Grateful Golfer

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!

What a Return to Golf

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simple and complicatedAfter 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!