My March Mentality on the Golf Course

+ News, Notes, and Favorites

Author

Sean Melia
April 04, 2025

Holes 3-5 at Farm Neck GC on Martha’s Vineyard.

Hey Everyone,

In the last week, I visited both Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. On Sunday, during a long weekend, I played Miacomet for $70 (more on that below). On Tuesday, I spent the day at Farm Neck GC with designer Mark Mungeam as he completes a Master Plan before the course opens later this spring. I am looking forward to sharing what I learned from that trip in the coming weeks. The course is stunning.

If you have the time, a day trip to Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard to take advantage of their shoulder season discounts is worth looking into. That’s what this week’s YouTube video is about.

News and Notes:

Valero Texas Open: Michael Thorbjornsen had another rough day. He shot a 3-over 75. Ben James (Milford, Connecticut) shot a 68. He’s a junior at the University of Virginia, and we’ll adopt him as a New Englander. Live Scoring

Korn Ferry Tour: Five players from Mass. are competing in the Club Car Championship in Savannah, Georgia this week. Evan Harmeling (Andover, Mass.), who has stepped away from professional golf, returned as a past champion in this event to take advantage of his exemption. My major-preview podcast stalwart, Paul Burke, is on the bag for Harmeling this week. Harmeling and Robbie Oppenheim, who shot 67 on Thursday, both grew up playing at Indian Ridge CC in Andover. Live Scoring

LPGA Tour Matchplay: Alexa Pano and Megan Khang are playing in this week’s match play at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas. It’s a great event. Tune in to see what a $1,000 public course looks like. Live Scoring

Swing Pass Golf Membership

Are you looking for a way to find a little golf competition and community this summer? SwingPass is a great way to test the waters of the competitive scene, no matter your experience or handicap, while also meeting new people!

SwingPass offers a season-long points race with monthly events that offer formats like a 2-man best ball, 4-person scramble, and 2-person scramble. In addition, you can play additional stroke play rounds at select courses each month to collect extra points to nab a spot in the season Finals this October.

There are a few different membership options; depending on what you’re looking for, SwingPass gives you the flexibility to play in fun events of your choosing throughout the season.

If you’re interested in a membership, connecting with a community of golfers, and scratching a competitive itch, check out the various options here.

You can use the promo code BAYSTATEGOLF to get $15 off any membership.

My March Mentality on the Golf Course

Each month brings about a different mindset on the golf course. For me, March is about simply walking a course, reveling in the fact that the season is laid out in front of us, and the next six to seven months are full of promise.

On Sunday, the weather was probably as cold as I would want it to be while playing golf at Miacomet. It was 42 degrees with a cold, 20 mph wind. It took me a while to warm up once I made it back to our Airbnb on Nantucket, but paying 70 bucks to walk Miacomet was too enticing an opportunity, especially when Noah from Golfer’s Anonymous was making a day trip with two friends to take advantage of the winter rate.

Playing in such cold weather requires a bit more thought about what club to hit into the greens. I found myself hitting one extra club, at least, and telling myself to swing easy. As the season progresses, the temptation to take advantage of the warmer weather and try to hit the ball farther grows stronger.

It would be nice to take some of my March Mentality and use it in July.

The willingness to accept bad shots is also sky-high in the early season. Expectations are low. Bad shots are expected. It alters how I think about a sidewinding long iron.

Do I want to hit sidewinding long irons?

Of course not.

Should I accept the result?

Yes.

Is that easier in March and April?

Abso-freaking-lutely.

On last week’s Chasing Scratch podcast episode, Josh Nichols, who reached the 2018 U.S. Mid-Amateur final (before losing to Bay Stater Matt Parziale), offered Mike and Eli some advice as their quest to reach scratch handicaps reached an eighth season. Nichols, who is a Mental Golf Coach, surveyed a handful of players about what has helped them mentally on the golf course. 13 out of 16 of the player said that acceptance is the most important aspect of the mental side of the game.

Acceptance is easy in March.

It’s harder in June.

There’s no real reason why this should be the case.

Golf is hard. It’s always hard.

No matter what month.

The round I played on Sunday in 42 degrees might be the hardest round I’ll play all year. And I gave myself the most leeway to hit some bad shots. Was I keeping score? No. Were the stakes low? Very.

But I still focused on shots and wanted to do well. That should always be the case.

But how I react to those shots and rounds shifts with time. And it shouldn’t.

So here’s to maintaining my March Mentality into April, May, and the rest of the season.

MASTERS BINGE

It’s actually overwhelming how much Masters content is already out there for the 2025 edition. There’s a case to be made that there should be not PGA Tour event this week or the week after The Masters. Give this week to the LPGA and Augusta National Women’s Am (and whatever the hell is going on with LIV at Doral… no thanks).

I haven’t consumed much of The Masters content. Here are some things I have bookmarked for this weekend before the fire hose gets turned on full blast.

🏌️ Did you know that the 1938 Masters champion learned to play at Plymouth CC? Frank Picard is a legend and I wrote about him last year during Masters week.

🏆️ I’m looking forward to really digging into Geoff Shackelford’s Quadrilateral newsletter this weekend. Ben Crenshaw interview, inside scoops on the impact of Hurrican Helene, and more!

🏌️ Fried Egg Golf has an “All About Augusta National” podcast with Geoff Shackelford and Rob Collins.

⛳️ Scottie Scheffler talking about every hole at Augusta? Yes, please!

If you would like to support my work, you can upgrade your subscription.

When I’m not golfing…

I’m reading…

🍟 I’m a fan of steak fries. They’re the best option when ordering fish and chips. I didn’t know how many people hated them. They might be making a comeback… NYTimes has the scoop.

🏈 This long piece in The Athletic about the Houston Texans/Oilers and the complications of branding when a team relocates city was very interesting. Read it here.

I’m listening to…

🏀 Zach Lowe is back! After being fired by ESPN he joined The Ringer and hopped on a pod with his new/old boss Bill Simmons to talk about the 25 most intriguing NBA playoff guys.

I’m eating…

🐐 Utz sour cream and onion chips

🍕 We went to Cisco Brewing on Nantucket last week, and Eat Fire Pizza was slinging pies. Really good.

I’m watching…

🪙 Gold and Greed on Netflix was a wild three-episode ride about a treasure hunt in the Rocky Mountains.

🔪 The Residency is also worth watching. A witty murder-mystery that takes place in the White House.

🗡️ Adolescence is the most unique show I’ve watched in a while. They shot each episode in one long take, which is astonishing. Fire it up on Netflix if you haven’t yet. It’s four episodes of riveting television.

New here? Reached the bottom?

Hell Yeah.

You should subscribe.

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