GOLF NEWS JULY 2019

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ISSUE 283 |

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INTERVIEWS Francesco Molinari Henrik Stenson Xander Schauffele Shane Lowry Rafael Nadal Tony Jacklin Denis Pugh

The Open Issue YOUR GUIDE TO 2019’S FINAL MAJOR COMPLIMENTARY COPY Est 1994

TRAVEL South West Ireland Me & My Travels with Matthew Hoggard

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JULY 2019 | NEWS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

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EDITOR'S LETTER

NICK BAYLY

■ MAJOR PLAYER: BROOKS KOEPKA SEEMS TO SAVE HIS BEST FOR THE TOP EVENTS

ON THE BRINK OF GREATNESS Now that we’re already three-quarters of th way through the Major season by mid-June, it seems like the 2019 golf season is rushing by with indecent haste.

Switching the PGA Championship to mid-May seemed like a good idea at the time, but I’m already feeling slightly sad that it’ll all be over as far as the Majors are concerned for another eight months when the final putt drops at Royal Portrush on July 21. That gives us a whole lot of time to consider our navels before the opening tee shot of the Masters on April 9 next year.

Thankfully there’s more to life than the Majors – although try telling that to Brooks Koepka, winner of four of the last nine, who seems to find a seventh gear when one of the big ones is on the line. The man is a Major-winning machine, and were it not for the gutsy performance of Gary Woodland at Pebble Beach last month, we’d be talking about only the second man to win three US Opens on the bounce.

With only two regular PGA Tour wins to his name – most recently in October last year, when he beat Woodland to land the CJ Cup – Koepka is clearly a man who saves his best for the big occasions. And, in a sport that regards Major titles as the true benchmark of success – please don’t tell Monty – ‘BK’ is en route to becoming one of the game’s true greats.

Having said that, no-one can come close to claiming that exalted status unless they have a Claret Jug gleaming in their trophy cabinet, so Mr Koepka has got to bring his ‘A Game’ to Royal Portrush this month – I’m not sure he has a B Game – if he wants to complete the

third leg of a career major slam before he turns 30.

The omens, such as they are, look pretty good for the world No.1, as having finished 10th at the Open in 2015 and sixth in 2017, on that current trajectory he should be somewhere close to the top of the leaderboard come Sunday in Northern Ireland. Koepka also has the added benefit of having a caddy, Rickie Elliott, who was born and bred in Portrush, and pretty much knows every blade of grass on the Dunluce Links. The stars are in alignment, it seems.

While there’s many a slip twixt cup and lip, one thing that Koepka can be assured of at this year’s Open is that he’ll be playing in front of a sell-out crowd – the first in Open history. All four days of the championship were snapped up within weeks of tickets going on sale, and most of those for the practice days, so if you haven’t already managed to get your mitts on one by now, you’ll have to resort to one of the secondary sales markets – where tickets are currently trading at over £350 each.

It’s a great sign that there is so much pent up demand to watch the game’s top golfers in action first hand, and if only a small part of those that attend can take their enthusiasm back to their clubs, and to their wider communities, the game would be in a much healthier state at grass roots levels than it is right now. As golfers, we owe it to the game we love to spread the word about the physical, mental and social benefits of hitting a white ball around a big field. So if you do nothing else this month, why not invite a friend or neighbour who hasn’t played in a while to dust off their clubs and give it another go. It might be the start of something far greater. A major victory? Perhaps not.

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InBrief SUGRUE WINS AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP ★ Ireland’s James Sugrue won the 124th Amateur Championship after beating Scotland’s Euan Walker in the final held at Portmarnock Links, Dublin.

Sugrue, 22, from Mallow in County Cork, was five up after nine holes, but was pulled back to all-square before clinching a one-hole win on the final green.

By virtue of his triumph, Sugrue gained exemptions into next month’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush, the 2020 US Open at Winged Foot and will be invited to play in the 2020 Masters Tournament.

NESSLING NABS MID-KENT PRO-AM ★ Paul Nessling (Cooden Beach) returned from a recent injury to shoot a two-under-par 68 to take home the £1,000 top prize at the Mid Kent Pro-Am. The Cooden Beach pro offset a pair of early bogeys with four birdies to finish a shot ahead of Mark James (Pyecombe) and the unattached Ben Talbot, who dropped a shot at the last.

In the team event, Mid Kent's Ashley Morrisson made three club members very happy by leading them to victory with a 13 under par score, edging both Talbot’s and Nessling’s teams into second and third spots respectively.

WESTON’S BEST AT LEEDS CASTLE ★ Sittingbourne & Milton Regis pro Chris Weston, partnered by amateur Megan Caulkett, shot a three-under-par 31 for nine holes to win the Leeds Castle Pro-Am. The pair pipped London Golf Club’s Paul Stuart and his father on a countback into second spot. Hard on their heels on two under par were pairings led by Canterbury’s Milo King and Tonbridge’s James Jones. In a change to the usual four player team format, each PGA Professional partnered one amateur and competed in a betterball pairs stroke play format, recording the best nett score at each hole. In the individual pro event, Knole Park’s Andrew Butterfield, Canterbury’s Milo King and St Augustine’s David Ledingham all shot 33s to split the winner’s pot.

DUO HIT ROUTE 66 TO SHARE KNOLE PARK SPOILS ★ Lee-on-the-Solent’s James Ablett tied for victory with Manston’s Max Brackley in the Knole Park Pro-Am, shooting a pair of 66s. With seven wins already under his belt this season, Ablett went out in three under and look like a runaway winner, but his progress was halted by bogeys at 11 and 12, before three more birdies on his inward nine saw him finish four under the card.

Starting on 16, Brackley birdied 17 and 18 and stayed that way until dropping a shot at the eighth.

Bouncing back with an eagle, he made one more at 15 to secure his share of the win. In the team event, George Lings led his team to a onestroke victory over Alan Lovelace and his team.

Stars set to converge on Wentworth

■ THE BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP IS ONCE AGAIN EXPECTED TO PULL IN A BUMPER CROW D

for BMW PGA’s new autumn slot A strong cast list of Europe’s top talent will be teeing it up at Wentworth in September as one of the European Tour’s showpiece events, the BMW PGA Championship, continues to prove an attractive proposition for both players and fans alike.

After being moved from its traditional May date to make way in the schedule for the US PGA Championship, there were fears that the BMW PGA Championship,, would lose its standing among the global elite. However, it looks like this year’s renewal will be among the strongest turnout in recent memory.

With the Major season over, and no clash with the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Series, which finishes at the end of August, Europe’s top players have a window in their diaries for the European Tour’s third Roles Series event of the year, which takes place from September 19-22 and comes with an impressive €7m prize fund.

Among the headline acts set to tee it up on the West Course is Justin Rose, knows the prestigious championship better than most, having lived just half an hour from Wentworth during his junior days.

Currently ranked no.3 in the world, Rose is a big fan of the tournament’s switch to the new autumn date, which, he says, could produce even better playing conditions.

“Now the BMW PGA Championship is a bit later in the year, we’ve got the whole summer to get the course playing potentially firm and fast if we get another baked out summer,” said Rose, who already has two Rolex Series wins to his name after defending his Turkish Airlines Open title last year. “If not, we have another whole growing season, so I think the course is going to be perfect.”

He added: “I’ve always been a fan of autumn weather if we catch a cold snap – ‘sweater weather’ I call it. I love playing golf in a jumper, so I’m excited.

You’ve also got the Major championship season out the way, then you’ve got another big run of golf on the European Tour. You can really turn your attention to the Race to Dubai, either protecting a lead you’ve built up in the Majors and WGCs or playing catch up, and the BMW PGA Championship gives you a great opportunity to do that. You want a top field and all the guys vying for the Race to Dubai will be there and giving it their all to win what is such a prestigious event for the European Tour.”

Rose has twice been runner-up in the event, in 2007 and 2012, and the 38 year old is determined to add the BMW PGA Championship title to his increasingly

impressive list of accomplishments in the game, which includes an MBE following his Olympic gold medal.

“The BMW PGA is my home event,” he said.

“That’s the way it feels and I was gutted to miss it last year. It’s the tournament I have so many memories of watching as a young kid. I used to come out and be inspired by watching Seve or José María and rush back to North Hants in the evening to practice my short game. I have a debt to the tournament for inspiring me.”

Rose will be joined at the Surrey venue by almost the entire 2018 European Ryder Cup team, including defending BMW PGA champion Francesco Molinari, who will be bidding to become the first player to retain the trophy since Luke Donald in 2011-12.

Molinari, who finished two shots clear of Rory McIlroy last May to win the Championship, went on to win The Open at Carnoustie in July and the European Tour’s Race to Dubai

For tickets to watch the BMW PGA Championship, visit www.eventbrite.co.uk.

Hall and Brown receive

Queen’s birthday honours Reigning Women’s British Open champion Georgia Hall and former Ryder Cup player Ken Brown both received MBEs in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in recognition of their contributions to golf.

Hall was one of 15 women to be recognised amongst 37 sporting honours handed out and took to social media to share her delight at the award.

“I am unbelievably honoured to be receiving an MBE,” she wrote on her Instagram account.

“It has been so hard for me to keep this amazing news a secret from everyone, so I am really happy to be able to talk about it now. It’s a huge boost for my confidence ahead of a busy summer of tournaments and I think it’s so awesome for women’s golf to be recognised in this way. Sixteen

in November, while he also became the first European to claim five points out of five in a Ryder Cup as Europe defeated the United States in Parisl.

The 36 year old, who lives in London, has an impressive record at Wentworth, having previously finished runner up in 2017 – one of six top-ten finishes he has recorded over the famous West Course since 2012. He admits it was a special feeling to finally land the prestigious title after being in contention so many times.

“I have some great memories of the BMW PGA Championship,” said Molinari. “Every year the tournament is very special, particularly for me as an adopted Londoner, but last year was even more special. I showed up in good form, and each day I got better and better until the climax on the Sunday, when I played with Rory and managed to hold him off over the last few holes and get the win. It felt like a sense of closure to finally get that trophy after so many near misses.”

In addition to the popular Wednesday Pro-Am, which once again will be loaded with celebrity players drawn from the worlds of screen and sport, there will be plenty of off-course entertainment for fans to enjoy, including a Saturday evening set from Rudimental on the show stage in the tented village, while pop sensation Anne-Marie will be rocking the Wentworth crowds after the day’s play on Sunday.

years ago, I picked up a club and fell in love with the game and just loved hitting the ball again and again. I must say that still hasn’t changed!”

Hall becomes the fifth British female golfer to be recognised for services to golf by the Queen, following Dame Laura Davies, Alison Nicholas MBE, Catriona Matthew MBE and Dale Reid OBE. Brown, 62, who played in five Ryder Cups between 1977-87, and won six times during a 16year career on the European Tour, before turning his talents to TV and radio broadcasting, also expressed his delight at his award. Writing on his Twitter feed, Brown posted: “What a big surprise, and an amazing honour, to receive the MBE in the Birthday Honours. Massive thank you for all your messages and everyone’s kindness over the years.”

NEWS | JULY 2019 GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

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JULY 2019 | NEWS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

London Golf Club celebrates 25 years of silver service London Golf Club is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and the famous Kent venue will be marking the occasion with a Members & Guests 25th Anniversary Cup. The club officially opened in July 1994, with the Charity Challenge Skins Match played on the Heritage Course. Jack Nicklaus – the course designer – battled with Seve Ballesteros and Tony Jacklin, but in the end Seve’s magical short game helped him win. Since then both golf courses have hosted many professional events.

The Jack Nicklaus Signature Heritage course hosted the 2008 and 2009 European Open, while the International courses staged the 2014 Volvo World Matchplay Championship and the 2018 Staysure PGA Seniors Championship, which returns to the club once again in August.

“I want to congratulate the club for the 25 years.

We’re very proud to be part of it and wish the team a continued success,” said Jack Nicklaus.

As the only Joint Venture Partner Golf Club of the European Tour, and a part of the prestigious European Tour Destinations, IMG Prestige and Pacific Links networks, London Golf Club provides an oasis of golfing tranquillity in 700 acres of idyllic Kent countryside, just 20 miles from London.

Stephen Follet, the London Golf Club’s chief executive, said: “The whole London Golf Club team is extremely happy to celebrate these 25 years of history. It’s an important mark for the venue and we’re looking forward to seeing members & guests celebrating with us on the 25th Anniversary Cup. The club had the pleasure of hosting major European Tour events over the past few years and it’s fantastic to be able to host the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship once again, in such a special year for us.”

Tickets are now available for the 2019 Staysure PGA Seniors Championship, which is being held at London Golf Club from August 1-4.

■ LENNOX SHIELD WINNER LIONEL HICKEY WITH MARK FRAMPTON AND TIM DAVIDSON

■ GORDON CUP WINNERS, THE CUMBACKS, WITH GOLF SPONSOR MARK FRAMPTON OF PRIVATE FINANCE AND MACMILLAN COMMITTEE MEMBER TIM DAVIDSON

Cowdray rallies to Macmillan cause Cowdray Park Golf Club’s annual golf day on behalf of the Macmillan Chichester Volunteer Committee helped raise over £7,500 for the charity.

Played in glorious sunshine on July 3 at the Midhurst-based club, a total of 18 teams from around the area took to Cowdray’s superb parkland course to compete for team and individual honours.

Playing a Stableford format, with the best two scores counting, the winners of the Gordon Trophy was Derek Dady’s team, The Cumbacks, with an impressive 94 points, while the individual winner of the Lennox Sheild was Lionel Hickey with 41 points.

A well-supported auction and raffle helped bring the local committee’s fund raising for the last five years to over £250,000.

Tickets selling out fast for 2020 Open at St George’s

Hever unveils new Waterside Terrace Hever Castle Golf Club unveiled the latest in a line of new facilities last month, with the official opening of its new Waterside Bar, Restaurant & Terrace.

Peter Guthrie, one of the owners of the Kent-based club, planted an Acer tree to mark the opening of the new dining facility, which looks out onto a pond and fountain from a decked area that can accommodate 50 people, as well as soft seating for around 20.

Golfers and visitors will be able to enjoy a refreshing drink or a meal throughout the day while overlooking the stunning new outside area. There is also a new lawn area for outdoor games, as well as a competition-sized boule court, which is floodlit for evening play.

The Waterside restaurant compliments the new Wellbeing Centre, which opened at the club in April. Operated by Hever Health Ltd, the centre includes five treatment rooms offering osteopathy, physiotherapy, beauty and massage, as well as a range of yoga classes.

Tickets for next year’s Open Championship, which is being held at Royal St George’s Golf Club in Kent, have sold at the fastest rate in the history of the championship, surpassing sales for this year’s tournament at Royal Portrush in just seven hours.

Tickets went on sale on July 1, with the R&A reporting unprecedented demand and the

highest selling day of advanced tickets since the Open began.

The 149th Open returns to Kent links from July 12-19, and tickets are currently on priority sale to members of The One Club and thousands of fans have moved quickly to avoid missing out following the sell-out at Royal Portrush.

Next summer will see The Open return to Kent for the first time since 2011, when Darren Clarke famously fulfilled his dream of lifting the iconic Claret Jug. Fans wishing to watch the action next year still have time to do so by visiting TheOpen.com, signing up to The One Club, and selecting the tickets they wish to buy.

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Prince’s unveils Open Week schedule

Bexhill honours

Home-grown hero Faulkner A plaque honouring one of the finest English professional golfers of the post-war era has been unveiled on the seafront at Bexhill in East Sussex.

The commemorative plaque, which recognises the achievements of Bexhill-born Open Championship winner Max Faulkner, has been re-erected on the corner of Sutton Place and De La Warr Parade and was unveiled on June 16.

Doug Oliver, leader of Rother District Council, said: “I’m delighted that we have been able to work with Bexhill Heritage to install the plaque, and what better time to do so than on Sussex Day. We have so many reasons to be proud of Bexhill and should celebrate the successes of residents past and present, and Max’s achievements are certainly worth recognising and remembering.”

Faulkner was born in Bexhill in 1916 and honed his golfing skills with the help of his dad Gus, himself a professional golfer who taught at the former Bexhill Golf Club.

After serving in the RAF during the Second World War, Max went on to win a number of tournaments, including the Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland 1951.

Known as ‘the Clown Prince of Golf’, thanks to his free and easy style of play and bright yellow outfits, Faulkner was honoured with an OBE for services to golf in 2001, fifty years after his Open triumph. He died in 2005 at the age of 88.

Simon Allen from Bexhill Heritage said: “We were pleased that Rother District Council was as keen as we were to commemorate Max’s incredible achievements. The chosen site has extensive golf links, and the timing couldn’t be better, as this year the Open Championship returns to Royal Portrush for the first time since Max’s win in 1951.”

Prince’s Golf Club in Kent has unveiled the schedule for its ever-popular Open Week.

The 2019 Open Week runs from August 5-10, and features competitive open competitions for men, ladies and pairs, across the full range of handicaps.

“The Open Week in August is a very important week for us,” said Rob McGuirk, Prince’s Golf Director. “It’s our chance to show serious golfers what a great course we have, and while there is stiff competition, the number of repeat visitors is testament to the great fun atmosphere we create during the week.”

The week tees off with a Pairs Texas Scramble on August 5 £55pp), before competitors are asked to take on all 27 holes at the Kent venue on the 6th (£55pp). The Mens and Ladies Stableford is scheduled for August 7 (£55pp), while that is followed by a Pairs Betterball competition on the 8th (£55pp). The Mixed Silver Salver

■ A PLAQUE HONOURING MAX FAUKLNER WAS UNVEILED AT BEXHILL SEAFRONT

Dinwiddie smashes Epsom record en route to Pro-Am success Challenge Tour player Robert Dinwiddie smashed the course record at Epsom Golf Club last month when shooting a seven-under-par 63 during the annual Pro-Am held at the Surrey club.

Scotland-born Dinwiddie, who lives in London and currently competes of the European Tour’s second tier tour, fired the impressive round despite dropping a shot on the 14th hole.

Needless to say he comfortably won the £800 professional’s prize, while the team event was won by old Epsom Golf Club juniors Elliot Wood, Harry Phillips and Alex Brister, with Jamie Debrou playing as their professional, with an superb T20under-par total.

The corporate prize was won by Simon Ray’s JR Hoarding team, who won a golf holiday to Spain courtesy of travel company CostalessGolf.com.

(Greensomes) is on Friday, August 9th, with the week rounded off with the 27-hole Mixed Shingle End fourball betterball on the 10th (£80 per pair). Each event includes coffee on arrival and a one or two-course meal. The cost to play in all six days of golf is £250.

With excellent accommodation offered at The Lodge at Prince’s, Open Week competitors have the option to stay on site, with 38 bedrooms available in a variety of different formats with either sea or course views. The Lodge, which has AA three-star status, also includes two luxury suites, The Links and The Bay, which offer king-sized beds, two bathrooms and private seating areas. A package for the whole of Open Week, to include six days’ golf and five nights’ accommodation (based on twin occupancy in a standard room) costs £450.

A booklet detailing all the open events is available to download at www.golfgenius. com/pages/1681956.

■ PRINCE'S OPEN WEEK OFFERS A WIDE MIX OF COMPETITIONS

Broadwater Park on course for landfill re-capping A Surrey golf club built on a former landfill site that was forced to close last year due to re-surfacing rubbish has been given a lifeline, after the county council agreed to fund the re-capping of the entire course.

Glass, metal, plastic and concrete has been emerging on the nine-hole course at Broadwater Park Golf Centre in Godalming in recent years, but the situation got so bad last year that the club was forced to close on December 31.

A planning application lodged by the club’s owner to re-cap eight hectares of land was recently accepted by landowners Waverley Borough Council, and work will soon begin on making it safe for golfers and local residents to use the land again.

It is estimated the works will involve 70 lorry trips a day to transport the 350,000 tonnes of material needed to recap the land. The entire project could take between 18 months and two years to complete.

Adrian Johnson, who has been running Broadwater Park since it opened three decades ago, first approached the council about the landfill problem five years ago. He said: “Over the years, we had lots of trees blown over and beneath that you can see a lot of rubbish. The land is very corrugated and it’s been going on for a while. It was never capped properly. In those days, they didn’t have the laws they have these days regarding capping of landfill.”

He added: “We closed the course on December 31 because it was too dangerous to play. The business still has to cover its overheads, but there has been no

■ BROADWATER PARK IS TO UNDERGO A MAJOR REDE SIGN BEFORE IT IS RECA PPED

membership or visitor money coming because the planning application has been going on for nearly five years, and people have gradually moved away.”

Along with the vast re-capping of the site, the club is using the enforced closure to carry out a wide range of improvements to its facilities, which will include the renovation of the course, the construction of a new driving range building, a new adventure golf facility, practice putting green, and additional car parking spaces.

Plans also include the erection of a two-metre fence around the entire course, which is designed to prevent members of the public walking onto the fairways during play, as well as a security measure to prevent vandalism, which has blighted the course in recent years.

Johnson added: “The proposed redevelopment means sustainability for the business. But first we’ve got to take everything away, cap the site, then put the new facilities on top. We look forward to seeing our loyal customers, and hopefully some new ones, return when we re-open.

The course is going to be much better, and much more interesting to play.”

NEWS | JULY 2019

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Dimmock claims first tour title Buckinghamshire’s Annabel Dimmock held off French amateur Pauline Roussin Bouchard to win her first Ladies European Tour title by one shot at the Jabra Ladies Open.

Dimmock, who is a member at Wentworth, started the final round at the Evian Resort one shot behind 18-year-old Bouchard, who was playing at her home club, but birdied four of her first seven holes to gain the advantage, and, despite the lead changing hands several times on the back nine, Dimmock closed out a one-shot win with a closing 68 to Bouchard’s 70.

Dimmock said: “It was really tough. Pauline and I both came out of the blocks really quickly, and I knew I had to do that. I got it to four-under through

Remésy comes out on top at Trevose

Jean-François Remésy won the inaugural Farmfoods European Legends Links Championship hosted

by Ian Woosnam after a scintillating final round at Trevose Golf & Country Club.

The 55-year-old Frenchman, who won three times on the European Tour, fired a closing 67 to beat Barry Lane by a shot.

Remésy started the final day in a share of the lead with Sweden’s Jarmo Sandelin, one ahead of Lane, and the lead quickly swung back-and-forth between the three players who, despite tough conditions at the Cornish venue, traded birdies over the opening nine holes. An eagle-birdie run from the 10th hole provided Remésy with the momentum he needed to re-take the lead and, despite a late birdie charge from Lane, a sensational up-and-down for par on the 17th hole and a closing par was enough to secure the two-time French Open champion a much-sought after victory. ‘’It was my dream to win in England.

After 40 years I finally managed to do it,’’ said Remésy. ‘’It’s never too late to achieve a dream. I’m just past 55 years old and here we are – I’m delighted.”

Gary Evans, who joined the Staysure Tour this year after turning 50 in February, carded a closing 67 to take third, one shot ahead of Sandelin, who dropped three shots on the 17th hole en route to a 71. Markus Brier carded an eight-under-par 64, the lowest round of the week, to finish in a tie for sixth.

Lane’s second-place finish saw him jump ahead of Argentina’s José Cóceres into pole position in the Staysure Tour rankings.

nine and was playing really well, and on the back nine I was trying not to make mistakes. It was quite a battle out there, but it turned out well in the end.”

Dimmock, who had missed the cut in four of the five Ladies European Tour events she had played in this season, said: “I’ve wanted to win on tour for so long, and I’m so relieved I’ve finally won. I’ve been struggling a bit over the last few years since I first turned pro in 2015, so to finally get a win is really special.”

Dimmock and Bouchard both earned invitations to play in the Evian Championship, the fourth women’s major of the season, which returns to the French resort from July 25-28.

NEWS | JULY 2019

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West Country clubs suffer attacks following false claims of harming wildlife Two prominent golf clubs in Devon and Cornwall came in for public criticism last month after being accused of harming wildlife on their golf courses.

Royal North Devon had one of its greens vandalised on April 22 after a Facebook post claiming that the club had been trapping badgers and removing them from the course went viral. It later emerged that the offending picture in the social media post was of rubble being deposited during works to the course and no badger setts had been damaged.

The following week, Launceston Golf Club in Cornwall

received a barrage of online abuse following a news story about a golf club that was set to carry out a cull of several animals that had defecated on its course.

What many of the social media activists didn’t realise was that the story, which was covered by ABC News in Australia, was about Launceston Golf Club in Tasmania, which has been granted a permit to cull species that have been ‘causing damage to the golf course’, including ducks, possums, native hens and wallabies.

“I woke on Saturday morning to be inundated with a storm of messages on Facebook and Twitter accusing us in Cornwall of being murderers and wanting to kill for our elitist sport,” said Alan Creber, secretary at Launceston Golf Club in the UK. “To be honest these were the polite comments. One person went back through every post we had made on Facebook over the last few months and posted hateful comments.”

Although some of the abusive comments were later

■ FALSELY ACCUSED: ROYAL NORTH DEVON HAD ITS SIGNED DEFACED BY ANIMAL RIGHTS CAMPAIGNERS

removed, some with apologies, others still remain Creber added: “We have a very positive attitude towards managing our course, having worked to virtually eliminate the use of chemicals and recently embarked on our own compost manufacture, we have in the past won awards from England Golf for our policies.”

Fulwell course manager earns Master Greenkeeper status Sam Evans, the course manager at Fulwell Golf Club in Middlesex, has been awarded Master Greenkeeper certificate, elevating him to elite status in the world of golf course management.

The British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association awarded the certificate to just six of its members in 2019, with Evans being one of only two course managers to pass the exams in the UK. To be eligible, a BIGGA member must have spent at least ten years working in greenkeeping, with a minimum of three in a head greenkeeper, course manager or superintendent role. They must also have been responsible for their current golf course or courses for a minimum of two years.

Evans, aged just 30, is one of the youngest members to ever achieve Master Greenkeeper status. An active member of BIGGA, he has participated in two Open volunteer support teams, the Future Turf Managers Initiative, the TPC Sawgrass volunteer programme, and the BIGGA Delegation to the Golf Industry Show.

Evans began is greenkeeping career in 2011, starting out as an assistant at Heythrop Park, before becoming deputy head course manager at Chalfont St Giles and course manager at Oakland Park in 2014. He joined Fulwell as head greenkeeper in 2016, and was promoted to the role of course manager in October last year.

Speaking about the award, he said: “I’ve always wanted to do the Master Greenkeeper Certificate, as I believe there is always a next level to aspire to and push yourself to. I have been brought up to aim high and, to me, the Master Greenkeeper certificate is an unrivalled pinnacle of professional status. I am over the moon to be awarded this, and it is another example of how hard work really does pay off.”

[12] JULY 2019 | NEWS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

LAW LAYS IT DOWN at Pure Silk Championship

Lancashire’s Bronte Law became the latest English player to make an impact on the LPGA Tour with a two-shot victory at the Pure Silk Championship in Virginia.

The 24-year-old from Stockport made five birdies in a final-round 67 to finish on 17 under par and clear of Madelene Sagstrom, Brooke Henderson and Nasa Hataoka, who all tied for second.

Law’s victory came three weeks after she lost in a play-off at the LPGA’s Mediheal Championship in California.

“It feels surreal to be honest after coming so close a few weeks ago,” Law said. “I came in here with the sole intention of going one better and it feels really good. I don’t believe in destiny, I believe in hard work and determination and to be in contention again, and for it to be the very next time out playing, was really cool. It shows me that I can compete at the top on a weekly basis, which is the whole goal out here.”

Phipps pips rivals to Lagonda Trophy Top Midland amateur Liam Phipps added his name to the impressive roll call of Lagonda Trophy winners when finishing four shots clear of the field at Gog Magog Golf Club in Cambridgeshire.

Now in its 45th year, the tournament, which counts towards the world amateur ranking, attracted another strong field, with 66 low handicap amateurs entering the 72-hole stroke play event.

Although not up among the leaders after the first two rounds, following steady efforts of 70 and 69, Phipps, who had been the joint leader of the southern qualifiers for the Brabazon Trophy the previous week, produced stunning closing rounds of 66 and 67 to put his head in front when it mattered.

The Olton player finished

four shots in front of Danny Daniels (The Hertfordshire) and Arnold Harrison (Castle Royle), who both finished strongly with 68s. Warren Bates (Heacham Manor) opened the tournament with a seven-under-par 63 to take the lead, but eventually finished tied for fourth with Harvey Byers (Walton Heath).

With good weather and receptive greens, scoring was good throughout the week on the Old Course at Gog Magog, which was once again prepared in superb condition.

Founded in 1975 by Clive Smith, the Lagonda Trophy boasts a star-laden list of past winners, including Ryder Cup players David Gilford, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald and Andy Sullivan. Smith was on hand to hand over the coveted trophy, and brought along his cherished 1930 two-litre Lagonda tourer for competitors and supporters to see.

■ CLIVE SMITH PRESENTS LIAM PHIPPS WITH THE LAGONDA TROPHY

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Yeovil looks to fly high

Stars tee it up at Wentworth for Gary Player Invitational Wentworth will host some of the game’s biggest legends when the Berenberg Gary Player Invitational takes place on July 22.

As well as Player himself, who is still swinging at 82, the cast list of major champions in the 72-player field includes Tom Watson, Mark O’Meara, Fred Couples, Tom Lehman and Ian Woosnam.

Other big names on board include Thomas Bjorn, Sam Torrance and Colin Montgomerie, while the younger generation of European Tours stars will be represented by the likes of Richard Sterne, Bernd

■ GARY PLAYER WILL BE JOINED

BY PLAYERS FROM ALL THE MAIN TOURS TO HELP RAISE FUNDS FOR HIS FOUNDATION

Wiesberger and Alvaro Quiros.

Among the Ladies European Tour professionals confirmed are Annabel Dimmock, Lauren Taylor, Amy Boulden, Inci Mehmet, Sophie Lamb, Julia Engstrom, Camilla Lennarth, Caroline Martens and Olivia Cowan.

Supporting underprivileged children and communities globally, the Gary Player Invitational, which also hosts events in Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, New York and Sun City in South Africa, has helped The Player Foundation raise more than $64m since it began, with the aim of reaching $100m by 2025.

Yeovil Golf Club has appointed Swan Golf Designs to identify an improvement schedule to be rolled out across the next decade.

The 18-hole Old Course is located in Dorset, while its nine-hole Newton course sits across the border in Somerset. Both courses, and the practice areas, will be audited by Suffolk-based Swan Golf Designs, with a view to producing an enhancement plan to be implemented during the next five to ten years.

Golf course architect William Swan said: “Yeovil has an enviable reputation as one of south-west England’s premier golf venues, but, as with any course of its age, it’s certainly worth analysing to see if any improvements should be made to bring it in line with the demands of 21st-century golf.

“General manager Chris Huggins has asked us to carry out a full audit of the facilities as he is not looking to ‘make do and mend’ - the club is allowing up to ten years for any changes to be made in order to minimise disruption.”

Course manager Jason Connaughton added: “With the current climate in the golf industry, we feel it is as important as ever to move with the times and progress with both courses. Having worked with Swan Golf Designs in the past it was easy to see that they would be a good fit for Yeovil and we are looking forward to building for the future with them.”

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The Grove renovates Glasshouse restaurant The Grove has re-opened the doors of its newly refurbished restaurant, The Glasshouse, following significant investment to update the popular venue at the Hertfordshire resort.

The refurbishment of The Glasshouse was carried out by London-based interior design firm Martin Hulbert Design, which has been responsible for The Grove’s interior design since the hotel first opened in 2004. The new-look restaurant offers diners a luxurious experience, inspired by food hall-style dining. For a set price, diners can sample a variety of dishes celebrating international flavours, fresh produce and the talents of a team of specialist chefs.

Executive Head Chef Stephen Wheeler launched The Glasshouse when the hotel opened just over 15 years ago.

Now, having spent many years overseas gaining widespread international experience, he has returned to the helm to oversee the revitalised restaurant. Wheeler has drawn upon his experience to introduce a range of new dishes and cooking techniques to provide diners with a huge range of options.

Wheeler commented: “It brings me great pleasure to oversee the relaunch of The Glasshouse, and we couldn’t be more excited to showcase this new, innovative dining experience to guests. We’ve introduced so many new cooking stations and methods, as it was crucial to us that we provide guests with a fantastic range of options at a superior quality.

It’s an interactive and fun way of eating.”

The adjacent Glasshouse Bar has also been upgraded, with a new glass extension connecting it to the hotel’s extensive terraces and gardens.

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Attoe’s at it again!

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Seaford Head to host RNLI golf day

Defending English Senior Men’s Open champion Ian Attoe pulled off an impressive wire-to-wire victory when retaining the title by eight shots at Holme Hall Golf Club in Lincolnshire.

The Surrey stalwart was nine under par for 54 holes and his win gave him his third championship title since 2015. Yorkshireman Richard Norton was a distant second, while third place went to Tim Whittaker from Beaconsfield.

Starting with a six-under 65 at Holme Hall, Attoe added a 72 at the companion club, Elsham, before finishing up at Holme Hall with four-under-par 67. Throughout the three rounds he only three-putted once.

In addition to retaining the title, Attoe enjoyed the additional satisfaction of claiming a place in the England senior men’s team. “That’s my annual ambition, so hopefully I've gained enough points to play for England,” Attoe said.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institute is hosting its first fund-raising golf day at Seaford Head Golf Club in Sussex on Sunday, September 29.

The tournament organisers are inviting teams of four, or individuals, to sign up for the day, which costs £45pp and involves breakfast followed by 18 holes on Seaford’s stunning cliff-top course.

Tee times are from 11.30am.For details, email claire.rnli.newhaven.golfday@outlook.com.

Humphreys continues winning ways at Annika Invitational England international Lily May Humphreys captured her third big title of the season with a wire-to-wire victory in the Annika Invitational Europe held in Sweden.

The 17-year-old from Stoke-by-Nayland was 12 under par after rounds of 69, 68 and 70 at Vasatorps Golf Club, which earned her a oneshot win over Denmark’s Anne Normann.

Only ten players in the 79-strong

international field, which included five of the top 100 girls in the world, finished under par.

Humphreys, who won the Welsh and Irish Women’s Stroke Play titles earlier this year, is the first English winner of the Annika Invitational. The win comes with an exemption into next year’s La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational in Spain, which is part of the Ladies European Tour schedule and is hosted by Sorenstam. She also earned vital Ping Junior Solheim Cup points.

The highest other England players in Sweden were Euphemie Rhodes (Burnham & Berrow) and Annabell Fuller (Roehampton), who finished ninth and 13th respectively.

[14] JULY 2019 | NEWS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

Ross shows who’s boss Surrey tour professional Ross McGowan returned to the winner’s circle for the first time in four years as he clinched a wireto-wire victory at the D+D REAL Czech Challenge.

The Banstead Downs player’s last win came on the Sunshine Tour in 2015, and following rounds of 66, 66, 66 and 68 for an 18-under-par total, he secured a four-stroke triumph and his third European Challenge Tour title.

After sharing the lead at the end of the opening round, the 37-year-old broke away to take control at Kaskáda Golf Resort, holding a two-shot advantage ahead of the final day.

He quickly extended his lead on Sunday with consecutive birdies on the fourth and fifth holes, reaching the turn bogey-free as he surged toward the title in Brno.

His third birdie of the day came at the parfour 13th to stretch the lead to three shots, and even when the 2009 Madrid Masters champion made a bogey on the 16th, he gained it back on the following hole.

With his closest rival, Ricardo Santos, dropping a shot on the last, McGowan, who finished second and third in the 2015 and 2014 D+D REAL Czech Challenge events, calmly two-putted for par to claim his first win in

Toy wins Women’s Amateur

Europe for ten years.

“I played a couple of the events at the course in Dříteč and finished second and third there, so it’s nice to go one better and win the tournament,” McGowan said. “It was a strange day, because no one was really making a charge at me and I was ticking along, hitting fairways and greens.

“By the time I reached the 15th, I was fairly confident the title was mine. With a lot more Challenge Tour tournaments, winning is really key, and hopefully I can sneak another one or two by the end of the year.”

The €32,000 first prize saw McGowan leap from 127th to third in the Challenge Tour rankings. The top 15 at the end of the season earn a European Tour card for 2020.

Cornwall’s Emily Toy produced the best performance of her career to win the 116th Women’s Amateur Championship held at Royal County Down in Northern Ireland.

Belying her 450th place in the world amateur rankings, the 21-year-old from Carlyon Bay defeated New Zealand’s Amelia Garvey by one hole in the 18-hole final, whose outcome was always in the balance.

After both players made birdies on the third hole, Garvey went ahead at the fifth after Toy’s bogey. However, the Cornish player hit straight back at the sixth after a glorious approach set up a birdie.

The pair exchanged bogeys, before another dropped shot from Toy handed Garvey the lead at the 11th. Just when it looked like the University of Southern California student may pull clear, Garvey bogeyed the 14th to return the contest to all square. Toy let a chance slip at the 16th when she threeputted but made no mistake with a 20-foot putt for birdie at the 17th.

A par at the last was good enough for victory, as Toy joined a roll of honour that also includes Anna Nordqvist (2008) and Céline Boutier (2015).

Toy is the first English player to win the title since Georgia Hall in 2013, and has earned a spot in the AIG Women’s British Open at Woburn in August thanks to her triumph. She has also gained exemptions into the 2019 Evian Championship, as well as the US Women’s Open and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship next year.

The Pam Barton Memorial Salver was awarded to Toy, with Garvey receiving the Diana Fishwick Cup. An international team award was presented after the stroke playing qualifying rounds, with Italy taking the honours with an aggregate score of 296.

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Kent pair earn PGA Cup call-up PGA Cup captain Cameron Clark feels he has one of the strongest Great Britain & Ireland teams under his command in recent years, after his ten-man line-up for September’s match in Texas against America was finalised.

GB & Ireland are bidding to make history by winning three consecutive matches in the competition, which is being held at Barton Creek Resort in Austin from September 27-29.

Having already acquired experienced trio Robert Coles (Maylands), Matthew Cort and David Dixon from last year’s PGA Play-Offs, Clark welcomed six new members to his team following the completion of the Titleist & FootJoy PGA

Professional Championship. Former European Tour player Alastair Forsyth blew away the field at Hunstanton when winning the PGA’s premier tournament by 11 shots with a record score of 263.

Forsyth will be joined on the plane to Texas by fellow Scot Paul O’Hara, who finished tied fourth alongside Jason Levermore (Little Channels) and Alexander Wrigley (Hartlepool) who also qualified for the Clark’s team.

Canterbury’s Richard Wallis makes a welcome return to the team, with fellow Kent player Jordan Godwin (Barnehurst) claiming the final place at Hunstanton. Clark selected former European Tour player Craig Lee as his captain’s pick.

■ THE 2019 GB & IRELAND PGA CUP SQUAD

Three-way tie at Foxhills for Construction Crown James Ablett, James Ford and Nico Els all carded rounds of 62 over a shortened Longcross Course at Foxhills to split the top prize at the Construction Industry Charity ProAm. Playing a ‘par is your friend’ format, the PGA Professionals had the opportunity to go for everything, and that was exactly what the top trio achieved, with six birdies each.

However, the event was reduced to 17 holes after a fire on a property neighbouring the 8th hole got out of hand, so play had to be suspended while the fire brigade put it out, and a decision was made to take the hole out of play.

Supported by JSP and Heathrow Airport, the event raised funds for the Lighthouse Club’s Benevolent Fund, an organisation that gives financial help to thousands of families when they lose their

breadwinner’s income through illness, injury or death.

The performances of the top three players shaded the 63 of Manston Golf Centre’s Max Brackley into fourth spot, followed by another trio, Bob Cameron, Hindhead’s Robert Scully and Woodcote Park’s Dean Homewood, who all shot 64s.

In the team event, it was DPC, captained by Homewood, who claimed victory with 89 points, pipping their rivals from Heathrow 2 led by Els in second place, and Thomas Interior, led

by Piltdown’s James Doswell, in third.

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Schmidt runs away with Brabazon Trophy Sixteen-year-old Ben Schmidt became the youngest ever winner of the Brabazon Trophy after finishing five shots clear of the field at Alwoodley Golf Club in Yorkshire.

Schmidt, who is a member at Rotherham Golf Club, eclipsed the achievements of Sandy Lyle and Charl Schwartzel, who were aged 17 and 18 respectively when they won the English Men’s Open Amateur Stroke Play.

Schmidt took the lead after the second round when he shot a seven-under par 64. He held on to his advantage after round three, but it was cut to just one shot when Cornwall’s Harry Hall set a new course record 63.

In the final round, Hall, 21 made a blistering start, with two birdies in the first three holes to overtake Schmidt. But the teenager regained the lead when he holed a 25-footer for birdie on the fifth, while his rival bogeyed the hole.

The players were back on level terms after Schmidt bogeyed the short ninth

with a three-putt. But that was his last mistake.

He played the difficult back nine in two-under, while Hall dropped three shots over the closing holes.

Schmidt had a four-shot cushion as he played the last, and his winning margin was extended when Hall’s par putt horseshoed out of the hole.

Cheered on by a large crowd, Schmidt, who signed off with a par on the 18th, said: “It’s nice to keep it the trophy in Yorkshire, and it was awesome to see so many supporters out there, as well as friends and family.”

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Club Company snaps up Chesfield Downs Chesfield Downs Golf & Country Club in Hertfordshire has been bought by The Club Company from Crown Golf.

Located near Stevenage, the club offers 18 holes of golf, a health and fitness suite, a restaurant and event space.

Commenting on the acquisition, Thierry Delsol, chief executive of The Club Company, said: “We are delighted to announce the acquisition of Chesfield Downs Golf and Country Club. This acquisition fits perfectly with our expansion strategy. We look forward to welcoming Chesfield Downs’ members and employees into our portfolio.”

The club has 27 holes, arranged as an 18-hole, 6,646 yards inland links, along with a nine-hole academy course, together with extensive practice facilities, including a 20-bay driving range, and a pro shop. The club also offers a gym, an exercise studio and a small spa, featuring a spa pool, steam room and sauna.

“We believe that under new ownership and with new investment, the club will continue to go from strength to strength. This acquisition is part of our strategy to expand by both acquiring new sites and adding and improving facilities across our existing portfolio of 13 clubs,” added Delsol. “This year we have invested over £10 million in our clubs, including building a new hotel at The Tytherington in Cheshire, and extending the health and fitness facilities at Chartham Park in West Sussex.”

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Nicklaus to auction iconic gold Rolex for Children’s Charity Player Invitational

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Jack Nicklaus is to sell a Rolex watch that he has worn almost every day since he was given it in 1967 in order to raise funds for a charity.

The watch, a rare Rolex Day‐Date Reference 1803 in yellow gold, was on Nicklaus’s wrist for 12 of his record 18 major championship titles.

Originally launched in 1956, it was the first wristwatch to feature a date and fully spelled‐out day of the week indication on its dial. Made from 18-karat yellow gold and fitted with a rare champagne‐coloured dial, with tapered hour-markers that look like golf tee, the watch is be auctioned by Phillips in New York on December 10, with all of the sale proceeds being donated to the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation.

Nicklaus came by the watch after competing at the Canada Cup in Tokyo in 1966, where he attended a cocktail party given by Rolex, at which Nicklaus was offered the Rolex of his choice as a gift. Gary Player, who was also at the party, and was sponsored by Rolex at the time, recommended that Nicklaus choose the gold Day‐ Date watch on display.

“This is the very first watch I ever owned, and the only watch I wore for every professional tournament I’ve won throughout my career,” said Nicklaus. “It has accompanied me at US Opens, Masters Tournaments, PGA Championships, Open Championships, and countless other events for over five decades, and has served me well at every step along the way.

28/06/2019 13:48

“Parting ways with this watch is certainly bittersweet. While I will certainly miss the opportunity of wearing the watch, and having it serve as a constant reminder of some of my life’s most memorable moments, I know that its sale will help countless children and families impacted through the work of the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation.

“I have said many times that the work being done by our foundation, and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, is far more rewarding than any four-foot putt I made to win a tournament. So to know that 100% of the money raised from the sale will directly benefit pediatric care, is a treasure of the heart.”

Paul Boutros, Phillips’ Head of Watches, Americas, added, “We are honoured to present this superb Rolex Day‐ Date Reference 1803 in our December auction. With its incredible provenance and timeless aesthetics, we look forward to seeing an enthusiastic response from collectors, golf fans, and charitable supporters.”

Prior to the auction, the watch will be presented on an international tour, which will include viewings in London, Geneva, Hong Kong, and throughout the United States. The tour will begin at the Jack Nicklaus Museum in Columbus, Ohio, on May 29, followed by the Memorial Tournament hosted by Jack Nicklaus in Ohio from May 30-June 2. The watch will then be exhibited at the US Open at Pebble Beach from June 13-16.

[16] JULY 2019 | NEWS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

■ JACLKLIN CELEBRATES WINNING THE OPEN AT LYTHAM IN 1969

change you’, but it did change me. I won tournaments every year until I quit after winning the PGA at Hillside in 1982, but I was never in the frame in a major again.

A couple of months after clinching The Open you went on to tie the Ryder Cup. What was that like?

After winning the Open I wanted to rest up, but IMG told me that I had to go back to America and play in more tournaments.

But I was exhausted and went on to miss four cuts in a row. At the Ryder Cup, I managed to regroup and it was a great week, marking the start of ‘The Concession’. To play Jack Nicklaus twice on the last day and beat him was memorable.

THE SUMMER OF ‘69 Fifty years after he lifted the Claret Jug at Royal Lytham & St Annes, Golf News catches up with dual major champion Tony Jacklin as he prepares to celebrate his 75th birthday ahead of the Open’s return to Royal Portrush Interview by Jack Martin

It’s been 50 years since you won The Open at Royal Lytham.

What do you remember about that week?

What I remember most is just getting it done. The previous year I’d gone to America and won the Jacksonville Open playing with Arnold Palmer, with all his army, in the final round. I’d put up with Americans like Gardner Dickinson, Bob Goalby and Dave Hill calling people like me ‘foreigners’, and they made it clear they didn’t want us playing in America. All those factors toughened me up and I came to Lytham feeling really mentally strong.

Over the first three rounds I’d love to tell you about all the miracle shots I played, but links golf is not like that, is it? It was about holding your own, and I did that. Going into the final round, I was two shots clear, and then it was about holding on.

I was nervous, but in a positive way, not anxious or frightened.

I felt like an actor and this was my stage. I was determined to embrace it.

The drive on 18 was pivotal, on what was one of the toughest drives in golf. Standing on that tee, I had a two-shot lead over Bob Charles, and I thought about some of the near-misses for British and Irish players in recent years, like Dave Thomas and Christy O’Connor, and they were essentially because of a bad

■ JACKLIN AND NICKLAUS HAVE REMAINED CLOSE FRIENDS SINCE 'THE CONCESSION' AT THE 1970 RYDER CUP

drive at the last. This one was certainly not for the faint-hearted.

If you went in any of the bunkers down the left or right, you knew you were facing a bogey, and I also knew that Bob was quite capable of getting a birdie.

For two years in America I had worked hard on making my swing the same speed under all circumstances and here was the big test. I told myself: ‘TJ, swing wide and smooth,’ and as I was saying it I saw it fly down the middle of the fairway. It was the best drive I ever hit. Winning The Open was a gamechanger for my career. As far as I’m concerned that’s why we play golf – to win majors. And to win on home soil, was extra special.

You then went on to win the US Open the following year at Merion. Which major gave you the most satisfaction?

The US Open, without a doubt. While it is every British pro’s dream to win The Open – and it certainly was mine – to win one in America at that time was sensational. The US Open is the ultimate test, not just of golfing skill, but also of temperament.

It’s not always fair, but whoever wins has dealt best with all the obstacles that come their way. The USGA set courses on the edge of playability, and you just have to suck it up.

You had three consecutive top-five finishes in the Open from ‘70-‘72, but then kind of disappeared from the major leaderboards. What happened?

My only mistake was listening to other people. That’s why my career at the very top didn’t last as long as perhaps it should have. I was really the first one from Europe to be that big, and IMG, my management team, was sending me all over the place.

I was trying to be all things to all people and that kind of wore me down in the end. Looking back, it was the Open in 1972 when that my confidence seemed to ebb away. I was never as sure after that, when I had to watch Lee Trevino chip in five times in the last two rounds. I was always of the belief you just keep on trying, but he made four or five flukes. It happened, and it was up to me to make the best I could of it. Both Nicklaus and Palmer came up to me that night and said ‘don’t let this

I understand you’re meeting up with Jack at Wentworth on July 6th to mark that iconic year.

Yes, we are. We’ve built a golf course together in Florida and there are events here that we get together quite regularly to reminisce.

But it’s nice that Wentworth are remembering that Ryder Cup, with Jack there. I’m looking forward to it.

You’re also hosting the Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship in Warwickshire in August. How much are you looking forward to that?

Yeah, it’s my 12th year hosting it. I really enjoy it. I’ve met many good friends there. Those at Nailcote Hall and Champions (UK) put on a great tournament. They really do. There are a lot of people there having a good time. We bring a few Americans over too. It’s something great to be a part of.

What do you make of Royal Portrush? Will it make a good host to The Open this year?

I played out there in the Senior Open once. The rough was very, very penal. I put a ball in the rough on the second hole and the steward ten yards away couldn’t find it. That’s how thick it was.

So, it will be interesting to see how it will be set up this year.

But it’s a great test and hasn’t been there since 1951, of course, which makes it a bit more special.

What do you think of the state of English professional golf at the moment?

It’s never been stronger. We’ve got Justin Rose getting to world No.1 earlier in the year, and then we've got the likes of Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Wallace, Danny Willett and Eddie Pepperell. I really can’t remember a time when we’ve had so many world-class players coming out of England. But, you know, the world has got a lot smaller in the last 50 years and it’s easier for them to get a break. As well, the rewards are up there in the stratosphere, so there’s a tremendous incentive to go out there and give it a go.

What kind of job do you think Padraig Harrington will do as Ryder Cup captain?

I think Padraig is going to do a great job. He’s well rounded out and has got great support behind him. He’s got plenty of experience, too, having been vice-captain on a number of occasions. But, saying that, it’s always a tall order playing away.

I saw that not so long ago, he was sniffing around Whistling Straits, looking at rooms, trying to determine whether to stay at the course or hotel. He’ll do a first-class job.

What have you made of Tiger Woods’s comeback over the last 12 months?

It has been fantastic for golf, and, of course, for him personally.

As long as he stays healthy, he still has the game to rack up a few more wins. He’s got a tremendous golfing mind, and seems to have everything under control. He knows what it takes. He’s quite an exceptional individual. I’m interested now in seeing how he goes on from here.

The Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship takes place at Nailcote Hall in Warwickshire from August 6-9. To register for free tickets, visit www.britishpar3.com.

NEWS | JULY 2019 GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

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[18] JULY 2019 | NEWS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

Springs plans major lodge and spa expansion The Springs Golf Club in Oxfordshire has made a planning application to South Oxfordshire District Council to develop the club into a luxury resort featuring a spa and lodge-style accommodation.

The Springs is one of 21 sites operated by Darwin Escapes, a leading luxury lodge resort group, and is one of three golf courses in the portfolio, alongside Kilnwick Percy Resort in Yorkshire and Dundonald Links in Ayrshire.

The application is for 43 luxury lodges, which will offer a mixture of self-catering and hotel room-style accommodation, along with a brand new reception and spa building. The plans also include expanding the existing clubhouse, which will see the addition of two state-of-the-art golf simulators, as well as an expanded restaurant and bar area and new outdoor terrace.

Darwin, which bought The Springs in 2017, has already made significant investments to golf course, with new bunkering, several redesigned holes, some of which bring the lakes on the course more into play, while there has been an extensive programme of tree moving and re-planting.

■ DARWIN ESCAPES IS TO BUILD 43 LODGES AS PART OF ITS INVESTMENT PLANS FOR THE SPRINGS

MOOR PA R K

Schmidt and Tynan pack a punch at Henry Cooper Masters

■ AN ARTIST'S IMPRESSION OF THE NEW

SPA

In putting forward its plans to expand the resort – which received overwhelming support from club members and local residents at a recent open day – the management at Darwin Escapes highlighted the economic boost to the local area in terms of job creation and spend in the community by resort guests that would result from the added accommodation and spa.

Sarah Parks, Darwin’s head of marketing, said: “We are encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive feedback we have so far received and hope that the planning authority will welcome what we are trying to achieve. Darwin has already demonstrated its commitment to transforming The Springs into one of Oxfordshire’s leading golf courses by making significant improvements to the course and clubhouse.”

Yorkshire’s rising star Ben Schmidt and Welsh talent Ffion Tynan were the last boy and girl left standing after the latest renewal of the Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters held at Nizels Golf Club in Kent from June 21-24.

The popular U18 amateur tournament, which was celebrating its 21st year, attracted a strong field of 126 boys and 27 girls from all over the UK, as well as competitors from Ireland, Germany and France.

Schmidt, from Rotherham Golf Club, was making his debut appearance at the Junior Masters, but the youngest ever Brabzaon Trophy winner belied his inexperience over the Kent course to take the boys title by five shots. He fired four sub-par rounds of 66, 71, 71 and 70 to finish on ten under, five shots clear of fellow English player Max Hopkins (Bishops Stortford), with Germany’s Tiger Christianseen two shots further back in third.

The girls’ title went the way of Ffion Tynan from Minchinhampton Golf Club, who was making third appearance at the Henry Cooper. She improved on her fifth place last year after shooting rounds of 74, 73, 74 and 76. Her nine-over-par total saw her finish five shots ahead of Isabelle Simpson (Roehampton), who fired a best-of-the-week 71 to take the runner-up spot ahead Harriet Lockley (Isle of Wedmore), who was two shots adrift in third.

The winners both received a Junior Masters jacket, as well as a trophy and vouchers. Their names will also be engraved on the main trophies that are kept in the Nizels’ clubhouse.

Ffion said: “The Junior Masters is one my favourite events in the golfing calendar – it’s such a great experience and there’s always a friendly, positive atmosphere. I’m delighted with the win this year after getting quaite close last year.

The Nations Trophy, which consists of three players from each country, was won by England, with Schmidt combining with Max Hopkins (Bishops Stortford) and Thalia Kirby (Stoke Park) to take the team honours.

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As Europe’s top women golfers attempt to wrestle the Solheim Cup away from Team USA, four lucky golfers will be there to soak up the atmosphere and watch the highly-anticipated biennial matches, which take place at the stunning Gleneagles Resort in Scotland from September 13-15.

Shown live on the BBC, this year’s Solheim Cup promises to be another fantastic showcase for the game, as Europe, led by Scotland’s Catriona Matthew, attempt to regain the trophy from the American team, captained by Juli Inkster.

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[20] JULY 2019 FEATURE GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

n o i r u t n e C COME S Words by Nick Bayly

O F AG E

Six years after it first opened, Centurion Club has developed into the epitome of a modern golf club, where its members enjoy first-class service and stunning clubhouse facilities to match the quality of its world-renowned championship course

T

he reasons for golf’s declining popularity are many and varied, but among those that encouraged the owners of the Centurion Club to set up shop on the outskirts of Hemel Hempstead in 2010 was golf’s failure to keep up to speed with the lifestyle demands of the modern member.

The lack of a genuine service culture, draconian dress codes, endless tee time restrictions, treating female members as second-class citizens, and a diminishing pride in the presentation of golf courses and clubhouses, many of them worn down by years of under-investment, gave the team behind Centurion hope that a club that dared to do something differently could not only survive, but positively thrive.

Located a few miles west of St Albans, and just a few minutes from junction 8 of the M1, Centurion has shaken up the traditional private golf club model by offering a genuinely five-star membersonly experience, while remaining both affordable, yet refreshingly unencumbered by the stuffy and elitist attitudes that many high-end private clubs insist on adhering to.

Representing a blueprint for how a golf club for the 21st century should be operated, Centurion has been open for the best part of six years now, and in that time has built up a 600-strong membership that is enjoying a fast-maturing golf course and the kind of facilities that you’d expect from a five-star hotel.

With that ethos, it will come as no surprise that you’ll find no club captains or green committees here, and you’ll certainly find no posters explaining the dress code (there isn’t one), and there is a refreshing absence of noticeboards. It’s access all

areas, with not a ‘keep out’ sign in sight.

While the 18-hole golf course – more of which later – has been open from the beginning, as it were, the clubhouse, as is often the case in new builds, came later, with the impressive two-storey structure that spans the entire length of the large pond that guards the right-hand approach to the course’s closing hole, opening in 2016.

The £5 million edifice is the icing on a particular appetising cake, the likes of which are no doubt being baked by the club’s expert team of chefs, who have turned the impressive ground-floor restaurant into a destination not just for golf club members, but for diners from all over the region. Saturday cream teas are a virtual sell-out, as are Sunday lunches, while Friday and Saturday nights always require a reservation to secure a table.

Michelin-starred Jeff Galvin, who is a member at the club, helped set up the restaurant, and although he is no longer directly involved, his ethos and commitment to quality remains very much intact.

And while you can still get a damn fine bacon sandwich – on a toasted brioche bun, of course – in the relaxed surroundings of the upstairs sports bar before your round, downstairs in the more formal 80-cover dining room, the seasonally-changing menu offers a slightly more refined culinary experience.

It’s a clever part of the clubhouse’s design that it disguises its true purpose with such skill. All the golfing elements – the locker rooms and the golfer’s bar and lounge, are located upstairs, tucked away from the more public spaces, while the ground floor wouldn’t look out of place in a boutique hotel.

Walk into the side entrance, and past the pro shop

■ ABOVE: THE TIGHT ENTRANCE TO THE GREEN AT THE PAR-3 17TH LEAVES NO MARGIN FOR ERROR, BELOW: THE 18TH IS A TESTING PAR FIVE WITH THE GREEN ANGLED ACROSS A POND

– which is more akin to a boutique emporium – and you’d be hard-pressed to know you’re in a golf club at all. There are no endless rows of wooden noticeboards and not a silver trophy in sight. It’s a light and airy space, that moves seamlessly from one area to the next, feeling intimate, yet spacious, and above all, relaxed.

Elsewhere within the building there are separate rooms for private dining, conference spaces, although only members and companies with connections to the club are allowed to host corporate golf days here.

And while the main entrance at most clubhouses are often cluttered with a haphazard scattering of trolleys and golf bags, here, all of the accoutrements of golf, including a small buggy fleet, are hidden

FEATURE | JULY 2019

[21]

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

■ THE 2018 GOLFSIXES TOURNAMENT HELPED PUT CENTURION ON THE MAP

behind high stone walls – out of sight, yet close at hand.

The club’s co-founder and managing director is Scott Evans, a genial Scotsman who brings almost 30 years’ experience working in golf club management at the likes of Loch Lomond, Dubai Creek, Bearwood Lakes, and, most recently, Troon Golf Management, to the table, and he knows better than most what it takes to keep discerning golfers happy.

“Our plan from the outset was to create a club that rivals and goes beyond the very best for its quality, while getting rid of the all the stuffiness and small-mindedness that permeates through many traditional members clubs. You won’t need a certain length of sock or type of trouser to play here, let alone a jacket, and we encourage all our members to bring their families and to treat it as their golfing home form home.”

Evans adds: “Our aim has always been to focus on providing the very best facilities for our members, and let the reputation and standing among the golfing community evolve. The challenge has been to create a quality product worthy of our location so close to central London, and to be considered one of the finest available.”

While the clubhouse is suitably impressive, the reputation of any golf club still quite rightly hangs on the quality of its golf course, and here is where the Centurion more than lives up to the hype.

While many courses state their claim to fame on a handful of good holes, it’s as hard as it is unfair to single out any one hole at Centurion, given the quality and variety of the challenges on offer.

Measuring 7,195 yards from the back tees, which plays to a par of 72, the middle and forward men’s tees take it down to a more manageable 6,850 and 6,555 yards respectively.

The layout begins in an attractive area of pine woodland on the western edge of the 250-acre site, where the opening five holes cut a green swathe through the tree line. A sweeping downhill rightto-left par five opens up proceedings nicely, before switching into a stunning par-three, where a raised green provides a tempting, if often elusive target.

This is followed by a superb 405-yard par four, which swings right to left, with a greedy bunker guarding the corner of the dog-leg.

After the beautiful par-three fifth – a 160-yard downhiller to a flat green with little margin for error on all sides – the course opens out over more rolling terrain, although thanks to sizeable mounds between the fairways, a sense of individuality is maintained for almost every hole. The 450-yard sixth is a really testing par four, with a big drive required to bring a flag that is hidden behind a raised bank into play, while the ninth introduces the first of four significant water hazards, although the toughest of them is probably the 12th, a 400-yard par four with a pond fronting the putting surface to catch under-hit approaches.

The 190-yard 14th is as testing a par three as you’ll find, playing uphill all the way to a raised green that has trees back, right and left, and bunkers at the front, while the 150-yard 17th is another stunning short hole, with two trees standing like sentries behind the green, while water lurks to catch anything hit long and left.

WHILE THE CLUBHOUSE IS SUITABLY IMPRESSIVE, THE REPUTATION OF ANY GOLF CLUB HANGS ON THE QUALITY OF ITS COURSE, AND HERE IS WHERE CENTURION MORE THAN LIVES UP TO THE HYPE The holes have all been given Latin names, such as Alma Mater, Pro Forma and Hydro, to reflect the Roman history of the local area, and the course closes with the aptly-named Ad Infinitum, a 545yard par five whose green sits below the clubhouse.

With the putting surface protected by a large lake bounded by a stone wall to the right, it’s a fitting finale to a thoroughly entertaining round that will test all parts of your game.

Prepared to tournament specifications, the course offers all year-round playability, with arguably some of the best putting surfaces to be found anywhere in the country. Built on sand, the bent grass surfaces are like carpets – fast, true and firm, yet receptive to the right kind of shot.

Given its tour-standard quality it was perhaps fitting that the European Tour chose Centurion to stage the revolutionary GolfSixes event in 2017 and 2018, which not only introduced the golfing world to a faster, more exciting alternative to 72-hole strokeplay tournaments, but also alerted the world to the quality of the venue, with many of the players that took part in the event coming away wanting a regular, conventional Tour event to be held at the club in the future.

That request has been met, in part, as next year the club will host one of the showpiece events in the

■ TOP: THE GREEN ON THE PAR-4 4TH HOLE; THE STUNNING CLUBHOUSE OVERLOOKS THE 18TH GREEN, WHILE THE INTERIORS ARE BOTH STYLISH AND SPACIOUS

women’s professional game, the UL International Crown. The biennial matchplay event, which is run by the LPGA Tour and managed by IMG, sees teams of four representing the top eight golfing nations in the world compete over four days of matches from August 27-30, 2020. It’s a real feather in Centurion’s cap, and promises to showcase the talents of the world’s best women players to a UK audience for the first time outside of the Women’s British Open.

For those that would like to enjoy their own piece of the action at Centurion, seven-day, corporate, business, and international memberships are offered, all of which are tailored to provide the most flexible options to suit the needs of the golfer, whether that be one who plays two or three times a week, or just once a month. Either way, being a member, or knowing one, will be the only way to access the course, as visitors can only play as a member’s guest.

“The different membership categories offer greater flexibility to suit each member’s lifestyle,” says Scott. “We want people to feel that it is their club, and they can come and go as they please.

There are no tee times, no visitors, and the course will never be bunged up with endless inter-club matches or societies. We have created a club that is already renowned for its friendly atmosphere and outstanding standard of service. We want to create a distinct ‘wow’ factor which ensures that once you’ve visited the club you’ll never forget it.”

I, for one, certainly haven’t, and I believe they’ll be plenty of others out there who will agree with me once they’ve had a glimpse of the way they do things at Centurion.

For membership enquiries call 01442 510 520, email hello@centurionclub.co.uk, or visit www. centurionclub.co.uk.

[22] JULY 2019 | NEWS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

Hutcheon powers home at Pebble Beach pro-am Three-time Challenge Tour winner Greig Hutcheon recorded a thrilling win in the Pro-Am Tour’s Pebble Beach event, which boasts play on three of golf’s finest courses - Spyglass Hill, The Links at Spanish Bay, and the world-famous Pebble Beach Golf Links.

This year’s event saw 16 teams from France, South Africa, Australia, Italy, Singapore and the UK compete against the scenic backdrop of California’s stunning Monterey Peninsula, which fully lived up to its billing of the greatest meeting of land and sea, as well as golf, in the world.

Former European Tour Professional Zane Scotland and Hutcheon took the first-round lead with superb 69s at Spyglass Hill, while Pro-Am Tour regular Andy Raitt was one shot back on 70.

A superb second round 69 at Spanish Bay saw Hutcheon fly into the lead, with Raitt,

four shots back as the nearest challenger.

With the rough up and the fairways significantly narrower smaller in preparation for the US Open, the final round at Pebble Beach presented an alrogether tougher challenge, and Hutcheon found his lead quickly eroded after finding trouble on 6 and 7, making back-to-back bogeys. Rait moved to within one shot of the lead when Hutchaon dropped a further shot at 14, however the St George’s Hill wasn’t fiding life much easier and a double bogey on 16, handed the advtange back to Hutcheon, who sealed the win a fine birdie on the par-three 17th.

In the team event, South African PGA member Mick Hough led his team of Trevor Stead, Andy Hough and Brian Rickards to a comfortable victory over James Heath’s team, with Scott Barr’s team taking third. In addition to the 54-hole Pro-Am a separate Challenge Day was held at Pebble Beach, where Heath shot 70 for 38 points to beat South African PGA Pro Graeme Whale by a point.

Next year’s Pro-Am Tour at Pebble Beach will be held from May 21-26. For bookings and more information on all the other ProAm Tour events run by The American Golf Holiday, call 020 8050 2969, or visit www.pro-amtour.com

■ PGA PRO MICK HOUGH WON THE TEAM EVENT WITH TREVOR STEAD, ANDY HOUGH AND BRIAN RICHARDS

Tandridge tempts academy members with lower fees Tandridge Golf Club in Surrey has reduced the annual fees for its academy membership in a bid to stimulate growth from new golfers.

The Oxted-based venue has reduced the cost of its academy membership fee from £750 to £475, as it looks to encourage more people into the sport.

Club secretary Andrew Tanner admits it is a move some may consider ‘long overdue’. He said: “We have an excellent coaching staff here at Tandridge, in PGA pro Chris Evans and his team, but historically we’ve probably been guilty of under-utilising their talents. We’ve never actively promoted academy membership here as an entry point to the sport in the local community, but that is changing - and it is a change that many of us feel is long overdue.

“The chances of a beginner stepping out confidently onto the course in the early days are slim, so there’s little point in factoring into the membership fee a course-use charge. The fee should act as an incentive for beginners to take advantage of the excellent facilities we have on offer - not a barrier.”

Academy membership comprises ten individual 40-minutes lessons; six one-hour group lessons; and unlimited free balls on the driving range.

Tanner added: “We will also maintain the fee structure for subsequent years, so newcomers don’t need to worry if they’re making slower progress than they thought they would. Academy members will also be mentored as they undergo the process of improving and getting their first handicap.”

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[24] JULY 2019 | INTERVIEW GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

XANDER DO Xander Schauffele may have the hardest name to spell in professional golf, but TV commentators have had to get used to pronouncing it correctly after the 25-year-old from California moved serenely into the world’s top ten just two years after joining the PGA Tour You’ve had an incredible start to your career. Winning the Tour Championship in your first season on the PGA Tour in 2017; winning twice last year, including a WGC; and then winning in Hawaii at the beginning of this season. And now, coming into the year’s final major, you’ve bagged a runner-up at the Masters and a third place at the US Open.

You must have surpassed your own expectations by some distance?

Honestly, it’s been a dream come true and way beyond what I could have hoped for, let alone expected. The finish I had last year, winning the WGC in China, obviously boosted my expectations for this year, just like it would anyone else.

And I feel like I’ve done okay this year, nothing too crazy.

But the more you can put yourself into contention to win, the more it means you’re playing good golf. Sooner or later, you’re more likely to get it done.

The wins have been somewhat random. All four have come from being behind, so while they’re weren’t unexpected, I haven’t gone out there with a lead and had to hang on. That will be the next thing to accomplish I guess, to learn to be cool under the gun, having a lead and maintaining it. Last year I wasn’t in contention that often, but when I was, I won. So I just need to get up there more often.

You finished 18th in your first Open Championship at Birkdale in 2017, and second behind Francesco Molinari at Carnoustie last year. You’ve clearly adapted to links golf pretty quickly. What’s been the secret?

My dad’s half French, half German, so the Open Championship was always on TV in my house when I was growing up, so in many ways I kind of knew what to expect.

I just to try to have some fun, stay out of the pot bunkers, and make some putts.

I enjoy playing links golf because you have a lot of options off the tee compared to parkland golf, and you can play shots to the greens in so many different ways. I like the

imagination that is required to get find fairways and pins – it adds another dimension to the game. Links golf also requires patience, as you’re going to get some bad bounces and some bad breaks from time to time, so the key is to remain patient, which is something I try to do.

Although you came up just short at Carnoustie, were you able to take away lot of positives from that performance?

Yeah, I took a lot, actually. It was the high stakes, it’s one every one wants to win, and, honestly, I fell apart. Jordan [Spieth] and I were feeding off each other in horrible ways you won’t imagine. We got behind and we were hitting these weird shots that we wouldn’t even hit with our eyes closed. So that was a very good learning experience for me, controlling the nerves and I sort of woke up a little bit and tried to come back to life. You’ve got to learn from stuff like that, learn walk through the fire at a major, just like Brooks [Kopeka] has done.

Looking at your performances in the majors over the last two seasons, do you feel like you’re able to find different gear for these big events, in the same way that Brooks seems to?

I don’t know, it might just be coincidence, but hopefully it isn’t. Maybe my mentality changes a little bit at the majors, as I’m sure it does for a lot of players. I get a little bit more focused coming into the week, put in some extra preparation. You just kind of dive a little bit deeper into yourself. I always bring my full team to the majors, and I feel like we have done a decent job of preparing for them so far.

Do you feel like your flying under the radar a bit, especially with all the hype around players like Brooks or Rory McIIroy?

Well they’ve won four majors each, so I would expect them to be very much on the radar. I don’t know, a lot of guys

I’ve talked to told me to enjoy flying under the a radar for as along as I can.

I don’t get people yelling out my name at tournaments just as I’m about to play, like a lot of those guys do, so that’s cool with me, although I do get some kids asking for my autograph, which is nice. I’ve not turned one down yet, so that’s where I’m at right now.

I’m happy just doing my thing, but when the time comes, if it does, I’ll be happy to be on whatever radar I am. It all depends on how I play. I still feel like I’m an underdog. I feel like until you’re No.1, you’re chasing, and I’m currently chasing.

You’ve been coached by you father, Stephan, throughout your career. How does that dynamic work?

Dad bred an underdog mentality into me from an early age. He always said to me: ‘You need to go get it, because nothing is going to be handed to you.’ He’s always been pretty blunt with me, telling me when things were good or bad. You always know where you stand with him – nothing was ever sugar-coated.

We’re a close team and he’s been my only swing coach.

I’ve read articles and spoke with other coaches with him around or without him, but I’ve never taken a lesson from anybody else. So everything he knows, I know now. We sort of share our thoughts when I’m struggling and we seem to be able to figure most things out.

I went through this rebel phase when I was at college where I would argue with him for no reason. I was aggressively against anything he would say. We’d have these huge arguments. We fought all the time. Now that I’m older, I realise how patient he was with me. I realised that I was fighting him for no reason other than he was my dad.

He was a lot better to me than I was to him, that’s for sure.

I owe him everything really, and hopefully I’m repaying some of the faith he has always showed in me.

CAREER PROFILE AGE: 25 LIVES: San Diego, California WORLD RANKING: 10 TOUR APPEARANCES: 73 TOP 10s: 16 WINS: 4 (2017 Greenbrier Classic, 2017 Tour Championship, 2018 WGC HSBC Champions, 2019 Sentry of Champions) BEST MAJOR FINISHES: 2nd Masters 2019, 2nd Open Championship 2018, 3rd US Open 2019 CAREER PRIZE MONEY: $13.4m

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Hume ends May’s winning run Hertfordshire’s Ellen Hume captured the English Women’s Amateur Championship after beating Essex’s Lily May Humphreys in a closely fought final held at a wet and windy Saunton Golf Club.

Despite the most testing conditions, the players produced great golf, with the momentum swinging to and fro over the closing stages at the North Devonshire venue.

Trading blows on the challenging links, Hume was never behind over the 18-hole final, although Humphreys was on level terms three times, including when she birdied the short 16th. However, Hume immediately birdied the long 17th to go one ahead. Humphreys won the 18th with a par three to take the game down the 19th, and it was there that Hume claimed the title with a par, after Humphreys’ approach found a thick clump of rough just off the green.

Cheetham flies in at Foxhills at Irish seniors

South Africa-based Neil Cheetham won the Senior PGA Professional Championship at Foxhills in Surrey to justify the long journey from Johannesburg on at least two counts.

Not only did the £6,000 winner’s cheque more than cover the cost of the trip, but victory also qualified him to play in the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship at the London Club in August. A place in the top 15 would also have achieved that objective, so adding his name to a list of winners that includes the late Tommy Horton was a welcome addition.

“My main goal was to try and qualify for the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship,” said Cheetham, who has worked in South Africa for the past dozen years. ”So winning the tournament was a real bonus – it’s a fantastic achievement for me.”

Gardam goes for gold at Woodhall Spa Eleven-year-old Zara Gardam is looking to forward to teeing it up at the England Golf Women’s Medal Final at Woodhall Spa in August after winning the South Region Qualifier in thrilling fashion.

Gardam, who is a member at Shooters Hill in Kent, fired a net seven-under-par 65 at Guildford Golf Club to win by five shots from her nearest rival in the 112-player field.

The Kent youngster has seen her handicap tumble from 35 to just eight since taking up the game two years ago. And only last month shelowered her handicap from 17 to its current mark in a three-day spell that saw her win the Guildford Junior Open with a gross 79, the England Golf Medal South Regional Final with five-over-77, which included a back nine of just 31, and then, playing off a new handicap of 8.2, she shot a gross 77 at the Daily Telegraph Junior Championship qualifier held at Dartford Golf Club.

to claim English amateur title

“It’s the toughest match I’ve ever played,” said 19-year-old Hume, who is a member at Mill Green in Welwyn Garden City.

“I knew that Lily is a great player, and I definitely felt I was the underdog going into the match. It’s unbelievable – I never expected to win, especially with the opponents I’ve had. The odds weren’t in my favour!”

Humphreys, the top seed, was going for her third big title of the month, having already won the Irish and Welsh stroke play championships. But Hume’s confidence was high. She returned from her first year at university in the USA with her game in great shape, and underlined that earlier this month when she won the Hertfordshire County championship.

Hume claimed a series of notable scalps en route to victory, including those of defending champion Georgina Blackman and Emily Toy, another England international. In the semi-finals she

showed her fighting qualities after going four down to Emily Brennan (Trentham) after five holes. Hume began her rally on the eighth and pegged back the deficit until she won 3&1.

“Match play is a format I like,” said Hume. “My game was in a good place after my year at college in America and winning the county championship – in exactly the same format – helped prepare me for this.”

Humphreys enjoyed an even more serene route to the final, winning early rounds 2&1, 4&3 and 6&5, before beating Jess Baker (Gosforth Park) 7&6 in the semis.

[26] JULY 2019 | INTERVIEW GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

I

t’s no secret that top tennis player Rafa Nadal is a good golfer. He’s long listed golf as his offcourt passion and admits playing as a means of getting away from the intense life on the pro tennis tour. Surprisingly, for someone who has never had a golf lesson in his life, or bothers to hit balls on a practice range, his handicap is now 1.7.

“To be honest, I never take a lesson and I never go to the range to hit balls. I don’t have much time for it”, he says in his quaint accented English.

“When I have the chance, the only thing I like to do is go and play with family or friends. If I don’t play with family or friends, I don’t go. I like to play in teams. We have team tournaments in Mallorca and I have the team from my club I enjoy playing with.

Playing in a tournament and then having lunch.

That’s it”.

Another unusual feature is he plays right handed golf, yet is a formidable left-hander on the tennis court. “For me golf is a hobby. I am not crazy about going from a two handicap to 1.7. I just don’t care about the handicap. I just care about having fun and trying to play good”. Whatever sport Rafa plays he clearly doesn’t like losing, it’s all part of his nature and recently admitted his intense passion for golf came from watching Tiger Woods.

“From start to finish I never say a word to my opponents, I certainly don’t compliment anyone on a good shot, although some say I am more aggressive on the tennis court," he says.

The first player to win 12 French Open titles,

A DIFFERENT KIND OF RACKET Rafa Nadal’s other favourite sport.

BY APRIL TOD

I

■ IVAN LENDL TRIED TO TURN PRO AFTER INJURY FORCED HIM OUT OF TENNIS

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INTERVIEW | JULY 2019

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■ RAFA NADAL IS AS COMPETTIVE ON THE GOLF COURSE AS HE IS ON THE TENNIS COURT. RIGHT: TIM HENMAN PLAYS GOLF ALMOST EVERY DAY AT SUNNINGDALE, AND HAS A HANDICAP OF PLUS ONE BELOW: PETE SAMPRAS GOT HIS HANDICAP DOWN TO 0.5

Nadal immediately flew back to Mallorca after his latest triumph in Paris for a few days of relaxation playing golf on his favourite Son Vida course, before starting preparations for the grass court season. These days he practices in Mallorca, last year he built his own a grass court to Wimbledon specifications just minutes away from his Tennis Academy Manacor where he lives.

Would he like to reduce his handicap to scratch?

“I’m a competitive guy and like to do well, and whatever I do, I always try my best. My game is solid, more or less. I have nothing unbelievable, but nothing really weak. I more or less have a good short game and I am solid with the driver.”

Golf is a sport many past and present tennis players turn to, most ending up with low handicaps with little or no effort. After hanging up his tennis rackets, Pete Sampras winner of 14 Grand Slam titles, spent most of his spare time on the golf course and now plays off 0.5, while former US

FROM START TO FINISH, I NEVER COMPLIMENT ANYONE FOR PLAYING A GOOD SHOT Open champion Andy Roddick, who retired from tennis a decade ago, is another player who found solace on the golf course, and currently boasts a 1.5 handicap.

Golf fanatic Ivan Lendl, 58, who also encouraged his four daughters to play, now has a 2.3 handicap. Of all past tennis

champions, Lendl, who coaches world number five Alexander Zverev, has probably spent more time on golf courses than most top professional golfers. He once qualified to play on the PGA Tour, but found life too tough and gave it up. Tim Henman, on the other hand, frequently competes in pro-am charity golf events and boasts a plus-one handicap, while three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker plays off eight, in spite of recent hip and knee surgery.

Andy Murray enjoys playing golf, but in an effort to protect his back, and more recent hip surgery, doesn’t play that much. His handicap is questionable and the week before Queen’s, as members he and his brother took part in Wentworth’s Club Championship. “It was a bit of a disaster,” he joked. “Neither of us played well. On the first hole, it took me three shots to reach the middle of the fairway, but at least we had some laughs and lots of fun, even though we both ended up with scores of 101.”

Newly-crowned French Open champion Ashleigh Barty is a ten handicapper. In her match interview after winning the French Open she promised herself a few relaxing rounds at The Belfry, where relatives of her mother live.

Leading up to Wimbledon, Nadal and friends can often be seen playing Stoke Park, while nearby Royal Wimbledon is also a firm favourite with players, so don’t be surprised if you bump into him, or any number of tennis top talents, sneaking off for a quiet game of golf between matches..

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[28] JULY 2019 | INTERVIEW GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

RETURN OF A

C H A M P I O N Francesco Molinari’s superb 2018 season, the highlight of which was a brilliant victory at the Open Championship at Carnoustie, was achieved through hard work and a dedicated team of coaches who have brought out the best in their star pupil. Back to defend his title at Royal Portrush, the ultraconsistent Italian is a strong contender to win consecutive Claret Jugs

It must have been a great boost to your confidence hearing your name pre-faced with ‘Open Champion’ everywhere you’ve played over the past 11 months. How much of an impact has winning the Open has had on your career?

It has been massive. Personally, it was a huge achievement and something that I’d always dreamt of winning as a kid. It was an incredible week for me at Carnoustie. Obviously, there are lots of great memories, and it’s had a great impact on my career and my life in general. Winning the Open has given me more confidence and more belief in my abilities – although form is a transitory thing, so you can’t get carried away with it, or believe that you’re invincible.

Other than that, I certainly get recognised a lot more when I’m out and about with my family, and to play all around the world and be introduced on the tee as the ‘Open Champion’ has obviously been very nice, and it makes you stand a little bit taller every time you hear it.

■ MAJOR PLAYER: MOLINARI WILL BE HOPING TO MOUNT A STRONG DEFENCE OF THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE HE WON AT CARNOUSTIE LAST YEAR

How hard has it been to follow up such a great year?

I think the only way for me to follow up last year was to focus on my own improvements, and try not to get too outcome-focused.

We all know there are a lot of good players out there, and the margins between winning and losing are very small. Although I won the Arnold Palmer Invitational back in March, and obviously gave myself a good chance of winning the Masters, so I’ve been playing pretty well, but I need to measure myself not so much on the wins, but on how I feel on the course, how I play, and that has been the goal for the season; to try and improve what I feel like I can still improve and maintain what I was doing well last year.

How long did it take to come to terms with what happened in the final round at Augusta?

It didn’t feel like it was something I needed to recover from as such. I’ve obviously analysed what happened with the people around me, but it was pretty quick, I would say, and straightforward. I didn’t play as well as I’d hoped on the Sunday, and hit a few bad shots at the wrong times, but overall there were plenty of positives to take away from the week. Obviously the more often you get into

those kinds of positions, naturally the better you’re going to get at it, and the more relaxed you’re going to feel in those conditions. Hopefully I can be in contention many more times and get a bit of luck at the right time.

How much are you looking forward to going to Portrush to defend the Claret Jug? I’m sure it’s going to be an amazing atmosphere.

It was impressive to see how quickly all the tickets were sold initially. I remember playing there in the Irish Open tin 2012 and being paired with Darren Clarke in the first round. He had won The Open the year previously, and it was something I still remember.

So I can only imagine that The Open is going to be even bigger, especially since it has been so long since it has been held in Northern Ireland.

Defending a title is always special, but to do so a place where the tournament has not been for so long I’m sure is going to be extra special.

How are you coping with all the expectation that comes with being the defending champion?

It is always feels different when you defend any title.

But obviously in a major, the pressure is going to be

INTERVIEW | JULY 2019 [29] GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

even more, and the field is going to be the highest quality. I’ll chat to all the guys in my team around me and try and approach the week as well as possible. I’ve planned to take a couple of weeks off before to prepare as well as I can, and then I’ll give it my best possible shot.

I think the main thing for me is to really try and enjoy the week, even though it is not going to be easy. Being a competitor, I want to do well. But no matter how it goes, it might be the only time in my career that I get to defend a major title, so I need to make the most of it and enjoy the reception I get from the crowd, and just let it sink in even more.

What do you remember about the Irish Open in 2012? Does the course suit your eye?

I remember it being a fun week, especially with all the crowds and the atmosphere around the town.

To be honest, I don’t remember every hole, but I liked the general feel of the course. I remember the weather was not great that week, with the wind and the rain making for very challenging conditions.

Obviously, it’s not as flat as Carnoustie, and there are a few more elevation changes to contend with, but apart from that, it’s just a very typical links challenge. The weather is going to play a huge part.

Overall, I’m really looking forward to going back there, seeing the changes that have been made to the course, and taking it from there.

What do you think were the key factors behind your success last year and your allround improvement?

It was down to a lot of hard work over a number of years from myself, and the team around me, and eventually it all came together.

I worked out a long time ago that I needed to play to my strengths to succeed on tour. Although I’m not a short hitter off the tee, I’ve never been that long, so if you can’t be long, you need to be accurate, and have good course management. So I don’t try to hit the ball too hard. It is better for me to be further back in the fairway than further up in the rough, so I work hard on finding the right line from each tee. I try to focus on a really small target.

In golf, you need to make the margin of error as wide as you possibly can, and the best way of doing this is to aim for a specific spot, rather than a general area. Other than that, like I said, I’ve worked really hard on all aspects of my game, especially my short game, and that seems to have paid off.

You’ve definitely added some yardage to your long game. How have you achieved that, and how much has that helped you compete on the long courses you face on tour?

It’s been a combination of factors, some physical, some mental, and, of course, finding the right equipment.

Physically, I’ve been worked really hard with my strength and conditioning coach, Rob Goldup.

There’s not too much science behind it – if you want to hit it longer, you need to be stronger, so I definitely spend a lot more time in the gym than I did ten years ago. It’s about creating clubhead speed and for that you need muscles and you need flexibility. I’ve gained about 10mph in ball speed in the last couple of seasons, which has given me an extra 20 yards.

It’s also been a mental challenge, as sometimes you tighten up when your staring down at a narrow fairway with a driver in your hand, and it’s hard for your brain to let go and allow yourself to hit it as hard as you can, rather than just try and place it in the fairway. It’s about trusting your swing and your process.

Also, switching to Callaway, especially the new Epic Flash driver, has really helped. During early testing, the ball speed gains that I got from the driver were unbelievable and that has carried on through this season.

I’ve also got Odyssey’s Toulon Madison putter in the bag, which features the new Stroke Lab shaft.

It’s really stable, and I’m getting more consistency in the rhythm and the tempo of my stroke, so that’s a combination that’s going to help me make a lot

■ FRANCESCO MOLINARI HAS TURNED INTO ONE OF THE MOST CONSISTENT PERFORMERS IN WORLD GOLF

I WORKED OUT A LONG TIME AGO THAT I NEEDED TO PLAY TO MY STRENGTHS IF I WANTED TO SUCCEED ON TOUR

WHAT’S IN FRANCESCO’S BAG? DRIVER: CALLAWAY EPIC FLASH SUB ZERO (9) FAIRWAY WOOD: CALLAWAY EPIC FLASH SUB ZERO (13.5) UTILITY: X-FORGED (3) IRONS: CALLAWAY APEX 19 (4), CALLAWAY APEX MB (5-PW) WEDGES: CALLAWAY MACK DADDY 4 (50, 56, 60) PUTTER: ODYSSEY TOULON MADISON BALL: CALLAWAY CHROME SOFT X

of putts.

The switch to the Chrome Soft X golf ball was also a really easy decision. The ball speed was up with the driver, then I tested the spin off the irons, because that is a very important factor to me to keep control of the ball and keep it in the right window. The performance from tee-to-green, especially the improved feel and control, is exactly what I want, while around the greens it felt a little bit softer than my previous ball, so it was a bit of a no-brainer for me.

Your relationship with your swing coach, Denis Pugh, goes back a long way. Can you describe how he has helped you and your game?

Denis is by far the longest-serving member of my team. We started working together in 2003, when I was still only an amateur. He’s been a massive influence over those 15 years, not only on my golf game, but also as a friend. He has helped me in so many different ways. Hopefully we can carry on together until the end of my career and we can both retire happily!

As well as defending your Open title, you’ll also be back at Wentworth in September to defend the BMW PGA Championship. How proud were of your win last year, when you went up against Rory in the final round, and much are you looking forward to going back there?

The BMW PGA Championship always used to be one of my first events of the season for me in Europe, but with the tournament moving to September it will feel very different, I expect. I’ve had a few chances to win it over the years, so it was extra special to win it last year, kind of going head-to-head with Rory on Sunday. It obviously gave me a lot of confidence that then I kind of carried over in the weeks and months that followed.

Theoretically the course should be in even better condition this year after the summer. It gives the team at Wentworth more time to get it into good shape, even though they did a great job anyway in May. Hopefully it will be sunny and warm, which makes it a great day out for the crowd, as we always have an amazing turnout.

Being a Londoner now, it’s almost a home event for me. We are going to have a great field this year, and I’m really looking forward to trying to keep hold of that trophy

VIEW FROM THE COACH We ask Francesco’s coach, Denis Pugh, to give an appraisal of his star pupil “Francesco and I are a bit like an old married couple – we’ve been together 15 years and we’ve never stopped working to become better. Along the way we’ve constantly had discussions about how to take his game to the next level, whether it be putting, driving, fitness etc, but it’s not just one thing that has made him a better player, but the overall package.

Francesco has built a great team around him, and my role as swing coach is to fit in with that team, and be a complement to the work he does with Phil [Kenyon], Dave [Alred] and Rob [Goldup].

My focus over the last two years has been adding speed and distance to his long game through a combination of technique, physique and mental attitude, and its been incredible to see him find an extra 10mph of ball speed and pick up around 20 yards in distance. He’s still down the stats in overall distance [121st on the PGA Tour at 290 yards], but he’s up inside the top 30 for fairways in regulation, so he’s more often than not playing from the short stuff rather than the rough, which helps his control with shots into the green. He’s also really upped his bunker play and is second in sand save percentages.

We’re not a goal-setting team, we’re a performance-led team, so our goals are only related to performance, not results. That makes it easier to know who’s doing a good job.

Francesco has always been a really hard worker, and never been afraid to change things, which, as a coach, makes my life so much easier.

I’d always fancied he’d win a major, but, to be honest, I thought it would more likely be a US Open or a PGA, as they are generally set up on tight, demanding courses, where level par is a good score, so it was a surprise that he made his major breakthrough at the Open, but, then again, Carnoustie is one of the tightest of courses on the rota, so it’s perhaps not so surprising."

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■ THE CLARET JUG IS MAKING A LONG OVERDUE RETURN TO NORTHERN IRELAND

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ROYAL

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U

hile only the oldest of golf fans with the longest of memories will remember much about Max Faulkner’s dramatic triumph over the famous Dunluce links at Royal Portrush Golf Club in 1951, a whole new generation of golf’s top talent will be hoping to make their own mark in history when the game’s oldest Major returns to the venerable north Antrim venue later this month.

From July 18-21, the Dunluce course will be at the centre of the global sporting spotlight when 156 of the game’s best players compete for the iconic Claret Jug. Over 210,000 people are expected through the gates to see the action unfold first hand, in what is the first all-ticketed event in the tournament’s history, while TV pictures will be beamed into over 600 million households around the world.

Portrush’s long overdue return to the Open rota was achieved with no shortage of political and sporting will.

With Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster putting her weight behind the bid, while the collective clout of Major champions Graeme McDowell, Darren Clarke and Rory McIlroy, all of whom have connections to the club and the region, and have been singing the course’s praises high and wide for the last five years or more. However, the real driving force behind bringing back the Open to Portrush was Wilma Erskine, the longserving general manager of Royal Portrush, who will stand down after the tournament after achieving her lifetime’s ambition.

“Hosting The Open is not just for the golf club, not just for Portrush, it’s for Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland,” she says. “The work they have done here means they have a plug-in Open Championship – that’s an investment for the future, and the idea is to have three Opens within a 20-year time-frame.”

The course that Faulkner and his rivals faced all those years ago will look significantly different for today’s championship contenders, with the Dunluce undergoing a significant redesign in order to cope with the huge infrastructure required to accommodate a modern Open Championship.

Tom McKenzie and Martin Ebert, the R&A’s go-to architects when it comes to Major venue renovations, were brought into to oversee the changes, which required the complete removal the course’s 17th and 18th holes – which were conveniently regarded as the weakest holes on the card – to make way for the tented village; while two new holes, the par-five 7th and par-four 8th, were added from lower lying ground on Portrush’s Valley course.

The famous ‘Big Nellie’ bunker that was towering presence on the old 17th has been replicated and built into the high dune that runs along the right of the new par-five seventh, which measures 592 yards from the back tees. It has been designed to promote an aggressive strategy for the tee shot and a second shot to leave the shortest and easiest approach to the right part of a green that has four quadrants falling-off on all sides.

With Portrush boasting the lowest number of bunkers on the Open circuit – 59 – the test is not so much about avoiding the sand, which is a given on all classic links, but more about finding the fairways. With only three of the par fours offering straight shots to the green from the tee, navigating your way around the copious number of doglegs will be key to scoring well on a course that relies on the wind, as much as its design, to test player’s shotmaking skills. Distance control with short irons will also

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With 68 years having passsed since the last staging of The Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club, the scene is set for a battle royale at the final Major of the season

■ ALL EYES WILL BE ON RORY MCILROY WHEN HE TEES OFF AT PORTRUSH ON JULY 18

RORY'S READY TO RESTART HIS MAJOR CAREER With his last major triumph coming at the PGA Championship in 2014, the pressure is building on Rory McIlroy to move his record in golf’s biggest events on from its current tally of four.

And there would be no better place to do it than in virtually his own back yard at Royal Portrush

be high up on the list of talents required of the winner, with the green complexes featuring numerous run-offs, while bumps, hollows, swales and banks abound. The bump-and-run will be a popular method of reaching pins, rather than lofted wedges, while putting from off the green will also be a common sight throughout the week.

As ever on a fast-running links course, the winner of the Open will also require their fair share of luck with the bounce – and the draw – but whoever lifts the Claret Jug on Sunday night will more than likely have done so on merit.

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WITH HOME SUPPORT AND GREAT COURSE KNOWLEDGE, MCILROY IS WELL PLACED TO GET HIS MAJOR CAREER BACK ON TRACK

TIPS FOR CLARET JUG GLORY

Although Portrush hosted the Irish Open in 2012 ­– which was won by Jamie Donaldson – there is little recent championship course form to go on, it so may pay to side with those that are coming into the tournament with Major momentum, and for that you don’t need to look much further than world No.1 Brooks Koepka.

After finishing first or second in four of the last five majors, it’s no surprise that Kopeka is strongly fancied to lift his first Claret Jug, and add to his major haul, with victory at Royal Portrush. The 29-year-old American also has boasts two top-ten finishes at the Open in his last three appearances, and his caddie, Ricky Elliott, grew up in the town of Portrush, so he also has more than his fair share of local knowledge on his side.

If it local knowledge that floats your betting boat, then Rory McIlroy has it spades, and the man who shot 61 around Portrush as a 16-year-old boy is well placed to bring an end to the barren run in the majors that stretches all the way back to his US PGA triumph in 2014.

With the packed galleries sure to be offering vociferous support, McIlroy will have to keep his emotions in check if he is to do himself justice on home turf, but he certainly has the form to win here, judging by his storming victory at last month’s Canadian Open, and having made several visits to the course as part of the R&A’s PR drive for the tournament, he will be more than familiar with the demands of the course that he knows like the back of his hand.

Tiger Woods will arrive at Portrush fresh from a monthlong lay off following his tied 21st finish at Pebble Beach, where he couldn’t buy a putt. The 43-year-old, like virtually all of the US contingent, will have no course knowledge to fall back on, but he is said to be arriving at Portrush earlier than he normally would for an Open in order to prepare for his bid for a fourth Open title, which is good news for fans who’ve only managed to get tickets for the practice days.

Reigning Open champion Francesco Molinari will be a popular choice among bettors, with his slow and steady methodology ideally suited to Portrush’s twists and turns, while Justin Rose will hopefully have put the disappointment of his final day at Pebble Beach behind him as he bids to get his Major career back on track.

■ THE PAR-4 15TH OFFERS A GOOD CHANCE OF A BIRDIE BEFORE THE TOUGH CLOSING STRETCH

BETTING ODDS 7 BROOKS KOEPKA; 8 MCILROY; 9 WOODS; 12 JOHNSON; 14 ROSE; 16 SPIETH, RAHM; 18 MOLINARI; 20 THOMAS, FOWLER; 22 FLEETWOOD, SCHAUFFELE, DAY; 25 STENSON, CANTLAY; 25 OOSTHUIZEN; 33 GARCIA, DECHAMBEAU, CASEY, MATSUYAMA; 35 KUCHAR, SCOTT, MCDOWELL; 40 FINAU, LEISHMAN, REED, MICKELSON, WALLACE, KAYMER; 50 WOODLAND, SIMPSON, LOWRY, CABRERA BELLO, FITZPATRICK, WESTWOOD; 66 HATTON, POULTER. 80-1 OR MORE THE FIELD.

o-one will be feeling the pressure to perform at the 148th Open Championship MORE than Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland’s favorite golfing son, who returns to his homeland this month in a bid to secure his second Claret Jug, and his first major title in almost five years.

As each day slips by ahead of the opening round on July 18, McIlroy’s focus has been narrowing down on what he has to do to put together four good rounds around the testing Dunluce links at Royal Portrush and hopefully lift the Claret Jug in front of his adoring fans.

“I haven’t tried to hide the fact that I’m basically playing a Major championship at home,” says the man in question. “I didn’t know if I’d ever have an opportunity to do that, so for it to come around so soon is a dream come true. I have to go out with a good mindset and obviously try not to let the occasion get the better of me. Hopefully I can produce some good golf and give myself a chance.”

Although he controversially opted not to play in the Irish Open at Lahinch, playing instead at the Scottish Open, the 30-year-old says he will use his past experiences of competing in the Irish Open to adjust to the task ahead and that he plans to take a more selfish approach in his bid for Claret Jug glory.

“Golf is a selfish sport, and you want to win for yourself," he says. "You want to have that under your belt, and everything else is just a by-product of that.

If you really harness that support you’re getting, and use it to your advantage and not feel like it’s a burden, then it can only help.”

He adds: “I’ve been fortunate enough to win an Open Championship before, and I’d dearly love to win another one. It will obviously make it more special if I could win at Portrush, but I just have to treat it like every other Open Championship that I’ve played the last few years.”

Of the added pressure of trying to win on home turf, McIlroy adds: “It’s definitely a situation that’s happened to me in the Irish Open before, and you have to realise that as much as you want to win for other people, the number one thing is you want to win for yourself. It took me a few years playing Irish Opens to realise that.”

Since winning the Claret Jug at Royal Birkdale, McIlroy – who missed the defence of his title in 2015 when sustaining an ankle injury playing football – has contended in subsequent years: fifth in 2016, fourth in 2017 and runner-up last year. This season has yielded ten top-10s in 12 appearances on tour, among them two wins – The Players and the RBC Canadian Open. A tied-ninth in the US Open at Pebble Beach gave him a second top-10 in this year’s Majors, to go with his tied-eighth at the US PGA, also gives rise to the fact that he has become a more consistent player, in all forms of the game, which he puts down to a change in mindset.

“I’ve really made an effort to focus on my attitude on and off the golf course,” he says. “It’s about having a little more perspective in my life and around the game, and knowing that golf isn’t the only thing that defines me. So I try to treat the wins and losses sort of the same, and take the positives from every week. I think that the consistent golf that I’ve shown this year, has a lot to do with that attitude.”

McIlroy certainly won’t lack for positive vibes when he stands on the first tee on Thursday in front of what is a sellout crowd for all four days – but whether he’ll have the luck of the Irish on his side remains to be seen.

[32] JULY 2019

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STORY BEHIND THE PIC MAX FAULKNER, ROYAL PORTRUSH • OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP, JULY 6, 1951

W

ith the Open Championship’s return to Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland just days away, it seems only fitting that the exploits of one of England’s finest post-war golfers, Max Faulkner, whose name is inextricably linked with the famous links venue, should be remembered.

A notoriously flamboyant figure, with a penchant for wearing salmon pink plus fours and dragging on a cigarette mid-round, Faulkner arrived at Portrush with just four previous major appearances to his name. But having finished sixth in the Open in 1949, and fifth in 1950, he was certainly one of the leading fancies, with his chance improved by his liking for the Dunluce Links, where he had twice finished runner up in the Irish Open.

The Sussex man opened with solid rounds of 71 and 70 to claim the halfway lead, and was four strokes clear of the field when he reached the 16th hole during the third round. After hooking his tee shot on that hole within a few inches of the out-of-bounds fence, Faulkner was faced with either chipping the ball sideways safely back onto the fairway, and probably accept a bogey, or taking a swipe with a wood, starting the ball out of bounds, and hoping to fade it back into play. Reaching for his three-wood, Faulkner lashed the ball over the fence and, as the gallery watched spellbound, it dutifully turned right, right and right again as it crossed the fence and bounded up the fairway on to the green. It was a shot that only a character like Faulkner would have dared play, and caused his playing partner, America’s Frank Stranahan, to call it the greatest shot he’d ever seen.

Round in 70, Faulkner started the final 18 holes with a six-stroke lead, and looked sure to win by a wide margin, but Argentina’s Antonio Cerda emerged from the pack to lay down the gauntlet, and approached Portrush’s last five

THE GALLERY WATCHED SPELLBOUND AS THE BALL TURNED RIGHT AND RIGHT AGAIN AND BOUNDED UP THE FAIRWAY ON TO THE GREEN holes needing one more birdie to tie. Thankfully for Faulkner, Cerda’s challenge faded over that testing stretch, and the 34-year-old from Bexhill able to coast home by two shots with a closing 74.

“It was all I ever wanted,” Faulkner said later. “The Open

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meant everything to me. When I was handed the trophy, I looked at the names on it – Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, Henry Cotton – and thought ‘Wow!’ In fact, it meant so much that one victory sapped my will. I remember I had a putt at the second hole of the first round at Lytham the following year, from about four feet, which I managed to miss and my immediate thought was: ‘That’s it, I’ll never win the Open again’.”

He never did, although he managed 16 other professional victories, including three Spanish Opens, and won the Portuguese Open at the age of 52 – a pre-European Tour record that still stands today. He also represented Great Britain & Ireland in five Ryder Cups, including the famous 1957 victory at Lindrick.

A popular figure on the charity golf circuit during and after his professional career, Faulkner possessed a wicked sense of humour. When presented with first prize at a small local tournament, he is reported to have said ‘Ladies and gentleman, big prize, big speech, small prize, small speech. I thank you’, and then walked off the stage.

Faulkner grew up in Bexhill in East Sussex and learnt to play golf on the course at nearby Selsey, which was owned by his father, who was also the club professional.

Golf flows through the family, as his son-in-law is former tour professional Brian Barnes. The pair later went on to create West Chiltington Golf Club in West Sussex, which was designed by Barnes. Well into his 80s, Faulkner was often able knock it around the course in par.

He died in 2005, aged 88, having been awarded the OBE just five years earlier in recognition of his services to golf. It was the very least he deserved for a lifetime spent entertaining golf fans and encouraging future generations to take up the game for which he had a such a passion.

INTERVIEW | JULY 2019

[33]

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ICEMAN ON THE PROWL Two years after winning the Open Championship in a thrilling showdown at Troon, 43-year-old Henrik Stenson is hoping that his magic links touch returns when he tees it up at Portrush for his 15th appearance in golf’s oldest major It’s been two years since your incredible win at the Open at Troon. What is your abiding memory of that week, and, of course, the final round in what was a virtual match against Phil Mickelson?

I remember feeling very calm all week, very focused. My preparation was great before the Scottish Open the week before: I got to look at Troon and played it a few times, so I had a good plan on how to play my way around the course.

My game was in good shape, too. I came off an important win a couple of weeks earlier at the BMW International Open in Germany, which was my first win for a couple of years. That was a big confidence booster for me.

Looking back now, the picture I have in my mind is holding the Claret Jug on the 18th green after the presentation. The champion always gets his photo taken in front of the press, and I was sitting down in one of the bunkers around the green. I was an image that I’d seen so many times before when I watched the Open on TV as a kid, with the winner hoisting the Claret Jug up into the air, and receiving the appreciation from the fans. I could see that so clearly when it was finally my turn to do that. It was a very proud moment.

At what point did you think that it was yours to lose?

When I made that huge 51-feet putt from the fringe on the 15th hole. I had just birdied the 14th to move one ahead of Phil – and then I made this absolute bomb from the edge of the green all the way across. I think he realised at that time he was in pretty big trouble. It gave me a two-shot lead with three holes to go – it was still not over, but that was really the moment that edged me ahead and gave me a comfortable lead coming into the final holes. I didn’t know that I broke the tournament record with that birdie on the 18th. To be fair, I was as much in the zone as I’ve ever been playing those last five holes. I made four birdies in the last five and I didn’t even

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know what score I was on. I just played each shot as its own How do you rate your chances at Portrush this year?

I wouldn’t say I’m quite up to the standard of 2013 or 2016, but my game is in decent shape and I’m not far away. I have had some really solid tournaments over the first part of 2019 – and coming off a top-tens at the Canadian Open and the US Open, and I feel like I’ve done a lot of good stuff. It might just be that little extra 10-15% that needs to click in and then I hope I’ll be able to challenge at The Open.

You’ve obviously had some injury problems last year, and were out for a while before the Ryder Cup. How are you holding up physically these days?

I’m feeling pretty good. I took some time off with my elbow and that feels better. It’s close to a hundred per cent, so it’s not bothering me playing or practicing golf, which is good, so I think we can hopefully leave that behind us.

How have you found the switch to the major schedule, with them coming in quick succession from April to July?

I think it has worked out great, but there were some tournaments that I would have played in the past that have now been taken off my schedule. The main difference is that I have played in the US from February right the way through to the US Open. It’s been a pretty hectic schedule over the last three or four months.

What are your thoughts on the new rules?

I think, in general, the changes have been good for the professional game. Of course, in the beginning it was a bit of a steep learning curve for everyone, and we all needed a bit of time get to know the correct ways of dropping and how to address certain situations out on the golf course, but

it soon became second nature. The game is constantly in development, so it’s no different with the rules.

You put Callaway’s new Epic Flash driver in the bag this season. How has that been performing for you?

Yes, I did some testing in November in Dubai and the driver felt good and I got some good numbers. Callaway’s tour team built up some drivers for me, and it’s been in the bag all season. I’m happy with the way it performs, looks and feels. I also tried the Epic Flash 3-wood, and it goes further than my Diablo, no question, but for me it’s more about having that feeling of trust, that when you’re standing on the 72nd tee and you need to hit a fairway, if you’ve got a club that you really like, sometimes it’s hard to change it. I’ve had the Diablo for nine years now, so it’s been a good friend to me. I’ve also got a Rogue 4-wood, because my 3-wood is 13 degrees, so I have a good gap down to my irons.

My Callaway Legacy Black irons are also an older model.

They were only sold in Japan and Germany or something like that, so there are not too many of those around.

I’ve got four Callaway Mack Daddy wedges now, as I had a change in my setup in August last year. The biggest changes were the pitching wedge and 4/5 iron. So my 4-iron is really kind of in-between 3 and 4, so it’s a weak 3 or strong 4.

Putter-wise I’ve got an old Odyssey Fang White Hot #7. I like a thick leading topline, and I’ve got the lines on the Fang, so I find it pretty easy to line up with. The one I used to win The Open with is happily retired in my office!

You’ll be 44 by the time the next Ryder Cup comes around.

Do you think you’ve got one more left in you?

As long as I’m playing decent golf, and I’m up there on the points list, I’d like to think I can bring something to the team.

I’d rather not have to rely on a wildcard, as I did in Paris, but I got three points from my three matches, so I like to think that I justified my place in the team. The next one is obviously a long way off, but I’ll certainly be giving it my full attention.

The Ryder Cup has given me some of my most cherished moments on and off the golf course.

[34] JULY 2019 | NEWS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

Foxhills to host

Speedgolf Championships Foxhills Club & Resort in Surrey is to host the 2019 British Open Speedgolf Championships.

The fast-growing sport, which combines the number of shots with the time it takes to complete the round for a final score, will see competitors pick up the pace round the venue’s Longcross course on July 28 as the contenders battle it out for the titles.

Champions will be crowned in the elite, amateur and women’s categories, with Chris Benians defending his men’s title after claiming the honours at Piltdown Golf Club last year. His round of 80, completed in just 43 minutes and 41 seconds, gave him the winning speedgolf total of 123.41, while ladies champion Liz McKinnon shot 76 in 50.41 minutes for a speedgolf score of 126.41.

But with the world speedgolf champion, Finland’s Mikko Rantanen, in the field alongside the best of New Zealand, France, Germany and USA, the home contingent will face a

stern challenge to get among the medals this year.

Chris Fitt, director of golf and leisure at Foxhills, said: “At Foxhills, we like to embrace the modern and exciting developments throughout the game and speedgolf is definitely a growing sport in its own right. It’s a fun and exciting take on the sport but these are serious athletes and exceptional golfers. It will be amazing to see some of the best in the world of speedgolf tackle our Longcross course.”

Pam Painter, co-founder of British Speedgolf, said: “Speedgolf introduces a greater fitness element to golf and many have found it enhances their golf performance, particularly those with a tendency to over-think their game GOLFNEWS.CO.UK or take too many practice swings.”

For more details about Speedgolf, and how to register to compete at this year’s championship event, visit www. britishspeedgolf.co.uk.

Oxford launches junior scholarship Oxford Golf Club has launched a junior scholarship to support the next generation of golfers into the sport.

The club’s captains, Craig Hancock and Debbie Roberts, have joined forces with head professional Joe Pepperell and assistant professional Martin Woodbridge to form the junior scholarship programme.

Traditionally, the club’s captains select a charity to support every year. However, this year they have decided to channel their fundraising activity into creating and supporting the junior scholarship as a legacy project.

Four boys and two girls have already been awarded scholarships from the club’s membership for the first year, based on

individual merit. The scholars will receive full membership, with access to the 18-hole course, and receive group coaching sessions and ten individual tutorials with Joe and Martin. The scholars will also receive professional coaching at the club’s new short game academy, which opens next month.

Chris Hancock, Oxford’s men’s captain, said: “It is a fantastic honour to launch the junior scholarship programme. So many of our members grew up playing here and have enjoyed the health benefits of the sport, and it’s important we inspire more youngsters to take up golf. I’m sure the junior scholars will develop both as golfers and as people and become positive role models for other youngsters.”

Raitt wins Southern Open at Dale Hill In an exciting finish on the Ian Woosnam Course at Dale Hill Hotel & Golf Club, Andy Raitt birdied the 36th hole to secure a one-stroke victory in the PGA Southern Open Championship supported

by CK Group.

The victory earned the St George’s Hill pro a winner s cheque for £2,000 provided by CK Group, whose long-term PGA supporter and current club captain at Dale Hill, Ian Pether, was on hand to make the trophy presentation.

Raitt’s rounds of 65 and 67 for an eightunder-par total of 132 edged Peter TarverJones (West Hove) and PGA Cup qualifier

Jordan Godwin (Barnehurst) into the runners-up spot.

After winning the first Virgin Atlantic PGA South Order of Merit event of the season on home soil, a delighted Raitt said: “On Monday, Jordan beat me on the 20th in the Keith MacDonald Match Play to reach the last 16, so this win was pretty sweet!

I’m turning 50, so this year’s something of a milestone and marking it with another Order of Merit win is very satisfying.”

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With par of 72 and 6485 yards off the back tees, the course has no temporary tees or greens and is playable all year round. In addition to the fine course, there are comprehensive practice facilities, including a full length driving range with practice bunker, a practice putting green and chipping area and indoor practice nets.

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Hampshire’s Alan Mew won the Irish Seniors’ Open when he completed a wire-to-wire success at Belvoir Park in Belfast.

The 66-year-old England senior international from Stoneham Golf Club was three under par for the 54-hole event, and won by three shots from Wales’s Nigel Evans.

An opening six-under-par 65 put Mew in pole position from the start, and he added rounds of 73 and 72 to cruise home in style.

Three shots clear setting out on his final round, Mew’s lead had increased to five by the turn. Evans got within three when Mew bogeyed the 13th, but the leader eased any nerves with a birdie at the next hole.

Mew purrs home at Irish seniors

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Dixon wins Europro tour play-off at Harleyford David Dixon won The Matchroom Sport Championship down at Harleyford Golf Club in Marlow after a three-man playoff on the eighteenth hole.

With the leaders chopping and changing throughout the day it ended up being a straight three-way shootout between Seve Benson, Wentworth Club, David Dixon of Enmore Park Golf Club, and Dave Coupland of Woodhall Spa Golf Club.

All three ended their final rounds thirteen under leading to the play-off where on the 18th hole it was Dixon who reigned victorious in his first event back on the PGA EuroPro Tour since 2017.

An unblemished final round of three birdies and an eagle on the fifth put him in the position for the play-off. When it came to the play-off, Dixon birdied the par 4 18th to win with Coupland and Benson only able to par their finish. It was a consistent week for him overall with rounds of 70, 66 and 67.

It was Dixon’s first appearance on the tour in a couple of years and after recently playing in the British Masters he said playing at Harleyford was the next big focus and it clearly paid off.

Battling Burnage bags St Andrews links trophy

England international Jake Burnage claimed the biggest win of his career with a one-shot victory in the St Andrews Links Trophy.

The Devonshire player came out on top after a hard-fought final round, coming from three shots back to win the championship on 20 under par.

He pipped long-time leader Matty Lamb by a stroke after playing the back nine of the Old Course at St Andrews in three under par.

Lamb made most of the early running in the 72hole event, scoring a bogey-free 64 on the Jubilee course in the first round and following up with 63 and 69 on the Old to be 20 under par after three rounds. Burnage, meanwhile, was making his way steadily up the leaderboard, opening with 69, and adding rounds of 64, 66 to be three shots back with 18 holes to play.

The two rivals, who were well apart from the rest of the field, were still separated by three shots after nine holes of the final round. But then Burnage made his move, with the long 14th proving to be the decider, where the Devon man holed a 12 foot putt for eagle, while Lamb bogeyed the hole for a three shot swing.

“This is one of the majors of amateur golf, so it’s a fantastic win,” said 23-year-old Burnage, who has given his hopes of making the GB&I Walker Cup team a huge boost. “You can’t take anything for granted, but by winning one of the big events on a links course, I would like to think I’ve given myself a real chance of selection.”

Burnage came into the event in confident mood, having found form at the Brabazon Trophy at Alwoodley, where he propelled himself from 120th after the first round into a top-20 finish. “That was huge, and showed that I can turn it around when I need to,” he said.

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Greenfield’s late birdie bonanza secures Senior Stroke Play title Sussex’s Aileen Greenfield won the English Senior Women’s Stroke Play after finishing with a string of late birdies at St Enodoc in Cornwall.

Greenfield, from Pyecombe, came from a shot behind to beat Jackie Foster (Bishops Stortford), ahead of a three-way tie for third.

The new champion who finished on 10 over par, who was runner up in 2015 and 2016, went one better after picking up vital shots in the closing stages.

After opening up with rounds of 78 and 75, Greenfield trailed Foster, a twotime winner, by a single shot going into the final round.

And after two holes had dropped three further back. At the turn, Foster was still three shots clear, but it all changed on the back nine. Greenfield came home in two under par, with three birdies in

Wentworth Club is currently looking for knowledgeable and experienced caddies for a selection of prestigious golf days across Summer 2019. the last four holes for a closing 76, while Foster struggled back in six-over and signed for an 82.

In taking the title, Greenfield added to the English Senior Women’s Amateur which she won last year. “I’m absolutely over the moon,” she said.

“I didn’t look at the scoreboard. I was playing with Jackie, but I hadn’t a clue about the scores – I’d just have got too excited otherwise. It was just a game of patience. The front nine was playing a lot harder than the back, and I got though those holes trying to do no worse than a bogey, and then I hoped to get the birdies later on.”

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SADDLE After winning a WGC event in 2015, and finishing runner-up in the 2016 US Open, Shane Lowry looked to have the world at his feet. But following a move to America, he found life tough on the PGA Tour, and it has taken the talented Irishman almost three years, and a return to the European Tour, to rediscover his best form Words by Nick Bayly

L

ike so many top European players before him, it was inevitable that rising Irish star Shane Lowry would jump ship to America as soon as he had sniffed the sweet smell of real money that came with victory at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in 2015.

With a PGA Tour card in his back pocket, the then 27year-old from County Offaly wasted no time in packing his bags and heading out to the wild west in search of gold and world ranking points. After six seasons on the European Tour, Lowry was looking for a new challenge. And the PGA Tour was just that.

And the gamble, such that it was, initially looked to have been a good one, especially when the following season he lead the US Open at Oakmont by four shots after 54 holes, and appeared to be heading for his first major title. But the history books show that it was Dustin Johnson who lifted the trophy, while Lowry crumbled under the intense pressure, closing with a 76, which dropped him into a share of second.

That experience left a heavy scar on Lowry, and his subsequent form on the PGA Tour took a nosedive, with just one top-10 finish between then and the end of the 2018 season, which led to him finishing 138th on the money list and losing his card last September. Like many before him, trying to fight battles on two fronts, the PGA Tour and the European Tour, proved too much, and, like all good tacticians, he knew that he needed to regroup in more favourable surroundings if he was to get his career back on track.

“I feel like the last couple of years have been quite stale, going to the States, messing about with my schedule, playing too much golf and travelling too much,” he admits. “For me to keep my card on both tours last season was very difficult. I think I played 18 events in America last year. But I’m not making excuses – that still provided plenty of opportunities for me to keep my card. It’s been

an eighth place at the PGA Championship and runner-up finish very hard on me these last few years, and I feel like that has been behind Rory McIlroy at last month's Candaian Open. All of which my downfall, to be honest. I have been travelling too much, and has taken him into a strong position for a tilt at the Ryder Cup I have not seen enough of my wife and daughter, so something team in 2020, which will be captained by Padraig Harrington. had to give.”

“I feel good about my game,” he says. “I’m now closing in on With his focus now back in Europe, Lowry ended last season the top 30, and in all the big events, so everything and anything with good chances to win in Spain and Portugal, and, after a is possible. My main mid-term goal is to make the next Ryder Cup relaxing six-week break over Christmas with family, came out team, so I need to get on Padraig’s radar. I really enjoyed watching all guns blazing at the first Rolex Series event of the year at the our boys beat the Americans in Paris, but I will be Abu Dhabi Golf Championship. Firing a course doing everything I can to make it next time, and I’d record-equalling 62 in the first round, he WHAT’S IN love to play under Padraig’s captaincy.” charged to the top of the leaderboard. And, after SHANE’S BAG? Like all the other Irish players on tour, Lowry is adding rounds of 70 and 67, he entered the final DRIVER: CALLAWAY EPIC also delighted that the Open will be returning to day leading by three shots and all set for a long FLASH SUB ZERO his homeland in the summer, by which time he’ll overdue return to the winner’s circle. have just turned 32. “I love Portrush,” he says. “I But Lowry hadn’t accounted for Richard FAIRWAY WOOD: TAYLORMADE M4 won the North of Ireland Championship there in Sterne, whose blistering front nine of 31, 2008, so I’ve had a bit of success there already. compared to Lowry’s own lacklustre 37, saw the IRONS: SRIXON Z585 (4I’m sure GMac [Graeme McDowell] is very excited South African lead by four with just seven holes 5), SRIXON Z785 (6-9) about the prospect of playing an Open in his to play. But Lowry is nothing if not a fighter, and WEDGES: CLEVELAND hometown. It’s something he probably thought helped by Sterne’s stumble on the back nine, the RTX-4 (46˚, 50˚, 54˚, 58˚) would never happen. It’ll be an exciting build-up, Irishman produced three birdies over the last PUTTER: ODYSSEY that’s for sure, and it’s going to be massive for Irish holes, including a vital one at the last, to clinch O-WORKS RED 2BALL golf, and Ireland as a whole.” victory by the minimum margin.

While a serious competitor out on the golf It was, not surprisingly, an emotional win for BALL: SRIXON 2019 course, Lowry is keen to let off steam when he’s Lowry, who, in true Celtic fashion, said it was one Z-STAR XV away form the pressures of the game, and is widely that he would ‘celebrate to full’. “I’m going to known for his liking for a glass or two of Ireland’s most popular really enjoy this one, because you just don’t know when it’s export when it comes to celebrating a good week’s work. “Good going to happen again,” he commented as he lifted his first days are pretty rare in this game for most of us, so when you have trophy in four years. those good days you’ve got to enjoy them,” he admits. “I count With his confidence sky high, Lowry has wasted no time myself lucky as a golfer, in that most of the time I can get straight in rebulding his world ranking, which had lipped from a back on the horse, so to speak, after a bad tournament. I very high of 21 in 2015, to a low of 92 last summer. Moving up much take the view that if you fall off the horse, you get up, dust to 41 following his win in Abu Dhabi, he's currently ranked yourself off, and get going again."

35, following a string of top tens in America, including

SHANE’S STATS Age: 32 Lives: Dublin, Ireland Turned pro: 2009 World Ranking: 35 2019 Race to Dubai Ranking: 3rd Tournaments: 265 Wins: 4

Top 10s: 43 Prize Money: €12.7m Stroke Average: 70.58 Driving distance: 291 yards Driving accuracy: 65% Av.putts per round: 30.3

NEWS | JULY 2019 [39] GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

JULY 2019 | WWW.GOLFNEWS.CO.UK/EQUIPMENT

BIRDIE MACHINES HIGH PERFORMANCE PUTTERS

CALIFORNIA COOL

7 reasons why you should be wearing TravisMathew

ON TEST

Bushnell’s hybrid rangefinder hits the target

STROKE SAVERS Why everyone’s hot on Odyssey's Stroke Lab putters

PRO SHOP

New blades from Ping + Titleist's TS1 driver

[40] JULY 2019 | NEWS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

EQUIPMENT NEWS

PING PLAYS A PATIENT GAME WITH G410 LST When Ping launched the G410 range earlier this year there was an obvious gap in the line up, with no G410 LST driver available. The reason was that the G400 LST had been such a success, that Ping’s engineers found it hard to improve upon.

“It took us a little longer than planned, but that was only because our first iteration didn’t out-perform the G400 LST,” said John K. Solheim, Ping’s president. “We re-worked the design to meet our performance improvement standards and are excited to get the G410 LST driver into golfer’s hands.”

The centre of gravity position is slightly forward of the G410 Plus in all three positions (draw, neutral, fade), cutting spin by around 200-400 rpm, depending on shaft choice and the player, while each adjustable weight position influences left or right shot direction by approximately 10 yards.

Featuring a 450cc head, the G410 LST is smaller than the G410 Plus and features a more rounded, pear-shaped design. The ‘Tour Square’ face sits slightly open and Turbulators again help increase swing speed by improving the aerodynamics. At address you would be hard pressed to spot the difference, but from a fitting perspective Ping now has every golfer covered within its range of drivers.

TESTED

Bushnell Hybrid Dan Owen assesses the benefits of having a distance measuring device that offers both laser rangefinder and GPS capabilities

STABILITY SHAFT OFFERS TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGH

There’s a war in golf, with the battle taking place on your wrists and from your golf bags, with the victor becoming the golfer’s pocket caddy. On one side are laser rangefinders, on the other, GPS devices. Both are great ways to help you plot your way around the golf course, but both come with own foibles and hangups.

Lasers can be cumbersome and fiddly, especially if you have unsteady hands, and can only measure what they see, while GPS devices can’t nail down those pins with 100% accuracy.

Step forward the Bushnell Hybrid. Two devices in one, the Hybrid is a typically fantastic Bushnell laser rangefinder, offering the same Jolt technology featured models in the range that help lock on to targets. They dominate the market, and if you never had need for the GPS, you’d be very happy with your purchase purely as a laser.

And then there is the in-built GPS. Giving at-a-glance measurements to the front, middle and back of the green on the side of the device. But it gets even better, as when you look through the sight for the laser, as well as giving measurements you’ve pinpointed, it also gives GPS front and back yardages to the green. We really liked this, as you’ve then got a reference point if you’re in two minds that you’ve zapped the correct yardage, and not the tree behind the green a further 50 yards on.

Because it’s two devices, it has two batteries. The laser battery will be good for at least a season, but the GPS battery will need to be recharged after every use. While a little annoying, at least this means that even if you’ve forgotten to charge it, the device will work perfectly as a laser range finder.

And if you want even more hole info, there is a Bushnell GPS phone app that can be used in combination to get hole flyovers and aerial views to find those hidden bunkers. As someone who prefers GPS to range finders, I really appreciate the combination of the two technologies. Front, middle and back info is sufficient for most golfers, most of the time, but the versatility of having the laser can really help when second guessing yourself, especially on courses with large greens and when you’re trying to work out how far you need to carry the ball to miss trouble. While it’s not cheap, it’s great value for what is essentially two products. RRP: £399, bushnellgolf.com

For years, putter technology has revolved around the face.

From inserts, milling and face grooves, it feels like we’re getting to the end of the line with improvements that can be made purely through face technology. So engineers and manufacturers have been looking into ways to improve your stroke, rather than just the point of contact with the ball.

Breakthrough Golf Technologies has developed the Stability Shaft.

Featuring a team of engineers formerly involved with Adams Golf and Yes Putters, the Stability Shaft features a graphite and metal design that, on the surface, is similar to the Stroke Lab by Odyssey. But rather than be used to relocate the balance point, the stability shaft is just as heavy as a typical steel shaft.

The shaft takes all flex out of the equation, something that has been even more noticeable with modern heavier, high-MOI putter heads, and

TOP BRANDS SNAP UP AMATEUR TALENTS It’s that time of year when some of the world’s top amateurs decide to quit the amateur ranks and join the pros with a quick dash to try and secure a tour card off the back of sponsors invites.

TaylorMade has signed Matthew Wolff, the reigning NCAA Champion, who has a season’s scoring average of 68.7. Recognised as the top college player in the US, Wolff has signed a full bag deal and will also play the

brand's TP5X ball.

Off the back of a 12th place finish at the US Open, Ping has signed Viktor Hovland, the world’s top amateur to a club contract. Earlier this year, Hovland was the low amateur at The Masters, and in bagging the same prize at Pebble Beach, he became the first player to achieve this at both events in 20 years.

With Ping founder Karsten Solheim hailing from Norway, the signing is an important

one for the brand. “Viktor’s connection to Norway makes the relationship even more special,” explained John K Solheim. “I know my grandfather would be honoured to have a Norwegian golfer of Viktor’s character and talent representing Ping.”

Hovland has 11 Ping clubs in his bag, including the G410 LST driver, which he used to top the ‘strokes gained off the tee’ stats by nearly two shots at the US Open.

is designed to return the putter face square more often.

The shaft has already been seen on the PGA Tour, and. unlike the Stroke Lab shaft. it can be added to almost any putter. At £195, it’s not cheap, but you can save more strokes on the green with a putter than you ever will a £500 driver.

For details, email info@ottgolf.com.

EQUIPMENT & NEWS GEAR | JULY MAY 2019

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GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

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QUALITY

TravisMathew uses the highest quality materials, and for that reason they have chosen Peruvian Pima cotton.

An innovative combination of cotton and polyester means that this is a lifestyle performance fabric that works both on and off the golf course. This unique blend distinguishes itself from other fabrics through its undeniable quality, premium finish and great hand feel. You know what they say, once you go Peruvian you never go back…

ON AND OFF THE COURSE

TravisMathew was conceived in Southern California by a group of friends who sought to break away from the ostentatious, bright, nylon ‘golf uniform’. They wanted to create a product that would look equally good away from the course as well as on it. TravisMathew’s President, Ryan Ellis, maintains that “we did more than bringing athleisure; we brought style to guys that were craving it”. TravisMathew is designed to make you feel comfortable and look stylish whether you find yourself on the links or at the pub - a true lifestyle brand in every sense of the word.

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ATTENTION TO DETAIL

The level of detail and styling packed into each TravisMathew garment is second to none. From its signature collar-stay technology for polos that keeps collars looking their best and prevents curling, to its ribbed cuffs on midlayers that offer an improved fit, you will notice the difference as soon as you put on your first item. Make sure you look at the wash labels as well!

Founded in Huntington Beach, California in 2007, TravisMathew draws its inspiration from all aspects of Southern California culture and lifestyle.

One of the fastest growing lifestyle and golf brands in the United States, TravisMathew is now turning heads across the UK and Europe.

While retaining an unwavering commitment to innovation and product technology discovery, the brand has built a reputation for offering something a little bit different to the norm, so you can be sure to find a unique style which blends premium fabrics with a relaxed, Southern Californian look.

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REASONS TO WEAR

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WIDE RANGE

Given TravisMathew’s early roots in golf, it is a testament to its breadth of range that it appeals so often to those who have never had the luck to get hooked by the game! From jumpers to button downs, caps to super cool t-shirts, TravisMathew appeals to all whilst never losing that premium feel or that commitment to offer something a little bit different.

OFFICIAL ON COURSE APPAREL FOR THE EUROPEAN TOUR

With a deal signed this year for five years, TravisMathew committed to being the Official On Course Apparel for the European Tour.

A hit with the Tour staff, due to its quality feel and refreshing look, this important

partnership is a statement of TravisMathew’s growing reputation in the European market.

Keep an eye out for the TM Icon Logo across all European Tour events.

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BE PART OF THE FAMILY

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FABRIC TECHNOLOGY

While TravisMathew clothing can often be seen as a stylish, relaxed alternative on the golf course, don’t be tricked into thinking this is just a regular polo. Packed with technology, TravisMathew polos feature quick drying functionality, moisture management, wrinkle resistance and enhanced stretch properties. This means you can not only look your best, but also perform your best.

Thinking you recognised the logo…now you know! Stars from the world of sport, film, TV and music have all been spotted recently in TravisMathew.

With the likes of Mark Wahlberg, Jermaine Jenas and many others sporting the famous TM Icon Logo on their cap, TravisMathew is one club you will want to part of!

TO PICK UP YOUR LATEST TRAVISMATHEW GEAR, HEAD TO: WWW.GOLFPOSER.COM/BRANDS/TRAVIS-MATHEW WWW.FUNCTION18.COM/BRANDS/TRAVISMATHEW/ALL.HTML

[42] JULY 2019

EQUIPMENT & GEAR GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

PING BLUEPRINT IRONS £219 PER IRON, PING.COM Ping’s new forged, blade iron is aimed a low handicappers looking for a combination of workability and precise distance and trajectory control. The highstrength carbon steel irons were inspired by requests from Ping’s tour staff for an iron that features shorter blade lengths, less offset and narrow sole widths that enables them to attack the flag. A tungsten toe screw increases MOI for additional forgiveness and combines with an internal heel weight to provide precise swingweight tuning. The Blueprint irons are available 2-PW, with True Temper Dynamic Gold 120 shafts, plus a wide range of after-market shafts at no extra cost.

PXG 0211 IRONS £200 PER IRON, PXG.COM PXG has released what, in PXG terms, is an affordable iron. The 0211 is a progressive set that includes most of the technology from the more expensive 0311 range, but cuts costs in a couple of simple ways. They feature the same HT1770 maraging steel face, the thinnest of any golf club in the world, supported by the COR2 material behind the face. This should ensure they’re still long and feel fantastic at impact. Where they differ from previous PXG irons is that the body of the club is cast rather than forged, and they no longer feature the tuneable tungsten weights. The MOI is lower because of this, but it’s not a huge difference. Finally, the 0211 is only available in one progressive model that gets smaller and reduces offset as it moves from super-forgiving long irons down to the smaller, more controllable short irons.

PRO SHOP

YOUR GUIDE TO THE LATEST GEAR

CALLAWAY CUSTOMS EPIC FLASH

TITLEIST TS1 DRIVER

£549, CALLAWAYGOLF.COM The Callaway Epic Flash drivers have been flying on the European Tour, and at retail, and we’ve seen them in bags everywhere on our travels. The AI-designed Flash Face has proven to be a winner. But some people, however much they like the driver, can’t get over the green-and yellow colour scheme. Thankfully, you now you won’t have to let that stop your purchase, as Callaway Customs are now available exclusively at callawaygolf.com, so you can design it to look how you like. We’ve made the equivalent of a golfing mullet – all business in black up top, with pink and blue party accents at the back.

£499, TITLEIST.CO.UK The new TS1 driver, like the AP1 irons that came before, show that Titleist clubs are not just aimed a low handicappers. While it retains a simple classic look at address, the TS1 is significantly lighter than the other its drivers in the TS family, weighing in at just 275g.

Much of the weight saving comes from 40g and 45g stock shafts, but the Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 Lite grip also lightens the load at just 32g. Offering a high-launch, mid-spin flight, the TS1 is draw-biased and is designed to help golfers with moderate swing speeds get more distance. It is on sale from July 24, and is offered with adjustable lofts of 9.5 (RH), 10.5 (RH/LH), 12.5 (RH),

EQUIPMENT & GEAR JULY 2019 [43] GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

ADIDAS TOUR360 XT PARLEY

PING DLX CART BAG

£179.95, ADIDAS.CO.UK Produced in collaboration with environmental organisation Parley for the Oceans, the upper of the Tour360 XT Parley is made entirely from reclaimed waste plastic gathered from the oceans and the shoreline. The plastics are melted down, and turned into threads that can be used to produce the Primeknit upper. A coating lower on the shoe makes these waterproof, while they utilise the same ultra-comfortable Boost sole design as its standard Tour360. Adidas plans to use 100 percent recycled polyester in all its apparel and footwear by 2024, so the Parley shoe is just the beginning.

£225, PING.COM Ping has launched a new range of cart and trolley bags that provides premium performance in a variety of new colour options.

There are five models in the collection – Pioneer (£200), Traverse, Ladies Traverse (£165), Monsoon (£250), and the DLX (£225) – all of which boast a host of technology features that are designed to enhance the experience of transporting and using your clubs.

Redesigned for 2019, the premium DLX cart bag features a tour-inspired design and offers an array of practical features, including a cart-strap channel, five pockets, including a magnetic ball pocket, a magnetic rangefinder pocket, a cooler pocket, plus two deployable shoe pouches. It is available in white or black.

PING G LE 2

HAYMAX HAYFEVER BALM

PING.COM Ping knows that women golfers have specific needs from their equipment. Rather than just rehashing designs from its men’s clubs, the new GLe 2 range has been developed from the ground up with attributes to help their game. The driver (£389), fairway woods (£240), and hybrids (£179) are all lighter than the clubs they replace, but with higher MOI for more forgiveness, as well as more heel weighting to help encourage a draw. The irons (£126 each) too are lighter and more forgiving, and feature Cor-Eye technology for faster ball speeds, and higher launch. The set is rounded out with an adjustable-shafted putter (£200-£260), with the Echo model featuring a Garnett finished head that looks fantastic.

£6.99 FOR 5ML, HAYMAX.BIZ Hayfever is a blight on many golfer’s lives, causing itchy eyes, runny noses and general discomfort for long periods of the summer, just when the golf season is at its highest. Anti-hystamine pills, injections and nasal sprays all have their benefits, but providing an effective barrier to pollen is one of the most successful ways of fighting its harmful effects, which is where HayMax comes to the rescue. Applied like a lip balm, but to the base of the nose, its combination of beeswax and sunflower oil prevents pollen from entering the respiratory system and stops it reaching levels that trigger an allergic reaction. Available in three fragrances (Aloe Vera, Pure and Lavender), HayMax is organic and drug-free, and is available from most high street chemists and health stores.

TITLEIST LIMITED EDITION PRO V1 £52 FOR 12, TITLEIST.CO.UK Titleist has launched of a range of Open-themed Pro V1 & Pro V1x golf balls featuring the iconic Claret Jug logo. Available in dozen boxes, the limited-edition balls boasts the same performance of the Pro V1 balls launched earlier this year, which have been designed to leave the clubface with more ball speed and lower long game spin for more distance, while providing high levels of short game control.

NEW LEVEL GOLF 902 IRONS £155 PER IRON, NEWLEVELGOLF.COM New Level Golf, which launched last year, is the brainchild of Eric Burch, a legend in US club-making circles. Its irons, which are exclusively available through custom fitters in the UK, features four models, but the 902 is arguably the best looking.

Featuring a compact forged carbon steel head, the entire head is CNC-milled, including the grooves and face. This makes them more consistent than hand-finished irons from set to set. Featuring mediumthin toplines, minimal offset, and a slight undercut in the sole to reduce vibration and improve feedback, they will appeal to good iron players.

[44] JULY 2019

EQUIPMENT & GEAR GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

JOIN THE STROKE LAB REVOLUTION Dan Owen finds out how Odyssey reimagined the humble putter shaft to help you hole more putts

O

dyssey has been responsible for a wide range of technological advacements over the years to help your putter roll the ball better.

And they’ve spent huge amounts of time and money working on optics and alignment, from the revolutionary 2-Ball, the #7 and, more recently, the Red Ball. But, despite all that, the engineers at Odyssey found that golfers’ putting wasn’t improving as much as they'd hoped.

Despite the introduction of high MOI putter heads, Micro Hinge inserts, and superior alignment aids, the cold hard fact is most golfers are pretty lousy putters. Most golfers can't repeat their putting stroke – they’re consistently consistent. And alignment is only a small part of that, and what use is better roll on the ball, if the ball is sent in the wrong direction? So the team at Odyssey dug into the facts and looked at putter weight.

Over the last 30 years, putter head weights have increased by around 60-70 grammes. It isn’t that long ago since putter heads weighed 330g, and now they’re much closer to 360g. While the modern oversize grips have gone from 80-90g to 50g, despite their larger size.

This is where Odyssey Stroke Lab shaft comes in, as it brings the benefits of counterbalancing without adding weight. The head, shaft and grip have been

created to work together, so that the overall weight of the putter is not higher than current Odyssey putters. With a stroke Lab shaft, 23% of the weight of the club is now below the grip in your hands and the two parts work together to improve your stroke.

Odyssey has thrown all of its best tech at the face too, with the return of the second generation White Hot Microhinge face insert from the EXO range. The Microhinges get the ball rolling quicker without skidding in order to keep the ball on line better than a standard White Hot insert.

There is an impressive 18 head shapes to chose from in the Stroke Lab range, including the Tuttle, R-Ball, Double Wide, Marxman, 2-Ball Fang, #7 and V-Line. Each is offered with a 33, 34 or 35-inch shaft and they all feature various versions of the white-on-black Versa design that aids alignment. The Stroke Lab concept has also been extended to Odyssey’s other ranges, including Toulon and the Odyssey EXO, so whatever your putting stroke, or whatever your head shape preference, there’s a Stroke Lab putter out there for you.

Stroke Lab putters are available from £239-£269.

For more information, visit www.callawaygolf.com

NEWS | JULY 2019 [45] GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

ODYSSEY

BY NUMBERS ■ DANNY WILLETT IS ONE OF A GROWING NUMBER OF TOUR PROS WHO HAVE BENEFITTED FROM SHAFT LAB TECHNOLOGY

■ FRANCESCO MOLINARI HAS BECOME A MUCH MOR CONSISTENT PUTTER SINCE SWITCHING TO THE SHAFT LAB

No.1 putter in Golf No.1 putter across the major worldwide Tours No.1 putter at every event on the 2019 European Tour First putter to reach 40 worldwide wins in 2019 No.1 putter at every Major in 2019

THE SCIENCE BEHIND STROKE LAB Dan Owen catches up with Sean Toulon, general manager at Odyssey Golf, to find out how the Stroke Lab shaft was the answer to help golfers improve their putting.

HOW DID THE STROKE LAB PUTTER SHAFT COME ABOUT? Putter weights have got totally out of whack. The grip and head weights have changed, putter swing weights have gone up considerably, but putter manufacturers have never made any changes to the shaft that goes into them. The head weight and the swing weight of the putters have changed so dramatically that the shaft is not reacting the same way. And that’s what’s really causing most of the inconsistency in golfers putting strokes.

We’ve taken this concept of increasing MOI away from just the head and applied it to the entire club. I think that’s why we’re seeing the consistency of putting strokes improve and get so much better. The length of the backstroke is almost 20% more consistent when putting with a Stroke Lab shaft. The face angle at the end of the backstroke is more consistent by about 20%. Ultimately, the face angle at impact for world class players is 10-12% more consistent. That’s potentially millions of dollars of improvement right there.

WHY DID YOU GO WITH A GRAPHITE HYBRID SHAFT? We had to get the putter back into balance with the golfer, we had to rebalance the putter in a way that we could get the swing weights back down into a normal range, and not have excessively high swing weights. That meant going to something other than steel because most steel putter shafts weigh 115g to 120g. We knew we had to save weight. Graphite became a really good option. But to make the shaft fit into different styles of heads, the steel tip came into play as it’s much easier for installation, and for adding bends to the shaft.

The Stroke Lab shaft takes about 40g out of the middle of the putter where the shaft is only there to connect the head to the grip and to help you control the clubface. We took a lot of weight that we felt was trapped in the middle and moved it to the end. It enabled us to stiffen the shaft, tighten the torque and bring the swing weight down into the D range, which is a lot easier for golfers to control the distance from outside 20 feet.

WHAT WAS THE REACTION LIKE FROM THE ODYSSEY TOUR STAFF TO THE STROKE LAB SHAFT DESIGN? Before we officially launched Stroke Lab we had four tour wins. We had 60-70 putters in play as prototypes. Our players were immediately intrigued when we asked them to quantify what they were feeling, and they found it difficult to articulate, but their results were doing the talking. They would say they could feel something really different, and they liked it, but they couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Francesco Molinari was probably the first guy to really be able to quantify it, and that was it feels really smooth, and he could tell he was making a more consistent stroke. He’s been a great supporter of it, from even before he signed with us.

HOW MUCH IMPROVEMENT HAVE YOU SEEN?

WHAT MIGHT WE SEE NEXT FROM STROKE LAB? It’s the first version, so I’m sure it will get tweaked over the years. But I think we’re going to look back and say, ‘do you remember when we used to putt with steel shafts?’ We once had persimmon woods and steel driver shafts. And no one would ever about going back to them.

€22,878,432 won on the European Tour by players using an Odyssey putter 126 top-10 finishes on the European Tour 1,665 putters in play on the European Tour (51%)

[46] JULY 2019

EQUIPMENT & GEAR GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

ODYSSEY EXO MARXMAN

SCOTTY CAMERON PHANTOM X

TAYLORMADE SPIDER X

£369, ODYSSEYGOLF.COM

£399, TITLEIST.CO.UK

£299, TAYLORMADEGOLF.COM

Featuring the same Stroke Lab shaft and White Hot Microhinge inserts used in the Stroke Lab models, EXO putters are designed for maximum forgiveness. The heads feature a heavy stainless steel perimeter, with a lightweight red aluminium core. This redistributes the weight to the extreme edges of the head, increasing MOI to produce exceptionally stable putters. Six models are available, all in face-balanced and heel-shafted designs, plus a centreshafted option with the #7.

The Phantom X putters combine Scotty Cameron's famous milled putter feel with modern head shapes and improved alignment. Each Phantom X mallet is constructed with a milled, aircraft-grade aluminium face anodised in black that extends through to the rear flange. This results in solid feedback combined with a soft feel. Stainless steel wings and weights have been used to increase head weights and the MOI. There are nine models to chose from, based around five unique head designs.

Rory McIlroy was part of the inspiration behind the Spider X, as while the Spider shape has pretty much stayed the same, Rory was always put off by the large wings at the rear of the head. TaylorMade has shrunk down these elements, as well as added two new copper and navy finishes. A new surlyn white face insert that is just 5mm deep has also been added for a much softer feel. Alignment-wise, the Spider X offers what TaylorMade calls ‘True Path Alignment’ – which comes in the form of a single white line on the top of the putter.

PING SIGMA 2

PXG GEN 2

£200, PING.COM

£435, PXG.COM

Sigma 2 putters feature an adjustable-length shaft that can be customised between 32 and 36 inches. The adjustment process is quick and intuitive, using an tool that inserts into the top of the grip. One full turn results in a ¼-inch adjustment. The putter insert is made from PEBAX, a soft front layer ensures precision for delicate must-makes, while the firmer back layer offers solid feedback and distance control for longer putts. The TR face pattern varies in depth and pitch to speed up off-centre impacts.

Each PXG putter is 100% CNC-milled from either aluminum or 303 stainless steel, and features a new pyramid face design. The unusual design is there to aid consistency of putt length, so that poorly struck putts return the same amount of energy as a centre strike. The pattern is smaller and more concentrated, in the centre, spreading out and getting bigger towards the heel and toe. All models feature an interchangeable hosel, in face-balanced, plumbers neck, and heel-shafted options.

ENVROLL ER1TS

BETTINARDI STUDIO STOCK

WILSON INFINITE BUCKTOWN

£309, EVNROLL.COM

£359, BETTINARDI.COM

£99, WILSON.COM

Milled from stainless steel, Evnroll putters feature Sweet Face Technology, a unique milling pattern designed to deliver consistent performance across the entire hitting area. The face features grooves that are thicker in the centre and thin out towards the edges. The idea is to regulate the energy at impact being returned to the ball, so that misshits and centre strikes all roll the same distance. The ER1TS is an Anser-style blade, but with the addition of a hosel that moves the shaft one inch in front of the face.

Bettinardis’ milled models are arguably the most preciselymade putters on the market. Milled from solid blocks of highly durable 303 stainless steel, every model in the new SS Series incorporates the deepest F.I.T (Feel Impact Technology) Face ever produced by the brand – 20% deeper than previous models for an even softer feel at impact. There are six distinctive models to choose from which all feature a platinum finish gives the putters a suitably premium look to match their high price tag.

Wilson's keenly-priced Infinite range feature double-milled faces for consistency and a soft feel, while the black finish is anti-glare and looks great behind the ball. The alignment lines have been simplified from previous versions, while the putters are counter-balanced and feature over-sized grips to increase consistency. The Bucktown is a great example of the winged-style putter that is proving so popular out on tour at the moment, and at that £99 price, it’s hard to go wrong.

SMOOTH OPERATORS Struggling on the greens?

These new flatsticks will help you send it home in style

NEWS | JULY 2019 GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

JULY 2019 | WWW.GOLFNEWS.CO.UK/TRAVEL

AN IRELAND OF

C O N T R A S T S NICK BAYLY MIXES IT UP WITH ROUNDS AT ADARE MANOR & LAHINCH

FERRY GOOD SHOW

CLIVE AGRAN HITS THE HIGH SEAS FOR THE STENA MASTERS AT DELIGHTFUL DRUIDS GLEN

ME & MY TRAVELS

WITH FORMER ENGLAND CRICKETER MATTHEW HOGGARD

BOOK IT NOW!

ALL THE LATEST OFFERS ON GOLF BREAKS AT HOME & ABROAD

[47]

[48] JULY 2019 | NEWS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

The Manor & Ashbury Hotels

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Boasting 99 holes on one site, Ashbury is the 9 largest golf resort in the world. Nestled in the heart of the Dartmoor National park, our hotels offer the unique opportunity to experience free first class sporting, leisure and spa facilities, along with free expert craft tuition. We offer great group discounts of up to 7.5% off and over 400 buggies to hire from just £8 per round.

✓ Archery

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TRAVEL & BREAKS

JULY 2019 [49]

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

GOLF BREAKS AND MORE AT GWEL AN MOR

LOUGH ERNE LAUNCHES FERMANAGH FESTIVAL ■ LOUGH ERNE BOASTS A NICK FALDO-DESIGNED COURSE

Lough Erne Resort, in association with Fermanagh Lakeland Tourism, is to host a new three-day golf festival this autumn.

For just £99, competitors will get three rounds of golf, and the chance to win daily and overall prizes sponsored

by Titleist, FootJoy and Lough Erne.

The three-day 54-hole tournament will be played at Castle Hume (Sept 20), Enniskillen (Sept 21), and the Faldo Course at Lough Erne (Sept 22).

The three courses, all within a 10-minute drive of one another, will offer a different challenge for competitors.

The entry fee includes a main course dinner on the final day of competition at Lough Erne’s Loughside Grill.

To enter, call (0)28 6634 5766 or email golf@ lougherneresort.com.

GREAT VALUE SUMMER BREAKS ON OFFER AT DE VERE VENUES De Vere is offering an early booking package for golf lovers; two rounds of championship golf; overnight stay; 20% off all drinks at the hotel’s bar; free attendance for the organiser; and a hearty breakfast the following morning, all from just £79pp.

The offer is available at a range of De Vere venues, including Workefield Park, Selsdon Park and Staverton, all of which boast championship golf courses and quality offcourse facilities.

De Vere Wokefield has benefitted from a £20m investment, which has resulted in the renovation of its restaurant, bar and bedrooms. The new Whiskey Lounge is the perfect place to toast the day before retiring to the renovated bedrooms, which have been finished with relaxing neutral colours.

Wokefield’s 6,996-yard, par-72

■ SELSON PARK IN CROYDON

Golfers looking to enjoy superb year-round playing conditions, stay in luxury accommodation, and experience the best that the West Country has to offer, should book a golf break at Landal Gwel an Mor, an award-winning resort located on Cornwall’s stunning north coast.

Meaning ‘view of the sea’ in Cornish, Gwel an Mor is situated near the beach town of Portreath, and offers a selection of 90 luxury lodges and extensive leisure facilities, including the Famous Nine par-three golf course, which was officially opened by three-time Ryder Cup Bernard Gallacher last autumn.

The Famous Nine course, which boasts spectacular coastal views, is the largest course in the country fitted out with all-weather greens and tees, ensuring consistent year-round playing conditions. The course, which costs £15 a round to play, pays tribute to some of the best holes from around the world, with holes taking inspiration from St Andrews, Augusta, Royal Troon, Sawgrass, Pebble Beach and Carnoustie. Designed by Remedy Oak PGA Professional David Cooper, the four-year project required 250,000 tons of earth to create the course’s undulations, with a further 25,000 tons dug out to complete the numerous water features.

With a range of five-star accommodation options, visitors can choose to stay in a contemporary Residence retreat or a classic Scandinavian-style lodges. With a relaxed, but high-end style, the two- and threebedroom lodges boast open plan living areas, with wood burners for cosy nights in and private patios with hot tubs for outdoor living.

Guests can also stay in the new studio lodges, which are located on the water’s edge of the resort’s fishing lake.

Sleeping two people, and bookable for one-night stays, the studios are ideal for golfing couples on short breaks.

When not playing golf, there are lots of other activities to keep everyone happy. The on-site Terrace Restaurant is available for those who don’t fancy self-catering,

■ WOKEFIELD'S NEW-LO OK

INTERIORS

championship course boasts elevated tees, mature trees, numerous streams, lakes and clever bunkering that will test every element of your game. Other facilities include a 13bay driving range, a short-game area and a practice putting green.

De Vere Selsdon in Croydon, has an 18-hole course which designed by Open champion JH Taylor in the 1920s. The resort’s 1042 Restaurant & Bar and the Orangery both overlook the 200-acre estate.

Surrounded by 150-acres of parkland, De Vere Staverton in Northamptonshire boasts an 18-hole European Tour-standard course, while after a round guests can enjoy The Steam, Bake & Grill restaurant, and a contemporary bar which has just undergone a major refurbishment.

To book, call 01189 334013.

while there’s also swimming pool and spa. Kids will love the indoor play area and climbing walls, as well guided visits to the resort’s own wildlife centre where they can meet tame foxes, friendly snakes and birds of prey. The resort is also just a short walk to the beach for swimming and surfing.

Prices start at £465 for a three-night stay in a lodge sleeping five in low season, through to £3,175 for a deluxe lodge sleeping six for a week in high season.

The Lakeside Studio lodges cost from £105 per night.

For the latest packages, visit www.gwelanmor.com.

■ GUESTS CAN STAY IN A RANGE OF LUXURY LODGES AND STUDIOS

■ THE COURSE FEATURES HOLES INSPIRED BY ICONIC VENUES

[50] JULY 2019

TRAVEL & BREAKS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

TO THE

Manor Borne

Golf News editor Nick Bayly plays a trio of contrasting courses in the south west of Ireland, two of which, Lahinch and Adare Manor, have recenty hosted, or are set to host, top class professional tournaments

I

■ SHANNON GOLF CLUB ENJOYS FINE VIEWS OVER THE SHANNON ESTUARY AND OFFERS AN ENJOYLABLE PARKLAND TEST

’m pretty spoiled for choice when it comes to picking out places to lose my fast-diminishing supply golf balls, so it’s quite hard to convince me to drag my size 11s out from under my desk unless there’s a top 100 course or two to be crossed off my bucket list.

So when an invitation dropped into my email inbox a few months ago asking whether I’d like to try my worst around a few courses on the west coast of Ireland, including the historic links of Lahinch and the 18 holes of recently-renovated parkland action on offer at nearby Adare Manor, I replied in the affirmative long before a) checking to see whether my diary was empty, or b) politely enquiring of Mrs Bayly if she was otherwise disposed.

Thankfully, my diary was as empty as the treasury’s coffers, and Mrs Bayly seemed all too delighted at the prospect of taking back control of the TV remote for 72 hours. And so it was that I found myself flying over the Irish Sea in the dying

days of March for a couple of days golfing around County Limerick and County Clare.

Landing at Shannon Airport, after an hourlong flight from London, our first port of call was Shannon Golf Club for what looked, on the cards, as a gentle warm-up. Located a mere lob wedge from the airport’s terminal building, Shannon’s pleasant enough parkland is certainly handy for a quick game if your flight has been delayed, or like us, you needed a sighter ahead of the bigger challenges that lay ahead.

The course’s tree-lined fairways require straight hitting to score well, although few of the course’s holes are close to the estuary the view from tee of the superb par-three 17th hole were a joy to behold. With the early spring sunshine allowing play in shirt sleeves, Shannon is a delight, and the welcome couldn’t have been warmer.

Suitably tuned up, and suitably lubricated after an evening sampling Ireland’s national brew, we holed up for the night at Limerick’s Savoy Hotel, a luxurious base camp that overlooks the River Shannon. The following morning our tour bus took us 20 minutes south west of Limerick to the impressive gates of Adare Manor, the luxury hotel and golf resort that was bought by Irish entrepreneur and racehorse owner JP McManus back in 2014 for €30 million.

Having stayed and played here 20-odd years ago, not long after the golf course first opened in 1995, I was more than a bit eager to find out what impact the best part of €100 million would have on the resort as a whole, and on a layout that, while once considered worthy of hosting the odd European Senior Tour event, and indeed a couple of Irish Opens over a decade ago, is currently being talked of as a likely host venue for the 2026 Ryder Cup. The answer is, in short, a lot. The renovation of the hotel has taken place from the bottom up,

so to speak, with no pane of glass, nor piece of parquet flooring, left untouched in the pursuit of total luxury, while the reconstruction of the 7,509-yard championship course, which was originally designed by Robert Trent Jones, has taken two years to complete, and is nothing short of a masterpiece in terms of both design and presentation.

The course, which features no rough, is the first in Europe to boast super fine bentgrass greens, while a similar strain of sward was chosen for all approaches, enabling players to pull their putters out with confidence when they’re not short-sided by one of the numerous greenside bunkers. Adare is also one of only three courses in the UK & Ireland to feature a SubAir aeration system on all 18 greens.

The system, which was installed on Wentworth’s West Course two seasons ago, is used to remove moisture through vacuum pumps, guaranteeing firm play all year round. So firm, in fact, that Rory McIlroy, who played here in a match at the official unveiling last April with Shane Lowry, Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley, said it was like playing in the summer when he teed it up during an earlier visit over the winter.

Harrington and McGinley, Ryder Cup captains present and past, were both closely involved in the re-design project, aiding world-renowned architect Tom Fazio on the final routing, contouring and grass and sand selection, and it’s hard to think that both players won’t have a hand to say in where the next home Ryder Cup will be played.

And what of the course itself? From a visual perspective, the main changes I noted from its presentation for the Irish Open in 2007 and 2008, are to the ninth and 18th holes. The ninth green has been re-located right of the original site, with the effect of creating a stunning backdrop of the extended Manor House, all the way back to the tee.

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The removal of trees, and considerable cleaning out of undergrowth, is especially evident around the 18th green. From about 200 yards down the fairway, there is now a beautiful, framed image of the manor partially hidden by the iconic, 400-year-old Cedar of Lebanon on the right, and the charming bridge over the Maigue constructed in the resort’s earlier incarnation at a cost of £250,000.

The par-72 layout features water on 14 of the 18 holes, and while the front nine is packed with impressive holes, including the par-5 7th which curves dramatically around a lake, it saves its most exciting tests for the final stretch, with four of the last five featuring water of some description, starting on the par-four 14th, which plays towards a green overhanging a lake, and set against the backdrop of the Desmond Castle, and finishing with the par-four 18th, whose diagonal approach across the same lake is played to a green in front of the castle.

The greens, which are significantly raised and heavily contoured, are suitably fast and even-paced.

Set your putt on the right line and your ball, more often than not, will find the bottom of the cup.

Miss-read the line and/or the pace, and you’ll find yourself with a similar, if not longer, putt back.

With 50 full-time greenkeepers, it’ll be no surprise to learn that there isn’t a blade of grass out of place on the entire 850-acre estate, with tees that most club golfers would be happy to putt on, and fairways that gently roll out like VIP carpets at a Hollywood film premiere. Of course, this quality of golf comes at a price, and a hefty one at that, with green fees ranging from €265 in the low season to €340 in the peak summer months. Chuck in €55 for an overallclad caddy, and a sandwich in the stunning half-way house, and you won’t come out with any change from €400 – as much as it costs to play Pebble Beach – but you’ll have played a piece of golfing land that has had as much thought and care put into every blade of grass as those at Augusta National.

Rebuilt with tournament play in mind, the course will host the JP McManus Pro-Am tournament in 2020 – with an ambition of raising over €40 million for charitable causes – while it’s formal bid to host a future Ryder Cup is expected to be announced in the coming months. If money talks, as it certainly seems to when it comes to the Ryder Cup, the bid should be a formality, and I for one will be delighted to see the matches return to Ireland once again, following its successful staging at the K Club in 2006.

To say that Lahinch Golf Club, whose magnificent links is located above a windy stretch of beach an hour’s drive north west of Limerick, is something of a contrast to Adare, would be the golfing understatement of the century, and goes a long way to understanding why comparing one golf course to another, as we golfers are prone to do, is akin to comparing apples with stairs, let alone pears.

■ ABOVE: LAHINCH, HOST OF THE 2019 IRISH OPEN, IS ONE OF IRELAND'S MUST-PLAY LINKS RIGHT: THE OPENING HOLE AT ADARE MANOR BRINGS WATER INTO PLAY BELOW: THE SAVOY HOTEL IN LIMERICK IS AN IDEAL BASE FOR ANY GOLF TRIP TO SOUTH WEST IRELAND

THERE ISN'T A BLADE OF GRASS OUT OF PLACE ON THE ENTIRE 850-ACRE ESTATE, WITH TEES THAT MOST CLUB GOLFERS WOULD BE HAPPY TO PUTT ON AND FAIRWAYS LIKE CARPETS

Suffice to say that the two layouts are worlds apart, if not in distance, but in sheer topography. Where Adare boasts gentle inclines, shallow sands, and with everything laid out neatly in front of you, Lahinch offers fearsome, mountainous climbs, steep drops, deep bunkers and blind shots aplenty. With the wind whipping in off the sea, and blinded by the occasional hailstorm, the contrast between my two rounds couldn’t have been greater, but no less enjoyable.

Highlights of the 6,613-yard layout, which was originally laid out by Old Tom Morris in 1894 – and revised by Alister Mackenzie in 1924 and by Martin Hawtree in 2000 – include the par-5 4th – Klondyke – which at first snakes through the dunes before serving up a blind second shot over them, while the 5th – Dell – takes ‘blind’ to another level, a short par-three to a long shallow green sandwiched between 30ft dunes front and back.

The par-4 6th plays back towards the ocean, and one of Lahinch’s greatest strengths is that a significant number of fairways, greens or tees lie

a mere chip-and-run from either the Atlantic or the calmer Inagh Estuary. The back nine plays on the more sheltered side of the course, away from the sea, but is no less challenging, with highlights including the par-5 12th, which features the estuary all the way down the left-hand side, and the par-4 14th – Bottleneck – whose entrance to the green is protected by a narrow pinch point of steep dunes.

The round closes with a strong downhill par five, which will be reachable in two for big hitters.

Lahinch is hosting the Irish Open from July 4-7, and it will be fascinating to see how the cream of the European Tour will cope with this most tricky of links, especially should the wind get up. They may not face hail, as we did, but a smattering of rain and a 25mph crosswind should be the very least that the golfing gods send their way to keep them honest.

With so many other great courses in the area, including Trump International at Doonbeg and Dromoland Castle, a golf trip to this stunning corner of Ireland is highly recommended – but remember to pack enough clothing to cope with four seasons in one day.

TRAVEL FACTFILE

■ ADARE MANOR IS PRESENTED IN TOURSTANDARD CONDITION ALL YEAR ROUND

Nick Bayly travelled with Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com) from Heathrow to Shannon and was a guest of the Savoy Hotel Limerick (savoylimerick.com), where B&B rates start from £159 per night.

Green fee bookings: Adare Manor, adaremanor.ie; Lahinch Golf Club lahinchgolf. com; Shannon Golf Club, shannongolfclub.ie.

For more details on golf breaks to Ireland, visit www.ireland.com/golf.

[52] JULY 2019

TRAVEL & BREAKS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

■ DRUIDS GLEN

SAN LORENZO REMAINS JEWEL IN ALGARVE’S CROWN DESPITE ALL THE NEW AND EXCELLENT COURSES that have sprung up along Portugal’s Algarve course in recent years, a tee time at San Lorenzo still remains one of the most prized for any serious golfer visiting the region, with its combination of classic design and five-star service creating a truly memorable experience.

Consistently ranked inside Europe’s top 30 courses ever since it first opened in 1988, San Lorenzo oozes charm and character, with its 18-hole championship course having matured into one of Portugal’s most cherished layouts, hosting numerous tour events and leading pro-am tournaments, as well being an exclusive private members’ club.

Long before the villas went up, course architect Rocky Roquemore was given the freedom to chose a stunning routing through valleys and along the coastline, making the most of the subtle topography and the natural terrain of the Ria Formosa Nature Reserve to create a course that keeps the golfer’s interest from the double dogleg first to the testing par-four finish.

Pulses will definitely start to quicken at the par-3 fifth, which offers the first tantalising view of the ocean, which returns again from 12-16, while your heart will be beating even faster when you face the stunning closing stretch, with the final two holes both involving water.

With quality accommodation on offer at the Dona Filipa Hotel, a visit to San Lorenzo should be on every golfer’s bucket list.

To book a tee time, visit www. sanlorenzogolfcourse.com.

CHAKA TRAVEL ANNOUNCE ITS BIGGEST EVER RANGE OF ESCORTED TOURS & TOURNAMENTS

C

haka Travel have just announced a stellar line up of worldwide escorted tours and tournaments due to take place in 2020.

The announcement comes following the recent success of their 20th Mauritius Mixed Pairs tournament and as their 2019 tours have almost reached capacity, with only limited spaces remaining on their Brazil & Mauritius tours.

Chaka Travel are global leaders in luxury golf travel who

ALL BOARD FOR THE STENA MASTERS Clive Agran finds his sea legs as he crosses the Irish Sea in comfort to take part play the world-class courses at Druids Glen and Powerscourt The tournament to which I had been invited had all the ingredients to fulfil the dream of a lifetime. Called ‘The Masters’, albeit ‘The Stena Media Masters’; the opening round was to be played on a course that had been dubbed the ‘Irish Augusta’; and it was scheduled for the second week in April. A double-figure handicapper with a dodgy hip, was this the closest I would ever get to donning a green jacket in the Butler Cabin?

Not having to fly to Georgia was a bonus for someone whose attitude to airports is only fractionally less hostile than Donald Trump’s is to illegal Mexican immigrants. The ferry terminal at Holyhead is to Heathrow what St Paul’s Cathedral is to Piccadilly Circus. Then there’s the journey where, instead of being sandwiched for nine hours between an obese snorer and a fidgety youth, you can wander around and enjoy an appealing range of on-board amenities, including bars and restaurants.

And with their four-berth cabins that perfectly accommodate fourballs, on-board multi-storey car park and no extra charges for golf bags, ferries are the perfect vehicle for the travelling hacker.

Although I have ferried it over the English Channel many times to northern France and even Spain, until invited by Stena, it had never occurred to me to cross the Irish Sea to sample some of the great courses on the Emerald Isle. There’s a choice of three English ports from which to sail: Fishguard connects to Rosslare; Liverpool links to Belfast, and Holyhead is the one I took to Dublin.

After a little over three hours, you’re cruising up the Liffey and docking in downtown Dublin. From there it was roughly half an hour’s drive south to Druids Glen Hotel and Golf Resort in County Wicklow. Squeezed between the Wicklow Mountains and the Irish Sea and set in 360-acres of glorious countryside in the heart

have been offering golf holidays to South Africa, Mauritius, Mexico, the Middle East and beyond for over 20 years. Their escorted golf tours are all led by PGA Pro Jacques Gous who leads small groups made up of friends, couples & solo golfers to some of his favourite golfing destinations including his native South Africa.

On each tour clients can expect to enjoy playing some of the best golf courses in the world. The overall aim is to provide relaxed, fun filled tours allowing like-minded people to get to know each other enjoying golf, group meals and excursions.

The tours are ideal for solo golfers, couples as well as friends grouping together, non-golfers are also welcome. Jacques is on-hand throughout to provide golf tuition, expert knowledge and of course a good laugh; In addition to the old favourites South Africa, Mauritius, Bulgaria, Italy and Brazil new destinations for 2020 include Oman, Mexico and Greece and there are more to come…

The new tour to Oman has been introduced by Chaka’s Middle East Manager, former PGA pro, Richard Mason. Richard spent four years living in Dubai and he believes Oman is the finest destination in the region with its wonderful mix of

of Ballykissangel country, this fabulous five-star hotel with its 144 rooms and top-notch suites is pure comfort and joy.

Although you can stroll the few hundred yards to the two attached courses, nearly everyone takes the shuttle bus to save energy so that they can walk around possibly the prettiest parkland layout on the planet. Sadly, there wasn’t time to play Druids Heath, but Druids Glen, a former venue of the Irish Open, is the more famous of the pair and is simply stunning.

Fortunate to have been to Augusta, I can honestly say that comparing the two is not nearly as fanciful as it sounds. Both are breathtakingly beautiful, magnificently manicured, and enjoy sufficient elevation to provide those wonderful ‘wow’ moments.

The par threes are gorgeous and, coincidentally, it’s the 12th at both that are the standout stunners. Flowers, too, are a common feature, while the magnificent water features at Druid’s Glen are simply magical.

Rather like stepping onto the tee after your playing partner has belted a 340-yard drive down the centre of the fairway, what a ridiculously difficult act Druids Glen is to follow. Remarkably, Powerscourt pulled it off. With similar striking views up to the mountains, and occasional rare glimpses of the sea, the East course is a lot more rugged than Druids Glen, but is no less of a challenge. Designed by Walker Cup player Peter McEvoy, it has a traditional mix of four par-threes and fives and 14 par-fours.

There’s not a weak hole among them, and the distinctive feel of mature parkland bestowed upon them all by the striking specimen trees adds to the grandeur.

If you’re contemplating going green, forget jackets and think of the Emerald isle instead. And if you fancy travelling in comfort, let the ferry float you over the Irish Sea. For more details on ferry crossings and holiday packages to Ireland, France and Holland, visit www.stenaline.co.uk.

culture, history, mountains, desert and beaches as well as superb golf courses and world class resorts.

If 2019 is anything to go by, these 2020 trips are likely to fill up fast! You can find out more or register your interest by visiting www.chakatravel.com/escorted-golf-tours-andtournaments/

TRAVEL & BREAKS

JULY 2019

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GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

SAVOUR SOUTH AFRICA’S WESTERN CAPE WITH LEEU ESTATES LUMINE UNVEILS AUTUMN STAY-AND-PLAY PACKAGES LUMINE MEDITERRÁNEA BEACH & GOLF COMMUNITY has announced a range of new golf breaks packages for the autumn season, offering unlimited championship-quality golf and Mediterranean culture on Spain’s Costa Daurada coastline.

As host venue for the European Tour Final Qualifying Stage for the third time in November, the latest offers are an ideal opportunity for visitors to preview what golf’s next generation will face when they tee it up later in the year.

Available from September 20, a new couples package (from €614pp) includes a four-night stay at the four-star Hotel Magnolia, just a 10-minute drive from the course, in addition to unlimited golf across the full 45-hole layout – including both the Greg Normandesigned Hills and Lakes courses. After the round, visitors will be able to relax at Lumine’s newly renovated beach club, in addition to sampling one of the eight swimming pools and numerous restaurants or bars on-site.

Nestled between two of Spain’s most celebrated wine districts, guests will even have the chance to indulge in an afternoon of wine tasting at the nearby Priorat facility, before taking a complimentary transfer into the ancient city of Tarragona to see its UNESCO World Heritage sites. For those feeling more adventurous, there is even the opportunity to visit the nearby PortAventura World theme park.

For bigger groups, Lumine also offers a three-day package from €499pp, with two days of unlimited golf and use of the resort’s practice facilities, with one in eight bookings coming free from 1 September. Visitors will also receive a large beer for every ‘Lumine Burger’ they order in the restaurant and free use of a buggy for the second round each day, in addition to complimentary transfers to and from Barcelona airport and a golf shuttle to the course each day.

For bookings, email travel@lumine.com.

COMBINE INCREDIBLE LANDSCAPES, a wonderful climate, spectacular golf courses, and one of the world’s top wine producing regions, and it’s easy to see why South Africa’s Western Cape is proving an increasingly popular golf holiday destination for discerning travellers.

Leeu Collection has three properties in the Franschhoek Valley, just an hour from Cape Town’s international airport, that provide the perfect base for a golf holiday in the Western Cape, particularly now they have launched a three-night package that includes complimentary transfers to and from the golf course on two days, plus a three-course dinner at one of the group’s restaurants on one night.

The three Leeu hotels in Franschhoek are Leeu Estates (a 17room country house and boutique winery in the Franschhoek valley), Leeu House (an exclusive 12-room hotel in the heart of Franschhoek village), or Le Quartier Français, a 32-room property with two independent villas.

Nightly room rates start from South African R8,750 (£490 approx) at Leeu Estates, R7,150 (£400) at Leeu House and R7,750

(£435) at Le Quartier Francais, all based on two people sharing a double room on a B&B basis.Then all golfing guests have to do is choose from the six stunning courses with which Leeu has links – Pearl Valley, Erinvale, De Zalze, Stellenbosch, Devonvale and Boschenmeer Golf Estate – and all the other arrangements will be taken care of by the hotel concierge.

After a morning on the fairways, golfers can head to a wide number of wineries in and around Stellenbosch and Franschhoek to taste a range of wines or head into Cape Town to take the cable car up to Table Mountain or explore the cultural centre at the Victoria and Albert Waterfront. Better still, visit during the South African winter and a golfing break can be twinned with a safari for the holiday of lifetime.

Leeu Collection’s golf package is available until April 2020 (excluding December 20 2019 to February 29 2020 inclusive) using the booking code ‘Leeu Golf’. For further information, call 00 27 21 492 2222, email reservations@leeucollection.com or visit www.leeucollection.com

[54] JULY 2019 | NEWS

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Incl. flights, transfers plus a sunset desert safari

MAURITIUS

5* Constance Belle Mare Plage

from £2,295 PP

12 nights Full Board, golf aprox £13 per round, flights & transfers Go All Inclusive from £3,055 pp with FREE golf!

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

5* Casa De Campo

from £2,285 PP

7 nights All Inclusive, 5 rounds golf, shared cart & range balls Incl. flights, transfers & Pete Dye Golf Lodge room

IRELAND

from £1,799 PP

Northern Ireland Ultimate Links Vacation

7 nights Bed & Breakfast 6 rounds of golf on 6 courses with flights & transfers Play Royal Port Rush, host of the Open 2019!

SOUTH AFRICA

from £2,295 PP Cape Town & Fancourt Classic Garden Route

10 nights Bed & Breakfast with 6 rounds of golf on 6 courses Incl. flights, transfers & hire car

THAILAND

Bangkok & Hua Hin

from £2,695 PP

14 nights Bed & Breakfast with 5 rounds of golf Incl. flights, transfers & caddie included per round

ESCORTED GOLF TOURS WITH PGA PRO JACQUES GOUS

INCLUDING ONE TO ONE & GROUP TUITION Join us on one of our popular escorted tours. Suitable for golfers and non-golfers alike, our PGA pro will be your guide throughout.

South Africa, Mauritius, Bulgaria, Brazil...

TO SEE OUR RANGE OF GOLF HOLIDAYS, ESCORTED TOURS AND GOLF TOURNAMENTS VISIT OUR WEBSITE

NEWS | JULY 2019 [55] GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

Matthew Hoggard The former Yorkshire and England fast bowler has switched to the white ball game since hanging up his flannels in 2013

Travel with

sushi was amazingly fresh, and the whole décor was very plush.

My worst holiday experience was... a camping holiday in Scotland when I was about ten years old. It poured with rain all day every day for the entire trip and I just remember being very wet and very bored.

The golf course I’d most like to play is…

■ QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND

Leopard Creek Country Club in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. The combination of a stunning golf course with amazing wildlife and scenery ticks lots of boxes for me.

My first ever golf holiday was… a minilaughs, and Jennifer Aniston, well, because she’s Jennifer Anniston!

break to play Loch Lomond in Scotland.

My favourite golf course is... Queenstown Golf Club in New Zealand. It sits on a spit of land overlooking Lake Wakatipu, with a snow-capped mountain range in the background, and is one of the most magical spots in the world. I don’t remember what I shot, as I was too busy admiring the scenery!

My most best ever round was at... Six Hills Golf Club in Leicester. It’s a pretty wide open parkland course, which measures around 5,600 yards, but I went round in two-over par, which isn’t bad for an 18 handicapper.

My top travel tip is... don’t forget your chargers and travel adaptors! And take a fourway gangplank socket – you can never have enough plugs for those all-important gadgets.

■ HOGGARD ALWAYS PACKS EXTRA PLUG SOCKETS WHEN TRAVELLING ABROAD

The best hotel I’ve ever stayed in was... the My ideal holiday fourball would include…

Pearl Continental Hotel in Lahore, Pakistan.

We were lucky enough to stay in some incredible hotels when I was touring with England, but the Pearl was right up there.

Lee Westwood for the golf and the banter, Scottish comedian Kevin Bridges for the ■ LEE WESTWOOD WOULD BE IN HOGGARD'S HOLIDAY FOUR-BALL

My favourite city in the world is... Cape Town. It’s got everything. The sea, mountains, great hotels, superb bars and restaurants, and a vibrant nightlife. I always enjoyed touring in South Africa.

My most memorable holiday meal was… eating sushi in the Umai-Ya Japanese restaurant in Kuala Lumpur. It’s located on the third floor of the Petronas Towers. The

■ LOCH LOMOND, SCOTLAND ■ LOCH LOMOND

WHY CHOOSE CLUB CHOICE IRELAND? What’s included in our packages:

Tailormade Golf Breaks To Ireland

WHY CHOOSE CLUB CHOICE IRELAND?

GOLFING DESTINATIONS IN Ireland

LFING NG NATIONS IN

EXPERT KNOWLEDGE

VALUE FOR MONEY

PERSONALISED SERVICE

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Club Choice Ireland are the experts at personalised golfing breaks to East & South East of Ireland

Want to fly?

What’s included in our packages; Golf

Accommodation

Food

Ferry

Transfers

Excursions

No problem, just give us a call!

Destinations Destinations BELFAST BELFAST

HOLYHEAD HOLYHEAD

ROSSLARE ROSSLARE

WALES WALES

FISHGUARD FISHGUARD

Why choose us

LAND

Personalised "We want to thank you for an Service awesome trip. You exceeded all

our expectations."

Ann & Bob, Raleigh NC, USA

Value for “Club Choice Ireland’s Money knowledge is second to none

and your hospitality is excellent” Vince, Bristol, UK

Club Choice Ireland are the experts at personalised golfing breaks to FIVE NIGHT GOLF BREAK East & South East of Ireland • 5 Nights Bed & Breakfast in 4* Hotels S A M P L E F LY P A C K A G E

“We found it most welcoming to We pride ourselves on delivering a passionate & personal top courses be able to deal personally with • 3 Evening Meals someone service with all our packages tailor-made to suit – so a big thanks for all your organising, first class!”

• Car Hire From your requirements. £775pps* Alan Lafferty, *T&C’s apply. Proce based in Euro & 4 people travelling. Excl Flights

Preston U.K.

S A M P L E F E R RY PAC K AG E

DUBLIN DUBLIN

Ferry Routes Ferry Routes

Expert Knowledge

We pride ourselves on delivering a passionate & personal service with all packages tailor-made to suit your requirements

Golf Accommodation FINANCIAL Food SECURITY Ferry Transfers Excursions

• 4 Rounds of Golf on some of Irelands

We pride ourselves on delivering a passionate & personal service with all our packages tailor-made to suit your requirements.

NS IN

Club Choice Ireland are the experts at personalised golfing toFOR East PERSONALISED EXPERT breaks VALUE KNOWLEDGE MONEY SERVICE and South East of Ireland…

Financial “Absolutely the best golf Security vacation ever to be had!”

FIVE NIGHT GOLF BREAK What’ s included in our packages; • 5 Nights Bed & Breakfast in 4* Hotels Golf of Golf on some Accommodation • 3 Rounds of Irelands top courses Food Meals Ferry • 2 Evening • Return Stena Line Ferry From

Transfers

*T&C’s apply, Based in Euro & 4 people travelling per car

Destinations Destinations

No problem, just give us a call!

BELFAST BELFAST

DUBLIN DUBLIN

Excursions

£650pps*

Want to fly?

HOLYHEAD HOLYHEAD

ROSSLARE ROSSLARE Ferry Routes Ferry Routes

WALES WALES

FISHGUARD FISHGUARD

Janine & Marc, Canada

FREEPHONE (0800) 285 1490 | INFO@CLUBCHOICEIRELAND.COM

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F BREAK

eakfast in 4* Hotels n some of Irelands top courses

Ferry

From From

£650 £650pps* pps*

LOR MADE AKS TO IRELAND

& 4 people travelling per car.

W W W. C L U B C H O I C E I R E L A N D . C O M

TAILORMADE GOLF BREAKS TO IRELAND

FREEPH (0800) 285 1490

|

INFO@CLUBCHOICEIRELAND.COM

W W W. C L U B C H O I C E I R E L A N D . C O M

"We want to thank you for an awesome trip. You exceeded all our expectations."

Ann & Bob, Raleigh NC, USA

“Club Choice Ireland’s knowledge is second to none and your hospitality is excellent” Vince, Bristol, UK

“Absolutely the best golf vacation ever to be had!”

Janine & Marc, Canada

[56] JULY 2019 | NEWS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

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