Olympic Golf – Let The Games Begin

/ The Grateful Golfer / 10 Comments

Olympic golf starts today! Starting with the men, players from 41 countries will vie for a gold medal in the hopes of bringing pride to themselves and their country. The debate about the value of having golf return to the Olympics after 112 years still rages on, but the fact is that Olympic golf has returned.

It is quite possible that many of the world’s top golfers who decided to opt out of going to Rio might second guess their decision, but that is a discussion for another day. Today, it is about the 60 players who did show up to go for the gold! It is those players we should support and focus our positive thoughts towards. Continue reading →

Focused On Playing Great Golf

/ The Grateful Golfer / 6 Comments

As a golfing fanatic, I am focused on playing great golf. I think I do all the right things to improve my game and I am not sure I can do anything else. Sometimes, it feels as if all my effort goes unrewarded. Do you ever feel that way?

Being a student of the game takes on a life of its own sometimes. Reading books, writing articles, watching videos, practicing, playing, and talking about golf, uses up some of my free time! I believe that to be a better player, all the above things need to play some sort of role in my passion. However, I am not so sure I am on the right path to being a scratch golfer!

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Improving your Lie in Golf

/ The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

Understanding the rules of golf is extremely important to playing well. Knowing what you can or cannot do on the course can make the difference between winning or losing a tournament.

Over the years, I have used the rules to insure I was not disadvantaged during play. There is one particular rule, I think, all players should know: Rule 24 – Obstructions.

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Saving Strokes in Golf

/ The Grateful Golfer / 8 Comments

Everyone wants to know how to save strokes in golf. Of course, the easiest way is to hit a hole in one like Ernie Els at the Travellers Championship at the TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Connecticut, on the weekend. But, unfortunately his feat is extremely rare! There are, however, other ways to save strokes on the course; just ask Jim Furyk who shot a 58 on the final day!

We all hit errant shots while playing golf. Some end up in the woods, the pond or in the dreaded sand trap. My friend Geary has a solid game, but hates playing out of the sand!  Who can blame him right?

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The Grateful Golfer Mid Season Review

/ The Grateful Golfer / 7 Comments

It is about that time to review my current progress during the 2016 golf season. Each year, I like to examine how my season is progressing and figure out if I need a mid-season adjustment in order to meet my pre-season goals. I am sure many of you do the same thing and my process is not unique, but it is something I do every year!

This year, my mid-season review is a about 1 month late. Normally, I try to examine everything by mid-July, but due to several big life changes (retiring, moving, starting work again) I did not play as much golf in early July as normal. That is okay, however, because I needed to ensure my priorities were on my life changes and nothing else. So here is what I think so far!

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