Requiem to the 2016 Golfing Season
OK, requiem may be a little over the top, but the official end of the golf season always makes me a little sad. Golf Canada sets the Ontario season as April 15 to October 31 and, well, here we are on closing day. I won’t be playing today and as such my index will remain in single digits albeit precariously so.
It’s been a great and memorable season and I hope the same is true for you too. Closing day is a good time to reflect back on the year that was.
The bucket list continues to get dwindled down with trips to Tobiano, Salmon Arm, Banff Springs, Stewart Creek and Algonquin to put a healthy dent in the list. My home province of Ontario is woefully underrepresented and I’ll have to address that in 2017. Speaking of my bucket list, I have placed a call to followers on Twitter and my FB page for courses to consider adding to my list. I’ve had about 16 additions and they look sensational. My goal is to bolster the bucket list to close to 100 courses across Canada.
Another great highlight from the year was the chance to tee it up with fellow bloggers and twitter friends. A spring round in Calgary at the home course of Josh with @golfismental and a summer round with Tiffany @tiffchaisson and @fairwaysfund were memorable highlights. Playing two private courses as well – Calgary GCC and The Ladies Club were simply a bonus. But it was the company, spending quality time with two great people that made the experience.
I am appreciative of my engagement with the Golf Journalist Association of Canada. Here, I was able to play with another twitter friend, Jeremy at @meximenno It was a classy move of Jeremy to fly in from Winnipeg for the GJAC Annual Awards Dinner and Golf Day. A great round at Beverly Golf Club outside of Hamilton provided the venue for an enjoyable experience with colleagues and friends.
I engaged the amazing services of Herb McNally @McTwentyTwo to develop a new and strong visual identity for 36aday. Dare I say I have a visual ‘brand’ now. You may notice a subtle change in my twitter avatar as the logo is now red. Red will be the off season colour and green will be for golf season. Thanks for the great work Herb, love it.
I’m enjoying my continued relationship with Canadian Golf Magazine. Showcasing my course reviews to a wider national and international audience is something I am very grateful to be able to do. And while I have yet to tee it up with the Editor, Frank Mastroianni, it is something to look forward to for 2017.
Also, in terms of golf relationships, I am very pleased to be a brand ambassador for Snell Golf Canada. A true believer in their quality golf balls, I want to help introduce players to these products and allow them to make informed decisions on playing a quality ball at a quality price. Order online and use 36aday (1-5 dozen) or 36aday6 (6 dozen +) for $2 off per dozen on any orders. Turns good value into great value.
My game continues it steady progression. Working with Brian McCann with Brampton Golf and Country Club has set my game on a firm foundation and allowed me to increase my expectation. A summer move derailed my playing and practice schedule and my index remained relatively stagnant just below 10. But recent lessons to maximize my play off the tee raised expectation and help lower scores this fall. A successful tournament experience at Golf Ontario’s Public Play Championships was a real highlight.
But my best memory was a quick and casual 9 holes with my Dad at his home course, Oxley Beach outside of Kingsville, Ontario. I’ll never forget it. It captures all I love about the game; quality time with people I care about.
So as the official season comes to an end I’ll continue to play until courses tell me I can’t. I’ll work on my game and I’ll work on my writing and this blog. I am grateful for what 2016 provided me and am excited and hopeful for more of the same in 2017! Best wishes for a safe and healthy off-season.
