Tag: goals

Year-End Golf Game and Golf Goals for the New Year

During the Christmas break, I usually work in a few rounds of golf here and there. I was able to squeeze in a round at Carlton Oaks in Santee, California, the day after Christmas. This is a course formerly used to qualify golfers for their tour cards. I love the challenges of the front nine versus the wide open fairways of the back nine. You can plan out your approach and attack plan, but the angled fairways and elevated decks make adjustment a big part of the game.

I love how Carlton Oaks gives off a mystique of a course much older than its 1958 start date. Its first tee has you veering to right, only to quickly force you to dogleg left for a par 4. Launching my approach shot over the green, I lost my nerves and flubbed a chip shot onto the green. That forced me to put my pitching wedge to work around the back end of the green to come out with a double bogey.

From there on, the rest of the course gave me grief. Somewhere around the 7th hole on the front where I realized that my finish on my pitches and chips had too loose and light. After that realization, I added some changes to my chips and pitches. But those approach shots were killing me.

Finishing off the front nine, I messed up by using a fairway wood instead of a hybrid to carry my third shot over a waterway. The shot went wide to the left and barely still within the stakes. I scrambled my way to pitching a nice roller onto the green, but that wasn’t enough to save par or even get me bogey on a par 5. I walked away with a 7 on that hole and a bad attitude on the 10th tee.

The remainder of the scorecard tells a different story. I didn’t do anything drastic except cut down my double bogeys. I marked down a double bogey on 11, and then I pretty much settled down. In fact, on hole 16, I hit a par from the fringe muh like I have done in the past on the same hole. Simply cutting down those double bogeys, cut down an additional 4 strokes compared to the front nine.

A New Set of Golf Goals for a New Year

I looked back at this game and considered my golf goals for 2024.

Let me correct that with complete transparency.

I walked by the mirror coming from the restroom prior to my tee time. . .

. . . and I was disgusted at what I saw.

My belly was protruding out like Santa on an off day from his sleigh. Not that my multi-striped golf shirt helped any, but I looked a lot more like a lost Christmas ornament than a golfer.

I’m an athletic coach and a former athlete, so I surely did not like seeing my reflection at the moment.

I was reminded that one of my most popular articles of the past spoke of a focus on fitness. That gave me motivation to do more than try to just shoot for breaking 90. I was motivated to leave the course after my round and work on overall health.

https://twitter.com/RevBruceJ1/status/1743347631391375679/photo/1

Part of 2024 is going to include me running 5Ks again, maybe even that Hot Chocolate 15K, and daily pushing myself to take on new adventures in health. From food to fitness, I’m taking my health seriously to combat the effects of a poor diet of the past. If that means walking around a nearby downtown venue to speak to the homeless and get a feel for what type of outreach ministry that can take place there, then let it be so. If that means pulling on some hiking books or trail runners in order to hike a local peak with a group of folks who have been body-shamed and seek to create a new image of themselves, so be it.

In 2024, I’ve got more than just golf goals. I’ve got life goals.

Fun on the Fairways in Florida

I usually don’t get out of the state much to play golf, but when I do, I like to have an enjoyable time. Good people and gracious golf course usually make for a good round of golf. And, me being me, I’ll take that every single time.

On a warm and sunny Monday in December, I got an opportunity to play golf at MetroWest Country Club in Orlando, Florida. I thought that I had seen some picturesque courses in Southern California, but MetroWest had a luxurious feel of its own.

This par 72 course made playing it so much fun that I can’t wait to get back to Orlando and take another shot at it. I mean I’d bypass a visit to see Mickey Mouse or Universal Studios in Orlando for a chance to play this course’s wide open fairways and tree-lined gateways to its smooth and lush greens. Somebody said that there was a drought in Florida, but from the look of these fairways and greens, it looked like it totally missed this part of the state.

Did I get closer to breaking 90?

Nope. I was using someone else’s clubs and playing without a glove. We even started on the back nine instead of at hole #1. Breaking 90 was not quite in the picture for me that day. But I had a great time despite all of that.

What was working?

My drives were looking solid with the exception of about 3 holes. My putts from the off the fringe were conservative plays, but they kept me in position to make bogey many times. Taking a 5 wood off the fairway on long holes also proved to be working for me as opposed to engaging a hybrid.

What wasn’t working was the approach shots and uphill putts. I was coming up short too much on both. If I could have pushed about 3 more putts by half an inch, then I’d have dropped a few more pars on this course. But that’s just part of the game.

Special thanks to Cousin Lamar for hosting me in Florida. I was glad that he shared his clubs with me, especially that weighted putter that he laid on me for the day. It had an extra thick grip that I could get used to on the course.

I might not travel with my clubs there the next time, but I will definitely travel with an optimistic attitude and a strategic outlook to continue towards breaking 90.

I know that I still have some work to do as I come back from injuries and illness, but in the meantime, just keep swinging.

More Golf During the Holidays

I haven’t played in a long time. Yet, despite such a long layoff, I didn’t do too bad. In fact, I had some pretty good moments.

I’ll dig into that later on, but for now I want to just say that age and injuries along with life’s letdowns are going to come. You brace yourself for them and ride it out. You play golf to enjoy being outdoors and among like-minded folks as well as having the courage to face any challenge these golf course designers could throw your way.

Play on and just keep swinging!

Flu Blues

I want to play golf.

I got flu-like symptoms a few days ago that threw off my plans for some outdoor play, and then the rain hit again.

And guess what?

I did not get any better than before the rain came.

Watching Golf on TV

I don’t know about you, but when I get sick on the weekend I tend to curl up in the bed and turn on the TV.

NFL playoff championships were on. The Farmers Insurance Open was in full swing. After all, it was in my town San Diego, a dream golf destination to be experienced by any golfer.

However, watching golf on TV tends to do something to me. On those days where golf pros are in the hunt for the holy grail of the tournament win, it makes me uneasy. I’m ready to hit the course and take a full swing. I just get really jazzed.

But being sick puts a damper on that. Like the site says, it’s an “annual nuisance.”

Once I get over this cold, flu or whatever it is, I’m making my way back to a local course for a few holes of the stuff that golfers live for time and time again.

In the meantime, while I still got the flu blues, y’all just keep swinging.

I’m still working on getting Mark Teran on my YouTube channel for Coffee & Chat with Rev Bruce. It might be a while since golf season has kicked off again for the pros but we’ll see what we can do.

Stay tuned.

Dream Golf Destination in San Diego

Take a poll of your golf buddies and you’ll hear a lot about different golf destinations both near and far.

Some of the most popular golf destinations that you’ll hear about include names like Augusta, Scottsdale, Myrtle Beach and Las Vegas.

Golfers want to play where the pros play. It inspires them to play pro-style courses designed to challenge even the best of the best.

Torrey Pines: The Farmers Insurance Open

Annually, as pro golf cranks up and the PGA Tour makes its way to San Diego, the Farmers Insurance Open becomes a national and even worldwide golf spotlight. Torrey Pines in my own backyard takes the stage of the golf world for a moment and gets a nod from many golfers to add the course to their golf destination wish list.

Golfers just want to play where the pros play. Golfers want to hit from tee boxes where Tiger Woods made historic rounds replayed on ESPN and the Golf Channel. Golfers want to play at the place where John Rahm goes for a follow-up tournament victory after his performance at the American Express. They just want to play where the pros get challenged and rewarded for solid and smart golf.

This week’s Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines should not disappoint most golfers. It has traditionally offered some exciting rounds of golf from some of the biggest names in golf. I don’t anticipate seeing too many letdowns even if folks are still livid about LIV Golf and its tour.

The PGA Tour hitting tour draws golfers from all around the world. It even attracts some hangers-on who want to test their skills against the course in post-tournament rounds. Even the video game PGA Tour 2K23 has added Torrey Pines to its list of courses.

Torrey Pines is in PGA terms is of course Torrey Pines South, not the North course commonly known by many San Diego residents as the “other one.” As residents of San Diego, many local golfers have played at least one or both courses at any given time. At Torrey Pines, resident rates are pennies on the dollar compared to non-resident rates. Once you’ve played it with the beach in view and the coastal breeze blowing against your face, you will definitely say that it was worthwhile.

If you have a dream destination in mind, don’t give up hope. Stay inspired!

Stay Inspired to Play at Your Dream Golf Course

I recently shared a video on YouTube about how to stay inspired to continue going for your dreams. I also share the same sentiments via my podcast Coffee & Chat with Rev Bruce.

It takes persistence to keep going after your dreams. It takes a plan to go for your dreams. It takes patience to go after your dreams. But it also takes a perseverance. You’ve got to keep pursuing your dreams, even when it seems so out of range that it’s out of sight.

What Makes San Diego Special

All dream golf destinations are not designed alike. That’s what is so beautiful about such a list of golf vacation destinations.

Aside from Torrey Pines, San Diego offers plenty of golf courses regionally. Many of these courses are the reason that San Diego is a such a golfer’s paradise. For us, the golf season never truly ends around here. We just need to shake of some of this recent rain that left the greens a little slow and soggy, and then we’re back on again.

My personal favorite golf courses in the San Diego region keep me occupied often. Among my big ticket golf destinations I always include neighboring locations like Pala and Temecula as well as other areas like Palm Springs.

I like to plan my play and try my best to work my plan after some careful game analysis and reflection.

Most of all, wherever you end up playing, you’ve got to keep on swinging.

Using Fitness to Gain Focus

According to research from Penn State and the University of Maryland, an average person exercises around two hours each week. That is just half how much is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Washingtonian) [site source: comfyliving.net]

Many of us could use more fitness activity in our lives. That’s pretty much a given.

Less than 25% of the US population gets enough physical activity.

http://www.verywellfit.com

The issue is our willingness to make time to get active. The key is to decide and determine that we will get off the couch and get active.

By increasing our activity, we stand a good chance of reducing health risks and increasing our own productivity.

Fitness Benefits

Using fitness as a means for gaining focus is nothing new.

Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance.

www.mayoclinic.org

The benefits of increasing our physical activity span beyond just losing weight and gaining strength.

A small study found that when mindfulness was combined with exercise, participants showed improvements in stress, depression, and anxiety.

www.verywellfit.com

According to an article by Sophia Aubrey for The Sydney Morning Herald, “After a month of regular exercise, you will be noticing improvements to your strength and fitness.” Additionally, per www.livestrong.com: “After a month or two of working out 30 minutes a day, you may have increased confidence, a boost in mood, better sleep, and enhanced muscle tone.”

The Mayo Clinic outlines 7 benefits of regular physical activity.

Fitness for Focus

I find that working out helps me gain focus. Also, regular workouts help me maintain a routine in an otherwise hectic schedule. But my focus is improved because I have spent time engaged in physical activity and my aha moments seem to pop up more frequently.

I use physical fitness to gain more focus.

It doesn’t matter if I am walking while listening to the Bible or jazz. It doesn’t matter if I’m jogging or running while I’m listening to an audiobook or a podcast. ( I rarely listen to my own podcast during workouts.) When I’m active, I get inspired and gain more focus.

I find focus during those workouts, runs, hikes and walks. I also find motivation and inspiration. I mean who can listen to David Goggins or anything from Rachel Hollis and not get motivated and make a move towards a goal.

To break 90 on my scorecard consistently, I don’t need to just hit the driving range consistently.

I need to use physical fitness to gain focus, so that I can combine that with my driving range regimen and practice rounds.

I force myself to find the time to fit in some fitness somewhere throughout my week.

I’m in need of the focus when the golf rounds go haywire. I need that focus when I come close but fall short of my golf goals.

Focus is a key benefit of fitness for me and my golf game. And becoming more active helps me gain more focus.

Find Your Fitness Fit

What anyone needs to do when it comes to fitness is to find what what fits.

I’ve got friends who would never dare think of playing a round hopping in and out of a golf cart. For them, walking the course is par for the course. Others focus on lightening their golf bag and slinging their equipment across their back from hole to hole for a full round of 18.

You’ve got to find what fits you. Find your own fitness fit.

  • Look at high impact physical activity like kickboxing, jiu jitsu or boxing. These include benefits related to both physical and mental health.
  • Consider adding a long walk or run, even a hike to your weekend activities.
  • Strength training with machines or free weights help with muscle tone and overall physical strength. Be sure to schedule in rest days between strength training workout days.
  • Use deep body stretching or yoga for part of your physical activity regimen.
  • Walk 9 holes or an executive course full of par 3 holes.
  • Change your daily diet. Look at keto or intermittent fasting combined with hitting the gym at least 3x’s per week.

Get into the habit of doing some body movements daily. Do some kind of physical activity daily and help yourself gain some focus among other benefits.

Be good to yourself and keep swinging.

Holiday Golf Plans

During the holidays, I plan to play a few rounds of golf. Let me be super transparent. I plan to play as much golf as I can possibly play during the holidays.

In the past, I’ve played a lot of golf, But I’ve made plenty of mistakes on my journey.

I didn’t approach the opportunity to play golf with the right mindset. Or, my plans didn’t work out with the right execution and the wheels fell off the entire apple cart per se.

As I approach my play during this holiday season, I plan to keep my outlook positive with a positive mindset.

Seize the Open Opportunities

Conservative play has its place in golf. Yet, sometimes you just have to be more aggressive. I’m going to take a few more risks, albeit calculated risks but still risks.

Being More Present in the Moment

Evaluations of my last few rounds show me that I start out strong but lose it somewhere around 8th or 9th hole. I can recall on the 8th hole of my last round, playing a par 5 with some errors and mishaps to nearly save par, and then losing my stuff right off the tee on the par 3 10th hole to end up playing for bogey at best.

By being more present in the moment, I can examine what I have to do and focus on execution. By doing so, I can also manage my play to better fit my goals.

It sounds highly technical but it’s primarily mindset. The game’s definitely mental.

Just Have Fun

I enjoy playing golf. I like it when the sun is shining off the blades of grass and the birds are singing in the trees near the tee box. It seems like you get a piece of heaven on earth.

When we take it all too serious, then we forget to have fun. We forget to enjoy just being out on the course. We lose sight of the reason why we even pick up the clubs. I think the Angry Golfer might get where I’m coming from with this.

So, I am going to swing like crazy and pop a few Advil and do it some more. I’m playing golf in the winter in SoCal. I don’t need to make big golf travel plans right now. That’s for the future.

I’ll update you on how it goes.

Creating an Attack Plan

On the golf course, you’re bound to find out that have a few flaws that need fixing. It is always good to ask for feedback for fixing your flaws. I tend to focus on finding more fairways and giving myself at least a shot at birdie as an improvement on most days.

That doesn’t always happen, though.

Short game swing practice

Develop a Plan

A good plan violently executed now is better

than a perfect plan executed next week

General George S. Patton

I’m a planner by nature. I like to sketch out a scheme with plenty of room allowed for any type of contingency necessary.

Creating a plan of action for the golf course seems like a lot, but it surely helps a lot.

  • Go to greenskeeper and get the course scorecard
  • Identify par 5 holes and any short par 4 (distance at 400 yards or under)
  • Set your goal for making par on at least half of those total holes
  • Play bogey or better on the remaining holes
  • Limit yourself to 2 putts per hole

From there, it’s all about putting your plan into action.

Take Action with Your Plan

Review your plan prior to your play.

  • What type of club and shot do you need to prepare for?
  • How aggressive or conservative do you need to play?
  • What’s your best option for maximizing opportunities and minimizing mistakes?

Hit the course with your plan in mind.

Tackle the front 9, and then at the turn you need to evaluate where you are with your plan.

  • Are you on track?
  • Do you need to make an adjustment?
  • Can you shave some more strokes somewhere?

Go into the back 9 with confidence.

Planning and Performance Don’t Always Link Up

“The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” – Robert Burns

After you play, analyze how you played. Take into account what worked and what just did not go your way. From there, accept what it is and where you are. Then, plan your next outing and attack plan.

Armed with an attack plan, I believe that you can see marked improvement after 4-6 outings of consistent action and analysis based upon an improvement plan.

Special Livestream Guest Mark Teran of Piped Golf

Have you ever imagined being a professional golfer?

No, man. I’m serious. Has that ever been a personal aspiration of yours, something that you fantasize about during daydreams?

Piped Golf isn’t a pipe dream for a very determined man. It’s part of a systematic and strategic master plan of Mark Teran on his quest to play golf with the best on the PGA Senior Tour.

Coffee & Chat with Rev Bruce returns on Tuesday, 11-22-22, at 9 AM PST. This week’s special guest will be Mark Teran of Piped Golf. This chat will be streamed live on YouTube and available on the podcast Wednesday morning.

Recorded 10/31/22 @ Cottonwood Golf Club (El Cajon, CA)

Mark Teran has a story to share that many golfers need to hear, especially those who have thought about joining the professional ranks in their golden years. Learn more about Mark Teran and Piped Golf as well as his work with PGA senior players as a caddie and as a Monday qualifier. His personal story will make you want to root for him in his professional pursuits.

Meanwhile, check out Mark’s golf swing on a par 5 approach shot.

Coffee & Chat with Rev Bruce has been part of Life Path Multimedia Ministries since 2020. Inspiring words, intriguing stories and implementable tips and to-do’s from all kinds of people and for people who want to live changed lives and leave a legacy of impact on the world. You can support the podcast for as low as .99 cents per month. This will help with production quality as well as exclusive supporter and member perks in the coming months.

Listen to any or all of the prior podcast episodes.

LPGA CME Group Tour Championship Race to the Top of the Leaderboard for the Final Round

This year’s top 60 LPGA players in women’s golf have been going at it in the CME Group Tour Championship. There’s a $2 million prize for the outright winner. On top of that, the Rolex Player of the Year Award is on the line as well. Past Rolex Player of the Year winners include Lydia Ko (2015) who was tied for first place in the CME Group Tour Championship going into this final round. This final round is bound to be eventful.

Round 3 Made it a Race

In Round 1, Lydia Ko made her presence known and set the tone for much of the tournament, finishing atop of the leaderboard ahead by 1 stroke. Going into Round 2 with such a slight lead, Lydia Ko separated herself from the leaderboard pack with a 66 as other top players averaged higher scores. By the time Round 2 ended, Ko had a comfortable 5 shot lead.

But any of us who have played the game of golf know that means nothing when there is plenty more golf to play.

Things heated up when Leona Maguire shot a 63 in Round 3. Shooting a 70 in Round 3 didn’t help Ko’s quest for regaining a Rolex Player of the Year Award, but it was enough to keep her tied at the top of the leaderboard. Both players ended the round 5 strokes ahead of 2 players tied for third place on the leaderboard as well as 6 strokes ahead Brooke Henderson and Anna Nordqvist tied for fifth place.

Stellar play in that third round helped both Maguire and Henderson make their runs for the top of the leaderboard. Maguire shot a stunning 63 for the round to match her 66 and 66 for the first 2 rounds, while Henderson shot a solid 65 to make a strong push towards the top after sitting tied for 26th going into Saturday’s round. Nordqvist has remained in contention for a top 10 finish since Round 1.

What I Like So Far

You’ve most probably read my prior post on the stakes of higher prize money for this event. The possibility and prospect of bagging $2 million to wrap up the season is a great focal point for plenty of the top 60 LPGA golfers in the field. That’s a key factor in this final round for the CME Group Tour Championship. Throw in that Rolex Player of the Year Award and you’ve got you a battle going on for the final event of the season for the best of the best.

Nelly Korda already showed the strength to go back to back with her title defense at the LPGA Pelican Championship. That served as a storied lead-in to the CME Group Tour Championship.

Lydia Ko is demonstrating steady play. Her 70 shot in the third round isn’t a sign of her losing it. She still remains poised and positioned to play for the title. Brooke Henderson did something amazing by climbing to the top 5 of the field from being 11 strokes behind Ko’s lead in Round 2. The type of play that we’re seeing from Maguire, Henderson, Ko, and even Nordqvist shows what happens when you put the top 60 players in the same field for the same top prize.

What This Does for the Game of Golf

The $2 million purse alone will not end the gender pay gap in professional sports. However, this type of finish for any segment of sports stands out as a new standard in a new era.

This is in the midst of the Astros regaining the World Series with Dusty Baker as its manager in a competition without a single U.S.-born African American player participating. At the same time the FIFA World Cup is cranking up on a global scale as Lionel Messi prepares to walk away from the sport and Ronaldo is doing more Ronaldo type of drama with Manchester United in the background. Not to mention football season has shown us upset upon upset week by week and the NBA has the Lakers looking like losers at the bottom of the Western Conference.

In my opinion, sports fans need truth serum every so often just to bring folks back to reality. Watching the season opener of the Lakers, I was disappointed. The shot selection was horrible. Every single NBA pro isn’t a 3-point shooter. Maybe that memo got missed. I can critique all that I want to and all day long. That doesn’t change the fact that they’re pros and I am nothing but a fan of both the sport and team.

I can Monday quarterback all that I want to in hindsight as I explain why the Raiders are losing the way that they keep losing and break down how it’s not all on Derek Carr until I am out breath and totally drained of ideas. That doesn’t change a single thing. That has me thinking I can do better. Or, better yet, it has fans like me basically saying that what the pros need to do is listen to me.

That’s not going to work.

What the current CME Group Tour Championship is doing sets a tone for pros and fans. We see the top 60 players entering a field that is wide open for a coveted prize. The best performers will rise to the top as their best remains on display before the world.

I’m a fan, not a pro. I am just trying to break 90 consistently. Heck, I’ll settle for the leisure time to be able to truly play consistently. I’ve got nothing of substance to offer Lydia Ko when she shoots a 70 in a round of tournament golf.

And where does that leave us as fans? We’re either watching our TVs or standing on this side of the ropes in admiration of what the players put out there.

At this very moment, the final round of the event is set to get underway. Keep track of the leaderboard online or watch live on NBC at 1 PM EST.