What a Return to Golf

September 13, 2015September 12, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 10 Comments

After about 1 month off, I finally was able to hit the links. On Thursday past, I was able to get out after a charity tournament and had the course to myself. Arriving early, I hit a large bucket of balls, then chipped and putted for about 30 minutes. I had thought about how I would play this round trying to manage my expectations! You know exactly what I mean, knowing that your game is a bit rusty, you down play the end result as not to be frustrated while enjoying your time on the links!

As I walked to the first tee, a 150 yard par 3, a friend of mine was getting ready to play. Steve asked if I wanted to join them for their last hole. Of course, I said yes and waited my turn. Pulling my 7-iron, all I kept saying to myself was to keep my head down and swing easy. Well, to my surprise the ball ended up in the middle of the green. After an easy two-putt, I started with a par.

On par 5 second hole, I hit my third shot to 1 foot from 100 yards. A quick tap in and I was 1 under! Well, no one was more surprised than me! The par 3, third hole, par, and so on and so on! This was one of my best front nines of the year. If I missed the green, I chipped to within 2 feet. If I hit a tree (which I did twice) the ball bounced into the middle of the fairway. I even hit a bunker once and the ball bounce out onto the green! It seemed that I could do nothing wrong. I finished the front nine with a 1 under 35!

As I walked to the 10th hole, I started to think. Yup, I know, that was a big mistake! The last thing I should have done was to start thinking. I was starting to play out the back nine in my mind and I envisioned shooting under par for the second time this year!

Opening with two bogies, I started to worry about my swing. Instead of swinging slow and controlled like the front nine, I tried to hit the ball a bit farther and to shape the ball. This strategic error was the start of a different outcome.

As the back nine unfolded, I tried several times to regroup and was successful for the most part. The one technique I relied on the most was my pre-shot routine. During the front nine, I relied on my pre-shot routine to keep focused and steady. The first two holes of the back-nine I change what worked and it cost me immediately. So, back to what works and presto – I was back on track.

As the back nine continued, I struggled with my swing more and more. Mostly, I was getting tired and as you know, your swing starts to breakdown when you are tired. Trying to stay focused, I started to really work at my game. The last 6 holes was all about course management. Instead of trying to crush the ball, I started to play to distances. This approached worked well and I played the last 6 holes 1 over (2 bogies and a birdie)!

At the end of the round, I shot a 74 from the tips! It was one of my best rounds of golf of the year. After a month off, my round exceeded all of my expectations! Now I have a dilemma, trying to remember how I played on the front nine and duplicate it the next time I play! The biggest test will be to keep my brain out-of-the-way and let my body naturally play as it knows how!

I have never taken this long of a break during golf season and been so successful upon my return. I am a bit out of my league, grateful golfers, I need some help. How do you propose I keep focused on the positives from my last round of golf and incorporated them in my next round? Any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated!

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

An Unexpected Surprise on the Golf Course

September 9, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 7 Comments

Yesterday, I was in Kingston, Nova Scotia, Canada, as part of my vacation. During our trip down memory lane, I took the opportunity to visit Paragon Golf and Country Club. This track has a special place in my heart because it was the home course of my Mom. She passed a few years ago, but my memory of playing golf with her is still very fresh! When my Mom passed, the family decided to donate a bench in her memory. So I thought I would take a picture while I was there.

When I arrived, I quickly popped into the Pro Shop and asked if I could head out and take some pictures of the course and the bench. Unexpectedly, but not being surprised at the Nova Scotia hospitality, Barb gave me a key to a cart and said to take my time. I will be posting the pictures and providing a review of this gem at a later date.

While cruising around the course, I happened across two older ladies enjoying their round. I patiently drove up behind them and asked if I could pass by because I was just taking some pictures. While starting to pass, Sue and Joan asked where I was from and the conversation started.

We stopped at the 14th tee (which is where my Mom’s bench was) and started to chat. These elderly ladies actually knew my Mom and played many rounds of golf with her. We talked for about 5 minutes and I explained that I was taking pictures for my blog and that I was on vacation. They asked when was the last time I played and I said about 3 weeks ago.

Suddenly, Joan asked if I wanted to hit a couple of balls off the tee. Never one to pass up the chance to hit golf balls, I happily agreed. First, both Sue and Joan split the middle of the fairway with their drives; so the pressure was on for me to do the same. Joan offered her driver and a couple of old balls and to the tee box I went.

Surprisingly, I crushed both balls down the middle of the fairway. During my swing, I slowed my tempo down considerably because the club had a very flexible shaft. After making solid contact, I was very pleased with the results. Picking up the tee, both ladies suggested they would use the balls I hit and laughed. After returning Joan’s club, the ladies waved good-bye as they drove off.

Meeting these ladies was a chance encounter that brightened my day. Both were fantastic to talk to and I was grateful for how positively they talked about my Mom. Thanks Sue and Joan for making this year’s trip to Paragon a memorable one.

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

The Deutsche Bank Championship

September 1, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

The second leg of the FEDEXCUP Playoffs starts in a couple of days. Here are my picks:

Finishing fourth – Zach Johnson

Finishing tied for 2^nd – Rory McIlroy and Henrik Stenson

Winner – Jordan Spieth

Dark Horse – Tony Finau

To read my article in full, check out PunditArena.com. Let me know what you think!

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

Mid Season Break from Golf

August 31, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 8 Comments

Grateful for Golf!

Have you ever decided that a week or two off in the middle of your golf season would be good for your game? Depending on how much you play, a rest from the sticks might just improve your outlook on how you play. I am sure there are many articles about the psychology of letting our brains focus on things other than golf, but I have never really been convinced.

If you find yourself dragged out and not enjoying your rounds, then a rest is a great idea. Because our season is so short in Canada, I have never really taken a conscious break from the game, life usually does that for me.

The last time I hit the links was 2 weeks ago on Tuesday. Yup, almost 14 days. Additionally, I have started my holidays and it looks like another 10-12 days before I loop the course. Unfortunately, I was sick a couple of weeks ago and it last a good 7 days. I rarely get sick, but in this case I was off work and laid up waiting for my sickness to pass. That was the start of my time away from the links.

After healing, work got in the way and now I am on vacation with my wife. I expected to take the 2 weeks off for our vacation because of our plans, but the two weeks prior was a surprise. So after all that is said and done, I will be away from the links for quite some time during peak golfing weather.

The funny thing is, is that I am not concerned about it at all. I think that I will be refreshed and ready to get back into the swing of things when it is time. I am blessed with the opportunity to golf often and a doubly blessed to have an understanding wife!

So, my mid-season break is a bit longer than normal this year. I do miss hitting the links with my friends, but they will be there when I get back. Overall, life is fantastic and I am truly grateful!

Thoughts from Day 3 at the Barclay’s

August 29, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / Leave a comment

Day 3 from the Barclay’s is in the books. It was interesting to watch the pros navigate Plainfield Country Club in Edison, NJ. The many challenges of the course lie in the rough and placement of the many sand traps. Additionally, the greens on the course appear to be very challenging given the plethora of scores on day three.

There will be many reports on the play of Day 3, however there is one thing I noticed about the play that caught my attention. Many of the leaders were putting from the fringe. This caught my attention because most of the pros are awesome wedge players. What would drive them to use their putter instead of their wedge?

As I watch them play, I can see the undulations on the greens and pin placements are causing challenges for the players. Using their putter appears to be best way to conserve strokes and reduce errors. Very few were making the putts, but their lag distance was close as most players were able to get up and down for par.

This is an interesting defensive strategy. I will admit that recently I have started using my putter more from the fringe. This is counter to my previous strategy, but this change has saved at least 2 strokes per round because my lag distance is make-able more often than not.

Do you use your putter or wedge from the fringe? In your view, why doe you use our putter or wedge?

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