I finally have a day off! So I am watching the WM Phoenix Open and wishing I was out golfing somewhere. If you’re like me, you’ve been cooped up in the house during the winter months just yearning to get out and play. You get to watch golf on tv, read about the new clubs, balls, or shoes coming out, and all you can do is look out the window and wish for the snow to melt and for Spring to get here. It sucks.

Working in the industry makes it even worse! The reps come in and show us the new clubs weeks before they launch, we get to learn about the new technologies, and even get to hit them on Trackman. I know, that doesn’t sound all that bad to most of you, but knowing that you won’t be playing meaningful golf for 3 more months means it’s just a tease. And nobody likes a tease.

So I have decided to make the most of this off-season by creating a list of golf goals for 2023. Nothing quite as detailed as Justin Thomas’ in-depth list of goals, for sure, but definitely something to get me focused and keep me driven throughout the season. I kept a pretty detailed tally of my stats for most of my rounds last year, so I have a good idea of where I need to improve.

For instance, my putting was pretty good, but it was because I didn’t hit enough Greens. I didn’t hit enough greens because I didn’t hit enough Fairways. So clearly, my ball striking needs to be much better. So my path to improvement begins with swing consistency and better ball striking.

I have never been much of a practicer. It just doesn’t suit me. For starters, my back doesn’t like it. But more importantly, I just end up beating balls rather than working on swing mechanics or specific moves. But if I want to improve, and damnit do I want to improve!, I need to get a club in my hands soon.

So, here go my statistical goals for 2023:

Average 9+ Fairways Hit per round

Average 10+ GIR per round

Average 30 Putts per round

Average Score <80

Average at least 1 round per week.

Start each round with intent (I tend to sort of meander my way into a round of golf rather than attacking it)

Have fun and enjoy the process!

I have been at the sam level of scoring and play for a long time now. I really want to be better, so I need to put more work in. I feel like these goals will allow me to push myself in that direction by focusing on specific numbers designed to improve my scores. I encourage you to create goals that focus on your areas of opportunity.

Make them VERY specific. Or keep them generic. But make sure that you have something in mind that will keep the focus and drive. It will help you better understand your game and will make you a better golfer in the process. Good luck!