From the Fringe

October 2009 - Posts

• What does Golf mean to you?

  Due to yet another unexpected home improvement crisis this week (I swear this is all a ploy by my bank to force me into a home equity loan!), I wasn't able to get on the course yesterday.  We played 18 holes on Tuesday (a two-ball scramble so we're calling it 36 holes!), and as we were getting done I automatically started hoping there will be another chance for me to play...I could see rain in the forecast, so now there's a pretty good chance I missed my final opportunity to play with flags in...our course is closing on Friday. Of course this doesn't mean you won't find me hitting a few balls if the temp gets past 40 degrees in November...even if there is straw covering the greens.  I'll hang on to the bitter end! I don't know what it is, but I feel the need to be out on the course until it's too cold to feel my hands.  As I've said many times before, golf is my happy place, my escape, my challenge to do better, and my time to be thankful. Last week, Sam Johnson had a great post on some golf resolutions he is going to make (if you haven't read it, you should!)  One of his resolutions was to play golf at least once a week.  And my first thought was...That's IT?  Once a week?  What kind of golfer are you? It takes me a little while to remember that golf means different things to different people...it's possible that everyone's lives are filled with all kinds of interests, obligations, and activities that may very well be more important than golf (gasp!).  I have a friend who lives in Texas and he tries to golf once a week.  I think he'd play more if he could, but family, work, and other interests that are important leave him with his Saturday morning tee time.  When we talked awhile ago about golf I had those same thoughts that I had about Sam....how can you be content with just once a week?  But then he explained how he looked forward to it...and how nice it was to have that weekly game with the boys. I guess there's something to be said about appreciating things more when can't always have it. I don't know, maybe it's living in Minnesota that makes things different for me...it's go all-out for 6 months and then it's time to go into golf hibernation.  It's my rationale for procrastinating on house projects or just reading a good book...I've got all winter for that!  Would I think differently about golf if I had it at my fingertips 12 months a year? We all have our outlets for stress relief, gratefulness, and taking time for things we enjoy - for me, the golf course fills all those needs...but for others it might be a punching bag, a long walk in a park, or a day on a fishing boat.  A few hours on the course for me might be the same as watching a great movie, weeding the garden, or painting a picture. I love that golf is my benchmark for many of the things I strive for and struggle to become - honest, determined, patient, brave, and a good and faithful friend.  But I'm reminded today that there are countless things out there to make us all the best we can be, so sometimes golf just fits in where it can...and that's okay!  What it must be like to think of golf as something fun to do "every once in awhile"! But please don't get me wrong...I have a blast on the golf course!!  Even though I believe golf provides some serious character building opportunities, each time I'm out there I find a reason to laugh or smile.  A goofy shot, laughing at a golf story, or just getting to hang out with the coolest people - it makes me happy!  Knowing how fortunate I am that I have a world that allows me to spend time on the course, I can be thankful for the opportunities golf gives me...great times with friends (and the chance to make new friends), a few hours to let the worries of my world wait in the parking lot, the chance to feel a sense of accomplishment, and the challenge to react to a bad shot or just bad luck.  But most importantly, each day I'm on the course my mind can't help but remind me how blessed I am...hitting a great shot or sinking a long putt is just a bonus. I forget that golf isn't like this for everyone - and maybe it won't always be like this for me either.  All I know is that I do not take for granted the gifts golf gives me. My golf season might be "officially" over, but don't be surprised if you see my car in the empty lot in the next few weeks.  And if it's not raining when I get home I might just be out there today! Golf is just game.  But it has the potential to be whatever you need it to be...no matter how much time you're able to be on the course. Whatever it means to you, I hope you're enjoying it! PS...I'm looking forward to living vicariously through Sam Johnson in my off season!  (That was my scary thought for Halloween week!)  Hee hee.     Posted Oct 29 2009, 12:44 PM by Cathy Erickson with 4 comment(s) Filed under: Minnesota, Sam Johnson, happy place, Golf, benchmark, season

• Potatoes and Golf

  Potatoes were on sale this week at the grocery store.  Five pounds for a dollar...and if you know me at all, you know I'm a sucker for a sale!  What does this have to do with golf, you ask?  I'll get there in a minute... So tonight after I got home from work and watched the wet, sticky snow plummeting from the sky I thought since I'm not going to be golfing today, it would be a great night for some mashed potatoes.  I grabbed a few russets and found this neat-o peeler my friend and I bought a few years ago. Then I pulled out the garbage can and got ready to let some potato skins go flying!  About 3 swipes in I felt something sting.  Looking down at my hand I can see red.  Yep.  Blood. The first thing I thought was, "How can I not know how to use a potato peeler?  I've been doing this my whole life!"  And if you know my past job history, I can bet you that I have peeled more potatoes than everyone reading this blog combined!  I soon realized that I took off a small chunk of my finger along with the top half of my fingernail...with a potato peeler.  After bandaging myself up, I tried to figure out what I did wrong with my technique that led me to a self-inflicted peeler wound (which hurts A LOT by the way!).  And this is when I started thinking about golf...doesn't the same thing happen to us on the golf course?  We've been golfing for ages, feeling pretty good about our game and then one day, out of the blue, we can't get off the tee....or we can't make a 3 ft. putt....or every iron is chunky.  We try a few different things and nothing works.  It's like we've forgotten how to golf.  How does this happen?  I've had the pleasure of golfing with a few of my curling teammates this past week - I'm so thankful they are as nutty as I am and are willing to golf even when it's cold and windy.  On Monday we played nine after work and Tom was struggling off the tee.  On Sunday when we played, he hit his driver great!  It was just perplexing.  He even knew his swing felt funny, but nothing he tried to focus on was helping. This same thing happened to me several times this summer.   One day I'd hit my driver great, and then for the next week I'd have an awful slice.  I tried to visualize my set up, my backswing, my release, and my timing...it all "seemed" okay, but clearly something was wrong. Working on my irons this summer, I knew I'd have days where I was going to struggle, but I can think back to a few days where hitting my irons felt like I was swinging into a brick wall. The only thing I can figure is that it's all our brain's fault.  Either we're distracted, or our mind has wandered back to some old bad habits...whatever it is, we're not letting our best swing thoughts come out.  Just this past Sunday we were playing and one of my curling pals mentioned something that has been causing me too much mental strife lately.  And even though I've said I'm not going to let it bother me, right after he mentioned it on the 17th tee, I promptly duck hooked my drive into the pond.  Everything about it was ugly...and the worst thing was I was having a decent round until then! I have often said that I play my best golf when I'm not thinking about my swing - but I think what I really mean is that I'm letting my mind be open to picking out those positive swing memories and recapturing them - on that 17th tee I certainly wasn't thinking about my golf swing, but my distracting thoughts never left room for a good swing to come out either. Lately I've been channeling a few thoughts if I find myself in the middle of a golf swing nervous breakdown.  I know they don't work for everyone, but they seem to help me.  One is, as I'm starting my downswing, I visualize coming through with my right arm...being a lefty, but a right-handed golfer, sometimes my left arm pulls and my right arm is just along for the ride...I cringe as I think of some of the shots I've created with that swing.  So for me, as I pull down, shift my weight back to the left, and try desperately not to sway, concentrating on my right arm coming through really helps. The other swing thought I've been using lately with my irons is making sure I feel lined up properly - I have a habit of standing too far away, so I consciously grip down a bit on my irons, which forces me to stand closer...then it's just remembering to visualize my club head coming down at the back of the ball - still descending, not picking...and my club head dragging on the ground for just a second after my ball has already left. I'm sure every golfer has their own action plan when their game goes MIA...sometimes it's tapping into some swing thoughts, maybe a few days on the range, a visit to the local pro, or maybe it's just taking a few days off.  Whatever the plan is, there's always the relief in knowing that your golf swing is still there just waiting to be given the OK to come out...hopefully it won't take to long to open that door! Here was the great lesson in my potato story...after having to re-bandage my finger due to excessive blood flow, I pulled out an old peeler, slowed down, concentrated, and before I knew it my potatoes were boiling nicely on the stove.  Huh, finding something familiar, slowing down, and concentrating - some wise words of advice on the golf course, too. My finger still hurts, but I just enjoyed the best cheddar garlic mashed potatoes ever!  And now that I've got some really great swing thoughts in my head, I'm really hoping that I'll get one more chance to get out on the course!  Posted Oct 22 2009, 08:18 AM by Cathy Erickson with 1 comment(s) Filed under: practice, slice, mental game, visualize, golf swing, potatoes, concentrate

• I guess I'll stop training for the 2016 Olympics

  We've been hearing about the potential reinstatement of golf in the Summer Olympics for quite some time now.  The Who's Who of the golf world made their case to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and their voices were heard!  Last week golf was voted into the Olympics beginning in 2016. Since hearing of the campaign, I've been a supporter of adding golf back into the Olympics because I believed it could only help grow the sport.  Being from Minnesota, and also being a curler, I saw firsthand what great exposure Curling received when it was added to the winter Olympics several years ago.  NBC has broadcast matches and we've even seen it on the Today Show!  I realize golf is far more popular than curling, but if the additional spotlight on the sport can make more people interested or inspire them to improve, bring it on! I'll admit I'm not a huge follower of the Olympics, but I have been inspired and impacted by many stories of triumph and overcoming challenges that have come out of the games.  The journeys that some participants take to make it to the highest level of competition may be what motivate others to start their own journeys - even if that journey doesn't have anything to do with the Olympics. It got me thinking...how fantastic would it be to learn about the journey of some golfer who had dreamed of making it to the Olympics and there they were representing their country at the games in South America!  What if it were me?  Maybe it's my journey that starts now! After the announcement came out about golf, I went and did a little searching on the internet to find out how exactly the golf format would play out.  How will participants be decided?  How many countries will be there?  Where do I start training??!! There are currently 205 countries that have National Olympic Committees.  Those countries are eligible to submit participants into the games and sports where they qualify.  At the 2008 summer games there were over 10,000 participants from 204 countries participating in 26 different sports.  It seems to me there could be some great potential for global representation on the golf course! A bit more reading, articles by the Associated Press, and information on http://www.pgatour.com/, and I discovered that the road to the first tee at the Olympics is about as accessible as a free ride on Air Force One.  It is being proposed that 60 men and 60 women will participate in golf.  I don't know, I was thinking there might be more - I mean, there's often 128 players in the field at a regular Tour event, so why not at the Olympics?  How about giving the Olympic dream to a few more players? The eligibility will be determined by the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) - which means you must be a member of a Professional Tour in order to be on the OWGR.  I certainly understand that we want our best athletes representing us at the Games, but now that I think about it, aren't we just making another Tour event for professionals?  Where's the journey?  Where's the small town club pro who works his way for a chance to step on the Olympic stage? Here's how they are proposing to define eligibility...the Top 15 on the World Ranking automatically get to play (as of some specific date).  As of today, 6 Americans are in the Top 15, so all of them will get to play.  The remaining 45 spots would be determined by OWGR rankings and would be limited to 2 people per country if the country doesn't already have at least 2 people coming out of the Top 15.  So if an American is number 16 in the world, sorry, you're out. The folks at http://www.pgatour.com/ did a list of who would be playing today based on the current world rankings and 31 countries would be represented.  Huh, so much for being truly global - only 15% of all eligible countries would have a participant teeing it up.  Of course this is all just recommendations at this point, but it sounds pretty certain that only professional golfers who have a world ranking status will be heading to the Rio de Janeiro in 2016. So after my initial excitement for golf being one of the newest Olympic sports, I'm a little disappointed after learning more about it.  Don't get me wrong, I still think it's great for golf as a sport, but I'm sad that what I have perceived as "the Olympic dream" won't ever really apply to golf. After suiting up in long underwear and all weather gloves yesterday to play in 38 degree weather, I realized that I can put my goal of qualifying for the 2016 Olympics back on the shelf.   It was fun to dream though.  My new goal is to golf as much as I can until curling season starts! Posted Oct 14 2009, 09:27 AM by Cathy Erickson with 2 comment(s) Filed under: 2016, Global, Olympics, dream, OWGR, Curling, Golf, IOC

• Finding the bright side on a cloudy day...

  I had one of "those" days yesterday...the one where you're feeling sorry for yourself and you decide to just wallow in the muck and the mire for awhile.  Have you been there?  I started writing my blog thoughts for the week and after I got done and browsed it over, I realized it was the saddest, most depressing thing I've read in a long time...and I am not that way when it comes to golf!!  I was in serious need of an attitude adjustment and thankfully some quality time with great friends last night has helped cure some my blues...we cheered on the Twins and talked about golf a little, too...I'm glad to have friends who let me ramble on about golf even though I'm sure they are thinking I'm nuts being so excited about it. But the best cure all for me, though, is getting my feet in some golf shoes!  So if the weather holds, I'm going golfing today!  I haven't been on the course in over a week, and with snow in the forecast for this weekend, my golfing days are numbered.  I'm always a bit sad when the end of the season comes, but I'm hardly ready to pack it in yet!  I've found my Foot-Joy all weather gloves, my Titleist stocking cap and my favorite turtlenecks...I'm not going out without a fight! I have a favorite spot on the course where the cart path takes you from one hole to the next - in the summer it feels like you're riding through a canopied forest, but now, in October, the trees are starting to lose their leaves and the scent of fall is almost overwhelming - I can't wait to get there again to take a deep breath. I know this is going to sound funny, but October is practice month for me - I realize it's the end of the year, not the beginning, but now is when I am able to experiment with different clubs, try some different shots and see the course from different places.  Sometimes I'll just bring 2 or 3 clubs and see what I can do with them - it's a great test and it introduces me to new shots and strategies.  A few years ago someone told me a good practice exercise is to play a worst ball scramble instead of a best ball - I thought it sounded like a neat challenge...until I tried it!  Talk about frustrating...and stressful!  I'm playing two balls, hit the first one good, and now I've got to hit the next one at least as good - no more playing the risk/reward shot because you've got a good shot out there - you hit a bad one and THAT'S your next shot! I didn't want to admit it, but it was a great test - especially mentally.  I'm looking forward to trying that again this year...even though I'm sure I'll be cursing this format in my head more than a few times. The other thing that happens for me at the end of the season is that as I'm out playing these last few rounds, every hole brings back snapshots of rounds I've played over the past season - scramble days with friends, or just spending the whole day on the course - time with my Mom, or playing in an awesomely fun 9-some as the sun is setting - time alone with the course, or great rounds with great friends - I'm so thankful for the mental photo album. October also makes me think back to my goals for this year.  I wasn't able to reach my goal of breaking par on my home course and with freshly aerated greens it's not looking likely, but maybe today, instead of practicing, I might give it one more shot.  That's the great thing about golf - each time you go back a new opportunity awaits!  I do feel pretty good about hitting down on my irons more and actually taking a few divots this year - I laugh right now thinking about some of my golf pals saying "nice divot" instead of nice shot because they knew I was working on that.  My 3-wood and I have become better friends again and the Ping Craz-E has earned its spot in my bag, so even though this hasn't been my best season on the course, it's still been a great one. Wow - I'm feeling much better now!  My world has had its share of gloominess this year, but I'm so thankful when golf breaks through the clouds and shines that much needed ray of light... It's time to appreciate every moment I can have on the course until Mother Nature chases me off until next year.  Bring your mittens and I'll see you on the golf course! Posted Oct 07 2009, 12:53 PM by Cathy Erickson with no comments Filed under: goals, memories, Fall, divot, Mother Nature, October

• Say What?

  When I'm on the golf course with my golf pals it seems we have our favorite words and phrases that get thrown out from time to time.  Since I'm a big fan of words and phrases that make me smile (or sometimes cringe) and also a fan of Top Ten Lists, I thought I'd put together a Top Ten List of my favorite golf sayings or words that I hear on the course...since our season is coming to an end soon I'll have this list to make me smile until I find myself on the course again soon.   10.  Good Out - of course it's never good that you got yourself in a predicament where you need to hear this, but it's nice to hear it when you're punching out of the trees, coming out of a bunker, or just able to advance the ball from a terrible lie. 9.  Tinkering - this is in honor of one of my favorite golf pals...in one of my favorite top 10 lists, I honor the guy that is always doing something a little different with his swing, stance, or ball placement every time we play.  I always tell my pal that he'll never figure out what's really wrong because he never sticks with one thing long enough to find out if it works (he's a great golfer in the first place!).  He's actually tried to replace "tinkering" with other words to try to throw me off, but now I just smile when I hear it. 8.  Hang On!  No, I don't say that to the passengers in my golf cart (although I'm sure some hold on for their lives!)...Our course has a lot of trees lining our holes that we play as lateral hazards and inevitably someone's drive or second shot decides to flirt with danger instead of going down the middle - it's just instinct to yell out as you're watching a ball tail of to the right or left...and sometimes right after saying "hang on" I might just say "members bounce!" as the ball makes its way back into play. 7.  Gonzo.  And on those shots that have no chance of coming back...well, it's just gonzo.  And it's usually followed by some explanation - Yanked it, snapper, pulled it, off the toe, I was late, dropped my shoulder, zippy swing, foot slipped, and the list goes on! 6.  Somebody call the bomb squad - I like to say that when my buddies launch a great drive.  And they do it on a regular basis! 5.  Run!....well, technically, I say "Run, Run, Run!" to my golf ball a lot!  And it usually listens.  On the flipside of that, I can't tell you how many times I say to my putts..."Get There!"...and it usually doesn't listen. 4.  Shazbah.   When I was at my old job I met some great guys who just happened to be golfers (that just confirmed how great they are!).  We've golfed several times over the past 7 or 8 years and I can still remember the time one of the guys hit a shot and it ended up in a lateral hazard and Gary said - "Oh that's in the shazbah"  - I've loved that word ever since! 3.  Junk Points.  I have been slowing learning the art of the Junk Points in our local games.  Besides "low ball" and "low total" there are all kinds of points that can be had on the course..."dodes" and "poleys" are my favorite! 2.  Good - Good.  It's not unusual for there to be a little game or two on the course and when we're playing teams or partners, gamesmanship can be a big factor.  You have to know the right time to offer it and the right time to accept it, but usually hearing "Good-Good' is like music to my ears. 1.  Dormie - Ahhhh, my FAVORITE word in golf!  I'm smiling right now just thinking about it!  When a golf pal and I would play match play I would love to get to the point where I knew I was dormie...and then he would say (with a small eye roll) - "Go ahead, you can say it." And I did...  Dormie!! If you've got any favorite words or phrases (that don't have to be edited for content) -share them!! Posted Oct 01 2009, 12:51 PM by Cathy Erickson with no comments Filed under: putting, Gonzo, Hang On, Shazbah, Dormie, Top Ten List