• Keep my 9 hole scores starting with a 3 or 4. I don’t want to reach the half-century mark again this year.
• Break 80.
• Get a hole in one. (When isn’t this a goal for a golfer?)
• Break 40 more consistently.
• Keep a slower controlled swing.
• Talk Dad into making a trip to Ireland.

How did I do?

• After March 31st, when I posted those goals, I shot 10 nine hole scores in the 50s.
• I still have never broke 18. I’m sure I could have done it a few times after shooting a good 9 hole score, but didn’t play a second 9 a lot of those days.
• Still no ace on the scorecard.
• I broke 40 more than in 2006, but not more on a percentage basis.
• I was in control of my swing more than I ever have been.
• Dad is up for the Ireland golf trip. It will most likely be a few years down the road though

Not too bad, not too good. Chipping and putting was the key for me in 2007 and I sucked at it. It’s time to start working on goals for 2008.

I played a lot more golf, so I should have improved. Well, I did improve in nearly every aspect of the game. I finally found a driver I can hit with confidence off the tee box and my irons and wedges were more consistent than they’ve ever been. My golf game really struggled in the short game and we all know that’s where you score. I had one of my worst years with the putter and just couldn’t get into a groove all summer long.

My biggest goal for the 2008 golf season is to make a dramatic improvement in my putting. I’ve been thinking about taking some putter lessons and even getting properly fit for a putter. Has anyone ever been fitted for a putter? If so, any recommendations you can make when I’m looking for a place to do it?

Another thing that really helped my golf game this past year was a trip to Phoenix, AZ during the second week of February to take some training for work. This year I plan to go to North Carolina in February to visit some friends, so I think the golf clubs will be making the trip. I’m already looking forward to it now that I mentioned it!

Over the weekend I hit some great tee shots when I stayed in control. As soon as I sprayed one off to the left or right I could feel my swing get quicker and I was snapping the wrists over the top or leaving the club face wide open. If I take a nice and easy swing with the driver I can still bomb it out there 280-300 yards or more. In fact, I put the ball on the green on a 272 yard par 4…with my 3 wood!

If you’re having problems with your swing and can’t seem to figure out the problem. Slow down. You’ll be amazed at the results most of the time.

When I can’t hit decent drives, golf just isn’t fun and it gets awful frustrating having to make up for a shitty drive off the tee. It shouldn’t really be hard either; you get to place everything as you want, find your stance, and get the perfect lie on the tee box.

Yesterday in league on the front 9 at Twin Oaks I took a 10 on one hole after duck-hooking into a pond, then pulling a 3 wood into the heather and taking 3 shots to get out of that shit.

I’m going to have a long session at the driving range tonight with the driver, 3 wood, and 5 wood.

What really throws me off is I’m hitting my irons great. Last night I came the closest I’ve ever been to a hole-in-one, leaving it 6 inches to the back left of the pin. So close, but yet so far away. I also hit a 5 iron from 205 that rolled off the side of the green pin high.

Friday @ Bay Valley — 48-47
Saturday @ Black Bear Golf Club — 45-45
Sunday @ Swan Valley Golf Course — 45-45
Sunday @ Crooked Creek Golf Course — 42-43

Had a lot of fun and overall I’m pretty happy with the way I played, especially since I had never played Black Bear or Crooked Creek.

Hopefully I got it out of my system though because I’m playing 18 holes tomorrow (Friday) at Bay Valley, 27 holes on Saturday at Maple Leaf, and 18 holes on Sunday at Swan Valley. A couple of friends and I have been looking forward to this weekend for the past month when we first made plans. If I play golf like I did today it’s going to be a loooong weekend!

The course is definitely one of the nicest, if not the nicest, I’ve played in the Saginaw area. It’s definitely one of the most difficult and probably has more sand than the other 3 courses I play most often combined. Nearly every hole had fairway bunkers near the landing zones and the greens seemed to be surrounded. It’s a good thing I can hit it long enough to bomb it past the fairway bunkers when there isn’t so much wind.

I was happy with my iron and wedge play for the most part, but my putting pretty much sucked. The greens are a lot faster than I’m used to and they were also recently air-rated (or whatever you call it) so the ball bounced a little here and there.

I’m really looking forward to playing a more challenging course each week, compared to my other league which is basically on a 27 hole course that little more than a field with trees and nice grass. I shot a 44 for league there on Tuesday after being unable to hit a sand wedge. I was inside of 100 yards for my approach shot on every single par 4 and 5. Ugly!