19th Hole

Kim Anders
Director of Instruction
John Jacobs Golf Schools and Academies Estrella del Mar Golf and Beach Resort
Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, AZ
jkanders4@gmail.com

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New Year’s Resolutions for Golf

This is an article I have run before this time of year, and received some very positive comments about. So, I think it’s appropriate to run it again in hopes some of you can apply my suggestions and play a little better this year. Happy New Year!

Now that the Holidays are over I hope if you made some resolutions for the New Year they were reasonable and attainable.  

Did you make any resolutions for your golf game? Hopefully if you did, you didn’t set the bar so high you can’t possibly reach it! Sure, I want to play on the Champions Tour, but probably not going to happen.

If you’re having trouble coming up with realistic goals, let me suggest a few.

1) I will determine my “Personal Par” on every hole before I play, making sure to not get too aggressive or optimistic. For now this should be the score you make at least 75% of the time you play the hole. And, I will make a realistic plan of where I can hit the ball each shot. Then, I will stick to my plan to achieve my personal par rather than taking unnecessary chances.

2) I will not try shots I know have little chance of being successful.

3) I will remember 1/2 of the shots are supposed to be putts, and 60+ percent within 30 yards of the green. Therefore, I will spend 1/2 my practice time on putting and the short game.

4) I will always remember I am not a professional golfer.  Professional golfers have bad shots and bad holes, so it’s OK for me to have bad holes….. Even a lot of bad holes.

5) Golf is a leisure sport we do by choice. You chose it, you enjoy it. No enjoyment, choose something you can enjoy.

That’s it – 5 simple and very attainable personal rules to golf by for 2019.  

I can guarantee you lower scores and more enjoyment if you dedicate yourself to using these rules. You will find you start adjusting your “Personal Par” down on some holes after just a few rounds.  

That’s it! Short and sweet. Give it a try. What do you have to lose besides a few strokes!   

Kim Anders is Director of Instruction at the John Jacobs Golf Schools and Academies at the Estrella del Mar Golf and Beach Resort in Mazatlan Mexico. You can contact Kim at jkanders4@gmail.com.