Walk 18 with James

 Boxing Day golf ... because Golf Day boxing just sounds like a really bad idea. After I got my Handicap Index down to 17.5 at season's end, rain left opportunities to play in December scarce, and an upper-body injury sidelined me for a week, I came back for a post-Christmas 18 at home in what's quickly turning into a new holiday tradition. And, while I was disappointed in my play overall (OK, I need to keep my expectations in check — it's winter golf, after all), there were a few bright spots which are encouraging as we head to 2025. The good I stuck my tee shot on the 95-yard par-3 third to within three feet and holed out for birdie (below). Two holes later, on the 319-yard par-4 fifth, I comfortably dropped a 146-yard approach shot onto the green in regulation. And then, four holes after that, I converted from 21 feet for my second birdie of the day and capped a net-two-under 39 front nine. My 46-degree wedge on #3 rolled past the hole maybe two cup widths from an ace! F...

Throughout the next couple months, I'll share a hole-by-hole walkthrough (literally!) of my home course, Garrisons Lake Golf Club .  The course has been around since the 1960s, struggled some at the beginning of the current century, but has been taken over by the Delaware State Parks system and revitalised in recent years under the leadership of GM Steve Farrell and his crew. It's truly become a hidden gem, and the course is routinely in the condition one would expect from a $70 or $80 course. For a full review, click here . The layout is a standard 4-10-4 par 72 with distances ranging from 4,190 yards to 7,060 yards (Garrisons uses the Longleaf Tee System, offering six sets of tees to accommodate players of all ages, genders and abilities), most fairways are pretty heavily lined by trees, and more than half of the non-par 3s feature a dogleg or forced carry. Although over 90% of golfers at Garrisons Lake opt to use buggies, the course routing makes for a truly excellent walk. ...

Since July 1, I've admittedly hit a bit of a slump. I've been getting more power off the tee, my putting has still been solid, but everything in between went south for the past six weeks. Sure, I've been hitting consistently in the low 90s, but I went seven straight rounds without breaking 90. After a respectable 89 on Wednesday as a visitor at Wild Quail Country Club, in Wyoming, Del. (another Ed Ault design, so it played similarly to Garrisons and Maple Dale!), I decided to play the forward tees at home yesterday for a change to try to get a little more comfortable playing offence and regain some confidence.

Played my first 18 in over two weeks (the clubs didn't fit in the car on the family holiday), and put the free version of the Golfshot scoring and GPS app to work over my home course. What a great little app! Granted, I only scratched the surface of its functionality — accessing hole yardage and inputting my score and putts hole-by-hole — but my first impression of it was really good. The iOS version of the app pairs well with the Apple Watch ... in fact, I don't think I touched my actual phone during the entire round except to field a text message or two. While playing a round, the Apple Watch displays your real-time yardage to the front, centre and back of the current green. Upon completion of each hole, simply swipe right on the face of the Watch to record score and putts, and advance to the next hole. Super handy. At the end of the round, the iPhone interface allows you to add advanced stats to your scorecard, send an email of your scorecard to yourself, and even post your...

Today's round was at my home course: Garrisons Lake Golf Club , in Smyrna, Del. I reckon I've played this track about 45 times so far in 2024, so my annual pass has pretty well paid for itself and everything from here to the end of December is bonus! Without further ado, let's dive into the course review. I'll look at a few key factors: playability, condition, pace, walkability, service, amenities, and value for money. Garrisons Lake Golf Club is a public 18-hole, par-72 course under the care of the Delaware State Parks division and managed by Troon. It's nothin' fancy, but a solid, well-maintained track that offers a suitable test for every ability level. There are currently six sets of tees, ranging from 7,060 yards at the tips to 4,190 yards from the forward tees. The course was built in the 1960s, and it shows (in a good way!) — each tee box isn't that far from the previous green, and it makes for a really enjoyable walk. (Unfortunately, there's not ...