2024 Wish List...

and my favorites from Pajama Week

Author

Sean Melia
December 29, 2023

Hey Everyone,

I hope you all had a great week. As 2023 comes to a close, I’d love your help in spreading this newsletter.

Forward it along to anyone you think might enjoy my inane musings, and tell them to click on the subscribe button!

Thanks!

Let’s get to it.

2024 Wishlist

There is a saying that some years ask questions and other years answer them. This can be both personally and globally. 2024 seems like a year that is going to answer a lot of questions, especially in the world of golf (and politics… but I ain’t touching that topic…).

With the turning of the calendar comes hope and wishes, so I thought I’d put together a list of what I’m wishing for in 2024 as a golfer.

  1. No rainy weekends - This isn’t a wish for drought or anything extreme like that, but we went something like 7 months straight without back-to-back dry weekends. Let the rain fall, but just do it while people are working…

  2. A LIV/PGA resolution - Personally, I’ve reached the point where I’d just like to know what the heck is going on so we can all move on and understand what the future of the professional game is going to look like in the coming years. The bickering and jockeying for positions of power is harming the perception people have of the game.

  3. A strong round of golf at the right time - I’m going to continue to play in state amateur qualifiers. I enjoy the preparation, the challenge, and the immediate feedback. There’s nothing like sticking the tee in the ground on the first hole knowing the next 4.5 hours are going to count. My mentality is to get as far into the round as I can with a chance to qualify. That’s the fun of it. I’ve been close in the past, but I have never broken through. I’m putting in some work this winter and here’s a wish for a good day on the course at the right time.

  4. Some great golf in New England - This summer there will be the U.S. Women’s Mid-Am at Brae Burn, the U.S. Senior Open at Newport CC, and an LPGA tournament at TPC Boston. What a wonderful mix of competitive golf on New England soil. The Women’s Mid-Am won’t get much TV coverage, but I am hoping for these three tournaments to deliver some drama and excitement.

  5. Pinehurst to deliver a great U.S. Open - The 2024 US Open will mark the 25th anniversary of Payne Stewart’s dramatic win over Phil Mickelson. The last two U.S. Opens at Pinehurst didn’t quite live up to expectations. Michael Campbell beat Tiger Woods by two shots in 2005, and then Martin Kaymer lapped the field in 2014 by nine shots. The coolest part of 2014 is that Michelle Wie won the very next week when the U.S. Women’s Open was held at Pinehurst. I wish they’d do that again in the future. But give me a great U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, please.

  6. Stay healthy - In September, Golfer’s Elbow struck. It’s not fun and hampered my ability to play this fall. My doctor said the best remedy for the injury is “winter.” So I’ve been using this time to strengthen the weak areas and rest, too. But after turning 40 in September, I don’t want to take the ability to play for granted, and that leads me to my final wish…

  7. Reach 150 courses played in my quest - June 17 will mark the fourth anniversary of starting my quest to play them all. It was easier to check off courses the first couple of years; I was at zero so every round was a notch in the belt. The challenge gets harder every year because returning to an “old” course doesn’t check a box anymore. As of right now, I sit at 118 different courses played in Massachusetts. My goal is to pass 150 this year. I’m looking forward to doing it with both new and old friends and meeting new folks along the way.

Picture of the week: Essex CC

Matt Naumec tosses a club to his caddie in the Mass. Am Final

When I’m not golfing…

I’m gambling….(Every week, because it's now legal in Mass. I'm going to make five NFL picks and keep track of them here.)

  • Last Week: 2-3(Season record: 41-38-1)

    • Pats (+13) over Bills

    • Niners (-12.5) over Commanders

    • Colts (-3) over Raiders

    • Steelers (+3.5) over Seahawks

    • Bucs (-2.5) over Saints

I’m reading…

  • I just started Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood. He’s one of my favorite authors, and this one feels like it’ll be a breeze to read.

  • The Athletic wrote a great piece about the future of tennis. There are a lot of comparisons to golf in here. Saudi Arabia has dipped its toe into the tennis pool, but the tennis associations seem intent on working with the PIF instead of fighting them and creating a competitor.

I’m listening to…

I’m eating… 

  • My family calls the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, “Pajama Week.” It’s been full of eating and uttering the phrase, “diet starts Tuesday.” We had Steak Diane, which is absurdly decadent but delicious. I’ve eaten pounds of cookies that my mom has made. We also cooked up some Irish sausages, which as so much better than the regular breakfast sausages. My mom made stuffing with ground Italian sausage in it, which was new this year and freaking insane. Tiff made a peach crumble cake. I might have gained 8 pounds this week.

I’m drinking…  

  • Last week, we spent a few days up in Maine and went to Freeport to check out the circus that is the L.L. Bean campus. We stopped at Maine Beer Co, too. First, it’s a beautiful building and they make great beer. I had a Little Whaleboat, and we brought some bottles home, including Mean Old Tom, a delicious stout. Tiff had an Alpine Rec, also very good. The pizza they make there is also excellent.

I’m watching…

I'm (shamelessly) plugging...

Reply

or to participate.