The Grateful Golfer – 2015 Year in Review

December 31, 2015December 28, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 4 Comments

As 2015 comes to a close, I like to take the time and review my golf year. I like to objectively look at all the factors that attributed to the various ups and downs of my season. In the past, my introspective look at the past helps develop my plan for the future. In some cases, I want history to repeat itself; in other cases, lets just say that a change is needed.

To start my critical assessment, lets review my goals for 2015:

This year, I am trying something different. My goals will be tangible, realistic, achievable and results oriented. Here is what I am going to accomplish this year:

Win 1 golf tournament; – Achieved
Make the Ontario Military Regional Golf Team; – Missed by 2 spots (3 strokes)
Place in the top 10 at the Military National Golf Tournament;- Missed
Help someone become a better golfer; – Achieved
Play 60+ rounds of golf; and – Achieved
Become a scratch golfer! – Missed – Lowest handicap was 2.8

According to my direct goals, I was 50%. But as we all know, stats can lie and this is not the real story. Let me explain!

The Duck Stays in Europe!

My 2015 golf season started off very slow. I missed the first month for work and a vacation to Europe. Neither I would change, but this slow start did have some lingering effects as the season wore on. On a positive note, The Duck stayed in Europe and I look forward to another match this year against my good buddy, Kirk!

Hopewell Rocks, New Brunswick, Canada

Additionally, I missed about 1 month of golf in September due to work and a vacation to Quebec, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, Canada. Neither I would change as both were fun and I spent some quality time with my wife and best friend. These excursions definitely had an impact on my golf game this year, but not something I would have changed; special time with the people I love and sharing awesome experiences with them reminds me to why I a grateful for everything in my life!

Back to my season! As the year unfolded, I found it difficult to find a groove. I was not comfortable over the ball for most of the season and only found sparks of great play. My usual streak of 6-8 weeks of great golf did not materialize this year. I can attribute my inconsistency to lack of practice at the beginning of the year. Normally, I spend the first 2-3 weeks practicing my short game and getting my “feel” back. Unfortunately, this year it did not happen. I would rate my preparation for my golf season as poor in 2015.

As the season unfolded, my game did improve. Before I continue, I think it is important to note that all my assessments are relative to my own expectations and perceived capabilities and not meant to be compared against anyone, but myself. I shot several rounds at par and several from 2-4 over. For some reason, I found shooting a low score was not the problem, consistency was really the challenge. My scoring to 2015 would be rated as average.

ap2_714 I changed equipment in July. I was fitted for the first time, and thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience. I purchased Titleist AP2 Irons and 915 D2 driver, 3-wood, and 3-hybrid. I am completely happy with the new equipment. I am still getting used to how they feel and the different distances each club can produce, but I am close. Overall, my satisfaction with my change of equipment is outstanding; however, when I decide to make a wholesale change of equipment in the future, I would do it at the beginning or end of a golfing season.

There were very few low points in my golfing season this year other than missing 2 months of golf. I played some ugly golf from time to time (as we all do) but I never shot in the 90s, I never lost my sense of humor, and I never lost my gratitude for being able to play golf….period!

On a more positive note, here are some highlights of my 2015 golf season:

I played more golf with my wife than ever before. We made it to the range and links on a regular basis and it made a great difference in both our games. More importantly, I was spending time doing two of my favorite things – hanging with my best friend and hitting the links.

I was part of a team that won a 2 man scramble golf tournament. My friend Jean played very well and he was tired at the end of round from carrying me for 18 holes. It was great fun and walking away with some hardware always makes things seem better.

I played golf at some pretty nice courses in the local area – Wildfire Golf and Country Club, Keystone Links, Black Bear Ridge, Trillium Woods, Bay of Quinte Golf Club, and of course my home track of Roundel Glen Golf Course. This year Roundel Glen was in its best shape for years. A big shout out to our superintendent, Jeremy Sizer, and his team for doing a fantastic job with the course. I played some great courses this year, but the best part was the people I played with! They made playing at these courses a more enjoyable experience.

My three rounds at the Ontario Regional Golf Championship. I finished 7th and missed making the Ontario team by 2 positions (3 strokes). Over the 54 hole event, I shot 79 on all three days. Now many would think that missing the team would prevent this experience from being a highlight of 2015, but I think we need to look at what really happened. I learned more from just coming up short, than if I had made the team. I was very happy with the way I fought for every stroke and kept in the mix throughout the entire event! Playing at Regionals was a definite highlight of the year.

Lastly, the best aspect of my 2015 golf season was the people. I met some fantastic people on and off the course due to golf. My old friends are awesome! They are always there with a positive comment, to pick me up and to help correct my wayward game – I am always grateful for their friendship.

Also, I had the opportunity to interact with new positive, like-minded people who enriched my life in some way. Golf is definitely a contact sport, and each year I am grateful for the awesome people I meet and eventually call my friends.

My 2015 golf season is definitely in the books. As the snow has finally arrived, I am sitting in my house taking this opportunity to really examine my season. I met some great people and played some fantastic courses. Keeping everything in perspective, my low points were minor bumps in the road that do not need any further attention! It is time to look to the future and start preparing for another awesome golf season in 2016.

Overall, I would rate my 2015 golf season as a resounding success!

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

The Tale of Two Nines

May 13, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 8 Comments

Random Golf Statue outside a wood carving shop in Oberammergau, Germany. (April 2015)

Yesterday was a unique experience at my home course of Roundel Glen. The back nine is temporarily closed, so I played two rounds on the front. It was a cold, windy day, but it was still fun to hit the links. Interestingly, I played two completely different rounds of golf in the space of 3 hours!

The first nine holes was a struggle. I shot a 43 with 2 doubles, 3 bogies and 4 pars. I had zero putts for birdie and every swing seemed out of sync. Granted, I did not warm up properly (or at all) and I was rushing from the car to the first tee because I was still in work mode. The only highlight of this round was that my friend Jean was there to share in my misery.

After the first nine, I considered stopping. However, in true “can’t get enough golf” fashion, we pressed on and played another 9 holes. As I walked to the first tee, again, I started my internal self-talk. If I change my thoughts, I can change my results! Additionally, I only needed one good shot and I was sure things would turn around.

The first hole on my course is a par 3, 150 yard beauty. Last year, this hole was a 210 yard, par 3 monster. However, due to construction, the hole was shortened. Playing into a strong left to right wind, I selected one club more than usual (7 iron), aimed 10 yards to the left of the green and swung with confidence. My ball landed on the left fringe and bounced on the green. This shot helped boost my confidence, but was not the shot that changed my round. It was the next shot.

After reading the uphill, left to right breaking putt, I took careful aim and made the 20 foot ‘fall in the side door’ putt! It was my first birdie of the year on my home course and I suddenly felt relieved and confident walking to the number 2 tee box!

As the round unfolded, I smoothly ended up with 7 putts for birdie! I was one under until the sixth hole and ended even after that. I finished strong and was not in any trouble for the entire 9 holes. My drives were in the fairway (except for the sixth hole), my approach shots were accurate, and my putting was good. Overall, this 9 holes was exactly what I was expecting after the birdie on the first hole.

For those doing the math, I shot a 79 – 43 / 36. This early in the season, I happily accept both results. However, the lesson from yesterday is to never panic, stay focused, and know that one good shot has the potential to change your entire game.

As I have stated in the past, I never worry about my score in May. It is unrealistic to think I am in mid-season form and as such, I curtail my expectations until I have had a chance to practice and play more. The 2015 season is well under way. I have 6 rounds completed and will be hitting the links tomorrow. I hope to better my round of 79, but if not, I will be grateful to be playing!

How is your 2015 golf season going?

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

First Round of the 2015 Golf Season Complete

April 26, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 8 Comments

My first round of golf for 2015 is in the books! Before everyone asks how the conditions are at my home course of Rondel Glen, let me stop you right there. This year my first round of golf was played at the Northwood Golf Course at Middlesex, London, UK.

I am on vacation with my darling wife and we are visiting our awesome friends in the UK. As always, Kirk and I take the opportunity to play a few rounds when we are visiting each other and this time things are no different.

Overall, my round was very satisfying and I am very happy with the overall results. I am using borrowed clubs and shoes, but the intent of my round was more about playing golf, than actually scoring. To my surprise, I was able to do both. My score of 78 with 2 doubles and 1 birdie was pretty solid for the first time out.

Northwood was in excellent shape. The greens were freshly cut and rolled. The fairways were in good shape for this time of the year and the sand traps, many were recently reworked, were in awesome shape. I have talked about this course before and it is worth the 28 pounds it cost to play.

For the first round of the year, with no practice yet, I wanted to manage my expectations and make the round as fun as possible. The little bit of rain during the first 6 holes did not dampen our spirits. So as I approached the first tee, I had two thoughts in mind: keep your head down and widen my stance when driving the ball. As it turned out, these were perfect things to think about.

I had 9 chances for birdie. Four of those were within 10 feet. I only made one. This is not surprising because I have not putted on grass since last year. My chipping was on and off, but my driving was very good. I was able to keep it in play the entire round!

I did have one poor hole. It was a par 5, 480 yard dog leg left, reachable par five, if you are in the fairway off the tee. As it turned out, I hit the ball into the fairway bunker on the left side. Confidently, I walked into the sand, pulled out my 5 iron and hit the front lip of the trap. Classic rookie mistake. To make things worse, the ball came to rest beside the front lip. So, grabbing my shovel…. I mean my sand wedge, I hit the ball again and to my surprise, it landed 6 feet behind me IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRAP. I cannot remember the last time, if ever, I was still in the trap after 2 shots! Taking no chances, I hit my third shot about 25 yards up the rough.

Now here is a lesson for us all, on my third shot out of the trap, I lost my mental focus and did not consider my upcoming shot. I just hit the ball and did not care where it went. So now I am lying 4 behind the trees with no shot to the green. Next time (well actually I hope there is never a next time) I will remain focused and remember that course management is always in play!

So, on to my fifth shot. After three poor shots in the bunker, I executed the best shot of the round. I hit a 3 hybrid in Bubba Watson like fashion around the trees with a big hook and landed 10 feet from the green in the fairway. It was spectacular! A quick up and down, I walked off smiling with a smooth 7!

With those exciting times over, I responded with a par on the next hole. My first round of golf was nothing but fun. I started with a bogey, ended with a birdie, and now have been bitten by the golfing bug. I finished the 2014 golf season and started the 2015 golf season in the UK with one of my best friends! How grateful am I!

I hope to play a couple more rounds while on our vacation, but in case that falls through, my 2015 golf season has started on a high note!

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

Golf Season is on its Way!

March 6, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 18 Comments

I figure there is 30 days left before I hit the golf course. We still have 3 feet of snow on the ground, but the warm weather is on its way. Normally, I expect golf season to start on 15 April, but this year I am predicting I will be swing my clubs a week earlier.

In the meantime, I have some things to do. I have mentioned before about my yearly traditions and I plan to do those over the next 30 days. The most important tradition is to read the rule book. I think this is critical for my goal to compete more this year. Additionally, I will see if there are any new rule interpretations that are coming in play this year.

I will get my equipment out and give it a very good cleaning. I think it is important to focus on my grips. A good cleaning early in the season will help them last the season.

Lastly, I will check to see what needs to be replaced. I know many of you have done this already, but with 30 days left, it is time to prepare.

I am excited that golf season is around the corner, all I have to do is continue to be patient, train, and focus on the positive aspects of my 2015 golf season!

What are you doing to get ready for 2015?

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

The Tale of Two Moons In Golf

January 3, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 8 Comments

paschal-full-moon-from-17th-april-2011-sky-watching-co-uk

Credit: Sky-Watching/A.Welbourn

The tale of two moons is a journey towards better golf! As my darling wife and I returned home from visiting our daughter and her husband, I was struck by the two moons we saw on our trip. It was hard to believe they were the same celestial body because of their diverse nature.

As we set out on our 1629 km (1012 Miles) drive, we saw the most beautiful orange moon! It had a majestic haze that seemed to emit hope to everyone. It filled the star speckled sky with radiance. It caught our attention and I mentioned it several times as we drove along the dark highways towards home.

Upon arriving at the end of our trip, I noticed the moon again. Although it was still an hour before sunset, the moon was shining brightly in the daytime sky. It was sharp and focused. It reminded me of a lighthouse; a beacon of clarity, shining for all to see. It was determined to outshine the sun and stay its course regardless of the challenges it faced.

These two moons are helping me shape my golf plan for 2015. Right now, my mind is full of hope, general ideas, and anticipation of what is to come. In the house of the first moon, I am molding my thoughts with no limitations. I am envisioning my goals and the positive aspects of 2015 on the links.

Transitioning towards the second moon will happen, but not until I have experienced all of what the first moon has to offer. In the second moon, I will focus on how to accomplish my goals. I will develop a clarity and single-mindedness that will drive my efforts in the same direction. Like the second moon, I will know what I have to do to succeed in golf this year and not be afraid to go for it.

This is the start of my new golfing season. Like other years, it is time to develop my goals, develop my plan, and execute my plan. As you can see through my tone, I am taking full responsibility and accountability for the success of my plan. I am, however, not shy to ask for support and advice from you the reader, other confidants, experts or even strangers. My view is: the more we talk and interact about golf, the more I learn. The more I learn, the better I play. The better I play, the more fun golf becomes. The more fun I have at golf, the more I talk…… I think you get the picture!

The tale of two moons is my first step towards an awesome 2015 golf season. I feel enthusiastic, inspired, and empowered to be successful. I am expecting a fantastic journey and look forward to sharing it with all who want to listen.

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