled. It has experienced 20+ courses in Canada, several courses in the UK, and is resting comfortably in Brussels at the moment! Amazingly, this little duck keeps showing up at the strangest places.

At this time, Kirk is hitting the links and is increasing the adventures of the duck as we speak. His pics show that the duck challenge is alive and well because he is taking our little friend (part of the deal as caretaker of the duck) on a golfing adventures. Kirk did not talk about his game, but

Enjoying a few cool ones after a tough time on the links!

Enjoying a few cool ones after a tough time on the links!

knowing him he will under play his score in order to fleece me for more strokes for the next time we play.

Kirk, thanks for the update. I can see from your smile that your round did not put you are not in a fowl mood.

I am looking forward to our next match for the duck!

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

Playing Golf With New Friends

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Jim Norm Dave Mr. Print

Norm and Dave from Mr. Print meeting for the first time in a charity event with The Grateful Golfer last year!

On Thursday I was fortunate to play golf with my new friends Dan and Michael. I caught them on the third tee and they offered me to go through or to join them. The course was pretty busy, so I quickly agree and a group of three grateful  golfers formed. These two gentlemen, whom I had never met before, were doing a recce of the course because they are playing in a scramble on Friday. Both seemed very excited and had not played Roundel Glen in a very long time.

Was we played the front nine, we all became acquainted and it was quite nice to hear the stories of their friendship. Interesting, they were both veterans and we talked about our military tours overseas and some of the same operations in which we served. It was very interesting to hear how things were different and yet, still the same. Overall, it was a great round of golf and I was very glad that I joined them.

A couple of years ago, I talked about golf being a contact sport. I still believe that golf offers a great opportunity to meet new people and expand our understanding of world around us! I love reading stories about chance encounters (or planned) of golfers and how they golf was the mechanism that facilitated their new experience.

If you are looking for similar stories of encounters with new and old golfing friends, check out Wayne at Golfing at Kauai; you will understand what I mean!

Golf is a great contact sport! Meeting golfers and making new friends is only one of the many aspects of golf that keeps me coming back again and again! How about you? Do you like playing with strangers?

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

Jason Day is a Cool Character

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Jason Day is so cool! I just had to share these two comments from his interview at the Tour Championship today!

Day went on to state that Jordan Spieth was the Player of the Year for 2015!

What a class act! How can you not respect this guy!

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

Winning at Match Play

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2-man Scramble

Match Play events can be fun!

Yesterday I played in a 9-hole team Match Play event with no drama. The format was pretty straight forward; there were 2 teams of 2 from each unit, competing against another similar team from a different unit. (A typical unit is a homogeneous military organization where its administrative and command functions are self-contained) This inter-unit competition has lasted all summer and yesterday was the semi-finals.

The total team score was a combination of the total number of holes won by your two teams. As we started off the first tee, we felt confident that we would be victorious because of the skill level of our team. Mark and I started off par, birdie, par, birdie and were 4 up after 4. It did not get any better for the other team as we finished the nine holes with 7 wins and 2 ties. Our other team finished 6 wins, 2 ties, and one loss. As we only count wins and losses, our team won 13 to 1. On to the finals next week.

After playing in a Match Play contest, I did realize that the rules or etiquette are not really understood by most players.

The first was when to concede the hole. Our opponents did not understand when to tell us to pick up our ball. When playing a par 4, I concede their 3 foot putt because it was for a 7. We were sitting 15 ft from the hole, laying 3. Instead of conceding the hole, they waited until we putted the ball to within 6 inches to lie 4 before conceding the hole. I think they should have concede the hole given the circumstances.

The first time I conceded one of their putts, one of the players did not understand and tried to mark his ball. I explained that he could have the putt and he was still a bit confused. After his partner explained what was going on, it never happened again.

When the first team is in the hole, they should pick up the flag. On several occasions, when first in the hole, they walked toward their bag and left us to pick the flag up. This is not a really big deal, but to me it is an etiquette thing.

It was ironic that I played a Match Play event this week, but I can easily see both sides of the recent conversation about the mishap at the Solheim Cup. But, for me that issue is over. Unfortunately, I cannot play in the finals next week, but I am confident our unit will prevail.

Do you like playing in a Match Play event? If so, singles or team?

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

FEDEX Cup – The Tournament within a Tournament

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Today is moving day at the BMW Championship! All eyes are on the top players as they slug it out for the top spot. Most of the media focus for Saturday will be on Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson (ok I threw Phil in because I always watch his progress). And why not, these are the leading contenders for the FedExCup championship! But, little focus is actually on the tournament within a tournament!

The race for the top 30, in order to advance to the Tour Championship, is just as heated as for the top spot. There is much riding on advancing to the next stage of the playoffs and right now, 10 players are in a battle to improve their position in the FedExCup standings.

The list below is of the current FedExCup standings of positions between 26 and 35. The first number is the predicted position if nothing chances between now and the end of the tournament. The second number is their current standing  within the FedExCup. And the last number is the movement up or down the standings at the end of the tournament if nothing changes.

Moving Day at the BWM

These players are all within striking distance of fall out and making their way to East Lake GC in Atlanta, GA. I would suggest that these players have just as much, if not more, pressure on them to succeed than the top players! The payoff for moving on to the Tour Championship is tremendous and none of these professionals want to left out in the cold.

There are two tremendous battles going on at the BMW Championship! The battle for the top spot and the battle to make it into the top 30! Which do you prefer? Any predictions?

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