Back to golf in Portland Oregon

I’m going to miss scenes like these:

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Now that I’m back to wearing multiple layers of clothes and hitting off of frozen ground:

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But…  I’m not going to whine about the weather as the entire east coast has been frigid this winter and 40 degrees with some wind still allows golf courses to be open and that’s all I need to continue pushing forward.

That said, it’s a lot harder to stay motivated and want to spend all day on the course when the wind is howling through your well-layered bones.  But, we do what we have to do and can’t all live in the desert through the winter.  I miss the weather of Southern California, but am excited to get back to work now that I am home.

I arrived in Portland late Friday afternoon.  It was a long drive and by the time I put the truck in park the sun was setting so I didn’t get to practice that day.  I went out to Riverside the next morning and started the refresher course for Pacific NW golf.  Everything is a little different up here and it takes a day just to remember how to hit shots, especially short stuff and putts.

After working on swing drills and remembering how to chip off of splotchy-muddy lies I played 9 holes.  It was unremarkable, really, but was good to feel the crisp winter air as I meandered around the course.  Another range session followed and then ended the day with 9 more holes on the front.  I had 4 birdies and 5 bogeys during those final holes, almost completely based on whether or not I remembered my new swing or not.  It was a good sign of things to come.

Also, the driver and 3-wood have almost instantly become my two favorite clubs in the bag.  This, after not being able to hit them for months and basically shelving those two sticks.  It’s amazing how much an updated fitting can help and how important having the right shaft can be for your golf swing.

Today I practiced for a couple of hours then decided to play a quick 18 as there was nobody on the course.  It took 2 hours and 5 minutes and I shot an easy 78 with bogeys on 2 of the last 3 holes.  I only made one birdie and my iron swing still isn’t quite grooved, but I hit some fairways and the short game was on.  This has me very excited about 2014.  It’s going to be the best year yet, by far.

I also saw an edited version of the video we shot with Dr. Bob Bjork and Dr. Dan Schacter yesterday.  They make some wonderful points in their interviews and as soon as I get approval from the two kind docs I will post them on the site.  It will be the first of a series of interviews with experts that will hopefully provide enlightening to anyone interested in learning.

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