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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…
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…
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…
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.…
Never Forget Your Follow Through In Golf | The Grateful Golfer
There are many different areas of discussion in golf that it is sometimes difficult to decide where to focus our efforts. One of the areas often overlooked is the follow through after contact with the golf ball. Many amateurs (myself included in my early days) pay little attention to our actions after contact not realizing…
World Hickory Golf Day Is Coming! | The Grateful Golfer
May 4th-WORLD HICKORY GOLF DAY Come & Enjoy a day playing hickory-shafted golf clubs on World Hickory Golf Day! Relive the grand moments of George Lyon, Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, & Gene Sarazen. Join the fun, as Hickory Golfers collectively around the world will be celebrating the playing of their sport on this same day.…
Ball Contact and Ball Position | The Grateful Golfer
For years I read about making my divot after the ball when hitting my irons. The bottom end of my stroke should descend about an inch into the ground in order to create the proper angle of attack with the clubhead. Unfortunately, this swing movement hinges on several factors that are important and will help…
Golf Season Is So Close! | The Grateful Golfer
Yesterday, I paid for my membership at the Mattawa Golf and Ski Resort. I have been a member of this course for a few years and I am still loving to play this nine hole track. It offers some challenges, chances to shoot low, but most of all the people are fun to play a…
Waiting For My Golf Course To Open | The Grateful Golfer
After watching the exciting action at the Masters, my desire for my local course to open has grown exponentially. I think we still have a couple of weeks, but the warm weather definitely stokes my competitive juices. While I wait, I will have to dig out my clubs from storage, give them a good cleaning…
What An Amazing 2025 Masters Finish! | The Grateful Golfer
Congratulations to Rory McIlroy for winning his first green jacket. Rory showed the resilience and mental strength needed to win at Augusta National and to complete his career grand slam. He made several poor (surprisingly poor) shots only to respond with amazing shots to gain back the momentum. I was amazed at some of the…
An Exciting Moving Day At The 2025 Masters | The Grateful Golfer
Moving day at the 2025 Masters was by far the most fun to watch in years. Saturday is traditionally the time when players make their move to position themselves for the final push on Sunday. Two players stood out and a couple moved up the leaderboard. With only 18 holes to go, I predict that…
First Moving Day At The 2025 Masters | The Grateful Golfer
The activity and scores at the Masters on Friday went pretty much as expected. The leader did not increase his lead and many of the to players shot well to close the gap. Virtually all players moved up the leader board including Rory McIlroy (which I did not choose) and Bryson DeChambeau. Some notably names…
The Action Continues At The 2025 Masters | The Grateful Golfer
The first day of action at Augusta National did not disappoint. As predicted, one player, Justin Rose, shot out of the starting gate and build a three stroke lead. Scottie Scheffler, Ludvig Åberg and Corry Connors (Canadian) are in second place at four under par. Like many players, Rory had a great round going until…
Predicting The 2025 Masters Winner | The Grateful Golfer
In years past, I have offered my prediction for the winner of the Masters. Starting tomorrow, the field of 95 players, including the 12 LIV Golf players, will tee it up to try and claim the green jacket. This is my favourite Major in professional because the whole mystic of Augusta captivates my attention. This year…
Still Waiting For Golf Season To Start | The Grateful Golfer
Normally, I forecast the start of golf season for 15 April. It normally ends on 31 Oct, but I stop playing before then. So, that equates to six months of no golf due to weather. As spring tries to beat back the winter (in temperatures anyway) I anxiously wait for the amazing news that my…
How To Improve Your Golf Swing | The Grateful Golfer
There are so many tips to improve our golf swing it is hard to pick just one. The suggestions here at the Grateful Golfer is designed to offer help to amateurs hoping to improve their game. I am under no illusion that every tip will work for everyone, but I am hoping that the odd…
Checking Your Equipment Before You Play Golf | The Grateful Golfer
Do you check you golf equipment before you hit the links? I am willing to bet that a large majority of players do not give their equipment a second thought before they tee it up. A player like myself who plays 4 or 5 times a week is not likely to look over their sticks…
New Environmental Policy At Local Golf Course | The Grateful Golfer
I knew the day was coming where golf courses would start to implement a tax on golfers. I was surprised to hear this, but it makes sense. Knowing how important it is for golfers to be personally involved in protecting our playing area. Let me know what you think? This policy is being implemented Seguin…
Beating Back The Pressure In Golf | The Grateful Golfer
Regardless of you skill level, there will come a time when the pressure to make a great shot will force you to double think your options. Whether it is to win or tournament or trying to save double bogey, each player must learn to beat back the pressure of any given shot. The effort to…