9th Excerpt from My Golf Diary

In this excerpt from June of 2000, I continue to write about some golf memories that stood out to me.  I almost get blasted by a sprinkler when playing with Eric at Pinon Hills, and I am unexpectedly asked to come play through over a canyon on a different day on hole #4, also at Pinon Hills...  Have I really been playing for almost eleven years now?

First Birdie and 9 Holes of 2011

2-19-11
    I played my first nine holes of the season this morning.  Bruce called; he wanted to beat the bad weather that was heading this way.  It’s here now.  I am on my bed, and as I look out the sliding glass door I see gray skies and rain. B and I planned on doing our taxes together, but when faced with doing taxes or playing golf before the weather gets bad, I choose golf.  She didn't mind.  She had some other stuff she wanted to do.  C.J. joined us, too. 
    I played well.  I am trying something new this season.  I am trying to shorten my backswing.  Watching videos that Guy took of my swing with his iPhone at Grand Lake, especially the ones facing me, I noticed that I go past parallel on my full swings.  What feels like a full swing is really an overly full swing.  I just watched it again, and my clubhead falls well below my left shoulder as I load up, just before I change the club’s direction on the forward swing.  I think I am giving up accuracy when I do this, so my swing thoughts today were to do a three quarter swing instead, and I am betting that even though it feels like three quarters, it’s probably closer to parallel. 
    I shot a 43 today, and it was not ideal conditions.  I also earned my very first birdie of this season!

8th Excerpt From My Golf Diary

Happy Valentine's Day!  

In this excerpt from June of 2000, I write while at Najajo Dam.  A typical scene from my diary includes the twins talking, the kids having fun playing some game together, and Eric off swimming.  This was the first one of many of those scenes.  For golf, I record my eighth birdie ever, too.  It's funny to me that I say I hit my 5-iron from 150 yards.  First, I say "swing" now instead of "hit."  Second, that seems like too much club for 150 yards.  I use my 8-iron from that distance now under "normal" circumstances.  

6-11-00

   We’re at Navajo Dam right now.  Amanda and Eric have their new/used boat and we’re trying it out!  We are all relaxed and having fun.  We wish we had brought dinner, so we could stay longer.

Snow Day!

2-8-11
    Well, this is weird.  We had a snow day today, but as I look out my computer room window, it’s only partly cloudy, frosty looking, and breezy.  It was snowing lightly earlier, but it has since stopped.  I’ll take it, though.      

   I am uploading pictures to MobileMe, pictures from four years ago.  I hope to get most of them uploaded and organized.  What a great feat that would be.  I look ahead to the future when I am gone from this earth, and...

7th Excerpt From My Golf Diary

   In this excerpt from over ten years ago, I have my first golf lesson ever with Mike Stark, the head pro at San Juan Country Club at that time.  This was an exciting thing for me.  What amazes me, reading this again, is that I am now back to a neutral grip, my head holds still, and I have come so far in the past ten years. I shoot much lower scores after all these years with all of my lessons, practices, and playing.  I was thirsting for knowledge and quick improvement back then, but now, I am not in such a hurry.  I do play better now, and that helps, but I am also more patient.    

6-10-00

   It’s official.  I have had my first lesson with a golf pro, Mike Stark.  We were originally going to work only on putting, but...

MLK Jr. Weekend-Happy 75th, Dad!

1-14-11

    We are headed to Lakewood for Martin Luther King Jr. weekend.  The plan is to celebrate my father’s birthday, his 75th birthday, the one we missed because we went on a cruise instead of going to Lakewood for Christmas last year.  Dad’s birthday is really December 28th.  We have a surprise guest on the way, too...