2003 Summary, really, and “what a season it was”

(my second season at Lakeshore Country Club).

The plan for the 2003 season was accomplished. The season started later than 2002 due to the resumption of “normal” winter weather in upstate New York and resulted in the following “numbers”:

1800 holes played with 59 birdies (an improvement of 10 over 2002), 756 pars (42%, an improvement from 34.9%), 807 bogies (45%, and improvement from 48.5%) and 250 doubles (10%, an improvement from 13.9%).

The season was so much more than numbers as I felt like I could play and did; hitting the shots I wanted when I needed to do so. My new driver was the right thing to do, as was the adjustment to a claw grip for putting. I also began keeping greens in regulation statistics, and mine for 2003 were 39% and represents a major point to focus upon for next season.

I did notice that most of the time, when I hit the green in regulation I made par and so my goals for 2004 are as follows:

• Focus on “Greens in Regulation”, increasing to at least 50% and aiming for 60%.
• Practice, more and more, chipping and putting.
• Accelerate through putts using a shorter back swing.
• Increase number of birdies per round.
• Reduce “double bogies” significantly.
• Enjoy each moment.

My “handicap” went from 14 to 8 in 2003, and in 2004 I’d like to go from 8 to 4. That means an average score of seventy-five (75) with as many lower than 75 as higher than 75, and that’s a tall order.

If I can continue to improve and still enjoy the game as much as I did in 2003, I’ll continue to be the lucky man I am.