Yesterday, I played 18 holes at North Granite Ridge with my friends Mike and Blair. We decided to travel the 1.5 hours to play this fun course in order to kick start our golf season. We showed up, registered and were sent out one hour early. The staff at the course were nice, polite and professional. We were happy to get of early and after a quick snack, we trundled off to the first tee. Mike and I have played this course in the past and the challenges of this 5700 yard track quickly came back. Although this the distance seems short, the architecture of cutting 18 holes out of the Canadian shield proved that shot making can be the at the forefront of any design.
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Why Hit A Three Wood Off The Tee
I often thought that hitting a 3 wood off the tee was ‘the smart shot’. I was told that it was the safe shot and that it provides a better opportunity for hitting the ball in play off the tee. Apparently, according to Mark Crossfield, this is a misnomer. There is a very slight difference in the ball in play percentage between the 3 wood and driver, yet the distance is fairly significant. So I ask again, why hit the three wood off the tee?
Continue readingLeaving Shots On The Course After A Round Of Golf
I am confident that every golfer laments about leaving strokes on the course. Usually it means that they wish they could take a shot over again or made a different decision that would result in a different outcome. This universal situation is generally discussed at the 19th hole over a libation or two. No matter what we shoot as a score, golfers always feel they could have shot at least one stroke lower. The feeling of missing out on a better score can lead to frustration, however I would suggest that it is the natural order of things for all golfers. The real question is where most of us feel we lose the most strokes?
Continue readingHitting Our Golf Clubs To Distance
During the past golf season, I found that I needed to rely on my club distances more than in the past. I am not sure why this was the case, but as I played different courses, I need to pay more attention to how far I was hitting each club. In some cases and to my total frustration, I was habitually short on approach shots. Usually, it was a full club and it took me some time to adjust to what seemed to be my hitting woes. Because I was not hitting my ball as expected, I started to pay more attention to club distances and came to an not to surprising conclusion.
Continue readingNavigating A Tough Golf Hole
On every golf course there are a few holes that require a special tee shot. Sometimes we are required to hit to a spot in the fairway and other times we need to hit to a distance. The second hole at my home course is like that; hitting to distance key to setting up a birdie putt. The challenge I have depends on the wind and wetness of the area around the green. This 165 yard par 3 challenges my shot making ability, but you know that I always love a challenge.
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The Grateful Golfer 