It is Golfing Weather – Time to Suit Up!

December 30, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 7 Comments

Golfers are the best predictors of weather! Better than any groundhog, golfers can sense when the weather is going to cooperate before they hit the links! Some have the innate knowledge of weather by the way the grass leans as they load their clubs into the car and yet others have a divining rod that never fails. Regardless of what they use to determine the weather, it is always “time to suit up”!

Have you ever listen to golfers enjoying a libation at the 19th hole. They can recount every stroke, miss hit, and triumph of their previous round. They know the exact yardage of every shot, the distance of all hazards from their ball and the exact what time their playing partner coughed in their backswing! It is truly amazing the plethora of details every golfer can recount at a moments notice. But, this is nothing compared to their ability to predict weather.

How many of us have been on the links and noticed the weather turning bad. As the clouds start to roll in, (although we heard about it in the morning weather report as we drove to the course) denial of the obvious occurs and the weather predictions start rolling in. Golfers instinctively know exactly when the first drop of rain will fall. Their time appreciation is so exact, Swiss watchmakers use them instead of the world atomic clock!

At all times, golfers know the exact wind speed and direction. By tossing a few blades of grass in the air, golfers make a million precise calculations to determine the exact effect the wind will have on their ball flight. With this critical information, amateurs will compensate their aim by two or three yards! It is truly amazing.

The last important weather factor is temperature. Golfers know that a slight change in temperature will cause their game to improve or not. A couple of degrees is the difference between being too cold and stiff to swing a club or to hot and sweaty to effectively hold a golf club! So, selecting the exact tee time will correspond with the known variations in temperature is as much an art as a science!

Actually, all these weather factors are most important when determining when “it is time to suit up”! Knowing the weather will determine what to wear and this is important to playing great golf.

All golfers have an obsessive focus on the weather. By fine tuning their weather predicting skills, golfers feel they can gain that slight advantage needed to win their next match!

Personally, I think it is all a bit crazy, but it is fun to talk about. Knowing the weather is important because I hate being caught on the golf course without my umbrella!

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

Does Golf Motivate You?

December 16, 2014December 16, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 5 Comments

Does Golf Motivate You?

Does golf motivate you? Are you inspired to work on your game? Does golf fuel your desire to exercise more or differently? Does golf inspire you to learn more about the fundamentals, tips, and drills? These are all great questions. If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, then consider yourself motivated by golf!

One reason for these questions is rooted in a fellow blogger’s golfing adventure. Josh, from Golf is Mental is hitting the road for 3 months. He has plans to seek and conquer all of the golf courses that he can in his allotted time. With his trusty sidekick (wife), they are going to experience what most of us dream to do. They are motivated golfers for sure.

The Silicon Valley Golfer talks about his adventures to improve his golf game. He talks about how he modifies drills to meet his training needs. He explains how he is a student of golf and hopes to continue to lower his score. He is motivated to become a better golfer!

Tiger Golf Traveller is another great blogger. He talks about many courses, and I especially like his course reviews. They are very detailed and help me imagine what it would be like to play the courses he plays. He is motivated to share his experience with those of us who are golf-less for about 5 months of the year.

All About Golf is a fun blog to follow. Brian is always up for a discussion about golf. His views are insightful and he is not afraid to call it as he sees it! Our conversations motivate me to keep learning and talking about the sport we love.

Personally, I am a pretty motivated golfer. Golf is rewarding, frustrating, exhilarating, and puzzling all at the same time. I enjoy competing against others, but mostly I enjoy competing against myself! I find golf very relaxing and it gives me time to think about life.

The best thing about golf is all the like-minded friends I continue to meet. Golf is but a vehicle to enjoy life, meet people, and share fun experiences. That is motivation enough for me!

Does golf motivate you?

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

UK Golfing Adventure – Part 2

December 6, 2014December 6, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 5 Comments

On the bridge at Northwood Golf Club

My golfing adventure in the UK was very exciting. As stated earlier, I had a fantastic time and was treated like royalty by my best friend. While my stay was short, we did pack plenty of golf in the four days. We spent three days trying to conquer the Northwood Golf Club, my friend’s home course.

I thoroughly enjoyed playing the Northwood Course! Besides the historic aspect of this fun track, the course itself was in fantastic shape. Despite the torrent of rain it received leading up to my arrival, the course was extremely well maintained, the greens were in great shape, and the staff were first-rate. Overall, I would rate my experience as a 4.5 out of 5!

Northwood Golf Course does not play extremely long (6473 yds). Most of the par 4s were easily reachable and the par 5s on a dry day were in play as well. But, do not let the aspect of being a shorter course lull you into a false sense of confidence. The fairway bunkers were strategically placed, the green side bunkers were deep, and the elevation change between holes ensured that course management was vital to scoring low.

Approach shot to a Par 3.

Most of the greens were elevated, protected by bunkers, or the has a patch of rough to play over. Most of the hazards were fair and provided that touch of excitement to every shot. More importantly, choosing the correct club off the tee cannot be overstressed. Choose poorly and the complexity of the approach shot increased.

As you can see, there is nothing easy about the approach shots. The Par 3 was a 7 or 8 iron depending on the day and the pin was always up front. The slope of the green was from back to front making all putts from the back of the green very difficult. Also, the elevation change of 50 feet added to the difficulty of the tee shot.

Approach shot on Number 10.

The number ten green was the most challenging. What you cannot see is the green. It is kidney-shaped and that bends from right to left. The green narrows towards the back and the 15 feet of elevation on the approach shot was just enough to affect your club selection. Of course, we cannot forget the two deep bunkers on the left side. Anything short and left easily added an extra stroke to your score. The bail out area appears to be to the right, which was the correct play, but the rough was deep and wet. Overall, this was one of the most difficult approach shots on the course!

My Northwood Golf Club experience was excellent. I could go on describing the intricate aspects of the course, but I think you have gained an understanding of just how fun this course is to play. I looking forward to the opportunity to play Northwood once or twice more! If you want to see more pictures, I loaded them on my Facebook page: The Grateful Golfer.

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

Can You Imagine? I Could Use Some Help!

December 4, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 9 Comments

Every time I look at this picture I try to think of a quote or a title to fit its mystique. I took it on the golf course on 15 Jun 14 one early morning. It captures my imagination every time I look at it.

I could use some help finding a suitable quote or title. What do you think?

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

Tiger Woods is Back!

December 2, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 4 Comments

Tiger Woods will tee it up this Thursday at the Isleworth Golf & Country Club for the 2014 Hero World Challenge. This tournament, which benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation, will be Woods’ first competitive round since failing to make the cut at the PGA Championship last August. Plagued with injuries last year, Woods finished 201 on the money list with just under $110,000 and watched as his world ranking dropped to the lowest level in his entire career! After starting as the world number one in the 2014 professional golf season, he finished at number 24. Regardless, he is back and appears ready to challenge Rory McIlroy as the première player in professional golf.

As Tiger Woods steps back into the limelight, many experts are wondering if his choice of swing coach is a stroke of genius or not. In the big scheme of things, it really does not matter. If Jack Nicklaus himself was Woods’ swing coach, the same question would be asked. The golfing world has anxiously waited for Woods’ return to professional golf and this weekend will be the moment many have waited for!

Personally, I am indifferent to the whole situation. On one hand, I am very happy Tiger Woods is healthy and back playing. On the other hand, golf continued to grow in his absence. There are many superstars on tour today and the days of one dominant player driving professional golf is over. Make no mistake, Woods attracts plenty of publicity, but right now he has name recognition. If his play matches the hype surrounding his return, then the 2015 professional golf season just got more interesting.

Tiger Woods is back. I wish him the best upon his return. I hope he stays healthy and is able to regain his former swing. If he does, he will light up the PGA Tour. Even though he is back, the player I root for has not changed. I am still a big Phil Mickelson fan and look forward to some head to head battles between Phil, Rory and Tiger.

Now that you know what I think, what are your thoughts about Tiger Woods’ return to professional golf?

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