For the new year, perhaps consider some golf-related resolutions to improve your game.
New Year’s golf resolutions are a great way to kick-start the New Year and a new golf season. Given the current winter weather around the country, some of us might not be teeing it up for a while, but there are still things you can do to improve your game. Getting into better shape is one of those goals you can pursue right now.
The best thing you can do to improve your entire golf experience is to get into good physical shape. Stretching is a main factor before and after a round, especially if you are older. We all know about the benefits of walking. If at all possible, walk the golf course, or as often as possible. To illustrate that point, while playing tourist recently in Paris, I put on 25,000 steps in one day, and I was on vacation! On average, a golfer will walk approximately 13,000 steps during an 18-hole round of golf.
Here are several additional golf-related resolutions for your consideration.
Establish a Golf Handicap: If you hold yourself accountable and keep track of your scores by establishing a handicap, this will give you a better idea of how you’re playing and what areas to improve upon. To get an official handicap, sign up at your local club, or visit the United States Golf Association’s web site at www.usga.org. Become familiar with the acronym GHIN, which stands for Golf Handicap and Information Network, a handicapping service provided by the USGA to participating associations and clubs.
No Three Putts: One goal that’s always at the top of my list is no three putts on any hole. It you cut down on the number of three putts you have in a round, you could easily save several strokes over 18 holes. That’s why that thing called practice is so important. I sometimes use a putting target in my living room, but it’s still not the same as practicing on a golf course.
Take a Lesson: Taking a lesson from a qualified golf instructor will highlight what you need to work on. If you can identify a specific area to focus on before the lesson, this will help you and the instructor immensely. To find a qualified PGA instructor, visit your local golf club.
Finally, as you look at your golf goals you set for 2016, see how they relate to one another and how improving in one area may help in another. It’s said that “you can’t improve what you don’t measure.“ This is true in life and in golf. However, don’t forget the ultimate goal – have fun out on the golf course!
Rick Stedman is an avid golfer, RVer, and writer who lives in Olympia, Washington. Rick writes a golf column, “The RV Golfer,” which is published every month in rvlife.com. He can be reached at rstedman@gmail.com.
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