I find it so interesting that dates, milestones, or events give us the opportunities to clean the slate or start anew (I'm trying to avoid the dreaded new year's R-word).  I cannot tell you how many times I've said, "next week I'm going to..." or "starting tomorrow I will..."   My co-workers can attest to how many times I've said, "As soon as this project is over I'm going to get my life organized!".  

But as I sit here (so grateful that I'm able to blog after some technical issues), I must acknowledge that I've failed more times than I can count on so many things I had either hoped to accomplish or wanted to improve....both in life and golf.

Almost a year ago I went out and bought a domain name to create my own blog site.  The name Hope Joy Golf has  stuck with me ever since I wrote a blog post with that title back in 2011 over at www.tees2greens.com.  If you followed my golf blog posts you probably know that golf is not just a game to me.  I believe the game of golf can bring us great joy, provide us inspiration, teach us patience, humility, and dedication, and be an example to how to live a character filled life.

I love that golf can bring people together or be a place of solace and withdrawal from the rest of the world.  Golf can be a social outing a few times a year or the first place you go when you have some free time.  Like a good friend, golf is always there for you.

I will always be grateful to Sam Johnson, David Muir, and my friends at Tees2Greens for giving me a home to write my blog since 2008.  Things got busy in my world in 2012 and I've let my blog go mostly  dormant since (but don't worry, I've got my 2013 predictions out there to review soon!)  I've been inspired by several people lately and I realized that my heart needs a place to share my love of golf.  And it's probably not a coincidence that my need to "talk golf" comes as my golf season here in Minnesota has come to a close.  I'm already looking forward to next year!!

I'm also very excited to announce that some of my very favorite Fantasy Golf friends are going to join me in a weekly Fantasy Golf Pro's Picks, similar to what we did back when we competed over at Kerplookee.  We'll get the ball rolling (Pun #1!) at the Tournament of Champions in January, but keep a look out for some previews as we get the formats together.  You're going to love these guys: Drew, Chuck, Smitty, and Jeremy - and make no mistake about it, we're competitive, so you'll be sure to find some weekly entertainment as we keep track of our prediction successes.  We'll also try to keep you informed of some good Fantasy Golf web sites and competitions.

And you know I can't resist talking a little bit about golf shopping!  This gal loves a sale, so I'll do my best to let you know about where to find some great deals or what might be neat ideas for the golfers in your life.

Well, then there's Steve...and Matt...and Phil....and Adam...and Erik and so many more favorite golfers!!  And yes, I'll weigh in on general golf news that may include other golfers besides my faves.  Which reminds me, I'm still mourning the loss of Q-school!  But there should be lots to talk about as we get into the season.

I plan to write here as much as I can and I hope you will stop by regularly and share your thoughts and ideas, too.  Welcome to Hope Joy Golf!