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.
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Getting From Here To There In Golf
One of the greatest challenges in golf is arriving at an endstate where you are happy with your game. There is no doubt that the process from point A to point B is a challenge most amateurs struggle to develop. I was not really any different until I decided to adopt a different approach to golf. Instead to trying to the ‘big fix’ for a particular skill I was developing, I decided to break it down into small pieces I could manage. Desmond Tutu once wisely said that “there is only one way to eat an elephant: a bite at a time.” What he meant by this is that everything in life (golf) that seems daunting, overwhelming, and even impossible can be accomplished gradually by taking on just a little at a time. This approach is perfect for golf; it is a matter of figuring out what the right steps are to achieve our ultimate goal.
Continue readingA Perfect Golf Swing Is Impossible To Attain
If you have played golf for any length of time, making a perfect golf swing is impossible. Science tells us that there is such a swing, but as an amateur player I have given up all hope that I will ever achieve perfect harmony in every aspects of my golf swing. I will admit from time to time I can hit the ball very well, but perfection I will leave to players with far greater skill than I. This does not mean I will stop trying to improve my game, but it does mean that I understand my limitations and try to maximize my efforts to improve. Once I stop trying to improve my golf game or other aspects of my life, then it might be time to move on to other things. Let me explain.
Continue readingKnow What We Know In Golf
Many people think that Confucius is only talking about life. Well, I would suggest that it definitely applies to golf as well. As we travel through our golf journey, we attain a great deal of knowledge that helps or changes our game. The real test is whether we are willing to use that know ledge properly. See what Rory McIlroy has to say:
Knowing our golf game and accepting our limitations is a great first step to playing great golf. Even McIlroy states that professionals will avoid low percentage shots. To me, that just makes sense. After playing thousands of rounds of golf, I realize that I am still learning about my game. It has taken some time, but I also accept that certain aspects of my game (although it is uncomfortable) need to change in order to play better golf. I choose to continue to learn about golf and hopefully that will transition into something better than it is today.
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
Getting Ready For Golf Season!
Spring is just around the corner. This year, the snow is receding faster than in recent years and my hope for an early spring is growing. We will have above average temperatures for the next two weeks and this shift to warmer temperatures should eliminate most of the snow. It is an exciting time for golfers in warmer climes! So, now what? With warmer temperatures on the horizon, I began thinking about what I need to do to prepare for my 2024 golf season.
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The Grateful Golfer 