My Index crept up from 10.6 to 11.8 and while that is not exactly the direction I was hoping it would move, I can safely say I had more fun playing golf in 2018 than I have possibly ever had.  Don’t get me wrong, I still feel I am a scratch golfer stuck in a 10 handicapper body, but I am not sweating the small stuff and viewing golf as a chance to enjoy myself and challenge myself to play my best that day.

2018 had me focus on four areas:

Process – B+ – I was perhaps too accepting of issues creeping in off the tee and am using the winter to embrace my driver.  This is a goal I will carry over to this year and I declare 2019 to be Year of the Big Dog.

No Worries – A- – Again, like above, I was possibly too good here and need to find the balance between working hard to improve and stepping onto the course to enjoy and embrace the challenge of the day.

Inside 100 – C – Woefully inconsistent, I amaze myself at my ability to hit seemingly world class shots followed on the next hole by a green side shot which makes me look like I am new to the game.  And while my driver will get much attention this off season, I will need to also get back at it hard in April with wedges and be relentless about getting up and down around the green.

Competitive Play – A+ – T1 in the second tier of our Club Championship on a steamy August holiday weekend may well be the highlight of my golf career, not just this year.  A solid plan, exceptional focus and an ability to deliver consistent shot making left me a net +4 after two rounds.  The final round was washed out but has only whet the appetite for 2019!

So here are my 2019 goals:

Trust the Process – a perennial goal, really.  Process goals should ultimately help me get to where I’d like to be in my game.

Inside 100 – like above, you may see this one for some time on my annual goals list.  The answer seems easy…hard work and commitment.

Tame the Beast – Making my driver my best club in the bag will likely do more to reduce my scores than anything else and that is more an indication of the issues I have with that club now than anything else.  Building confidence will take commitment, a more aggressive attitude, acceptance…because there will be peaks and valleys, and I can’t forget a tension free grip.

Bucket List Pursuit – My business travel is expected to be more limited this year so I will have to get aggressive and creative around how to knock off courses on my Bucket List.  Fortunately for me, many are here in my home province and some relatively local.  Time to get out there and play!

Best wishes to you all for a safe, happy and golf-filled 2019!