Golf News May 2018

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ISSUE 275 | MAY 2018 | TWITTER: @GOLFNEWSMAG | WEB: GOLFNEWS.CO.UK COMPLIMENTARY COPY

INTERVIEW Tommy Fleetwood

FEATURES Inside Wentworth's New £13m Clubhouse Prince's Golf Club's New-look Himalayas The Belfry Revisited

TRAVEL Lisbon's Golf Coast The Best of Belek Me and My Travels with Greg Rusedski

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BY

NICK BAYLY

I COULD HAVE BEEN A CONTENDER

H

aving just reached the milestone age which dare chipping and putting alongside Monty, Miguel Angel and not speak its name – OK, I’ll come clean, the Big Five Bernhard on the over-50s' circuit this summer, but instead will Oh – I’ve had to come to the sad, but all too predictable have to content myself with reporting their exploits from the realisation that I’m still not quite ready to take on the sidelines. The fan with the notebook and press pass, rather competitive rigours of the Circuit of the Third Age, or than the player’s badge and a bulging wallet. whatever title they call it these days to avoid using the term I’ve no-one else to blame but myself, of course. Lord knows ‘Senior Tour’.

I was given the tools to do it – having had daily free and With my handicap never having slipped below 14, I pretty unfettered access to a nine-hole golf course from the age of much knew by the time I was 18 that a career in the paid eight, and been given my first set of clubs (Petron Impalas) at ranks of the game was always going to be a long shot, but, ten – but instead of committing myself to the 10,000 hours like many armchair sportsmen, I occasionally harboured of practice that is apparently required to become expert at dreams – pipe ones at best – that I could one day get good something, I spent my summers playing hide and chase in the at something, anything, that would allow me to represent my woods with my mates rather than hitting woods on the driving county, my country, or even my continent – and that was long range, and my winters fine-tuning my Subbuteo skills rather before Brexit torpedoed my hopes of than working on my putting stroke winning Eurovision. with a cup on the hallway carpet.

I got pretty decent at table tennis Still, by dint of my job, I have for a while, winning my school’s U13 managed to play 18 holes with major title and setting up the prospect of champions ranging from Padraig joining Desmond Douglas at the Harrington to Angel Cabrera, had 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. But my lessons from Tom Watson and Seve backhand wasn’t quite up to scratch Ballesteros, and got to meet many and, being a traditionally slow starter, of the legends of the game, from I never quite managed to master the Jack Nicklaus to Nick Faldo, so I have switch to 11-point games. been lucky enough to touch golfing A career as a darts professional also greatness, in an albeit different way. beckoned at one stage, as word of my I’m probably not alone in the proficiency at Round the Clock and world of the golfing media of being a Killer emerged on the Chichester pub permanent major winner-in-waiting, circuit during the early 1990s. Sadly, a but we are certainly a dying breed, life at the oche wasn’t to prove within literally and figuratively, as press my grasp, and the dartboard and my centres these days – certainly in trusty arrows now lie rusting in the more mainstream sports – are largely garden shed, along with the shears filled with former stars who have ■ THE GREAT PRETENDER: MAURICE FLITCROFT and the lawnmower, and my dreams of turned their hands to broadcasting, ALSO HARBOURED DREAMS OF TEEING IT UP ALONGSIDE THE GOLFING GREATS having an XXL-sized silky shirt with Nick reporting, writing and Tweeting after ‘The Power’ Bayly emblazoned across the back. hanging up their respective boots, oars, gloves etc. Coverage Like many touchline dads of a certain age, I now live my of golf, whether it be on radio, TV or in print, is certainly richer sporting dreams through the achievements of my kids – for the insights offered by ex-players, but I wonder, in the years bathing in the reflected glory of runners-up medals in local to come, whether the current crop of tour pros will be quite so football tournaments and Most Improved Player trophies at keen to follow the weekly trials and tribulations of the various U11s' hockey team end-of-season awards. They give me more tours given the bounteous riches they will have accrued long pride and satisfaction than anything I ever achieved on the before they reach the Big Five Oh. field of sport – apart from the time that I took four wickets In the meantime, I’m off to Wentworth this week to cover in five balls at a school cricket match in 1979. Figures of ten the BMW PGA Championship, and I’ll be taking my clubs overs, five maidens, five runs for seven wickets still make for and channeling my inner Maurice Flitcroft – the club hacker pretty good reading – and I have the match ball mounted on who successfully infiltrated Open Qualifying in 1976 – just a plinth to prove it. in case Rory doesn’t show up and they need a marker for Still, it’s a source of great regret that I’m not going to be his group.

The International Course is the proud host of the 2018 Staysure PGA Seniors Championship

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TEL: 01273 381794 EMAIL: info@golfnews.co.uk WEBSITE: golfnews.co.uk FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @golfnewsmag INSTAGRAM: golfnewsmagazine MANAGING DIRECTOR Matt Nicholson matt@golfnews.co.uk EDITOR Nick Bayly editor@golfnews.co.uk ART DIRECTOR Darren Kirk dkirk@sky.com

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From 2-5 August www.londongolf.co.uk

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MAY 2018 | NEWS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

A Clubhouse For The 21st Century Nick Bayly enjoys an exclusive tour of Wentworth Club’s new-look clubhouse following its year-long, £13-million refurbishment

T

he iconic clubhouse at Wentworth, with its quirky turrets and castellations, is as much part of the fabric of golf in the UK as the R&A’s historic building that sits behind the 18th green of the Old Course at St Andrews, whose rounded pillars guard the gates of golfing officialdom. Providing a memorable backdrop to the PGA Championship since 1984, 43 World Match Plays since 1964, and even the Ryder Cup in 1953, Wentworth’s ‘home from home’ has undergone many changes – internally at least – since its days as a family home to the brother-in-law of the Duke of Wellington in the mid-19th century.

But few have been more wide-ranging – nor as expensive – as the most recent renovations carried out over the last 12 months under the stewardship of its new custodian. The Chineseowned Reignwood Group has already spent over £7 million upgrading another iconic element of the club – the West Course – since it

bought it from Richard Caring in 2014, but that proved small fry compared to the money spent on refurbishing the clubhouse, with the final bill coming in at a cool £13 million.

The builders moved into the clubhouse just days after the final putt dropped at last year’s BMW PGA Championship in May, with the members rehoused in a spectacularly luxurious temporary structure beside the driving range.

On my visit, on May 3, there were teams of workers in high-vis jackets still hard at it ahead of the official unveiling to the members that weekend, applying the finishing touches to what unquestionably sets a new standard for luxury in the UK sports and leisure industry, and takes Wentworth another significant step towards achieving its ambition of becoming one of the world’s premier private golf and country clubs.

It’s easy to see where the money has been spent. From the stunning front lobby to the tradesman’s entrance round the back, no fixture

■ NO EXPENSE HAS BEEN SPARED IN THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE CLUBHOUSE INTO A HOTEL-STYLE EXPERIENCE

or fitting has been left unchanged in the search for elegance and sophistication. It’s all very London hotel chic, and without the rows of glass cabinets which house the golf clubs donated by champions, and the trophies in the bar now similarly secured, you would be hard pressed to know you’re in a golf club at all.

The pro shop, which remains on the left-hand side as you walk in the entrance, is more like a Knightsbridge boutique than somewhere you’d go to pick up a Mars Bar and a Lucozade Sport on your way to the first tee. And instead of rows of clothes rails weighed down with merchandise, you’re greeted by lonely pressed polo neatly folded on polished wooden surfaces, while

Italian-designed golf shoes shine brightly on angled shelves. Without a golf club or sleeve of balls in sight, it is an oasis of clean lines and elegant simplicity, with low level lighting creating just the right mood required for unfettered spending on the curated collections of on-trend knitwear.

The interior design was carried out by Thorp Design, based in Sloane Street – of course – whose founder, Phillipa Thorp, clearly knows how to lux to the max. The bathrooms and bars are topped with the finest Italian marble, while the soft carpets were handcrafted in China.

The locker rooms have also enjoyed a five-star makeover, with both ladies and men’s facilities

IT SETS A NEW STANDARD FOR LUXURY, AND TAKES WENTWORTH ANOTHER STEP TOWARDS ACHIEVING ITS AMBITION OF BECOMING ONE OF THE WORLD’S PREMIER PRIVATE GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUBS benefitting from a complete overhaul in style and substance, with the addition of new sauna and steam rooms taking post-round relaxation to new heights. Elsewhere, the light and airy lounge sees deep sofas surrounded by mirrored columns and impressive artwork, providing a suitably comfortable, yet stylish place to enjoy a coffee or a drink, which are served from the adjacent art deco-inspired bar, which is all mirrors and marble.

Members now enjoy several dining options – from the formal 50-cover Dining Room, which boasts a mirrored ceiling overhanging a central banquette, to the Conservatory, an all-day brassiere which has a more relaxed vibe. There are two new private dining rooms, the East and the West; while the Burma Bar, which forms the heart of the club’s social scene, has also been given a stunning facelift. Many members will be aghast that the huge wooden honours boards have gone from the walls, but they have been tastefully replaced by polished zsteel plaques, with the names of the winners etched neatly in glass cases behind the trophies that they have won.

With the health and fitness club also having been part of the renovation, it’s fair to say that Wentworth has elevated itself beyond anything currently on offer to golfers anywhere in Europe, and probably on a par with the most exclusive clubs in China, Japan or America. Yes, it is now palpably out of reach for the great majority of golfers, and I’m somewhat sad that so few will ever get to walk inside its hallowed portals or play its golf courses, but you can’t argue with the ambition, nor the execution.

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[8]

MAY 2018 | NEWS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

The Grove

E

uropean Tour star David Howell is to host a special amateur tournament at The Grove in Hertfordshire in June.

The David Howell Open, a new event in its comprehensive summer calendar of amateur tournaments, will be personally hosted by the multiple European Tour winner, former Ryder Cup player and The Grove's first golf ambassador.

Howell, a five-time winner on the European Tour, BMW PGA Champion in 2006, and a member of two winning Ryder Cup teams, will welcome teams of four to The Grove Launches David Howell Open on June 18 for a tournament that will include a charitable on-course 'Beat the Tour Pro Challenge' and a post-round masterclass, prior to a three-course BBQ, and prize-giving.

Commenting on the inaugural event, Howell, said: "I was hugely keen to create a small, relaxed, and friendly team Stableford event that amateur golfers can enjoy, and my ambassador status at The Grove gave me the perfect opportunity.

"I look forward to personally welcoming golfers on June 18 to enjoy a day of competitive fun played across the championship course, which is always in spectacular condition. I'm also sure our guests will give it their best to beat me in a head-to-head challenge on the course during the day!"

To give this event a special VIP feel, places are limited to 12 teams of four amateur golfers – 48 players, costing £800 per team.

Anna Darnell, the resort's director of golf and leisure, added: "We are proud to have David Howell as our golf ambassador and it has always been our intention to involve David in an open-to-all event that any golfer can enjoy. We hope it will build over the coming years to become a must-attend tournament experience in the summer golf calendar."

To reserve a place in the David Howell Open, visit www.thegrove.co.uk and follow the links.

Hulton Park Gets Green Light To Built ‘Ryder Cup’ Resort The prospect of a future Ryder Cup being staged in Bolton has become a less fanciful idea after plans to build a golf resort in the former mill town were approved by local councillors.

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A PLANNING APPLICATION to build a £24 million golf resort – and over 1,100 houses – on the Hulton Park estate in Bolton has been passed subject to conditions and referral to the secretary of state. The decision was made at an extraordinary meeting of Bolton Town council’s planning committee, with eight councillors voting in favour and seven against.

The 800-acre plot, which is Grade II-listed, was acquired by the Peel Group from a member of the Hulton family for £6.6m in 2016. The group’s billionaire chairman, John Whittaker, said the aim was for the golf course to host the 2026 Ryder Cup, and confirmed a bid would be submitted.

A statement released by the Peel Group said the project would bring

‘a sporting facility of international quality and reputation’ to Hulton Park.

A spokesman said: “This positive move by the committee is a huge step forward in our shared vision of bringing the Ryder Cup to Hulton Park, with huge economic and social benefits for the people of Bolton.

"We believe that the Hulton Park development would greatly enhance Manchester’s standing in the sporting world, and drive forward the wideranging legacy initiatives that derive from the Ryder Cup." He added: “The process for selecting and awarding the next Ryder Cup venue is due to commence after Paris’s hosting of the matches in September. Hulton Park is in a strong position. It has the right site, the right masterplan, the right location in a part

of the country where nothing similar exists.”

The development is being opposed by members of the Hulton Estate Area Residents Together Group, which said that its campaign would continue to lobby the secretary of state. The group's secretary, Sandra Hesketh, said: "This outline application 1,036 expensive houses will put further strain on Westhoughton's infrastructure. The development should be refused, because it is against the government and Bolton Council’s green belt policy, which says that it can’t be built on unless very special circumstances exist. Building a golf course cannot constitute ‘special circumstances’, when there are already more than 10 golf courses within three miles of the estate."

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[10] MAY 2018 | NEWS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

InBrief

Wimbledon Park

PORTELLI’S 64 FLOORS HENDON RIVALS

Members Split Over Tennis Windfall

★ Glen Portelli (Old Fold Manor) shot a bogey-free round of 64 to land the Hendon Pro-Am by three shots. His six-under par score saw finish clear of Mark Talbott (Thorpe Hall), while Aaron Cox (Elsenham Golf & Leisure) and Luke Goddard (Hendon) were a further stroke back in third place.

HUNTER SHARES THE SPOILS AT FOXHILLS ★ Steven Hunter, the head professional at Royal Winchester, was forced to shared the spoils at the JSP Construction Industry Charity Pro-Am after his sixunder par 67 over the Bernard Hunt course at Foxhills was matched by Leatherhead’s Michael Lowe. The pair, who fired six birdies each, edged out Richard Tinworth, Simon McGreal, Craig Sutherland, James Ford and James Ablett, who all shots 68s.

SURREY CALL THE TUNE AT SINGING HILLS ★ The first U12s' match of the season saw Surrey’s eight-strong team inflict a heavy defeat on its local rivals, Sussex and Hampshire, at Singing Hills Golf Club near Brighton. The four ball better ball match format saw points available on the front nine, back nine and for the overall match, with Surrey running out 29-2 winners, only losing one match on the front nine and one on the back.

MEMBERS OF A WIMBLEDON PARK GOLF CLUB in south-west London could be in line for windfalls of up to £100,000 each after it received a £50 million takeover bid from the organisers of the Wimbledon tennis championship.

The All England Lawn Tennis Club has been in talks with the neighbouring golf club about taking over its lease, so it can expand over the land occupied by the 73-acre course. The latest offer almost doubles the opening bid made three years ago - which was rejected - but is said to have created unrest among the 750-strong membership of the club, who ranks include TV stars Piers Morgan and Ant and Dec. Only members of at least 10 years’ standing would be entitled to the payouts. Some 300, or about 40 per cent, joined more recently than that, and face losing their golf club without any financial compensation.

The club’s rulebook states that 75 per cent of the

Moaning Members

Barred From Manor House

membership would need to be in favour of the sale for it to go ahead.

A recent letter from club chairman Jenny Gaskin said: “It is clear that under the Articles of the Company, consideration would only be due to members of more than 10 years’ standing. We know that this issue is causing unrest and can assure you that any final proposal that is put to the voting members will include a more equitable allocation of proceeds.”

The All England Club will get its hands on the golf

A GROUP OF FIVE MEMBERS at a golf club in Wiltshire have had their memberships revoked after complaining about a perceived slip in

standards at the club.

The five golfers – Will Scrivens, Colin Weekley, Chris Elworthy, John Swales and Roger Brack – had been paying £1,800 a year each for membership at The Manor House in Wiltshire, but they have all now left the club after management decided not to renew their memberships following a disagreement about the direction the club was going in.

The golfers, all of whom are in their seventies, had expressed their displeasure at a number

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course in 2041 anyway, when the club’s lease expires, but would like to accelerate the process so that it can press on with its ambitious expansion plans. The tennis club paid Merton council £5.2 million for the freehold of the course in 1993.

The land would allow it to build new grass courts, so that the qualifying rounds that take place three miles away in Roehampton could be brought in-house. It would also allow daily capacity to be increased from the current limit of 40,000 spectators.

of changes to the club, in particular the introduction of a more relaxed dress code in the clubhouse, which now allows members and guest to wear jeans and T-shirts and use mobile phones.

They also objected to green fee deals that resulted in an increase in visitor numbers, which had led to longer rounds.

All five members received letters from the club in March informing them their memberships would not be renewed. The letters read: ‘Throughout the last

few seasons, you have appeared unhappy with the direction the club has headed and some of the decisions we have made. As we continue to focus on moving the club forward and challenging the status quo, we do not believe the Manor House will be the right club for you. This year therefore, we will not be offering you the opportunity to renew your membership.’

The five players have now moved to Kingsdown Golf Club near Bath, which currently charges £824 for seven-day membership.

NEWS | MAY 2018

[11]

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

InBrief

Cutchie

COLCHESTER GOLF CLUB’S Chris Cutchie On Target At booked a spot Gog Magog in his first ever Titleist & FootJoy PGA Professional Championship final after shooting a five-under-par 67 at Gog Magog Golf Club in Cambridge.

He finished one shot ahead of Mark Bell (Dukes Meadows) and two in front of Darren Charlton (Dunstable Downs). They and 12 other qualifiers will now head to Little Aston in Sutton Coldfield for the £78,000 grand final, which is being held between July 24-27.

“It’s only the second time I’ve tried to qualify for the final, as it usually clashes with another event, but this time it didn’t,” explained Cutchie. “So this will be my first final, and I’m delighted to have qualified for such a great event. I think my first thought will be to go to Little Aston and enjoy it.

"The Order of Merit has always been what I’ve focused on in the past, but Little Aston is lovely and I’m really looking forward to playing there. I only played in one PGA Assistant' Final, which was at East Sussex a few years ago, and I finished sixth. So it’ll be good to play a prestige tournament like this again.”

ENGLAND BREEZE TO VICTORY AT VIDAUBAN

Barry Lane

D

efending Willow Senior Golf Classic champion Barry Lane says he can’t wait to return to Hanbury Relishes Willow Classic Defense At Hanbury Manor for the third edition of the Staysure Tour tournament, which takes at the prestigious Hertfordshire resort from August 24-26.

Lane, 57, set a new record on the European Senior Tour after carding a 12-under-par 60 during the second round of last year’s event. He then went on to set a new 54-hole record of 22 under par, en route to winning by five shots and capturing the £50,000 first prize.

With an increased prize fund of £370,000 on offer at this year’s tournament, Lane will draw on happy memories as he bids for back-to-back Willow Senior Golf Classic titles.

“It was a great week,” said Lane. “I’ve had a couple of 62s in my career, but to shoot 60 at my age was fantastic. Most weeks you’ll see a winning total of 12 or 15 under par or so. These golf courses aren’t 6,200 yards, and Hanbury Manor was playing at more than 7,000 yards that week. It’s a proper golf course.”

The Willow Senior Golf Classic was first played in 2016 and raises vital funds for the Willow Foundation. Established in 1999, the Foundation offers ‘special days’ for seriously ill young adults between the ages of 16 and 40, fulfilling more than 15,000 in those 19 years. The charity was founded by former Arsenal goalkeeper and TV presenter Bob Wilson and his wife Megs as a memorial to their daughter Anna, who died of cancer aged 31.

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★ England kept up its impressive record against France with a 13-7 win in the latest international at Vidauban Golf Club, near Nice. Play was tight on the first day, when the opening foursomes were shared and England managed to edge just one point ahead after the singles.

The second day’s play was reduced to one session of singles because of the threat of storms, but England wasted no time in racing ahead, winning 6.5 of the eight points on offer. Ben Jones and David Hague were the top scorers, both with a perfect record of three wins from three games. Matthew Jordan, Todd Clements and Gian-Marco Petrozzi eaach had two wins. It was England’s 30th victory since the biennial match was first played in 1934.

MCNEILL STEPS UP AT SURREY GOLF ★ Steve McNeill has taken over as county secretary for Surrey Golf following the retirement of John Davies after 14 years in the role. McNeill has a wealth of experience within the county, having been assistant county secretary for the past two years.

Formerly the junior organiser at Bramley Golf Club, McNeill was instrumental in developing Surrey’s Rookie Tour, and has managed junior teams, run numerous championships, and helped set up the current county coaching programme.

www.cottesmoregolf.co.uk e: manager@cottesmoregolf.co.uk t: 01293 861777 Buchan Hill, Pease Pottage, West Sussex RH11 9AT

[12] MAY 2018 | NEWS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

InBrief FRILFORD RAISES £23K FOR CHARITABLE CAUSES

Ireland Marches To Golfsixes Glory At Centurion

★ Frilford Heath Golf Club in Oxfordshire has donated more than £23,000 to charity – the highest amount ever raised by the club in a single year. Over £14,000 went to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, the chosen charity of 2017 captain Peter Creasy, while just over £8,000 was handed to the Mulberry Bush School, a specialist school for severely traumatised children, which was the chosen charity of lady captain Iona Smith.

HEVER BAGS TOP B&B AWARD ★ Hever Castle scooped silver in the Boutique Guest Accommodation of the Year category at Visit England’s 2018 Bed and Breakfast of the Year Awards. The historic Kent venue, which is popular with golfers, who can take advantage of a range of stay-and-play breaks with the adjacent golf club at Hever Castle, also won gold at the Beautiful South Awards in 2017.

SAUNDERS SHARES SPOILS AT WEST OF ENGLAND CHAMPS ★ Meon Valley’s George Saunders became just the second Hampshire player to win the West of England Strokeplay Championship after tying for the title with Northants’ Callum Farr at Royal North Devon.

The pair finished on four under par for 72 holes to finish two shots ahead of Tom Plumb (Yeovil).

SPILLER WINS SURREY SENIORS ★ Betchworth Park’s Chris Spiller made the most of home advantage to win the Surrey Seniors Championship after shooting a two-over-par 74 at his home course. The 36-hole championship had to be reduced to just 18 holes after the first round was lost to heavy rain.

Lachlan Deuchar (Burhill) pipped North Downs’ Alan Stein for second place on countback after both shot 75. Mike Wilde (Camberley Heath) won the 65-70 age group, while David Jones (Betchworth Park) came out on top in the 70-plus category.

SMITH SECURES KENT LADIES’ TITLE ★ Darcie Smith (Chart Hills) won the Kent County Ladies Championship after beating Lily Price (Royal Blackeath) 6&4 in the final held at Langley Park. Smith eased through the early knockout rounds, winning 6&5, 6&4 and 3&2, en route to the final. The Kent Senior Championship, which was played at the same time, was won by Ingrid Long (Sundridge Park). The two-day tournament was plagued by heavy rain, with the club’s staff working wonders to make the course playable.

■ LUCK OF THE IRISH: PAUL DUNNE AND GAVIN MOYNIHAN TEAMED UP TO WIN THE GOLFSIXES TITLE AT CENTURION

I

reland won the European Tour’s GolfSixes tournament held at Centurion Club in Hertfordshire, after Paul Dunne and Gavin Moynihan defeated the French team of Mike Lorenzo Vera and Romain Wattel 2-0 in the final match.

The St Albans venue was bathed in glorious sunshine over the bank holiday weekend of May 5-6, as over 10,000 fans came to witness the second staging of the six-hole format of the game.

This year’s renewal saw women's and mixed sides join the 16-team field, with the England Women and European Women's teams both making it through to Sunday's knockout stages.

Ireland met the England Women's pair of Georgia Hall and Charley Hull in the quarter-finals, defeating them 2-0, and then secured their place against France ■ ENGLAND'S GEORGIA HALL AND CHARLEY in the final, after defeating South HULL MADE THE QUARTER-FINALS Korea in a sudden-death playoff, with Moynihan chipping in from off the green as the teams finished their semi-final 1-1.

Ireland scored a birdie or better on 12 of the 17 holes they played on Sunday, after finishing top of Group C. In fact, the only match Dunne and Moynihan lost over the two days was to the French team in Saturday's group stage.

The Irish pair – who played together in the victorious 2015 Walker Cup team – started quickly in the final, winning the first and third holes to forge an early 2-0 lead, which the French were unable to pull back.

For Dunne, it was his second victory on English soil in the last seven months, after winning the British Masters in October; while it was Moynihan's first success since joining the European Tour in 2016.

In the third/fourth place play-off, the South Korean pair of Soomin Lee and Jeunghun Wang birdied the second, fourth and fifth to beat Australia 3-0. Sam Brazel and Wade Ormsby had earlier beaten European Women 2-0 in the quarter-finals, with South Korea beating Thailand 2-1. England’s men’s team of Eddie Pepperell and Matt Wallace also went out at the quarter-final stage, losing to the French pair 2-0.

Dunne said: “Apart from the group match against France, I think we were three under or better in every match through six holes.

We just played really solidly all week. Gavin hit some amazing iron shots, and obviously the pivotal moment for us was him chipping in on the play-off against the South Koreans. But I'm not surprised – anybody who played with Gavin through amateur golf knows he chips in at least once a round, so he was due one.

He added: "It's a fun event, but when you have the tricolour besides your name, it becomes a little bit more serious. So we're happy to represent Ireland well, have a nice trophy under the belt, and it kind of sets well to kick on for the rest of the season."

World No.441 Moynihan, who almost doubled his career earnings with his €100,000 share of the first place prize money, added: "We know each other's games so well, and we're comfortable with each other. So we had kind of had a game plan coming in, and the course set up well for us, I think. It was the best fun I've had on the golf course since I've turned pro. It was a great few days."

Walker

Carnoustie Unveils New Clubhouse

CARNOUSTIE GOLF LINKS, host venue for this year’s Open Championship, has opened a new clubhouse, which will provide a worldclass visitor experience to match Carnoustie’s reputation as one of the finest links courses in the world.

The Links House building includes a state-of-the-art training facility, a new pro shop, and a bar and restaurant that boasts views over the golf course and Carnoustie Bay. Situated next to the first tee of the Championship Course, which will host the Open later this summer, the new facility also features seven high-tech simulators with the choice of 14 different courses to play – including Carnoustie itself – giving golfers the opportunity

■ THE NEW LINKS HOUSE AT CARNOUSTIE

to warm up in style in a virtual on-course environment.

The building also boasts the Rookery restaurant, which overlooks the first and 18th holes, new changing rooms, and a ‘heritage area’ that provides information on the rich history of Carnoustie Golf Links.

Commenting on the new clubhouse, Carnoustie Golf Links’ chief executive, Michael Wells, said: “We are extremely proud to be able to provide a world-class facility that

matches the outstanding golf offering here at Carnoustie.

"The new building offers first-class facilities where our local community and visitors from all over the world can enjoy refreshment and relaxation in a beautiful setting, with spectacular vistas across the links and the sea.

"The opening of Links House ensures that we are now able to offer a five-star experience which rivals the world’s very best golfing venues.”

FOUR-TIME SOLHEIM CUP CAPTAIN To Captain Junior Mickey Walker Solheim Cup Team is to perform the same role for Europe’s junior team when they face America in next year’s Ping Junior Solheim Cup at Gleneagles in Scotland.

A six-time winner on the Ladies European Tour, Walker led the European team between 1990 and 1996, and remains very active in the world of women’s golf and a familiar figure to sports fans as a regular commentator on Sky Sports.

As well as her Solheim Cup captaincy, Walker has also captained the Curtis Cup team on three times ('94, '96 and '98), bringing a wealth of experience to the table for the tenth match against the US, with the series currently 7-2 in America’s favour. Speaking about her aoppointment, Walker said: "I couldn’t be more proud to have been asked by John Solheim to captain the 2019 team. I’m already looking forward to meeting the squad, and can’t wait for next September!”

The Junior Solheim Cup match will take place immediately before the Solheim Cup, which begins at Gleneagles on September 13.

CHARGE

[14] MAY 2018 | NEWS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

PRINCE’S HITS NEW HEIGHTS

Matt Nicholson pays a visit to Prince’s Golf Club in Kent, where he enjoys an exclusive round on the new-look Himalayas Course, which has undergone an impressive redesign and raised the bar for links golf by several notches

■ THE PAR-3 FIFTH HOLE ON PRINCE'S REDESIGNED HIMALAYAS NINE

I

’ve always loved driving to the Kent coast to play golf. There’s something quite other-worldly about it, as you leave behind the M25, and the stresses of modern day living, and head to the very edge of existence, where the only worry is whether you’ll make it for your tee time.

And I’ve always loved going to Prince’s.

It’s a special place – it’s hosted the Open Championship, for goodness sake – but it has none of the pretentions that are often associated with such venues, and, as such, feels like a club where everyone is given the same warm welcome, whether a member or guest.

Despite its impressive history (and there’s a great museum in the clubhouse which records it) the owners – the McGuirk family – do a great job of making sure everyone feels welcome, and I’ve always felt like I’ve been a member for the day whenever I’ve visited here over the last 20-odd years. You’ll certainly find no hushed whispering in the clubhouse or draconian regulations to adhere to.

I’VE ALWAYS LOVED GOING TO PRINCE’S. IT’S A SPECIAL PLACE – IT’S HOSTED THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP, FOR GOODNESS SAKE – BUT IT HAS NONE OF THE PRETENTIONS THAT ARE OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH SUCH VENUES

Although I’ve never needed much of an excuse for a day out at Prince’s, my mission on this occasion was to attend the official unveiling of the redesigned Himalayas course, which makes up nine of the 27 holes of top-class links golf on offer here.

With the Shore/Dunes combination being the composite championship layout, the Himalayas nine, although popular with members because of its shorter yardage, has often been regarded, rightly or wrongly, as the third string: the nine you might play at the beginning or end of a 27-hole day ticket. But having had the chance to play the Himalayas off both the white and yellow tees, I can categorically say that it has immediately become my favourite nine of the three, and has set the new benchmark for links golf on the south coast.

Redesigned by course architect Martin Ebert of Mackenzie & Ebert Ltd – whose recent work includes the stunning reimagining of Turnberry’s Ailsa course – the transformation of the Himalayas is nothing short of spectacular.

Officially opened on May 1, the new nine,

NEWS | MAY 2018

[15]

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

■ RUDIMENTAL

■ REVETTED POT BUNKERS GAURD THE APPROACHES TO THE GREENS

■ A REPLICA SPITFIRE PROPELLER BY THE THIRD TEE

■ BLOODY POINT IS THE NAME OF THE NEW FIFTH HOLE

THE HIMALAYAS HAS BECOME MY FAVOURITE NINE OF THE THREE, AND HAS SET THE NEW BENCHMARK FOR LINKS GOLF ON THE SOUTH COAST which now plays to a par of 36, features two completely new holes – the par-three fifth, which plays between 120 and 160 yards from a raised tee over a waste area towards Pegwell Bay, and the par-five second, which combines the second and third holes of the old layout, and can be stretched to a whopping 615 yards.

The fifth, which has been named ‘Bloody Point’ in reference to the great naval battle that took place in Sandwich in AD851 on the land where Prince’s now sits, is the only hole on the nine that plays directly towards the English Channel, while the others play northsouth, or south-north.

Elsewhere, there have been extensive changes made to the bunkering, which now combines two basic styles: natural and ragged edge when placed on the edge of fairways, and revetted pots when surrounded by tightly mowed grass and near greens. Both are visually impressive and really help to focus the mind off the tee and when playing into greens.

The designers have also introduced a series of exposed sand areas and extensive

wetlands, both of which provide significant habitat for wildlife – indeed, Prince’s staff already report sightings of bird species previously unknown to the site – as well as enhancing the golfing challenge. The wetlands are perhaps most notable at the eighth, which has become a short, drivable par four, with water laid out either side of the fairway keeping you honest off the tee.

At the moment, these areas are somewhat bare, creating the look of traditional parkland water hazards, following the recent heavy rains, but the architects are confident that, as the water table lowers, and the plant-life grows in, those areas will settle into the environment and play the natural part for which they were intended.

All in all, it’s like a breath of fresh seaside air has blown through the course, with smart new raised teeing areas offering superb views of the holes, while the greens and fairways are in superb condition, despite the appalling winter that all of the UK has suffered. With no blind holes to contend with, the trouble is all in front of you, hiding in plain sight. There’s more than a hint of the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island about the overall feel and look of the course, which can be no higher compliment given that is one of my all-time favourite tracks.

No-one is more proud of the finished product than Rob McGuirk, Prince’s general manager, who told Golf News: “We’re committed to continuous improvement at Prince’s, and this is certainly the most ambitious phase of development the club has seen for decades. We are thrilled with the new-look Himalayas nine, and would like

■ THE PRESENTATION OF THE ENTIRE HIMALAYAS COURSE IS IMPRESSIVE, WITH NEAT TEE BOXES EDGED BY WISPY ROUGH

to thank Mackenzie & Ebert for their hard work, skill and expertise in turning the vision into a reality.”

The lengths to which Ebert and his colleague, Mike Howard, have gone to ensure the design fits into Prince’s heritage are equally impressive. Before starting on the project, both men visited the links on numerous occasions to assess the land.

They subsequently produced a report that analysed historic, pre-war and wartime RAF photography, and unveiled a variety of interesting features which helped to frame the narrative of the new nine and restore some of the traditional elements of the course.

To recognise the historical significance of the site, a replica Spitfire propeller has been installed by the third tee, paying tribute to the heroics of fighter pilot PB ‘Laddie’ Lucas. A former Walker Cup captain and son of one of the founders of Prince’s, Lucas made a forced landing on the site in July 1943, after his aircraft was badly damaged by enemy fire as he returned to RAF Manston from a mission over northern France.

The club has already drawn up plans to renovate the Dunes and Shore nines, and, if the finished product is anywhere near as good as the Himalayas, then golfers are in for a real treat. In the meantime, I can’t urge you strongly enough to beat a path to Prince’s this summer and see for yourself. You will not be disappointed.

For tee time reservations and golf package details, visit www.princesgolfclub.co.uk or call 01304 611118.

[16] MAY 2018 | NEWS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

Hever

Preserves Heritage With New Hole Names

THE HOLES AT HEVER CASTLE GOLF CLUB in Kent have been renamed to reflect the history of the estate.

The 18 holes on the Championship Course and nine holes on the Princes Course have been renamed after areas of the Hever Castle estate dating back to 1748.

Golfers will be able to tee off at holes including Cleves Walk, Coney Burrough and Old Smugglers on the Championship Course, and Butchers Mead, Strake and Bakehouse on the Princes Course. The names have been

chosen from looking at where the holes appear on ancient maps of the estate.

General manager Jon Wittenberg said: “We saw

an opportunity to bring some of the historic names back to life, bringing some character to the golf club, as well as reflecting some of its heritage. We hope members will enjoy playing the ‘new holes’.”

Golf was first played on the Hever Estate in the 1920s, when a private nine-hole course was built for William Waldorf Astor’s personal enjoyment in the grounds where today’s Championship Course lies, north of the Hever lakes. The course proved a valuable tool for the Astors to entertain friends, family and for business. The original course survived until the Second World War, when it was abandoned during the war effort. The present day Championship Course was created in 1992, while the Princes nine-hole course opened in 1998.

Grove Pro

HERTFORDSHIRE PROFESSIONAL MICHAEL SHRIEVE has realised a longheld ambition in Is Top Of The Form what is proving to be a memorable year by winning the PGA’s most prestigious award for its trainees.

Shrieve, head professional at The Grove, the stage for the 2016 British Masters, has been named Titleist PGA Assistant of the Year.

In recognition of his achievement, Shrieve collected the Whitcombe Cox Trophy and a cheque for £3,500 from Titleist brand director Matthew Johnson and PGA captain John Heggarty at the PGA Graduation Ceremony held at the University of Birmingham.

Michael Bradfield (Elie Links) and Matthew Pugh (John Reay Golf Centre) were top in Years 2 and 1 respectively, Jennifer Potter

■ MATTHEW JOHNSON (TITLEIST BRAND DIRECTOR), JOHN HEGGARTY (PGA CAPTAIN) AND MICHAEL SHRIEVE (TITLEIST PGA ASSISTANT OF THE YEAR 2018)

(Loch Lomond) was the leading female assistant of the year.

Shrieve, 28, set his sights on winning the award after finishing third in the Year 2 standings. “I was the top student at Bournemouth, where I studied sports management, and wanted to follow suit with the PGA. I’m not the greatest golfer in the world, but I really enjoy the academic and practical side, especially coaching and retailing. So I gave up my annual leave to ensure my assignments were the best they could possibly be. I’ve wanted to be a PGA pro since I started playing golf when I was 15, and I’m incredibly proud to have qualified as one.”

His time at The Grove has not only coincided with his three of years of training culminating in being named Titleist PGA Assistant of the Year, but also his appointment as head PGA Professional.

“I was appointed the assistant operations manager to start with and then 10 months ago the head pro left and they turned to me,” he explained. “Seven PGA pros report to me and there’s a huge amount of responsibility. The Grove has shown a great deal of faith in me and I can’t thank them enough – it's a dream job."

NEWS | MAY 2018

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London Club

To Host Senior Pro-Am Championship Final

A NEW PRO-AM COMPETITION sponsored by Staysure, the travel insurance specialists for over50s, is offering PGA professionals with an amateur partner the chance to play at some of Great Britain and Ireland's finest courses.

Known as the Staysure PGA Trophy, the competition carries a £30,000 prize fund and will be contested by PGA professional and a

male or female amateur partner aged 50 or older.

The new tournament has been created as part of Staysure's major investment in golf, which saw the company becoming the first title sponsors of the European Senior Tour in late 2017.

Seven regional qualifiers, played across Great Britain and Ireland, will determine the pairs taking part in the Grand Final from July 31 to August 1 at the London

Golf Club in Kent, which is hosting the Staysure Seniors Championship from August 2-5.

Maxstoke Park in Birmingham will host the first qualifier on May 22, and the final place will be decided at Kings Hill Golf Club in Kent on July 16. There also will be qualifiers staged in Scotland and Ireland.

The final will be contested before the Staysure Seniors Championship at the

London Golf Club, and the winning pro will earn £7,500, while dozens of prizes will also be up for grabs for the leading amateurs.

In addition, all amateur finalists will be given the opportunity to compete alongside a leading Staysure Tour player in the Staysure Seniors Championship, which follows on August 2.

For entry details, email entries@pga.org.uk or visit www.pga.info.

Wilcox

HAMPSHIRE’S Matt Wilcox Wins Berkhamsted won the 59th Berkhamsted Trophy Trophy with an impressive fiveunder-par total at the Hertfordshire course.

The 44-year-old from North Hants Golf Club fired rounds of 71, 71, 69 and 68 to take the title by four shots, with 15-yearold Berkhamsted member Ben Pierleoni sharing second place with Thomas Spreadborough (Farnham) and Arron Edwards-Hill (Chelmsford).

Pierleoni looked like pulling off a stunning win over his more experienced rivals when taking the lead with a third round 67, but a closing 74 saw him slip back at the business end of the 72-hole scratch event, which attracted a field of 99 players.

Wilcox joins an illustrious roll call of past champions of the Berkhamsted

■ MATT WILCOX Trophy, including Sandy Lyle, Andrew Sullivan, Tom Lewis, Graeme Storm, Luke Donald, Peter McEvoy and Gary Wolstenholme.

“Having competed in this event several times, including playing alongside Luke Donald when he won it in 1996, I am delighted to finally lift the trophy myself,” said Hook-based Wilcox, who won the British Mid-Amateur Championship in 2017, and was also the leading points scorer in the winning Hampshire team during last year’s England Golf County Championship.

He added: “Berkhamsted is a very fair golf course, which demands straight hitting. There are no bunkers, but you still have to plot your way around, which is very much how you have to play my own club, North Hants. Berkhamsted is one of my favourite courses – the greens are relatively small, there are some strong par threes, and the par fives have a large riskand-reward factor.”

Howard Craft, manager at Berkhamsted, said: “It is good to see that the course’s defences against technology-assisted low scoring are as good as ever, and it is still a worthy test for the game’s best players.

Once again, we’ve proved that you don’t need man-made hazards, or extreme length, to keep the scores reasonable.”

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[18] MAY 2018 | NEWS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

InBrief

Adare

In The Running For Ryder Cup 2026 MIGHTY CLAWS COURSE OPENS IN COLCHESTER ★ A dinosaur-themed putting course has opened at Playgolf in Colchester, Essex. Mighty Claws Adventure Golf, which cost of over £1m, opened on April 28 and features animatronic dinosaurs, including a velociraptor, pteranadon and a T-Rex, as players negotiate their way around the 18hole course. The layout, which also features waterfalls and caves, also has an additional Roman theme to reflect Colchester’s historical roots. The Mighty Claws course is based on a series of children’s books of the same name written

by Allan Saud, a member of the family that owns the six Playgolf centres in the UK. The Colchester course is only the second of its kind in the UK, with the other being in Bournemouth.

HARRINGTON BAGS BB&O SENIOR TITLE ★ Columb Harrington (Bicester) fired rounds of 70 and 75 to win the BB&O Senior Championship at Ellesborough Golf Club. His 36-hole total of three over, saw him finish four shot ahead of Julian Hill (The Berkshire), with Mike Sanders (Beaconsfield) a further shot back in third.

T

he Ryder Cup looks set to return to Ireland in the not too distant future, following the unveiling of the redesigned course at Adare Manor in County Limerick, which has Ryder Cup credentials written all over it.

Four of Ireland’s most celebrated golfers took part in the official drive-in at the relaunch of the luxury resort in the West of Ireland – adding further credence to the belief that the JP McManus-owned venue is nailed on to host the biannual event even as early as 2026 – the next available slot in the schedule.

Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley and Shane Lowry hit the inaugural tee shots on the wholly reconstructed Tom Fazio design, while competing in a €500,000 charity match watched by a crowd of over 1,500.

McIlroy and McGinley took on Lowry and Harrington, but honours were even after both teams shot four-under-par 68s to share the prize

The Shire Goes All-Inclusive For Golf Day Packages

EUROPEAN TEAM CHAMPS OFFERS LEVEL PRIZE MONEY ★ This summer’s inaugural European Golf Team Championships will see men and women will compete alongside each other for equal prize money for the first time. Sixteen pairs will compete in both the women’s and men’s team events at the Scottish resort on August 8-12, before combining for an 18-hole foursomes stroke play mixed team championship. The event is part of the Glasgow 2018 European Championships, which will see aquatics, cycling, gymnastics, rowing and triathlon events take place in Scotland at the same time as the athletics European Championships in Berlin.

CRAZY GOLF BAR OPENS IN SOUTHEND ★ While most golf club bars can get pretty crazy at times, a new bar and restaurant that opened in Southend on May 19 is taking that concept to the next level by offering two indoor-hole crazy putting course. Called ‘Caddies’, the venue on Southend High Street will allow diners to indulge in their passion for putting in between visits to the ‘clubhouse’, where a wide range of BBQ-based food will be available alongside a drinks menu.

HAM MANOR TO HOLD HOSPICE CHARITY DAY ★ Ham Manor Golf Club in West Sussex is holding a golf day on July 29 to help raise funds for the St Barnabas Hospice in Worthing – the club captains’ chosen beneficiary for their year in office. To enter a team, call 01903 254777.

■ THE SHIRE BOASTS THE UK'S ONLY SEVE BALLESTEROS-DESIGNED COURSE

■ RORY MCILROY PLAYS HIS APPROACH TO THE 18TH GREEN AT ADARE MANOR

money amongst their chosen charities.

The reconstruction of the 7,509-yard championship course, which first opened in 1995, has taken two years. Designed with tournament play in mind, the course will host the JP McManus Pro-Am tournament in 2020 – with the ambition of raising over €40 million for charitable causes – while it is expected to mount

THE SHIRE LONDON has simplified the way in which people book golf days by going all-inclusive – just like your summer holiday.

Many clubs start with a basic price, and load on extra costs for adding elements such as range balls, live scoring or a private dining room. But The Shire London’s two new all-inclusive Masters Packages give golf day bookers a single price, which includes a comprehensive events deal starting at £70 per golfer including food.

Also included are favourites such as nearest the pin and longest drive contests (with prizes) and a drinks trolley, plus extras such as an exclusive room for dining and prize giving. The two new deals are open to groups of 12 or more golfers.

At the five-star end of the scale is a new Ultimate Golf Day package, which crams in almost every conceivable ‘extra’ for a single price of £105 per person from Monday to Thursday (£110 on Fridays) for groups of more than 40 golfers.

And if you feel like taking friends and colleagues out for golf on the first day of the week, there is even a ‘Monday Blues’ deal at £55 per head, which includes food both pre-and post-golf for groups of 16 or more. The new deals are available from now until November 1.

Effingham Goes Back To The Future To Upgrade Classic Colt Layout

EFFINGHAM GOLF CLUB has used a trip back in time as the inspiration for its newlook championship course after completing a major renovation and upgrade of its 18-hole parkland layout.

The prestigious Surrey club has invested a significant sixfigure sum over the last five years to return all the bunkers on its historic downland course back to their original design, while improvements off the course have included the installation of a new pro shop, golf studio, buggy store and main entrance to its Georgian clubhouse.

The final phase of the ambitious project is now

complete and Effingham marked the official opening of the new course with a special sold-out Pro-Am, playing for the Mackenzie Quaich, on May 21, with the likes of former European Ryder Cup player Steven Richardson, Ladies European Tour stars Amy Boulden and Sophie Walker, and former European Tour player Gary Evans, in attendance.

At the heart of the renovation has been the transformation of all 73 bunkers on the par-71

layout, with the club working closely alongside acclaimed golf course architect Tom Mackenzie, from Mackenzie & Ebert, to enhance the original course created by Harry Colt in the 1920s.

With the construction work carried out by MJ Abbott, phased over the last five years, and with finishing touches completed by the greenkeeping team lead by Jon Budd, the course is now fully open to members, and non-members at specific times.

a bid to host a future Ryder Cup. McManus said: “It is every golf course owner’s hope to get the Ryder Cup. We have put our name in the hat; we’d love to have it. I think we have the facilities to host it. I would like to bring the Ryder Cup back to Ireland, and to have it at Adare would give the whole of the south-west region a boost.”

■ WARREN CLARKE IS BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS FOR DISABLED GOLFERS

Hampshire Teen

HAMPSHIRE GOLFER WARREN CLARK Elected For has been Special Olympics selected to represent Team GB at the 2019 Special Olympics in Abu Dhabi.

Clark, 17, who has autism and learning difficulties, is an ambassador for England Golf and the Golf Foundation, and plans to use the experience to share his passion for golf, particularly among those with disabilities, as well as helping get more young people playing.

“I feel very proud to have been selected to attend the Special Olympics next year and represent Team GB,” said six-handicapper Clarke, who is member at Salisbury & South Wilts GC, and has recently gained a PGA Level 1 badge for coaching. “I feel very privileged to be part of it. Seeing different ways people adapt their swing will help me as a golf ambassador. I’ll be able to suggest things and show others with disabilities, so they can try the different techniques to see what suits them best” Southampton-based Clark, who took up the game six years ago, has set up his own charity, Warren Clark Golfing Dreams, and takes TriGolf and StreetGolf and SNAG (Starting New at Golf) out into the community, working with disabled people and families.

He has already played in the Special Olympics in Macau and in the National Games in Sheffield, coming away with a silver medal on both occasions. And he is one of just four golfers who have been selected to test the Olympic course at Yas Links in Abu Dhabi next month, ahead of the tournament in March next year.

LONDON GOLF CLUB

ACADEMY

The tuition available at London Golf Club is outstanding and provided by our highly qualified PGA Professionals.

The team is headed up by Paul Stuart who has a wide range of experience with a proven track record with players at all levels.

Paul enjoyed a successful playing career culminating with England honours in 1995 and a spell on the European Challenge Tour in 2000.

For more information please contact us on 01474 879899 or email professionals@londongolf.co.uk

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

[20] MAY 2018 | COURSE REVIEW GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

COURSE REVIEW COURSE REVIEW

THE BELFRY

HOTEL & RESORT, WARWICKSHIRE While The Belfry’s iconic Brabazon Course – scene of four historic Ryder Cups – is without doubt the jewel in the Warwickshire-based resort’s crown, there is an abundance of world-class facilities on and off the three golf courses that make it the ultimate luxury leisure break venue

■ THE ICONIC PAR-4 18TH HOLE ON THE BRABAZON COURSE

S

■ THERE ARE A

HOST OF DINING AND DRINKING OPTIONS, INCLUDING SAM’S CLUB HOUSE AND THE RYDER GRILL

et against the backdrop of 550 acres of North Warwickshire countryside, The Belfry has developed into one of Europe’s leading golf destinations, having been voted England’s Leading Resort, England’s Best Golf Hotel, and England’s Best Golf Course at the recent World Golf Travel Awards. In addition to 319 luxury bedrooms and suites in the hotel, there’s something for everyone, with a wide range of quality bars, restaurants, spa facilities, and – of course – three brilliant golf courses.

And getting there couldn’t be easier, whether by road or – as we did – by rail.

I took the train with my wife and kids from London Euston to Birmingham International, a journey of just 70 minutes, followed by a 15-minute

■ THE DRIVABLE PAR-4 10TH PROVIDES AN EXCITING START TO THE BRABAZON'S BACK NINE

taxi ride to the world-famous resort.

However, if you’re travelling with more luggage, you may prefer to drive, which you can do in under three hours from virtually all corners of England.

As our taxi drove through the Belfry’s entrance, we could almost sense the history. On entering the main hotel lobby, it was clear why the resort has won so many awards, and recently became one of just nine in Europe to be given the Gold Flag status for customer service by

industry benchmarker, 59club. The welcome from the staff was warm and welcoming, while the vibrant atmosphere was instantly noticeable as we walked past the classy Brabazon Bar and surrounding areas.

After checking into our spacious family room, I took a spin around the Belfry’s well-kept Derby course, which sits alongside the world-famous Brabazon layout and the inland links that is the PGA National, the Derby is a stunning parkland course with far-

THE CONDITIONING OF THE BRABAZON IS CERTAINLY IMPRESSIVE – THE TEES AND FAIRWAYS ARE BEAUTIFULLY MANICURED, EVERY BUNKER PRISTINELY PRESENTED, AND ALL 18 GREENS RUN AROUND 11 ON THE STIMPMETER

reaching views across the Warwickshire countryside.

But don’t be fooled in thinking this is a course that lives in the shadows of the other two. Strategicallyplaced bunkers, water hazards, and challenging risk-and-reward holes make the Derby a decent test for players of all levels. Designed by Peter Alliss and Dave Thomas, the course demands accuracy right from the first tee – not to mention good club selection and intelligent course management.

Following an afternoon on the course, we spent the evening enjoying an amazing meal at the Belfry’s Ryder Grill. This is a treat for all taste buds, with an impressive a-la-carte menu providing a refreshing take on modern dining. From the comfort of your table, you can enjoy stunning views across the Brabazon course and, in the summer, savour a drink on the outdoor terrace. And – as we found out the next day – The Belfry also plays host to Rocca’s Pizza Pasta restaurant, which is suitable for all the family. Both were fantastic and highly recommended.

After a hearty full English breakfast the next morning, I hit a few balls at the PGA National Golf Academy. This is no ordinary driving range. Fully equipped with five custom-fitting suites, housing the latest brands and Trackman technology, the academy is the perfect venue to fine-tune your

COURSE REVIEW | MAY 2018

[21]

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

■ THE STYLISH LOBBY AT THE BELFRY HOTEL & RESORT

■ THE RYDER CUP LEGENDS MINI COURSE

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game. There are 34 driving bays, while the beautifully kept short game and putting areas offer a great chance to get your game into shape before hitting the course.

Shortly after a thorough warm up, I took to the renowned Brabazon course. The green staff are challenged to provide Ryder Cup-standard course conditions every day – and that’s noticeable as soon as you set foot on the course. When I spoke with the greenkeeping team after the round, it became clear that they have embraced that challenge, ensuring the course could host any major golf event at drop of a hat.

The conditioning of the Brabazon

is certainly impressive – the tees and fairways are beautifully manicured, every bunker pristinely presented, and all 18 greens run around 11 on the stimpmeter – just as they did during the last Ryder Cup held on the course in 2002. Added to that are the iconic memories ordinary golfers can embrace when they tee it up on the Brabazon. It all combines for a magical experience.

The ‘Brab’ – as it is affectionately known – allows golfers to follow in the footsteps of legends like Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods, who have all graced the par-72 course. Of course, you remember the famous 10th and 18th

holes, but I was also impressed with a host of other holes, including the par-four 6th around water, and the challenging 16th, another excellent par four, and the scene of Philip Price’s shock Ryder Cup singles victory over Phil Mickelson in 2002.

Step off the course, or the driving range, and you’re greeted by a wide choice of dining and drinking options, including the aptly-named Sam’s Club House – celebrating Ryder Cup legend Sam Torrance – which boasts a superb range of traditional golfing fare, while large TV screens beam in sport from across the world. After dinner, the party can move to the Brabazon Bar and, if you’re really in a celebratory mood, the on-site Bel Air nightclub, which always has a lively atmosphere.

For those looking for a touch of pampering, the resort boasts a luxury spa, with treatment rooms, finishing studio and ESPA products, providing ample choice for relaxation. After my round, my partner and I sampled a Fire & Ice treatment – a 90-minute journey through 12 different hot and cold rooms. This invigorating blend of steam rooms, saunas and aroma caves is designed to 'help clear the mind and purify the body', before easing those tense muscles in the soothing hydrotherapy pool.

We followed this with a 55-minute full-body Swedish massage. Offered with a choice of two different aromatic oils, this deep tissue massage works on all the major

■ THE PGA NATIONAL HAS THE LOOK OF AN INLAND LINKS

muscle groups, stimulates circulation, and restores range of motion – making it an ideal post-golf therapy. Once we had every knot worked out of our bodies, we moved onto the relaxation room, where guests are invited to unwind on comfortable sofas, sipping chilled lemon water, and flick, through magazines or simply close their eyes and listen to calming music.

For more family-friendly activities, in addition to Rocca’s Pizza Pasta restaurant, kids can enjoy an interactive woodland walk, an outdoor playground, and, for aspiring young golfers, the Ryder Legends' mini golf course. The latter is modelled on famous Ryder Cup holes from across the world, and is a must for any family visiting the resort.

Our brief trip to the Belfry certainly opened our eyes to what the resort has grown into over the last 40 years. While you never lose sight of the venue’s unrivalled Ryder Cup history – images and memorabilia from contests gone by are prominent in certain areas, and meeting rooms used by the respective teams are shown off with golden plaques – it’s very easy to forget you’re in a golf resort.

Yes, there is much for us golf geeks to get excited about – attempting that famous shot by Seve on the tenth tee, Christie O’Connor’s two-iron over the water at the 18th, or Paul McGinley’s match-winning putt at the same hole – but there is as much excitement off the course for the non-golfers. It all adds up to the perfect weekend away – whether that’s for a group of golfers, couples, or for family breaks with kids of all ages.

For more information on The Belfry Hotel & Resort, visit www.thebelfry. co.uk or call the hotel direct on 01675 238600.

[22] MAY 2018 FEATURE GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

STEVE GROUWSTRA, DIRECTOR OF GOLF , COTTESMORE HOTEL & GOLF CLUB, WEST SUSSEX

H

ow long have you been a PGA professional?

I have been a pro since 2010.

I started out as an assistant to Cottesmore’s previous director of golf, Calum Callan, who helped me progress through my PGA qualification, and I took over his role in October last year. It has given me a lot more responsibility, and I am really relishing the opportunity to take the club forward in all areas.

What is your day-to-day role at the club?

As director of golf I am involved in all aspects of the club. My main priority is to ensure that all our members and visitors have a great experience, from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave.

Running and stocking the pro shop is also a very big part of my daily routine, along with working with the captains of each section to make sure we are listening to feedback from the members.

What’s the best thing about your job?

Working in such a beautiful setting. Cottesmore really is stunning, especially when the rhododendrons are in full bloom, and the course is looking lush and green.

And the worst?

Not getting to play as much golf as I would like. I love mingling with the members out on the course, but this job can consume you at times, so playing golf has to go

on the backburner more than I’d perhaps like.

Tell us about the facilities...

We have 27 holes at Cottesmore – 18 on the Griffin and nine on the Phoenix. Both feature tree-lined fairways and small greens, which makes for very challenging golf.

We also have 21 hotel rooms and seven lodges, which are perfect for our golf break business, which we get throughout the year.

What is the club doing to attract junior and female golfers?

The club has been very proactive over the last ten years to get as many juniors playing the game as possible. Calum – our academy manager – had a vision to create a junior academy which is easily accessible to all involved. He now has over 500 juniors on the database. This is possible due to the number of activities we run throughout the year, and the progressive nature of each activity.

We start with taster sessions at schools and the club.

The next step is our kids fun golf days followed by our spring, summer and autumn coaching programmes.

Calum has been using the same model to

■ COTTESMORE OFFERS 27 HOLES OF QUALITY PARKLAND GOLF

build the ladies academy, which is now two years old. Five classes a week give the beginner ladies a chance to have long game, short game and on-course coaching.

What would stimulate more people to play golf?

Time. The hours it takes for a round of golf can definitely be a deterrent.Maybe a new six-hole course could be the answer.

How should clubs go about retaining members?

I believe the key to retention of

members is customer service.

If they leave feeling good about their day, they will return.

What’s the most common swing fault you have to correct?

Swinging over the top. It is a bug bear to so many golfers I see.

What’s selling well in the pro shop?

Shoes always sell very well at the start of the season. We have seen a big uplift in sales of spikeless shoes over the last two or three years.

What has been your career highlight as a player?

Shooting a course record 66 at my home club, Sutton Park in Hull.

What made the round even more special was that I was three over par after three holes, and played the last 15 in seven under.

Who is your golfing hero and why?

I have two. The first is John Daly. Professional golf needs characters, and he’s certainly one.

The second has to be Tiger. In my

eyes, the greatest of all time. His records speak for themselves.

Who inspired you to take up golf?

No one person really. I was fortunate to live behind a golf course when I was a boy. All my friends started playing at the same time, so it made sense to join in.

What’s your favourite course in the UK and the world?

In the UK, Ganton – what a track.

In the world, Valderrama. I played there a few years ago and it is pretty special.

Which three other people would be in your dream fourball?

Tiger, Rory McIlroy and John Daly.

I think it would turn into a longdrive competition.

To book a round, or for more details on membership and golf break packages, call 01293 528256 or visit www.cottesmoregolf.co.uk.

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NEWS | MAY 2018

[23]

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

Beefy & Beef

InBrief

■ IAN BOTHAM AND ANDREW JOHNTSON

OSCAR-WINNING PERFORMANCE CLAIMS PGA SOUTH WINTER SERIES

Prepare To Take On Counties Challenge

T

wo of England’s finest sporting ‘beefs’, Sir Ian ‘Beefy’ Botham and Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston, will be hitting the links next month to take on the challenge of playing golf in each of England’s 18 counties in the same day.

Two years ago, Sir Ian was joined on the challenge by fellow cricket legend Shane Warne, but this year he has shaken things up by inviting European Tour star ‘Beef’ Johnston, with the pair of travelling by helicopter between venues as they seek to raise money for the Beefy Charity

Foundation, which currently supports Brain Tumour Research & Support, Batten Disease Family Association, Cardiac Risk in the Young, Bloodwise, and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

The challenge requires the meaty duo,

who first met during the Oval test between England and Pakistan in 2016, to play just one hole at each club. The venues taking part include Boundary Lakes at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, County Durham and The Belfry.

Winner Wallace Inspires Juniors At Moor Park

JUNIOR GOLFERS AT MOOR PARK GOLF CLUB in Hertfordshire enjoyed the chance to learn from one of the professional game’s fastest improving players last month, when Matt Wallace – the

winner of two tournaments in his first 18 months on the European Tour – held a coaching clinic at the club where he first learned to play the game.

Despite poor weather on the

day, Wallace hit lots of shots, discussed his game at length, and explained how he prepares for tournaments.

He also gave an insight into his journey from the amateur ranks to the top of the pro

game, and took questions from the audience.

Born locally in Pinner, Wallace played much of his junior and amateur golf in the surrounding area, and has gone on to enjoy tremendous success in the paid ranks in recent years. Since graduating from the Alps Tour in 2016, he won the Portuguese Open in only his fourth start in 2017, which gained him membership of the European Tour.

Most recently, he won the Indian

Open to move inside the world’s top 100.

Wallace was delighted with the reaction he received from the youngsters.

“What a brilliant day! I hope all the juniors enjoyed the event,” he said. “It was great turn out and it was great to spend some time with the juniors at my home club and see so many enthusiastic young players. I hope to see a few of them on the European Tour in a few years time!”

Cottrell Park GOLF RESORT

★ Royal Mid Surrey’s Oscar Granstrom Livesey has won the Battle Bowl and the Titleist & FootJoy PGA South Winter Series Order of Merit. Leading after eight events, Granstrom Livesey tied with Rustington Golf Centre’s Michael Bullen on 42 points to tie for victory in the final one, the Titleist & FootJoy Assistants & Trainees BetterBall Pro-Am at Farnham. Bullen and Granstrom Livesey each banked winners’ cheques of £382, while, as the winner of the Winter Series OOM, Granstrom Livesey also picked up a Titleist 918 driver, a pair of FootJoy MyJoy shoes and a cash bonus.

MCCOOK PIPS LAMB TO WELSH WOMEN’S TITLE ★ Scotland’s Hannah McCook won the 54-hole Welsh Women’s Open after beating Lancashire’s Sophie Lamb in a play-off at Aberdovey Golf Club. Lamb was two shots behind McCook with a round to play, but caught her with a closing 69, as both players finished on seven under par.

But the title went to the Scottish player, who got up and down for victory on the first play-off hole. Lamb’s fellow Curtis Cup teammate Lily May Humphreys (Stoke by Nayland) shot three under in the last round to share third place with Stoke Park’s Thalia Kirby, with both players finishing the tournament on one under par.

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[24] MAY 2018 FEATURE GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

SKY’S THE LIMIT AFTER PEP TALK European No.1 Tommy Fleetwood draws inspiration from a round with the Manchester City manager as his focus turns to major ambitions

E

verything Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has touched has turned to gold this year and European Tour No.1 Tommy Fleetwood is hoping some of that magic rubs off on him, as he chases his first major championship and a Ryder Cup debut this year.

Guardiola stayed true to his word when he said he would play golf instead of watching Manchester United face West Brom on the day a United loss confirmed his side as Premier League champions. But instead of a quiet round, he invited four-time European Tour winner Fleetwood along to a game at Sandiway Golf Club, where the pair celebrated City’s title win after the Baggies upset the Red Devils with a 1-0 victory.

The unlikely sporting duo were introduced to each other through a mutual friend who knew of Fleetwood’s admiration for the Blues’ boss, as well as Guardiola’s love of golf. It proved a perfect match – so much so that the pair are now playing alongside each other in the pro-am at this month’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

“I don’t think either of us expected to get on with each other as well as we did, but we hit it off immediately,” says Fleetwood. “His sense of humour is very similar to mine and we had a great time. He’s a very good golfer and works hard at his game, too. I don’t think he’s the type to do anything half-half-heartedly. If Pep took golf up seriously, he could be a champion.”

Although Fleetwood is a lifelong Everton fan, he admits to having a soft spot for City due to family connections. “It’s no secret that Everton are my team,” he says. “I’m a proud Toffee, but the rest of the family in my house support Man City, so, of course, I was very happy for them winning the title” He adds: “We chatted about football in general, but not really about the league situation. I wasn’t with him when he found out United had lost, but he screamed his delight down the phone to me when the result came in, just after we had left the course. It was very funny!”

It was a rare Sunday afternoon off for Fleetwood, who has emerged as one of the best players in the world over the last 12 months – with three tour wins and the coveted Race to Dubai title. But now the 27-year-old has his sights set on winning a

I WASN’T WITH HIM WHEN HE FOUND OUT UNITED HAD LOST, BUT HE SCREAMED HIS DELIGHT DOWN THE PHONE TO ME WHEN THE RESULT CAME IN JUST AFTER WE HAD LEFT THE COURSE. IT WAS VERY FUNNY! major and making his first appearance in the Ryder Cup. While the US Open is not too far away, as a links fan, the prospect of teeing it up at Carnoustie for the Open Championship in July is a more likely opportunity for the Southport man to open his major account.

The Angus course is a true golfing test, but Fleetwood tamed it memorably last summer, shooting a new course record 63

during the Dunhill Links Championship. His playing partner that day, Rory McIlroy, needed eight more shots to get round.

Just the week before, Fleetwood was cherishing the moment he became a father for the first time, to son Franklin – and his round finished off the perfect seven days. This year he is hoping for similar, with the Claret Jug in his sights.

“I am going to go to Carnoustie with confidence, because the last shot I hit there was to get the course record, so it will be nice,” he says. “It is such a hard course. When the Open is on, the weather always plays such a big part. If it is a calm day then any course is very playable, but Carnoustie has certain holes that are so tough and ruthless regardless. The bunkers just suck you in. For some reason, it is so just so hard to miss them and you have to have a really good game plan.”

It’s easy to forget that Fleetwood is a relative new boy when it comes to Major golf – he has played in only 11 to date since 2014 – and while he clearly has the talent to win one of the big ones, the man himself still believes he has a lot to learn before he’s ready to feel truly comfortable in that most pressurised of arenas. “A major is a realistic target, and there’s no reason why that can’t happen, but I need more experience in majors, so I’m aiming for consistency in my results whenever I play in them. I always play to win, as every golfer does, and I know I’m capable of winning majors, but every time I play right now, I just want to learn more, and be better for the next one.

Learning is always the root of my motivation.”

Another key target for Fleetwood this season is a debut Ryder Cup appearance. Having narrowly missed qualification for the European team in 2014 and 2016, he is a shoo-in for the team in Paris in September, although the modest man is yet to count his chickens. “Of course, I’d love to play my first Ryder Cup, it would be an amazing experience and one I do think about a lot,” he says. “But it isn’t at the forefront of my mind whenever I play a tournament. Continuing to play good golf will get me there – nothing else.”

Fleetwood was famously spotted in Dubai last year using mobile phone that had a photo of European Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn as its protective cover. Ever the joker, Fleetwood will have the last laugh if and when that call finally comes through in August to confirm his place in the team.

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[26] MAY 2018 | COURSE REVIEW GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

COURSE REVIEW COURSE REVIEW

SHIRLEY PARK GOLF CLUB CROYDON, SURREY

Boasting a historic parkland course and a charming clubhouse, Shirley Park Golf Club is a golfing haven in a quiet, suburban oasis

A

lthough located just a mile from East Croydon train station, and a few yards from the busy A232, once you walk through the double doors at the entrance to the clubhouse at Shirley Park Golf Club, a sense of peace and serenity pervades, and all the stresses of the outside world seem to instantly ebb away.

Protected by mature trees on all sides, the 130-acre site offer an oasis of green tranquility set amid one of south London’s most populated areas, and it’s easy to see why this most popular of clubs has proved such an attractive haven for suburban Surrey golfers over the last century or so.

Wind back the clock to 1913, and you would find legendary golf course architects Tom Simpson and Herbert Fowler – whose other courses include Walton Heath, The Berkshire and, most famously, Pebble Beach – putting the finishing touches to Shirley Park’s magnificent 18-hole parkland layout.

The course was officially opened by the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Thomas Vansittart Bowater, in July 1914. It was a star-studded affair, with two former Open champions, J H Taylor and Sandy Herd, taking part in a match, which Taylor won by four shots after nipping round in a tidy 73. An invitation to London’s then current mayor to tee off the centenary celebrations in 2014 sadly went unanswered, denying members the opportunity of seeing Boris Johnson most likely shank his tee shot through the pro shop window.

With the First World War breaking out just two weeks after Sir Thomas’s opening tee shot, club life at Shirley Park, not surprisingly, got off to a stuttering start – but it soon returned to something resembling normalilty following the cessation of hostilities in 1918, and the club has been gently moving with the times ever since. With current membership numbers hovering around 450, the club is buoyant and has recently enjoyed a significant influx of new members attracted by the superb course conditions, welcoming clubhouse, and the friendly atmosphere that pervades.

Measuring just under 6,200 yards off the back tees, the par-71 course is not long, but the undulating nature of the topography, clever bunkering, narrow fairways, and testing approaches, ensure that all elements of your game are examined and birdies are well earned. On my visit in late April, the course

was already looking in tremendous shape given the rotten winter, with the greens rolling fast and true despite the recent rains, and looking set to provide some superb playing conditions in the months ahead.

The course gets off to a testing start from both a physical and mental standpoint, with the first tee of this 404-yard uphill par four located within a few yards of the pro shop and in full view of the clubhouse. A par on this gun-barrel straight hole, which features OOB to the right and plays to a triple-tiered green, will feel like a stroke gained. Thankfully, things ease off at the 2nd, a 300-yard downhill par four that sweeps gently to the right, requiring little more than a three-wood to the left side of the fairway, and a deft chip to the angled green to set up the chance of an early birdie.

Shirley Park boasts a fabulous quartet of par threes, and the 3rd is arguably the easiest of them, which is saying something given

■ SHIRLEY PARK HAS BUILT UP AN ENVIABLE REPUTATION FOR THE QUALITY OF ITS GREENS

THE CLUB IS BEYOND BUOYANT – AND HAS RECENTLY ENJOYED A SIGNIFICANT INFLUX OF NEW MEMBERS ATTRACTED BY THE SUPERB COURSE CONDITIONS, WELCOMING CLUBHOUSE, AND THE FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE WHICH RUNS THROUGHOUT THE CLUB

■ THE CHALLENGING 7TH IS ONE OF FOUR EXCELLENT SHORT HOLES ON THE CARD

that it plays over 160 yards to a green with a false front and a ridge running diagonally across the putting surface. With the wind in your face, it requires a solid strike to find the dance floor.

If you’re hoping to go low at Shirley Park, you’re going to need to birdie at least two of the three par fives – the 4th, 9th and 18th – all of which are reachable for the longest, straightest hitters. The 4th, at 518 yards, is the longest, but if you can get a good drive away, and avoid the fairway traps and greenside bunkers with your second, there’s a good chance of recording red figures here.

The par-3 7th is a cracking short hole from whichever tee you play, with a 160-180 yard shot required over a valley to a raised green. Anything short or left of the target will tumble down a steep slope into some unsavoury gorse bushes, while there’s no future for anything hit right. No pressure then...

The front nine finishes with one of my favourite holes on the course, a 512-yard par five that sweeps from right-to-left around a tree-lined fairway, requiring all of your course management skills to find the right spot from which to attack the green. Only a brave shot hugging the left side will cut off enough of the dogleg to set up a 200-yard plus second, while anything hit too far left will be blocked out.

Turning for home, the 300-yard 12th is a great little par four, with the green tucked around the corner almost at a right angle to

COURSE REVIEW | MAY 2018

[27]

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

■ THE VIEW BEHIND THE FIRST TEE

THERE IS AN ACADEMY MEMBERSHIP FOR ASSISTING NON-GOLFERS TO LEARN THE GAME, WHILE ALSO INTRODUCING THEM TO THE RULES, ETIQUETTE AND, OF COURSE, THE SOCIAL SIDE OF THE CLUB

the end of the fairway, and the pin especially hard to reach if positioned in the extreme right-hand side. The 13th is a lovely par three played from a raised tee, located deep within the tree line, to a green that is protected by four bunkers on the left and a larger one on the right. It’s only 150 yards, but I reckon some big numbers have been racked up here.

Par fours at 15 and 16, both doglegs, present birdie opportunities, providing you find the right portion of the fairway off the tee; while the 215-yard 17th will leave first timers scratching their heads looking for a flag, as the green is located some way distant over the brow of the hill.

The par-five 18th is a demanding closing hole, with the course’s one and only water feature making its presence felt at around 210 yards on the right edge of the fairway, while bunkers to the left at 270 will catch big hitters who are marginally off line. Two traps short of the green will catch errant lay ups, while two more either side of the putting surface will ensure that whoever makes a birdie here will feel deserving of a celebratory drink in the clubhouse bar.

All told, it’s a constantly entertaining and

■ THE SPACIOUS CLUBHOUSE ENJOYS FINE VIEWS OVER THE COURSE

■ THE THE 472-YRD PAR-FIVE 18TH PROVIDES A STRONG FINISH TO THE ROUND

challenging layout that is neither too severe, nor too easy. No two holes alike, and with some interesting changes in elevation, it’s a course that you’ll want to come back to again and again.

Shirley Park’s skilled team of green staff, led by long-serving course manager Richard Evans, constantly strives to improve the quality of the course, and, in addition to the regular maintenance, special projects are undertaken every year to ensure standards are always on the up.

Maintaining and upgrading the characterful clubhouse is another ongoing commitment, and in the last year alone the dining room and kitchen have been refurbished, which will be much appreciated by everyone attending club events and functions of all kinds.

The club boasts a wide membership across both genders and ages, handicaps and backgrounds. There is currently no joining fee, with a seven-day membership (which includes a free 12-month membership for a partner) costing £1,504, and a five-day from £1,158. There is an academy membership for assisting non-golfers to learn the game, while also introducing them to the rules, etiquette, and, of course, the social side of the club. Many academy members go on to become full members, while every week there is an array of roll-ups to ensure that there is almost always a group to join at a time that fits in with individual work or family commitments.

Members can also participate in a wide range of competitions, both midweek and at weekends, and there are many individual

stroke play events, four ball and foursomes match play competitions for men and ladies, plus numerous mixed events. The club does not operate a tee booking system for members, so they can turn up, put their ball in the chute, and generally get a game when they like. Visitors can book online, and are welcome throughout the week, and after 2pm at weekends, with green fees starting from £38 for 18 holes.

The club also boasts an Indoor Tuition Centre, where the club’s team of dedicated PGA professionals, led by Mick Taylor, can offer coaching and club fitting using the latest Trackman technology. There is an outside practice area and a practice putting and chipping green.

Shirley Park enjoys an active and wellsupported social scene, with an event calendar featuring regular music evenings, quizzes, and horse racing nights, as well as formal club occasions. Even when there is not a function in the diary, there is invariably a buzz in the clubhouse, with members and visitors enjoying the excellent range of food and drinks on offer, while an 80-inch dropdown screen ensures there’s always a lively atmosphere whenever there is sport on TV. For non-golfers, social membership is available, which qualifies for all the above except golf, and includes use of the club’s popular snooker tables.

The recently redesigned website provides a wealth of information on the course and club, with hole-by-hole flyovers, booking forms for visitors/societies, and a special hospitality section highlighting the facilities available for groups, parties and conferences, which includes a spacious dining room that can comfortably accommodate up to 120 guests.

INFORMATION FOR MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES, SOCIETY AND CORPORATE BOOKINGS, VISIT WWW.SHIRLEYPARKGOLFCLUB.CO.UK, EMAIL CLUB MANAGER STEVE MURPHY AT STEVE.MURPHY@SHIRLEYPARKGOLFCLUB. CO.UK OR CALL 020 8654 1143.

FOR VISITOR GREEN FEE BOOKINGS CALL 020 8654 8767 OR BOOK ONLINE AT WWW.SHIRLEYPARKGOLFCLUB.CO.UK

[28] MAY 2018 INTERVIEW GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

ou write Ian James Poulter off at your peril. After suffering a heavy defeat in his quarter-final match in March’s WGC Dell-World Match Play (a victory at which would have secured him an invitation to the Masters), IJP’s critics – and there are many – were preparing to dump his career back in the file reserved for ‘players whose star burned a shade or two brighter than the sum of their actual achievements’.

But then back he came. In the depths of despair, after narrowly missing out on securing a place in the season’s opening Major, Poulter arrived at the Houston Open knowing that only a win would be good enough to chalk up his 13th appearance at Augusta in the last 14 years.

And blow me down with a feather, he only bloody well went and did it. Shrugging off all the Twitter haters who labeled him a ‘bottler’, along with some other unprintable names, Poults laid it down to them, and the rest of field, to enter the final round vying for the lead, following rounds of 73, 64 and 65.

Holding a narrow lead at the turn, after four birdies in eight holes, his hopes of teeing it up at Augusta alongside Tiger et al soon appeared to be crumbling under an onslaught from little known Texan Beau Hossler, who birdied four holes on the back nine to set the clubhouse lead on 19 under.

After been marooned IAN POULTER on 18 under par for seven holes, Poulter arrived at might be entering the 18th needing a birdie to the twilight of his force a play-off with Hossler, career, but after with the Twitteratti once again poised to unleash winning his first their venom. Only this PGA Tour stroke time Poulter refused to go play event to quietly. And in the style that European Ryder Cup fans move back into have come all too used to the world’s top 35, seeing over the last decade or the 42 year old so, the former Hertfordshire club pro nailed a 25-foot putt certainly won’t be to force extra holes. With going quietly into a clenched fist thumping the night when his chest like a gorilla on heat, this was Poulter at there’s a Ryder Cup his irrepressible best. Even to be regained those who have found his peacock strutting hard to WORDS NICK BAYLY stomach over the years, MAIN IMAGE found themselves willing on JEREMY REPER this most Marmite of golfers to finish the job.

And finish it he did. Nailing a drive down the middle of the fairway at the first extra hole, Poulter watched on as Hossler put his approach into the greenside bunker.

Sensing blood, Poulter, the winner of 16 previous professional titles, stepped up to his second and hit a 5-iron to within 25 feet of the flag for a certain par. Hossler – without a win, and looking tense – thinned his bunker shot into the water, and that was that. One of the game’s greatest match play performers had done it again, and the naysayers were left to choke on their words one more time.

It was redemption of a sort for the man who started the 2016/17 PGA Tour season on a medical exemption, following a foot injury, and only kept his card after a miscalculation in the points scoring system earned him a late call up for the Players Championship, where he went on to finish second and secure his playing rights for this season.

Teeing it up at Augusta last month, a not surprisingly weary Poulter performed well enough to make the cut, although the fact that he finished 44th, seven places below Tiger Woods, with whom he was paired for the third round, will perhaps stick in the craw, given their shared – and well documented – history.

Woods and Poulter have history with a capital H. For it was Poulter who infamously laid down his professional credentials in such candid, if somewhat ludicrous, terms, almost a decade ago. “The trouble is, I don’t rate anyone else,” the Englishman said in an unguarded moment, while giving an interview to a UK golf writer who probably couldn’t believe his luck. “Don’t get me wrong, I really respect every professional golfer,” he went on. “But I know I haven’t played to my full potential and when that happens, it will be just me and Tiger.”

BACK IN THE GAME

INTERVIEW | MAY 2018 [29] GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

At the start of this season, many experts were Taken out of context, the level of abuse aimed at drawing a line through Poulter’s name, declaring Poulter for the comment was unfair. The prospect of that he would never grace the leaderboards again. He pursuing Woods – Poulter, remember, was a five-handicap played just 13 events in 2016, because of a foot injury, player more accustomed to selling chocolate bars than and missed the Ryder Cup. Europe were without their competing with leading amateurs when he turned talisman, and the talisman was seemingly without his professional – would provide him with deep motivation. reason for sporting existence. But not once did he think He was merely making this public. the odyssey could be ending. “Did I hell,” he says. “Yeah, “If people do play well over a period of two years, you there were moments in January and February last can get to number two in the world. You can’t reach year when I entered panic mode, because I didn’t have Tiger,” Poulter later explained. “It would be a dream to forever to secure my playing privileges on the PGA Tour see Tiger and then me in the world rankings as you look and, with my ranking down in the 150s, I was facing down. What’s wrong with that? Is it being rude? Is it being the prospect of missing all of the majors. But I still disrespectful to everybody else? I don’t think so.” believed that I’d make it all the way back up there, and Woods might just have raised an eyebrow, as he had I still believe I will. Hard work fixes most things in my plenty more to concern himself with at the time, but Lee opinion. No one has given me anything for free in this Westwood was known to have had great fun with Poulter’s game. No one gave me my claims; he dubbed his Tour cards in Europe or fellow Englishman ‘No 2’. the United States.”

Woods approved and was I JUST GET SO FED UP OF He continues: “I just get later to slap his pretender PEOPLE SAYING: ‘WHY ARE so fed up of people saying: down in public. “Poulter YOU ACTING LIKE A FLASH ‘Why are you acting like a is always right, isn’t he?”

GIT WHEN YOUR GAME HAS flash git when your game said Woods after Poulter GONE TO POT? YEAH, I ENJOY has gone to pot? Yeah, predicted he wouldn’t THE TRAPPINGS OF SUCCESS, I enjoy the trappings of finish in the top five of BUT I’VE NEVER LOST SIGHT success – the nice cars, the 2011 Masters, when in OF HOW THAT CAME ABOUT, the lovely house and fact the four-time Augusta AND I NEVER WILL attending big sporting champion tied for fourth. events. But I’ve never lost There’s more. In his sight of how that came book The Big Miss, a about, and I never will.” brilliant chronicle of his time coaching Woods, Hank Currently lying 26th in the world rankings, and Haney reflected on the time Poulter shared Woods’s just one place outside of automatic qualification in the private jet back to Florida from a PGA Tour event. “Can world points list standings for the Ryder Cup team, the you believe this dick mooched a ride on my plane?” read prospect of Poulter earning a remarkable sixth Ryder Cup a Woods message to Haney. Poulter offered an entirely appearance for Europe remains a distinct possibility. And different version of events – via his own autobiography – if he should fall just short, it will be a cold-hearted captain but the sense remains of needle between the two players.

– and Thomas Bjørn might well have ice running through Not that Poulter is unused to getting abuse from fellow his veins – that would deny Poulter the opportunity of players, or indeed fans. Just last year, while in contention having another pop at the Yanks. for the Players Championship title at Sawgrass, Poulter Having won 13 out of a possible 18 points following his came in for some stick from an unlikely quarter. As he five appearances, Poulter has long been seen as Europe’s tried to chase down leader Si Woo Kim, he shanked his Ryder Cup 'postman' – and with good reason. He has approach at the final hole, and had to make a walk of been on the winning side four times, only tasting defeat shame through the crowds to locate his ball and attempt a at Valhalla in 2008, where he came away with four recovery shot. points from a possible five – a score only matched by Faced with a 120-yard pitch from under the trees with his performance at the Miracle at Medinah in 2012. His a tiny gap to aim at, Poulter would have had to pull off a perfect singles record only ended in 2014 at Gleneagles miraculous, Seve-style recovery in order to have had any when he halved his match with Webb Simpson. hope of pitting pressure on Kim, who stood on the tee After missing out on consideration for the 2016 with a three-shot lead. While sizing up the shot, Poulter matches at Hazeltine due to the aforementioned foot accidently bumped into a woman who was carry two injury, only time will tell whether Ian Poulter has glasses of beer – the contents of which, in the crush, ended enough in the locker to make one last push for Paris, up all over Poulter’s face just as he was preparing to play but there will be no-one – and I mean no-one – trying one of the most important shots of his recent career. Not harder to make the captain’s choice a hard one should a knowing whom she has just bumped in to, Poulter later wildcard be required. recounted that the woman quickly apologised, saying ‘I’m so sorry’, before she realised who it was. "‘No, I’m not sorry. It’s you,’ she said. ‘I f****** hate you’.”

Poulter, to his credit, quickly regathered his thoughts, and executed the shot to within an inch of perfection before calmly holing out for a remarkable par. “To hit a shot like that was probably the best response I could have delivered,” he said. “It’s a stupid game sometimes, isn’t it?”

Stupid, indeed, but that anecdote says so much about Poulter’s psyche. As does the fact that while the rest of us were worrying that he was on the brink of taking at least a double-bogey, thus hurtling down the top ten, then he had a completely different mindset.

“I honestly didn’t think about anything else but holing it,” he said afterwards. “Kim was on the 18th tee and I was playing my shot thinking: ‘If I can put this in from here, there’s going to be a huge roar, and he’s going to hear it and might stick his drive into the water’. Well, it didn’t quite happen. But I gave it a good go.”

Of course, Poulter is all about giving it a go. He has been ever since he was a schoolboy when his teacher told him he had absolutely no chance of becoming a professional golfer. He heard the same when he was working in the pro shop at Jack O’Legs Golf Centre in Hitchin – which later became Chesfield Downs – selling Mars Bars and cans of coke.

“Yeah, I do seem to like it when I’m written off,” he says. “It gives me more motivation to actually go and do it; to be able say ‘see, you were wrong about me’.”

[30] MAY 2018 FEATURE GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

STORY BEHIND THE PIC PRINCE ANDREW, THE DUKE OF YORK • WENTWORTH CLUB • MAY 24, 2000

ROYALTY AND GOLF have enjoyed something of a loose connection since Mary Queen of Scots failed to keep her head down back in 1587, but all that has been put to rights, thanks to Prince’s Andrew’s longstanding passion for golf.

The Prince’s passion for golf has not been without controversy, especially when it comes to spending taxpayers' money. Back in 1999, Labour MP Tony Banks described Andrew as a ‘useless parasite’ for hiring a private jet to attend the Open Championship in Scotland, while in 2001 he reportedly spent £10,000 using the Queen's Flight to watch the final day’s play at Lytham. Things quietened down on the golfing front for 15 years or so after that, before he made the headlines again in 2016, when taking a chopper down to Royal Cinque Ports, where he is a patron, to play 18 holes with Jim Yong Kim, the South Korean president of the World Bank. The trip cost around £5,000.

The Duke of York took up the game shortly after becoming an officer in the Navy in 1979, but it was only after he left in 2001, and started to work as a ‘full-time royal’, that his golf really took off.

Despite over 120 official engagements last year, the Queen's second son still plays enough golf to keep his handicap down to single figures, although it is likely to be creeping up as he nears his 60th birthday in 2020.

Still, going back to 2004, the year in which he was captain of the R&A, Andy had the audacity to snub the D-Day anniversary celebrations in France in order to attend a golf dinner at St Andrews. Now there’s a man who has his priorities right where he wants them.

The Duke, who has slipped down to seventh in line to the throne following a spate of royal births, was given his first golf lesson by Doug McClelland, owner of eponymous golf superstore at Silvermere in Chobham.

The story goes that McClelland was first contacted

by The Duke at home, when he rang the McClelland household and got through to one of his sons. "Could I speak to Doug, please?" the Duke asked. "Who's speaking?" the child said. "The Duke of York," the Duke replied. "OK, hang on a minute," the child replied before shouting: "Dad, it's for you. The pub's on the phone."

To his credit, the ‘Iron’ Duke has also played his part in giving back to the game, and has been the patron of the Duke of York Young Champions Trophy since he and golf agent John Simpson founded it in 2001.

An international mixed tournament played solely on top UK links courses, the annual event sees up to 60 of world's most talented male and female juniors battle it out in a 54-hole stroke play competition.

Former winners have included Rory Mcllroy, Matteo Manassero Oliver Fisher, Ariya Jutanugarn and Anna Nordqvist. This year’s championship is taking place at Castle Stuart Golf Links in Scotland from September 17-20. We’re guessing that the host may well be travelling up by air, as Inverness airport is just a few miles down the coast.

The first lesson was given under the battlements at Windsor Castle, where McClelland was half-way through giving the Prince some key swing tips when a couple of corgis started sniffing around his feet. Not wishing to disrupt the lesson, McClelland carried on regardless, not knowing that the Queen was standing right behind him. “Doug, may I introduce you to the Queen?” said the Duke, much to McClelland's embarrassment.

Waterlooville GOLF CLUB

“If you haven’t played it, put it on your bucket list!

The friendliness of the welcome, the presentation of the course and the quality of the greens were all outstanding.” –

Holiday homes available from

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ANDRA, GLOUCESTERSHIRE TEAM CAPTAIN

Waterlooville Golf Club has continued to receive similar feedback all year and was very proud to host the English Women’s County Finals in September 2016.

We would be delighted towelcome your golf societyto Waterlooville Golf Club in 2018.

Contact us today to book your next golf day.

PAR - £34.35 Coffee & Bacon Roll on arrival ◆ 18 holes of golf on our championship course ◆

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Web: waterloovillegolfclub.com

Waterlooville Golf Club, Cherry Tree Ave, Cowplain, Waterlooville, Hampshire, PO8 8AP

[32] MAY 2018 | NEWS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

InBrief CENTURION CAPTURES HERTS CLUB TITLE ★ Centurion Club won Hertfordshire Golf’s men's champion club title after beating 21 rival teams over 36 holes at Sandy Lodge. The team of James Surridge, Bradley Smith and Matthew Baxter combined to score 24 over par over two rounds, and finish just one shot ahead of Harpenden Common. Hadley Wood was on course to claim the title with ease, but an unintended mix up with the recording of a score on one hole during the first round resulted in Rob Watkins later being disqualified when he discovered the error. His teammates, Alex Collman and Charlie Wilkinson, were just six over par for their two rounds combined, while Watkins had shot a second round of 70.

Joy For Johnson At Social Golfer Masters

GOLFERS FROM ALL OVER THE SOUTH EAST congregated at Warley Park Golf Club in Brentwood last month to take part in the fifth annual Social Golfer Masters.

Twenty-eight members of the popular online golf club and golf society gathered at the Essex club, all hoping to be this year’s TSG Masters champion. The mixed

Addington To Host Sick Children’s Charity Day

PETERSFIELD APPOINTS NEW MANAGER

THE SICK CHILDREN’S TRUST is calling for keen golfers to take part in its golf day at The Addington Golf Club in Surrey next month to raise money to support families with

★ Andy Corbett has been appointed the new general manager at Petersfield Golf Club in Hampshire. He brings a wealth of experience from his 17 years in the leisure industry, ranging from David Lloyd Leisure to privatelyowned golf clubs, and will be working closely with head greenkeeper Kevin Clue and head professional Greg Hughes, to ensure the club continues to provide the best course conditions and golfing experience possible for members and guests.

seriously ill children in hospital.

The Sick Children’s Trust’s Golf Day was a sell-out event in 2017 and raised over £13,000, and the last few teams are now available to buy for this year’s event, which is being held on Friday, June 22.

Entry for a team of four costs £540, and includes coffee and bacon rolls, 18 holes by shotgun start

Membership Packages Membership Categories all incl. vat

Per Annum

7 day championship membership

£995.00

5 day championship membership

£595.00

Junior membership

£200.00

Corporate membership fee

£2500.00

7 day golf & leisure membership

£1400.00

5 day golf & leisure membership

£840.00

event provided plenty of healthy competition, and while some members were familiar with the course layout, most were not. The field, with handicaps ranging from four to 24, played the Childerditch/Warley loop – two very different layouts, offering their own unique challenges, with the latter including some superb water features.

As always, it was the greens at Warley that proved the real test, with only six players reaching 30 points, but it was a local player David Johnson who triumphed, scoring 37 points to finish three shots ahead of the field and become the new TSG champion. Judy Lilley (Kent) took second with 34 points,.

For details on how to become a Social Golfer member, email theteam@thesocialgolfer.com or visit thesocialgolfer.com.

Golf Package Coffee & Bacon Baps, 18 Holes Golf One-Course dinner

£33.00 per person

Organisers goes free on groups of 12 or more

For more information please call Caroline Screene, Golf Manager on 0208 768 3113 www.selsdonparkcroydon.co.uk • Addington Road, Sanderstead, Surrey, CR2 8YA

at 9.30am, on-course refreshments, and a twocourse meal with wine and prize giving.

All proceeds from the event will be used to keep the trust’s ten ‘Homes from Home’, located at leading paediatric hospitals across the UK, running. Although the accommodation is provided free, it costs the charity £30 to support a family for one night.

Hannah Upson, the Sick Children’s Trust’s events manager, said: “Our first ever golf day was a great success, raising £13,420, enough to provide around 450 nights of accommodation to families with sick children in hospital.

For more details and bookings, email hannah@ sickchildrenstrust.org or call 0207 6834066.

Delapre’s

IF YOU’RE LOOKING for a great value golf A Golfing Delight break, or simply a round with a few friends, then Delapre Golf Course, located on picturesque parkland on the outskirts of Northampton, is well worth a visit.

The John Jacobs-designed course enjoys a well-earned reputation for the quality, with its 5,967-yard Oaks Course proving a superb test for all skill levels ever since it first opened in 1976, with its beautifully mature design providing thrills and spills aplenty.

Although not long by modern standards, its par of 69, combined with tree-lined fairways and plenty of streams, ditches and bunkers to negotiate, ensures that birdies are hard to come by.

The subject of significant investment since it came under new management in 2014, the course is always presented in excellent condition, and is a delight to play at any time of year, and with society packages starting from £21pp, it’s also extremely good value.

Delapre also boasts the nine-hole Jack’s course, which is superb par-three layout, a further 9-hole pitch-and-putt course, and a FootGolf course. There is a café an an American Golf store on site to meet all your equipment needs, while stay-and-play visitors can book overnight accommodation in the Northampton Marriott Hotel, which is just a short walk from the first tee.

For the latest society packages and green fee rates, and details on the Oaks Challenge, a charity event in aid of the Air Ambulance Service taking place on June 20, visit www.delapregolfcentre.co.uk or call 01604 764 036.

CLUB GUIDE | MAY 2018

[33]

Ultimate GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

CLUB WHERE TO PLAY

GUIDE

LAUNCESTON GC CORNWALL

Launceston Golf Club is a friendly members club and a great venue for a day’s golf for green fee players or societies . The elevated levels of our Golf course offer spectacular countryside vistas of both Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor, with majestic views of the historic town of Launceston, the ancient County capital and its Norman castle. The course is 18 holes over parkland and offers something for every standard of golfer.

We offer value for money packages for golf with excellent catering facilities, friendly staff and deals suitable for parties of all sizes.

PINNER HILL GC MIDDLESEX Widely regarded as London’s friendliest and most soicalable golf club, Pinner Hill was formed in 1928. The course was designed in 1927

by J H Taylor and, apart from minor alterations since that time the layout of the course, is still that of the renowned golf architect.

Pinner Hill society packages offer 18, 27 or 36 holes of golf, together with a wide range of catering options from just a bacon roll on arrival to the complete package of lunch and/or evening meal.

TEL: 01566773442 (CLUB) 01566775359 (PRO SHOP) | EMAIL: SECRETARY@ LAUNCESTONGOLFCLUB.CO.UK | WEB: WWW.LAUNCESTONGOLFCLUB.CO.UK

TEL: 020 8866 0963 | EMAIL: PHGC@PINNERHILLGC.COM WEB: WWW.PINNERHILLGC.CO.UK

LEWES GC EAST SUSSEX

WEST MALLING GC KENT

LONGNIDDRY GC EAST LOTHIAN

Listed in Fine Golf's top 200 'running' golf courses in Great Britain and Ireland, and voted sixth best course in Sussex, you are assured of gorgeous scenery and top-class golf when you play at Lewes, which offesr bespoke packages for societies.

Society Packages: (April-October 2018) 18 holes £25; 36 holes £40; weekend 18-holes £30.

The two 18 Hole courses, Spitfire and Hurricane, named in honour of the iconic fighter planes that flew out of the nearby airfield during the Second World War, are a challenge for all standards of golfer. The courses are surrounded by beautiful undulating countryside, with many mature trees and panoramic views overlooking the North Downs.

Winter society packages start from £22pp.

Longniddry is located on the south shore of the Firth of Forth at the start to what is arguably the finest stretch of golfing coastline in the world, Scotland’s Golf Coast. This Harry S Colt design offers a traditional test of golf over its unique combination of links and woodland, many holes having spectacular views towards Edinburgh City Centre.

Winter packages (Nov-Mar) from £25pp.

Summer packages (Apr-Sep) from £50pp.

TEL: 01273 483474 | EMAIL: SECRETARY@LEWESGOLFCLUB.CO.UK WEB: WWW.LEWESGOLFCLUB.CO.UK

TEL: 01732 844785 | EMAIL: INFO@WESTMALLINGGOLF.COM WEB: WWW.WESTMALLINGGOLF.COM

TEL: 01875 852141 | EMAIL: SECRETARY@LONGNIDDRYGOLFCLUB.CO.UK WEB: WWW.LONGNIDDRYGOLFCLUB.CO.UK

GREAT SOCIETY GOLF AT

STEVENAGE GOLF

COODEN BEACH GOLF CLUB

& CON F E RE N CE CE N T RE

Golf Societies 2017

Cooden Beach Golf Club offer visiting Societies a warm welcome and wish you an enjoyable visit to our club.

Summer Society Packages available from 1st April 2018 Book a Society this summer at Stevenage Golf and Conference Centre and receive a free pair of FJ Shoes worth up to £50!*

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Par package: 18 holes golf only £35.00 Birdie package: 18 holes with tea/coffee & bacon roll on arrival £40.00 Eagle package: 18 holes with tea/coffee & bacon roll on arrival with a one course golfers meal after golf £48.00

Albatross package: 18 holes with tea/coffee & bacon roll on arrival with a two course golfers meal after golf £52.00 The “Hole” package 27/36 holes with tea/coffee & bacon roll on arrival, light lunch and a two course golfers meal £68.00

UPGRADES: Upgrade to a Full English Breakfast for an extra £4.00 pp Upgrade from our golfers menu to our main menu for an extra £5.00 pp

Aston Lane, Stevenage, Herts SG2 7EL | enquiries.golf@sll.co.uk | www.sll.co.uk

Find us online www.sll.co.uk

/StevenageGolfConferenceCentre

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Tel: 01424 842040 Email: secretary@coodenbeachgc.com Web: www.coodenbeachgc.com

[34] MAY 2018 | NEWS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

InBrief TYACKE TAKES HERTS SALVER ★ Jack Tyacke won the Herts Salver after shooting a one-over-par 72 at Brickendon Grange in Hertford.

He finished one shot clear of the home club’s David Hewlett, with James Crabb (Chesfield Downs) a further shot back in third. The top 16 gross scores qualified through to the Herts County Championship, which is being held at Old Ford Manor on May 24-27.

VATER CAPTURES CHAMPIONS’ TITLE ★ East Herts’ Mawgan Vater won Hertforshire Golf’s Ladies Champion of Champions tournament after carding a gross 75 (+2) off a five handicap at Verulam Golf Club. Vater’s impressive total saw her finish three shots head of Ellen Hume (Mill Green) to secure the Holloway Salver for the best scratch score, while Paula Degiulio (Brickendon Grange) won the nett prize with 76 (+3).

Boundary Lakes Launches Hole-In-One iPhone Challenge

GOLFERS TEEING IT UP at Boundary Lakes Golf Course in Hampshire have the chance to win a brand new Apple iPhone if they manage to bag a hole-in-one on the course’s 18th hole.

The generous prize follows the signing of a new commercial partnership with telecommunications company Fivebars, which is not only sponsoring the hole-in-one challenge, but also the Southampton-based club’s new American Golf Game Improvement Zone.

The Game Improvement Zone, which is located next to the final hole, is staffed by the club’s team of PGA professionals, which is on hand to provide private tuition, group lessons, equipment custom fittings, and a range of other services.

Boundary Lakes Director of Golf Shaun Hall said: “We’re delighted to launch this exciting new partnership with Fivebars. The new hole-in-one

competition will add even more competitiveness to our members’ and guests’ rounds, and is sure to be a hit with a great prize, while the American Golf Game Improvement Zone has been really popular since opening last year, and I’m sure this will continue as we head into the new golfing year.”

Fivebars Managing Director Martin Murphy said: “It’s a real pleasure for Fivebars to be involved with this fabulous resort. I have been playing this course since it originally opened as a nine-hole course back in 2001. To see it evolve as

Virgin Flying Club Tour Gets Into Full Swing

CAMERON HOUSE HOTEL TO RE-OPEN IN 2019 ★ Cameron House, the luxury Scottish hotel and golf resort where two guests died following a fire last December, is not expected to fully reopen until the autumn of 2019.

The resort, which is based on the banks of Loch Lomond, is currently undergoing a major restoration following the blaze, which resulted in more than 200 guests being evacuated from the hotel. The golf course, spa, lodges, and the Boat House and Claret Jug restaurants are open for business as normal.

Forensic experts were allowed access to the scene of the blaze at the beginning of April as police continue to investigate the fire.

■ JANUS HORN, ALAN HORN, MARTIN DERRICK AND JAMES GEAR AT WALTON HEATH

WITH SUMMER FINALLY making an appearance in the UK, this year’s renewal of the Flying Club Swingers society day tour is well and truly under way. With all but one day sold out, it is proving as popular as ever, and that’s no surprise with some amazing venues on the schedule and, of course, places in the Las Vegas final up for grabs.

The first Flying Club golf day of the year took place at the stunning Southport & Ainsdale in Lancashire. Despite the talk of the impending heatwave, the Swingers attending were treated to a cold wind and heavy rain for much of the day, but this didn't put off the strong field that was determined to get their

much as it has into a high-quality championship course is truly remarkable. We wanted to mark the occasion with a challenge, and, as the 18th has never been aced, we have decided to offer a great prize to the first.”

Boundary Lakes is located at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, which has quickly developed into one of the south’s foremost leisure resorts, with other facilities including a 171-bedroom Hilton hotel, the Ian Botham-inspired Beefy’s restaurant, Lakeview Sports Bar and eforea spa.

season off to a flyer.

The winner was one of last season's finalists, Andrew Gray, who just had one of those rounds where everything went for him to score a fabulous 40 points and win prizes from Srixon, Stewart Golf, SkyPro, and Dirty Dog. Next up was a glorious sunny day on the Old Course at Walton Heath in Surrey, where competitors got to experience blue skies and warm sunshine.

For just £99, the Swingers not only got to play at the 2018 British Masters venue, but also received breakfast, lunch, a bumper goody bag full of sponsors’ gifts, and the chance to win some amazing prizes – proof that these days really

Seaford Head Golf Course

are incredible value for money. With good scoring conditions, it was Luke Eustace, with 41 points, including a fantastic recovery on 18, who took the first prize.

The tour now crosses to the other side of the world for a sold out day at Maderas in San Diego, before returning to more sold out days at Manor House near Bath, and Enville in the West Midlands.

In between those is a historic first ever Swingers’ day in South Africa at the Els Club Copperleaf. You can book a spot at this day, or put your name down as a reserve for any of the other days, by signing up to Flying Club Swingers at www. flyingclugolfleague.com.

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NO W BU jec G t t AV G o we A IE at IL S he r c AB on LE di t !

ub

io

ns

)

WE ARE OFFERING SOME GREAT SOCIETY AND GOLF DAY PACKAGES PAR

EAGLE

● ●

● ● ●

Full English Breakfast,Coffee & 18 holes £26pp Midweek ● £29pp Weekend & Bank Holidays

BIRDIE ● ● ●

Coffee, Bacon Roll & 18 Holes Selection from Society lunch menu £30pp Midweek ● £33pp Weekend & Bank Holidays

Full English Breakfast, Coffee & 18 Holes Selection from Society lunch menu £33.50pp Midweek ● £36.50pp Weekend & Bank Holidays

ALBATROSS ● ● ● ●

Coffee, Bacon Roll & 9/18 holes Selection from Society lunch menu & 18 holes Selection from Society dinner menu £50pp Midweek ● £53pp Weekend & Bank Holidays

All society packages can be tailored to meet your own specifications. Minimum 12 people. Please call the Pro Shop on 01323 890139.

Seaford Head Golf Course Southdown Road, Seaford, BN25 4JS Tel: 01323 890139 www.seafordheadgolfcourse.co.uk

NEWS | MAY 2018

[35]

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

Woosie

To Tee It Up At British Par 3 Champs

IAN WOOSNAM has been confirmed as one of the first professional players for this year’s Farmfoods British

Par 3 Championship.

The 1991 Masters champion will take part in the professional championships over the course of the four-day tournament.

Topping the European Tour’s Order of Merit twice in his extremely successful career, and being world No.1 for 12 months, last year saw the Welshman inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, where he joined the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Sir Nick Faldo and Jack Nicklaus amongst its members.

The 59-year-old will return to Nailcote Hall this summer to take part in the 2018 edition of the championship, where he will be hoping to get his hands on the coveted trophy, and the €50,000 prize that comes with it. He will be joined on the Cromwell course by two-time Major winner Tony Jacklin, who is back as tournament host with more names set to be announced in the coming weeks.

As tournament host, Jacklin is delighted to

see his old friend confirmed for this year’s event. He said: “Ian is one of the best golfers of his generation, and has won some of the world’s biggest events in the sport during his career. I am thrilled that he will be back at this year’s Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship and am looking forward to seeing him in action.”

This year the event takes place between August 7-10 and free tickets are now on offer.

For more information, or to register for tickets, visit www.britishpar3.com.

Driving For Dough Meet Europe’s new golf champion with only one club in the bag: MATT NICOLLE, the winner of the 2017 European Long Drive Series

M

easuring just over six foot tall and weighing around 80kg, Matt Nicolle doesn’t look like a man who could drive a golf ball more than 400 yards on a regular basis.

However the 27-year-old from Jersey is the reigning European Long Drive champion – and hopes to be at the forefront of a revolution in the sport.

Nicolle, who lives in London and works at the American Golf retail shop near Monument, turned professional four years ago in the regular version of the game, before moving into long drive towards the end of 2016. He entered his first event that year and finished third, despite using a regular driver, rather than the souped-up versions that most seasoned long drivers use, with extra-long, super-stiff shafts.

“A lot of people are shocked when I tell them I’m a long drive champion,” he said. “Because of my size, they expect me to hit it like anyone else, but when I hit it 400 yards then they are somewhat surprised.”

Nicolle won the 2017 European Long Drive title after finishing no worse than third in each of the seven events on the schedule.

He said: “I just turned up for my first event with a normal driver, came third, and built from there. I did 10 events last year, including seven on the European circuit, plus the American Golf Championships, the New Zealand Open and the World Championships. It was my first full season and it went really well, managing to win four tournaments.”

What Nicolle lacks in size, he more than makes up for with his sound technical ability. “I’m not very big, but my swing is solid, and I’m able to control clubface and strike quite well,” he says.

“Other guys might be quicker and bigger, but they can hit it offline. For me, it's all about rotational speed – I'm lucky to be quite mobile and flexible.”

Nicolle’s best effort so far in competition is 421 yards, and he averages around 400 – at least 50 yards further than the rest of the main tour’s leading pack. He averages a 140mph club swing speed, and generates over 200mph on the ball.

For the PGA Tour,

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the average for ball speed is 170mph. As far as the all-important equipment goes, Nicolle is currently using a Brute 2.0 driver, which is specifically designed for long driving. It features just three degrees of loft and is fitted with a 48-inch 3-5 X-Stiff shaft.

The format of the European Long Drive tour sees 32 players take part in eight events across the continent. Each player hits six balls from the tee as far as they can, with a shot clock of two minutes, 45 seconds to strike them all. The best 16 go through, then it’s down to the final eight, before it goes into three knockout matchplay rounds to determine the winner.

Translating these numbers into a sport worth watching is the main challenge. Sky Sports shows the Long Drive World Series on its golf channel – and getting to that level is Nicolle’s ambition, particularly when it arrives for its British leg in London in June. At the moment, however, he is chasing his dream part time, in front of smaller crowds for much less reward – first place in a European event comes with a prize of £1,800, compared to five or six figures on offer in the USA. “This year we have a massive sponsor in Callaway, and its support will no doubt add something extra to 2018,” he said. “We have some exciting promotional events in the lead up to the finals. We had a huge response in 2017, and I think that 2018 will be even bigger and better, so I’m looking forward to seeing some new talent come through the stages, and hopefully I’ll be in with a chance to winning a trip to the World Long Drive Championships, which is the pinnacle of any long driver’s career.”

Nicolle started the defence of his title in France in April, where he came second with a drive of 386 yards in the final, a distance that was only beaten on the very last ball by Germany’s Robin Horvath. He has since progressed to the quarterfinals in tournaments held in Belgium and Sweden, but hopes to step it up over the summer to keep his 2018 championship hopes alive.

Catch Matt Nicolle in action at the UK leg of the World Long Drive Series, which is being held at the London Golf Club in Kent on June 3. For tickets, visit www.longdriveworldseries.com.

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[36] MAY 2018 | NEWS

TOURNEWS...

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TOUR NEWS IN BRIEF

SIMPSON LEADS FROM THE FRONT AT SAWGRASS W

ebb Simpson survived a test of nerve and character as he completed a dominant four-shot win at The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.

After building a seven-shot lead after 54 holes, Simpson's lead was cut to four shots when he bogeyed the 10th, but with birdies at 11 and 16 he reached the final hole with a six-shot advantage, allowing the 32-year-old American to double bogey the par four and still enjoy a comfortable winning margin, coasting to victory with a one-over-par 73 and a four-round total

of 18 under.

The race for second was won by Charl Schwartzel, Jimmy Walker and Xander Schauffele, all of whom shot 67s to finish on 14 under. Tiger Woods moved into a share of second with his sixth birdie of the day at the 12th, before he slipped back to tied 11th with dropped shots at 14 and 17.

Further down the leaderboard, Tommy Fleetwood celebrated his second appearance at Sawgrass with a tie for seventh, after he carded a 68 to reach 12 under, with last year's runnerup Ian Poulter sharing 11th place with

DAY BANKS WELLS FARGO

Woods with a closing 69.

Simpson set up his win with opening rounds of 66 and 63. The latter, which equalled the course record, could have been even better were it not for visit to the water on the notorious par-3 17th,

which cost him two shots, and any hopes of breaking the magic 60. A solid third-round 68 followed, setting up the 2012 US Open champion the sevenshot lead which ultimately proved too much for his rivals to pull back.

KODAIRA CLAIMS HERITAGE WIN AS POULTER LETS LEAD SLIP

I

LEVY BOOSTS HOPES OF RYDER CUP CALL UP

A

lexander Levy boosted his chances of qualifying for a Ryder Cup debut on home soil with victory in the Hassan II Trophy in Morocco.

The Frenchman entered the final day at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam one shot off the lead, but hit the front on the third and never looked back, signing for a 70 and finishing the week at eight under.

That gave him a one-shot victory over Spaniard Alvaro Quiros, who had a birdie-birdie finish to leapfrog Alexander Björk, Joakim Lagergren, Mikko Ilonen and Andrea Pavan. Two birdies in the first five holes of the final round took Levy to the top of the leaderboard, and a position that he defended staunchly from all challengers throughout a demanding final round.

The victory came in Levy's 138th appearance on Tour, and provides the perfect momentum as he goes in search of a coveted spot in the Ryder Cup in Paris this autumn. The Frenchman has now moved to ninth position in both the Race to Dubai and the European points list for Ryder Cup qualification.

Levy said: “I'm so happy to win this trophy, but I need to improve my game a lot to even think about the Ryder Cup. We have a lot of good players in Europe, so it will be tough to make the team."

Meanwhile, in the Lalla Meryem Cup, the Ladies European Tour event played at the same course, Sweden's Jenny Haglund made a birdie on the second playoff hole to win her first LET title.

RAMPANT RAHM REIGNS IN SPAIN

J

on Rahm delighted the huge crowds at Centro Nacional de Golf in Madrid as he became the sixth Spanish player to win the Spanish Open.

The world No.4 carded a closing 67 to get to 20 under and hold off the challenge of fellow countryman

Nacho Elvira and overnight leader Paul Dunne for his third European Tour title.

His three wins have come in just 19 events on the European Tour, making him the thirdfastest player to reach that mark, and he joins Antonio Garrido, Seve Ballesteros, Sergio

Garcia, Alvaro Quiros and Miguel Ángel Jiménez as Spanish winners of the event since it joined the European Tour in 1972.

The victory is Rahm's first as a professional in his homeland, after claiming seven national individual amateur titles

an Poulter missed out on the chance to win his second PGA Tour title in just three weeks – and go a long way to securing his spot in the European Ryder Cup team – when shooting a final round 75 at the RBC Heritage in South Carolina The 42-year-old, who won last month’s Houston Open for his first ever stroke play

at various age levels, and adds to his two Rolex Series triumphs in Ireland and

victory in America, was leading the field at Harbour Town by just one shot after the third round, but then closed with a three-over-par 75 to miss out on his second win of the year.

Poulter was one under par at the turn, but he bogeyed five holes on the back nine, including four of the last five, to tumble down the leaderboard

Dubai last season.

Irishman Dunne signed for a closing 71 to finish at 18 under, a shot clear of Elvira and two ahead of South Africa's George Coetzee.

"It's such a satisfying feeling.

When I made the decision to come straight from Augusta

into a share of seventh place.

The Englishman’s struggles opened the door for Japan's Satoshi Kodaira, who came from six shots off the pace, to claim his first PGA Tour title following a three-hole playoff with South Korea's Siwoo Kim. Kodaira, 28, picked up strokes at each of the first three holes and finished five-under for the day to thrust himself into the mix, having started the round in 12th. Both Kodaira and Kim bogeyed the par-three 17th in their final round to finish locked on 12 under for 72 holes, but the tournament was settled when the pair revisited it head-to-head. After two attempts at the 18th ended in stalemate fours, Kodaira sank a 25-foot birdie putt to land the $1m winner's cheque.

it wouldn't be to just show up and walk around, I wanted to win this tournament,” Rahm said. "I've been national champion at all levels as an amateur in Spain, so to join that prestigious list of Spanish Open winners feels amazing. The fans played a huge part – I came for them mainly – so I'm just glad I can win this one for the Spanish people."

Jason Day secured his second win of the season after capturing the Wells Fargo Championship by two shots at Quail Hollow. The 30-yearold Australian shot a final round 69 en route to a two-stroke victory.

Following a win at the Farmers Insurance Open in January, Day has now moved up to seventh in the world rankings.

BJÖRK BAGS MAIDEN WIN

Alexander Björk claimed his maiden European Tour title at the Volvo China Open after firing a final round 65 at Topwin Golf and Country Club for an 18-under par total. The 27-year-old Swede’s seven-under-par final round saw him finish one ahead ahead of Spaniard Adrian Otaegui, with compatriot Jorge Campillo sharing third with English duo Jordan Smith and Matt Wallace.

LANDRY LANDS TEXAS TITLE

Texan Andrew Landry made his first PGA Tour victory a home state affair when he secured a two-stroke win at the Texas Open in San Antonio.

Landry shot a final round 68 to secure his first win in his 32nd start.

Starting the final day tied with Zach Johnson, Landry birdied the first three holes before paring the final seven to finish with a 17-under total at TPC San Antonio.

TRIPLETT AND BROADHURST TEAM UP FOR LEGENDS WIN

Kirk Triplett holed a bunker shot on the first playoff hole to win the Champions Tour’s Legends of Golf pairs event at Big Cedar Lodge with playing partner Paul Broadhurst.

Broadhurst and Triplett closed with a six-under-par 48 on the par-three course to match Bernhard Langer and Tom Lehman’s score in the format that required the front nine to be played as foursomes and the back nine in fourballs.

LAGERGREN SHINES IN SICILY

Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren claimed his first European Tour title at the Rocco Forte Sicilian Open after defeating Mike Lorenzo-Vera in a play-off at Verdura Golf Club.

Lagergren fired a closing 68 to take the tournament into overtime, and then birdied the first play-off hole to take the title.

LET EXTENDS SKY SPORTS TV DEAL

The Ladies European Tour has extended its TV rights deal with Sky Sports until the end of 2019. The agreement will mean the satellite channel will air Ladies European Tour events in the UK and Ireland for a further two years. As part of the new deal, Sky will cover every LET tournament, either live or via highlight, and will continue its broadcast of the Solheim Cup, whose next edition is in 2019. Sky already shows all five women’s majors.

EQUIPMENT & GEAR MAY 2018

[37]

MAY 2018 | WWW.GOLFNEWS.CO.UK/EQUIPMENT

CONTENTS FAIRWAYS FRIENDS FIND MORE FAIRWAYS AND GREENS WITH THE BEST HIGH-LOFTED WOODS TIGER TOOLS UP WITH TAYLORMADE WOODS PUTS NEW TM IRONS IN PLAY ELEVEN GOLF HYBRID SETS TO LOWER YOUR SCORES PRO SHOP CALLAWAY XR DRIVER, GPS WATCHES + THE LATEST WATERPROOF GOLF BAGS THE GEAR EFFECT INSIDE THE BAGS OF WINNERS ON TOUR

TRIED & TESTED GN TAKES BETTINARDI’S LATEST WEDGES FOR A SPIN

[38] MAY 2018

EQUIPMENT & GEAR GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

EQUIPMENT NEWS ELEVEN IS THE MAGIC NUMBER TO LOWER YOUR SCORES NEW GOLF HARDWARE BRAND ELEVEN GOLF believe they have identified an under served niche in the market. Launched in April, their clubs eschew the traditional 3-PW set of irons, in favour of the HS Tour Hybrid set, replacing every club in the set with a hybrid.

Following 18 months of product development

and testing, Eleven has found its hybrid designs to be much easier to hit for golfers with an average to slow swing speed, helping them hit the ball higher and further with ease.

Boasting a low and deep centre of gravity for higher launch, and perimter weighting to increase

forgiveness on off-centre strike, the HS Tour Hybrids also feature a sole design that enables then to pick the ball cleanly off tight fairways and semi-rough.

Eleven Golf’s founder, Richard Hemming, said: “The response from the new HS Tour Hybrid sets

ITERRANEAN JOURNEY.

has been incredible. Anyone who has tried the products cannot believe the distance and control they get when compared to their existing golf clubs.”

“The average golfer doesn’t swing 100 miles an hour – they don‘t even swing at 90 miles an hour. Out irons are designed to help them maximise their games with the best equipment for them.“ Available to buy now, the Eleven Golf HS Tour Hybrid is available in right-hand sets for men (3-PW) and ladies (4-PW), all of which are fitted with the company’s custom-designed graphite shafts, which feature a softer tip section to increase carry, and boast a matt black finish to avoid glare. Each hybrids has a recommended retail price of £80, while full sets (3-PW) are available for £560 for men and £490 (4-PW) for women. Partial sets, starting from 5-hybrid or 6-hybrid are also offered, with five hybrids costing £350.

Also available to buy is a set of Eleven Golf wedges, which come in 50, 55 and 60 degrees of loft. Designed with a larger head to help increase forgiveness and maintain high spin across the whole clubface, the wedges feature CNC-milled faces, and a versatile sole design, they come with a tour-inspired black finish and are fitted with Eleven-designed graphite shafts as standard. Individual wedges cost £80, while a set of three costs £210.

For more information on Eleven Golf, including its range of golf bags and accessories, visit www.elevengolf.com.

MIZUNO POLOS OFFER CLIMATE CONTROL MIZUNO’S NEW CLOTHING COLLECTION for Spring/Summer focuses on offering advanced climate protection in a range of stylish, Japanese-inspired designs.

In Japan, golf apparel must be able to deal with Asia's extreme summer climate, and this has inspired Mizuno's latest fabric innovations, headlined by Solar Cut and Heat Protection Print (HPP). Both are engineered to protect from infrared rays, with Solar Cut also targeting the harmful effects of UV rays.

The collection features three Solar Cut polos, a Stretch polo and a Melange Polo.

The Solar Cut HPP and Print Polos boast a soft, smooth feel while also providing protection from intense sunlight. Solar Cut fabric suppresses both infrared and UV rays, acting to keep the golfer cool and safeguarding against sunburn. An additional Heat Protection Print on the shoulders and chest to further divert infrared rays from the most exposed or vulnerable parts of the body.

For those spring or summer days when shirtsleeves alone will not suffice, a mid layer ¼-zip top (£110), a lightweight vest (£110), and a lightweight jacket (£120), complete the collection. The lightweight vest and jacket feature stretch panels that allow a full range of movement, with the vest folding down to an easily storable size.

EQUIPMENT & GEAR MAY 2018 [39] GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

G/FORE AND PETER MILLAR PAIR UP ON NEW SHOE RANGE G/FORE AND PETER MILLAR have teamed up for a new collaboration on an innovative golf shoe. The new range combines G/FORE's custom design and golf footwear expertise with classic Peter Millar styling in custom colours.

Available in three styles - the Brogue Gallivanter, the Pintuck Gallivanter and the Disruptor - the shoes feature an athletic fit with premium waterproof leather upper in colours which complement Peter Millar's autumn 2017 collection.

G/FORE's premium footbed flexibility and

the addition of an innovative G/ROUND Control sole with multi-level soft spikes, provides optimal traction and natural rotation for the athletic demands of golf. The addition of a padded heel collar made of performance athletic mesh further enhances fit and breathability.

Founder of G/FORE, Mossimo Giannulli, has worked closely with Scott Mahoney, chairman of Peter Millar, and believes it represents the perfect combination of expertise, quality and style. Giannulli said: "I have immense respect for Scott, his team and the brand they

CONSISTENT HAND PLACEMENT.

WOODS TOOLS UP WITH TAYLORMADE IRONS FIFTEEN MONTHS after signing an equipment deal with Taylormade, Tiger Woods finally has a set of irons made by the brand in his golf bag.

The former world No.1 is currently playing with a full set of prototype TWPhase 1 irons (3-PW). The traditional muscleback blades look almost exactly like the unbranded Nike VA Pro clubs he had been using since signing with TaylorMade in January last year, down to the squared-off heel.

Speaking before the Wells Fargo Championship, Woods said that he was satisfied he could hit higher shots with more spin, without sacrificing yardage. He said that he had considered using the new irons at the Masters, but stuck with the unbranded Nikes for one more week. "It's not a big deal, because I have been working on this for months,” Woods said. "Now I can hit the ball with the correct numbers and shape.

So far, so good, and I am looking forward to continuing that process with the team.”

Elsewhere in the bag, Woods is sticking with his two Nike VA Pro Forged wedges (56 and 60 degrees) and the Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS putter he's won 13 of his 14 major titles with. Otherwise, 11 of his 14 clubs are TaylorMade.

have built. We both deeply value attention to detail and quality of product, making this collaboration a great fit for both brands. We have collectively designed elegant, premium shoes that speak to the traditional Peter Millar DNA without losing the G/FORE edge."

CONSISTENT RESULTS.

RAISED RIDGE assists hand alignment.

DIAMOND TEXTURE aids hand positioning.

CLUBFACE AWARENESS throughout the swing & at impact.

NEW

Available on the Tours’ most popular grip models: Tour Velvet, MCC & MCC Plus4.

BY

BY

OF

©2018 GOLF PRIDE. GOLF PRIDE IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF EATON.

Mahoney said: "This collaboration offers a natural extension into golf footwear and providing the Peter Millar guy with great oncourse footwear that doesn't sacrifice style."

The Peter Millar G/FORE golf shoe is available to buy online at www.gfore.com.

HERITAGE IN THE MAKING.

Introducing ‘Tour Authentic’. An exclusive collection of ultra-premium apparel designed for the most discerning of golfer. Representing the finest fabrics, highest quality craftsmanship and breakthrough technical innovation. This is an opportunity to be a part of something truly special – where less is subtly more.

TOUR AUTHENTIC

Contact your local Callaway Representive for more information. © 2018 Callaway Golf Company. Callaway and the Chevron device are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Callaway Golf Company.

EQUIPMENT & GEAR MAY 2018

[41]

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

EQUIPMENT NEWS

THE GEAR EFFECT INSIDES THE BAGS OF RECENT WINNERS ON TOUR WEBB SIMPSON THE PLAYERS DRIVER: Titleist 917D2 (9.5) FAIRWAY WOOD: TaylorMade M2 (15), Titleist 917Fd (18) HYBRID: Titleist 913 Hd (20), Titleist 915 Hd (23.5) IRONS: Titleist 718 MB (5-PW) WEDGES: Titleist Vokey SM7 (54, 60) PUTTER: Odyssey Tank Cruiser V-Line BALL: Titleist Pro V1

ALEXANDER LEVY HASSAN TROPHY DRIVER: TaylorMade M2 (8.5) FAIRWAY WOOD: Titleist 915Fd (15)

BETTINARDI H2 303 SS WEDGES £139, WWW.BETTINARDI.COM ALTHOUGH WIDELY KNOWN for its premium putters, Bettinardi has also been quietly producing a range of high-performance wedges for the last few years that are beginning to enjoy a growing following. Tour players Eduardo Molinari, Fred Couples and Lexi Thompson have all won with Bettinardi wedges in the bag in recent seasons, while others have experimented with them on and off.

The Chicago-based company has made previous forays into the wedge market – most notably in 2001 and 2010 – but failed to gain much traction due to the expensive production costs, which resulted in some of the wedges retailing for over £400. However, a new forging process has helped bring down the costs, and the company dipped its toes back into the market in 2014 with a range that looked, felt and performed almost the same as the fully milled models, but for less than half the price.

The latest range, the Bettinardi H2 303 SS, is being offered at an even more sensible price – £139 – because it is made from stainless rather than carbon steel. The former is easier to mill, which is essential in wedge production.

It borrows some of the technology first used in its putters – most notably a honeycomb face which features between each groove to create more friction and provide tighter spin in both wet and dry conditions.

The S2 303 comes in six lofts between 50° to 64°, and three bounce angles (8°, 10° or 12°). There is a single grind option, which is a versatile C Grind, which will suit most conditions, and simplifies the sometime baffling array of options that other brands offer. There is also only one finish, chrome – so if you’re after matt black, polished blue or graphite, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

That said, it is still a very nice looking wedge, and, from my testing with

HYBRID: Titleist 816 H1 (17) IRONS: Titleist 716 CB (3), Titleist 714 MB (4-PW) WEDGES: Titleist SM6 (52),Titleist SM7 (58) PUTTER: Odyssey O Works 7 BALL: Titleist Pro V1x

ANDREW LANDRY VALERO TEXAS OPEN DRIVER: Ping G30 (9) FAIRWAY WOODS: Ping G (14.5, 17.5) IRONS: Ping iBlade (3-PW) WEDGES: Titleist Vokey SM7 (52, 60) PUTTER: Ping PLD ZB-S BALL: Titleist Pro V1x

ALEXANDER BJORK the 52- and 56-degree models, delivered generous amounts of spin on shortrange shots hit into the green. The honeycomb face generated so much spin in the initial designs that it broke the rules, so they had to rein it in to acceptable tolerances, but it still does a great job in producing the kind of shot-stopping control that good players will like to see from the wedges. It also feels soft off the face, not too clicky, and generates consistent distance on centre-face strikes. The Lamkin Crossline Cord grip is a suitably premium addition, while KBS’s Hi-Rev Tour is a quality standard shaft option.

While many premium brand iron players understandably remain loyal to the specialist wedges offered by those companies, golfers who like something a little different in the bags, but still demand high performance, should definitely consider giving the H2 303 wedges a spin.

VOLVO CHINA OPEN DRIVER: TaylorMade M3 FAIRWAY WOOD: Cobra King LTD IRONS: Cobra King Forged CB/MB (KBS Tour) WEDGES: Titleist Vokey SM7 PUTTER: Odyssey O-Works Red Rossie BALL: Titleist Pro V1

BILLY HORSCHEL ZURICH CLASSIC DRIVER: PXG XXF (10.5) FAIRWAY WOODS: PXG 0341X (15, 18)

HONMA UNVEILS SUMMER DEMO DAY PROGRAMME PREMIUM EQUIPMENT BRAND HONMA GOLF will be showcasing its latest range of luxury clubs at a series of demo days across the UK this summer.

Among the high-profile clubs selected to host the events are The Wisley, Silvermere, The Grove, Royal Cinque Ports, Worplesdon and Wentworth.

Those attending the events will be able to trial hand-crafted premium drivers, irons, fairway woods, hybrids, wedges and putters from the BERES S-06, TOUR WORLD 737 and BEZEAL 535 series, including models specifically designed for women golfers.

Product specialist John Bragger will be advising golfers at the events, as they receive personal custom fitting

sessions. “This is a great opportunity to show the high level of quality that Honma golf clubs can offer in terms of both performance and design,” he said. “There are clubs to appeal to golfers of all standards and unrivalled bespoke custom options for them to choose from."

In total, there are 40 confirmed demo days taking place nationwide, with more to follow.

To find your nearest venue, visit www.honmagolfeurope.com.

IRONS: PXG 0311T Gen2 (3, 5-PW) WEDGES: PXG 0311T (52, 56, 60) PUTTER: PXG Mustang BALL: Titleist Pro V1x

SCOTT PIERCY ZURICH CLASSIC DRIVER: Titleist 917D2 (8.5) FAIRWAY WOOD: Titleist 917F2 (16.5) HYBRID: Titleist 816H1 (21) IRONS: Titleist 716 AP2 (4), Titleist 680MB (5-PW) WEDGES: Titleist Vokey SM6 (46, 53, 57), Titleist Vokey TVD (63) PUTTER: Scotty Cameron T2 BALL: Titleist Pro V1

JASON DAY WELLS FARGO CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVER: TaylorMade M3, 9.5˚ FAIRWAY WOOD: TaylorMade M4, 16.5˚ IRONS: TaylorMade P790 (3), TaylorMade P730 (4-PW) WEDGES: TaylorMade Milled Grind (50˚, 56˚, 60˚ Hi Toe) PUTTER: TaylorMade Spider Tour Red BALL: TaylorMade TP5x

[42] MAY 2018

EQUIPMENT & GEAR GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

POWAKADDY DRI-EDITION CART BAG £229.99, POWAKADDY.COM PowaKaddy’s new Dri-Edition is made from a super-lightweight nylon fabric which offers a level of waterproof performance unrivalled in the cart bag market. Weighing just 2kg, features include 14 individual club dividers; seven storage pockets; drinks cooler pocket; external umbrella holder; key lock system; towel and glove holder; and a detachable rain hood. It is available in five colours, with a black/ gunmetal base combined with red, yellow, pink, blue or silver accents.

GARMIN APPROACH S10 £139.99, GARMIN.COM/GOLF Garmin’s new entry level GPS watch shows distances to the front, back and middle of the green for over 41,000 worldwide courses. Boasting a 1.3-inch high-resolution sunlight readable screen, the S10 will automatically select the course and the hole, and in addition to yardages to the green, will also display distances to hazards, doglegs and layups. After every game it shows the total distance travelled, total time played, and the score for that round, ready to be uploaded to a weekly leaderboard on the Garmin Golf App. It has a battery life of up to 12 hours between charges in GPS mode.

PRO SHOP

YOUR GUIDE TO THE LATEST GEAR

BUSHNELL ION2 GPS WATCH £149, BUSHNELLGOF.EU Preloaded with more than 36,000 courses around the world, Bushnell’s new iON2 watch provides instant front, middle and back yardages in a simple, classy design. The watch boasts Bluetooth technology, which works in sync with the Bushnell App so that golfers can make course updates through a smartphone. It also offers up to four hazard/layup distances per hole, auto-hole advance, a shot distance calculator, step counter and odometer, and all the normal functions of a watch. The battery will last for up to three 18-hole rounds, while a new reversible strap offers a choice of black/blue or silver/green colours.

ADIDAS ADICROSS CLASSIC £69.99, ADIDAS.CO.UK Looking more like a tennis shoe from the 1970s, the Adicross Classic is packed with modern day technology to make it the ideal summer golfing shoe. The leather uppers have been treated with a water repellant coating to keep moisture out, while a breathable sockliner helps heat escape.

A lightweight, moulded insole provides cushioning and support, while 72 rubber nubs on the sole provide all the grip you need on and off the course. They are available in a choice of six colours for men, including white, black and indigo, while women’s options include coral and chalk white.

CALLAWAY XR SPEED DRIVER £339, CALLAWAYGOLF.COM Callaway’s all-new XR Speed driver is billed as the ‘fastest, hottest and most forgiving’ XR driver ever. Performance boundaries have been pushed with the introduction of a new variable face thickness face, which is lighter and more flexible than any previous design, and generates greater ball speeds and distance across a wider area.

The XR Speed features an ultra-light triaxial carbon crown – 45% lighter than the XR 16 titanium crown – to promote high launch and lower spin off the tee and increased MOI. The aerodynamics of the 460cc head have also been enhanced, with a new version of the speed step on the crown reducing air resistance and optimising clubhead speed.

The driver is fitted with an adjustable hosel which allows each of the three loft models – 9°, 10.5°, 13.5°HT – to be altered one degree down or two degrees up. It comes with a 45-5-inch Project X HZRDUS shaft as standard.

There is a matching set of fairway woods (£229) – 3, 4, 5 and 7 – which feature shallow faces for easy launch, and a new version of the Hyper Speed Face Cup for a combination of distance and forgiveness.

EQUIPMENT & GEAR MAY 2018 [43] GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

PING G700 IRONS £149/£159 PER IRON (ST/GR), PING.COM Borrowing the hollow head concept first seen in Ping’s G400 Crossovers, the G700 irons are designed to help golfers with mid-to-slow swing speeds get more distance and height on their shots.

The hollow-body construction, which features a thin stainless steel face, creates a frame for driver-like flex to increase ball speed and enhance carry. Shots should also land more steeply than traditional irons, leading to better stopping power on longer shots into greens.

While the G700 irons do not have the custom-tuning port found in most Ping irons, there is a toe weight – either 1g or 6g – which serves to reduce twisting at impact as well as customising feel. A hydropearl finish – which also features on Ping’s Glide wedges and G400 irons – reduces friction with the turf by up to 40%, so more power is delivered to the ball.

The standard lofts are 0.5 degrees stronger than the G400s, as the faster face launches the ball higher – so they have to be de-lofted a little to keep the flight the same – but there is a ‘Power Spec’ loft option which is 1.5 degrees lower.

The G700s are available in 4-SW. The stock steel shaft is Ping’s AWT 2.0, while standard graphite options include the Ping Alta CB, UST Recoil 760, and UST Recoil 780.

MOTOCADDY DRY SERIES CART BAG £199, MOTOCADDY.COM Motocaddy’s best-selling Dry Series bag has been upgraded with a fresh new look and Japanese YKK zippers for snag-free pocket opening. Weighing 2.6kg, it is made from a rip-stop nylon material that features built-in waterproof technology, while heat-welded seams and thermo-sealed zips ensure clubs and valuables stay dry. It also features 14 full-length dividers, seven pockets, including a valuables and food and beverage pocket; plus a scorecard holder, accessory hook and waterproof rainhood. An anti-twist base and the brand’s Easilock bag-to-trolley connection system removes the need for a lower strap.

It is available in five colours - black/blue, black/fuchsia, black/lime, black/ orange and black/red.

BIG MAX AQUA WAVE

G/FORE GALLIVANTER SADDLE £149, TRENDYGOLF.COM Worn by Masters’ champions Bubba Watson and Phil Mickelson, the new Gallivanter Saddle shoe from G/FORE combines an athletic fit with water-resistant performance. Boasting full-grain leather uppers, and a lightweight, shock-absorbing sole, its bespoke cleat design provides maximum traction throughout the swing. It also features a washable, anti-microbial sockliner. It is available in white with a navy blue saddle in sizes 7-15.

GOLFSTREAM VISION TROLLEY £449, GOLFSTREAM.CO.UK Golfstream’s aptly named Vision trolley comes with a revolutionary new display screen, which works along the same lines as a Kindle screen, so that it can be read even in the brightest sunshine.

The main screen can be personalised with a golfer’s details, whilst there is a ‘simplicity’ mode, accessed through a button on the handle, for those who want to get on with their game with the minimum of features.

Added to this innovation is a simple one-click open and close mechanism which folds the trolley down to a compact size, while a magnetic latch holds it in the folded position to make it easier to carry. High-grip slick tyres provide a cushioned ride, while the 200v motor will transport clubs with ease across all terrains. It comes with an 18-hole lithium CaddyCell LifePO4 battery, which sits in a platform that is designed to accommodate all other popular brands of batteries.

A non-clogging front wheel housing, combined with detachable main wheels, ensures that cleaning is a simple task, while a button on the handle enables the trolley to be programmed for left and right-handed use and provides access to a distance control function, with speed increments of 0.5mph. It comes with a two-year guarantee, and is available in five different colour options.

£189.99, WWW.BIGMAXGOLF.COM Part of Big Max’s new Aqua range, which boasts full water resistance, as opposed to just simply being waterproof – there is a big difference – the Wave is a stylish standbag that is guaranteed to make you stand out from the crowd.

All the models in the Aqua range are made from a fabric that has a waterproof rating of over 10.000mm, while sealed seams and specially designed waterproof zips delivers an unrivalled level of protection from the elements. It features an 8½-inch top with four full-length dividers, while its six waterproof pockets, air channel straps, and ultra-light weight (1.9kg) make it a practical choice for anyone who prefers to carry their clubs. It is offered in black, yellow/black/silver, red/black/silver, white/black/orange, and petrol/black/orange.

[44] MAY 2018

EQUIPMENT & GEAR GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

FAIRWAY FRIENDS

Whether for safety off the tee, or safely on the green in two, a fairway wood should be a faithful partner in every golf bag

CALLAWAY ROGUE

TAYLORMADE M3

£269, CALLAWAYGOLF.COM

£279, TAYLORMADEGOLF.EU

The Rogue fairway woods feature many of the same design elements found in the Rogue driver, including Jailbreak and Face Cup technology. The former sees two steel bars – they are titanium in the driver – located directly behind the thin steel face that stiffens the body to promote increased ball speed and distance. Internal weighting and a lightweight carbon crown, places the centre of gravity low and forward to encourage high launch and low spin, while a step crown reduces drag and increases clubhead speed. The hosel is fixed, so there is no loft or face angle adjustability. The Sub Zero model features a 5g weight in the front of the sole to create a high launch angle with lower spin.

The M3 fairway boasts a stainless steel body, Ni-Co C300 face, and a five-layer carbon composite crown. The combination of the light composite panels saves up to 8g, with the leftover weight placed low and forward in the head to create driverlike launch conditions. A new sliding track system houses more moveable weight (29g compared to 25g in the ’17 M1 fairway) and allows for more shot shaping than before. The Speed Pocket is longer from heel-to-toe than the M1, adding forgiveness, while a through-slot promotes faster ball speeds on miss-hits low on the face and also reduces backspin, leading to more overall distance.

PING G400

MIZUNO GT180

LYNX BLACK CAT

£240, PING.COM

£315, GOLF.MIZUNOEUROPE.COM

£189, LYNXGOLF.CO.UK

The G400 fairways feature many of the same technologies found in the G400 driver including a thin, lightweight crown for optimised centre of gravity and increased MOI; an adjustable hosel; and a backweight that further boosts MOI and stability.

To maximise distance, the faces are made from maraging steel, which is 28% thinner than the G30, and provides a combination of strength and flexibility to create faster ball speeds that launch shots farther and higher. The range also includes a 9-wood and three SFT (Straight Flight) choices (3, 5, 7), while a Stretch 3-wood is available in 13° and features a 43-inch shaft, slightly forward centre of gravity for lower spin.

The GT180s provide the scope to vastly reduce or increase spin rates as the situation demands. Evolution of the Wave sole and sliding weight technologies reduces the lower end of spin rates for a more efficient trajectory. The amplified first wave in the sole and internal waffle crown combine to push weight low and forwards for a flatter trajectory, while also generating low spin and increased ball speeds. The thinner, more responsive maraging steel face then boosts ball speeds yet further.

Adjustability comes via 17g of sliding weight, while an adjustable hosel allows 4˚ of loft adjustment and 3˚ of lie adjustment. High-end shafts can be fitted at no extra cost, and a tour-style TS model, with a more compact, lower-lofted head, is also available.

The Black Cat fairway wood features an adjustable head that can switched between 13° and 17° degrees, so that you can effectively carry a 3-, 4- or 5-wood in your bag, depending on how it is set up.

A moveable weight bar on the sole also allows the launch and spin characteristics to be altered. Positioning the high weight setting closer to the face reduces spin and keeps the flight lower. The low setting moves more weight to the rear, increasing spin for a higher launch. A two-piece cupface increases ball speed and forgiveness and results in a longer, straighter ball flight, even on off-centre strikes. The black crown features a matt finish to reduce glare. They come with a 43-5inch Grafalloy ProLaunch shaft in lite, regular, stiff or extra stiff flexes.

SRIXON Z F65

HONMA BEZEAL 535

VERTICAL GROOVE

£229, SRIXON.CO.UK

£319, HONMAGOLFEUROPE.COM

Aimed at mid-to-low handicappers who prefer a penetrating ball flight from their fairway woods, the F65 features a classic pear-shaped, low-profile head, with a glossy black crown and contrasting stainless steel face. A new stepped crown design lowers the centre of gravity to promote higher launching shots with lower spin to help maximise carry distance, while a new stretch cup face extends onto the sole and crown, expanding the size of the sweet spot to promote higher ball speeds from a larger portion of the face. The hosel is fixed, so there is no adjustability offer. The stock shaft is the Miyazaki Kaula Mizu 6 in 65g stiff and 62g regular flexes.

Available in 3, 5 and 7 woods, the BeZeal range is designed to inspire confidence at address and offer maximum ball speed and distance for a wide range of players. The centre of gravity is placed low and back for a high initial launch angle with low spin, while the area around the toe and heel features slightly wider and deeper grooves than those in the centre of the clubface to expand the area of repulsion and ensure slight miss-hits don’t lose distance or accuracy, and maintain spin rates for longer carry. A channel placed directly behind the stainless steel face on the sole increases deflection for greater distance. They are fitted with a Vizard 48g graphite shaft.

As the names suggests, Vertical Groove’s woods feature scoring lines that run from the crown to the sole instead of the traditional heel-to-toe orientation. This leads to increased accuracy. The low profile fairway woods feature a variable thickness cupface, which flexes close to legal limits at impact to create faster ball speeds and more distance. The design also incorporates separate sole weights based on loft. The 14-degree model feature an 8g tungsten sole weight forward of centre to provide the flatter trajectory better players prefer, while the 15- and 18-degree models place the weight in the rear to increase launch angle and provide more stability on off-centre hits. The sole weight is available in 3g or 12g custom options. The stock shaft is Aldila’s NV2K Green.

£229, VERTGOLF.COM

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MAY 2018 | WWW.GOLFNEWS.CO.UK/TRAVEL

CONTENTS TALKING TURKEY FIVE-STAR GOLF IN BELEK GAME, SET & MATCH ME & MY TRAVELS WITH GREG RUSEDSKI LE TOUQUET RESTORED CLASSIC FRENCH RESORT BACK IN VOGUE

LISBON

STAYING & PLAYING ON THE BLUE COAST

SUN, SAND & WATER

[46] MAY 2018

TRAVEL & BREAKS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

TRAVEL BREAKS

A PERFECT GOLF BREAK IN WALES

BREAK FOR THE BOUNDARY WITH GOLF ESCAPES GOLF ESCAPES LAUNCHED into the domestic golf break market just two years ago, and since that time has grown to offer a wide range of great value golf breaks across the UK and Ireland.

■ BOUNDARY LAKES The company has quickly built up relationships with a host of top quality resorts, hotels and golf clubs throughout the country, and is able to offer extremely competitive rates for range of bespoke breaks for golfers, whether they be travelling as a two-ball, or as part of a much larger group or society. And groups of at least 12 ensure that one player goes free.

There are savings to be had on breaks to the recentlyopened Boundary Lakes Course in Hampshire, where £105pp will secure you an overnight stay in the Hilton at The Ageas Bowl and two rounds of golf for breaks taken between October 1-31. The 171-bedroom hotel houses Boundary Lakes’ stateof-the-art clubhouse and American Golf pro shop, as well as a luxury eforea spa, Sir Ian Botham-inspired restaurant, Beef’s, and the Lakeview Sports Bar, which overlooks the 18th hole.

Summer golf breaks at the Vale Resort in South Wales are hard to beat!

BREAK INCLUDES: •

• • • • •

Luxury accommodation Full Welsh breakfast Championship golf Three course dinner FREE use of our Health & Racquets Club FREE parking & WiFi

SUMMER SUNDAY BREAKS AT THE GROVE GOLFERS ESCHEWING foreign shores for their golf holidays this summer can make the most of their ‘staycations’ by booking a break at The Grove, where a range of great value walkon green fee rates and inclusive golf break ■ THE GROVE offers will prove a tempting proposition.

The five-star Hertfordshire resort, which hosted the WGC Amex Championship in 2006, is running a range of promotions, including a Sunday Hideaway package, which, for £145pp,

SUMMER GOLF BREAKS

B&B + 18 holes from £79*pp D,B&B + 36 holes from £109*pp

FACILITY INCLUDES: • • • • • • •

The Marriott hotel group has built up an enviable portfolio of properties throughout the UK, and golfers can take their pick from Hanbury Manor, Tudor Park and Lingfield, Meon Valley and the Forest of Arden, to name but a few. A one-night stay with two rounds of golf at Hanbury Manor, venue for the European Senior Tour’s Willow Classic, costs just £139pp for Sunday night stays, while two nights and two rounds at Forest of Arden, which boasts two 18-hole championship courses costs from £109pp.

For the latest UK & Ireland golf break deals, and for golf holidays throughout Europe, North America, South Africa and the Far East, visit www.golf-escapes.com or call 01342 811777.

offers guests a twilight round of golf on the Grove’s 7,152-yard layout, an overnight stay, complimentary use of the Sequoia spa facilities and breakfast in the Glasshouse Restaurant.

There is also a Father’s Day special for June 17, where dads can enjoy a complimentary round of golf with any full-paying son or daughter, and a free post-match pint.

To book a tee time, call 01923 294266 or visit www.thegrove. co.uk for the latest packages.

2018 01 Golf News - Golf Breaks QP.qxp_166mm h x 145mm w 08/02/2018 10:39 Page 1

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CELEBRATING

YEARS 17

cared for, award-winning, top winter course.

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Hensol Park, Hensol, Vale of Glamorgan, CF72 8JY

Book your tee time online, visit the on-site AmericanGolf superstore and practice your

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0

TRAVEL & BREAKS

MAY 2018

[47]

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

ENJOY AYRSHIRE’S TOP TRACKS AT THE LINKS GOLF CUP FANS OF BUMP-AND-RUN SHOTS, 60foot putts from off the green, and the art of hitting knock-down irons into 30mph headwinds, should consider signing up for the Links Golf Cup, a five-day celebration of links golf which takes place annually around Ayshshire’s finest links layouts.

The tournament, which this year takes place from September 3-7, regularly attracts amateurs from all over the world, all of whom are drawn by the lure of exhilarating links golf on this wild and windy coastline.

The 72-hole individual Stableford tournament offers rounds on four of the finest championship links in Scotland, namely Western Gailes, Gailes Links, Kilmarnock Barassie and Dundonald Links, while the option of playing the nearby

■ DUNDONALD LINKS

■ WESTERN GAILES

Open Championship venues of Troon, Turnberry or Prestwick on the rest day, make this event an irresistible opportunity to play five days of pure Scottish links.

All four have staged some of the game’s most prestigious events, with Dundonald having hosted the Scottish Open as recently as 2017, while the other three have all held final qualifying for the Open Championship, as well as numerous other elite amateur events.

At just over £300 per person for four rounds, attendance at the presentation dinner and a goodie bag, the Links Golf Cup Ayrshire also offers excellent value when compared to individual green fee rates at that time of the year.

Experienced golf event organiser Hybrid Golf launched the Links Golf Cup Ayrshire in 2015, following the

success of The Links Golf Cup East Lothian on Scotland’s east coast, which has been running for seven years.

“We have been overwhelmed at how popular The Links Golf Cup has become in just a few years,” said Andy Bowen of Hybrid Golf. “This is not only down to the event being played over some of the best links in Scotland, but undoubtedly because the competitors also enjoy the social side of meeting and forging new friendships with like-minded golfers from across the UK and beyond. It’s this, and the great value the event offers, that keeps bringing people back year after year.”

Open to amateurs over the age of 18 with a handicap of 24 or less, there are still a small number of places still available for September’s event. For more information and reservations, email andy@hybridgolf. co.uk or visit www.linksgolfcup.co.uk.

HIGHLAND NINE PROVIDES SCOTTISH GOLFING FEAST A NEW DRIVE TO ATTRACT golfers to some ‘hidden gem’ nine-hole courses has teed off in the Highlands. The High 9s Tour takes in some of the most scenic courses in the north of Scotland – from the dramatic coastal setting of Durness on the north cost of Sutherland, to the Scots pine woods of Abernethy in the heart of Speyside. The Tour officially opened earlier this month

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visit one of the participating clubs, buy a £5 High 9s Tour bag tag and register an entry form.

To compete in the Tour Challenge, golfers need to send in scores from three different clubs between April-October, by emailing them to golfhigh9s@gmail. com. Prizes will be given for the combined Stableford nine-hole scores for men, women, boys and girls. Prizes are also up for grabs for the best combined stroke play scores over three courses.

and golfers are being encouraged to play all nine courses to earn a place on the ‘Wall of Fame’ or play for prizes by taking the Tour Challenge and returning scores from three courses. The other ‘High 9s’ clubs include Lybster, Bonar Bridge, Ardgay, Portmahomack, Ullapool, Gairloch, Aigas and Isle of Skye.

To join the High 9s Tour, golfers need only

■ ULLAPOOL

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[48] MAY 2018

TRAVEL & BREAKS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

MY BLUE

HEAVEN

If you’re looking to combine a relaxing golf break with a visit to one of Europe’s most vibrant capital cities, then Lisbon’s Blue Coast – home to Orizonte Golf’s seven excellent courses – is the place to go, says Nick Bayly

■ RIBAGOLFE I 17TH HOLE

W

hile the Algarve has been a perennial favourite destination with sun-loving Brits seeking a golf holiday in Portugal since the 1960s, it is the area around Lisbon that has seen the biggest growth in recent years, with over 100,000 of us flocking each year to play its 20-plus golf courses, all of which are located within an hour’s drive of Europe’s westernmost capital.

Awarded the title of European Golf Destination of the Year by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators for the third time in 2016, Lisbon’s Golf Coast not only boasts a wide variety of quality courses, but also offers affordable green fees, a year-round mild climate, and easy access to the attractions of the city.

My two-night trip took in three courses that are being marketed by Orizonte Golf, a portfolio of five clubs that offer seven courses between them. Orizonte also enjoys ties with a selection of well-established coastal accommodation options dotted within the beautiful Costa Azul region, creating some great value packages to experience some of the area’s less championed, but no less enjoyable, golfing venues.

A two-and-a-half hour flight from the UK takes you into the heart of Lisbon, where its Portela airport is located surprisingly close to the redtiled rooftops that dominate the historic city’s suburban skyline. After being picked up from the airport, we wasted no time in heading to our first tee time at Quinta do Peru, an 18-hole course located a 40-minute drive to the south of Lisbon, towards the Setubal Peninsula.

The journey began with a spectacular drive over Lisbon’s iconic 25th April Bridge, which spans the River Tagus and connects western Lisbon to

■ AROEIRA

the Costa Azul. Often compared to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, it opens up stunning views of Lisbon and is overlooked by one of the city’s most famous landmarks – Cristo Rei – a 260ft statue of Christ, similar to the one found in Rio de Janeiro. Meanwhile, a few miles up river, is the Vasco da Gama Bridge, which connects from the east of the city and is Europe’s longest bridge, measuring an impressive 10.7 miles.

But all talk of bridges soon faded when we arrived at Quinta do Peru, a delightful tree-lined course carved out of 300 acres of pine forest on the edge of the Arrábida Natural Park. First opened in 1994, it was designed by American architect Rocky Roquemore, who caringly crafted a track that has earned itself high ranking in the top 100 courses in Continental Europe.

The 6,640-yard layout meanders gently through tall pines and, like so many courses in Europe, features an abundance of private villas, although they are thankfully set back a discreet distance from the fairways, so as neither to disturb

LISBON’S GOLF COAST NOT ONLY BOASTS A WIDE VARIETY OF QUALITY COURSES, BUT ALSO OFFERS AFFORDABLE GREEN FEES, A YEARROUND MILD CLIMATE, AND EASY ACCESS TO THE ATTRACTIONS OF THE CITY

golfer nor homeowner.

The course has matured nicely over the last 25 years, and is tidy without being pristinely manicured, while the greens are devilishly quick, so its vital to be on the ‘right’ side of the hole if you want to give it anything more than a nudge with the putter. Both nines start with demanding par fives and end with equally testing par fours. Water features on two of the four ‘short’ holes – I use the word short in quotes as the eighth measures ■ RIBAGOLFE I 14TH HOLE

220 yards and the 16th 195 – and require plenty of welly and a nerveless stroke to score well on. A birdie at the latter – thanks to a thumping 5-iron over a lake and a curling 25-foot putt – seemed like a minor triumph, although the less said about the triple-bogey six at the former, the better.

Although the tree-lined fairways are generally not too narrow, big and astutely-placed bunkers, and those rapid putting surfaces, ensure that Quinta do Peru is a solid test off the back tees, and most holiday golfers will have more fun off the yellows, which take the course down to a more manageable 6,175 yards. Overall, the layout has a nice flow to it, with no two holes alike, while the serenity of the surroundings, which at times felt like ‘Millionaire’s Golf’, will put you in the perfect holiday golfing mood.

Before our round, we eschewed practice on the 300-metre double-ended driving range and instead enjoyed a relaxing lunch in the rustic clubhouse that overlooks the course. We dined on an excellent range of local dishes, including a superb pork and red pepper skewer served fresh from the grill, which was accompanied by a delightfully chilled glass or two of Super Bock, the lager of choice in these parts.

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■ (ABOVE) THE PAR 3 17TH AT QUINTA DO PERU; (LEFT) THE ROOFTOP POOL AT THE SANA SESIMBRE HOTEL; (BELOW LEFT) THE 25TH APRIL BRIDGE; (BELOW) AROEIRA BOASTS TWO STUNNING 18-HOLE COURSES; (RIGHT) THE 8TH HOLE AT QUINTA DO PERU

Coming off the course after 7pm, and with no time for another Super Bock – we wearily headed to our hotel for the night, the four-star Sana Sesimbra, located 30 minutes away in the picture-postcard seaside town of Sesimbra.

Reached via a winding road that takes you down through the narrow streets right to the very edge of the Atlantic, the Sana Sesimbra is a minimalistic modern hotel, boasting 100 comfortable rooms, a restaurant, spa, and rooftop swimming pool.

Be sure to book a room with a seaside view, and enjoy the sound of the waves gently washing against the shoreline as your drift off to sleep.

After a classic Lisbon breakfast of strong coffee and several Pasteis de Nata – (custard tarts, to you and me – next up on the golfing itinerary was Aroeira, a 36-hole complex located only 25km south of Lisbon and close to the coastal town of Caparica. Arguably the showpiece venue in the Orizonte offering, Aroeira is tucked away in a 900-acre private estate, with two championship layouts – the rather uninspiringly-named I and II – which cut a swathe through a dense pine forest and whose fairways are lined by a significant number of luxury villas. The complex also boasts a range of self-catering apartments, which golfers can rent by the night, while a new hotel is currently under construction, with a planned opening early next year.

As Aroeira II was busy with a club competition, we played Aroeira I, which was built in 1972, some 30 years before II came along. Despite its number, I is not the first string, as it perhaps lacks the stadium setting, and the length, of its younger sibling, although they both enjoy similarly elevated positions in the various European rankings. Designed by Frank Pennink, A1, as I will call it, plays to 6,650 yards off the back tees and requires unerring accuracy off the tee – sadly, not one of my strong points – to score well on. The round kicks off with a benign, gun-barrel straight par five, but the pressure soon ramps up at the testing 400-yard, par-four second, which gently turns right off the tee around a large pond, before rising to a well-protected green.

Water comes into play at the first par three – the 170-yard fourth – at least it did for me, after pushing my tee shot into the drink – and reappears besides the green at the 340-yard par-four sixth, where a 3-wood off the tee leaves you a short iron to a large, but undulating green.

the city. Happily, it required a drive over the aforementioned Vasco da Gama Bridge, an engineering wonder that saves a much longer trip around the estuary of the River Tagus. Ribagolfe follows Aroeria’s naming style by offering courses I and II, but there the similarities end, as instead of being faced with serried ranks of pines off every tee, you are presented with an array of cork trees, whose gnarly branches have a nasty habit of reaching out to pluck your ball out of the air and deposit them into thick undergrowth..

That lesson was learned as early as the first hole on Ribagolfe I, a monstrous 7,300-yard layout that we thankfully reduced to a still not inconsiderable 6,600 yards by hitting from the yellow tees. Played in early spring, the course was lush, green and visually stunning, and with no villas or houses to interrupt the views or the flow of the layout – it’s set within a nature reserve that meant that even the clubhouse had to be built 2km from the first

STAY & PLAY • FOUR NIGHTS AT THE FOUR-STAR SANA SESIMBRA HOTEL, WITH A ROUND AT QUINTA DO PERU AND TWO ROUNDS AT AROEIRA, STARTS FROM €284PP; WHILE A SEVENNIGHT STAY, WITH TWO ROUNDS AT EACH COURSE, AND A FURTHER AT RIBAGOLFE, STARTS FROM €462PP. • FOUR NIGHTS AT THE FOURSTAR TRYP LISBOA CAPARICA MAR HOTEL, WITH THREE GREEN FEES AT QUINTA DO PERU AND AROEIRA, STARTS FROM €293PP, WHILE A SEVEN-NIGHT STAY, WITH FIVE GREEN FEES, IS €490PP. THERE IS A SINGLE ROOM SUPPLEMENT FOR BOTH HOTELS.

SELF-CATERING • AROEIRA OFFERS A RANGE OF ONE- AND TWO-BEDROOM APARTMENTS WITHIN A PITCHING WEDGE OF ITS TWO COURSES WHICH CAN BE RENTED FROM €140-€197 PER NIGHT (LOW/HIGH).

UNLIMITED GOLF IS INCLUDED IN THE PRICE.

GREEN FEES ONLY • A THREE-ROUND ORIZONTE GOLF PASSPORT COSTS €150-€180 (LOW/ HIGH SEASON), WHILE A FIVEROUND PACKAGE COSTS €240/€290 (NO COURSE CAN BE PLAYED MORE THAN TWICE).

• GREEN FEES: QUINTA DO PERU €48-€61; AROEIRA I €44-€53; AROEIRA II €44-€53; RIBAGOLFE I €41-€48; RIBAGOLFE II €36-€44; SANTO ESTEVAO €36-€44. HIGH SEASON: FEB-MAY, SEPT-NOV; LOW SEASON: JUNE-AUG- DEC-JAN. FOR MORE DETAILS, VISIT WWW.ORIZONTEGOLF.COM AND WWW.VISITLISBOA.COM.

Arguably some of the best holes can be found on the back nine, with the par-3 14th causing me to reach for the camera, with the green fronted by water all the way from the tee, and surrounded by a canopy of majestic pines behind. After a pushed tee shot into the trees, followed by a thinned chip from the pine straw to two feet, I emerged with an unlikely par, although, as ever, the number on the scorecard didn’t tell the full story. The par-four 17th and 18th provide a strong finish, with the former requiring an accurate tee shot to set up an approach to this sharply angled dogleg, while the 18th is as straight as you like, but is uphill all the way to the green and requires to good whacks to reach the heavily sloping green.

After a relaxing lunch in the charming timberframed clubhouse, we enjoyed a buggy tour of Aroeria II. Even at high speed – the buggies were refreshingly zippy – the No.2 course looks more of a championship kind of layout than No.1, and it’s easy to see why it enjoys a reputation as being the ‘Wentworth of Lisbon’. Built at the turn of the century, there is plenty of maturity to the pine-tree lined layout, although this Donald Steel design perhaps has more of a feel of Woburn’s Duke’s Course about it than the home of the BMW PGA Championship. Measuring just under 7,000 yards from the back tees, water comes into play on no fewer than nine holes, and there are many pot bunkers and large, undulating greens to negotiate.

Although wider off the tee in places, it’s proper grown up golf, and will require some big boy shots to score well on.

Next up was a 40-minute coach ride into the heart of Lisbon for an overnight stay. After heading back over the April 25th Bridge, we were soon weaving our way through the early evening rush hour traffic before being deposited at the entrance to the VIP Grand Lisboa Hotel, a five-star establishment located on Lisbon’s answer to Fifth Avenue – well, its address is Avenida 5.

The morning after the night before, we were up early to head out to our last golfing pit stop, the 36-hole complex at Ribagolfe, which is a 40-minute drive almost due east of

SO WE WASTED NO TIME IN HEADING INTO THE CITY’S CHIADO DISTRICT, AN AREA FULL OF TRENDY BARS, RESTAURANTS, CAFÉS AND BOUTIQUE SHOPS tee – Ribagolfe offers Portuguese golf at its most rural and tranquil. Each hole is sheltered from the next, and requires your utmost concentration to make par. Deep fairway bunkers will halt progress up the fairway, while sheer length will prove most players’ undoing. The huge greens were even paced and excellent to putt on, although finding the right level was never easy. Hole highlights included the 7th, a 448-yard par four which is framed by a lake all the way down the right side.

Although the water is barely in play, it provides a stunning view from the green at this testing stroke index two. The 12th, the hardest hole on the course, is a 515-yard par five, that requires a second shot of heroic proportions to reach the green which is protected by water front and left, and a waste bunker down that adjoins the lake.

The adjacent Ribagolfe II, which we didn’t have time to play, is a shorter test than its sibling, but still measures more than 6,800 yards. It’s a more forgiving, but equally appealing course, with wider fairways and more generous landing areas, while large, contoured greens make it a stiff test, especially if the wind blows.

After a suitably relaxed lunch, we boarded the bus once more for our journey back to Lisbon airport. Our route took us past the stadium of one of Lisbon’s two Primeira Liga football teams – Benfica – the other being Sporting Lisbon, and golfers with a passion for football should try and combine a golfing tour with one of two annual derby matches and regular cup clashes, although a home game for either side against Porto, the current league leaders, is also worth catching.

Either way, chasing round balls around the Lisbon area is a whole lot of fun.

[50] MAY 2018

TRAVEL & BREAKS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

STAY AND PLAY ON THE COSTA BLANCA HOLIDAY GOLFERS looking for a great value stay-and-play break to the sunny courses on Spain’s Costa Blanca, should check out the latest packages being offered

by Hole in One Golf Tours.

Based in Playa Flamenca, near Torrevieja, the reputable company has a range of villas to suit all budgets, and is able to organise a package that includes all transfers, villa

■ VILLA MARTIN AND LA FINCA ARE AMONG THE RANGE OF COURSES AVAILABLE TO PLAY AROUND TORREVEIJA

rental, along with three rounds of golf, with buggies included, at a choice of superb local courses.

The villa sleeps five and has two bathrooms and offers free WiFi connection.

A swimming pool and a supermarket are both located a short distance away, while

there is also a good selection of bars and restaurants within a few minutes walk.

Prices for groups of four start from €325pp between November and March, €425pp in April, May June and October, and €525pp between July and September. A deposit of €150pp is payable at the time of booking

and the balance is due no more than 30 days before travel.

For enquiries and bookings, visit the website at thetailormadespanishgolftours. godaddysites.com, email holeinonegolftours@gmx.com, or call 00 34 602460664.

LIVE THE GOLFING DREAM AT CHATEAU DES VIGIERS

THE DREAM OF OWNING a beautiful property at a luxury French golf resort can now be a reality at Chateau des Vigiers in the Dordogne wine region of south-western France.

Five spacious homes have been built on the resort’s golf course near the stunning 16th century ‘Petit Versailles’ chateau, but golfers chasing this particular idyllic dream will have to move fast – as only two are left to buy.

The fully air-conditioned homes form the Résidences de la Vallée, a collection of one, two and three-bedroom homes for sale which overlook the seventh and eighth holes of the Vallée Course at Chateau des Vigiers.

Situated on the highest point of land within the estate, each property enjoys commanding views of its surroundings. The homes have been individually-designed in the traditional Périgourdine style, with distinctive steeplypitched roofs. Local craftsmen have constructed the homes using traditional rendering and locallysourced stone, and interiors are fitted to a high specification according to each owner’s wishes.

Each property comes with its own golf buggy, ideal transport for the short distance to the chateau and all of its amenities, including the Michelin Star Les Fresques restaurant, various bars, the Le Chai brasserie and the newly-renovated spa, as well as the resort’s 27-hole golf course.

Over the last 12 months Chateau des Vigiers, which is ranked among Europe’s top 60 golf resorts, has made a wide range of improvements to its facilities on and off the course, including new-look changing rooms, a bigger pro shop, upgraded golf buggy tracks, and a bunker enhancement programme.

In the upgraded spa, there’s a large hydrotherapy pool and improved treatment rooms, while over in the four-star hotel many of the 65 four-star rooms have been refurbished.

To find out more about owning your own home at the resort, or for general golf break enquiries, email vigiers@vigiers.com or call 00 33 553 615000.

TRAVEL & BREAKS

MAY 2018

[51]

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

HAVING A BALL IN

Clive Agran falls for the all-inclusive delights of the Kempinski Hotel in Turkey, where two championship golf courses on the doorstep prove just enough of a temptation to drag him from the mini-bar

R

ewind just 20 years, and there was barely a pitch-and-putt course worth getting your clubs out for in Turkey.

With no local interest, and a clientele that was almost exclusively made up of sun-bathing Germans, Swedes and Russians, Turkey’s arrival as a serious golfing destination for UK golfers seemed about as unlikely as ‘Royame Uni’ ever winning the Eurovision Song Contest again.

But that is all in the past. The last decade has witnessed a veritable flood of courses opening in the country where East meets West, most notably in and around the southern town of Belek, a virtually custom-made resort that is home to over 30 quality hotels, and now more than a dozen golf courses.

Its accelerated growth closely resembles that of Dubai, only on a much more concentrated scale.

A combination of near-perfect climate, beautiful beaches, and ideal terrain, enabled this former sleepy fishing village to metamorphose into the continent’s fastest-growing golf destination to rival the very best that either Spain or Portugal has to offer.

A string of outstanding courses sprung up along what was previously a swampy stretch of land just a little way in from the beach. Nothing further removed from the no-frills ‘holiday’ courses you might expect to find could be imagined. The very best architects were chosen and each of the dozen or more courses that were built has its own distinct character. Remarkably, they are all both beautiful and genuinely challenging. There are no duds.

In parallel with the golf boom was an explosion of top-notch hotels, some of which are gargantuan establishments built on truly biblical

■ THE KEMPINSKI HOTEL IS THE EPITOME OF LUXURY ■ SIRENE BELEK HOTEL

proportions. These can be a little over-the-top for those who prefer a more boutique experience, so I can wholeheartedly recommend the classy five-star Kempinski Hotel. Boasting just 175 rooms, spread over four floors, the hotel is located 50m from its own private beach, and is clearly targeted at the more discerning guest.

Like nearly every other hotel in Belek, the Kempinski has gone ‘all-inclusive’, which means everything, including the contents of your mini-bar, has been included in the price of your package. This means you can play the big shot by shouting a round in the bar safe in the knowledge that you won’t have to shell out a single lira. And the only way ‘all-inclusive’ impacts on your golf is remembering to take a ball marker with you – as there’s no need to carry loose change.

For those seeking a more family-orientated experience, the Kempinski’s sister hotel, the fivestar, 440-room Sirene Belek is similarly luxurious – and significantly bigger – but both are thoroughly recommended for golfers, given their proximity to the PGA National Turkey Antalya Golf Club, which boasts two championship courses, the PGA Sultan and the Pasha.

The host of numerous high-profile tournaments, including the 2012 Turkish Airlines

■ THE ANTALAYA RESORT BOASTS TWO CHAMMPIONSHIP LAYOUTS

World Golf Final, the resort recently took its global profile to new heights by joining the select group of courses to receive the official endorsement of The Professional Golfers’ Association, which resulted in it being renamed the PGA National Turkey. Under the terms of the new partnership, the PGA will work with the resort’s owner to maintain the courses in the best possible condition and promote the venue to both its members and golfers across the globe.

In addition, the PGA will oversee an upgrade of the venue’s golf academy in 2018, adding radar ball-tracking, video analysis and custom-fitting facilities to the existing 300-metre driving range and associated short game area.

As far as the two courses are concerned, the Sultan is undoubtedly the tougher of the two layouts. A genuine championship course, it’s always presented in perfect condition. Designed by former tour pro David Jones, it’s comfortably over 7,000 yards off the back tees, and presents a real challenge from the opening hole alongside a lake, to the 18th, where there’s yet more water, and an uncomfortably tight fairway. Altogether there are about a dozen water hazards on the Sultan, which are certainly less of a threat to the more accomplished player than they are to the rest of us. The tall pines lining most of the fairways and the 100-plus bunkers further complicate matters. The greens are true and in excellent shape, while the course overall is tough, but fun.

Easy to walk, not too long, and with glorious views towards the snow-capped Taurus Mountains from every hole, and a glimpse of the Mediterranean from the fifth, it is a oy to play.

Somewhat less menacing is the adjacent Pasha course. About 700 yards shorter than its

■ PGA NATIONAL'S PASHA COURSE

■ PGA NATIONAL'S SULTAN COURSE

BOOK YOUR BELEK BREAK KEMPINSKI HOTEL – THE DOME SEVEN NIGHTS ALL-INCLUSIVE ACCOMMODATION IN SUPERIOR ROOM, PLUS TWO ROUNDS ON THE PGA SULTAN AND TWO ROUNDS ON THE PASHA, FROM €940/€710PP (HIGH/LOW SEASON). WWW.KEMPINSKI.COM/BELEK SIRENE BELEK HOTEL SEVEN NIGHTS ALL-INCLUSIVE ACCOMMODATION IN A DOUBLE ROOM, PLUS TWO ROUNDS ON PGA SULTAN AND TWO ROUNDS ON THE PASHA, FROM €699PP (SEPT-NOV).

WWW.SIRENE.COM.TR

neighbour, it’s also considerably more open, and invites a liberal use of driver off the tee. It’s certainly no stroll in the park, however, as there are plenty of hazards, not least of which are the numerous bunkers, while water comes into play on seven holes – four of which are on the more testing back nine.

Three par threes on the front nine, along with a couple of short par fours, place an early emphasis on accuracy with your irons, while there are plenty of chances to open the shoulders on the longer holes as the round fun round, and refreshingly playable compared to some of the other courses in the region which are clearly geared towards tournament play.

With just a four-hour direct flight from the UK to Antalya airport – which is just 30 minutes from Belek – such a wide choice of quality courses and accommodation, and 300 days of virtually guaranteed sunshine, it is no surprise that this man-made golfing town is proving such a Mecca for European golfers. And what’s more, you don’t need to loose sleep about eating that Toblerone from the mini bar!

[52] MAY 2018

TRAVEL & BREAKS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

GLORY DAYS RETURN TO LE TOUQUET

■ LE TOUQUET’S CLASSIC 1931 COLT-ALISON DESIGNED LA MER COURSE HAS BEEN RESTORED TO ITS FORMER GLORY

A

long-time favourite with British golfers since its opening in the 1930s, Le Touquet Golf Resort is enjoying a revival in its fortunes as a golf holiday destination following significant renovations to its golf course and accommodation offering.

One of Europe’s most fashionable resorts in the 1920s and 30s, Le Touquet remains an iconic destination, blending elegant style and architecture with wide, open sandy beaches, surrounded by pine forest. Today, with a stylish new clubhouse and a newlook boutique-style hotel, Le Touquet Golf Resort and its three courses is ushering in a new golden age of European golf travel.

Headlining Le Touquet’s experience is France’s top-rated links course, La Mer, which has recently undergone a major restoration project as part of long-term plans to restore the course, and the resort, to its former glory.

The Harry Colt classic, regarded as one of the finest links on the continent, opened in 1931 to rave reviews. But fortification and bombardment during World War II resulted in significant damage to the land and the abandonment of four of Colt’s original holes. While efforts were made to restore these holes in the 1990s, the recent discovery of aerial photography from the 1930s helped golf architects Patrice Boissonnas and Frank Pont bring the entire course back to what now closely resembles Colt’s original design.

■ LE TOUQUET’S LE MANOIR HOTEL HAS BEEN REFURBISHED INTO A LUXURIOUS BOUTIQUE-STYLE VENUE

The newly restored La Mer course has already received high-level plaudits, winning Golf Magazine’s award for best redevelopment, as well as climbing 21 places in Europe’s Top 100 Courses to 35th, securing a top-10 position within France. Golf d’Hardelot’s Les Pins course became the new rankings’ highestrising course, jumping 36 places to 23 – and securing seventh spot in the country listing.

Significant investment has also been made off the golf course at Le Touquet, with a contemporary clubhouse opening in 2016, while the ■ THE NEW CLUBHOUSE OPENED IN 2016 renovated Le Manoir Hotel now boasts an elegant new restaurant, lounge, bar and reception area, as part of its rebirth as a boutique-style establishment.

Le Touquet is less than an hour’s drive south of Calais, on the Cote d’Opale. With easy access to the A16 autoroute, it is easy for golfers to drive directly from the UK, as well as the rest of France.

Packages start from €335pp for two nights’ B&B in a double room at Le Manoir, with rounds at Le Touquet, Hardelot and Wimereux. For details and bookings, visit www. letouquetgolfresort.com/en.

CRUISE CANADA’S TOP COURSES WITH ONE OCEAN EXPEDITIONS ONE OCEAN CRUISES combine golf on some of the world’s finest courses with seafaring expeditions to the wilds of Canada’s stunning eastern coast.

Renowned for its voyages throughout Antarctica, the Arctic and Canada’s East Coast, the One Ocean Cruises has added a golfing element to its latest voyage, called ‘Fiddles & Sticks’, which takes from June 27-July 4, ■ ONE OCEAN'S NAVIGATOR SLEEPS UP TO 96 GUESTS The cruise begins in Nova Scotia at the Louisbourg Fortress, one of Parks Canada’s national historic Cabot Cliffs at Inverness (pictured); its neighbouring Cabot sites, and sails along the breathtaking coast of Cape Breton Links; Prince Edward Island’s The Links at Crowbush, and the Island, Prince Edward Island and Sable Island. historic Highlands Links in Ingonish. Each course is featured in Golfers will play at the impressive Ben Crenshaw-designed Golf Digest’s Canadian Top 20, with Cabot Cliffs ranked number one. Guests will also enjoy a round on the beautiful coastal nine-hole course at L’Etang-du-Nord.

The eight-day cruise costs from $3,395pp (£2,500 approx), including green fees, all meals on board and packed lunches on golfing days, transfers from ship to shore and a comprehensive activity programme for nongolfers.

Guests on the 2018 Fiddles and Sticks voyage will travel on board One Ocean Navigator, which carries fewer than 96 passengers, ensuring high levels of personal service.

For more details and bookings, visit www.oneoceanexpeditions.com.

■ CABOT CLIFFS

GASTRO GOLF SHOWCASES NEW DESTINATIONS WITH REVAMPED WEBSITE LUXURY GOLF BREAKS SPECIALIST Gastro Golf has launched a new website to showcase its destinations and golf courses around the world.

The new, fully-responsive site has been designed with the userexperience firmly in mind. With improved navigation and functionality, customers can easily access detailed resort and golf course information, images and cutting-edge video content across the full-range of digital devices.

A menu bar enables visitors to quickly navigate around the website, sign up to receive regular Gastro Golf newsletters, and even make an enquiry about our corporate golf days and events.

And it’s not just the European destinations – Gastro Golf is expanding into many long-haul destinations, with South Africa already featuring, while destinations such as

the UAE and South East Asia will be added to the website in the coming months.

For the latest golf break packages, visit www.gastrogolf.co.uk.

GOLFBREAKS INTERNATIONAL PAIRS OFFERS VIP TOURNAMENT EXPERIENCE GOLFBREAKS.COM, Europe’s largest golf travel company, is inviting golfers to take part in the inaugural Golfbreaks.com International Pairs Championship.

Taking place at the five-star Quinta do Lago resort in Portugal, the tournament aims to offer amateur golfers a VIP tournament experience, with competitors being treated like tour pros from start to finish while playing three of Europe’s top-rated tracks.

Held over the South, North ■ QUINTA DO LAGO and Laranjal courses, the 54hole International Pairs Championship provides competitors with the opportunity to enjoy the world-class golf facilities that saw Quinta do Lago twice named Europe’s Best Golf Destination at the World Golf Awards. The winners of the event will be invited to come back and defend their title free of charge.

■ MAGNOLIA HOTEL

Off the course, pairs will be treated to a welcome reception dinner, including unlimited beer and wine, at the Bovino Steakhouse, before ending the week with a gala dinner and prize giving at the Casa do Lago Restaurant & Bar. The package price of £575pp also includes three nights’ accommodation at the Magnolia Hotel, a personalised welcome gift, and access to a players’ lounge available throughout the tournament.

To enquire about entry, visit www.golfbreaks.com/ international-pairs-championship or call 01753 720321.

TRAVEL & BREAKS

MAY 2018

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GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

SOAK UP THE SPANISH SUN WITH VACATION MARBELLA GOLFERS LOOKING TO PLAY in the Marbella region will have a spring in their step after Vacation Marbella unveiled a range of incredible stay-and-play deals for visitors over the next few months.

The Marbella region has long been popular with travellers from the UK, thanks to its superb choice of more than 30 courses in the Costa del Sol region and 15 alone in Marbella, together with its fantastic all-year round climate, array of superb restaurant and famed nightlife.

And Vacation Marbella’s partnerships with some of the best golf clubs in the area, giving access to discounted green fees, coupled with its

multitude of high-end accommodation options, is certain to boost visitor interest this summer.

A unique partnership with Los Naranjos Golf and Country Club, situated just three miles from Puerto Banus, ensures Vacation Marbella guests get the best green fee rate when booking one of its stay-and-play packages. Five nights and three green fees, staying in one of the luxury two-bedroom apartments in May, September and October is £333pp, based on four sharing, or £465pp based on two sharing. A seven-night break and five green fees costs from just £519pp based on four sharing, or £662pp for two sharing a two-bedroom apartment.

Borja Rodriguez, joint owner of Vacation Marbella, said: “There is so much to offer visitors of all ages, nationalities and tastes, but we recently Vacation Marbella has ■ LOS NARANJOS started to focus more of tailor-made golf packages. We have a great relationship with many of the local courses, so we have been able to negotiate reduced green fees. There is a huge choice of top-quality golf courses that will suit every level of golfer. Add

that to our wide choice of luxury apartments then we are able to offer some of the best deals on the market.”

For more details, visit www.vacationmarbella.com.

CATALUNYA RESORT UNVEILS BOUTIQUE ‘CADDY ROOMS’ OPENING ITS DOORS on April 1, Caddy Rooms is an exciting new lifestyle hotel situated within the prestigious PGA Catalunya Resort, home to Spain's no.1 course.

Caddy Rooms merges sleek design, hightech features and buzzing communal spaces to create an alternative lifestyle hotel. Ideally located just 10 minutes from Girona, and an hour from Barcelona, Caddy Rooms is an ultramodern 50-room boutique hotel that offers direct access to the PGA Catalunya Resort.

Technology is at the centre of the Caddy Rooms experience, ensuring a seamless journey for guests from the point of arrival.

Breaking the mould of a traditional check-in, guests are able to do so prior to arrival via the dedicated hotel app or at the iPads situated in the Bar, gaining access to a digital room key and allowing guests to communicate with the ■ PGA CATALUNYA

Quinta do Peru golf course, Portugal

Discover scorching world-class golf at best prices 4 nights + 3 green fees from 311€ 7 nights + 5 green fees from 482€

hotel and its services at the touch of a button.

The stylish, design-led rooms have been created to meet the needs of the leisure traveller, providing a flexible space in which guests can tune in or tune out. Featuring the latest high-tech audio and visual gadgets, speedy Wi-Fi and a golf storage area, each room also has a balcony boasting unrivalled views over the golf course and beyond, expansive beds and monsoon showers.

Residents of Caddy Rooms will have access to he Stadium Course, ranked No.1 course in Spain, and the Tour Course. Other facilities include bicycle rentals, running circuits, outdoor tennis and padel courts, a fishing point and Forest Park, the resort’s own zip line adventure park.

Room rates at Caddy Rooms start at €140 per night in high season, and €120 per night in low season.

Prices per person sharing a double room on B&B basis at Sesimbra Hotel & Spa. Take advantage of the Orizonte Golf Passport and maximise value and enjoyment of your golf on our wonderful courses | 3 round-golf passport from 150€ // 5 round-golf passport from 240€ Other packages available at www.orizontegolf.com | booking@orizontegolf.com

MALAYSIA

EW

EXCLUSIVE GOLF PARTNER

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N

EW

golf holiday experts for 22 years www.chakatravel.com travel

from £1,695 PP

MAURITIUS

from £1,895 PP

Shangri-La’s 5* Rasa Ria Resort & Spa

4* C Palmar by Constance

Incl. flights, transfers & Superior Rainforest View room

(Winter 2018 10 nights All Inclusive from £2,260 pp)

12 nights Bed & Breakfast 6 rounds of golf with buggy

ITALY

from £1,395 PP

4* Golf & Gastronomy in Emilia Romagna

7 nights Bed & Breakfast with 5 rounds of golf on 5 courses Incl. business class flights, car hire, spa & wine tasting

OMAN

Shangri-La’s 5* Al Husn

from £1,845 PP

7 nights Bed & Breakfast with 4 rounds golf Incl. flights & transfers

10 nights All Inclusive Free daily golf + golf buggies, incl. flights & transfers

SOUTH AFRICA Firmont Zimbali & Fancourt

from £2,795 PP

14 nights Bed & Breakfast with 8 rounds of golf on 7 courses Incl. flights, transfers & hire car

THAILAND

Bangkok & Hua Hin

from £2,395 PP

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

GOLF TOURNAMENTS AND ESCORTED GOLF TOURS MAURITIUS MIXED PAIRS

12 NIGHTS FROM £2,895 PP Includes: • Stay at the new C Palmar • All inclusive • 5 tournament rounds of golf • Free daily golf inc. buggies • One to one golf tuition • 5 group dinners • Optional fun excursions

23rd September 6th October 2018

ESCORTED GOLF TOURS

PGA PRO GUIDE WITH TUITION Join us on one of our popular escorted tours. Suitable for golfers and non-golfers alike, our PGA pro will be your guide throughout.

South Africa, Mauritius, Bulgaria, Turkey...

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

TRAVEL & BREAKS

MAY 2018 [55]

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

Greg Rusedski

Great Britain’s former top tennis player Greg Rusedski is happiest when he’s near a beach with a golf course

My most recent golf trip was to…

Doral in Miami, to play the re-designed Blue Monster course. It’s a great course if can you avoid the water and the wind isn't blowing too strongly.

If I had to play one course for the rest of my life, it would be…

Pebble Beach. Amazing views, great location, and incredible weather.

■ CAPTION

My dream four ball would be…

Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods.

No explanation needed. They may have to give me a few shots though, as I play off 12.

My usual fourball is…

Simon Clark, Jonathan Norman and Tom Fleming.

■ SKIBO CASTLE, SCOTLAND ■ RIGHT: SALMON FISHING IN SCOTLAND

My most memorable round was at…

Saadiyat Beach in Abu Dhabi. I got to the tee with a minute to spare. Everything was working that day, and I shot my best round ever – 75 gross. My playing partner said I was an absolute bandit, but I haven't been able to go that low since.

My funniest moment on the golf course…

■ KIAWAH ISLAND OCEAN COURSE 16TH HOLE

had to be my replication of Kevin Na's 18 on a single hole. Unfortunately, when I am in trouble my natural instinct is to attack. Not a good option when a drop is a better idea. My playing partners kept on telling me to take relief, but I had to keep going and finally got an 18 on a par four. I think I learned my lesson, but we all still found it amusing.

my career and wanted to have a nice six or seven days off from the day job!

My favourite city in the world is…

New York. It has everything and it is also a truly 24-hour city. There is nothing you cannot find in NYC. Chelsea Pier is there as well if you fancy a golf lesson or hitting balls into the Hudson River. I also love Toyko, Paris and London. Tokyo is quite interesting because of how it’s changed culturally since the nineties. There weren’t many foreigners when I used to tour there, but now it’s much more multicultural. London is on my doorstep, but is also spectacular. It has everything, from great restaurants to theatres and markets. I usually stick to south London.

My favourite golf resort is…

Kiawah Island in South Carolina. They’ve got it all there – great weather, great courses, superb food, and a wonderful beach. Perfect.

The best hotel I have ever stayed at is… the Four Seasons in the Maldives. I’m still waiting for the golf course to be built there. I’ve been pretty fortunate and have stayed in a lot of nice hotels at the peak of my career – I was very spoilt.

I’m more into renting a villa with the family now, but don’t mind a bit of room service and a nice hotel room now and then.

■ GREG'S GOLFING HERO IS PHIL MICKELSON

My favourite holiday location is…

My golfing hero is…

Mustique. Back before my wife Lucy and I had kids, we rented an amazing open air house right on the beach there with its own jeep so you could tour the island. That was pretty special. These days anywhere with sea, sun, a golf course, and great road biking hills will keep everyone in the family happy.

Phil Mickelson. I love his aggressive style and that incredible short game. He’s 48 now, but he still has the game to win a major.

The best place to combine a tennis and golfing holiday is…

The best piece of golf advice I have received is…

Florida or Spain. Two popular places in Florida are the IMG Academy or Saddlebrook Resort, and in Spain you can go to La Manga Club Resort. But it depends on what sort of tennis holiday you’re looking for.

‘It is a golf swing, not a golf hit’. This allows me to keep a good rhythm and stops me from going over the top. Simple, but it works.

My worst holiday experience was…

■ LA MANGA

in the Bahamas. When I arrived at the hotel, it looked nothing like it was in the brochure. I opened the windows and saw that the room overlooked two tennis courts, which was really annoying. I hadn’t had a holiday since I started

I've modelled my swing on…

Justin Rose, but unfortunately my swing looks nothing like his.

Not many people know this about me, but…

I have a fear of flying. Not ideal when work means you fly as much as I do. I have even had hypnosis to help.

I'm planning a golf trip to…

St Andrews. Every serious golfer has to play the Old Course at least once in their lifetime.

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