AN UPDATE FROM...
Russell Heady General Manager
Hello all and welcome to our July 2024 Newsletter, our fourth newsletter of the year.
Newsletters now go out every two months so you will also get September and November editions this year.
We are now past the year’s halfway point; how did those six months go so quickly!? It’s been a busy few weeks, the golf season is now in full swing, the summer weather finally arrived in June, we have a new government in power, England is doing pretty well in the Euros, and The Open Championship will soon be starting.
I hope you’ve all managed to get some good golf in. As ever I am pleased with the golf course condition. The greenkeepers have done a wonderful job, and the course looks and plays fantastically. The greens especially are superb currently - probably the best I have ever seen them at Abbey Hill.
We recently completed the refurbishment of the coffee bar with new flooring, carpet and upcycled furniture. I’m pleased with the result, much improved on the old brown carpet, and I’m sure you will agree!
You can now also use our new external door to the men’s toilets as you head to the 11th tee. This will be quicker and save you from having to come in through the refurbished main clubhouse entrance with muddy golf shoes!
In early May, Peter (Chairman), Karen (Ladies Captain), Les (Men’s Captain), and myself, visited Burhill Golf Club for the annual Burhill Challenge, a match against the other nine golf sites in the BGL group. We played well and were happy with our 4th place overall! Thanks to Peter, Karen and Les for their company for what was a lovely couple of days.
We send out a customer survey every few months. The score you give us out of 10 for the question “Would you recommend us” gives us an overall Net Promoter Score or NPS Score as it is known in the business world. We are ranked in a league table against the other nine BGL Golf sites. Currently, we have a good score of 54 but are only in 8th place in the table.
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We need your help to get our score higher and move up! What we need is a 9 or 10 score which is classed as a promoter. If you feel we are doing well and the course is in good condition, please fill in a survey with a 9 or 10 for us. It only takes two minutes to follow the link in the email. A passive score of 7 or 8, or worse a detractor score of 0 to 6 counts against us. We receive the lowest number of surveys back of any of the 10 sites so really need your help to get more surveys in.
As an incentive, one survey responder will now be picked every month at random to win your choice of either a £60 driving range credit or a 4-ball voucher for you to bring three friends for free. Look out for the email surveys and please be kind with your scoring.
In this newsletter, we have a great course update from Course Manager Ross, an expert pro’s tip from Head Pro John, how to book a free reciprocal round, info on a new ale, pictures of the newly refurbished Coffee Bar, and details of our summer charity fun day.
I hope to catch up with you all around the centre soon!
Russell
COURSE UPDATE
Ross Course Manager
Welcome everyone to my fourth update of 2024.
As we pass the halfway point of the year it’s nice to have finally seen in these past few weeks some drier and warmer weather, it’s certainly overdue. Let’s hope I haven’t put the Kibosh on it with that statement!
The course and particularly the putting surfaces have been a little slow to have picked up this year due to the lower-than-normal soil
temperatures, brought about by the below-average day and nighttime temperatures. There is always only so much we can do, and we always require help from good old Mother Nature.
Golf courses are not in the same position as many of our top football stadia around the world where artificial conditions can be manipulated with the use of lighting rigs, wind fans, undersoil heating or sub-air moisture extraction systems, hence the significant improvement in football pitches in the past 30 years. Only two golf courses that I am aware of in the world are fortunate to have these available, Augusta National and the West Course at Wentworth. Whether this will become more common in the future, who knows?
However, I am a great believer in that the changing conditions of not only the environment but also the playing surface Is something that makes golf so fun and interesting, with players having to adjust according to the conditions. We will see this theory in evidence later this month when the world’s best golfers once again descend on The Open Championship to be held at Royal Troon.
A look back at our weather stats for the past two months (May & June) shows a slight change in our weather pattern from the terrible first five months of 2024, particularly during June. Overall, June was a pretty good month in terms of average temperatures for the UK. Temperatures picked up, helping us without doubt over the nine days towards the end of the month. Rainfall totals have been well below average at just 18mm for the month against an average of 56.9mm. Because of this reduced rainfall in June our totals for the half-year mark have begun to balance out, with a total of 430mm of rain, making this year now only the 5th wettest first six months for our site.
I have always believed that the weather generally evens itself out over the year and if that is to be the case this year then maybe we can look forward to a
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drier six months.
As we enter the second half of the year, our focus will be on retaining and refining the playing conditions we currently have leading up to the last weekend of this month when we once again have our club championship (July 27th/28th).
It’s a weekend the green staff particularly enjoy as it allows us to toughen up the golf course as it should be for our biggest competition of the year. I shall once again be issuing the pin placements for both days, although many of you are now starting to second-guess me, I’m sure.
The week after club champs will see us carrying out our summer micro coring to the greens. We will be hiring a core collector to make this process not only quicker and less disruptive to golfers but also easier for the staff. Many of you will have read or heard me mention the importance of ensuring our organic matter levels are maintained to an acceptable level that ultimately improves the performance of the greens.
The project works for 2024 have now been approved and work will begin on replacing all the short course tees with brand-new astroturf technology in mid-July. These tees will be a big improvement and you will be able to push a normal tee peg into them.
In the second week of September, we will completely rebuild the bunkers on three of our holes with the latest drainage technology. This continues our bunker project to replace all the bunkers over six years. So far, we have done the 5th hole, 7th hole, and 8th hole. The works will see contractors on site for approximately three weeks and the rebuilding of the following bunkers:
11th Greenside.
12th Greenside – Both bunkers.
15th Fairway.
In addition to this, we also plan to install a raised path on the 5th hole, extending from the tee complex down to the edge of the fairway - a particular wet spot during the winter months. The hope is, that we can then look to increasing pathways in future years to combat the areas that get wetter during the winter months.
A reminder to look out for updates from our young greenkeepers, Sam and Darren who will be off to work at the Seniors Open and the LIV Tour events respectively at the end of July and beginning of August. This is a great experience for the guys, and it helps with their personal development. Sam and Darren both have an X (formerly Twitter) Page where they will post updates for those wishing to see greenkeeping behind the ropes at a professional tournament. They are:
Sam @SN_1882
Darren @DBroxham14
We installed some bat boxes back in 2022 around the ponds on 12 and 17 so it was particularly pleasing to read a recent report from an ecological survey carried out as part of the planning application for the new reservoir that there are bats nesting and thriving around our ponds.
Fingers crossed for some nice weather.
Enjoy your golf.
Ross and all the greens team.
Red Bull Racing Drivers
Visit Abbey Hill!
Last week we had the pleasure of hosting a very different event here on site where we worked together with Brother Film Co. and Red Bull Racing to film some promotional material for Oracle. If you were on-site, you may have spotted a few famous faces from the world of Formula 1.
Here are the Greenkeeping team with the one and only Sergio Perez after his filming out on the 18th. A great day was had by all!
Welcome A New SponsorBMW
BMW is now sponsoring our 3rd hole on the main course. You may have already seen the new banner. They will be helping our efforts in raising money for charity by donating great prizes on the ladies and men’s captain’s days, as well as the club championships. On these days you will get a chance to win a brand-new electric BMW car worth over £65,000 for a whole weekend!
Prostate Cancer Testing
Back in May, we held our first PSA Prostate Cancer Testing event. It was a great success with over 180 men tested on the day, including lots of our members and their relatives. Well done also to all the members who completed the 72 holes in a day challenge in June raising a great sum for the Prostate Cancer Charity.
Please Recycle!
We now have three new bins ready as you walk off the 18th green. To keep the course clean, please take any rubbish/recycling around with you and put it in these bins. One is for glass only, one for mixed recycling and the other for general waste. These will be emptied daily into our main bins. Please help us to recycle more of the Abbey Hill waste!
Wildlife On The Golf Course
Please do not feed the wildlife around the golf course. It’s great that we have many species of birds, squirrels, bats and even deer on the course. Recently there have been several incidents of squirrels and crows attacking and damaging golf bags and stealing food. If you feed them, they think all the food in golf bags is for them!
PRO’S TIP OF THE MONTH
John Scheu Head PGA Pro
Swing
Triggers
So many times, I’ve watched an average golfer take a few beautiful, languid practice swings before approaching the ball, tensing up, freezing for 3-4 seconds, and executing a stilted, jerky swing that looks nothing like their practice swing.
It’s clear that the body understands what it takes to hit a ball properly, but when it comes to doing it, the mind takes over and screws everything up. Tour pros are subject to this type of tension as well: imagine standing over a putt to win 11 million dollars and tell me you wouldn’t feel a little jittery! But pros counter this by having a swing trigger.
While a full pre-shot routine is a well-known recommendation from mental coaches, a swing trigger is a smaller, less noticeable aspect of the pre-shot routine. It’s the final step before taking a swing or hitting a putt and prevents tension by avoiding an extended static period.
• Dustin Johnson starts his swing with a slight forward press of the hands.
• Matt Kuchar lifts the club from behind the ball and hovers it ever so slightly before starting his swing.
• Rickie Fowler’s amazing putting stroke starts with a similar hover.
• Henrik Stenson, perhaps the best ball striker in the world, has a very distinctive trigger where he sets his weight on his back foot and changes his shoulder angle to get his swing going.
Starting your swing from a point of movement (even a tiny barely noticeable motion) instead of several seconds of stasis will help you release tension and swing your club or putter more freely.
Targets:
What’s the last thing your brain hears when you step onto the tee and think to yourself, don’t hit it in the water or avoid the out-of-bounds? Well, that would be “hit it in the water” or “Hit it out of bounds”. Your body is all too happy to oblige your brain’s thoughts, so you need to find a way to train your brain to think only of the target.
There are a million distractions on the golf course, from hazards lining the fairway to playing partners annoying multiple practice swings, to smartphones begging you to check your notifications. And on top of that, you have to keep an eye on your golf bag. Keeping your mind clear before each shot is paramount.
Once you’re standing over the ball, do what twotime Masters champion Bubba Watson says: “You have to think about your target, not your swing.”
Having a good pre-shot routine should help you focus your mind not on the technical aspects of the golf swing, but on your target.
When you approach the ball, look hard at your target. Burn that image into your mind. There’s nothing else: just you and that target. Your target should rarely be the flagstick on a full swing – you should be thinking about that aiming point where you want the ball to start.
The golf swing happens too fast to make any changes in the middle of it, so once you’re over the ball and ready to swing, your goal is to make a tension-free swing and get your ball going at the target.
Once you’ve implemented your swing trigger, it’ll become part of your routine, and you won’t even have to think about it. Your brain will be freed up to focus only on the target. When you’re on the putting green, your only thought should be the ball entering the hole. Visualise the ball entering the cup at the proper angle and make it happen.
With practice, you’ll learn to play golf instead of playing golf swing.
John
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Golf Shop Offers?
We have some great offers in the Pro Shop for you. Stubert shirts are just £19.99 each!
Stay hydrated with our new Boost Drinks two for only £3!
Cobra Fitting Day!
We have an opportunity for you to try out the latest Cobra golf clubs on Monday 22nd July from 2 pm to 6 pm. To book in ask in the Pro Shop.
Buggies
Our buggies are now available to hire, starting from only £22 per round.
Golf in Hot Weather
The hot weather looks set to continue!
Here are some tips to help you remain sun safe whilst out on our course.
1. Make use of your golf umbrellas to provide you with much-needed shade in open areas on the course.
2. Carry a bottle of water with you at all times -
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reusable bottles can be refilled in our cafe bar area.
3. Wear a hat and sunscreen at all times.
4. Buggies are available to book to provide shade and will save your legs in this heat.
5. Find shaded areas whilst waiting to tee off.
If at any time you feel unwell or need assistance whilst on the course, please speak to a marshall and they can arrange some help or call 01908 562566 and speak to a member of the team who can support you.
Happy (and safe) golfing!
Junior Camps
Looking for something to keep the children busy over the summer holidays?
Our junior camps are now available to book! The camps will run from 9.00 am - 1.00 pm every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday through the summer holidays (29th July to 26th August) and we will cover the basics of the sport including putting, chipping, pitching, swing, bunkers and driving as well as an introduction to playing on the golf course plus fun activities throughout the day! The cost will be £40 per day or £105 for all three days!
For more information and available dates contact Kevin on k.jones@abbeyhillgc.co.uk or call the Proshop on 01908 562566.
New Flowers!
Our fantastic wedding florist Alex from Heaven Scent has made up all our hanging baskets and flowerpots around the clubhouse. They are looking blooming great!
Members’ Reciprocal Golf!
Don’t forget a fantastic benefit of membership at Abbey Hill is one free round per month at one of the other nine BGL Golf sites around England. The options are:
Aldwickbury Park – Harpenden
Burhill – Surrey
Birchwood Park – Kent
Hoebridge – Surrey
Redbourn – Hertfordshire
Ramsdale – Nottingham
The Shropshire – Telford
Thornbury - Bristol
Wycombe Heights – High Wycombe
You can book your round a maximum of seven days in advance by speaking to the team in our sales office by calling them on 01908 562566 (option 4) You can also take non-member guests at members’ guest rates!
Ramsdale Park, https://ramsdaleparkgc.co.uk/ courses/ is just north of Nottingham, around a 90-minute drive away, and is set within a valley floor near Calverton, providing beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. It is well worth a visit.
New Ale at Abbey Hill!
Family Fun Day!
Our family fun day is on Sunday 14th July. Everyone is welcome including your friends and family and entry is free! Fun and games start at 12 pm and will include:
• BBQ!
• Cake Sale!
• Bouncy Castle!
• DJ!
• Craft Table!
• Face Painting!
• Raffle!
• Tombola!
• Golf Darts!
• Hole in One putting challenge!
