Fall Golf – Are You Still Playing?

As the cooler temperatures approach at a not so glacial pace, I already dusted off my outer layers so I that was prepared for all weather contingencies. It is something I normally do around the first week in September. This year, my prep started about three weeks later than abnormally warm temperatures in September this year. As an example, the first three weeks in September hovered around 22° C (72° F), however now, the temperature is only reaching a high of 13 degrees Celsius (56 degrees F), which is a bit cool if I do not have the right number of layers on. Playing fall golf can be fun only if we are wearing the proper attire.

I realize that this article is a bit late for playing golf in my region, however four hours south of my location will benefit from my past experiences. Yesterday’s article mention that I am losing interest in playing golf moving forward, however the information is still valid.

After digging out my warmer layers (an absolute must), I also dig out gloves, toques, long underwear, etc. for those very cool mornings. I am sure some of your readers do not really worry about these cold at this moment, but you might in the future. The trick to preparing is ensuring the proper layer is ready for the proper temperatures.

One of the aspects that I overlooked in the past was keeping dry in the cool weather. At this time of year, the ground is soaked with dew in the morning. I takes until noon to dry out (if we are lucky) and because of this getting wet is definitely going to happen. It does not seem like much, but my feet, hands and pockets have a tendency to dampen as the round continues. To alleviate this annoyance, I carry an extra towel (usually a smaller one) for wiping my ball and hands. I find that using this extra towel definitely helps keep my drier.

Lastly, I always bring my shoes in the house to dry. The temperatures are so cool at night that if my shoes are wet from previous rounds they never dry. Hence, I have three pairs I rotate through the mix to at least start with dry feet. I can get away with two pairs if I am not playing everyday (which I generally do not in the fall).

Playing golf in the fall is all about keeping warm and dry. A little forethought on our part will help decide on what attire we need to be wearing and or carrying. It is not a difficult thing to envision, but does take a bit of time. For now, I am not really interested in playing, however if a warm dry day happens to show up….who knows, I might hit the links one last time in 2023.

A Grateful Day On The Golf Course

Playing golf is a passion of mine. This statement seems pretty obvious considering the name of this golf blog, however every once in a while I play a round of golf that heightens my gratefulness. Yesterday, I played a round at Laurentide Golf Course with my good friend Mike. We played our usual match play game and had a great time throwing jabs at each other for 3.5 hours. We laughed, joked, hit some great shots and some others that did not suit our game. Overall, I am grateful Mike and I were able find time to tee it up.

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Varying Distances With Our Irons Is A Challenge

As an amateur golfer who loves to work on his game, I find it a challenge to when my balls travel varying distances. There are days when I am crushing the ball where what would normally be a 7 iron, for example, I am hitting a comfortable 8 iron. That is a change of 10 to 15 yards for reasons unknown. I cannot explain why my ball is travelling farther, but it is and I need to embrace that change even for a day. After the round, I try to figure out why I was hitting my ball better on that day than others. Guess what, I do not have the slightest idea why!

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Being Grateful For Golf

Considering my blog is title “The Grateful Golfer” one would think that I am a happy golfer every time I hit the links. This mental attitude is definitely at the forefront of my mind on the first tee. Unfortunately, like all golfers, when I am struggling with my game, remaining grateful can be a challenge. I start to have second thoughts about my game, my approach, and my reason for being there: does this sound familiar? Of course it is not earth shattering and I quickly forget my woes at the sound of my driver hitting the ball for the first stroke of my round. At that time, all the amazing reasons why I love playing golf come rushing back into my mind. I am in my happy place and life definitely takes on a new persona as I do become a grateful golfer!

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Nothing Stops Golf

With Remembrance Day recently past, it is important for us to remember to give thanks for the sacrifice of the many. Because fo them, we are able to enjoy our time on the links in complete safety with confidence that our courses are safe and secure. Unfortunately, for those playing golf in England during WWII, there were more hazards on the links than just sand traps. To protect the players, a list of Wartime Golf Rules were created and I thought it needed to be shared.

I find it interesting that during the desperate times of WWII, people still found time to for some leisure. I am not surprised that golf was on the list of activities, yet some of the rules are definitely worth a second look. For me, numbers 2 and 5 definitely caught my attention. Not sure I would be playing golf during those dangerous times, but it seems that nothing can stop golfers from enjoying the game they love.

What do you think of the Wartime Rules? Would you playing during those trying conditions?

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