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Common Sense Approach To More GIR | The Grateful Golfer
Greens in regulation (GIR) is the one stat that every golfer should understand. Hitting the green with a chance to putt for birdie more often than not will lead to lower golf scores. The challenge that most amateurs use the wrong approach to improve their GIR. They allow their ego determine club selection instead of…
Happy Canada Day in 2025 | The Grateful Golfer
The first of July is special to all Canadians because it is Canada’s Birthday. Every year Canadians gather and celebrate this amazing country. Family and friends look forward to sharing some great food, drink and laughs. It is a time for community gathers and sharing the joys of living in Canada! Canada is 158 years…
Forgetting To Focus On Golf | The Grateful Golfer
Many of us rush to the golf course to partake in a 4.5 hour sprint around the links. It is almost a ritual for many players to arrive a few minutes before their tee time and hurry around the parking lot gathering their stuff in order not to be late. If this sounds familiar, then…
Do You Follow The Rules Of Golf? | The Grateful Golfer
The fair question is if you follow all the rules of golf? There are many different rules that govern how to play any particular golf shot. There are local rules that apply only to a specific golf course to make playing at that track easier. There some traditions many players consider rules, but in fact…
Fixing the Chipping Yips | The Grateful Golfer
Every golfer has a challenge chipping around the green. It is nothing new and will happen time and time again. This is the nature of golf as this sport is a marathon not a sprint, so the ups and downs of great play are something we all have to face. The chipping yips is something…
Fixing Your Slice In One Easy Step | The Grateful Golfer
To be fair, there is likely not one quick fix you can do that will eliminate your slice. It must be completed in stages, but the fix happens quicker than you think. I could go through the step by step process of hitting a golf ball, but after the third step, you have likely stopped…
Knowing The Rules Of Golf Is Important | The Grateful Golfer
I like to read different situations about the rules of golf. How the rules are enforce and interpreted can determine whether you win or lose a match. I came across one from Golf.com that was interesting. I immediately thought I knew how to interpret the rule and was happy to see that I was correct.…
Consistently Setting Up Any Golf Shot | The Grateful Golfer
There is a correct method to sed up any golf shot. Regardless of your thoughts, a step by step method creates the greatest opportunity to hit consistent golf shots. As I thought about my process, I realized that most wayward shots occur because I truncated or missed a step in my setup. I realize this…
What A Crazy Finish At The 2025 US Open | The Grateful Golfer
Congratulations to JJ Spaun for winning the 2025 US Open Golf Championship. It was a crazy finish that was the survival of the fittest. It is hard to believe how challenging it was for the players to even make par. I was cheering for Adam Scott, but alas it was not his year. Regardless, JJ…
Watching The US Open at Oakmont | The Grateful Golfer
Watching the US Open at Oakmont Country Club has been an eye opener. The course looks to be in fantastic shape with the 5 1/2 inch rough, undulating greens, and the deep sand traps. As I sit and watch the top golfers navigate the course, I cannot stop and wonder how I would do at…
Plus Fours, Hogan Hats and 100 Year Old Hickory Golf Clubs Rule The Weekend | The Grateful Golfer
The 2025 Ottawa Hickory Golf Challenge, 6 - 8 June, has come and gone. This event, organized by Chris Hawes, raised money for a worthy charity and expanding the fun of hickory stick golf. Chris started this event last year and it was a huge success. Chris is running this must attend hickory event again…
Playing A Great Round Of Golf With Friends | The Grateful Golfer
Golf is great sport that provides the opportunity for friends to enjoy spend time together. This is nothing new about this statement and yesterday at Osprey Links Golf Course, my golfing experience reinforced why golf is a great social contact sport. Playing a round with my friends Mike, Blair and Fernando was fun right from…
My Hickory Stick Round Went As Expected | The Grateful Golfer
Yesterday I played a round of hickory stick golf with my friend Charlie. We scooted around the 18 holes in around 3 hours. Playing from the shorter distances and using a cart sure helps to play a quick round. During my round, I had 3 birdies, six pars, seven bogeys and two doubles for a…
It Is Hickory Stick Time! | The Grateful Golfer
Today I am playing a round of golf with my hickory sticks. I used them a few times this spring and I am excited to use them again. Playing with clubs built in the early 1900s is a fun challenge that adds a great deal of excitement to every shot. We play from a shorter…
Hitting Shots That Count During My Round Of Golf | The Grateful Golfer
Every round of golf provides some excitement for every golfer. Regardless of how well we play, there are always a shot or two (or more) that make us smile or frown depending on their complexity. During my last round of golf I had two situations worth mentioning because they demonstrate the highs and lows of…
Golf Short Game Shots You Need To Master | The Grateful Golfer
During every round of golf, there are multiple opportunities to hit different approach shots from around the green. Our short game is always tested in various fashions. Every golfer knows this fact and many try to mitigate the challenges by mastering three shots every golfer should have in their bag: the chip, pitch and flop…
Playing In A Scramble Format Golf Tournament | The Grateful Golfer
It is time to clear up a misconception about two golf tournament formats that often confuse many amateurs. Many people confuse 'best ball' and 'scramble' formats because it is not really intuitive. So today, I want to explain what a scramble tournament format is about because I will be playing in Men's night tonight using…
Do You Use Hybrids While Playing Golf? | The Grateful Golfer
The question in the heading of this article might seem silly considering that hybrids are in most if not all golf bags. They are open an opportunity for players, like myself, to improve their long iron game. I have used hybrids for a very long time because I feel that they offer a better opportunity…
Hitting Out Of The Bunker The Easy Way | The Grateful Golfer
Every golfer has played out of the bunker. Most amateurs will play this shot a few times a round....or at least once. Personally, I play a bunker shot every 3 or 4 rounds, but that success is subject to change at any time. Playing out of a bunker is not difficult if you understand the…
A Chipping Process That Works Every Time | The Grateful Golfer
Chipping the golf all can be the bane of many amateurs. The inconsistency of contact, speed control and body position causes many a poor chip shot. The trick, for me anyway, is to maintain a constant technique that I can repeat without hesitation. This year I changed my chipping position slightly which results in better…
Putting Games That Lower Your Golf Score | The Grateful Golfer
The saying that 100% of short putts never go in is a complete truth. Of course, this is a tongue in cheek statement to over simplify the need to get the ball to the hole (at least) while putting. I am strong believer in putting the ball past the hole between 8 to 17 inches.…
The Challenge Of Wanting More In Golf | The Grateful Golfer
As every golfer improves, their desire to play better grows. Through my golf journey, I experienced many peaks, valleys and plateaus in my game. I think this is normal for any athlete who wants to improve in their selected sport. Golf is no different or is it. I find that my desire or passion to…
Zeroing In On Your Aim Point In Golf | The Grateful Golfer
For many years I have espoused and adopted the 'aim small miss small' attituded of lining up a golf shot. This approach to hitting targets applies to all shots regardless of the distance needed. It is something that I have revisited this year as I attempt to improve my GIR percentage. Picking out an aim…
Working On Hitting My 3 Wood | The Grateful Golfer
I purchased a Mizuno 3 wood a couple of years back. Since, I have been hit and miss (pardon the pun) on contact with this club. When I hit it well, I am happy with my 225 yards. However, with the slightest miss hit and I struggling to get over 200 yards. This disparity is…
How To Properly Drop A Golf Ball | The Grateful Golfer
Many times golfers just toss their golf ball into a general relief area and carry on with their round. When playing a friendly, I am less concerned about this than when playing in a tournament. A competition is a different beast and there are more rules to consider when taking relief and placing another ball…
Successfully Hitting A Delicate Shot With Your Wedges | The Grateful Golfer
Using the scoring clubs with skill is a challenge for all golfers. There is no question that a player with a strong short game (the distance varies depending on skill) will shoot lower golf scores. Additionally, they will carry themselves with confidence as they know very few shots will cause them to mentally breakdown. There…
Working On Your Golf Game | The Grateful Golfer
Earlier in the week I posted about taking stats on my next round of golf. Although one round does not provide enough data to make any solid decisions on where I need to practice, the one round I played did provide some possible focus as to where I need work. With such a short season,…
Working Towards A Better Golf Game | The Grateful Golfer
After my round of golf yesterday with my friends Ron and Mike, I noticed a few positive aspects of my game that I need to focus upon moving forward. It is nothing profound, however it is important enough to move forward these skills in order to improve my overall golf game. Primarily, I will focus…
Trying To Head To The Golf Course | The Grateful Golfer
Not for the lack of trying, I have not made it to the golf course in about five days. Normally, I would have played a couple of rounds in that time, however the rain and cold weather has stopped me from looping around Mattawa Golf and Ski Resort. Today, I have decided to layer up…
How To Shoot Low Golf Scores Without Practicing | The Grateful Golfer
Time is always an issue for golfers. Most of us do not have enough time to dedicate it to our golf game. This, unfortunately, is a universal truth that plagues my beloved sport. Often, I discussed ways to improve our game without practicing; the result is never what they wanted to hear. The truth is…
Practicing At Osprey Links | The Grateful Golfer
I went to my old stomping grounds yesterday to sharpen up my game at their updated practice facility. As a fan of Osprey Links Golf Course, it is great to see that they invested in a new training facility. It is definitely great new and improvement from when I played as a member 5 years…
Finally Playing Regular Golf | The Grateful Golfer
As most of you know, I started my golf season with a round of hickory sticks at the World Hickory Golf Day in Cambridge. The Golf Historical Society of Canada hosted and its an annual event that marks the start of my golf season. Well, fast forward it to Monday past and I teed it…
Solid Contact With Our Wedges | The Grateful Golfer
Considered our scoring clubs, hitting solid contact with a wedge is a challenge for most amateurs. Generally, the closer we are to the green, the easier it is to hit a solid wedge shot. There are many variables that constitute a solid shot, but generally we are more confident the closer we are to the…
Changing Your Grip While Putting | The Grateful Golfer
Putting is the most import stoke in golf. During any round, about half our strokes are eaten by strokes gained on the greens. This is a universal trait and as such should be addressed by every player. The challenge many amateurs have (at least in the early stages of they game) is how to properly…
2025 Ottawa Hickory Golf Challenge Is Almost Here! | The Grateful Golfer
The 2025 Ottawa Hickory Golf Challenge is almost here. This event, organized by Chris Hawes, is raising money for a worthy charity and expanding the fun of hickory stick golf. Chris started this event last year and it was a huge success. My friend Charlie and I participate in last year's event and walked away…
Great Golf Advice From Rory McIlroy | The Grateful Golfer
Playing golf offers many opportunities to become a better golfer. Actually, each time we step on the first tee, the slate is clean as past games should not affect your current round. There are many different approaches to becoming a better golfer and Rory McIlroy offers three. Interestingly, everything he suggests is something we discussed…
The 2025 World Hickory Golf Day Was A Huge Success | The Grateful Golfer
Another World Hickory Golf Day is in the books. It was a huge success with 32 players showing up at the Cambridge Golf Club to mark this momentous day. I saw many old friends, Doug, Allen and Bill to name a few, made some new friends and chatted with many hickory golf enthusiasts. Overall, the…
Organizing Your Golf Game | The Grateful Golfer
Many golfers do not play well during chaos conditions. You know, the times when you are searching for something in your bag that you cannot seem to find because you have not looked in your bag for quite some time. This happens to me from time to time and it is then I realize I…
The 2025 Golf Season Is Finally Here! | The Grateful Golfer
After a long, long winter of waiting for the temperatures to rise, the day has finally arrived. Well, actually, it is tomorrow, but I am excited to report there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Some of the local courses are starting their season and I can finally take my clubs out…
Reminding Golfers To Tee It Forward | The Grateful Golfer
Many times I played a new golf course from the tips. I felt (earlier in my career) that I was getting a better experience from farther back. Well, this was never the case. I did not always shoot a low score and as a result put undue pressure on my game and those around me.…