Author: revbruce

Sharing insights and ideas as a man of God and a concerned citizen...

Feedback for My Flaws

Since posting how my recent golf outing showed signs of much needed improvement, I’ve reflected on things a bit and shared my thoughts on the whole thing. It was good to get it off my chest and just put it out there.

Here’s what I did to help improve things:

Help me with my flaws. On my quest to break 90, I’ve done it when I’ve made the right adjustments. I just need to get to the point where I can do it on a consistent basis.

I need the feedback to fix my flaws. Help a golfer out if you would be so kind.

My 99 in Hindsight

Scorecards don’t lie.

They’re an indicator of how well or how poorly we played a round of golf on a certain course at a certain time on a certain day.

My recent round of 99 was an indicator of what was right about my game as well as what was so wrong about my game.

Driving Distance and Fairway Play

I will be the first to admit it. My fairways hit usually are limited to 2 maybe 3 per round. I tend to veer to the right and then adjust and start going too far to left. I’m not hitting as many fairways as I would like with my woods, especially the driver- my TaylorMade Burner Superfast Driver.

This round I actually hit 7 fairways. I will take that. I need to get it up to 9, but I haven’t played in ages. Distance was not a problem off the tee.

Great to Just Get Out

I loved playing with my cousin Robert from Texas and PGA Tour Champions caddie and Monday qualifier Mark Teran. Along with Mark’s brother, I was completely surrounded by Austin, Texas, and they let me know it and not forget it.

Mark Teran owns Piped Golf and caddies for some well-known senior PGA players. He’s definitely got his eyes set on swinging on tour making his rounds and taking his shot at Monday qualifiers. Beyond being a superb caddie with great reviews, Mark is a mean with a dream and a pure swing.

Fix and Focus

I need to fix my swing flaws as i mentioned earlier. i need to find my rhythm and get there with my swing. On the par 5 8th hole, I hit trees on one side of the course and chipped it short of the green by about 8 yards or even closer. That’s what needs to fixed and quickly.

I need to focus on my fitness, and then I need to focus on my par 3s and playing from the rough. I’ve come up short too many times leaving myself with par shots at best. If I do this right, I can see more fairways hit, a few greens in regulation, and lower numbers of putts.

My Breaking 90 Goal Broke Down Today

Not Today

I’ve got way more that I could say about this round today.

I’m just going to go ahead and just leave this pic here for you to soak it in.

In summation, it was not my greatest outing and despite some good moments it just wasn’t happening for me today.

When the wheels came off, they broke the whole darn thing down to pretty much a crawl.

Not Ready Yet

Like many things in life, we’re not ready to talk about this one yet. I’m going to need a healthy does of time and space. I’d say at least 24 hours. I think I can regroup and break down where I broke down and need to fix some things.

Currently, I’m rethinking my retention of the wisdom of Brian Penn’s post on swing thoughts. I am reeling on my heels and tiptoes at what the Grateful Golfer shared in a past post about our work to get things done.

In the meantime, check out the Instagram page of Piped Golf with Mark Teran. I did have the pleasure of playing a round with Mark and his brother as my cousin and I ventured out to Cottonwood Golf Club today. Mark’s got an extraordinary story to tell and I hope to give you more of his story in another format on another day.

I’m regrouping. I’m recharging. I’m hitting reset right here and it’s right up someone else’s alley. I’m going to have to make a fitness turnaround within this equation, though. That can cause more delays in fixing my game, but the benefits will outweigh those delayed opportunities.

For now, just know that I am not ready to talk about today’s round like folks watch Disney movies and agree to not talk about Bruno anymore.

Golf Getaway Destination Poll

Sometimes, you just want to getaway and go play golf. There are plenty of luxurious and relaxing stay-and-play golf offers out there.

People save up for golf stay-and-play packages that they want to experience for themselves. They plan for years. They budget their dollars and they save up as much as needed to getaway and play. Some even sacrifice coffee runs to Starbucks for the sake of getting away to go play golf.

Plenty of people have such a golf getaway on their bucket list. They want the ultimate golf experience. For some, they see it as a major part of their entire life’s journey as a golfer.

The pandemic sure didn’t help things any. Many have been awaiting an opportunity to get out and just go away to go play.

Where do you see as your ultimate golf destination?

Golf Season Never Ends

Chip & pitch practice at Cottonwood Golf Club

Golf season never ends.

No, don’t get me wrong. I’m not talking about the PGA Tour or LIV Golf. The PGA Tour ends and cycles back around with the West Coast Swing until the cycle ends again.

Even where some of you live makes it hard to hit balls amid snow and heavy rainy seasons. Your season has to end at some point.

I’m talking about my personal golf season. I’m talking about my ability to get up and go out to play golf throughout the year. That never ends for me.

Location Matters

I live in the San Diego area. The locale’s weather is consistently warm and sunny with a handful of rainy days. There are plenty of golf courses to choose from on a regular basis.

I love living in such an area. I love being able to play golf at so many different types of courses with different layouts and designs. I love having a neverending golf season in such a place as San Diego.

Schedule of Play

I can set up a tee time during my off days as well as during the hours when I’m not working for those twilight discounts. The level of flexibility that my schedule allows will provide me with opportunities to play golf and train frequently.

I do not find it difficult to get a tee time at different times, especially with tee times offered online. Plus, life happens for people and plenty of folks fall off and free up slots at local courses. I advise calling the pro shop ahead of arrival and seeing if there’s room for a single or pair to jump in. Otherwise, I say just show up at the course and hit a bucket of balls while you wait for an open tee time.

Swing It!!

For me, based upon my schedule and locale, golf season never ends. It just keeps rolling on endlessly.

And guess what?

I love it.

A 60 for Couples

Fred Couples is literally a living golf legend.

Shooting a 60, even on the PGA Tour Champions for the SAS Championship, is a big deal.

Heck! Even pumping out 12 birdies is nothing to sneeze at for senior players like Couples.

But that he did all that after going without a single win in the last five years in PGA Tour Champions competition speaks volumes.

Beating His Own Age

Fred Couples is 63. He just shot 60 to win the 2022 SAS Championship. He beat his own age by 3 strokes. That’s a major feat for plenty of golfers, even some top PGA golfers playing today.

At 63, he’s showing how well he can still play and compete. He finished with a 4-stroke lead (-12) over the second top spot on the leaderboard held by New Zealand’s Steven Alker (-8). The 3rd and 4th place spots went to Jerry Kelly (-5) and Rocco Mediate (-4). Couples hitting a 60 kept his competition at bay.

A Long Time Coming

A 5-year winless streak seems unheard of when it comes to a name like Fred Couples. The beloved three-time Presidents Cup captain showed that he still has it despite such an extended dry spell without a win. Playing birdie golf for 12 out of the 18 holes made this victory even sweeter for Couples.

With this victory notched for him, Couples could go on a streak or simply play out this year without another win. It’s simply a toss-up with the growing level of competition on the PGA Tour Champions circuit. Couples faces heavy competition from renowned names in golf worldwide including Miguel Jimenez and Steve Stricker to name a few. Once Lefty gets back to swinging regularly with the senior players, there might be some competition like their golden days on the PGA Tour. That is if these two pros can lay aside their differences on the business of the LIV Golf Tour. Otherwise, we’ll have to watch these two duke it out on social media and in the golf press with a war of words on the topics like LIV Golf and other things unrelated to their play on the course.

The Messy Business of Golf

Back in August, I talked about some thoughts on LIV Golf vs the PGA Tour. It’s still raging as a firestorm and causing a divide in the golf community as well as among the tour pros.

I cannot expect this thing to end any day soon.

Both parties just seemed entrenched in it.

Messy Media Coverage Doesn’t Help

The Wall Street Journal is known for its business and financial coverage. It also covers the business aspects of sports. Its latest article on PGA Tour executive jet usage as a sign of potential corporate corruption has a sensationalized title that will definitely draw in readers with some interest.

When the media coverage from even the top level journalism platforms seem to drift into the mess, it can get really messy.

The media spin on this rivalry is the makings of a reality TV fiasco before production has even launched. It most probably won’t be played out on the Golf Channel. It most assuredly will continue for a while and with no immediate end in sight.

Rooting for Rory

On Twitter their present with handles like @RoryMcllroyFans or @RoryTrackr, even @RoryStats. They’re on there. And they’re big fans of golf’s 3-time FedEx Cup winner Rory McIlroy.

Admittedly, I am a fan of Rory. I root for Rory usually at every turn with the exception of when he goes up against a fan fave like Rickie, Tiger, or Kevin Na. (Tiger, well, he’s in a realm all his own.) Other than that, I can see Rory swinging with power and looking to shave strokes all of the time.

Bubba takes it over the trees with SW

Let’s be real, though. Rory isn’t the type of big personality like John Daly. He’s not going to win you over with Southern charm like Bubba. ( I can’t lie. I will always come back to Bubba shutting up a fan with a pure shot to the green over some trees.) No dangling locks like Pat Perez or Tommy Fleetwood. That’s not Rory.

Seeing Rory do his thing is something to behold. The natural flow of his swing is stunning. The amount and degree of torque he generates drawing the club back is superhuman. The yardage he registers time and time again is feat of pure power unleashed. I really enjoy seeing Rory take on the major courses.

When you root for Rory, you want to swing it like Rory 100% of the time.

Oh, that 1 footer at the BMW?

Oh yeah. That one kind of stung a little bit I bet. It was hard enough to watch. I can only imagine what that must have been like for him after such a stellar FedEx Cup run.

Well, I have to admit we all have been there at some point. I’ve had my head down with my eyes on the ball but my head just wasn’t in it. It happens and we move on. That’s just part of the game.

So maybe it’s not 100% of the time. Let’s say 98% of the time.

Needless to say, that 1 foot flub isn’t stopping anyone from rooting for Rory.

Play More Consistently

@RevBruceJ

My play has been anything but consistent. I can admit that.

I need to get more consistent with my play. I commit to that.

I want to be that consistent player who enjoys his play on the course and experiences something good on the scorecard.

Journeys Take Time

There’s a reason why the tagline for this site includes my journey to break 90.

It’s a journey and journeys take time.

You don’t just walk around the corner or down the block for 10 to 15 minutes and say it was a journey. No, journeys take some time.

Journeys take time for you to get the lessons that they offer. You might discover some things along the way, but you usually have most of the takeaways towards the end and after the journey has been completed.

Consistency Pays Off (in the Long Run)

Consistency has a payday.

The problem with that is that it usually takes time for it all to pay off. The payday for consistency is typically in the future. It usually pays off in the long run.

You don’t just show up and (POP or POOF) it all works out. That’s not realistic. It takes consistency. It takes time. Over time, it leads to a payoff.

Seeing Results on the Course

You’ll get the added benefit of seeing results emerge along the way. That’s the beauty of the journey. You can see where your consistency has led to game improvement and where your inconsistencies have led to repeated mistakes and errors in judgment.

Less time invested means you’ll see fewer results. Add another day on a short par 3 course. Put in an hour or so at the driving range. Place an emphasis on your short game. Whatever you do, add to it more consistently.

The results keep you motivated.

The results keep you coming back.

Invested in My Golf Game

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 

I was probably teeing off at either Chula Vista Golf Course or Mission Trails Golf Course when I heard about it. I just remember being captivated by the idea of it. In fact, it caused me to be a little distracted until the second or third hole. (I think it was Chula Vista. I recall going into water that ran along the course.)

The guy who was paired with and playing with us had mentioned that he had invested in Callaway.

Think about it.

This was Big Bertha era. This was when the PGA was all up in arms about equipment specifications and restrictions. Callaway was long before PGX in leveling the playing field for weekend golfers to gain yardage off the tee.

And this dude was casually talking about how he had invested in Callaway early on as an IPO.

I was intrigued.

I was starting to invest beyond my mutual funds with Franklin-Templeton and I had started a trading account with TD Waterhouse (later TD Ameritrade). I held a few shares of companies like Oracle, Pepsi, and Ford.

But this guy owned Callaway.

I looked into it and that’s when I became a conscious investor in the game of golf and the world of sports.

You can read all about my sports portfolio that I have accumulated via this Medium article that I wrote a while back.

Popular Golf Stocks for Investors

Fun Facts about the List

  • Roundhill Sports Betting & iGaming ETF ($BETZ) is most probably one of the oddest items on the list.
  • Comcast owns NBC and the Golf Channel
  • One of these stocks is actually using the ticker symbol: $GOLF

I didn’t include Nike ($NKE) because despite their athletic apparel lines which include golf gear the company no longer makes golf equipment.

There might be some other names missed on this list, too. I just wanted to create a broad list of golf-related investments available out there including an ETF.

Callaway as a Stock

Like I said, I was first introduced to the entire idea of investing in golf stocks by a guy who owned a piece of Callaway. That was where I did my initial research.

$ELY still is available under $25 on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

Got any golf stocks you want to share? Share in the comments & keep swinging