Golf: Waiting For The Thaw

It has been another rough winter in Pittsburgh for golf. Last year I played 4 rounds in December, 0 rounds in January, and 2 rounds in February. This year I played 0 rounds in December, 2 rounds in January, and 0 rounds so far this month. We have had years when I played a decent amount of winter golf. In December 22 and January, February 23, I played 10 rounds. From December 23 through February 24, I played 16 rounds. The last two years have not come close. It becomes a challenge to get through the winter. I do write some blogs on other subjects. The Pirates have been a little more active in the off-season, so I have been able to write about that. I have two Momentus golf swing trainers that are only a little over 2 feet long that I swing in the house. One is an 8 lb. weight trainer, and the other is just a normal short club. I swing these about 20 to 30 times per day. This keeps the golf muscles in shape. It is hard to fill the rest of the day when you do something almost every day that takes 5 to 7 hours out of the day. Fortunately or unfortunately, I am old; just sitting and staring into space is considered normal for old people, so I do that and nobody bothers me.

I do get on YouTube a lot. I watch a lot of golf swings, both good and bad, and some old golf matches. I check out instruction to see what misinformation is out there. I have subscribed to four sites that I have found entertaining and helpful for my golf game. The first one is the Golf Ball Addict. He tests golf balls and recommends balls for the average golfer. It is an in-depth testing process, and it has definitely changed the way I think about golf balls. Even if I did not think this guy was correct in his testing, he is a very entertaining fellow. That’s the bonus; he knows what he is doing and is entertaining. If you want to play the right golf ball and save a ton of money, check the Golf Ball Addict out. Next, we have Black and White Golf. Why they call it Black and White Golf, I have no idea. It is about 2 guys playing various courses in West Virginia and they play various formats. In a nutshell, they stink at the game. They know this, so it’s cool. One is a little better than the other. One has a full beard, and the one with the full beard aims so far right that the only way he can get a ball in play is to hit these huge pull hooks. He pulls this shot off about three times per round. Sometimes they both hit trees and buildings more often than they do the fairway. The bearded one did make a hole in one. They are fun to watch, and I think someday they will play better. The third site is Mr. Short Game Golf. This guy has by far the most followers. I have just been watching him now for about three weeks. I like his style, and the instruction is fine. The only thing I get a big kick out of is that it’s like everything he tells you is a big secret. When he gets to the key point of the instruction, he lowers his voice just a little. It is like he is only telling you, and nobody else will find out. It is actually a little bit of his appeal. Then the final site is a typical good-looking female golfer who has a fair game of golf. In this case, her name is Karin Hart. As she tells you, her first name is pronounced like “Car.” What is best about her is that most of her videos are short and make no sense, but she is great to look at and does not have a bad swing. I can think of worse ways to pass the time.

Right now, I would not even begin to hazard a guess when I may be setting foot on a golf course. I would say the earliest would be around February 25th. We have a lot of snow on the ground. I would love to see the Pirates make some kind of news, even if it is some kind of dumb signing or trade. All I know is the thaw cannot come fast enough. This is the 2nd winter in a row like this. It makes me think that next year I will be planning a winter trip. I am going to Phoenix in March to see my youngest grandson play in a Little League tournament. I may be checking out possibilities for next year. Even the South is cold right now. There is a little more daylight now, and that has helped. Thank God February is only 28 days. Too bad June and July can’t have 45 days.