CLUBHOUSE The National ‘local’ Magazine for Golf Club Members
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Edition - Issue 4 - Sep ‘12 GOLFCardiff MAGAZINE
Lets Make it Two in a row!
An Interview with The 2012 European Captain
Jose Maria Olazabal
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CONTENTS CLUBHOUSE CF Edition - Issue 3
INTERVIEWS
4 Louis Oosthuizen
The 7 Birdie Run King speaks with Clubhouse Golf Magazine
14 Rory Mcilroy
The USPGA and Deutsche Bank Champion joins us for a chat.
26 Jose Maria Olazabal
An exclusive interview with the 2012 Team Europe Ryder Cup Captain
FEATURES
8 Twitter Talk!
Luke Donald becomes the latest Golfing Casualty to feel the wrath of Twitter
20 Vertigo!
Have we discovered the world’s most Extreme hole?
REVIEWS 6 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta
We welcome Ferrari’s monster new 730 bhp beast!
10 Stoke Park
We follow in 007’s footsteps when visiting Englands ‘Augusta’
LOCAL 34 On the Tee
Your Golf Day Photos
38 Local Champions
Llanishens Junior Setup grows from strength to strength
42 Local Club Contacts 44 Local Course Review
Golf Magazine
EDITOR
Kris Agland kris@clubhousegolfmagazine.com
FEATURE EDITOR
Christopher Regan christopher@clubhousegolfmagazine.com
FEATURE EDITOR
Daryl Roberts daryl@clubhousegolfmagazine.com
ADVERTISING
Jade Buckley jade@clubhousegolfmagazine.com Telephone: 0845 548 0549 Web: www.clubhousegolfmagazine.com Published by ICU Sports Management Ltd Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of content, but the publishers can not accept any resposibility for ommisions or errors. All content found within Clubhouse Golf Magazine is copyright of ICU Sports Management Ltd. The content and views found within this publication are not neceserily those of the editors, writers or those of Clubhouse Golf Magazine or ICU Sports Management Ltd. We regret that we can not be liable for any un solicitated material, whether typesrcipts, photographs or artwork.
TOUR INTERVIEW
Unlucky Number 7
Louis Oosthuizen The former Open Winner, Louis Oosthuizen is still yet to break his US duck even when carding a record breaking run of SEVEN consecutive birdies along the way
Q: Louis, quite the successful round 3 at the Deutsche Bank Championship, 8‑under 63, quite the impressive front nine, 29 with a birdie to make it seven in a row, I believe. LO: Yeah, obviously probably the start anyone would dream of on that front nine. I made everything, so you get those days where you just look at a putt and you hole it. Q: In your mind what was the greater accomplishment, the double eagle at 2 at Augusta or those seven birdies in a row? LO: I’d still take the double eagle (smiling) Q: What was going through your mind when you were on that roll with the seven birdies in a row? LO: I think at that stage, nothing. You just keep on going. I went at most of the pins. Once I started getting birdies, making putts, I started going at the pins because my swing felt great, and after 10 holes being 8‑under, you always think about getting it to 59. I didn’t do anything different from there on in. I hit great shots on 11, 12, 13, 14, so I gave myself good chances to post that number. But I think it would have been really tough playing the Sunday shooting in the 50s on the Saturday. So I’m very happy with my 8‑under. Q: Late in the tournament you looked like you were kind of grabbing your shoulder or chest www.clubhousegolfmagazine.com
LO: Yeah, I don’t know. On 16 I had to hit a big 9‑iron. I probably went at it a bit too hard, a bit steep on the ball, in the ground, and just felt a little pinch in one of the muscles. I felt it on 17 still on the 5‑wood off the tee and the second shot, so you know, that stage you’re thinking about all kinds of things, what’s wrong. But on 18 I just‑‑ from 18 on I didn’t feel anything, so it probably just‑‑ I don’t know, a little something, but nothing major. Q. Was that something you’ve had before in a tournament? LO: Yeah, I think a few times, both sides. It’s probably just a little muscle. I don’t know. It’s nothing big. Q. When you look at that birdie run, when is the last time you felt that in control of all parts of your game? LO: Yeah, I don’t even know before today how many was my run before that, how many in a row. Like I said, after making the putt on 8, I felt like I can’t miss anything. And then on 9, it was one of those, you just needed to get it high enough out, and then it’s all about the speed, and I got it perfect again. And 10 I hit it to a foot. You know, standing on the putt on 11, I thought I had a perfect line again. The last thing I thought was missing it. I wanted to make it. You know, you’ve got so much
confidence if you start making big putts because you know you just need to hit the greens and you’ve got yourself a good opportunity for the birdies. My iron play has been really good. Q: You have still never won in the States despite the Open Championship victory. How important is it to you to kind of check that off your resumé? LO: Yeah, it will be nice to get it done. I’ve put myself in great spots this year, had a good chance at Houston, had a good chance at Augusta, a few other tournaments, WGC earlier. Obviously the Deutsche Bank was the chance, with a three shot lead going into the final round. But Never mind, I played well it was a good week. I played well. Didn’t start well on the final round, which made the back nine really tough. But all in all, I’m very happy with the week. There’s two more big events left, and I’m very happy with the way I’m hitting the ball going into those tournaments. I’m just going to keep on doing what I’m doing. The more I’m in the position on the back nine on Sunday, or in this case on a Monday, then it’s going to happen sooner or later. I’m just going to keep on plodding on. Well good luck with the rest of the season Louis and we are sure you will get that US victory.
NEW CAR REVIEW
Ferrari F12 Berlinetta
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Despite smaller dimensions than the 599, there’s identical amounts of interior space, and the low seating position is spot on. There’s even a 350-litre boot which can be expanded to 500litres if you remove the rear divider – the same as a VW Golf Estate, so great news, forget the school run, the important news is you can get your clubs and even a trolley into this beast! Ferrari claims 20 per cent of F12 customers will use their cars everyday, so its on-road behaviour is just as important as on the limit. What makes the F12 so remarkable is that instead of biting your head off at any opportunity, it makes 730bhp feel entirely manageable, even at low speeds. Around 80 per cent of the maximum torque is available at just 2,500rpm, and when you combine than with a phenomenally smooth twin-clutch gearbox, impressive refinement and an acceptable ride in the softer of two damper settings, you get a car that’s enthralling to drive whether you’re breaking lap records or cruising to the shops.
KEY SPECS
The F12 Berlinetta is the quickest and most powerful road-going Ferrari ever. But this isn’t a wide-bodied, carbon-fibre clad hyper-car, it’s a front-engined GT that needs to be both refined on the motorway and ballistic on the track. Well firstly lets start with the looks. The F12 is breathtaking. There is no other word that can explain it. The curves, the aggressive front, the old school 5 spoke alloys......Sorry let me come back to earth here! It does not really come as a surprise that Ferrari’s look good. However what is under the bonnet of this GT is where the Ferrari truly comes alive. The 6.3-litre V12 engine offers a whopping 730bhp and 690Nm of torque. The 0-62mph sprint takes 3.1 seconds, 0-124mph takes 8.5 seconds and the top speed is 211mph. With the right driver behind the wheel it can lap the Fiorano test track in 1 min 23 seconds too – faster than any Ferrari that’s gone before, including the Enzo.
Price: £239,736 Top Speed: 211 mph 0-62 mph: 3.1 Seconds Engine: 6.3 litre V12 Power: 730bhp Economy: 18.1mpg On Sale: Spring 2013
ived Hanse rece hitect Gil Course Arc
a public b
ashing
TWITTER TALK
tic Manor son slates Cel James Morri www.clubhousegolfmagazine.com
A contrite Luke Donald apologised on Sunday for slamming golf course architect Gil Hanse in a Twitter posting that he thought was private. England’s Donald had bogeyed the par-five 18th hole at the TPC Boston on Saturday, a hole that Hanse had reconfigured with a smaller green featuring steep slopes away from the playing surface. Donald said he thought he was sending a direct message Saturday night to Hanse via the social networking site, but instead the public tweet started with Donald’s cellphone number and then said, “Gil Hanse is a (expletive). Haha.” Donald quickly deleted both tweets and apologised to Hanse and anyone else who might have been offended.
Luke has admitted that he may need to take a ‘hiatus’ from Twitter after this mishap ‘I may need to change my phone number now after this, but its what I deserve’. Luke Donald is not the first Tour golfer that has publicly bashed a course on Twitter, Englishman James Morrison tweeted ‘Thanks Celtic Manor. Dump! One more round then cant get over that bridge quick enough’ after his eight over round during the Wales Open. An embarrassed Morrison later appologised for his tweet to Celtic Manor owner Sir Terry Matthews and offered an apology to the Tour. Don’t forget to follow @ClubhouseMag for the latest news and competitions.
STOKE POGES, England - Stand on the seventh tee at Stoke Park golf course and you get the feeling you might be thousands of miles away. No. 7 is part of Stoke Park’s own “Amen Corner,” a fearsome foursome that can stack up with any similar stretch of holes in the world. First is the 422-yard fourth hole, a slight dogleg right, followed by a 525-yard sweeping dogleg left through a row of trees, and then comes the uphill 408-yard sixth hole. Only when you finish those challenges do you reach the treacherous seventh. “One trademark of Colt courses is strong par fours, and there are www.clubhousegolfmagazine.com
two of them right there,” Collier said. “The fourth hole is No. 1 on the stroke index, a difficult driving hole because it doglegs right and there is a big bunker there in the fairway. It’s also a tough second shot into a well-bunkered, two-tiered green that has some slope to it.” “On the fifth hole, you need to hit your tee shot around the corner to have a shot to reach the green in two but it’s a real risk/ reward second shot because of the bunkers in the fairway 100 yards short of the green - another trademark of Colt.” “The sixth hole plays longer than the yardage because it is steep going up to the green. Club golfers
sometimes have to just take their medicine and lay up short of the bunkers that are 40 or 50 short of the green. You don’t want to go over the green and have to chip down because your ball will roll right off the front of the green. You can’t stop it.” “We think it’s a good golf course all the way round, but the front nine is a real test.” There are other reminders of Augusta at Stoke Park, especially when the azaleas and rhododendrons are in bloom, most notably on the picturesque 156-yard 11th hole where the tee shot through a grove of trees must carry a lake. Moviegoers might recognize Stoke Park from the golf scenes
STOKE
PARK
Visit Englands ‘Augusta’ Golf Course and Hotel from just £99 for a Stay and Play Package.
At a Glance Distance: 6751 yards Par: 71 Designer: Harry Colt Opened: 1909 Stoke Poges Buckinghamshire Great Britain SL2 4PG www.stokepark.com Tel: 01753 717717
James Bond movie, “Goldfinger,” of the distinctive white domed clubhouse. Bond, played by Sean Connery, was driving his soupedup Aston Martin, which was auctioned off in a charity event at Stoke Park a few years ago. Oddjob, Goldfinger’s caddie, threatens Bond by throwing his steel-lined bowler like a discus and knocking the head off a plaster statue. The statue is still there because the film’s producers created a duplicate for the beheading in the movie. Connery, an avid golfer, hit his own shots in the sequence. On the 17th hole, another one of those Colt par fours that plays 418 yards, Goldfinger loses his
ball in the rough but Oddjob drops another down his pants leg through a hole in his pocket to save his boss a two-stroke penalty. Bond gets even on the 18th hole, a demanding 407-yard par four into the wind, when he switches Goldfinger’s ball. After Goldfinger putts out to win the match, Bond calls him for playing the wrong ball because Goldfinger had said at the start they were playing “strict rules of golf.” They will treat you like a queen or king at the five-star Stoke Park Hotel, which in 1999 became a charter member of Leading Small Hotels of the World, and now offers 49 bedrooms filled with
priceless antiques and original paintings and prints. The signature Stoke Park Mansion, which was designed by James Wyatt and houses the hotel, clubhouse, restaurants and conference rooms, is said to have influenced the architects of the White House since the dome is similar and both edifices have an oval office. The Brassiere is a 1920s-style dining room that has a 2AA Rosette rating and the walls are adorned by original prints of vintage automobiles from the famed Monte Carlo rallies of the 1930s. Also, the Colt Bar has a distinct James Bond flavor. The course is set of three 9 hole layouts that each offer a different test of Golf. The most impressive fact in our mind regarding Stoke Park is the exceptional offers that are currently available. We were offered an incredible value package of a round of Golf, overnight accommodation and full English breakfast (this offer was based on two people sharing and can only be booked for accommodation on a Sunday).
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As I mentioned earlier the course is made up of three individual nine holes. When we visited Stoke Park the course was set playing The Colt and Alison courses (generally how the course is set for championship play) Not huge compared to modern standards measuring in at 6751 yards, this par 71 course truly is a test for even a scratch handicap golfer. Although not obviously tight, the well positioned bunkers, trees and placings of bushes will gobble up any wayward shots. The course standard scratch is 72 and you can certainly see why anything in and around your handicap buffer zone is no mean accomplishment. Aside from the previously mentioned ‘Amen Corner’ the rest of the course is no doddle. 8 of the 11 par 4’s measure over 400 yards and although not the longest par three’s on the course I guarantee any short sided approaches will almost certainly result in dropped shots. Our advice is if you cant fit in a trip to Augusta any time soon, certainly head to Stoke Park for the next best thing!
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FEATURE
Rory’s Record Breaking
USPGA Victory Irishman Rory Mcilroy smashes Jack Nicklaus’s Major victory margain and becomes the youngest USPGA Winner
Q: Before the USPGA, you told us that you would grade your season thus far as a B. If you could regrade now, what’s it going to be? RORY McILROY: A‑plus. (Grinning). Yeah, I think I heard Tiger say, you can have a good season, but to make a good season a great season, you need a Major Championship. Now I’ve had two great seasons in a row no matter what happens from here on in. Hopefully I can play some great golf from now until the end of the year and get myself ready for another great season next year, too. Q: Graeme Mcdowell had some words to say about the victory, basically saying that you’re a real superstar now, not just a little superstar. He also said that ten years ago there was another superstar that all young kids looked up to, and that being Tiger Woods, and he said that you are now that superstar that little kids will look up to and try to measure their game to. How do you see your role and your place in the game right now, now that you have two titles? RORY McILROY: Yeah, it’s a nice position to be in. I realize that every time my face is on TV or I’m playing in a tournament, that I am a role model for a lot of people and a lot of kids do look up to me. I try to do my best in
in that regard and put myself across as honestly and as modestly as possible, as well. It’s not‑‑ some can view it as a big responsibility, but I think if you just go about your life and live it normally and live it the way you always would, I think everything’s okay. But you know, it’s a huge honor to be put in that position to have an effect on so many people’s lives, is a nice feeling. Q: Was it your idea to wear the red shirt for the final round, and do you even think about the significance? RORY McILROY: I did. I thought if I was playing with him, I wouldn’t wear it. Obviously him, you know who him is. Yeah, it was in the script that Oakley sent me at the start of the week. If I was going to be paired with him today, I wasn’t going to wear red. I remember what happened to Luke Donald in 2006 at Medinah. I wasn’t playing with him and thought I would wear it. Might have to do it from now on; no wonder he wins so much. (Laughing). Q: Can you talk about the influence of Dave Stockton on your mental approach, and in what ways would you say you’re a better player than you were 14 months ago at Congressional? RORY McILROY: Yeah, anywhere Dave’s done well, I seem to do
to do well. He’s won at Congressional and obviously The Ryder Cup captain here. Anywhere he’s had success, I’ve had success, too, which has been pretty cool. You know, we had a chat in Akron and he just said to me, “You know, just go out and play with a smile on your face. Enjoy it. This is what you’ve always wanted to do since you were a little boy. There’s no point in getting frustrated out there or getting upset. Just go out and enjoy it.” That’s the attitude that I had for the last couple weeks, and it definitely helped. Q: There will be some inevitable comparisons to Tiger Woods both in the way that you won and the fact that you won your second major at such a young age. What do you make of those comparisons? RORY McILROY: I don’t know. I mean, I’ve won my second major at the same age as he had. But he went on that incredible run like 2000, 2001, 2002 and won so many. You know, I’d love to sit up here and tell you that I’m going to do the same thing, but I just don’t know. It’s been great to win my first major last year and to back that up with another one this year; I can’t ask for any more. I just want to keep working hard, keep practicing, and hopefully there’s a few more of these in my closet.
RORY McILROY Q: Pádraig Harrington said something which was interesting. He said the first major Rory won, there was a lot of pressure that came with that, and he thinks now that you’ve won two, it actually will be good for you because it will relieve some of that pressure and make you feel more comfortable. How do you feel going forward? RORY McILROY: I think I made it very clear that I wasn’t too happy with how I’ve performed in the majors since the U.S. Open. I didn’t really contend. And come in here Wednesday and just talked about giving myself a chance and to be honest, that’s all I wanted to do. I feel these days when I give myself a chance to win one of these big tournaments, I can draw on the memories of Augusta, of Congressional, and now of today, and know what I did out there and know what to do again. So you know, there’s a few emotions going through. There’s quite a bit of relief to get the second one out of the way. But you know, just so happy that I was able to play like this and win another major. Q: When you hear that you broke Jack Nicklaus’s record for margin of victory in the PGA Championship, is that a little overwhelming, to consider who Jack Nicklaus is? RORY McILROY: Yeah, it’s a nice record to have. I don’t know, I’m‑‑ yeah. It’s just great to be‑‑ you know, I don’t really care if I win by one or if I win by eight. I just want to win and I was able to do that today. Of course, it is nice to be able to have the luxury of knowing that www.clubhousegolfmagazine.com
you’re going to win with a few holes to go, but you don’t take anything for granted out there. But you know, it is; it’s nice to break a record like that, especially of Jack Nicklaus, who is the most successful player of all time so far. Yeah, it’s a nice achievement. Q: The USPGA victory has obviously taken you back to world No. 1. Can you reflect on that achievement as well, please? RORY McILROY: Yeah, it’s nice. To win my second major and get to world No. 1 all in the same day is very special. And you know, now I have had a little taste of it, and went back to‑‑ switched back and forth with Luke a couple of times, went back down to 3 and back up to 1 now. Yeah, it’s nice. It’s something that completely wasn’t on my mind during the tournament. I just wanted to go out and try and win this. But you know, it’s a great bonus on top of an already great day. Q: Going back to the sheer distance you put between yourself and second place (8 shots), did you at anytime know that Jack’s record was there to be beaten. RORY McILROY: Not really Well I mean I knew what his record was as people kept telling me - Its hard to explain. I guess I knew that it could be beaten but I honestly did not think about it once. As I said earlier to me it didn’t matter if I won by one shot or ten, its just great to get the win. Q: So the future, The Ryder Cup is almost here again, you had great success at The 2010 Ryder Cup, what was your greatest memory at Celtic Manor? RORY McILROY: It was all amaz-
ing to be honest. Its very difficult to have one memory that was better than others. Q: You said after the Ryder Cup and I quote ‘This has been the best week of my golfing life, by far. It’s been absolutely incredible. To share every moment with these guys up on stage, it’s just been fantastic. And you know, I’m still very, very young, and you know, I don’t want to miss a Ryder Cup for the next 20 years.’ Is that still your best week of golf or has the Majors outdone it? RORY McILROY: Thats a tough one. They are two completely different events and feelings. The Ryder Cup was amazing and the atmosphere was like nothing I have ever felt before. It is strange as well to be playing as part of a team. Golf can be a very lonely sport at times but playing in a team is great. Its strange on the fact that the guys who you are playing with are your friends but usually you are competing against them, its a completely different environment then during The Ryder Cup. Q: So what was better? RORY McILROY: I honestly don’t think I can answer it. They both were amazing and so unique. Q: Ok we wont ask again (laughter). You mentioned earlier about being a role model to younger players. Is there any advice you could give them? RORY McILROY: Just keep working at your game, persistence, dedication and practice really do pay off. Sometimes you will hate Golf but keep going. Above all though enjoy it! Thanks Rory , Congratulations again and the best of luck in the future and with the Ryder Cup!
USPGA CHAMPION
RORY
McILROY Amateur Highlights 2004: Member of Winning Junior Ryder Cup Team in Ohio, USA 2005: Became the youngest player ever to win The West of Ireland Championships and The Irish Close Championships 2005: Rory shot a 61 - Course record at Royal Portrush Golf Club 2006: Retained the Irish Close Championship 2006: Winner of the European Amateur Championship in Milan, Italy 2007: Rory topped the World Amateur Rankings 2007: Member of the GB and Ireland Walker Cup Team 2007: Won the Silver Medal at The Open, Carnoustie
Professional Victories 2007 - Turned Professional 2009 - Dubai Desert Masters 2010 - Quail Hollow Championships 2010 - Ryder Cup winning team 2011 - US Open 2011 - Hong Kong Open 2012 - The Honda Classic 2012 - The USPGA Championship 2012 - The Deutsche Bank Championship
Career Earnings To Date: $19,944,075
September 28th - 30th (Enough Said)
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EXTREME GOLF The brand-new golf course at the Legends Golf & Safari Resort in South Africa is an amazing stretch of 18 holes designed by 18 different topflight golfers, including Padraig Harrington, Colin Montgomerie, K.J. Choi, Retief Goosen, Justin Rose, Trevor Immelman and Vijay Singh. And I’m sure each one of those 18 holes is a perfect mini-masterpiece of challenge and reward. Along with, apparently, a lion or two along the way, if we’re to believe the brochures. But that’s nothing. Wait until you get to the bonus 19th hole. The course’s so-called “Xtreme 19th” hole is a par 3 -- a par 3 whose tee is atop a cliff on Hanglip Mountain, more than 1,400 feet above a green carved like the continent of Africa. You’ve got to www.clubhousegolfmagazine.com
take a helicopter to get to the tee box, and from there it’s more than 630 yards to the pin. Once you tee off, it takes nearly 30 seconds for the ball to hit the ground. Should you manage to drill a hole-in-one on the 19th, congratulations -- you’ve just won yourself a million bucks, and the right to call yourself the most Xtreme golfer on Earth! For tournaments held at the Legends, it will serve as the playoff hole. Playing all 19 holes runs about 2,000 South African rand, or about £180 in Pound Sterling, but for that you get the helicopter ride, plus a bunch of souvenir swag and a DVD of your shot. Just don’t forget your shovel to repair your crater...I mean pitch-mark!
W
NE
PING G20 PINK DRIVER
Anyone fancy standing out from the crowd? It was only going to be a matter of time before the guys at Ping would release Bubba’s Pink Driver. Well now it has arrived. For a rrp of £329 you to can look like the big hitting yank by slipping one of these limited edition Pink drivers into your
bag. A limited edition number of 5000 of these drivers are to be produced. Its not all to look like the great man, but as Bubba originally used a pink driver to support charity, Ping will donate $50 per driver to the charity ‘Bubba and Friends drive to a million’. So could you get away with the line
‘I am only playing with this club to help charity’? Probably not! In our opinion although a nice touch that I am sure will sell very quickly, unless you can hit the ball as well as Bubba, you will attract a lot of un wanted attention when pulling this from your bag on the first tee.
GARMIN APPROACH S3 GPS WATCH The glove friendly touchscreen allows you to change between measurements and your score quickly and easily. As well as the yardages to the front, middle and back of the green the Approach S3 now gives you exact measurements to hazards, dog leg corners or lay-up areas so you always play the right shot. The Green View display shows you the shape of the green which also allows you to move the pin to the position for a more accurate yardage reading. RRP: £279 www.garmin.com www.clubhousegolfmagazine.com
GORILLA IPHONE TRIPOD
The innovative Gorilla tripod is the perfect tool for using your IPhone with any teaching apps that require filming your golf swing. This funky little tripod can bend to attach to any golf bag, tree, ball washer on anything else you feel will give you the perfect angle to film yourself in action. The Gorilla tripod also comes complete with a weather proof protective case in order to keep your IPhone safe and dry when filming. Although not the tallest tripod on the market, the availability to attach this tripod to any surface by bending the legs to act as a claw make this easily portable tripod small enough to fit into your golf bag and still will give you the perfect result when filming. RRP: ÂŁ29 www.gorillamobile.com
FOR SALE ASTON MARTIN DB9 PADDLESHIFT Style, Sophistication and Power all rolled into one. The Aston Martin DB9 is the ultimate icon of the modern gentleman. Costing just a whisker under £130,000 when new this exact Aston Martin DB9 could be yours for just £69,995. A whopping saving of £60,000, or to put it another way, 46% of the initial price. This vehicle has a total mileage reading of just 3751 miles. Its almost new! Now owning a car of this stature you do expect to be hit hard in depreciation, however I’m sure the original owner of this car did not expect the depreciation alone to set him back £15.99 per mile! The DB9 is an iconic piece of motoring engineering and demands respect and authority from onlookers. A fantastic car for an affordable price makes this Aston Martin a very sound investment. This car and other top marque vehicles are available now at
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Scan the barcode with your smartphone for more information www.clubhousegolfmagazine.com
IN
JOSE
WE TRUST
Can ‘Ollie’ successfully defend the Ryder Cup and will the wild card picks of Ian Poulter and Nicolas Colsaerts prove pivotal in Medinah. We chat with The European Team Captain Jose Maria Olazabal www.clubhousegolfmagazine.com
INTERVIEW FEATURE
The Winning 2010 European Team Celtic Manor, you didn’t need to motivate him. He Q. Taking one player at a time can you pretty much, you know, got -please explain exactly what led you to choose them? just by looking at his eyes that he would give everything that he had during that week. So that’s JOSÉ MARIA OLAZÁBAL: Well, I think Ian. every one of you pretty much guessed that Ian was And Nicolas, obviously he’s a rookie. If you look at going to be there. That was a pretty good guess, the team, he’s going to be the not a difficult one, for obvious only rookie on the team. We do reasons. ‘It’s never an easy decision. He’s had a great Ryder Cup Obviously you have a few more have an experienced team. His match-play record record. He was playing well, he players in that mix every time. is very good. He finished runhad some issues early in the ner-up last year at The World season. He got ill and he couldn’t But it’s true that I talked to, Match Play. He won this year at play as much as he could, but his especially to the vice captains attitude and his spirit in The quite a bit regarding the picks.’ The World Match Play. He’s had a very solid season, and Ryder Cup team has always been on top of that, he’s made the exgreat. He’s one of those players that likes to be in that situation. I think he gets the tra effort trying to make the team. He really showed me that he wants to be a part of that team. Those are best out of him playing the reasons for me to pick him. The Ryder Cup. The two times I had the opportunity to share a few moments with him at Valhalla and Q. Can you give us an insight into your www.clubhousegolfmagazine.com
INTERVIEW
decision-making process? Did you consult players already on the team as well as your vice captains and was it an easy or difficult decision? JOSÉ MARIA OLAZÁBAL: It’s never an easy decision. Obviously you have a few more players in that mix every time. But it’s true that I talked to -- especially to the vice captains quite a bit regarding the picks. You know, we studied the different possibilities. Yeah, we had a few discussions regarding that, and actually, the last time we talked was on Friday this week. Q. Of those in the mix, who have you managed to speak to, and how did they react to the news, both good and bad? JOSÉ MARIA OLAZÁBAL: Well, obviously it’s not an easy moment. They are all disappointed. I know that they really wanted to be on the team. And I went down, I talked to the next four, five guys on that list. I talked to David, I talked to
Rafa, to Gonzalo, to Alvaro, to Pádraig. I talked to -- I made those phone calls. It’s not easy. I mean, obviously I’ve been in that equation, and somehow when you’re not picked, obviously you don’t want that news. But they took it well, and that’s the way it is. Q. At what point did you actually finally make up your mind? Obviously Nicolas had that opportunity to play his way into the team, but when was your mind finally made up? JOSÉ MARIA OLAZÁBAL: Well, it was made up obviously after Gleneagles because Nicolas still had a chance to change things around. If he had finished top two, I had to wait until the very last minute and the decision was made in the night. Q. And the fact that he’s such a big hitter, Nicolas Colsaerts, a huge asset for you at Medinah having been there and having had a look at the course? JOSÉ MARIA OLAZÁBAL: I have to say that Medinah Country Club the course No. 3 is a long course. They built two or three new tees. They changed 15. They made 15 a reachable par 4. Length can be a factor, but obviously at the end of the day, we have all known that, you know, the most important thing is how many putts you make. That is also very important. But obviously I think his game is suited for that golf course. It depends how the golf course will be set up regarding rough. It’s a tree-lined course. But as I said, it’s been a long course and I think he can take advantage of that. Q. And we know Martin Kaymer has not been in the best of form. He was saying to us yesterday that he is working very, very hard on his game. If there comes a point where he feels he’s not making sufficient progress, would you have somebody on stand by in that eventuality? JOSÉ MARIA OLAZÁBAL: Well, regarding that question, I talked to Martin. We had a little chat on the phone. He’s been working really hard the last two weeks after the PGA. He’s very happy with the work he put in the last two weeks. He’s happy with the results that he’s seen on the driving range, and his schedule, actually he’s going to play Holland and Italy, and we are going to have, you know, a pretty good idea on how his game is. But don’t get wrong -- don’t be mistaken. He wants to be a part of that team. He’s determined to give his best. He made that point very clear to me and in that regard, I don’t think I’m going to have any issues with Martin.
Q. Not many captains choose rookies; more comfortable around that speed. We know do you think there’s a gamble in it? that in the U.S., they prefer the firm and fast JOSÉ MARIA OLAZÁBAL: Well, if you greens, and most probably that’s what we are look at my team, as I said before, you know, we do going to find out we are going to have over there. have a huge amount of experience on that team. Those little things obviously help. And the Out of the 12 players, 11 have played Ryder Cup. crowds, the support of the crowds are massive. They have proven they can handle that pressure. We saw that in Ireland. We saw that in Wales. It’s They have the experience. We do have a very huge. So you know, the only thing is that we solid team in that regard. I don’t think it’s a have to be prepared. That’s part of my job. You gamble. know, the players know that the atmosphere is I think when you look at the next guys on going to be electrifying. So I need to prepare them line, the next guy with The Ryder Cup experience for that; tell them that they cannot allow themselves would have been Thomas Björn. You know, I don’t to be, you know, bothered by that. think it’s going to be a gamble in that regard. I So they have to be really prepared for it. think the guy has shown a lot of heart, a lot of That’s part of my job, and luckily the guys have the character. And obviously we know that The Ryder experience, and that should make things a little bit Cup atmosphere is very different to any regular easier for me. event, even major events; but I think he’s got the Q: At what point now do you start to game, and to be honest, the desire and the decide on your pairings or do you start to determination of being there has been huge. consider that? Is that starting now? Q. Based on experience, do you think JOSÉ MARIA OLAZÁBAL: No, there’s still your team will go into the match now as two, three, four weeks ahead of us. Most of the favourites? players will have to play a few events before the JOSÉ MARIA OLAZÁBAL: I’ve always Ryder Cup, and during that week, I’m going to said that I don’t see any favourites in this Ryder have all my vice captains following the players, Cup. Both teams are playing very strong. If you following the groups, trying to get as much look at what happened yesterday, you look at what information. And it will depend on how the players Nick Watney did yesterday, I think Davis has a new are playing, how they are feeling. You know, the contender in that possible pick. information that we gather from them from their The U.S. Team is always strong. They caddies, and that -- once we get that information, have played great. They won the Masters this we will be prepared to make some pairings. year. They won the U.S. Open. They won a Q. When did you contact Harrington, bunch of tournaments. You have, you know, three and what reasons did you give him for his rookies in that team so far that they play non-selection? extraordinary well. In that regard, both teams are JOSÉ MARIA OLAZÁBAL: Well, I talked strong. I don’t see any favourites at all. We are to him last night, and I was very straight to the going to have to play really well. We are playing point. I know he tried hard. He played well at the away. They are going to have the crowd Masters; he finished eighth. He had a good U.S. advantage. They are going to set up the course to Open and then the following week he had a great their liking, but the end of the day, Irish Open. But you know, he was I’ve always we are going to 19th on the list. have to play really very, very well He was just a little bit down the list. said that I don’t and hard if we want to have a chance I know he’s a great player. I would see any favourites to win. have loved to have him on the team Q. You were vice captain at the last the same way I would have loved to in this Ryder Cup. two, as well as your playing expehave Paul Casey, Robert Karlsson, Both teams are very Henrik Stenson. Those are great rience, can you say from those last two, how much does crowd support strong. players. But you need to be playing and home advantage count for? good, simple JOSÉ MARIA OLAZÁBAL: Well, there is -as that. I think he took it well, and that was it. little things help. Obviously when the Ryder Cup is You mentioned the role of the crowd. played here in Europe, by instance, the speed of Q. How important is it that you have the greens are not all that fast. We like to have them your team members winning, Rory winning the between ten, ten and a half, because we feel PGA and Sergio winning in the States and Paul www.clubhousegolfmagazine.com
INTERVIEW Lawrie winning; how important is that going into it? JOSÉ MARIA OLAZÁBAL: Well, it is important in the way that that builds confidence, and that is crucial. But at the end of the day, it’s how they play during that week. We are going to be facing a big opponent. Anything can happen. You know, they will have to play great. But obviously it’s important to see Rory winning, Paul winning, Sergio winning. It’s always nice, obviously. It helps to boost the confidence of the players, and what you need within the team is confident players. I think that helps. Q. You mentioned one of your reasons for picking Nicolas Colsaerts was he made that extra effort to make the team; without naming names, were you surprised that other players didn’t make that extra effort? JOSÉ MARIA OLAZÁBAL: I’ve always said that it was a personal decision. I didn’t push the issue with Sergio. Sergio changed his schedule to play Wyndham knowing that he had to do something special; he did that. I’m not surprised. I mean, it’s been a long season. Obviously I believe that the players have done the best in their possibilities to make that team, and that’s it. I mean, sometimes you have to miss a tournament here or there, but that’s part of life.
TEAM EUROPE Jose Maria Olazabal (Captain) Spain
Luke Donald
Lee Westwood
England
England
Rory Mcilroy Graeme McDowell N. Ireland
N. Ireland
Peter Hanson Paul Lawrie Sweden
Scotland
Sergio Garcia Martin Kaymer Spain
Germany
Justin Rose
Francesco Molinari
England
Italy
Ian Poulter
Nicolas Colsaerts
England
Belgium
10
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OnTheTee
Clubhouse Golf Magazine’s Local Golf Days
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OnTheTee
Clubhouse Golf Magazine’s Local Golf Days John O’Toole (RMS)
Memorial Cup Llanwern Golf Club
Friday 29th June 2012
In aid of Bowel Cancer research, the John O Toole Memorial Cup was hosted by RMS. A packed day of great golf (well by a few people anyway) saw over £5000 being raised for the charity.
Photography: Rob Escott
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OnTheTee
Clubhouse Golf Magazine’s Local Golf Days
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OnTheTee
Clubhouse Golf Magazine’s Local Golf Days Annual Golf Day
Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust Whitchurch Golf Club Friday 9th August 2012
The Trust was set up in 1972 as an organisation with a range of education, social and sporting objectives. The main aim of the charity however has always been to support those players and their families who have been severely injured whilst playing rugby football in Wales. The Golf day was a huge success and raised in excess of ÂŁ2000 for the charity. For more information regarding the great work the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust has to offer please visit www.wrct.org.uk
Photography: John Pike / Kris Agland
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LOCAL
Photography: Kris Agland (left to right) Cian Pritchard (Reardon Smith Champion), Nick Bird (Mens Champion), Georgia Lewis (Ladies Champion)
Local Champions The phrase ‘the Juniors are the future of the Club’ could certainly not be more true than what Llanishen Golf Club is currently experiencing. The Mens Champion, Nick Bird is a product of Junior Golf at Llanishen, now aged 25 Nick lifted the men’s Championship Trophy by defeating Jonathon Knight 4and3 (Jonathon is currently the Green Keeper at Llanishen who also has scaled the Junior ranks at Llanishen and is a previous Club Champion) Nick Bird is not the first ‘Bird’ to get his hands on the Trophy, 2010 saw younger brother ‘Diggy Bird’ claim the title. Nick Bird, Currently playing off a handicap of 3 started playing as a Junior at Llanishen Golf Club. Several Junior Championships, Team medals and course records have previously been captured by Nick Bird, but 2012 saw the maiden victory of The Men’s Club Championship. Finals day also saw the Final of the Ladies Club Championship. This was won by Georgia Lewis. Georgia, a now three time winner of the Ladies Championship currently is a 4 handicapper but is only 15 years old! Georgia has gained County and International honors and currently is the British Girls Champion. www.clubhousegolfmagazine.com
Llanishen Golf Club Georgia defended her Ladies Club Championship Title again this year. I think the name Georgia Lewis will be re etched into this trophy many more times in the upcoming years. The Reardon Smith Championship is open to all members with handicaps of 10 and higher. The initial 16 players qualify during the same time as the scratch Championship with the top 16 in the handicap range competing in a knock out format. The Winner of this was yet again another junior, Cian Pritchard. Cian now currently playing off 9 qualified for the Reardon Smith with a handicap of 11. This shows the level of progression made by this 16 year old Llanishen Golf Club Junior. Cian defeated Ian Corfield(handicap 10) 5 and 4. If this is not a perfect example of what development Junior Golf has for the future of any Golf Club then I am not sure what is!
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Charity Golf Day St. Pierre Golf and Country Club, Chepstow
Thurs 27th Sept 2012
ÂŁ295 for a full day of golf for four people, or ÂŁ147.50 for two people
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Just one of many protected sunken greens
LOCAL
COURSE REVIEW Pyle and Kenfig Kenfig, Bridgend
The Golf Course of two halves! Pyle and Kenfig Golf Club, or P and K as it’s often referred to is in my opinion one of the greatest Golf Courses in Wales. Although often overshadowed by its regal neighbour, Royal Porthcawl, P and K offers golfers of all handicaps a very honest and tough test of their game, yet still maintaining a very high level of enjoyment. The course is unique as of any other links courses, the course is made up of two separate 9 hole loops. If you are hoping to compile a good score around this golf course, the front nine is where you will stand the best chance. Although far from easy, the front nine offers a few ‘birdy holes’ that need to be taken. The back nine however is far from easy! As this course has the added bonus of hugging the South Wales coastline, the wind certainly comes into play. On a windy day this course can see you dropping up to 5 clubs than that of a calm and still day. But isn’t that the fun of links golf? The course lies nestled within sand dunes that have sculpted this course into a natural but perfect layout. There are many holes that offer the wow factor, but in my opinion the Par 5 11th tops the lot! Although not the hardest hole, this is the first point that you see what lies ahead of you. Sand dunes as far as the eye can see. A reachable par 5 (requires two very good shots however) will lure you into a false sense of confidence when trying to give yourself that eagle putt. Gauze bushes, bunkers and lots of wind make this uphill, fairway wood approach shot a treturous one. Get it wrong and you could be staring down the barrel of a double bogey or worse! Green fees are very reasonable for a course of this quality and due to the natural drainage here, the course is in perfect playing order all year round. Head down to P and K and see what all the fuss is about for yourself. You will not be disappointed! www.pandkgolfclub.co.uk
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