I played my last round of the year yesterday... Time to reflect on this past year and to motivate myself to train in the winter to be even better in 2010!

First of all, I want to remind myself of my goal: Being among the top 2% female players in 7 years. Actually, my first goal when I started practicing 3 years ago was a lot more modest. I wanted to be good enough to avoid slowing down other players on the course :) But I met my first coach, Martin Plante, and he told me two things: that I'd be in the top 2% of female players and that it would take 10 years (well at first he said 5, then after a few months he revised it to 10 :P). It struck me as a great goal, especially when I discovered that being in the top 2% of female players who hold a USGA handicap would mean being a 10-handicap or better. It's not like I'd need to become Michelle Wie!

I started this crazy journey fairly late (at 39). I've never been specially good at sports and I never really liked any sport involving a small round object that you have to kick, throw, shoot or hit. Call it a midlife crisis. I thought that for once in my life, I could put all my energy to master something I wasn't spontaneously good at (even though all the golf pros I met thought I was talented). I immediately figured that I would need to work maybe 10 times as hard as more talented or younger players to get where I wanted to be. So I picked a (great) golf instructor. And I picked (an even greater) personal trainer. And I started practicing golf several times a week, and getting in shape through a great series of exercises my trainer gave me.

So where am I after 3 years? I got derailed several times: I had to change golf instructors a bit too often, and they all wanted to rebuild my swing (yikes!). I got injured too. But overall, the progress has been steady and I have to remind myself today of what I accomplished in order to stay motivated to continue. Because the hard work is paying off. I sometimes wished it would go faster, but as long as I'm improving, I don't have any right to complain :) After 3 years, I'm still very much a baby golfer!

2007 - I met Martin Plante around Nov. 15, 2006 and it all started from there. I practiced the whole winter and Martin put in my head that I would shoot 95 in the summer. When spring came, I desperately tried to break 100. I shot 101 so many times! Many people were complimenting my swing, but I just couldn't score better. And I severely injured my right wrist in the middle of the season, which obviously didn't help. I shot my best score during my very first round at the Challenger: 100! No wonder I immediately liked that course. Only one little tiny shot separated me from breaking 100 :) It would have to wait until next year.

2008- New coach, who changed my swing to a one plane after my injury, so that I wouldn't take much of a divot. This proved to be the best decision ever. But the guy, too analytical, destroyed my rythm and it took me 6 months to get it back and to agree to freely swinging the club. During that summer, as I was building my swing from scratch for the 3rd time in 1.5 year, I broke 100 for the first time! I was relieved :) Best score of the season: 93, at the Challenger again. I had fallen in love with that course and mainly played there the entire season. I even broke 45 once, by shooting 44 over nine holes.

2009- TONS of winter practice this time, working in the same direction at last, plus play on the simulator and indoor putting every day. I'm starting to own my swing. It's flat, it's like an inverted Jim Furyk, but it's mine. Pros (the intelligent ones) are starting to build around it rather than trying to rebuild me. I took fewer lessons this summer and concentrated on developping my putting and short game feel. I tried to play more often as well (but got slowed down by a shoulder tendonitis). And it happened: I broke 90! Best score of the season: 85, at the Challenger. And many personal bests: I made 21 birdies in the whole season, 3 birdies in the same round, shot 39 twice over nine holes, scored 29 putts, had 8 GIR, one eagle putt attempt after driving a green on a par-4, a record 12 putts over nine holes, several chips ins, etc. My lowest handicap this year: 17. Good enough to often get compliments from fellow players and to be among the top 12% female players. It feels good, especially since I'm always hitting myself on the head and telling myself that I'm not good enough. I have to stop those negative thoughts.

2010 ? In 2010, I want to improve my mental game, because it's soooo annoying to be making mistakes on the course (like topping or hitting it thin) that I never make at the driving range. I've proven myself that I don't need to strike the ball perfectly to score below 40. Short game and putting are key and I'm going to practice more to continue developping the feel. And I swear I'm going to practice sand traps, because they're a huge weakness. Scores should continue to drop. One thing for sure though. I won't be able to say that I shot my best score at the Challenger :/ It won't see me break 80. But it taught me so much! I'll never forget...

I went back to my trainer today to get a new fitness program. Let's get the winter season started!