Reacting To A Fantastic Golf Shot

/ The Grateful Golfer / 6 Comments

I am fairly confident that if you have shown any interest in the WM Phoenix Open on the weekend, you would have watched the hole in one by Sam Ryder. It was a fantastic shot the resulted in an enthusiastic response from the fans. If you have not seek it, take a look:

The reaction from the crowd garnered some positive and negative comments across social media. I watched live on TV and was amazed at the craziness that ensued. The amount of debris (looked like beer containers) thrown on the par 3, 16th hole was a bit over the top for many. Personally, I think the response from the fans was exactly what the organizers and media outlets expected.

The stadium hole is designed to provide an atmosphere of excess. There is little doubt that the organizers want the fans to be interactive with the players. And littering the hole with beverage containers was expected. Why expected you might say? Well, there were about 30 people (likely volunteers) clearing away the litter once the fans quieted down after a minute of so. Yes, there was a delay in play what the antics the many unfolded, but again I will suggest that the organizers planned for this type of response.

Personally, I am not fussed by the over-the-top reaction of the fans. The 16th hole at the Phoenix Open is designed as a venue like no other in golf. It is designed to allow the fans to be interactive with the players. Every player understands what happens when you play the 16th hole and as such should be prepared to be booed, cheered or experience an over-the-top response to a hole in one. I would not support other venues like the 16th hole at the WM Phoenix Open, but I do for this one event for professional golf.

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

Making Solid Contact With Irons

/ The Grateful Golfer / 7 Comments

It is likely that most amateur golfers are met with varying degrees of success when hitting irons. The longer the iron, the more the challenge. I can honestly say that I switch to a 3 and 4 hybrid because of how poorly I struck my long irons. Having said that, I do work diligently on making solid contact with my 5 iron through lob wedge. I feel that with these clubs I have a better than not chance of being successful. As a follow up to yesterday’s post about my second shot, most of the time it is with an iron and as such I think it is important to dedicate some time to hitting them well.

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How Important Is Your Second Shot In Golf?

/ The Grateful Golfer / 4 Comments

In just about every conversation about golf, the drive and putt appear to be the main focus of discussion. The drive is usually related to distance and the putt to how it rolled into the hole. I can see that these dynamic shots would stick in many players minds, however I would suggest the second shot is as or more important to the other previously mentioned golf shots. I realize this might fly in the face of many discussions on The Grateful Golfer, but if you think about it, the second shot is critical to how every round sets up!

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Getting Ready For Golf Season

/ The Grateful Golfer / 4 Comments

Do you think it is too early to start preparing for golf season? Well, it might be a bit early to pull out all my clubs and give them a cleaning; yet, I do have the bug to start doing something. I have decided on where to start and really was not that difficult. With an extreme cold spell coming until early next week, I have a bit of time to prepare. For three years I have started the same way and it now time to take up the tradition.

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Playing A Roller Coaster Round Of Golf

/ The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

Each round of golf has its own surprises. Depending on the day, we will shoot and awesome score, one we are embarrassed to talk about, and one that has so many hills and valleys that we get dizzy just thinking about it. The latter roller coaster round is one that most players experience on a routine basis. There is no rhyme or reason for the ups and downs……or is there?

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