Wiarton Willie and Punxsutawney Phil

March 8, 2013 / The Grateful Golfer / 1 Comment

Wiarton Willie and Punxsutawney Phil are my two favorite rodents. Each year, they have an extremely difficult job to predict the weather. This year, both of these lovable creatures predicted an early spring.

3 Feet of Snow and it is time for it to go!

This means that I have only 38 more days until the golf courses are open. To prepare, I have adopted a muscle-building yoga program (actually it is from the Biggest Loser and it really works well) to increase my core strength and flexibility. I have worked out for three weeks now and I feel great. Additionally, I play on a men’s basketball team. It is also keeping me in shape. When the basketball stops, I will start swimming. Additionally, my wife and I walk at least once a day for 45 minutes. All this exercise has me excited about the upcoming golf season and with the coming of spring, I can hardly wait to hit the links. In my next blog, I will talk about how I mentally prepare for the up coming season and my plan for success.

As you can see from the picture, there is still a bit of snow left, however in three weeks it will all be gone….I can hardly wait. For those already golfing…..I hope you are having fun. For those of waiting, preparing will help re-entry into golf so much easier.

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

Golfers and Their Toys!

January 8, 2013 / The Grateful Golfer / 1 Comment

This is my 100 Post. Thanks for reading.

Golfers love to talk about their clubs and equipment. I believe the most interesting pastime for Canadian golfers in the month of January is talking about the new stuff they received for Christmas.

Between Christmas and New Years, a friend and I went to Golf Town on our yearly pilgrimage. While in Golf Town, I bought a Callaway Razr Fit drive and 3 wood. It was a deal I could not pass up. My friend bought a PING cart bag and four-wheeled push cart. We were very happy with our purchases and are anxiously waiting for spring to try them out.

Today in the gym, another golfing friend asked me about my new “weapons”. I never told him about my purchase, but through our conversation I found out that my friend had told him. We excitedly talked about our purchases after he told me about his great deal on shoes.

Another time while waiting for a meeting to start, I had time to discuss my Golf Town trip with usual playing partner. He was unable go with us and I as I went through all the details he expressed joy for our success and disappointment he missed a trip to the golf store. We agreed to make a trip in the next month or so in search of some more deals.

I could go on and on, however I believe you get the picture. We Canadian Golfers love to tell stories during the winter months. We dream about the good times to come and the excitement of hitting the links for the first time. The more I think about it, the more grateful I am to be a golfer. Life is fantastic!

Do you have an stories to share about your recent golf purchases?

The Fall Blues

November 18, 2012 / The Grateful Golfer / Leave a comment

It is cold and the courses have been closed for at least 3 weeks. Northern Canada is beautiful, spacious, and has a short golf season. So what to do in the fall to keep my spirits up and reduce the anxiety of not hitting the links.

The thing I like to do at this time of year is look at the new technology from last year. I never rush to try any new club, bag, or miscellaneous equipment. I research, ponder, check reviews and watch for sales. I also prepare for the big Christmas sales.

I do not mean the Christmas sales before the big day, I mean the sales between Christmas and New Years. That is when most places want to clear out inventory and make room for next years kit. With a pocket full of money (well not really) I hit the stores to save money and buy new equipment for next year.

I know it does not sound like fun, but it helps pass the time until the courses open in April. What do you do to pass away the time during the off-season?

Dead of Winter – Golf Blogs

October 29, 2012 / The Grateful Golfer / 3 Comments

I always knew there were plenty of golf blogs out there. Many come and go, but a few strike a chord for the average golfer. As I explore more, I am surprised at the different types of golfing blogs that peak my interest.

I mostly follow the blogs that are not selling anything, that have a personal interest and will help my game in one way or another. Here are a couple that I enjoy:

Ian Hardie at Golf Habits.com – this blog has plenty of useful tips and interesting discussions.

Tony Carbon’s the Duffers Digest talks about everyday stuff that I enjoy.

Golf Tutorials Hub has many tips and hits in video format that will help the weekend golfer.

Slicedtee deals with the trials and tribulations of a new comer to the game of golf.

Just a Few Photos is a photo blog that has many interesting photos with some relating to golf.

These are just a few blogs that I check every day or two. Some give great tips, some make we think and some just make me laugh. So now that the winter months are closing in, you can use golf blogs as ways to stay connected to the game I love in preparation for next season! I am a grateful golfer….see you on the links!

Keeping Golf Alive in the Dead of Winter!

October 24, 2012 / The Grateful Golfer / Leave a comment

I have decide to create a new category for the winter bound golfers who are patiently waiting for spring. I live in northern Canada and golf season is virtually over. I now have the long wait until mid April when the courses will open again. So how do I keep the spark alive and yet prepare for another awesome season on the links.

Well, my first suggestion is to have a grip changing party! I know it sounds goofy, but let me explain. I have to change my grips anyway, see my previous blog called “Is There a Difference in Grips” so I thought it would be fun and cheaper to do it in a group.

Right now I have 3 friends who are willing to participate. I am aiming for 5-8 friends. I will assume that 8 friends will attend. Each player will be responsible for bringing their own grips unless we want to purchase the same type. If only 5 of use want to use the same grips, the cost is reduced because we would order in bulk and get a much cheaper price. The savings could be as much as 50 dollars. Pays for the party.

I am going to put on golf movies, music or sports depending on what the guys want. I will provide snacks and some thing to drink. Everyone will come over, I will have the basic tools to change the clubs ready and wait to see where the party goes.

This idea is simply and fun. I will have an opportunity to visit with my friends, talk about golf and prepare my equipment for next year. Hopefully, I will be able to do something every month or so to reduce long wait until next years golf season.

Any ideas?