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Issue 204 | OCTOBER 2011
Inside: Tom Lewis Melissa Reid Bob Vokey Golf in the Algarve FootJoy Competition
top man Exclusive interview with Luke Donald See pages 20 & 21
© PING 2011
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Counterfeiters p6 | Golf News Links p16 | EWEN MURRAY p24 | Wedge Review p32 | Golf Breaks p34-35
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October 2011 / Issue 204
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INSIDE: Tom Lewis Melissa Reid Bob Vokey Golf in the Algarve FootJoy Competition
TOP MAN
Contributors Paul Mahoney, Clive Agran, Ewen Murray, Denis Pugh, Alistair Tait, Luke Donald
East Sussex National & Singing Hills
Exclusive interview with Luke Donald
Winter Fourball Packages
See pages 20 & 21
There’s an
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for every stroke The New PING Anser Series. Precision milled from 303 Stainless Steel. Six different hosel/face balance combinations. All designed to match your unique stroke. So whether your stroke is straight back, a slight arc or a strong arc, we have the ANSER for you. FIND YOUR ANSER. WWW.PING.COM/ANSER
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COUNTERFEITERS P6 | GOLF NEWS LINKS P16 | EWEN MURRAY P24 | WEDGE REVIEW P32 | GOLF BREAKS P34-35
Editor’sview email: editor@golfnews.co.uk
As the rain poured down at Killeen Castle – as it always tends to do in Ireland in the autumn – I couldn’t help thinking, amid all the excitement of Europe’s stunning Solheim Cup victory, that the organisers missed a trick by choosing to host it in Ireland, which is still trading on its successful hosting of the Ryder Cup at the K Club in 2006. Of course, it’s nice to spread the Solheim Cup around the continent of Europe, but if they had wanted to make the most of home advantage, then surely hosting it in England, where it has never previously been held, would have been the right choice, given that we might have just
England expects... witnessed Laura Davies’s last appearance as a player for a home tie, while England also had Karen Stupples and Mel Reid in the team. But timing is everything. Four years ago, when Killeen Castle won the bid, Ireland was riding the crest of an economic boom, and must have seemed like a tempting proposition to the panel that decides where these events are held. While few could have foreseen the speed and depth of the economic crash in Ireland, perhaps it would be wiser to choose future venues – and those for future Ryder Cups – on the
basis of what has been built, rather than grand plans and promises that may or may not come to fruition. This has been done with Gleneagles and Paris National, venues for the 2014 and 2018 Ryder Cups, so it seems that economic sense is beginning to prevail. But given English players’ input into the matches over the years, it will be extremely disappointing if ‘we’ don’t get to host the Solheim Cup in 2015. Our hopes rest with Forest Pines in leafy Lincolnshire, and we await the decision with vested interest.
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October 2011 / Issue 204
News in Brief
Fasth chips in to launch A1 facility Former Ryder Cup star Nicolas Fasth popped up in suburban North London last month to open a new synthetic putting green at a golf centre in Arkley. The 39-year-old Swede, who won six titles during a 15-year career on the European Tour, was on hand to officially open an new practice putting surface at the A1 Golf Centre, which, as the name suggests, is located adjacent to the A1 motorway and within five minutes of the M25. Fasth gave a short game clinic to a specially invited group of guests, which included Ivan Norman, the owner of the A1 Golf Centre and Warren Bailey, Managing Director of Southwest Greens, which supplied and installed the new putting green. The A1 Golf Centre, which first opened in 1991, has recently undergone a major renovation programme, including the development of a short game facility, a multi-shot 10 target driving range, a new academy coaching scheme, and the construction of a new 18-hole adventure putting course. Covering an area of 460m2, the new floodlit short game area incorporates nine holes, a large bunker, and several chipping zones. Golfers can use the all-weather facility, which is open until 7pm in the winter, at a cost of £5 per hour or £98 for unlimited annual access.
Doherty doubles up Worthing’s Joe Doherty added the Sussex Mid Age Championship title to the Sussex Amateur Championship he won earlier in the season after shooting rounds of 69 and 72 at Mannings Heath. He finished one shot clear of Steve Verth (Lewes) and Andrew Smith (RAF).
Marr named U18’s coach The Surrey County Golf Union’s former head coach, Hugh Marr, has been named as the new head coach of the England Under 18 squad. Marr, who began the new job at the end of last month, brings a wealth of experience in player development, having worked with a number of European Tour and Ladies European Tour professionals, as well as many of the country’s leading amateur players, including national and Walker Cup team members. He will be supported in his role by former European Tour professional Paul Eales.
Come and enjoy scenic heathland golf with no bunkers! Visitors and societies welcome 7 days a week
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County cards welcome ( 7 d ay s a w e e k ) 2 fore 1 & Greensaver s ( w e e k d ay s o n ly ) Offer s subject to availability. Only one offer per player. Pr ices valid from 1/11/11 until 31/03/12
Selsdon Park has the X Factor! Regular visitors to the 18-hole golf course at Selsdon Park in Croydon could not have failed to spot its starring role in a recent airing of hit ITV show The X Factor, after the four-star hotel was used to accommodate the contestants selected for the programme’s first ‘boot camp’. Over 180 hopefuls stayed the night at the resort, where judges Gary Barlow, Kelly Rowland, Tulisa Contostavlos and Louie Walsh whittled the group down by a half. In scenes filmed on the hotel’s terrace – which overlooks the course – contestants learned of their fate amid
tears that were reminiscent of the weddings hosted at the venue. The wannabee stars were treated to a lavish party on the eve of the final judging, although none of the X Factor team is believed to have ventured out onto the golf course. A source at Selsdon Park Hotel said: “It was surreal, the fact that Kelly Rowland was walking alongside the golf course and chatting to the contestants. All the judges were out on the terraces and Dermot O’Leary was here because he was presenting. The contestants were all really nice as well. They were all very good singers, and I didn’t hear a bad voice.”
Filming took place last month, and the X Factor team was on location at the hotel for a week. A spokesman for the hotel said they would welcome the opportunity to have the X Factor team back. She added: “It was a fantastic opportunity for Selsdon Park Hotel to be involved in a high profile event, and it was very rewarding for us.” Selsdon Park was not the only golfing venue to receive the X Factor approval last month, as The Grove, the renowned five-star celebrity hang out near Watford, was used to film the part of the show where the judges discovered which category they are mentoring.
The finest downland course in Sussex...
Seaford Golf Club Bookings now being taken for our Dormy House open March to November 2012
Twin bed en-suite rooms with a five course dinner, bed & full english breakfast, including two rounds of golf from £80 in March to £145 in high summer per person per night Green fee visitors welcome Winter Green fees from £27 Winter County Cards £18 Winter 4Ball & Bar Snack £110 For a brochure and more information call Sue on: 01323 892442 Website: seafordgolfclub.co.uk e-mail: sue@seafordgolfclub.co.uk
SEAFORD GOLF CLUB, FIRLE ROAD, SEAFORD, EAST SUSSEX, BN25 2JD
October 2011 / Issue 204
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Former Golf News editor dies The world of sports journalism, and followers of sport in Sussex in particular, has lost a valued colleague and friend following the death of legendary sports writer John Vinicombe. John, who was working up until just a few weeks ago, passed away in a Hove nursing home on October 6, aged 82, after suffering from skin cancer. John was Golf News’ first editor when the paper launched in 1994, and he continued in that role for three years, following his retirement from his job as a sports reporter for The Brighton Argus, where he specialised in covering football, cricket, and latterly his beloved golf. The Ealing-born journalist
How Golf News looked in 1994
John Vinicombe
joined the Argus in 1954, after serving with the RAF and spells at the Press Association and Worthing Herald, and his name became synonymous with Brighton & Hove Albion during a distinguished career spanning five decades. His Monday match reports required were reading for any self-respecting Seagulls fan, with his ‘Vinicombe’s Verdict’ column always a
source of contention. In 1961 he began a weekly golf column for the Argus, which ran for 50 years, while he also performed the role of press officer for the PAV Trophy, the Sussex Inter-Club Match Play Championship. A keen player of the game, he was a member at West Hove Golf Club for many years, and wrote the club’s centenary book, which was published last year. Matt Nicholson, publisher of Golf News, said: “It was a real coup to get John on board to edit Golf News for its launch back in 1994. He was a formidable journalist, with a great eye for a story, and had great connections in the world of golf, both on local and national level, and broke many stories before they made the mainstream press. He was so passionate and knowledgeable about the game, and was a tremendous asset to have when launching Golf News. He will be much missed.” Vinicombe, a widower, was a father of three grownup sons and had eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren. A celebration of his life was held at Brighton & Hove Golf Club on October 19.
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*£120 is per person & offer is based on a minimum of 2 people sharing a twin / double room and is subject to availability. Breakfast is included. Dale Hill & The Oxfordshire are part of the Leaderboard Group of golf courses. Visit www.leaderboardgolf.co.uk to view details of our other courses and hotels
“I doubt that anyone would
ever tire of playing
at Chart Hills.” Sir Nick Faldo Admittedly, as Chart Hills’ course designer, Sir Nick Faldo may be a little biased, but the Rolex Golf Guide and Golf World Magazine also rank us amongst the top courses in the UK today.
Set in the heart of the views across the Kent Kent countryside, Chart Weald, we know you’ll Hills extends a very warm never tire of Chart Hills. welcome to our members And this winter you can play Chart Hills and visitors alike. for just £40 per person & enjoy a two With our elegant bar, course meal included within the price! restaurant and amazing For details, go to: www.charthills.co.uk/offers&events/wintergolfoffers.asp
www.charthills.co.uk T: 01580 292222 E: info@charthills.co.uk Weeks Lane, Biddenden, Kent, TN27 8JX. 0638_A5PressAd.indd 1
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06 /
October 2011 / Issue 204
WINTER GOLFING
AT HEVER CASTLE GOLF CLUB 1ST NOVEMBER 2011 - 31ST MARCH 2012
Winter Loyalty Scheme
Organiser goes free when 16+ play Winter Promise
We guarantee no temporary greens or tees* *(excluding essential maintenance/scheduled works)
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£36 per person to book call 01732 701003 or email: golfdays@hevercastlegolfclub.co.uk www.hever.co.uk
Ebay counterfe face £1.2m fine The ringleader of a criminal network convicted of masterminding a global fake golf club scam from his home in Essex has been ordered to pay more than £1.2 million. The counterfeiting operation was the biggest of its kind ever to be investigated by a council trading standards team and is the largest counterfeiting conspiracy ever uncovered on eBay. Gary Bellchambers, 48, from Rainham in Essex, was ordered to pay the unprecedented fine at a Proceeds Of Crime hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court in East London on September 20. Bellchambers has to pay £1,248,638 in total – of which £250,000 is towards Havering Council’s prosecution costs. If Bellchambers fails to pay the amount within four months he faces up to five years in prison. He is currently serving a sentence of four years and three months in jail after the criminal trial in 2009. Earlier this year four other members of the gang were ordered to pay a total of £643,000. Bellchambers oversaw a network of sellers across the world who sold counterfeit golfing accessories, clothing and passes for an airline lounge ‘on a scale that, it is believed, has never been seen before’, Snaresbrook
Havering Council Trading Standards’ Bill Adams helped uncover one of the largest fake golf club scams in history
Crown Court was told. The group sold millions of pounds’ worth of counterfeit golf clubs and other fake golf merchandise through the website between June 2003 and March 2008, importing over six tones of equipment from China and the Far East. Investigators found virtually every top brand — including TaylorMade, Odyssey and Callaway — was copied in the ‘single largest counterfeiting conspiracy yet uncovered on eBay’. The phoney clubs, which cost less than £4 to make, but sold for up to £100, were produced in Shenzen, China and Bellchambers’ bank statements revealed he had made a cash withdrawal from an ATM in the southern Chinese city. Conspirators are thought to have been based in the UK, Thailand, Australia,
Gary Bellchambers has been ordered to pay a substantial fine in addition to serving a five-year jail sentence
Germany, Singapore, USA, Hong Kong and China — and goods were distributed from, or to, all those countries. In the British Isles conspirators were found in Wales, the Republic of Ireland, Aberdeen, Dorset and Birmingham.
Little secures Tour card with back-to-back wins London’s Sam Little proved he is the Challenge Tour’s man of the moment after bagging three victories in the space of five weeks to guarantee his European Tour card for next season. The 36-year-old from Hertfordshire won the M2M Russian Challenge Cup in Moscow, the Allianz Golf Open Grand Toulouse in France, and the Roma Golf Open in Italy to tee up a
remarkable turnaround in his season’s fortunes. Having been 43rd in the rankings, and well outside the top 20 players that automatically win a card for The 2012 European Tour, the triple triumph has propelled Little to top of the rankings, €12,000 ahead of fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood. “This year has been hard for me, not being on The
Sam Little will be back on the European Tour next year
European Tour, where I played for six years between 2005 and 2010,” said Little, who picked up a cheque for €25,600 for his latest triumph. “Winning my card back was always the goal and now I have that secured, I really want to try and win the rankings outright, so I will be making a big push over the final few tournaments of the year. He continued: “I was tired after Moscow and I did give some consideration to pulling out of the tournament in France, but I had good feelings after the win and I thought it was best to try to feed off them, which worked out great in the end.” The final event of the Challenge Tour season, the Apulia San Domenico Grand Final, takes place in Italy from November 2. Last year’s renewal was won by Kent’s Matt Haines.
October 2011 / Issue 204
eiters e The downfall of the counterfeiting empire was brought about when a customer complained to Havering Council trading standards officers after she had failed to get a refund for two clubs. The council then launched an investigation, codenamed Operation Augusta. Councillor Lesley Kelly, cabinet member for Public Protection, said: “Operation Augusta was an unprecedented investigation and a huge victory against counterfeiters who were ripping off thousands of people. It was an incredible effort by our team, named this year as the best department in the country in tackling counterfeiting. “We will be able to take a large amount of these criminals’ assets and invest this money into protecting local people.” Speaking at the court hearing, Judge Jacqueline Beech said: “When a golfer purchases a club bearing a brand name or trademark, they are paying for years of research and development, and for a golf club that represents the cutting edge of sports equipment technology. The expectation is that the clubs will help them improve their game and certainly not make it worse.”
/ 07
Gatton Manor sold to highest bidder Gatton Manor Hotel and Golf Club in Surrey has been sold for more than its £3.5million asking price, after just four months on the market. Gatton Manor, home of the PGA Surrey Open Championship 2010-2012, is situated between the villages of Ockley, Walliswood and Forest Green, just 10 miles from Dorking, in prime Surrey countryside. The sale of the 166-acre venue, which was achieved by joint agents Savills and HMH Golf and Leisure, consisted of the 18-hole golf course, 18-bedroom hotel, and planning consent for additional bedrooms. During the sale period, over 100 enquiries and 18 viewings were generated, although the name of the successful bidder has yet to be announced. Kay Griffiths, from Savills Leisure team comments, “Gatton Manor is one of the South East’s finest golf courses. We had anticipated strong interest from a wide range of prospective
purchasers, and were delighted with the number of viewings and the price achieved for the vendor.” The previous owners, Patrick and Belinda Kiely, are taking a well-earned break after running Gatton Manor since 2001, during which time they have transformed the club, although the couple are planning to remain involved in the golf industry on a consultancy basis. Tom Marriott at HMH said: “Gatton Manor has been dramatically improved over the last few years, and the business showed good profits and potential for further growth – the site had the added attraction of some useful planning consents, and there is no doubt that this was what drove the high level of interest. “Typically profitable asset backed businesses continue to attract strong interest in a time of uncertainty. We are finding that there is no shortage of cash buyers for assets of this quality.”
Play your golf with the
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Goodwood revivalists turn out in style
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Four in plus fours: Goodwood members in 1930s attire
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More than 40 members at Goodwood Golf Club turned back the clock almost 100 years to compete in the annual Goodwood Golf Revival tournament last month. Held to coincide with Goodwood’s Revival motorsport event, which attracted over 70,000 people over the weekend of September 17-18, golfers dressed in period costume and battled it out over the Downs Course armed only with traditional pencil-thin carry bags filled with brassies, spoons and niblicks with whippy hickory shafts and small persimmon heads – which all proved far less forgiving than their modern day counterparts. The competition was won by Chris Kerr and Martin Pettifer with 41 points, who just pipped Tim Pearson and Geoff Bleasby on 39 points. This year’s Best Dressed golfer award was won by David Macintosh, a keen hickory golf player, who captured with judge’s eye with his ‘Out of Africa’ inspired outfit.
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08 /
October 2011 / Issue 204
Cadbury plan resort at Che
News in Brief Thompson’s up to scratch Essex County team member Charlotte Thompson romped to a seven-stroke victory in the Ladies’ Scratch Cup held at Liphook GC in Hampshire. The 19-year-old one handicapper from Channels Golf Club recorded a 36-hole total of 144 to finish well clear of Georgie Mundy (Dunwood Manor), with Tara Watters (Muswell Hill) in third. Hampshire’s Kerry Smith, back after a two-year break, finished fourth.
Wessex Amateur Golf Tour Next season will see the launch of a new amateur golf tour covering Hampshire, Dorset, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Devon and Somerset. The Wessex Amateur Golf Tour will feature a minimum of eight events, with an order of merit comprising a player’s best five scores.
Thumbs up for new-look Wisley A major course renovation programme at The Wisley Golf Club in Surrey has received rave reviews from some of the world’s leading golfers, following the reconstruction of its Church Nine. The project, which began 18 months ago and re-opened in June this year, gave Robert Trent Jones Jnr, the architect behind the original concept, the opportunity to make improvements to the ninehole Church loop at the 27-hole venue. Denis Pugh, head teaching professional at the club, is delighted with the results. He commented: “Having played the old Church for many years and the new Church a few times now, in my opinion the Church nine is the finest
work I have seen from Trent Jones anywhere in the world of golf. To me, the Church refinements have given an update to the course that presents some old challenges in a fresh light, and also presents some totally new tests. Many original bunker features are in place, but brought into modern construction and design.” The Church first opened in 1991, immediately rating in the top 20 courses of the UK, but with the original course constructed over 20 years ago, and significant advancements made in modern technology, it was important to challenge the existing design ideas and, at the same time, make critical technical refinements to improve the drainage,
irrigation, thatch and bunkers. With the introduction of new tees and an impressive new burn feature to add to the nine’s ‘wow factor’, some of the world’s leading golfers among its membership list, including Ross Fisher and the Molinari brothers, will also be offered a greater challenge. The redevelopment, which was project-managed by the club’s experienced course manager, Stephen Byrne, used a new strain of pure bent grass to ensure The Wisley continues to enjoy some of the world’s finest putting surfaces. Hydro-seeding of new grasses was also used for the fairways to maximise roll, while each hole continues to be framed by the club’s iconic long fescue.
Golfers could soon be enjoying the majestic grounds at Cherkley Court
October 2011 / Issue 204
/ 09
ns new golf erkley Court An heir to one of the world’s biggest chocolate fortunes is aiming to build a golf resort on a country estate in suburban London. The 370-acre property, near Leatherhead in Surrey, is called Cherkley Court. Earlier this year, it was sold to an affiliate of Longshot Ltd, a group led by Joel Cadbury, the son of the famous chocolate company’s founder. Longshot plans to convert Cherkley Court’s 30-room manor house, its six-bedroom garden house, and some adjacent cottages into an upscale resort, which will include an 18-hole private golf club. Joel Cadbury, 40, founded Longshot with business partner Ollie Vigors in 1994, operating it as a holding company for their investments in London-area leisure and entertainment venues. Longshot’s business portfolio has previously included Vingt Quatre, London’s first 24-hour restaurant; The Groucho Club;
a health club, and several pubs, nightclubs and eateries. The partners sold many of their holdings in 2007 for more than £50 million, freeing up funds to invest in Cherkley Court, which was on the market for £20 million. Cherkley Court itself enjoys an interesting history, being the former home of Canadian-born press baron Lord Beaverbrook, founder of the Daily Mail. After the death of Lady Beaverbrook in 1994, the property passed to The Beaverbrook Foundation, which was set up in 1954 to support charitable causes in the UK and Canada. The house made national headlines earlier this year, after the Beaverbrook Foundation became involved in a six-year legal battle to recover a collection of paintings worth over £12 million that had been lent to a gallery in Canada. Not all the paintings were recovered – although the shortfall is not connected with the subsequent sale of the house.
Wycombe thinks pink! The golden brown autumn leaves may be falling – but in a tiny corner of High Wycombe, the world’s turned a fetching shade of pink! Wycombe Heights Golf Centre has just launched ‘Pink October’, a month-long programme of fund-raising activities to support its chosen charity – Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Head Greenkeeper Colin Wilson has opted to sport an eyecatching dyed pink hairdo, while all 18 greens on the public pay-and-play facility’s Main Course are resplendent with pink flags. Highlight of Pink October will be a Guinness World Record attempt by Richard Perkin on October 23. Wycombe Heights’ PGA Teaching Professional will endeavour to better the existing mark for hitting the most golf balls over 150 yards in one hour; the current 16-year-old record stands at 2,146 by Canadian Sean Murphy.
Addington hosts football legends
News in Brief Sundridge new website Sundridge Park Golf Club in Kent has launched a stylish new website that includes an interactive hole-by-hole glory, fullcolour photos, overhead layouts and professional tips. For more details visit www.spgc.co.uk.
Orrins wins Waterford
The Footballers Charity Golf Classic held at The Addington Golf Club in Croydon once again attracted an impressive line-up of football stars to support Bob Wilson’s Willow Foundation. A total of 22 teams turned out to raise funds for the charity, which organises special days for seriously ill 16-40 year olds. Among the legends taking part were Gianfranco Zola, Gus Poyet, Tony Cottee, Tony Gale, Liam Brady, Steve Coppell, Alan McInally and Terry Mancini, as well as Bob Wilson. The team of Simon Hodsdon, Wayne East, Damion Queva and Ron Noades emerged victorious, with an impressive 78 points in a best two scores from four stableford format. They each received two Virgin Atlantic tickets to any worldwide destination, with second prize being a week’s holiday in Barbados, courtesy of the Barbados Tourist Board. Next year’s event, the fourth renewal, is scheduled for September 12.
Kent amateur star Max Orrin collected the coveted Waterford Trophy after firing rounds of 71, 66 and a course record 63 at a stormy Sundridge Park in Kent. The 72-hole world ranking men’s event was played in a mixture of torrential rain, driving winds, sunshine and even a hailstorm, but that failed to put off Orrin, from North Foreland, who relished the testing conditions to win by nine shots from Jonathan Bell. The 17-year-old England international has enjoyed a superb season, having won the Andalucia Junior European Open in March, as well as picking up the Kent Junior Championship at Sene Valley in September.
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October 2011 / Issue 204
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October 2011 / Issue 204
Golf Show c new visitors
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Sir Nick Faldo with Gavin Samuels
Samuels bags Faldo Series Winter tee time specials From 10th October 2011 to 29th February 2012
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Bedfordshire amateur Gavin Samuels fired a brilliant final-round 68 to come from six shots behind and win the 15th Faldo Series Grand Final held at Lough Erne in Northern Ireland. The 20-year-old from Leighton Buzzard opened up with rounds of 76 and 78, but in more benign conditions for the final round, carded eight birdies to finish on six-over par and five ahead of English duo Cameron Long and Adam Andrews. Wiltshire’s Jordan Smith started the final round five shots ahead of the field, but struggled to an 80 and finished fourth. As part of his prize, Samuels will be offered a start in a professional Tour event, and will also be invited to the sixth Asia Grand Final at Mission Hills Golf Club in China next March, along with all the other age group winners. “This is by far my biggest achievement in golf,” said a delighted Samuels. “I won the Faldo Commemoration Jug in Sir Nick’s hometown of Welwyn Garden City this season, and now I’ve won his Series title. It’s an amazing connection and an unbelievable feeling. Nick phoned my dad to tell him the good news.” In a good day for England, 17-year-old Brogan Townend from Pleasington was crowned Faldo Series Girls’ Champion, following an impressive final round 71. In the age categories, Slovakia’s Natalia Heckova won the Girls’ U16 title, Ireland’s Gavin Moynihan led the local challenge to take the Boys’ U18 title, while overall runner-up Cameron Long from Drayton Park was crowned winner of the Boys’ U16 division.
Golfers looking to try out some of the latest equipment, get expert tips from the game’s top coaches, and take part in skills challenges to win big prizes, should make a beeline for the Earls Court Exhibition Centre from November 11-13, when the 2011 London Golf Show will be taking place. The show, which is now in its seventh outing, has moved venues for this year’s renewal, relocating several miles across London from its original home in Dockland’s Excel Centre, to what is regarded by the organisers as the more accessible exhibition centre at Earls Court in West London. The show has not only moved locations, but it has also been revamped to offer a more entertaining day out for visitors, including many more interactive features, competitions, and specialised coaching from top professionals, with specific areas dedicated to putting, short game and full swing assessments, as well as areas
for ladies and juniors. Visitors can also watch trick shows, test new clubs on simulators, and check out the latest golf gadgets. Supported by some of the biggest and best household names in golf, visitors will be able to test and buy the newest equipment, including Titleist, Callaway, TaylorMade, Cleveland, Yonex, Wilson and Mizuno via the show’s retail partner The Internet Golf Store. As an additional incentive for visitors, everyone buying advance tickets, which are on
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October 2011 / Issue 204
sale now, will receive a £50 voucher from Your Golf Travel to spend on an overseas golf holiday. Daily tickets for the show, which is open from 10am 5pm, cost £12 per person, or £9 each for multiples of two people. The ticket hotline number is 0844 858 6749 or for more information visit www.londongolfshow.com. To win one pair of 20 tickets available to the London Golf Show please email your details to: info@golfnews. co.uk with the subject line London Golf Show.
Barry Lane continued his hot run of form as he claimed his second European Senior Tour title of the year at the Casa Serena Open, shooting a final round 69 to clinch a two-shot victory in the Czech Republic. Lane, who is also second in the Senior Tour Order of Merit, held off the determined challenge of the rankings leader Peter Fowler, claiming the €60,000 first prize to cut the gap at the top to just €13,502 with a handful of events remaining. Playing alongside Lane in the final group, Fowler posted a closing 67 to finish runner up, while Roger Chapman finished one shot further back in a Courtesy of Getty Images
courts s
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Red-hot Lane bids for Senior money list share of third place with Oxfordshire’s Carl Mason. Lane has been enjoying a magical run of results since finishing as the highest European at The Senior Open Championship in July, defending his Scottish Senior Open title, and following that up with a second place finish at the Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters at Woburn. The 51-yearold, who is lives in Henley, only
added the tournament to his schedule at the last moment in a bid to catch Fowler on the money list. “Peter is playing really well and I took a bit of money out of his Order of Merit lead,” said Lane. “He’s been finishing top five or top 10 every week recently, but I’m slowly catching him and hopefully can make a decent fight of it going into the final events. I don’t know how many Peter’s going to play in the run-in, but at least I’m up there and I’ve got a chance. Hopefully by the time I get to the MCB Tour Championship in Mauritius at the end of the year, I can maybe win it.”
Business as usual after Surrey Downs fire The owner of a golf academy whose premises were completely destroyed by fire earlier this summer has not let the incident affect a busy schedule of coaching. Steve Blacklee, who started his own academy at Surrey Downs Golf Club in Kingswood in 2010, could only watch helplessly as the building, housing teaching facilities and computer equipment, went up in flames at the end of June. The whole club had to be closed for 24 hours to allow fire crews to tackle the blaze, but despite losing thousands of pounds worth of equipment, Blacklee was back coaching on the outdoor facilities within days, and it’s business as usual. The academy is currently operating from a Portakabin, although a new permanent building will open next Spring.
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October 2011 / Issue 204
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Putting lab opens at Haywards Heath
video analysis system that captures and measures a player’s individual stroke characteristics, including shot arc, swing speed and angle of impact. An Odyssey Optimizer session then establishes which model of putter from the brand’s award-winning line up is best suited to the player’s game, with a chance to try out all the models to
find out which produces the most consistent results. The putter is then fitted with the correct head type, length, lie, loft grip and head weight. To book a fitting session, short game lesson, or to find out more information, visit www.puttlab.co.uk or call 01444 414866. Next month Golfnews visits the new fitting centre at Haywards Heath.
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Redbourn rolls out red carpet
Hayling Golf Club, Links Lane, Hayling Island, Hants, PO11 OBX
Good year for Internet Store
The management at Redbourn Golf Club in Hertfordshire rolled out the red carpet earlier this month to welcome the Chinese Ambassador, His Excellency Mr Liu Xiaoming (pictured above), who was taking part in a corporate golf day at the St Albansbased club. The high-ranking official teed it up in the 48 Group Club Golf Day, sponsored by KPMG, which was held to help foster trade relations between the UK and China. Sixty players competed over 18 holes of the club’s 6,500-yard Ver Course, while a further 15 guests received expert tuition from Redbourn’s team of professionals. Mr Liu managed to chalk up 32 points during his round, but the winner of the main Stableford competition was Youge Cheng with 48 points, with Elisa Shen’s 44 points taking the ladies’ prize, which was presented by the ambassador. Tristan Hall, General Manager of Redbourn, said: “It was a tremendous honour to welcome the His Excellency Mr Liu to Redbourn for this prestigious golf day and host his business colleagues. I hope this successful inaugural event at Redbourn went some small way to helping foster even closer relations between the UK and China, and we look forward to welcoming back the party again in the future.”
The Internet Golf Store in Surrey celebrated the first year of the opening of its indoor Golf Performance Studio last month. The store, which incorporates state-ofthe art technology, video and simulator analysis, is based in Lower Kingswood, just a mile off junction 8 of the M25. It has attracted an increasing number of golfers from all over London and the Home Counties since opening its doors, who have been purchasing competitively-priced equipment, clothing and accessories, while enjoying the benefit of the Golf Performance Studio just 70 yards from the store. The Internet Golf Store’s managing director, PGA Professional Barry Young, is delighted with the store’s success so far. For more information on Internet Golf Store and the Golf Performance Studio, visit www.internetgolfstore.co.uk or call 01737 833148.
Dartford claims Perman Shield Dartford won the prestigious Perman Shield Trophy beating Knole Park 7½–4½ in the final held at Royal Blackheath. The knockout scratch competition, which involves clubs from across Kent, is played in Ryder Cup-style format throughout the summer. Dartford’s victorious team comprised Steve Bibby, Billy Diegan, Darren Crabb (capt), Chris Snell, Jamie Howell, Dan Byrne, Michael Saunders, Dave Moore, Steve Sutton and Dave Clark.
Q G uot N e 5
Golfers looking to fine-tune their short games and should head down to Haywards Heath Golf Club in West Sussex, where a state-of theart putter fitting performance centre has recently opened. Simon Iliffe, the head professional at the popular club, has enlisted the support of market-leading putter brand Odyssey to set up Puttlab, an indoor studio kitted out with all the very latest stroke analysis monitoring equipment that will change the way golfers look at the most-used club in the bag. A one-hour fitting session, which costs £25, includes an initial consultation with Simon, or one of Puttlab’s two other highly-experienced PGA professionals, followed by a test session using the very latest Science and Motion software, a
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October 2011 / Issue 204
On a beautifully sunny, if slightly windy, autumn day in Kent, Prince’s Golf Club provided the perfect venue to sort the men from the boys (and two ladies) in the most hotly-contested competition of the year - The 2011 Golf News Links Championship
The Callaway-sponsored goodie bags proved a big hit
The practice putting green at Prince’s saw plenty of action
The top three players with their prizes Competitors enjoyed a superb day’s golf on the Kent coast, with Peter Jones (right) crowned champion after scoring an impressive 34 points around Prince’s testing layout
Jones shines at stunning Prince’s With Kent’s famous links venues receiving plenty of media coverage over the summer months thanks to the exploits of a certain cigar-chomping Irishman, it was not surprising that the 2011 renewal of the Golf News Links Championship was a sell-out field, with some the South East’s finest purveyors of the art of links golf signing up to take on the mighty challenge that is the Shore/Dunes layout at Prince’s Golf Club in Sandwich. Occupying a stunning stretch of the Kent coastline, which it shares with its illustrious neighbour, Royal St George’s, Prince’s is no stranger to staging top quality golf tournaments, having hosted the 1932 Open Championship, and, more recently, final qualifying for the Open of the modern era. Prince’s is championship golf of the highest and most exacting order. With barely a fairway or green viewable from to the clubhouse that bisects the course, the first-time visitor often wonders where they’ve found space for 27 holes; while after playing the course, many are still left scratching their heads as to where they put those fairways, such is their narrowness. Still, it was all grist to the mill of our hardy contestants, and, as the cliché goes, when the going gets tough, the tough get going, and with some of the competitors having travelled over
150 miles to get there, none needed a second invitation to take to the links on such an unseasonably warm October morning. With a protein-stacked bacon roll in their tummies, and a new sleeve of Callaway’s Diablo Tour balls in their pockets, courtesy of a generous goodie bag provided by the aforementioned award-winning brand – sadly, the Callaway beanie hats were not required, although they will come in useful later in the year – the competitors were split into a two-tee start over the Shore/Dunes layout. And with each nine measuring 3,450 yards, give or take an inch, the overall yardage was close to an eye-watering 6,900 yards, and the stage was set. With off-shore winds gusting up to 20mph at times, and with handicaps cut to three-quarters for this format, the odds on the winner matching last
year’s 42 points looked remote from the outset. The early starters could clearly be seen wading up to their knees in tangly rough, and calls for more Diablo Tour balls to be shipped out from the clubhouse were also heard in some quarters. With the fairways in immaculate condition, those that did manage to avoid the rough were presented with magnificent ball-striking conditions, but keeping the ball under the wind, yet over the bottomless pot bunkers that lined the fairways and guarded the greens was another thing altogether. Some players had never seen manmade steps into a sand trap before, while others were strangers to the treacherous run-offs and uneven lies that only a true links course can provide. Calls of ‘let the wind be your friend’ fell on many a deaf ear, as players struggled to contend with the conditions, and with the early finishers failing to muster much more than 26 points, the odds on a low-scoring winner looked likely. However, Hideo Suda (High Elms GC, 10 hcap) and Ed Whiffin (Cottesmore G&CG, 9 hcap) came in with a pair of matching 34s (split by Hideo’s better back nine), and for over an hour Hideo looked the likely trophy winner. But just as the engraver was about to start work on his short name on the replica Claret Jug, up popped Peter ‘let me tell you where I am’ Jones (sadly not of
Dragon’s Den fame), playing in one of the final groups, to take the title with a stunning 35 points, including a back nine of 19. Peter, who plays off 14 and is a member at the exclusive Bearwood Lakes Golf Club in Berkshire, was as surprised as anyone to have taken the title, but all agreed that anyone who had played so close to their handicap under such testing conditions must have had great rounds. “I had the round of my life,” Peter agreed, as if to underline the fact, as he picked up the coveted trophy following the superb post-match meal, and the first prize of a brand new Callaway Diablo driver. Runners-up prizes of an Odyssey putter and a Callaway stand bag went to Hideo and Ed respectively, while the sideshow events were equally eagerly contested, with Henry Tse (Berkhampstead) winning the longest drive competition and Mike Rubber (Stockley Pines) taking the prize for nearest the pin on the brutal third hole – a stunning shot that finished four feet from the cup. The post-round putting competition proved something of a welcome retreat after the vagaries of the golf course, and produced some enjoyable moments when the competitors reached the very difficult 8th and 9th holes, which had been set on the slope of this traditional links putting green. Ed Whiffin went round the 9-hole layout in 16 putts to win by one shot and take the prize of a historical account of The Open. Of the two female competitors, Irene Ahern from nearby Sene Valley scored 18 points off a 22 handicap (playing off 17), which took the ladies’ prize. But, at the end of the day, the entrants to the 2011 Golf News Links Championship were all winners, on the basis of having taken part.
October 2011 / Issue 204
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Hastings bids for ‘Crazy Golf capital’ status Hastings’ reputation as the ‘spiritual home of miniature golf’ has been taken up a notch following the opening of a new 18-hole Pirate Adventure Golf Course on the Sussex town’s seafront. The course, which cost £500,000 to construct and opened during the summer, is the town’s third miniature golf course, taking the total number of crazy holes to 54. Hastings is already home to the annual World Crazy Golf Championships, which this year takes place on the town’s seafront Castle Course from October 29-30, where the defending champion will be Birmingham’s Chris Harding. The new Pirate course, which is located on the promenade in Hastings Old Town, requires players to make their way around a pirate-themed course, whose centrepiece is a battle between two pirate ships, with cannon fire, explosions, and splashes as the cannonballs land close to the players and spray water all over them. The whole course is floodlit and is open up to 10.30pm throughout the summer.
Jack Sparrow was on hand for the opening of Hastings’ newest crazy course
David Hartley, Manager of Adventure Golf Ltd, which owns all three courses, said: “Adventure Golf has been a major leisure activity in America for decades, but the UK was slow to take-off, due to the high costs involved. We’ve designed courses as far
afield as Croatia and Cyprus, but our spiritual home is Hastings and when we design courses for ourselves, we naturally want the very best, not just to keep our local business buoyant and successful, but as a showpiece to the world as to what we can achieve.” In other mini golf news, Canterbury’s Marc Chapman (pictured left) became the first British player to win the British Open International Minigolf Championships after the taking the title in the 20111 event held in Sidcup last month. Chapman picked up £500 for his win and a bonus £100 for being the top-placed British player.
Cameron Clinches Senior Title
Gunners inspire Kingswood’s captain’s day scramble Last month saw the members at Kingswood Golf Club in Surrey take to the tee in their favourite sporting colours after rising to the challenge set by club captain Kevin Newman. Kevin, who is a diehard Arsenal fan, launched the special Texas Scramble event wearing his beloved red and white, while dishing out £5 fines to any player who had failed to follow his lead. The club has raised over £15,000 for Barnado’s so far this season, with that figure set to rise significantly before the end of the year. The Crown Golf Academy at Paultons Golf Centre at Romsey, Hampshire has been selected as the host venue for the Hampshire Golf Union’s school for excellence. Following a rigorous selection process, newly instigated by the Hampshire Union, Paultons was considered the best site for the job, with the most qualified staff. The U14 county squad will be coached by Paultons’ Head Coach Chris Farr and colleague Kevin Capelhorn, with the pair joining forces with Hampshire U14 Manager, Mike Gregory, to help raise the standard of the county’s juniors golfers, and to provide a permanent team base.
Cameron seems to be the name constantly in the news these days and Doug Cameron, a Scot from Moor Park in Hertfordshire, added to the influx when he won the inaugural Seniors County Champions Tournament at Woodhall Spa. A closing round of 78 in the 54-hole tournament left him a stroke ahead of England senior international Roy Smethurst, and saw him become the first holder of the inaugural Richard Palmer Trophy.
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Paultons becomes ‘home’ for junior talent Farr, who set up the Crown Golf Academy in 2008, said: “It’s a huge honour for both Kevin and me to represent the county on a coaching basis. Hampshire has a deep pool of talent and it will be
fantastic to help develop these young players into the world-beaters of the future. We have high ambitions to see the Under 14s compete successfully both as a team and on the national stage.”
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18 /
October 2011 / Issue /204 18
Having secured his tour card after just three professional events, Tom Lewis looks destined to follow in the footsteps of another of Welwyn’s supremely talented golfing sons Words by Alistair Tait “I think the most important advice is, don’t get too complicated in your life,” Watson said. “You can get it very complicated by adding a lot of people and a lot of things in your mind. Keeping the mind free of clutter is the most important thing.” Lewis appears to have taken the advice to heart, considering his actions after Royal St George’s. That’s when he showed just how mature he really is. Given the exposure he received, Lewis could easily have immediately jumped into the professional ranks, yet he chose to stay amateur until the Walker Cup. Not because he felt an obligation to captain Nigel Edwards, but because he realised it was the right thing for his career.
Eyes on the prize: Tom Lewis looks set for a bright future on the European Tour following his stunning start
There’s a saying that good things come to those who wait, but try telling that to Tom Lewis, the 21-year-old from Hertfordshire who has developed a habit of not only doing things very quickly, but also rather well. To say that Lewis is a man in a hurry is perhaps the understatement of the year – at least when it comes to golfing careers. Just six weeks ago, the young man from Welwyn Garden City Golf Club was playing as an amateur in Great Britain & Ireland’s stunning victory over America in the Walker Cup. But by October 16, just 30 days after turning pro, Lewis carved his name into the record books by securing his first Tour victory in only his third appearance on the European Tour. To put his achievement into perspective, it took Tiger Woods five attempts to achieve the same feat, while Rory McIlroy laboured away for 38 events before he crossed the line in front. While comparisons with either of those players are obviously rather futile, the manner of Lewis’s victory at the Portugal Masters – where he shot 22 birdies in the final 52 holes – and the maturity he has displayed throughout what has turned out to be a golden summer, give rise to the
What’s in Tom’s bag Lewis will be playing 14 Ping clubs, wearing a Ping hat and carrying a Ping staff bag. He currently uses a PING G20 Driver (9.5 degree), G20 3 wood (15.5 degree), S56 Irons (2-PW), Tour S Wedges (52, 58 degree) and a Scottsdale Wolverine H Putter. He will be playing Titleist’s ProV1x ball, wearing the FootJoy StaSof glove and FootJoy shoes.
A star is born impression that we are witnessing the arrival of someone truly special. With a two-year exemption to the European Tour already secured, along with entry into next month’s Dubai World Golf Championship, Lewis can now sleep easy at night, safe in the knowledge that he won’t have to take part in Qualifying School, the six-round, end-of-season lottery that all professionals fear so much. “I was really dreading going to the qualifying school, but it looks like I’ve skipped that,” said Lewis, after picking up his winner’s cheque for £345,000. Skipped it he has, and by quite some margin, and he now can focus his thoughts on playing well in Dubai and the greater prizes that lie in store next season. Ranked 166 in the world, third in the Ryder Cup points list, and scheduled to make his WGC debut in Shanghai next month, the world is, quite literally, at his feet. Lewis’s prospects of making his mark in the professional game have been touted by the great and the good for quite some time, including everyone from his golf club secretary, to Sir Nick Faldo and Tom Watson. One person who stuck his neck out more than most was Irish tour caddie Colin Byrne, who predicted that Lewis would make a big splash in the pro ranks months before he took the world by storm at The Open Championship at Royal St George’s in July. In fact, Byrne was so impressed by the way Lewis handled himself at the Dubai Desert Classic back in February, that he had no qualms about caddying for the youngster when the Englishman announced he was turning professional after the Walker Cup.
Byrne, who started working with Lewis at last month’s Dunhill Links Championship, knows a great golfer when he sees one. The experienced caddie helped Retief Goosen win two US Opens. Byrne has also caddied for, among others, Paul Lawrie, Alex Noren, and most recently, Edoardo Molinari. It was while caddying for Molinari that Byrne first cast eyes on his new employer. Molinari played a practice round with Lewis before this year’s Dubai Desert Classic. Byrne was so impressed by what he saw that he jumped at the chance of caddying for Lewis when Molinari missed the cut. “He’s ready to play on Tour now,” Byrne said back in February. “He strikes it well, he’s long and he’s got a good head on his shoulders. He’s got all the tools to play at the highest level. He’s very mature for a 20-year-old.” Those words proved prophetic when Lewis roared to the top of the leaderboard at the Open Championship. He shared the first round lead with Thomas Bjorn after both had returned matching 65s. Lewis eventually finished equal 30th to take the silver medal as leading amateur. The boy from Welwyn handled himself so well at Royal St George’s that he had five-time Open champion Tom Watson singing his praises. “He’s a fine player, he really is,” said Watson, after playing the opening two rounds with Lewis. “He’s got strength, and he’s got a wonderful touch around the greens. He flights the ball very well. He has a very good complement of shots in his bag for someone so young, and that’s what you look for.” Watson had one simple piece of advice for his young playing partner.
“No, not at all,” Lewis said, when asked if he regretted not turning pro after The Open. “I thought about it, definitely, because I was playing well. But the Walker Cup was what was my main goal as an amateur, and it would have been silly to have turned pro when it felt like I made the team back in July. I only had one good round at St George’s, and went from leading to finishing 30th, which isn’t good enough. It showed that I needed to improve in certain areas. I had a struggle a couple of weeks after The Open, so it would have been a big mistake to have turned pro then.” Given that Lewis placed joint 10th in his first event, the Austrian Open, and won his third in such impressive style, it would appear waiting until after the Walker Cup was a wise move. Then again, it seems Lewis can do little wrong in professional tournaments. He first came to world prominence by finishing 12th in the Australian Open, and losing a play-off to Peter O’Malley in the New South Wales Open on the Australasian Tour at the end of last year. Of course, an early win in a professional tournament doesn’t always guarantee future success – the record books are littered with one-hit wonders, but Lewis looks to be made of the right stuff, and has already surrounded himself with a good team. Besides having Byrne on the bag, he also has a world-class coach in Pete Cowen, who has guided many careers to the highest level, and he will no doubt receive the best possible commercial advice from IMG. For Lewis’s sake, let’s hope the golfing success continues, as he admitted publicly just before the Walker Cup that he is dyslexic and didn’t much enjoy his school work, so turned down scholarships from the many US colleges that tried to recruit him. “I’ve only got one goal,” Lewis says. “If golf doesn’t turn out to be my life, I’m going to struggle.” Somehow, I think he’s going to be ok.
October 2011 / Issue 204
/ 19
NickBayly
GNeditor reveals what has caught his eye in the golfing headlines in recent weeks
Strawberry fields two-flag format Fours years after my first experience of PowerPlay Golf at the Northwick Park complex in Middlesex, last month I found myself taking part in the re-launched version of the two flag formatted game at the delightful Strawberry Hill Golf Club in South West London. The club, which was formed in 1900 and designed by JH Taylor, must be congratulated on managing to carve out nine infinitely-challenging holes from the 27 acres that it has access to. There’s not an inch of space that hasn’t been used, with the practice putting green just a few feet from the bar, and the final green scarily close to the clubhouse terrace. Given that PowerPlay is a nine-hole game, Strawberry Hill is perfectly suited to the format, as there are no decisions to be made about which nine to use, just where the two pins need to be placed – although that is often a bone of contention. Expecting to be greeted by little more than a pitch and putt, I was
Putting away from your nearest flag is a common occurrence in PowerPlay Golf
slightly taken aback to discover that the opening four holes contained three par threes measuring 235, 241, and 237 yards respectively, while the tee shot from the par-five first has the main line to Waterloo running all the way down the left side of the fairway, making it one of the most intimidating opening shots in world golf. Most visitors take several attempts to get away, while old hands angle their shots somewhere towards the 9th fairway to avoid the potential for
a major derailment. PowerPlay has been a big hit with the club’s members, having hosted three tournaments over the summer, each attracting over 50 players. Playing alongside a club member, it quickly became apparent that course knowledge clearly counts for everything in this format, as other than the stroke indices, I had no idea about which holes to take on the black flag (i.e. use one of my three available PowerPlays), and which to opt for the ‘easier’ approach to
the more accessible white flag. As it turned out, for a player of my limited ability, finding the green with my second shot – let alone a particular part of the green – was challenge enough. Overall, I enjoyed the banter it ignites among fellow players, and the extra pressure it places on your shots to PowerPlay flags, although I do think nett pars need to be rewarded with double points, as these are hard enough to achieve at the best of times, and would bring higher handicappers into the game. Clubs can sign up to become an official PowerPlay venue for just £70, which involves all the kit to stage an event, and there are currently over 300 clubs in the UK that have done just that. For my part, it certainly offers something different from the usual Stableford format, and while there’s a certain amount of luck in whether you guess which holes you’re going to play best on, anything that encourages a bit of fun mixed in with healthy competition must be a good thing.
Time to end FedEx farce I don’t know if I’m in danger of becoming cynical, but is it just me or is the FedEx Cup, the PGA Tour’s not quite end-of season cash bonanza, just a wee bit out of step with the times? $10 million for winning a golf tournament? Are they serious? The winner of the Race to Dubai pockets a hefty £1.5m, which although not inconsiderable, is small fry compared to what’s on offer in the States, and represents just enough money to keep most of Europe’s top players interested, but only most and only just. The person who wins the R2D is for my money, the better player any day of the week, as besides performing consistently in the majors and the WGC events, they will also have had to play well on innumerable different continents, climates and playing conditions. Meanwhile, the US counterpart has to sneak into the top 130, and then hold it together for maybe two out of the four weeks on four very similar courses and ‘boom!’, he’s $10m better off. Hats off to Bill Haas, I say – but to say he represents the PGA Tour’s pinnacle is a joke that I’m sure even Bill would agree is quite funny, once he’s had time to stop counting the zeros on his next bank statement. Some tournaments get the winners they deserve. I rest my case.
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October 2011 / Issue 204
NO.1 Dad He’s a bit miffed that he’s still waiting for his first major, but World No.1 Luke Donald has every reason to feel satisfied with his year’s work Does it bother you that you’re the No.1 player in the world, yet you don’t seem to get the same attention as some of the previous top-ranked players? Yes and no. From an ego standpoint I want the attention for everything I’ve done. But in another way, if I was bombarded like Tiger was, and still is, it would get quite tiring. It doesn’t really bother me. I have my own agenda. I know what I want to achieve and how to do it. I suppose I’m not one of those personalities that attracts a huge following. I might get attention in the UK, but it’s quite quiet in America, which is a little bit surprising, but it allows me to get on with things. You mention ego; do you feel you’re the best player in the world? Is the Official World Golf Ranking an accurate system? There’s different ways to look at it. The World Rankings is a statistic. You can’t argue against it. It is what it is. Other than Rory, I think I’ve earned double the points than just about anyone. I’ve been consistent,
won three times at three pretty big events. What I got sucked into is that everyone associates the No.1 player in the world with Tiger Woods and what he did. As much as I believe there’s no limit to what I can achieve, I understand it’s unlikely at my age I’m ever going to achieve what Tiger’s achieved. I think it’s a little unfair that people should think that just because I’m No.1 I should be winning this many majors or this many tournaments, when really it’s just a statistic Everyone’s had the same opportunity to earn the same amount of points as I have, but I’ve played better than everyone else. A journalist once described a group of players who seemed comfortable picking up big cheques for top-10 finishes as suffering from ‘Luke Donald Disease’. How did it feel to have a ‘disease’ named after you? It really upset me. Fair enough if you want to criticise me for not winning enough, but to say it’s down to not having the desire or work ethic, and that I’m someone who’s happy to pick up cheques, but who doesn’t really
care about winning, is ridiculous. The guy who wrote that should come and watch me practise. If he’d seen me work, he might have written that article differently. Would you rather be No. 1 for a long period or win a major? I’d like to win a major championship, because that’s a big deal these days. Since Tiger started chasing Jack’s record, majors again have been associated with being a great player. Most people’s careers are compared with how many majors they win. I’d love to win a major. But saying that, being No. 1 is pretty special, because there have only been 14 or 15 different No.1s down there years, and there have been a lot more major winners than that. There are different ways to look at it, but ultimately winning majors is very important. Would you consider yourself an underachiever if you never win a major? I’d certainly be disappointed because I’m a very competitive person, and I like to set goals and achieve them, and winning majors is one of those goals. Would I have regrets?
Probably not, because I gave it my all and I worked very hard to be as successful as I could. Not many people probably thought I could get to No.1 averaging 280 yards off the tee in this era. I don’t think a lot of people would have ever thought I had that chance. But I’ve got time to win majors. Did any majors slip through your fingers? I’ve had a couple of chances. In 2006 at Medinah, I was pretty young, was coming off a pretty good year and obviously was going up against Tiger. I learned a lot that week. During the 2007 Masters, I was one off the lead playing the ninth hole on Sunday and made a triple bogey, and I had an outside chance this year in Atlanta. Even though this year I didn’t win one, I feel like I’m going in the right direction; certainly better than last year! You were near the lead a couple of times at the US PGA Championship – do you feel like it got away from you? I really made it tough on myself by not playing well for the first two days. I think mentally, again, I fell into the trap of trying a little too hard, and not
October 2011 / Issue 204
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just letting it happen. I was able to give myself some good rounds on the weekend, but I didn’t finish off those rounds very well and struggled on the final four holes. I think I was eight over on those holes for the week. Hats off to Keegan; to come back from that triple bogey on the 15th and make a couple birdies, he had to dig pretty deep to find that. How important is the FedExCup and the Race to Dubai for you? They are both important, because if I went through them and didn’t do well, it means I threw a little bit of the year away. I worked towards getting into a great position to be the FedExCup champion, which, in essence, means you’re the most consistent player for the whole year, and I’ve pretty much been that. Having the opportunity to win the FedExCup and the Race to Dubai has definitely made me work harder. What do you like or dislike about the Play-offs? Would you change anything? The thing I like about it is that you have to play well in the majors and the World Golf Championships to get into the position that I am. I think the FedExCup is pretty close to getting it right. I would probably give more points to majors. Those are more important; they’re more important than the 10 per cent difference in points, that’s for sure. How important is it to you to win both money lists? I think it is more the fact that no one has ever done it as a member of both tours. You always try to accomplish things that nobody has ever done. I think it will be pretty special. I think it’s not easy to play on both tours. You spread yourself a little bit thinly. You have to play well at the
right events, the majors and the WGC events. It would mean a lot to lead both Money Lists, and that’s why I will keep a little eye on what everyone is doing, but rest is important, as well. It’s hard to chase everything. What single accomplishment has given you the most satisfaction this season? Winning the PGA Championship at Wentworth, and what that meant, getting to No.1 in the world, is the real standout for me. I was also proud of the way I won it against Lee [Westwood], who was No.1 at the time. Having missed a couple of opportunities to get to No.1, to do it at the right time at Wentworth, the flagship event of The European Tour, and with a lot of family and friends in attendance, made that week very special. You went through a careerthreatening wrist injury several years go. Did that, in a strange way, help you get to where you are today? When I had my surgery the biggest thing was the unknown; was I going to be the same player; was it going to break down again; was the surgery going to last; was my game going to be the same or would I have to change my swing? There are a lot of unknowns that are tough to swallow. Touch wood, it worked out pretty well for me. It gave me a new focus on certain things I needed to change in my swing – to put less pressure on my wrist. I was also able to step back and see what I needed to do to improve and understand why I wasn’t progressing as much as I thought I was. Without that wrist injury, who knows, I might be struggling right now. It happened for a reason and good things came out of it. But injuries are definitely scary.
What was the hardest part of overcoming it? Mental? Physical? It was a little of both. It was more getting back into competition, and hitting shots under pressure. It’s easy to go to the range and feel like you’re swinging like a million dollars, but it is doing it under the gun that counts. That’s what I said about Tiger at the PGA. Even though it wouldn’t surprise me if he won pretty soon, it’s a tough ask to have someone come back after not playing for three months and expect them to do well in competition. It’s hard to gain that trust, and that trust comes from playing a lot of events. How long did it take for you to fully get over it? A good year after I started playing again. I had surgery in August 2008; first tournament in December; and I would argue that I still felt it in my swing throughout 2009. It took a good year to get over it. Are you looking at changing your Mizuno Irons anytime soon? Watch this space on that one, I will try out the new MP59’s over the winter period. We can’t let you go without asking about Tiger. Do you think he will ever be the same player he was?
Not many people thought that I could get to World No.1 averaging 280 yards off the tee in this era It’s going to be very hard to get back to the level he was at. He’s had some physical issues and some mental issues dealing with the scandal he went through, and being away from the game for so long. It makes it very hard. Having the injury and the mental scarring that went with being away from the game and not being that successful for a couple years does take confidence away from you. I would imagine he’ll win again, but I’m just not sure he’ll dominate like he did.
New caddy John McLaren has had an huge influence on Luke Donald’s recent run of results, while his wife Diane and baby daughter Elle (pictured left) have given him a new focus away from the golf course
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October 2011 / Issue 204
Storybehindthepic Cisco World Match Play Championship: Wentworth Club, 1994
O
ctober just hasn’t seemed the same since the powers that be decided to relocate the Volvo World Match Play to Spain. The reluctance of many of the game’s top performers to dig out their waterproofs for a gruelling four days around the leaf-strewn West Course has left thousands of golf fans with an gaping void in their sporting calendar that will never be filled. But, as the last few days have shown, October can be fantastic in the south of England, and few courses look more beautiful than the West Course in the autumn, with the red, orange and brown hues combining to create a stunning backdrop to the much-loved match play event. And since the tournament’s lamented departure in 2009, the venerable Virginia Waterbased club has sorted out the problem with the stodgy
greens, although the 18th is still a bit of an issue. Some will say we’ve had more than our fair share of the match play format at this time of the year, following the swift
succession of the Walker and Solheim Cups, but can you have too much of this when there are umpteen professional stroke play tournaments taking place during each and every
week 52 of the year? The pushing back of the Ryder Cup later in the calendar also caused issues in alternate years, but golf is definitely the poorer for the absence of the
tournament from its spiritual Surrey home and its relocation to Finca Cortesin – a nice course admittedly, but not one that is located 20 miles from 10 million people, who have been left to survive on a meagre ration of The Open coming to Royal St George’s once a decade and the annual BMW PGA Championship in May. In Ernie Els and Colin Montgomerie, who are pictured fighting out the final in 1994, we have two titans of the game who both could quite rightly lay claim to being ‘Mr Wentworth’. Els won the Match Play a record seven times while playing in his own backyard – he still owns a mansion that backs onto the 15th fairway – while Monty bagged his only title in 1999, but also won the Volvo PGA Championship over the same course for three years on the bounce from 1998. You can tell from Monty’s disinterested expression – as he scans the horizon for a photographer unwrapping
a sweet – that he is on the receiving end of an Els beating (he lost 4&2), but it is also a reminder of the quality of player that the World Match Play attracted at the height of its popularity. Under its various sponsors (Piccadilly, Suntory, Toyota, Cisco, HSBC and Volvo), the roll call of champions has also included Seve (four times), Woosie (three times), Faldo (twice), and Norman (three times), while even Lee Westwood, who professes no great love for the West Course, managed to win the title during his annual mirabulis in 2000. The current Match Play champion, Ian Poulter, would never have won the tournament if it had still been held at Wentworth, as like Westwood, he’s never really got on with the place, and wouldn’t play in the PGA Championship if a three-line whip didn’t demand it. Still, time moves on and nothing stays the same. More’s the pity. DOWNSHIRE GOLF COMPLEX
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October 2011 / Issue 204
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News in Brief
Wellington shine at The Shire Hot favourite Wellington College lived up to its pre-match billing with a convincing victory in the Independent Schools Golf Association 2011 Schools Cup held at The Shire in North London on October 5. Wellington retained the title for the fourth year running after beating off the challenge from 23 other schools, with teams comprising three pupils and one teacher. Wellington finished 13 shots ahead of Worksop to win the trophy and the prize of a golf simulator for their school. New Hall won the nett trophy for the first time, with St Catherine’s Girls only one shot behind. With harsh scoring conditions, Cameron Farmer took the best boys gross score with a 73, while Workshop’s Sophie Godley bagged the girls’ prize after an impressive 74.
Marshall manages Luton Hoo Graham Marshall has been appointed golf manager at Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa, the luxury five-star hotel and golf resort on the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire border. With 18 years’ experience in the golf industry, and a career working in both the UK and America, he joins Luton Hoo from a management position with Burhill Golf and Leisure. Marshall, 34, who lives in Harpenden, has also enjoyed spells at Aldwickbury Park, Redbourn and Pyford golf clubs, and for the past year has been relief general manager at the Thornbury Golf Centre in Bristol and Shropshire Golf Centre in Telford.
“We have a fantastic course here at Luton Hoo and I am excited to have been given the opportunity to raise the club to one of the top destinations in the South East,” said Marshall. “I am looking forward to meeting and getting to know all the members and their guests.” The club has also recently appointed Paul Keen as its resident golf professional. Keen joined Luton Hoo in 2008, when the course first opened, to look after club membership. Owned by Elite Hotels, Luton Hoo boasts a 144-bedroom hotel, spa complex and an 18-hole, 7,100-yard championship golf course that is set in the grounds of the Capability Brown-designed estate.
better by degrees! A 21-year-old student who spent part of her degree studies working at two golf clubs in Surrey has bagged a top job in Abu Dhabi after graduating from Birmingham University with a first-class degree in Applied Golf Management Studies. Victoria Hassett, who was one of just two students to graduate from the 24-strong PGA- backed course with top honours, enjoyed work experience placements at Banstead Downs and Surrey Downs golf clubs during her three-year course, and has now being offered a position on the coaching staff at the prestigious Yas Links Resort in Abu Dhabi.
Win No.14 for unstoppable Wallis! Walmer & Kingsdown’s winning machine Richard Wallis bagged his 14th victory of the 2011 season – and his 13th PGA South region title of the year – when finishing in front at The London Club Pro-Am. Wallis fired a oneunder-par 71 over the Jack Nicklaus-designed Heritage
Course to finish two shots in front of Cottesmore’s Calum Callan and Ryan Fenwick (Slinfold Park), who tied for second spot with 73s. Wallis was surprised to be at the top of the leaderboard after dropping four shots in the last three holes, but a squall hit the course during the back nine, causing the
scores to head north along with the wind. “The weather certainly wrecked my golf, and it must have done the same everyone else’s,” said Wallis, whose round included six birdies before the weather closed in. “As it turned out, I’d enough of a cushion to win with two strokes to
spare. But it was good fun for the other fifteen holes and further proof that the practice is paying off. The driving and fairway shots were fine, and having weakened the left hand off a bit yet again, my putting was pretty hot on what were terrific surfaces to play on at the London Club.”
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October 2011 / Issue 204
EwenMurray
Sky Sport’s voice of golf speaks out on issues of the month
Fed-Ex format needs more fine-tuning
Bill Haas was a surpise winner of the Fed-Ex Cup after a late charge
I
think I can say with some authority that I’m not alone in thinking the PGA Tour have yet to get the Fed-Ex Cup quite right. Going into the first of the four events, five players had won twice during the season, yet the winner in New Jersey – Dustin Johnson – who, let’s not forget, had not won all year, went straight to the top of the Fed-Ex points list. The following week in Boston, Webb Simpson beat Chez Reavie in a playoff. Having won the previous month, Simpson took over at the top. On to Chicago, where Justin Rose won from the front and rocketed from 34th to third in the rankings. The finale was played out at East Lake, where Luke Donald began the week in fourth place, finished third, but still failed to finish in the top two of the Fed-Ex rankings. Confused? Yes, I was too. The top 30 made the final event and while, as I concede, it was good that every one of these players had a mathematical
chance of winning, I couldn’t help thinking that the good play throughout the season went pretty much unrewarded. The sudden-death playoff at East Lake featured Bill Haas and Hunter Mahan, who had started the week 25th and 21st respectively, with neither having won during the season. Haas prevailed after three extra holes and won the series and with it the $10m bonus. Mahan finished second in the year-long points system and collected $3m. Donald could well end up being the leading money winner on both sides of the Atlantic, having had three wins and 13 top-ten finishes, but for him to end up playing third fiddle to Haas and Mahan suggests a fatal flaw in the points system. And here’s why it’s flawed. Five hundred points are accumulated by the winner each week on tour, 600 goes to each major winner, while a whopping 2,500 is awarded to the winner of each of
the four play-off events. Wouldn’t it be something if one player won the four majors next year, then finished tenth in the first playoff event, while another player missed the cut in all four majors, and with a couple of decent finishes throughout the year won in New Jersey and went straight to the top of the Fed-Ex standings? How embarrassing would that be? Clearly, the PGA Tour needs to get its act together, because it still has some work to do to come up with a more equitable system. I was reminded of the silliness of it all when Hass came onto the presentation podium to be congratulated on his achievement by PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem, to which Hass replied: “Thanks a lot, who won the Fed-Ex Cup?”
Our Cup overflows! While on duty in America, I was only able to capture glimpses of the Solheim Cup in Ireland, but what a wonderful win for Alison Nicholas and the European team. The ladies tours on both sides of the Atlantic have struggled with sponsors due to the economic downturn, but they served up some superb golf over the three days at Killeen Castle. Among the many highlights for me was Laura Davies gaining enough points to become the highest points scorer in Solheim history – a marvellous reward for the high level of play she has managed over the last 25 years. And in a match where every point counted, Laura’s foursomes win with Melissa Reid on Saturday and her gutsy half against fellow veteran Juli Inkster were as important as the wins on the closing holes on Sunday. Golf is all Laura has done in her life. She dedicated herself from a young age, and has played all over the world, and won tournaments on every golfing continent. Nicholas was an equally tenacious competitor during her illustrious career, and no doubt that steel she displayed was transmitted to her players. Each and every one of them was excellent. No individual stood out, but all twelve combined to create a fabulous team. One would hope their victory will catch the attention of new sponsors, and once again Europe will have a strong women’s tour. Staying on the subject of team match play golf, I was equally delighted with our Walker Cup team’s stunning victory against the Americans at the majestic, albeit wild, Royal Aberdeen. What a great idea it was to take the match to a true links course, because there was no doubt it gave our team an advantage. In James Byrne and Tom Lewis, we have two youngsters that can look forward to their professional careers with optimism, as there is no doubting their special talent – but they won’t be the only two to make the grade from a truly talented Great Britain & Ireland side. In 2000, at Sea Island in Georgia, the GB&I captain was the excellent Peter McEvoy, and rather like Tony Jacklin did with our Ryder Cup side, he changed things around and instilled belief. McEvoy is a born leader. Like the Ryder Cup 30 years ago, interest was beginning to wane in the Walker Cup, which was all too often a one-sided affair, but each captain since McEvoy has taken on board the changes he made and added some of their own ideas. The amateurs have responded and Royal Aberdeen was a fine spectacle. With the Ryder, Solheim, and now Walker Cup within our shores, we have every reason to be upbeat for the future.
Dunhill Links continues to entertain and delight When The Dunhill Links Championship first began back in 2001, it was met with a fair amount of derision. ‘Silly event’, ‘waste of time’, ‘no interest’, are just some of the quotes from critics over a decade ago. How wrong could they have been? Nothing the tournament’s founder, Johaan Rupert, does is a waste of time. I have been privileged to know Johaan for twenty years, and have been even had the pleasure of being a guest in his home in Mpumalanga in South Africa, where the Alfred Dunhill Championship is played. Not that I’m at all biased! Down the years, Johaan has been a magnificent supporter of golf. Major
Chris Evans won the Pro-Am with partner Nick Dougherty
champions Charle Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen have all personally benefitted from the support he has given them, and more talented young players will do so in the future. The Links Championship
was his brainchild, and it now has a firm place in the golfing calendar. The concept of mixing pros with celebrities and captains of industry was not a new one, but to host it at the Home Of Golf, and using three different
venues, certainly was. It’s now the hottest ticket in town and stars of stage, screen and TV clear their diaries in the first week of October each year in order to make the tournament. Michael Douglas, back from battling cancer, played alongside Colin Mongomerie, and our four sporting ‘Sirs’, Charlton, Pinsent, Redgrave and Botham, played their part in a hugely successful week. Along with them, many golfing fanatics paid handsomely to share the hallowed fairways with today’s golfing stars. A total of 168 amateurs and professionals started, with 60 pros and twenty amateurs making it through to the final round. For the amateurs, it was their major; for the pros
it represented their chance of advancement in the Race to Dubai, and at the other end, an opportunity to retain or regain their full playing privileges on the European Tour. The Links delivered on all fronts. Marc Warren, a twotime winner on Tour, had lost his way, but his fifth place finish gave him his career back. George Murray, a local hero from Anstruther, came off the Challenge Tour last year and after 23 events this season had won just £51,000. His tied third finish netted him just under £200,000 and secured his future. Michael Hoey joined Northern Ireland’s golfing heroes and won over half a million pounds, and in the process took his third
European title. An idea to elevate this event even further – in my eyes at least – would be for the organisers to donate a percentage of the prize money – say 25% – to local charities. It is only right that others less fortunate than ourselves would benefit from what is a combination of golfing dreams from all corners of the sport. The top players support this event because they want to. The prize fund is irrelevant. The players who are trying to save their season are more interested in the points. Without events like this, the game would be poorer, but it also has the potential to make a lot of worthy causes a lot richer.
October 2011 / Issue 204
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Worthing’s Match Play magic
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Worthing Golf Club overcame East Sussex National 8.53.5 to bag a record seventh win in the 40-year history of the Sussex Inter-Club Matchplay Championship. East Sussex National put up a brave defence of the PAV Trophy at Haywards Heath, but was powerless to prevent Worthing winning their second title in three years. Leading the foursomes 2.5-1.5, Worthing went from strength to strength, with English youth international Toby Tree dominating the finals. They then romped to a 6-2 victory in the afternoon
singles, with wins from Tree, Peter Tarver Jones, Tim Martin, Nigel Harringdon and Scott Nightingale, in a 6-2 thumping that saw only Oli Hayes record a win for ESN in a 3&2 win over Joe Doherty. Graham Roberts, Worthing’s team manager, said: “They are a great bunch of lads. After the champagne was kindly donated by the county, don’t ask me what they got up to after that!” A handsome tribute to Toby Tree came from ESN’s general manager, Derek Howe, who has run the ESN team during its glory days. “In the 35 years I have
been in golf management, I have never seen a better striker of the ball. He twice drove the first green, and in the afternoon was out in 29 and six up after seven holes over Mark Budd. We have no excuses, Worthing played very well.” Howe, 69, retires as manager at ESN next year, having presided over a winning streak highlighted by championships in 2004, 2008 and 2010. The Dyke maintained its good form, beating Crowborough Beacon 8.5-3.5 to win the Plate competition.
Southern comfort for Woodman
the East Sussex-based club, Woodman was three behind first round leader Anthony Tarchetti (Prince’s), whose flawless six-under-par 64 outshone the 66s of Andy Raitt (St George’s Hill), Gary Marks (World of Golf) and 2011 PGA South Region captain Rob
sp for we Se ec m bs e ia o it l nt e o h ff ly er s
In-form Berkshire pro Guy Woodman showed his calibre yet again by winning his third event in as many weeks when cruising to a four-shot victory in the PGA Southern Professional Championship at Dale Hill Hotel and Golf Club. After an opening 67 at
Edwards (Lee-on-the-Solent). The second round produced two superb 63s from James Ablett (Leeon-the-Solent) and Jon Le Roux (Oris Medical), with Woodman producing masterly 65 to take the title and the £2,000 first prize. He said: “I learnt a lot about Dale Hill’s fast and tricky greens from the Pro-Am, and I stuck to my game plan: keep my ball in business, set up my second shots, be patient and hope to make a few putts. I’d heard Anthony was on a bit of a charge, so I was really pleased with the way I played the last four holes, and on the 18th tee I knew a five was going to be plenty good enough for victory.”
East Herts Golf Club has become the 500th golf club to receive GolfMark, the national accreditation scheme which incorporates Sport England’s Clubmark Award. The GolfMark scheme was launched in 2006 and identifies and recognises junior and beginner friendly golf facilities. East Herts achieved its GolfMark status while working hard to grow its membership. Regular Saturday coaching sessions for local youngsters have been supported by the opening of a three-hole Par 3 academy course in May this year. General Manager Alex McDonald said: “We are delighted to be the 500th club to achieve GolfMark status, and the award serves as a badge for people in the area to see that we are welcoming and friendly to new players. Our members understand that juniors and beginners are the future of the club. As we have welcomed youngsters, for example, their parents have also been keen to join in and we have introduced special coaching sessions for mums and dads.” As a reward for being the 500th club, Cobra Puma Golf will be providing the club with a personalised GolfMark Cobra Tour bag. Ian Barrett, European Marketing Manager the company, said: “We are really proud of our support for GolfMark and are delighted that the scheme is continuing to go from strength to strength.”
GUIDE
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October 2011 / Issue 204
Riding high after her stunning debut in Europe’s successful Solheim Cup team, Melissa Reid has the world at her feet. Literally Are you having a run at winning the money list? I will probably have to win three more tournaments including Dubai to catch Ai [Mizyato] and win the Henderson Money List, but it was definitely one of my goals from the start of the year. It should be a good battle, with a few that could get close, including Caroline Hedwall and Diana Luna, but if I play well I will give myself a chance.
MAGNIFICENT
MEL Mel Reid has attracted plenty of admireres on and off the course with her glamourous looks and aggressive style of play
Derbyshire-born Melissa Reid was playing off five when she turned professional in 2008. Since then she has finished inside the top 10 no fewer than 23 times on the Ladies European Tour. Her debut win came at the Turkish Open in 2010, while this summer she won the Deloitte Ladies Open in Holland and the Spanish Open and is currently second in the LET money list and 35th in the world. Last month she achieved one of her biggest ambitions when representing Europe in the Solheim Cup team, where she made a significant contribution to the home side’s thrilling victory at Killeen Castle. With her good looks and amiable disposition, the 23-year-old is a marketing department’s dream, and has already developed a huge fan base on and off the course. First things first, how does it feel to be on the winning side in your first Solheim Cup? It was unbelievable and by far the most exciting experience of my life. I never want to miss another and will try and play in as many as I can. It was a true team effort, and everyone made a contribution. How much did the tournament take out of you physically? I took a whole week off afterwards because I was absolutely shattered. Winning in Spain and then playing in the Solheim really took it out of me, but it was nice to have a week off, and it didn’t take long to recharge the batteries. What was it like playing alongside Laura Davies? Laura is the reason I took up golf, so to play alongside her was a dream come true. We get on really well, and we kind of
Who were your golfing heroes? Well, it was always Seve when I was younger. He has been such a huge influence on the game of golf, and I was saddened by his passing, as was everyone in golf. Then, when I was just taking up the game, Tiger was in his prime and I always looked up to him. In the women’s game, I’ve always loved the way that Laura [Davies] plays and she’s been a hero. And then Annika [Sorenstam], of course, who got me into the fitness side of it. Career highlights? Obviously winning the Solheim Cup, and on a more personal level, winning twice on tour, but before than my biggest highlight was finishing 16th in the Women’s British Open at St Andrews as an amateur with my dad on the bag. It was a perfect week. The best shot you’ve ever hit? Probably a 3-wood over water into the final green, in the third round of the Swiss Open. I needed an eagle to tie the lead and I hit it 220 yards over the water to four feet and holed the putt. I finished second in the end, but that was a big shot. What’s your favourite club? I have a couple, actually. I love hitting my driver, that’s one of my strongest clubs. I also love hitting my 58-degree wedge. I just love the different things you can do with it, and the imagination you can use – the spinning, high, low shots, you can do so much with it.
feed off each other. We’re a really good partnership. We were both disappointed to lose our foursomes match on the Friday, after battling so hard and playing so well, so I’m glad we had the chance to turn that around on the Saturday. It was great for Laura to break the points scoring record with the win, and for me to get my first point made it a special afternoon. How excited were you to qualify for the team? It was one of my main goals of the year, and I managed to not only do that, but finish top of the ranking points league. It was huge for me and I’d be lying if I said it hadn’t been on my mind all year. It was a massive weight off my shoulders to get into the team. I might have been a captain’s pick last time, but I got a wrist injury. It was unfortunate, but I didn’t perform well enough in the events that I played in up to qualifying. But I’m over that now! Did you talk to any of the other players before Killeen? I spoke to a few of the girls, Laura Davis and Becky Brewerton in particular, and they both said it’s a completely different experience. The way the team shaped up meant we had a lot of experienced players to help the rookies deal with the bigger players on the USA team and not get intimidated. It was a great mix and it worked out perfectly.
Did you watch the Solheim Cup when you were growing up? My earliest memory is of Loch Lomond and Carin Koch holing the winning putt in 2002. Ever since then I’ve wanted to be a part of it. Playing the Junior Solheim Cup in 2005 was awesome. We got treated like royalty for the week and if that was what the junior one was like, I definitely wanted to be a part of the adult version! It’s a huge honour to represent England and Europe. How well suited to match play golf are you? Well, to be honest, you don’t get to play it too much as a pro. I haven’t played it that much for the last couple of years. The main thing is you can just go for it. You have to know when to go for it and when not to but, you know, it doesn’t matter if you make a double bogey, it’s only one hole and you can bounce back. You can play more aggressively, which suits my game. How did you prepare for it? It’s weird, because I just couldn’t stop thinking about it. I spoke to my coach about it and he said, look you can’t just think about this one tournament, you have to focus on the other tournaments too. So I just prepared for it like I would for another tournament. I worked really hard on my pitching and putting and tried to get that nailed down.
What’s in the bag? I play TaylorMade CBs and the MBs from 6-iron up. I use blades from 6-iron up, and cavity backs from 5-iron down. I have a 3-iron rescue, a 3-wood, driver, and four wedges – a pitching wedge, 52, 54 and 58. What was the last social round you played? I played with a friend of mine last month who is a big Leicester City fan. As I’m a big Derby County fan, there was a lot of rivalry, banter and fun. He’s a good player, plays off two, but I beat him. I had to give him fours shots too! I always have to make it competitive, otherwise I get a bit lazy. Laura and I played versus Sarah Kemp and Becky Morgan for £100 in the Open practice rounds. It was £50 for each nine, and we lost both nines, they played unreal. We were four under par and they were something like 10 under! Favourite three golf courses? Kingsbarns is definitely one. I love the fact it’s on the coastline. It’s gorgeous. St Andrews, the home of golf, is also amazing. Then probably The Metropolitan in Melbourne. Who inspires you outside of golf? Roger Federer. I try to be as much like him as possible in terms of how he conducts himself and how professional he is. What would you change of you were PM for the day? I’d get rid of pigeons. I really don’t like pigeons!’
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A DV E R T I S I N G
P R O M OT I O N
October 2011 / Issue 204
Srixon/Cleveland Golf ambassador and the properties behind Srixon’s AD333 b two-piece ball in the UK for the last four
SRIXON Still
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4 YEARS T S A L E IN TH
THE T i F GAME M r u o o T Y S r Cu L Fo GHT BAL ri
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In 2004 Srixon Golf launched the AD333 ball with the aim of it becoming the most played two-piece golf ball in the UK. This was achieved in 2007, yet, like all great champions, Srixon Golf has not let up and has made further improvements – improvements that four years later allow the AD333 to still be the most played two-piece ball in the UK, and that resulted in the fifth version of the ball being launched earlier this month. But how is this ball any different to the four other hugely successful models that Srixon has previously developed? Core Matters Much like when it comes to the basics of a good golf swing, at the heart of every great golf ball there is a strong core upon which the rest of the ball can be built. The core of the new AD333 is bigger and stronger than the previous models, therefore providing the base to give a more dynamic trajectory. The core is built to be tough on the outside therefore giving the solid and resilient feel off the clubface that is now demanded of every modern day golf ball. However, the core of the ball gets progressively softer towards it’s centre, which helps provide the greater element of control that is necessary with fast and firm modern greens. These characteristics lead to the new AD333 providing a golfer with low spin and high speed off the tee, which is the ultimate recipe for long and straight tee shots.
Soft Feel Although a dynamic core is imperative for the development of any successful golf ball, from a golfer’s perspective the decision as to whether or not they use a ball is based around how it feels off the clubface. The cover of the new AD333 is both soft and resilient, giving it the ability to perform in the most testing conditions and providing golfers with a strong sense of confidence.
For more information on Cleveland Golf please visit www.clevelandgolf.com or Srixon visit www.srixon.co.uk
October 2011 / Issue 204
A DV E R T I S I N G
P R O M OT I O N
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PGA Professional Ben Clayton explains ball that have made it the best-selling r years
SRIXON AD333 No. 1
ONE WEDGE IS A START, TWO IS BETTER, BUT THREE IS A
SCORING SYSTEM
G-mac
Made from a blend of Rabalon HR and Pana Tetra, the cover of the new AD333 gives golfers of all abilities a perfect balance of control and a feeling of solidarity in their ball striking. The specialised dimple pattern is designed to give a low penetrating trajectory that will result in more roll, more distance, and more fun on the golf course. Instilling Confidence Although the technical specifications of the Srixon AD333 may have changed five times since its launch five years ago, the underlying philosophy of its development has remained the same: to provide a ball that
is suitable for golfers of all levels through strong basics, such as a dynamic core, and to finish it off with a great-feeling cover to give golfers strong levels of confidence. It is often said that if you can master the basics of the golf swing and then combine this with some confidence in what you are doing, you can’t go far wrong. This applies whether you want to become the best golfer at your club, or just the best golfer in your fourball. But whatever you want from the game, your confidence can only increase by choosing to play a golf ball that has been the best in its category for the past four years, and that is still intent on continuously improving.
For more information on Never Compromise please visit www.nevercompromise.com
Cleveland and the CG logo are registered trademarks of Cleveland Golf / Srixon, CG16 and Zip Grooves are trademarks of Cleveland Golf/Srixon
my LoFTs aRE 52°, 56°, 60°
TO FIND OUT WHAT WEDGES YOU SHOULD PLAY, GO TO YOUr LOcAL PrO SHOP AND
TELL THEm G-mac sEnT you! www.clevelandgolf.com
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October 2011 / Issue 204
Srixon AD333 ball RRP: £26.99 per dozen Contact: www.srixon.co.uk The UK’s best-selling two-piece ball has received a make over, with the fifth generation of the AD 333 boasting improved allround performance. Designed for golfers with swing speeds in excess of 80mph, the new version features an even bigger, more resilient core, made possible by thin cover technology, which provides a high initial velocity to deliver greater ball speed and maximum distance, with a high launch angle and improved carry and roll. A new aerodynamic dimple pattern reduces drag to give a more penetrating flight, while the thin blended cover ensures soft feel and plenty of spin around the greens.
John Letters Master Model irons RRP: £649 (3-PW) Contact: www.johnletters.com Played by some of the greatest golfers to have played the game down the years, including Gary Player, Lee Trevino, Fred Daly and Bernard Gallacher, John Letters’ Master Model irons are handcrafted in St Andrews by skilled clubmakers, and are among the finest players’ irons currently on the market. The latest generation to come from the JL workshops is forged from soft carbon steel for ultra-soft feel and finished with a stunning black PVD finish. The tour-inspired head features a thin topline and a traditional profile at address, while the PVD finish eradicates glare and frames the ball beautifully at address. As well as comprehensive custom fit shaft and grip options, the Master Models are also customisable for paint fill colour to make them unique for each golfer. Each set, which comprises 3-PW, comes in an attractive presentation box, while a matching set of Master Model PVD wedges are also available to complete the look.
Callaway Razr Xf Irons RRP: £1,299/£1,149 (gr/st) Contact: www.callawaygolf.com
Glenmuir Derwent RRP: £70 Contact: www.glenmuir.com The jumper pictured above is made from a mix of wool (80%) and polyamide (20%) and is manufactured using a new finishing process called Bionics Nanotechnology, which gives the material an inherent resistance to water, soil and oil, which is great if you’re a chef or a rigger who also happens to play golf. Rather than sitting on the surface of the material, Bionics integrates special star-like molecules, known as dendrimers, throughout the material, which build an invisible protective shield due to a complex crystallisation processes. This makes its repelling qualities more effective and longer lasting. The Derwent is available in Satellite, Satellite Marl and Light Grey.
Billed as Callaway’s highest ever spec game improvement iron, the new RAZR XF irons take the brand’s renowned knowhow on all matters relating to forgiveness, and combined them with premium materials to create increased distance, soft feel and luxury looks. Costing well into four figures, they are
clearly aimed at the deep-pocketed game improver who doesn’t mind paying for a bit of help off the fairway (or the rough, for that matter). Featuring a classy black PVD finish, the main body of each club head is forged from carbon steel and perimeter weighted to achieve the highest MOI of
any iron Callaway has ever made. This, coupled with a steel face to generate faster ball speeds, creates increased forgiveness while also providing soft, responsive feedback at impact. Available in both men’s RH/LH, 3–SW, the RAZR XF is also offered in a ladies’ version (5–SW), RH only.
Mizuno MP-69 irons RRP: £120 Contact: www.mizuno.com An evolution of the highly-acclaimed MP-68 iron, the MP-69 is an object of rare beauty – a pure muscleback for pure ball strikers. Aimed at skilled players, with its classic, clean looks and thin topline, it has a slightly more pronounced toe, last seen in the MP-32, and a muscle pad that makes the longer irons easier to hit with a marginally higher trajectory. The shorter irons are more compact at address, with a raised centre of gravity for greater trajectory control. They are available in any custom combination from 3-PW, with the brand’s popular MP Fli-Hi (2,3,4) clubs available as long iron replacements.
October 2011 / Issue 204
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Titleist AP Irons RRP: AP1 £107/£93 (st/gr), AP2 £130/£114 Contact: www.titleist.co.uk Titleist’s fourth generation of Advanced Performance irons, which go on sale in November, is perhaps best viewed as an evolution, rather than a revolution on what has come before, although the new AP1 and AP2 irons both feature subtle and notso-subtle design tweaks that will enhance their playability and increase their appeal across a wider spectrum of players. Although aimed at ‘serious golfers’, both these irons are part of a move by the brand to include golfers that are serious about their game whatever their handicap, rather than simply those who are seriously good.
Both models are multi-material, dual cavity irons that provide forgiveness with the traditional looks, feel and sound that golfers have come to expect from Titleist. The main enhancement to the 712 Series, especially in the AP2s, has been the increased levels of stability, without the usual trade-off of reduced workability. This has been achieved through a more efficient use of weight placement, with new high density tungsten pad placed low and deep on the clubhead, which increases MOI without having to increase blade length. The heads in both models are also
more refined, offering a slightly sleeker profile at address. The AP1 features a new topline shape and progressively reduced blade lengths, while the AP2 includes a square toe profile and reduced sole width in the short irons for more precise shot making. Both models incorporate Titleist’s Tuned Feel System, a moulded insert of soft elastomer and aluminium plate, which is designed to improve sound and feel.
Yonex EZONE SD irons RRP: £799/£699 (gr/st)
FootJoy XPS-1 Shoe Rating: RRP: £195 Contact: www.footjoy.co.uk
Wilson Staff FYbrid RS RRP: £109 Contact: www.wilsonstaff.com Wilson, one of the early adopters of the hybrid concept, has launched a new range of its popular FYbrid clubs that fuses six different fairway woods and hybrids into a single family. The RS range allows golfers to build consistent distance gapping into their game, while offering direct iron-replacement hybrids (3, 4 and 5), with easy-to-hit fairway woods bridged by a multi-purpose FY club. The RS features three key technologies in the club head, including ‘Rocker Sole’ technology, which offers a rounded sole profile and helps players to identify the ideal impact area. Through removing material near the toe and hosel, the clubs deliver maximum flexibility in a variety of lies, as well as creating minimal turf interaction on uneven surfaces. The heads are slightly deeper than previous models and feature a flatter crown, which lowers the CG for easier launch conditions. Available with UST/Mamiya Proforce VTS shafts as standard, the FYbrid RS range comprises a 3-wood (15°), 5W (18°), FY (19.5°), 3-hybrid (21°), 4h (24°) and 5h (27°) in RH/LH.
Launched squarely at the premium end of the market, FootJoy’s new XPS-1 shoe breaks the mould in so many ways for a brand that has previously been happy to play safe when it comes to the styling of its off-the-shelf footwear. Mindful of the need to appeal to a broader spectrum of players, especially for those younger types looking for some ‘visible technology’, the XPS-1 – which stands for Xtreme Platform Stability – offers this up in spades. Although the full-grain leather uppers are classy, it’s on the eyecatching soles where the engineers have been busiest, coming up with a radical design that claims to offer for the most stable platform of any shoe on the market. These bold claims have been backed up by stats and research, but suffice to say the ‘lateral outriggers’ (the bits that stick out the side) work like the outside hulls of a trimaran to create an extremely stable base from which to launch into the ball. Not only does the XPS plant the foot firmly in place, but it features an active supsension – courtesy of Softspikes’ cleats – that work through the phases of the swing. There are a myriad of other performance and comfort-enhancing features tucked inside the shoe, including a fiberglass support structure that secures the midfoot area, a heel locking zone and a new gel-filled collar, which provides added cushioning where golfers need it most. The laser-fitted last is designed to keep the foot snug, while a multi-density fit-bed and midsole insert further improves shock absorption. After 18 holes straight from the box, I can report that these are extremely comfortable to wear, and after taking a bit of time to get used to the raised vantage point and slightly expanded footprint compared to my other shoes, I hardily noticed I was wearing them. Until, that is, I addressed the ball, and found my feet planted like trees, literally rooted to the spot, creating an extremely solid platform from which to swing. Ideal for playing when it’s slightly damp underfoot, and even when its not, the XPS-1 shoes are genuinely ground-breaking, and add a performanceenhancing element that I’ve rarely come across in another shoe. Already worn by the likes of Padriag Harrington and big-hitting PGA Tour player Gary Woodland, the XPS1’s look likely to take FootJoy’s already dominant brand to a whole new generation and type of player, providing a performance-packed shoe that sits nicely alongside the stylish FJ Icon range. The XPS-1 will initially be available in white, with silver, red or blue accents, from December, with further colours available early in the New Year.
Contact: www.yonex.com If you want to put some yardage back into your iron play, the new Superior Distance irons from Yonex might just be the ticket. Combining a variety of technologies designed to increase distance, the SD irons feature a thin clubface welded to a double undercut cavity to increase the hitting zone, while a shock-absorbing sheet of graphite has been placed behind the face to maximise feel. A progressive weighting system adjusts the position of the head weight throughout the set to suit the needs of each iron, and a new sole design minimises drag to provide a clean, powerful strike. They are available with either Nanospeed 200 graphite shafts (S, R, SL flexes) or lightweight NS950 steel shafts (S, R) in 4-SW.
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October 2011 / Issue 204
1
John Letters Tour Black
2
Ping Anser
3
Cobra Trusty Rusty
RRP: £79 Contact: www.johnletters.com
RRP: £150 Contact: www.pingeurope.com
RRP: £99 Contact: www.cobragolf.com
Designed with input from JL staff players Phil Archer, Chris Hanson and Sam Torrance, the Tour Black wedges are hand forged from the 8620 steel and have been engineered to the tightest tolerances to ensure the most exacting performance, including conforming groove technology that push USGA and R&A rules to the limit. Featuring a clean, classy look and distinctive black finish, and come with a black KBS shaft or the new True Temper Dynamic Gold Spinner, which offering a lower ball flight and up to 700rpm more backspin than traditional wedge shafts. They are available in 52°, 56° and 60° lofts.
Forged from soft stainless steel for unparalleled feel, the head in the new Anser wedge features a tungsten toe weight that optimises the centre of gravity and increases MOI for high-spinning, low trajectory shots and consistent distance control. A thicker hitting area, featuring a stabilising bar and an hour-glass-shaped reinforced back cavity, ensures consistent shot making, while the machined grooves produce maximum spin rates under the new groove rules. Available in 50°, 52°, 54°, 56°, 58° and 60° lofts, with Dynamic Gold Spinner and Ping CFC steel shafts in Soft R, R, S and X flexes, and TFC 169i graphite shafts in L, Soft R, R and S flexes.
Cobra is bringing back the Phil Rogers-designed Trusty Rusty wedge. Each features a non-plated finish that is 7% softer than chrome and will rust more over time, promoting maximum allowable spin and enhanced feel. They feature a Tri-Bounce sole, with Rear Scallop. Higher bounce in the centre with relief in the heel and toe optimises performance for long, medium and short/flop shots. Available in RH, in 51°, 55° and 59° lofts and custom order lofts of 49°, 53° and 57°. The wedges, which go on sale in early December, come with a black True Temper Dynamic Gold S200 shaft as standard.
Check out the latest range of rule-conforming spin machines
GROOVE RIDERS 7
1
4
2
5 4
Titleist Vokey Design Sm4
8
RRP: £102 Contact: www.titleist.co.uk The latest Spin Milled wedges have been designed to claw back spin lost following the introduction of the new groove rules. This has been achieved through a variety of design tweaks, including upping the number of grooves from 14 to 17 and altering the geometry of the grooves to create rougher, spin-enhancing edges. Made from carbon steel, the heads have a slightly larger teardrop profile than found in previous models. They are available in three finishes (Tour Chrome, Black Nickel and Oil Can) and in 21 different loft and bounce configurations, from 46-64 degrees. Golfers can also customise their wedges through Titleist’s online WedgeWorks programme.
5
Mizuno MP-R12
6
Nike VR V-Rev
RRP: £115 Contact: www.mizuno.com
RRP: £95 Contact: www.nikegolfeurope.com
Already in the bag of World No.1 Luke Donald, the new R12 wedges feature a rounded shape that offers a consistent look at address, regardless of the face angle. The company’s trademark Quad Cut grooves are the most aggressive grooves under the new regulations and are designed to complement the CNC milling lines on the face for improved consistency from short range. The loft-specific sole shape ensures heel bounce remains constant across the range. They are available in white satin chrome and black nickel finishes, in lofts of 50˚, 52˚, 54˚, 56˚, 58˚ and 60˚.
The V Revs feature a cast clubhead manufactured from soft carbon steel, which offers unsurpassed feel and consistent distance control. A classical teardrop head, combined with Nike’s dual soul grind, allows for versatile shotmaking from all kind of lies. The faces are CNC milled-flat to ensure consistent contact and predictable ball flight, while the aggressive V-Rev grooves remain legal for amateur use. They come with a satin chrome finish and are fitted with True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts in the following loft/bounce configurations: 52/10, 54/12, 56/10, 56/14, 58/6, 58/10, 60/6 and 60/10.
7
Callaway X Series Jaws CC
8
6
3
TaylorMade RAC Mirror
RRP: £!!!!!!!!!!!! Contact: www.callawaygolf.com
RRP: £69.95 Contact: www.taylormadegolf.com
Wedge designer Roger Cleveland used Callaway’s X Prototype irons to inspire the shape and styling for X Series Jaws wedges. The heads are forged from soft carbon steel and feature 21 aggressive Mack Daddy grooves for added spin. Its C-Grind sole contour allows you to lay it open while keeping the leading edge low. Its heavy weight makes bunkers shots a breeze, while the sole works well from soft lies and rough. Shots from the fairway also benefit from high flight and ample spin for shot-stopping control. Available in chrome or dark vintage finishes, with 13 loft/ bounce configurations from 52-64 degrees, and True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts.
Featuring a curved trailing edge and aggressive Y-cutter grooves, the RAC Mirror wedge is a versatile performer. The tour-configured sole is ground low on the trailing edge and at the toe and heel, which allows players to open the face to play high, soft chips and pitches. The leading edge is radiused, enhancing the player’s ability to hit low punch shots without digging, while two notches in the back of an otherwise classic muscle-back club expand the sweet spot and mean that off-centre hits still get the benefit of the club’s feel and control. Available in five RH lofts (52, 54, 56, 58 and 60) and three LH (52, 56 and 60).
October 2011 / Issue 204
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Nick Bayly catches up with legendary clubmaker Bob Vokey, the mastermind behind Titleist’s victory in the wedge count on tour for the last 16 years How did you get started building wedges? I actually got started working with my dad in our garage. He was a toolmaker and always loved to tinker with golf clubs. So I was always around clubs, grinders, and stuff like that. When I moved to California in 1976, I started Bob’s Custom Golf Shop in Vista. I worked on all kinds of clubs, not just wedges. When Gary Adams moved TaylorMade to California in the mid80s, he hired me to work on irons and metals. That was where I met Lee Trevino, and I used to work on his clubs. I really didn’t concentrate on wedges until I started working with Titleist in 1996. The first project I worked on was the 975D driver. I’m still very proud of that club. After that, Wally Uihlein [Titleist CEO] asked me to start working on wedges. I already had a lot of relationships with the Tour guys, and I just took my notebook and listened to what they wanted. I guess the rest is history, as they say.
The Spin Doctor
Is it all about spin these days? Far from it – most pros spin it too much, even since the groove rule changes. Today, it’s more about launch angles, bounce, the shape of the head, and the feel off the clubface. Pros and other good players don’t have a problem getting spin. It’s just finding the right performance combinations that add up to creating a great wedge. What type of innovations are you using to overcome the effects of the new groove rules? In many ways the groove rule change helped re-launch my career, as we have had to come up with new ways of maintaining spin while staying within the parameters of the new laws. Statistics on tour have shown that players have lost 3,000rpm of spin from the fairway – which is a significant amount. Average golfers won’t have lost as much, as they started from a much lower bar, but it will still be noticeable when the old grooves start to be phased out. What we’ve done with the new Spin Milled wedges is to increase the number of grooves from 14 to 17, which essentially gives the wedge more teeth, while at the same time we’ve created a more aggressivelyshaped groove, that although legal, is much closer to the outer limits than our previous model. We’ve been able to do this by investing in new machinery that takes the tolerances up to the maximum, which translates into a wedge that gives back another 1,000rpm for top players. That’s still 1,400rpm down on what was achievable pre-2010, but it’s still a big step. The new SM4 groove allows the player to play high spinning shots with a controlled trajectory, or hit a shot with controlled spin and precise roll out. How is it best to describe bounce and its effect on shot making? Bounce is simply the angle between the rear portion of the sole of the club and the ground. Bounce is like a rudder on a ship, it helps stabilise the club through the turf. If you’re struggling with your wedges, try a little more bounce. The right bounce for a player is really dependent on two things: swing type and playing conditions. If you’re a steep swinger, a ‘digger’, as I like to say,
then you need more bounce. If you’re a ‘picker’ or a ‘sweeper’, you can get away with less bounce. But sweepers need to make sure they have enough bounce to get out of the bunker effectively. If you play in soft conditions often, think about having at least one club with more bounce. What mistakes do most amateurs make when selecting wedges? I see two things all the time. They don’t take enough bounce and they don’t know their wedge yardage gaps. Take some time to figure out your wedge yardages. I see guys who tell me that their 7-iron goes exactly 150 yards, but they have no idea how far their sand wedge goes. Wedges are your scoring clubs, you need to know your distances.
Titleist has recently launched a custom wedge operation. What was the inspiration behind it? WedgeWorks is my custom shop. The idea really came from the Tour and from Vokey wedge enthusiasts. We had Tour guys who wanted special options on their wedges, stampings, grips, etc. And serious golfers want that kind of service too. So we decided to expand our offering from WedgeWorks. In terms of what we’re going to offer, we’ve got a few packages, as well as individual services. A golfer can send back a wedge for a little TLC. We’ll check the loft and lie, buff up the head, fix the paint job, laser etch it with initials and logos, regrip it. It’s like a little spa service for your wedge. We’ve also got more advanced offerings, such as swing weight adjustments. What is the most valuable wedge to have in the bag? I would say the sand wedge is the most valuable, because it’s the most
versatile. You can use it out of the bunker, but it’s still effective around the greens and for full shots. It you had to use only one wedge, I’d say make it a sand wedge.
hit it with any given club, and that makes my job a lot easier. Steve was so specific about his bounce that we named one of the grinds an ‘S grind’ in his honour.
Do you have a favourite wedge? My favorite wedge is from the 400 Series. It’s the 56-degree sand wedge with 14 degrees of bounce. The shape is classic, kind of old school, just like me. We don’t make them anymore, but I still have one in my office. Some of the Tour guys still use it as well. There’s no such thing as the perfect wedge – it’s such an individual thing. One man’s drink is another’s poison when it comes to wedge design.
You’re 72 and still out on Tour. Where do you get your energy from? The Tour is my workshop, so I have to get out there and talk to the guys, as that is where my inspiration comes from. It’s only from reacting to players’ demands, and talking through the problems they have, that I come up with ways of fixing them. You can’t just sit in your office and come up with these things. They are living pieces of work that need to operate in the real world. Besides, what else would I do? Most of my friends retired so that they can spend more time travelling and playing more golf. I do that already, so why would I want to give it up – it’s way too much fun!
What gives you the most satisfaction in your job? Working with tour players is one of the most satisfying things – helping them to achieve their full potential. I have a couple of Masters’ flags and those from other majors signed by the winners who said that without my help they couldn’t have won the things they have. That means a lot to me. I also get approached by regular golfers who tell me how much their game has improved since they’ve bought a Vokey wedge, which gives me just as much satisfaction as it does to hear it from the pros. Which players have you most enjoyed working with over the years? There have been so many, from Lee Trevino through to Tiger Woods and Rickie Fowler. It’s always been fun working with Phil Mickelson, and we all know how good he is around the greens. It may surprise you, but Steve Stricker has been one of my favourite players to work with. He’s a master of distance control with a wedge. He knows exactly how far he can
Prices for a custom-made Titleist SM4 Vokey wedge start from £117. For more details visit www.vokey.com.
Bob Vokey’ and his design team have been turning out awardwinning wedges from their California-based workshop for over 15 years
34 /
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See page 23 for more information
Tenterden
Golf breaks with tuition Day 1
Day 2
Swing Health Check with Pro (1hr) l 18 Holes of Golf l Full Unlimited use of Golf Facilities l Full Use of our Luxury Spa l 2-Course Dinner l Accommodation
Breakfast l 9 Hole Playing Lesson with the Pro l 18 Holes of Golf l Full Use of Golf Facilities l Full Use of our Luxury Spa (up to 5pm)
l
l
Variety of Spa Treatments available on request
Price £190 per person (based on 2 sharing) London Beach, Hotel Club & Spa,
Ashford Road, Tenterden, Kent. TN30 6HX. T: 01580 766279 F: 01580 763884 E: offers@londonbeach.com
The Belfry, four-time host of the Ryder Cup, was unveiled as England’s ‘Leading Golf Resort’ at the annual World Travel Awards Ceremony, widely known as the ‘Oscars of the travel industry’, held recently in Turkey. The famous West Midlands resort was chosen by more than 200,000 travel agents and members of the public as the top venue for a golfing break in England. “It’s a privilege to be recognised as the leading golf destination in England by such an internationallyrenowned group as the World Travel Awards,” said Gary Silcock, Director of Golf
Belfry is the best of British at The Belfry. “We’ve worked extremely hard over the past few years, not just on our three top class courses and hotel, but also on enhancing the whole Belfry experience, ensuring visitors are treated to a world-class service from the moment they make the initial booking, through to when they leave the resort.” He continued: “Although
the last Ryder Cup was held here nine years ago, golfers still regard The Brabazon as the spiritual home of The Ryder Cup, and we welcome visitors from all over the globe who come to play the course as part of our Stay & Play deals that run throughout the year,” he added. As well as a cash injection of over £3m during the last
four years to its flagship Brabazon course, the resort has also recently re-launched its leisure facilities, now known as Health & Wellness at The Belfry, with state-ofthe-art gym equipment from Italy and a refurbished aqua spa facility. For more information on The Belfry or to book a golf break, visit www.TheBelfry.co.uk.
www.londonbeach.com
FREE GOLF At The Ashbury Golf Hotel The UK’s Largest Golf Resort Set in over 600 acres of rolling Devon countryside in the foothills of Dartmoor National Park, the Ashbury Golf Hotel boasts seven 18 hole golf course options plus extensive sports and leisure facilities - all free of charge to guests staying at the hotel. Guests may also take advantage of the sport, craft and leisure activities available to them at the Manor House Hotel. Beeches 5th 385 yards, Par4
Ashbury 6th 410 yards, Par 4
Kigbeare 8th 403 yards, Par 4
New deals at Old Thorns Golfers can enjoy the fabulous facilities at Old Thorns Manor Hotel Golf & Country Estate in Hampshire for as little as £99 when booking a package through Golfbreaks.com. Tucked away in 400 acres of Hampshire countryside just off the A3, Old Thorns is one of southern England’s most picturesque country-housestyle hotels, and offers luxury accommodation in 82 bedrooms, relaxing
health spa facilities, fantastic cuisine and an outstanding 6,581-yard, 18-hole
Stay & play in the Oakwood 16th 172 yards, Par 3
Autumn to Spring Specials 3 Night weekend £134/£282 4 Night midweek £162/£311 Full board, Group Discounts Including
FREE BUGGIES & FREE UNLIMITED GOLF
with all breaks taken between October 10th 2011 and April 29th 2012 NEW for this winter, All Season Fully Enclosed Buggies. £2 per day. Subject to availability. 7x 18 hole course options – yards KIGBEARE PINES FOREST ASHBURY BEECHES OAKWOOD WILLOWS
Par 72 Par 72 Par 71 Par 69 Par 69 Par 67 Par 54
White 6528 6400 6140 5804 5765 5502 1939
Yellow 6126 6076 5854 5534 5400 5299 1939
Red 5334 5327 5211 4918 4826 4630 1939
In addition there are extensive practice facilities and a driving range.
Pines 4th 270 yards, Par 4
Forest 8th 442 yards, Par 4
Garden of England Play one of the best courses in Kent while enjoying the very comfortable 4 star Ramada Hotel 1 night Bed & Breakfast, 2 Rounds of Golf
£85 £129
per person
2 nights Bed & Breakfast, 3 Rounds of Golf
Freephone: 0800 389 9892 www.ashburygolfresort.com
per person
1 night dinner, Bed & Breakfast, 2 Rounds of Golf
£98 £155
per person
2 nights dinner, Bed & Breakfast, 3 Rounds of Golf
per person
Contact us today on: 01622 844382 www.theridgegolfclub.co.uk The Ridge Golf Club, Chartway Street, Sutton Valence, Maidstone, Kent ME17 3JB
championship golf course, designed by the BBC’s ‘voice of golf’ and the club president, Peter Alliss. With notoriously fast greens and plenty of natural hazards, the par 72 layout is a challenging layout, while the typography of the course creates some wonderful views over the rolling Hampshire countryside from the elevated tees. Sunday savers at the Liphook-based resort throughout the year can be booked for just £99 per person, offering one night’s dinner, bed and breakfast, and two rounds of golf on the championship course. The same package for Friday and Saturday up until December 31 can be booked for £109pp, while two-night packages with three rounds of golf cost £179. For reservations call 0800 2797988 or please visit www.golfbreaks.com.
October 2011 / Issue 204
The Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa in St Andrews is offering the ‘Ultimate Boys Getaway’ that includes golf over two courses and additional off-course activities that would appeal to those celebrating a special event or for those who just enjoy a weekend away with the boys. Whilse staying at the luxurious Old Course Hotel overlooking the 17th fairway of the iconic course, guests first get to play the hotel’s very own championship heathland course, The Duke’s, designed by five-time Open champion Peter Thomson, followed by 18 holes over one of the seven St Andrews Links Trust courses. The choice includes the recently- Castle Course, which has met with great acclaim, the respected New or Eden course and, of course, the world-famous Old Course. In addition to enjoying golf in St Andrews, the Old Course Hotel and its concierge team can arrange a choice of activities off the course, such as a tour of the Tullibardine Distillery, where visitors experience ‘nosing’ of this exceptional single malt, or take a trip around the famous Bellhaven Brewery, the oldest independent brewery in Scotland. A day’s salmon fishing on the River Tay can also be
/ 35
Book up a boys’ weekend at the Home of Golf
Just awarded British Tourist Board Gold Award
The Old Course Hotel is an idea l base for a winter golf break in St Andrews
arranged, while those who like a target to aim at will enjoy a day of clay pigeon shooting, archery or rifle
One in four go Free at Dartmouth Golfers looking to keep their costs down while taking a golf break this winter can take advantage of Dartmouth Golf & Country Club’s new group deals. For groups travelling between November 1 and February 29 one in every four golfers will be able to stay and play at the South Devon resort for free when taking a two-night break. The packages include three days of unlimited golf and one evening meal, and, with the complimentary place, cost as little as £110 per person. Those wanting to extend their stay can add a further night and extra day of golf for as little as
£30. Alternatively a onenight’s accommodation and two days’ unlimited golf is available from just £69 per person. Unlimited golf comprises one round per day on the Championship course and unrestricted use of the Dartmouth course.
shooting in nearby Cluny. Back at the resort, the numerous five-star facilities complete this
Guests can also enjoy complimentary use of the Lakeside Health and Leisure Suite, while non-golfers can exchange their rounds for selected spa treatments. Situated in 225 acres of south Devon countryside, just outside the beautiful town of Dartmouth, the resort boasts 27 holes of golf. For more information, or to book your stay, call 0800 043 3669 or email reservations@ dgcc.co.uk.
FREE GOLF Air-conditioned clubhouse facilities l Restaurant offering an extensive menu l On site accommodation in the Dorset Golf Hotel 16 twin rooms l From £57.95 pppn including Dinner, B&B and FREE GOLF l
golfing package, including gastronomic dining in the Road Hole Restaurant, relaxing treatments in the Kohler Waters Spa, and the chance down a pint of Jigger Ale in St Andrews’ favourite 19th Hole, the Jigger Inn. Packages, which include B&B accommodation and two rounds of golf, start from £219 per room, per night, based on a two-night minimum stay. For bookings and further details call 01334 474371 or visit www.oldcoursehotel.co.uk.
l
Autumn Special Offer
Coffee & Bacon Baguette on arrival Basket of Driving Range Balls l 18 Holes of Championship Golf l Two Course Dinner l Coffee & Mints l l
£31.95pp (min 8 players)
Telephone No: 01929 472244
36 /
October 2011 / Issue 204
Matt Nicholson reports from a wee Quinta do Lago in the Algarve, whe up the luxury on offer at the Monte Suites and a bit of late summer gol Finding a course to play and a place to stay is not a particularly arduous task in Portugal’s Eastern Algarve, where top-class resorts are like London buses. The only problem for the travelling golfer is which tracks to leave out of any itinerary, rather than which to add on, as they’re all presented in tip-top condition throughout the year. With only three rounds to fit in during a weekend break earlier this summer, I banked on the worldrenowned Quinta do Lago estate to come up with the golfing goods, as it never fails to satisfy the needs of the British golfer. Located just a 25-minute hire car ride from Faro Airport, we were soon checking into our rooms at the luxuriously-appointed Monte Da Quinta Suites. Although I haven’t visited the Algarve to for several years,
Suites you, Sir I’d heard excellent reports about Monte Da Quinta from my industry spies and I can report that our stay was faultless, with our two-room apartment providing the perfect base from which to sample the great selection of courses in the region. The rooms are five-star standard, clean and stylish, and the food in the
restaurant, although very much aimed at the UK customer, was excellent on the nights we ate in, and the staff couldn’t have been more helpful or more professional. Feeling refreshed, despite our early morning start from Gatwick, our first round was at Quinta’s famous South Course, which hosted the Portuguese Open on no fewer than eight occasions between 1976 and 2001. Designed by American architect William Mitchell, the South course, which first opened in 1974, proved an instant hit with the pros, and remains one of the most popular tracks in the region with generations of amateurs. Designed in an anti-clockwise loop, it’s said to favour those players who can conjur up a draw on the front nine and a fade on the back nine, but whichever way you move the ball, it definitely rewards those who can thread their shots between the pines that line the narrow fairways. Water also plays a large part in the challenge, with lakes on the third, 15th and 17th adding to the test off the tee. After our round we headed to the Bobby Jones Bar and Grill, which is located next door to the course, for a
spot of dinner, before heading back to the comfortable surroundings of our hotel for a brush up, after which we struck out to the bright lights of the Quinta Do Lago village, which hosts many excellent bars and restaurants. Up early the next day, we enjoyed a perfect golfer’s breakfast in the poolside restaurant, before transferring to play Quinta’s most recently-opened course, Laranjal, which is located only 10 minutes from the hotel. I’d heard a lot about this new course, which only opened in 2009, from friends who had played it, but it exceeded my expectations, and those of my playing partners, by some margin. When you sign in and see a quote from Paul McGinley saying how much he and his family enjoyed their day there, you know you are in for something special! Carved from the grounds of a former orange grove, the par 7,065yard 72 course, which was recently voted the best course in Portugal’s Annual Travel Awards, is manicured to within an inch of its life, while the narrow fairways are lined with umbrella pines, cork oaks, orange trees and a number of tranquil lakes which cleverly form part of the water recycling system. Off the back tees it poses a serious test, but thankfully there are plenty of less challenging tee to chose from to suit your skill level. Featuring five par 5s, five par 3s and eight par 4s, rather than the standard 4-4-10 routing, provides a subtle change in the balance of the layout, and gives plenty of opportunities to open the shoulders, as well as test out your short game. The greens are particularly interesting, with large undulations and swales making long range putting a real challenge, while
October 2011 / Issue 204
/ 37
Teeing off at Monte Rei
Laranjal has had some famously happy guests!
ekend break to ere he lapped e Da Quinta lf
Enjoying a post-match drink
Quinta do Lago’s South Course
Stay & Play at Monte Da Quinta
The luxurious Monte da Quinta resort is offering golfers the chance to play Portugal’s newly crowned best golf course, Laranjal, with a great deal on a three-night break. For as little as €299 per person, golfers can enjoy three nights in one of Monte da Quinta’s impressive suites and a round of golf on each of Quinta do Lago’s Laranjal and North courses.
The luxurious Monte da Quinta Suites
you need to avoid the five lakes in order to keep your score going. After a very enjoyable round, we had time to sample the swimming pool back at the Suites and decided to eat in at one of the hotel’s restaurants before chilling out in front of a football match on the 42-inch TV screen back in our suite. The next day we drove 45 minutes up into the mountains to tackle Monte Rei Golf & Country Club, yet another of the Eastern Algarve’s five-star resorts. Designed by Jack Nicklaus, Monte Rei raised the bar for pure golfing pleasure in Portugal by several notches when it first opened in 2006, and should not be
missed off any golfing itinerary to the region. Although the green fees are not cheap, you’ll never forget a round here, not just because of the quality of the golf course, but because of the levels of service from the professional staff and the stunning hospitality on offer in the sumptuous clubhouse. With wonderful views of the Atlantic Ocean to the south and a backdrop of the dramatic Serra do Caldeirao mountains to the north, the course meanders over 70 hectares of gently rolling hills and valleys. With water coming into play on 11 of the 18 holes, the course features a challenging series of eight par 4s, five par 3s and five
par 5s in a distinctive and memorable layout that left us definitely wanting to come back for more. The putting surfaces are stunning, quick and true, while Nicklaus’s trademark bunkering will have you reaching for your sand wedge more times than you will care to remember. After some sensational food and a relaxing drink on the terrace overlooking the terrifying 18th hole, we sadly headed back to Faro airport – which is just 30 minutes from Monte Rei – with all of our group pledging that we wouldn’t leave it another five years before we came back to sample more superb Portuguese hospitality.
The price is based on two people sharing a one-bedroom suite and the package also includes daily breakfast; a buggy when playing the North course; VIP treatment in the room upon arrival; complimentary use of the resort’s gym, indoor swimming pool, sauna, Jacuzzi, Turkish bath and sensorial shower; and a free upgrade to a two-bedroom suite and late checkout, both subject to availability. For further information, or to book a stay call: 00 351 289 000 300, email: mqreservas@ mqclub.com or visit: www.mqresort.com
38 /
October 2011 / Issue 204
Classy Calais calls UK golfers With easy access via the Channel Tunnel and a variety of ferry routes, plus a great selection of golf courses and hotels, it’s easy to see why the Pas de Calais region remains one of the most popular destinations for golf breaks with British golfers. Over 10,000 British golfers make the pilgrimage to the northern region of Calais to enjoy the variety of top class golf courses on offer. With also some great towns providing ample restaurant options, bars and pubs, as well as some entertaining nightlife, you can understand
The stunning tour-quality layout at Saint Omer
Holidays begin
why this destination is a bestseller. With its handy location, the Pas de Calais is ideal for a weekend golfing break, with most groups choosing to enjoy a twonight, three-round trip. Across the region there are nine golf clubs to choose from, of which three have more than one 18-hole course on site, while a number also have 9-hole courses. Golfbreaks.com has a number of packages to the region, including a two-night, three-round package to the three-star resort at Aa Saint-Omer. Prices
start from £219pp, including rounds at Saint Omer, Arras, Dunkerque, one dinner and a crossing via Eurotunnel. The same length stay at Le Manoir Hotel in Le Touquet starts from £209pp, taking in rounds at Le Touquet’s La Foret and La Mer courses and Hardelot Les Pins or Wimereux. Further south, three nights’ B&B at the three-star Hotel Hermitage in Montreuilsur-Mer, costs from £199pp, with rounds at Belle Dune, Nampont Saint-Martin and d’Abbeville, including Eurotunnel crossing. For more details visit www.golfbreaks.com.
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Keeping your holiday on course
October 2011 / Issue 204
/ 39
Me&MyTravels
In association with...
with John Hopkins – The former Sunday Times golf correspondent has fond memories of early rounds in his native Wales and a luxurious golf resort in Sicily My first holiday was to… Nefyn in Wales, when I was a teenager. I remember playing golf all day, every day.
Verdura Golf and Spa Resort, Sicily
I always travel with… my laptop and mobile phone. Requirements of the job.
Sand Hills, Nebraska
My best ever round was at… Stinchombe Hill Golf Club in Dursley, Gloucestershire. I shot a 72.
My most recent holiday was to… Sicily. We stayed at the Verdura Golf and Spa Resort. There are two courses – the East and the West. Both are terrific.
The best hotel I’ve ever stayed at… was the Windsor Court in New Orleans.
No matter where I am I… keep in touch with what’s going on in whatever tournament it is I’m missing.
Aberdovey
My favourite city in the world is… London.
My ideal travelling golf partners are… my wife, European Tour referee John Paramor and Tim Jenkins, who’s a friend of mine.
My favourite golf course in the world is… oh no, I can’t possibly be restricted to just one. It would probably be a five-way play-off between Royal Porthcawl, Sand Hills in Nebraska, Cypress Point, Machrihanish and Aberdovey.
My favourite golf resort is… the one I’ve already mentioned, the Verdura Golf and Spa Resort in Sicily. It’s really beautiful.
My most memorable meal abroad was… a birthday dinner I had once in New Orleans. I used to go there around the time of the Masters and I remember there were eight courses and I ended up the worse for wear on Bourbon Street. Unsurprisingly perhaps,
I can’t remember the name of the restaurant. I’m planning a trip to… Harlech. I’ll be staying in the Castle Cottages and am really looking forward to it. The thing I hate about travel is… the person in front of me. Whether it’s the queue to pass through security, immigration or board the plane, the person in front always annoys me. The worst holiday I’ve ever had was… to be honest, I can’t ever remember a bad holiday. My top travel tip is… to relax and prepare for the worst.
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© 2011 PING P.O. Box 82000 Phoenix, AZ 85071
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