OK, so today serves as the true “Opening Day” of The Great White Shank’s 2015 golf season when I tee it up at Stonecreek Golf Club up the road in Phoenix. The swing, as mentioned in prior posts, is as ready as it will ever be, having been reconstructed completely from scratch courtesy of my fitness trainer Tony Bate, PGA golfer Hunter Mahan, PGA professional Brady Riggs, and yours truly. Four months of weekly work at the range, a few practice rounds in Las Vegas and here, and, most recently, some heavy-duty work on my short game and putting have set the stage for the great unveiling.

It’s time to unleash the hounds.

The Callaway clubs are the same, but the Wilson 50 orange balls are a things of the past: I’m playing white Callaway Supersofts this year. The Hawaiian shirts, long a staple of my golf attire, are also gone – they’re now strictly reserved for post-round nights on the town, having been replaced by the more traditional look of shorts and (brightly colored) polo shirts. I’ve been working hard to get myself into shape, so like they say, if you’ve got it, flaunt it.

Some might guess that my only goal this year is to win my sixth Goodboys Invitational championship. While that would be nice, that’s not it by a longshot. The goal this year is three-fold: 1) hit more fairways, 2) hit more fairways, and 3) you guessed it – hit more fairways! I finally have a highly repeatable golf swing that seems to be holding up quite well under various conditions – especially with my irons and hybrids. My 3-wood and driver are coming around but remain a work in progress. Now, with less than three months to go until July’s Goodboys Invitational weekend, for better or worse it’s time to start posting numbers.

I enter the 2015 season a 26.1 handicap, tied with that cagey marsupial “Possum” Shepter. It would be nice if I could shave a point or two off that number before the end of the season, but I’m not gonna worry about that right now.

Just.
Hit.
More.
Fairways.

…then let whatever will be will be and enjoy the ride.

Let’s get it on.