A great day in golf history

So today I finally got to give my daughter Dylan her birthday gift, her first set of golf clubs. These things are adorable. She turned 4 years old on wednesday. She was absolutly thrilled with them. We imediatly went to the driving range where she couldn't wait to show me her skills as a duffer.

How's that for determination.

She tends to strike the ball a little like Happy Gilmore but she has a lot of fun and that's all that counts.

If any of you are interested, the clubs are Dunlop Loco "Crazy Long" and they retail for $139.99
They are tiny. The Driver is a little less than half the length of my R7. I took a few swings with it and did manage to put one out about 135 yards. Dylan thought it was pretty cool.

Dean's Way: On Monday Jason and I went to Michaelbrook. They were still the only place in Kelowna open. We played 27 holes which took about 5 hours. As usual it was great. (the golf not necessarily the course). My score was mediocer on the first 18. I shot an 89. The last 9 holes we were rushing to get in before my chiropracter appointment. Basicly we were playing speed golf. I made some of the best shots of my life including three concecutive 1 puts. I assume it had nothing to do with my sudden ability to improve and everything to do with my lack of time.
I didn't have all day to overthink my shots. I was just stepping up to the ball, lining up, taking a deep breath and swinging. The next time I play, I will try this again and I'll let you know the result.

More on the weather

DO you suppose the "Golf Gods" only smile on you if you are a good person, or do you create your own gods by way of positive thinking. This week I have only had the good fortune to hit balls once. The weather was perfect. Sunny and about 7 degrees. We want to go golfing next week. I am planning to will the good weather to last until that day. I'll let you all know how that little experiment works out.


Dean's Way: Today on Dean's Way I want to discuss attitude. What makes so many golfers so pissed off when they don't make the perfect shot. As far as I am concerned, golf is a recreational sport. It is there to relax me and to make me forget about everything else in the world for a few hours.
While I admit I am probably the biggest golf obsesser on the planet ( Jason excluded) I see no positivity in screaming profanities and smashing my driver into the ground every time a shot goes awry. If this sounds like you, please, for the sake of the game I love and respect, get a grip. It's only a game.

Winter

Living in the Okanagan, we have become accustomed to a certain type of lifestyle. It's easy to start to complain about the weather when it's not cooperating like we're used to, but then I'm quickly shut up by others around Canada that have far more fierce weather than we do.

By March 1st we're quite used to sunny days, and warm temperatures, but this year it's a lot cooler than usual. So I continue to moan about it, whine about it, and receive quick kicks to the butt by those of you who are living through ice storms and snow squalls.

And just because I can't let it go... The local forecast for the next few days -

Sure, the weekend looks warm enough, especially Sunday, but I'm not golfing those days. We already planned on going Monday. Sometimes time with the family takes precedence over good weather.

And what about the days after that? If theweathernetwork.com is right about it, it'll look something like this -


Which is, in my opinion, not a reason to move to the Okanagan Valley. 5 degrees and sunny? Sure I'll go golfing, but other than the 12th and 13th, it doesn't look good.

So what do you do when you're pining to golf and the weather is holding you back? I, of course, watch The Golf Channel... a lot. Chip in the yard, putt on the carpet - both inside and on my deck (You have to mix it up a little bit. The deck runs faster than my hallway). Does anyone have any other ways of dealing with it?

Dylan's First Golf

Hi, I'm Dean, and I will be a regular contributor to this new blog, Okanagan Golf Blog.
The first thing I want to talk about is my daughter Dylan. She is turning four soon and I think it's about time I get her her first set of clubs . This is a picture of her and Jason at the golf center driving range. She absolutely loved hitting balls and just spending time with daddy and uncle Jason. I will definitely be looking into lessons for her ( and myself ) so she can fall in love with the game like I have.



Dean's Way: the way I see it, it doesn't matter whether or not you are a Tiger or a four year old girl. As long as you are having fun swinging the clubs, you are bound to improve.

Goofy

Alright, I'm a lefty, I suppose I'll have to admit it sometime or another. People look at you funny when you're swinging the club the wrong way (although it is to my right, so isn't that the right way?).


I grew up throwing right, and writing right, but all stick sports I've played have always been left. Whether it's hockey, baseball, or golf, it's left for me.

So what's with the post about being left? Well, I've only been playing golf for a year, and I bought most of my clubs used (Callawaygolfpreowned.com is the best, even for Canadians), but I did buy my putter locally for $14.99... new. I'd put a frown face, but it's my own fault.

Is every putter the same? You whack a ball into a little hole in the ground, so why would you need a special stick worth more than a sleeve of balls?

Well, I'll tell you why. I'm a left handed golfer who borrowed a Wilson Blueline right handed putter for my first round this year and I think I putted better than I did in any round last year.


I also recently tried out an Odyssey White Steel 2-ball putter and found it phenomenal. Having something directly behind your ball to help in the alignment of a putt is a must for me - and quite possibly you. If you're using a blade style putter that looks like it came from 1985 you'd be crazy not to at least go to your local golf shop and try out some of the newer mallet style putters.


I'll eventually get that 2-ball putter, but should I go with righty or lefty? It's a toss up. I think either will do the trick, although for those longer lag putts the more control and coordination I have over the ball the better, so maybe I'll stick to the left.

Dean's a Hacker

02.23.07.006b, originally uploaded by stjoe.

Dean did well for the first time out this year. As good as he could hope for, anyway.

Like me, I think he found it weird after so long to swing a club as fast as possible behind your head, then through again, all the while trying to perfectly hit a little white ball.

I'm not taking away from how he did, I'm just saying we were both more than a little rusty.

Dave's a Hacker

02.23.07.002b, originally uploaded by stjoe.

Here's a few shots of Dave. The one above isn't great. I was walking and taking shots without looking through the viewfinder.

This one's a little closer, and this one is of Dave on the green. I think he had a good time and it was good to have him along for the craziness of golfing in February.

First Round of 2007

02.23.07.001b, originally uploaded by stjoe.

That's right... It finally happened. I thought I'd lose my mind if I didn't get to go out there, hit some golf balls, and shake this winter film from my skin.

18 holes wasn't enough, so because the weather was warm enough we played 36, with Dave joining us for the second 18.