Arnold Palmer

How to Swing a Golf Club

/ The Grateful Golfer / 4 Comments

Swinging a golf club is deceptively difficult, totally frustrating, produces gratifying results and is poetry in motion all at the same time. Many amateur golfers are in constant pursuit of that perfect swing to fit their game. Routinely making changes, many players never find what they are looking for; however, their journey always continues.

I talked before about the best golf swing and concluded that each player has that perfect swing inside themselves if they just trust that it will come out when it is ready. But, that is not enough sometimes!

Some players follow the lyrics from Billy Crystal’s song You Look Marvelous; “Nando, don’t be a schnook. It’s not how you feel, it’s how. You. Look!” No matter the scoring results they want that poetry in motion look. There really is not wrong answer to how to swing a golf club!

Just to prove what I mean, take a look at some of these great players:

It is interesting that some of the best players of all time had unique swings that were self-taught! Regardless of how they looked, every swing had one thing in common; it was repeatable! And could they repeat their swing. This is an interesting point for players to take away:

How to hit a golf club consistently and effectively, with success, comes in many forms. Only you know the right form for you!

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

Golf With Friends and Etiquette

/ The Grateful Golfer / 6 Comments

As per our weekly routine, on Saturday and Sunday my friends and I converged on our home course for a round at golf. Starting at 7:08 am, we enjoy the weather, the friendship and loads of fun as we walk the course. Our 3 hour and 15 minute round is often filled with jokes, jabs, laughs, and the odd barrage of colourful language. It is something that we all look forward too and rarely miss.

We have played together for years and sometimes this familiarity creates certain learning opportunities. Today, for instance, was a lesson on surrounding the player making the shot. I happen to be taking the picture, but I could easily be interchanged with any of my friends.

With a military competition coming up, we will start to tighten the rules, focus on etiquette, and take a bit longer to make our shots. But, for now all is normal. The picture below is definitely something that would not happen during competition. As you can see, all the players have stopped to watch one of the guys take his shot. The sun is still quite low in the horizon, so standing behind the player gives the best opportunity to track the ball.

Golfing with Friends

Can I have a bit of space?

However, as I stated before, our familiarity and comfort of playing together for years does lead to the odd etiquette breach. As you can see, we have the shooter surrounded. Everyone is standing within 10 feet of the player and in his sight line. This type of configuration is not uncommon for us because the fellas were likely talking all the way down the fairway. We would not give it a second thought that something was amiss.

As we inch closer to the competition (in less than 2 weeks) all of us will be more cognizant of where we stand, how close to be to the shooter, and at what angle to stand of the player making the shot. We will focus on proper etiquette and make sure that we are aware of it during the competition.

The point to this diatribe is that etiquette is very important in golf. Understanding the finer points of where to stand, being ready to play when it is your turn, and not interfering with a player’s routine is quite important. The only way to fully understand the proper etiquette in golf is to ask questions and be aware of your surroundings.

Golf is a gentlemen’s game and etiquette is very important. Arnold Palmer has identified 10 important etiquette points that are good to know. If you have any other questions about etiquette, drop me a line. I will find you the answer.

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

The Masters – Day 1

/ The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

The first round of the 2015 Masters is in the books. The stellar play by Jordan Spieth (-8), Ernie Els, Charley Hoffman, Jason Day and Justin Rose (all -5) have them leading the field. Except for Jordan Spieth and Jason Day, the rest of the names in the top 10 were not on most pundits’ radar! But, it is still the first day.

The Masters is a game of endurance, it is not a sprint. As the next three days unfold, many aspects of the leader’s game will be tested. Most of all, their ability to handle the pressure of leading the Masters.

The first day of the Masters is always exciting where the anticipation for fantastic golf changes to reality for golfing fanatics. However, for me, there is always one aspect of the Masters I look forward to seeing each year. The honorary starters hitting the first ball. This year, like others in the past, Arnold Palmer , 85, Gary Player, 79, and Jack Nicklaus, 75, thrilled the crowds with three awesome shots.

When I look at these great players, I cannot help but remember all the fantastic memories they have created. They transcend time as I see them bend over (more of a feat than we would think given their age), line up, and launch their drives down the first fairway. These three giants are worthy of our respect and admiration for making golf the game it is today. Their stats are simply amazing. Here is a quick snapshot of how great these players really are:

Honorary Starters of the 2015 Masters
Arnold Palmer Gary Player Jack Nicklaus
Masters Played 50 52 45
Masters Won 4 3 6
Masters Top 10 9 8 15
Total Majors 7 10 14
Professional Wins Worldwide 95 178 116

The stories these golfing legends could tell would be mind-boggling. Each time they tee it up at the Masters, I take a trip down memory lane. The championships they have won and lost; the spectacular shots over the years; and the grace and gentlemanly fashion in which they carried themselves is a lesson for us all. Watching the honorary starters is a tradition I love about the Masters and if you missed it:

Tomorrow is another day. The pressure will continue to build. I am looking forward to seeing if the current leaders have the game (both mentally and physically) to extend their lead. Right now, many players are working towards the privilege of playing on the weekend; I still think Rory McIlroy will win and he will start making his move tomorrow. Who are your movers and shakers for tomorrow?

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

Masters Pairings

/ The Grateful Golfer / 6 Comments

Tomorrow, the long-awaited start of The Masters arrives. The entire golfing world is ready for Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Arnold Palmer to serve as honorary starters. A tradition that goes back to 1963, the honorary starters add that bit of excitement on the first tee. Who better to start The Masters off than these three giants?

Who the participants play with for the first two days is as important as how they play. Mixing and matching players cannot be easy and I am not sure how the pairings are selected. Regardless, the following is from Masters.com and here is what we have to look forward to over the next two days:

Masters Pairings 2015

There are many great pairings to watch, but here are the ones I will pay special attention to:

Tee Times Players
Thursday Friday
8:18 a.m. 11:25 a.m. Mike Weir Ben Crane Corey Conners (a)
9:02 a.m. 12:20 p.m. Patrick Reed Keegan Bradley Ian Poulter
9:24 a.m. 12:42 p.m. Bubba Watson Justin Rose Gunn Yang (a)
9:35 a.m. 12:53 p.m. Adam Scott Dustin Johnson Antonio Murdaca (a)
10:52 a.m. 1:59 p.m. J. B. Holmes Martin Kaymer Brandt Snedeker
10:41 a.m. 1:48 p.m. Phil Mickelson Rory McIlroy Ryan Moore
1:15 p.m. 9:57 a.m. Jordan Spieth Henrik Stenson Billy Horschel
1:48 p.m. 10:30 a.m. Tiger Woods Jamie Donaldson Jimmy Walker
1:59 p.m. 10:41 a.m. Jason Day Sergio Garcia Rickie Fowler

I am sure when you look at my list, you are wondering what I was thinking. Remember these are the players I think will be fun to watch and I have an interest in. Who do you think should be added to the list?

Of these above pairings, a couple of things jump out at me: Watson and Scott are both paired with amateurs, McIlroy’s group is potentially the toughest, and the Reed, Keegan, Poulter group might see fireworks! Oh the fun of it all!

On a side note, Jack Nicklaus shot a hole-in-one at the Par 3 Tournament today…..only like Jack can!

The timings and groups are set, all that is left is 4 days of exciting Masters Golf!

I am a grateful golfer…..Watching the Masters!