First, let's review and see how I did last year.
#1: Lower my handicap. I ended the season with a 17.5, which is lower than the previous year's 19. I think I could have done even better if my season had not been stymied by elbow tendonitis.
#2: Learn to enjoy playing competitively. I didn't play any tournaments this year, so I didn't get the chance to work at this resolution. I think it means I probably shouldn't have made it a resolution in the first place. Golf is a game to me, not a competition.
#3: Become a more consistent putter. Well this past year, hubby once made a point to compliment me on my putting, which is saying something. I think I have become a better greens reader, though, and I am more consistent about setting up with the ball slightly left of center to compensate for my right-eye dominance. It's a technique that really works.
#4: Break 80 (or maybe just 85). Ummm, not yet. Shot some 89s though.
#5: Play another bucket list course. Still haven't made it out to Bandon Dunes. Does Port Royal in Bermuda count?
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| Twilight scene from my last December round of 2015, at Coronado Golf Course in San Diego, CA. |
Okay, now for the new year's resolutions. I really just have one:
Resolution #1: Get fit for golf. After I injured my forearm a few months ago, I should have quit for the season, but I felt compelled to play 9 holes here and there because the weather was so awesome. I rested for a month, then played 3 rounds over the last two weeks in December. Hubby and I spent the Christmas holiday in Carlsbad, CA, and I knew it would be the last rounds before the cold East Coast winter. Though I wasn't doing my forearm any favors, it helped to wear a compression band while playing. I even made a birdie and several memorable pars.
During this winter downtime, I need to do more than rest my forearm. I believe that developing strength is key to preventing injury in golf, so I'm planning to enlist a personal trainer to help me increase my muscle strength, especially in my upper body and core, and correct muscle imbalances caused by golf, as well as work-related repetitive stress (e.g. sitting and typing on a computer). While I do plenty of cardio for endurance, plus pilates, yoga and stretching for flexibility, I have no strength training regimen to speak of, other than the muscle toning that comes with doing pilates.
I have an assessement appointment with a personal trainer at my gym on Thursday. He works with a lot of golfers. I'll keep you posted...
