New Year’s Resolution for Golfers

1. Develop a fitness routine. Want to boost swing speed and stamina while decreasing the chance of injury? Prioritize exercises that increase core strength and improve flexibility. Committing to a fitness regimen will pay handsome dividends as you get older, enabling you to play and enjoy golf into your later years.

2. No more gimmes. Stop raking away short putts. Putt everything out. Your game will improve dramatically if you focus on drilling those two- and three-footers into the hole. Same goes for mulligans. Unless you’re a purist, mulligans (do-overs) should be permitted on the first tee only, not throughout the round.

3. Course management. Watch the pros in action. They play smart and rarely make costly mistakes. Based on your ability level, be realistic about your strategic options during the round. Keep the ball in play off the tee. Aim for the middle of the green. Take speed and slope into account on the greens. Quivira Golf Club rewards prudent play, not heroics. Savvy course management will help you save strokes and lower your scores.

4. Custom-Fit Clubs. Getting properly fitted for golf clubs (including a putter) used to be reserved for Tour pros and elite players. Not anymore. Professional fitting studios are widely available. Done right, custom-fit clubs inspire confidence. They’re your firmest guarantee of improvement—and your fastest route to a better game.

5. Better balance. When it comes to the full swing, Tour pros emphasize tempo, balance and stability. They’re three of the more underrated aspects of the golf swing. Rarely will you see a pro out of balance at the conclusion of his or her swing. Get grounded. Make a conscious effort in the new year to improve your poise and steadiness. A balanced swing will lead to solid contact--and a picturesque follow-through.

6. Proper alignment. Invest in a pair of alignment sticks. Ensuring that your shoulders, hips, and feet are parallel or square to the target line is imperative for good play. There’s a reason most Tour pros carry a pair of 44-inch microfiber sticks in their bags for use on the practice range. Alignment sticks can also improve ball position and swing plane. They’re an essential golf training aid.

7. Take better care of the course. Correct etiquette calls for players to smooth out footprints, shot marks and other disturbances in the sand. Unraked sand in the bunkers at Quivira can create very difficult playing conditions for other golfers. Be considerate. Other essential duties: Fill in divots slightly below the level of the surrounding turf canopy. Properly filling divots will help them heal quickly. Lastly, fix ball marks on the green by gently pushing the turf in toward the center of the mark using a pointed tool.

8. Have fun. Most seasoned players have heard the hard-boiled quip of Scottish course designer Donald Ross: “Those who play golf for fun soon get over it.” But golf is a game, after all. At Quivira, it’s played in a spectacular Land’s End setting. The panoramic clifftop views of the deep blue sea during the round are incomparable. Take it all in. Smile more. Enjoy every minute of the subtropical paradise that is Los Cabos. With a more carefree approach, who knows, you might even play better.