Here are 18 New Year resolutions for golfers – I Love # 8!
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Do you make New Year resolutions? I always do. This year my resolutions are: Play more golf. Work out more in the gym. Improve my teaching knowledge and skills. These are all doable, and I’m pretty sure I will be able to attain all 3. When I saw this article by Joel Beall of Golf Digest, I realized that there were some other resolutions that I think I should aim for also, and with my family and friends would do the same. Hint, hint!
Good luck with your golf in the new year. I hope you all improve. Thanks for following me, and I hope I can be of help to your golf game. Please forward it to your friends if you like what you read from me!
Normally I’m against New Year’s resolutions.
Why wait for an arbitrary date to better yourself, rather than begin said improvement immediately? Plus, “New Year’s resolution” is really just a synonym for, “Your gym is going to be a zoo for the next six weeks.”
However, in our realm, New Year’s initiatives are pertinent, as it’s a time of genesis in golf. The PGA Tour season, after a brief sabbatical, returns in January and, as a large chunk of the Midwest and East Coast are experiencing unseasonably warm weather, hackers don’t have to wait until spring to satiate their golf appetite. Plus, according to a 1992 Encyclopaedia Britannica I found, the month of January is named for “Janus,” the Roman god of beginnings, making this a perfect juncture for new resolves.
While lowering one’s handicap or playing more rounds are nice ambitions, they’re not pragmatically attainable, either. Instead, we offer 18 realistic endeavors for golfers seeking New Year’s resolutions:
1.Minimizing on-course cussing
I adhere to Ron Swanson’s view on swearing. Mainly, that there’s only one profanity: Taxes. If any other word is good enough for sailors, it’s good enough for you.
Yet, while cursing is fun, simple and — sometimes — just feels right, it goes against golf’s “gentleman’s game” ethos. It reveals a weak grasp of the English language, and creativity. Furthermore, a curse’s impact losses luster if dropped in every sentence.
In short, try to keep the f-bombs to a minimum.
2. Avoid hyperbolizing the pros
(Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
Both fans and media are guilty of this faux pas. There is no room for centrism; everyone is the best or a bum.
A year ago, we crowned Rory McIlroy the new emperor of the golf kingdom; a new era was born. Twelve months later, in a season where McIlroy won four times — an amount that would be a hell of a career, let alone campaign — we chalked 2015 as a “lost year” for Rors.
I’ve certainly harbored these sentiments, particularly at Dustin Johnson’s shortcomings. While he didn’t rise to the occasion this past summer, he did manage to finish in the top 10 at three of the four majors. Impressive in itself, it’s especially true once remembering he took a six-month leave from the game earlier in the year.
So, when someone misses a putt, don’t Tweet “(Player X) is a choke.” Conversely, we’ll cut back on the “Is Jordan Spieth on pace for the greatest career ever?” rhetoric. Deal?
3. Dress the part
The golf dress code has become too casual at public joints. T-shirts, gym shorts, flip flops; somehow golf apparel mirrors the wardrobe of a college freshman who overslept. I’d throw in the lack of tucked-in shirts as well.
You don’t need to wear slacks, or even golf shoes, to the course. But if there’s any question regarding ensembles, always err on the side of dressing up.
4, Campaign to get Bill Murray on the Ryder Cup team
There’s an open assistant spot on the U.S. squad, many presume is saved for Phil Mickelson. But if Lefty makes the team virtue of his play, we need to fill that void. What better presence than Murray?
He’s in the Caddie Hall of Fame, he’s won at Pebble Beach, he’s served his country, and he can keep the mood light, a valuable asset given the uptight nature of the event.
Besides, Michael Jordan has been an assistant at past Presidents Cups, and it’s not like these positions really matter. Davis Love III is accessible via Twitter, so let’s start a year-long social drive to get Murray to Hazeltine.
5, Walk the walk
I get the appeal of carts: Cup holders, GPS, you don’t have to carry your bag…all well and good. But we’re the only country where able-bodied golfers need wheels to get around the links; we look like a nation of sloths. Remember, the game is “a good walk spoiled,” not “enjoyable ride ruined.”
Walking and carrying your bag can burn double the amount of calories as opposed to riding. For those looking to keep the bag weight off their shoulders, grab a caddie or a pull cart.
