New Year's golf resolutions for 2023

New Year, New You! A term that gets thrown out there every January. I don't think we really need to create a New Us but the coming of a New Year does give us time to look to the year ahead and think about what we may want to achieve.

Winter golf in the UK hasn't been kind to us so far, from frozen fairways to now soggy ones, it's not the best start to the year if you're battling the golf course.

If you're not able to play as much golf at the moment, I thought we'd use this bit of extra time to draw up some helpful and achievable golfing New Year's resolutions to make 2023 our best golf year.

Get golf fit

Often a resolution at the top of many people's lists. We can feel sluggish heading into the new year after one too many mince pies over Christmas. Maybe this year it's time to ditch getting fit as a resolution and look at what we can do each day. We totally agree with a recent Twitter thread from Golf Fitness expert Jamie Greaves:

"New Year’s resolutions are often unattainable, hard to track and so usually fall flat. Try daily non-negotiable’s instead. Make them simple and time efficient so that they get done even on bad days where you really don’t feel like it!"

Above are Jamie's 2023 Daily Non-Negotiables. The thread continues:

"I have been doing this for a while hence I have eight at the moment but I wouldn’t advise that for you start small with two or three, get consistent and build up. They can be health, fitness, nutrition or even golf related.

"Make them personal to you and even share them with friends / on here for accountability. Print them off, keep them somewhere visible and tick off as many as you can each day or use a habit tracking app on your phone.

"Now you’re unlikely to tick them all off every single day - life happens! Yes, that means technically they aren’t non-negotiable’s but thinking of them that way definitely helps mentally. Don’t beat yourself up, just begin again the next day. Little and often soon adds up."

If you are unsure where to start when it comes to golf-specific fitness training, then this article about starting your golf fitness journey from Jamie Greaves may be of help. We also have a range of golf Pilates workouts from Linda Segerstam which could kick start your fitness plan.

Set your 2023 golf goals

In her last Mental game series blog - How you can get the most out of the winter season, Nicola Stroud, Head Teaching Professional at Burnham & Berrow Golf Club explained how you can use winter to get your golfing vision for 2023 in order.

"I see so many golfers letting their game become static over the winter, whilst at the same time hoping and praying that it will come back as good as ever when the new golfing season comes around… But, there’s so much you can do to ensure you hit the ground running in Springtime!

"Firstly, take some time to evaluate your golf game in 2022. Did you reach your goals? If not, why do you think that was? If you did, then what was the driving factor and can you learn anything from it?

"Next, if you haven’t already, think about what your vision is for your game, write it down and put it in your scorecard wallet. Your vision should be aspirational - try not to let your current performance influence it. Remember, you will be working towards your vision going forward, so push your boundaries a little. The timescale is up to you, but I recommend thinking 3 to 5 years. It’s also worth thinking about why you have pictured this vision, where you are now, what you need to do, etc.

"Writing down your vision is an important step as it will help you become more focused and motivated."

Find out how to set your golf goals for 2023 and beyond here.

Attend a golf event

Watching the best players in the world is an experience like no other and we have some fantastic opportunities to do this year. The AIG Women's Open will be played at Walton Heath in August for the first time in August - tickets are already available to purchase here.

The Aramco Team Series also returns to Centurion Club with a new date in July.

Plus the Solheim Cup is back in Europe as Team Europe look to retain the trophy under the captaincy of Solheim Cup mega star Suzann Pettersen. Women & Golf are hosting a week long trip to Spain to take in some golf and watch the Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin - find out more here.

You could also consider attending open events at golf clubs across the UK and we've announced two UK Women & Golf events in 2022, heading to Tandridge in May and The Grove in June and we will be adding more soon.

Get a handicap

I am sure that many of you have a handicap index but for those of you that don't or maybe have just started playing golf, then make 2023 the year you make it official.

This was a challenge I set myself last year and was able to achieve in less than five weeks when I started using England Golf's iGolf app. Find out how I got started with my four golf friends in early summer.

iGolf or the equivalent app in the home country can keep track of all your scores and help you to first obtain and then maintain a handicap regardless of whether you intend to play in competitions.

Get your finances in order

Last month we heard from our partner Lester Brunt Wealth Management who explained why preparing your finances as you would for a winter round of golf can help you feel better heading into the New Year and the golf season ahead.

Follow their five tips here.

What's your New Year's golf resolution? Make sure you join the discussion on our social media channels.