Irons, Wedges, and Arccos, Oh My!

Written on 11-19-23.

Back to golf…

I am reading a book that John, our neighbor, lent me titled Be A Player by Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott.  He got it because it might help him for his shooting tournaments, but because it focuses on golf, he let me borrow it.  Pia and Lynn host VISION54 training programs (54 because they believe it’s possible to birdie every hole) for amateurs and pros, and it’s been a good read so far.  It has helped me focus on balance, tempo, and tension when I play and practice, and I am enjoying the Think Box, Play Box, and Memory Box chapters, too.  The Memory Box is similar to Dr. Rotella’s “accept the results” after each shot, and I have always believed in and followed that advice (as best I could).

They quoted Annika Sorenstam when she was asked about a double bogey.  Annika and most pros know that they will likely be asked about their bad or disastrous holes, and Annika said something that I will now use after losing to Eric.

Annika said, “Yes, I double-bogeyed that hole, but it was what happened afterward that was important.  I committed to every swing after that hole, and I came back.”

The book said right after that quote that she refused to over-emotionalize a mistake and replay it.

Brilliant!  Here it is in my words...

A Cozy Saturday at the Swope House

Written on 11-18-23.

        B just made some pancakes for herself.  I walked Kody this morning, and I just made a tee time for this Tuesday at 11:50.  B is hosting a bridal shower for Grant and Rachel’s daughter, Zoe.  It’s a cozy Saturday at the Swope house, and we are relaxing on our first day of Thanksgiving vacation together.  I am in the computer room, and I hope to get caught up on my writing and do some reading today, too.

On to golf…

Eric, Greg, and I played at Hillcrest on the day I went to my cardiologist appointment.  Eric and Greg...

A Week With Mom and Dad

Written on 11-10-23.

        I am tired.  I am in Colorado Springs, and it’s been a blur of a week.  This is the second week Bev has been gone to Dublin and London, so I wanted to come help out and visit with the folks.  She went to Carter’s brother Zack’s wedding in Ireland, and then she spent some time in Amsterdam and London afterwards.  

I have spent lots of wonderful quality time with Mom and Dad every day since Monday, and we have gotten some stuff done.  Tomorrow, we are hoping to organize some mail and their files, so I am going over there early.  Dad wants to order an electric wheelchair, too, and I hope to get their pills restocked before I go, too.  Dad says Bev comes home tomorrow, but I don’t know if I will see her.  I probably will. 

Joe, Tammy, Darrell, and I went to...

The Last Two Birdies of 2023?

Continued from 10-30-23.

Now, for the latest two birdies.

Pinon Hills Golf Course-Hole #3-Birdie #6 of 2023

I am getting closer to double digits, but I am running out of months.  It’s getting colder, too, so I don’t know if I will get three more.  Tomorrow’s round might help.

My drive headed right, but it barely made the fairway on the left side.  I earned a point for that, because Eric and I were playing the 1, 2, 3 points game again (we played that a lot this year).  I chose my 7-iron for my approach, because the pin was on the front, and it landed on the green out to the right of the flag.  I had a 30-35 foot putt for my birdie, and Greg helped me with the read.  I put my putt further out to the right after seeing his putt fall below the hole.  It kept rolling and tracking, and then it fell into the hole.  That’s two birdies on this tough hole this year!

Pinon Hills Golf Course-Hole #13-Birdie #7 of 2023

Eric and I played our game, but we also challenged Greg and Marc to best ball match play.  We killed them, but Greg had his worst round of the season, and I thought Marc was supposed to be a near scratch player.  Russell and Greg said he was a good player.  He recently got over being sick, though, (remember I took his place at the Hillcrest tournament), and he had just returned from a trip to Italy, too.  He played...

Did the Superintendent Get His Revenge?

Written on 10-29-23.

        I am listening to the Broncos on my little radio, and they are beating the Chiefs on a Sunday afternoon.  Yes, the Broncos are beating the Chiefs!  Don’t adjust your screens.  The score is 21-9, and we have about seven minutes left.  Recently, when I have tuned in to hear the game, they give it up at the end.  Hopefully, they will hold on.

They won!  Mahomes went for it on a 4th and 20-something, and he threw an interception.  Go, Broncos!  The final score was 24-9.

I have a lot to catch up on in here.  I want to write about the Superintendent’s Revenge Tournament and what happened in that tournament.  I also want to write about the last round at Pinon Hills with Greg and Marc, the guy I replaced for that tournament.  I earned two birdies during that round, one on the difficult par four #3, and the other on the easier short par four #13.  Lastly, I want to write about the fitting I did for new irons at Dick’s with John and what we discovered.  Basically, the search for my new set of irons has been a bit of paralysis by analysis (Luke Tanner’s words).

Written on 10-30-23.

I am going to get right into the golf this time.  I play with Eric tomorrow, and it will be Halloween.  If I don’t get the stuff I mentioned above in here, it’s going to be spooky.

The Superintendent’s Revenge Tournament was...