The Best Part of Playing Golf

June 2, 2015June 3, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 8 Comments

Well it is 02 June and my scores officially start to matter. I have one game under my belt and I can honestly say that I am not near early season form. I have really struggled this year and I am not sure exactly what the problem is…..YET!

Today was a typical round. This is how my round went.

3 bogies
4 pars
2 bogies
1 par
2 bogies
1 par
1 double
2 pars
1 double
1 birdie
for a grand total of 82!

I cannot seem to put a string of 6 or so pars together, I count of 2 or 3 birdies a round and I cannot stop shooting double bogies. I realize that…..wait, wait, wait.

Change your thoughts, Change your world!

As Norman Vincent Peale said: Change your thoughts and you change your world!

Well, as a grateful golfer, I need to heed this statement. Golf is about having fun, interacting with like-minded people, and enjoying my surroundings. Although my round looks bad, I actually played better than my score would indicate.

The best part of playing golf is remembering the positive things from each round. Today, for instance, I played golf with 3 nice gentlemen. One was a usual partner, the other two were strangers until, through chance, we played golf together. I hit my driver well and the last hole provided plenty of hope for my next round.

The last hole on our course is a 463 yard par 5 that plays longer than it is measured. I hit my driver about 260 yards, but was left with about 225 to the green. I hit my three wood into the wind and my ball rolled up to about 20 feet from the pin. I was putting for eagle! My putt was perfectly on-line, all 4 of us thought it was dropping for sure, but unfortunately it lipped out to 2 inches and I was left with a tap in birdie.

Golf is an amazing game. No matter how I play, I can always focus on something positive and build on it for my next round. I am officially changing my thoughts and changing my world on the golf course!

What was the highlight of your last round of golf?

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!

Choices Choices Choices

September 4, 2013February 10, 2017 / The Grateful Golfer / 8 Comments

Recent adventures on the links makes me wonder if I really have a handle on golf or have I been kidding myself for years. Course management is definitely a key aspect to success on the links. Knowing when to press or play defensively can determine whether you score a birdie or a bogey. But is course management really important to having fun and improving your game?

Smart Shot Out of the Sand

Well of course it is! Or at least I thought so!

It is the distinguishing factor between low and high handicap golfers. Determining how to play a hole, which club to use, whether to fire at the pin or to lag putt are all aspects of course management that are developed over time. Thus, experience and the willingness to improve your course management skills are extremely important aspects of successful golf.

So, why am I going on about course management and its importance. On the weekend I was playing with my friend and his brother. As per normal, we were talking golf and how best to improve our game; which shot would be best in certain situations; and which club to use at certain times. Through our discussion, we were basically talking about course management.

As we plodded along, the conversation turned to a earlier shot where my friend chose a 3 wood instead of an iron out of the long grass. Additionally, he went on to describe how the ball was in a bit of a hole, but he really wanted to get to the green that was 220 yards away. When challenged about his selection he responded, “I knew what the smart shot was but chose to not to do it!” I stopped dead in my tracks and looked at him and said what? He coolly said, “I know, but I just wanted to put the ball on the green and the knew I would not make it with an iron….it was not the smart shot, but oh well, I am still having fun.” I chuckled out loud and walked to my ball with a smile on my face.

So my friend chose not to make the right shot! Never a good idea to throw stones when you live in a glass house, I think we have all been in that situation. Taking the low percentage shot over the smart play….it still makes me laugh.

The “so what” to this story is that choosing to actively participate in course management is the first and most important step to course management. Although I never really thought that it was an option, apparently it is. Sometimes playing golf is about making the impossible shot and having fun doing it! I guess that day was not wasted because I learned something new!

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

Lower Scores Less Stress

July 10, 2013 / The Grateful Golfer / 4 Comments

Is the sun rising or setting?

Every golfer tries to shoot their best score each time out. Some times they are successful, sometimes not. I routinely go through streaks of good play and periods of OH MY GOD! Regardless, it is important to maintain a cool demeanor on the course.

Two weeks ago I shot a smooth 87. Yup, I can not believe it either. No matter what I tried, I could not score well. I was either shooting par or double bogey and nothing in between.

Five days ago, I shot a 1-over 72. Actually, I can believe this one because I carry about a 5-6 handicap. I had four birdies and thee bogeys and a double (grrrrr).

So what is the difference between the two rounds that I should build upon to maintain success on the links. After much introspection, I decided that lower stress about my game was a very important factor to my score of 72.

Early in each round I encountered a point where my short game skills were tested. During the high round, I had plenty of self-doubt and lack of confidence. Not sure why, but my attitude was poor. I made a poor chip and started to get frustrated and my stress started to climb. Unfortunately, I could not reverse this trend and poof, a score of 87!

During the great round, as I walked to the ball, I told myself that I can make this shot like a hundred times before. I confidently chose my 52 degree gap wedge and easily chipped the ball within 2 feet and putted in for par. Feeling very happy about the result, I continued with the positive attitude (even when I shot a double bogey) and it seemed that I just could not miss a shot. There was no stress at all during the entire round.

I am not sure exactly how to control my stress on the golf course, but I do know that a positive mental attitude definitely helps. It must be working because I have shot 72, 74 and 74 during my last three games…..and NO STRESS! And I am confident my good play will continue.

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