I am a Grateful Golfer

July 14, 2013 / The Grateful Golfer / 6 Comments

Today was a fantastic day! I traveled to Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, to play a round of golf with my friend (brother-in-law) on one of the best courses in Northern Ontario. Timberwolf Golf Club did not disappoint. The company was fantastic, the weather was hot and sunny, and the course was in excellent shape.

We played from the gold tees. This offered a par 72, 6500 yard challenge with plenty of bunkers and unique driving visuals. (Of course I forgot my camera in the car!) The fairways were short and lush, the greens held extremely well and the putts were true. The rough was about three inches long and thick. The only draw back was no first cut. You went from short lush fairways to thee inch rough…..made for a bit of a challenge for sure.

For the most part I hit fairways and greens. The couple of holes that I was off on my drive cost me at least on stoke. I had two penalty strokes, but overall I was extremely happy with my overall game. I had one birdie and chances at four more. Actually, I had 10 birdie putts, but five were from over 20 feet so I don’t really count those as birdie opportunities.

Today was a reason why I love to golf. Mostly, I spent four hours with a friend talking, laughing and enjoying our time on the links. It truly was a great time. Thanks Bruce!

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

Knowing When To Walk Away

July 12, 2013 / The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

Golfers are fearless! Without hesitation, they face all natures elements because of an innate desire to finish 18 holes. Some would call this crazy, others compulsive, and others brave….well it is really hard to judge. Most golfers set their own limits and will decide to walk of the course when they have reached their fear factor.

Some will say “challenge the elements”; or “I will face whatever mother nature can throw at me!” Some like, the Bishop from Caddyshack, continue to challenge mother nature and even challenged God…..to his own peril.

On June 28, 1975, while playing in the 1975 Western Open, Lee Trevino was struck by lightning while playing golf. The odds of being hit by lightning in your lifetime are 1 in 300,000 thousand. He has been struck by lightning 3 times while playing golf! His Western Open incident led to one of the most famous quotes in golf where Trevino stated that if he were out on the course and it began to storm again; he would take out his one iron and point it to the sky, “because not even God can hit the one-iron.”

Personally, I have played in rain, pouring rain, pelting rain, freezing rain, hail, snow, blistering heat, using a flashlight (to tee off at 5 am), wearing 3 outer sweatshirts and wearing long underwear. There is virtually no weather conditions that I will not play in except one: lightning! Nope, I do not care how good my game is going, I draw the line at lightning.

So how do we know when lightning is close enough that it is time to walk away? That is a very good question. For me, it is if I see the lightning or the the thunder is so loud that it makes me flinch.

Osprey Links Golf Course, 10 July, 2013

While playing men’s night on Wednesday, we encountered one of those times when a decision had to be made about whether to continue playing or walk away. As we watched this storm cloud roll quickly across the golf course, we decided to carry on….mostly because there was no thunder or lightning associated with the cloud. As it turned out, it rained monsoon like for 5 minutes then cleared up! (I will not tell you where my umbrella was because you would all just laugh at me!) We were wet, but never in any danger…on a side note I found out that I am water tight because the rain just roll off me like water off a ducks back….who knew!

In all seriousness, it is important to know when to walk away from the links. Your health is more important than a low golf score! The golf course is a place to have fun, challenge yourself and meet new people. It is not a place to tempt fate by being foolish. So regardless of much fun you are having it is important to know when to walk away.

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!

Golf Initiatives That Improve The Sport

July 8, 2013 / The Grateful Golfer / Leave a comment

Playing golf is for everyone! Golf has the unique ability to bring together people from all walks of life and make them equal. Everyone has access to the same clubs, attire, balls, and accouterments. Everyone has access to the same training videos, local pros for lessons, being self-taught and places to practice our skills. The golf industry entices people to play golf and to actually enjoy the game. As part of their efforts, the various golf associations have started various initiatives for the good of the game.

“Data collected by the World Golf Foundation indicates there are 27 million people who have an interest in wanting to play golf, but don’t play the game,” Bob Barrett, CEO of Honours Golf said. “Imagine if we could get just 10 percent of those people playing the game?”(AL.com)

TEE IT FORWARD helps players identify their limitations and speed up play. Something that makes the golf fun for everyone. Read TEE IT FORWARD for full details.

Offering playing opportunities to young children in the US is First Tee. The First Tee‘s mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instil life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf.

Since 1997, The First Tee has introduced the game of golf and its positive values to more than 3.5 million young people in 50 states, four international locations and over 3,400 elementary schools.

What makes The First Tee effective in building positive character traits in young people is The First Tee Life Skills Experience™, a teaching curriculum developed by experts in the field of positive youth development and delivered by caring coaches. Through this experience, participants learn to transfer the positive values of golf to everyday life.

In addition to the parallel learning opportunities available for participants and coaches, The First Tee University provides formal training for Chapter management, staff, board members, and others. Training goals include assisting Chapter leaders in creating sustainable youth development organizations, and to enhance program quality and impact.

Participants learn to

Appreciate diversity
Introduce themselves
Manage emotions
Plan for the future
Resolve conflicts
Set step-by-step goals

Coaches

Empower youth to make their own decisions by thinking about the consequences
Build rapport and establish positive relationships
Nurture golf and life skills development
Promote a fun learning environment

A some what similar United Kingdom initiative is Golf Foundation’s Grass Roots. The Foundation’s ‘HSBC Golf Roots’ programme in schools is gathering significant momentum in 2013, as 39 out of 46 County Local Organizing Committees have selected an HSBC Golf Roots competition for the current academic year as part of England’s School Games curriculum. This high proportion is second only to athletics, and ahead of traditional school sports such as football, cricket and netball.

An additional United Kingdom program is Get into golf. “Golf is one of the best sports you can play to improve mental and physical well-being whatever your age, background or ability. Indeed, Golf’s powerful combination of stress-busting exercise, fresh air and camaraderie make it an excellent activity for promoting long-term heart health. There is no better sport for bringing people together – whatever their age, gender, background or ability. With plenty of time for conversation and fun, golf is the perfect way to make new friends and grow closer bonds with people you already know.”

All the above initiatives, and many more, are really designed to make golf FUN! That is the bottom line. These programs are structured and provide excellent ways to improve the game of golf for beginning duffers. For those a bit more adventurous, Golf Digest suggests 18 less conventional ways to enjoy the game of golf. Although they are not national initiatives, they do suggest ways to shake up the game to achieve the same result….having FUN!

Golf is fun. It is an activity that allows anyone to escape reality by playing a game that empowers the player to determine the result of their time on the links. Regardless of what the golf industry lauds, golf is fun! Golf is a sport that offers opportunities abound and I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!