As I watch the Open this weekend from the Dunluce Course, which refers to the championship course at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland, I am trying to figure out the solution to playing winning golf. The professionals all have a plan on how to play this challenging course and I am sure it is tailormade to their game; execution of that plan will be the challenge. Many amateurs, including myself most of the time, do not develop a plan but play reactive golf. We determine our next move by the result of our previous shot. This is a fun way to play golf, but not necessarily conducive to low golf scores. We are not playing winning golf, but hope and prayer golf. And that needs to change.
Continue readingMental discipline in golf
Advice From Tiger Woods
I talk about golf everyday. Whether I am writing, playing or chatting about golf, I feel that my game improves. I do not consider myself an expert by any means, but I understand the fundamentals enough to share my knowledge with other players. Today, I was searching for something about the mental aspect of golf because of the hickory stick tournament next week. I like to reinforce my idea about how to be competitive without over analyzing my game. I came across this video by Golf Digest where Tiger Woods talks about the mental side of golf. It really struck home and will help me next week.
Continue readingIs Golf Worth The Trouble
The everchanging landscape of golf has me wondering if all the effort I put into being a better player is worth the trouble. I know my limitations, both physically and mentally, that directly impact my golf scores. I know where I need to improve and what areas I need to fix. To use an expression from my past, I am not sure if the ‘juice is worth the squeeze’. To phrase it another way, is the outcome of all my effort worth the time I put into trying to be a better golfer.
Continue readingThree Golf Tournaments In Three Days
Today starts the day of three (potentially four) rounds of golf in tournaments. It will be a very busy week, but great fun as well. Unfortunately the three booked are scrambles with the potential of the potentially fourth round being match play. The rounds will all be a different courses and with different players. So, lots of golf with great friends is in my future starting today. Being matched with a variety of players, it will be challenging to keep my strategy in check because each player brings something different to the table.
Continue readingPoking Holes In Our Golf Strategy
Every round of golf has the potential to result in a fantastic score. Regardless of the course, every player can visualize shooting a score they can be proud of while kibitzing at the 19th hole. It is a matter of developing a strategy, focusing on each swing, reacting the results and remaining positive when the round falls off the rails. This process is normal, universal, and subject to failure when we start poking holes in our agreed upon strategy. Everything is going great until a fatal shot and then we re-strategize and throw everything out the window. Truly a recipe for disaster!
Continue reading
The Grateful Golfer 