Introducing our new Autumn series ...

Players on the European Tour teed-off in the first event of the Final Series last week: four ultra-lucrative tournaments in the space of four weeks for the elite few. Nowadays, there is barely a winter stop for the professionals as the Tour calendar takes them globetrotting month in, month out.

 

For amateur golfers the 2015 golf season is slowly winding down. The glorious Autumn sunshine in Holland this week, however, looks certain to keep even the most delicate of fine weather golfers active for at least a few more rounds.  After that, as temperatures drop, many a golf set will be dispatched to the garage or garden shed for winter hibernation.  Another golf year done and dusted.  With it comes the annual resolution, of course: “Next year I’m definitely going to have a few lessons at the start of the season to get my game going”!

 

But you know how time flies! You’ve hardly had chance to enjoy the log fire, before it’s Spring again.  After you eventually dust the cobwebs from your clubs and play in your first Monthly Medal of the year, there is a “ping” and Summer appears.  Then suddenly you sneeze and your golf ball gets buried under the first leaves of Autumn.  You’re about to sign-in for the last qualifying match of the year at the club and, yep, it’s happened again … your handicap has gone up for the third successive year. Or is it the fourth?  Whatever, another golf season has just slipped through your fingers!

 

 

Strike while the iron’s hot!

 

A familiar scenario? Yes, we’ve all experienced it.  So we’ve decided that it’s time to take the bull by the horns!  With the help of a specially selected volunteer, we’re going to review and write about his experience of winter training.  The thrills and chills of winter golf.  Our “game golfer” is someone who, come howling gales, frost or snow, will be taking lessons and practising over the next few months guided by the “The Golf Academy 9-Step Plan” from PGA Holland and the Dutch Golf Federation.

 

Still hope after 25 years?

 

Although he has been playing golf for nearly 25 years, he has only ever had one lesson since a few group lessons at the very beginning. His handicap is now 28.  His lowest ever was 24.  Is there still hope of improving his game?  Mariëtte de Groot, PGA golf professional at Kralingen Golf Course, Rotterdam, believes there is.  Coincidentally, she began her training to become a professional around the same time as her new pupil took up golf.  Their first encounter was last week on a gorgeous and golden Autumn day. Our golf lover was inspired.  Yes, even he is now convinced that it’s good to get ahead of the game.  The winter is the right time to get the swing sorted out ready for the start of the new golf season.

 

By the way, there will only be one excuse for not training and that’s ice! Should temperatures drop significantly and the canals and waterways freeze over in Holland, then our game golfer will be strapping on his ice-skates.  Who can blame him?  The winters here are often so mild these days that there is seldom chance to skate on natural ice.  So the driving range will have to wait.  We’re happy with that because we’ll probably join him on the ice with the rest of Holland!

 

You can follow his winter training progress by checking out our feature next week:

“Golfing Inspirations/Reviews/Special Features”.

 

Photography by Golfing Inspirations.