2015 Toronto Golf and Travel Show – Part Deux

February 24, 2015February 24, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 6 Comments

The second installment of my review of the 2015 Toronto Golf and Travel Show will focus on the other aspects of the event….Golf! There were many opportunities to swing different clubs, win prizes, buy some new toys and see the newest technology at work. The moment my friend and I entered the pavilion, we knew exactly where to go – the demo section! This may have been a crazy plan since we had not swung a club in 4 months, but by beating the rush, we were able to take our time and demo any club we wanted.

big-bertha-alpha-815-driver-sole-b-2014-5x7

Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 815

My first club was the new Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 815. It had a stiff shaft and was nice to look at during set up. It may sound silly, but some clubs I will not use because they do not fit my eye while standing over the ball. As I swung the driver, it felt very comfortable and loved the feel of the ball off the head of the club. I hit about 10-15 balls and by the end felt very comfortable swinging the Callaway driver. I would consider buying this club in the future.

Next I tried the TaylorMade AeroBurner. It had a new design and it did not fit my eye very well. I guess I am not a fan of the colour white for a driver. Overall, I was not impressed with the club. It is not that it did not perform well, but it just did not fit my swing or comfort zone. I am not sure if the performance of this driver was mental or physical.

R15 Black Driver

Lastly, I hit the TaylorMade R15 460 TP Adjustable Driver. This was a very good club. It too had a stiff shaft. It was easily comparable to the Callaway driver. The dual sliders were set to the outer edges which made the club very forgiving. I liked everything about this club and might be a choice for me in future.

Next we went to the long drive contest. For $5, we received 4 balls. One for practice and three for the competition. We actually tried this twice and my longest drive was 279 yards. My friend, Jean, out drove me by 2 yards. I am sure I will hear about this in the summer when we hit links for real.

We passed the $10,000 hole-in-one competition, but did not try it. There was a long line and we decided to spend our money on a 15 minute lesson instead. I will be talk about that experience in my next article.

We walked by the putting contest. It was actually disappointing. The putt was extremely difficult and the prizes were not worth the $5 dollar fee to play. Many were trying it, however it did not peak our interest.

There were 4 different discount stores. They had a variety of old and new clubs, old and new clothes, and other accessories. The price on golf balls was disappointing compared to previous golf shows I attended. My overall impression was that there were deals to be had, but you needed to look. I bought a Drysack Stand Bag Poncho. It was only $5 dollars and worth the price. In all fairness, I was not looking for anything in particular, so the stores did not hold much interest for me.

The TEE CLAW

I did, however, find something I was looking for! The TEE CLAW – “Practice Like You Play” kit was on sale for $13 dollars which included 3 TEE CLAWs, tees, and lanyards. This is something I had researched and was very happy to find them at the golf show! I am looking forward using them on the range this spring.

These above highlights were another small part of the sights I saw at the Toronto Golf & Travel Show. On a side note, I am not associated with any of the products mentioned above. My next post will be about the lesson I recieved that might make my journey to scratch that much easier. So stay tuned!

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

2015 Toronto Golf & Travel Show

February 23, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 4 Comments

The Toronto Golf & Travel Show did not disappoint. It was a mecca of golf for three days at the International Centre by Pearson International Airport! With 100s of booths, there was something for everyone. As I strategically walked my way through the maze of everything golf, it was easy to get swept up in the excitement of all the golfing possibilities.

There was something for everyone! If travel was your thing, well you could take trips to Central America and Mexico. Of course, the US was well represented. Of direct interest to me was the availability of golfing opportunities in the Northeastern US states. With only a few hours drive from my home, the opportunity to play some great courses for cheap is appealing. But, of all the travel locations, these three were my highlights:

Scotland. The two gents representing golf in Scotland were great. They chatted up the benefits of playing in the country that invented golf. Their bottom-line was, anything you want for golf, they could provide. They understood the value of providing all the transport and accommodations requirements associated with a golf trip and were well prepared. The fact that they gave out a bottle of scotch each day was not the deciding factor as to why I really enjoyed talking to these guys. They just love talking golf. Couple websites to check out are Golf East Lothian and Saltire Executive Golf.

PEI. The folks from PEI were awesome! We talked for about 15 minutes about PEI being an untapped golfing paradise. Within a short drive of Charlottetown, there are plenty of golf courses to satisfy all golfers. They talked about how PEI offers more than just golf, it is a fun family holiday destination. Also, the folks at the Golf PEI booth were giving out fresh oysters…..mmmmm. PEI is on my bucket list of places to golf. Check out Golf PEI if you want more info.

Cobble Beach Golf Course. Warren Thomas and his crew were outstanding! They had a state of the art golfing simulator that garnered plenty of attention. I tried three shots and came to with 8 feet on a 100 yard island green hole. It was very cool. If I only had $15,000 lying around, I could purchase a similar simulator and be set during the winter. Cobble Beach Golf Course, located near Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada, looks like a great course to play. Additionally, they offer a free round of golf on your birthday. What a great deal! I am looking forward to playing Cobble Beach in the future.

An honourable mention goes out to the chaps at Willow Valley Golf Course. They were great to talk too and had a fun game where you drop a chip in the top of a board and watch it ricochet down to a prize. I won a hotdog and pop. I was pretty excited until they told me I had to come to the course to collect! Well, we all had a great laugh and I just might take them up on their offer!

These above highlights were only a small part of the sights I saw at the Toronto Golf & Travel Show. My next post will be about other aspects of the Toronto Golf and Travel Show that may peak your interest. So stay tuned!

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

Adjusting to Slow Play in Golf

February 19, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 10 Comments

The natural flow of a round of golf is something I think is very important to low scores. This flow includes all aspects of your round and must be flexible. Previously, I mention that I use techniques adjust to a slower round, especially during tournament play. These techniques work for me hopefully you will find them useful.

It is important to understand that staying within your natural flow as much as possible during a slow round is important to great golf. Even though the play is slow, the following things I never change:

Preshot routine – regardless of what is happening around me or how long I have to wait, I never change my preshot routine. Same routine and same tempo through each shot.
Walking to your ball – I walk to my ball at my normal speed. Keeping my same speed helps with my natural flow and preshot routine. Sometimes I have to wait for others to hit, but that is normal. If I am waiting for quite a while see the points below I use to help pass the time. (Attention – if everyone is always waiting for you….well maybe it is time to speed up a bit)
Club Distance – knowing generally how far I hit a specific club never changes. The exact yardage may vary slightly depending on conditions, but for the most part, my club distance will never change.
Course Management – I try to play within my capabilities all the time. If I never draw the ball, as an example, I do not attempt in during the middle of my round regardless of how inviting the shot may be.

After ensuring the four points above never change, I still find that I still have lots of time to kill before it is my turn. To lower my frustration in these moments, here is what I do:

Carry a wet towel – I use a wet towel to clean my golf ball before I putt. I generally clean my ball every 3 or 4 holes, but now it is at every green.
Clean your clubs after every shot – I know most of you will say that I should be doing that anyway, however I am talking about giving it a good cleaning. This takes a few moments longer and allows players to get a head start before I walk to my ball.
Examine the conditions – while waiting for my turn to hit, I take a closer look at the wind, my lie, the lay for the hole and the location of the pin. Most of the time I do this while walking to my ball, but when things are slow, I wait until I get to my ball on the fairway.
Have a snack or drink– I keep some food in my bag. Just snack food or the odd sandwich. I also carry plenty of water. I find that on slow rounds I need to keep my strength and having liquids or food helps pass the time and keep me energized.
Stay mentally focused – I hum a tune in my head. It varies from round to round, but it keeps me in the moment. When I am waiting, I find music helps pass the time way. It keeps me calm and relaxed.

The above mentioned techniques are probably not a big surprise to most of you avid or competitive golfers. They work very well for me and the list is definitely not an all-inclusive one.

I would interested in what techniques to you use to keep the slow play monster from bothering your game?

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

Golf’s Missing Piece

February 14, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 4 Comments

Golf is a complex game. Many experts elude to the idea that golf is broken down into manageable segments to which the answer is simple. In some cases, this is true. However, my experience suggests that to become a better golfer, a whole approach to golf is required.

The Whole Approach to Golf! Do you see the missing piece?

I really enjoy making puzzles. For some reason, I find it relaxing and stimulating to patiently find all the pieces and place them in their proper spot. I especially like putting in the last piece. The sense of accomplishment after hours of sorting and placing is quite rewarding. Unfortunately, I did not have that sense of accomplishment on my last puzzle because I lost one of the pieces. So, even though the puzzle still looks nice, it is incomplete.

A puzzle is a bit like golf. All the pieces represent the different aspects of our game. Slowly and patiently, we work at different areas until one day it all comes together and we shoot our best score ever. Then, we examine our game and think of where to improve next and start the process all over again. This is ‘whole’ approach to golf that many novice players tend to overlook.

Think of the best golfer you know; now imagine their entire routine. From the moment they step onto the golf course, it is all about golf. They usually have a very set routine which prepares them for the upcoming round. This player practices the same way, chips and putts with intent, and arranges their equipment in a very specific way. When they finally step up to the first tee, they are ready to play.

When on the course, this same player becomes a creature of habit which reinforces the positive aspects of their game. If something is off, the may adjust slightly, but make sure no major changes occur during their round. They accept what the course and their swing gives them that day, but are cognizant of areas that will need improvement. (For a novel approach to “the answer” check out Vet at The Goofy Game of Golf Searching for the Answer) These players rarely focus on a segment of their game, they focus on the entire aspect of playing well.

Golf is very much like a puzzle. Building a complete picture of our game takes time and patience. We could spend hours improving a selected skill only to realize, when putting all the pieces together, that it was not the area that needed the most attention. As the 2015 golfing season approaches, focus on the big picture first. Look at your whole game before deciding which individual skills you want to improve. You may be surprised at what you find.

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

Slow Play and Golf

February 12, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 15 Comments

Slow play is one of my pet peeves in golf! I find that waiting on every hole is frustrating and fuels my negative talk about golf and life in general! Playing with or behind players who are more focused on talking, having a libation, or watching every play from every position should not be allowed on my course! Slow play…grrrr….where is that marshal!

Can I play through?

I have talked about slow play before and many people have chimed in with their frustrations. (See May I Play Through and Can I Play Through for more details) I realize that this topic can push the buttons of most golfers, however it is an important topic that many amateurs seem to overlook.

There are some players who are naturally slow players. Others like a very quick pace. The natural flow of a round of golf, for these diverse players, is completely different. It is this natural flow that I want to discuss.

The natural flow of any player is not limited to their golf swing. The tempo of their swing is extremely important and generally correlates with how long it takes a player to loop around the course. The natural flow of a player encompasses their swing, their routines, how fast they walk between shots, their decision-making, etc. Every action during their round of golf is part of their natural flow of their round.

Natural flow is critical to low scores in tournaments. How many times have you played with people who stated they are a single digit handicap, yet shoot in the 90s! I realize it can happen once in a while, but not two or three days in a row. If asked about their challenges, they would suggest that they are just having a bad day. However, under closer scrutiny, they have changed their natural flow and it was completely messed up.

Novice amateurs try to ape a better golfer. This is a great practice (learning from others), but not during a tournament. I have played many rounds with players who completely change their natural flow under the pressure of competition; interestingly, the times I score the best is when I keep to may natural flow and ignore theirs. Sometimes this is challenging when playing with extremely slow competitors, but if it is their natural flow, there is nothing one can do. To compensate for slow play in tournaments, I have developed some techniques that work to keep my natural flow.

I will let you know what they are, but before I do I would like to know what you think. Am I crazy to think there is a natural flow to a persons golf game? Inquiring minds want to know!

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