As an amateur, we often hit that special shot which makes our round of golf special. Sometimes, we hit an amazing recovery shot that ends up being perfect by going in the hole.
Professional golfers are no different. They sometimes amaze themselves just like amateurs! Take a look and see what I mean:
European Tour
PGA Tour
What was your favorite shot?
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
About 20 years ago, my Mom decided I needed a special gift to commemorate the milestone of ten years service within the Royal Canadian Air Force. As I continue to serve to this day, golf has provided many exciting experiences through the years. I have talked about those times before and continue to think fondly of those memories. Of all the golfing ‘stuff’ I have collected or received, this putter, which she had specially made, is one of my favorite and cherished mementos.
I am pretty sure most avid golfers have a collection of golf paraphernalia that makes them proud! It might be a signed hat; their hole in one ball displayed on their mantle or a picture or selfie with a golfing celebrity. Regardless of what the unique object is, it is special to the owner because of the memory it invokes. There are many fanatics who collect lots of golfing ‘stuff’ and love each and every piece, however, as much as I love the game, I have only a few cherished treasures.
Old RCAF Collar Dog inlaid in the face of the putter.
Wooded headed putter hand made.
For me, it is not really about the physical items, but more so, the memories. I can remember my first hole in one, golfing with an astronaut, and teaching my daughter to swing a golf club, like it was yesterday! I can remember winning golf tournaments with my Mom and how excited she would get when we played together (win or lose). All of my memories bring a smile to my face, and help me remember why golf is an important part of my life.
Looking at my collection of special golfing mementos from time to time, I always fade to the memories associated with them. For me, it is not about the stuff, but the joyous memories they hold.
For those collectors of all things golf, what memories are associated with your ‘stuff’?
What is your favorite memory – we would all like to know.
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links.
When the stars align in golf magical things can happen! You can score a hole-in-one. You can have the opportunity to play St Andrews (like my friend in the UK who is teeing off on the old course as I write this article). Or you can put together a round of golf that is worth of mention. The latter happened to me yesterday at the Roundel Glen Golf Course!
In my previous post, I discussed how I thought my tempo was a little off. I thought it was time to go back to basics, slow down a bit, and focus on making each golf shot. Brian Penn commented after he watch my swing on Youtube, that my tempo looked fine, but my lower body and upper body may be a bit out of sync. His advice gave me confidence that things may not be as out of alignment as I thought. So, I focused on my pre-shot routine and staying in the flow of the game.
Well the results were amazing. I shot a 1 under score of 71 from the blues. The round consisted of 5 birdies, 4 bogies and 9 pars. The success on the course was a bit of the stars aligning and by focusing on my strengths, which is chipping and putting, I was able to score low.
Two obvious changes occurred when playing yesterday. First, when I was aligning my shot. I stood behind the ball as always, but this time I took an extra breath and let my shoulders drop a little. This minor movement totally relaxed my body before I attempted the shot. What a difference! I felt confident and focused when making every shot!
The second change was my putter grip. I loosened my grip so I was gently holding my putter. I found that by softening my grip, the ball responded better off my putter head, keep the ball on my intended line, and misses were tap-in range close!
It was truly a great round. I was fortunate enough to share this outstanding experience with my friends Mike and Jean. They were a calming influence as the round progressed. I am grateful to both of them for helping me stay mentally focused for 4 hours.
This round did, however, open many doors for discussion at a later date. As I looped the course, I encountered other aspects of golf that just adds to our daily challenges:
I will elaborate on these topics in future posts. But for now, I want to bask in the joy of breaking par for the first time in years and mentally visualize the positive aspects of my round!
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
On any given day, we as amateur golfers really have no idea what our golf game will produce. Don’t get me wrong, the better golfers have a better understanding of what to expect and most of the time the surprises are limited. But for the amateur who plays infrequently or does not have the time to improve game, the unknown of golf can be a source of excitement or dread.
For those who have ever walked into a casino, the anticipation of winning big and walking out is always on your mind. As you pensively walk around looking for the ‘lucky’ machine, many thoughts of how to ‘beat the house’ surface. Finally, you pick a slot machine and in goes your money. As you pull the arm and watch the tumblers spin, your excitement grows! As the wheels stop spinning, you find yourself talking or yelling at the machine as if you influence the outcome. The machine gives you just enough back, thus providing a sense of control in an uncontrollable situation. The unknown of where the dials will stop continues until you walk away!
Golf is very much like your adventure into the casino. The player who is unprepared or has not played enough to develop a consistent swing creates a world of unknown possibilities in golf. They will repeatedly hit the ball unsuccessfully and wonder what is going on. Like the slot machine, the player will hit just enough good shots as to give the illusion that things are looking up; when actually their good golf shots was ultimately the result of the law of percentages.
Every shot in golf provides a plethora of options and the ability to control all the factors is impossible. We cannot control the wind, the ground, course layout, speed of the greens or the sand in the bunker! These things all play a role in golf and their unknowns are uncontrollable! However, for golfing fanatics they are what makes golf interesting and in some cases exciting. Just ask Brian at All About Golf who recently recorded his second hole in one!
Of course this is not all bad! There are many things in golf we can control that will significantly lower the unknowns and increase the percentage of making consistent, great shots. You can control how you putt, when to chip, driving the ball, and course management to name a few. Golf is a game that needs nurturing for players to reach their true potential!
Controlling the unknowns in golf is possible. It does take effort, that eventually will be rewarded.
Today, I am heading to play Glen Abbey Golf Course, the home of the Canadian Open! I hope I can control some of the unknowns, but regardless, today is going to be an awesome golfing experience!
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
Happy Mother’s Day everyone! This is a very special day for all mothers everywhere. It is a day devoted to all the wonderful and selfless acts you do everyday! It reminds us all of that one special person who loves us unconditionally and yet has the fortitude to “straighten us out if required”! Unfortunately, my mom passed two years ago, but this day always brings back awesome memories. Here is one I would like to share.
About 15 years ago, my wife, daughter and I were visiting my Mom in Nova Scotia, Canada. Knowing that my Mom and I were avid golfers, my wife and daughter agreed to go with us to the local Par 3 course. It was not much of a track, but it gave us all an opportunity to play together without any pressure of being slow or pushed. As we stepped up to a 128 yard hole (I do not remember the number) we were discussing club selection. Not worrying about honours, Mom stepped up and hit her 7-iron. As we watched her ball sail about 80 yards in the air, bounce a couple of times and then start rolling the last 20 yards…….right into the hole! I kid you not! And it was her third!
But wait there is more!
After we all stopped cheering and jumping around, my daughter announce that it was her turn. So, we all quieted down and let her set up for her shot. She took a mighty swing and the ball went about 20 yards in the air and started rolling towards the green. It rolled and rolled and rolled right to the green. As it went on the green I noticed it was tracking in the right direction. I held my breath and “boink” the ball hit the pin and stopped 6 inches from the hole. I let out tremendous yell for it to get in, but to no avail. Mom and I were just as excited as we jumped around giving high fives. A moment later, I looked at my daughter and she had a disappointed look on her face. After querying her, she stated in all seriousness, “Mine did not go in like Nanas!” I let out a laugh and explained what an awesome shot she just did and then she felt much better!
So on Mother’s Day, remember that five minutes spent with the ones you love can produce a memory of a life time!
I want to wish my darling wife a Happy Mother’s. She is my ‘everything’ and deserves to be appreciated on this special day and everyday!
I am a grateful. Happy Mother’s Day!
The Grateful Golfer 