Issue 199 | MAY 2011
Seve Remembered Special tribute issue 1957 - 2011
© PING 2011
SCOTTSDALE PuTTErS
ThE WOLvErINE it's not just for show. Meet Wolverine, part of the new Scottsdale series with our latest in insert technology. You’ll instantly notice a softer feel and crisper sound. And with 14 models to choose from, including 6 all-new designs like this one, there’s definitely a Scottsdale for you.
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COMPETITION p13 | SIMON KHAN p18 | EWEN MURRAY p31 | HENRIK STENSON p36 | Pro Shop p44 | ME & MY TravelS p53
THE ULTIMATE TEST DRIVE YOUR VERY OWN LAMBORGHINI FOR A WHOLE YEAR
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To celebrate the ground-breaking partnership with Lamborghini and the new range of Forged Composite Drivers, Callaway is offering golfers the chance to win what is truly The Ultimate Test Drive. For full terms and conditions please go to www.callawaygolf.com/theultimatetestdrive
Š2011 Callaway Golf Company. Callaway, the Chevron Device, RAZR, Diablo Octane and Forged Composite are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Callaway Golf Company. The name Lamborghini and Automobili Lamborghini as well as the logo with the bull in the shield are registered trademarks of Automobili Lamborghini Holding Spa.
PLAY SEVE’S ONLY DESIGNED COURSE IN THE UK, FROM £40*
The UK’s No.1
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North London’s premier golf venue located just 3 minutes from the M25/A1 junction
call 020 8441 7649 www.theshirelondon.com *Special
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The Shire London, St Albans Road, Barnet, Herts EN5 4RI
Designed by Seve Ballesteros
© 2011 Marriott International, Inc.
Where can you earn up to £100 at play time? rooms, rounds and relaxation. With marriott’s new online booking system we’ve got it all covered. Select your own package from 10 hotel & country clubs – all with stunning courses and superb hospitality to match. Better still, when you book online we’ll give you up to £100 to spend during your visit. to book online, visit
marriottGolf.co.uk
St Pierre, A Marriott Hotel & Country Club
terms & conditions: Offer is valid on bookings made and taken by 28th February 2012 at UK Hotel & Country Clubs excluding Lingfield Park Marriott Hotel & County Club. Offer only applies to residential golf bookings made directly with Marriott. Offer, courses and tee times are subject to availability and cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion. Offer valid for maximum of 2 night stay and 2 people per room only. Resort credit of £25 per person per night is available for food and beverage, golf retail items and spa charges during the current stay only. Items purchased with the resort credit must be charged to the hotel room bill. Cash payments will not qualify. Unused resort credit is non-transferable, cannot be exchanged for cash or applied to the residential package rate. Resort credit is only available in Marriott operated outlets.
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‘Improve your swing’ and ‘play more consistently’
Golfing Excellence at
Join Brian Sparks, author of Positive Impact Golf, on the UKs most effective 3-day residential coaching course.
East Sussex National & Singing Hills Society Packages
These courses are tailored for golfers over 50 and 15+ handicap!
www.positiveimpactgolf.co.uk or call 01843 590005 Positive Impact Golf, Manston Golf Centre, nr. Manston, Ramsgate, Kent CT125BE
Editor’sview email: editor@golfnews.co.uk
Living in Seve’s shadow
I
t’s a measure of Seve Ballesteros’s influence that, despite never having met him, I found myself welling up when listening to the many tributes broadcast to him on television and radio following his untimely death on May 7. I was sad for him, and sad for his family and friends, but also I guess, a bit sad for myself that someone who had, in some small way, engendered my love of the game, had suddenly left me to it, like a father who takes his hand away from the back of a child when learning to ride a bike without stabilisers for the first time. Whenever some famous dies with whom I felt had some small connection – however tenuous – a little bit of me dies with them. I had the great honour of shaking hands with Sir Henry Cooper last November, when he came to open the new golf academy at Lingfield, and also played a few holes with him in a charity event held in Portugal a few years ago. Brief moments, admittedly, but sometimes that’s all it takes to feel like you know them a little bit more than the next person. Although Sir Henry lived to a good age, Seve’s career, and life, were first cut short by injury and then illness. Perhaps it is the will of a higher power to quickly whisk away those who bring most light into our lives. As if their star burns so brightly, that it can only burn for a short period of time. Seve’s sun burned brighter than most, and although, like any of us, he had his failings as a human being, with a golf club in his hand he was like a magician with a wand. I don’t think any of my generation is quite ready for a world of golf without Seve, and I’m not sure we’ll ever get used to it. His smiling face may be gone from our screens, but his memory will cast a long and influential shadow over the game for many years to come.
East Sussex National, Golf Resort & Spa, Little Horsted, Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 5ES
Singing Hills Golf Course Ltd, Muddleswood Road, Albourne, West Sussex, BN6 9EB
The Standard Society Package
The Standard Society Package
1st March - 30th October 2011
1st March - 30th October 2011
The Standard Society Package includes coffee and bacon rolls on arrival, 18 holes of golf and 2 course meal
The Standard Society Package includes coffee and bacon rolls on arrival, 18 holes of golf and 2 course meal
Monday to Friday ÂŁ75.00 pp Weekends ÂŁ85.00 pp
Monday to Friday ÂŁ46.00 pp Weekends ÂŁ53.50 pp
Minimum 12 players. We will be happy to bespoke packages to suit your societies.
Sussex Society Secretaries
15% discount offer Book your society meeting at both courses during 2011 and receive a 15% discount. For full details of this offer, contact the society organiser at either venue.
Greg Woods Golf Emporium Remember to visit our award-winning golf shops to see their extensive range of golfing products.
www.eastsussexnational.co.uk Tel: 01825 880088 www.singinghills.co.uk Tel: 01273 835353
society golfers Calling all
Win a golf society day for you and up to 50 of your friends! Do you hold corporate or charity golf days? Or perhaps you’d like to invite up to 50 of your closest friends to a spectacular day at Horton Park Golf Club. Experience our newly designed 18 hole Millennium Course with its famous island green and tree lined fairways. Set on mature parkland, the 6,000 yards par 70 Course has undergone major improvements that offers a good test for any level of golfer.
For your chance to win a free golf day register at www.hortonparkgolf.com
er st e i g Re nlinour o o y e tee c For an fr chin a day w lf go
See page 19
ISSU E 199
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2011
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Come and enjoy scenic heathland golf with no bunkers! Visitors and societies welcome 7 days a week
Royal Ashdown’s Historic West Course 18 Holes Weekdays £30 Weekends £35 Twilight Rounds Weekdays £17.50 Weekends £20.00 (Phone for starting times)
West Course O pens 2 Wed 8 June 4th 011
Wed 14 Sep 6th Mixed Greensomes Mixed Betterball Ph
one for
Summer Offers
tails or visit www.royalade shdown.co.uk
Play after12.00 noon, WEEKENDS Only£25.00 per person Or £80.00 per tee time (max 4 players) Play after12.00 noon, WEEKDAYS Only£22.50 per person Or £70.00 per tee time (max 4 players) Includes drinks to the value of £2.00 per person. Book up to 2 weeks in advance
Societies
01342 824866
Many 18 hole packages available starting from £32.00 per person weekdays including coffee and bacon roll. PLUS if 16 people or more attend, the organiser plays FREE!
Society Offer (min. 8 people)
Coffee, 18 holes, ham, egg and chips OR Full English breakfast plus 18 holes
Weekdays ONLY £34.00 Weekends ONLY £40.00 See our website or phone for details of other society packages
01342 822018
ROYA L A S H D OW N F O R E S T GOLF CLUB THE WEST COURSE
Off Chapel Lane Forest Row, East Sussex RH18 5LR www.royalashdown.co.uk email: office@royalashdown.co.uk
C o u n t y c a r d s , 2 f o r e 1 & G r e e n s a v e r s w e l c o m e . O f f e r s s u b j e c t t o a v a i l a b i l i t y. Only one offer per player. Pr ices valid until 29/10/11
The finest downland course in Sussex...
Seaford Golf Club Bookings now being taken for our Dormy House open March to November 2011
Twin bed en-suite rooms with a five course dinner, bed & full english breakfast, including two rounds of golf from £80 in March to £138 in high summer per person per night Green fee visitors welcome Green fees from £32 County Cards £25 Twilight Tickets £20 For a brochure and more information call Sue on: 01323 892442 Website: seafordgolfclub.co.uk e-mail: sue@seafordgolfclub.co.uk
SEAFORD GOLF CLUB, FIRLE ROAD, SEAFORD, EAST SUSSEX, BN25 2JD
Fire destroys Tilg
T
he clubhouse at Tilgate Forest Golf Centre was razed to the ground following a fire that broke out at the Crawley-based club in the early hours of May 15. Emergency services were alerted to the blaze at 4am, with six fire engines and over 40 firemen attending the scene, but there was nothing they could do to prevent the clubhouse from being totally destroyed. Fire investigation officers are currently looking into the cause of the blaze, which is thought to have been started deliberately, police have said. PC Brett Holden, of Sussex Police, said the fire, which completely destroyed the bar and
Firemen tackle the blaze at Tilgate Forest Golf Centre, which benefitted from a £500,000 redevelopment just two years ago
Flags at half mast at Seve’s ‘English home’ The Wentworth Club has joined the world of golf in mourning the death of Spanish golfing legend Seve Ballesteros. The flags at the famous Virginia Water club were flown at half-mast in tribute to the 54-year-old Spanish sensation, who was an honorary member. Ballesteros claimed no fewer than seven of his 87 international titles over Wentworth’s West Course. He won the Martini International and the PGA Championship, but became a particular favourite at the prestigious Surrey club when claiming the World Match Play crown five times. In an interview he gave after winning the last of those five titles in 1991, Ballesteros said: “Wentworth is like my second home. I don’t need a yardage book here, I can tell from just looking. And the fans are so wonderful. Arnold Palmer may have ‘Arnie’s Army’, but at Wentworth I have ‘Seve’s Soldiers’.” The club’s chief executive, Julian Small, summed up the reaction to Seve’s cruelly premature death, declaring: “Seve was a great champion. He was a handsome, charismatic and swashbuckling hero, who was adored by the fans. Wherever Seve went there were huge crowds because of the way he played the game with such passion and bravura. He always loved Wentworth and the feeling was certainly mutual. “Seve was a real pioneer and there is no doubt that the European Tour would not be the huge success it
Ballesteros was a firm favourite with the fans at Wentworth after winning seven titles there during his career
is today had he not blazed the trail in America and around the world.” Small added: “He also had a great human touch too. I remember one moment in 1991, when a big crowd surrounded him as he surveyed a seemingly impossible escape shot. A small boy was rattling coins in his pocket close behind him, so Seve stepped away and asked ‘Are you nervous?’ When he replied ‘Yes,’ Seve said: “I nervous too”, before playing a miraculous shot to five feet from the pin. “Thankfully and fittingly,
we have a very special day for Wentworth and the European Tour to pay a proper golfing tribute to the man and the maestro. The Ole Seve Pro-Am is being staged on the West Course on the Monday of the BMW PGA Championship week hosted by Wentworth Club owner Richard Caring and European Tour chief executive George O’Grady. It is being held in aid of the Seve Ballesteros Foundation and Cancer Research UK, a cause which has more relevance now than any us can have ever thought.”
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gate clubhouse Former Olympic hammer thrower Mick Jones helped open the new clubhouse back in 2009
catering facilities, was being treated as ‘suspicious’. The public golf centre, which is managed on behalf of Crawley Borough Council by Glendale Golf Ltd, was shut all day on Sunday while police cordoned off the site for a detailed inspection, but the pro
shop, course and driving range reopened on May 16, after safety officers gave the all-clear for golfers to use the facilities. The clubhouse at Tilgate was completely refurbished by Glendale Golf in 2009, with the project costing over £500,000.
Golf News celebrates 200th issue! Next month will see the publication of the 200th issue of Golf News – your favourite free monthly golf title. Launched in 1994, Golf News is now in its 17th year, and continues to celebrate the best of golf in the South East, as well as reporting on golf events around the world. The 200th issue of Golf News will feature an unmissable pull-out guide to The 151st Open Championship, which takes place in July at the magnificent links at Royal St George’s, and there will be a chance for 10 lucky readers to win tickets to this showpiece event in a competition organised by Nikon, one of the official sponsors of the Open Championship. There will also be an exclusive interview with last year’s Open Champion Louis Oosterhuizen, and we talk to Tour legend Thomas Bjorn about where it all went wrong for him in that famous bunker on Royal St George’s 16th hole back at The Open in 2003.
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dibden golf centre
home of Bramshott Hill golf club
St George’s stren
T
he world’s top golfers will face a slighter sterner test at this year’s Open Championship, following the announcement that Royal St George’s has been extended by more than 100 yards, while its par has been reduced from 71 to 70. Although the latter amendment may ensure that even fewer players finish under par than the solitary figure of Ben Curtis who managed it in 2003, the addition of 100 yards is unlikely to cause many players to lose any sleep, especially given the fast-running conditions that generally prevail at the famous Kent links course in July. The par at Sandwich was 70 when the course hosted the Open in 1993. On that occasion tournament winner Greg Norman finished with an Open record of 13 under par – a record which still stands. That year Ernie Els
Stunning views, great golf, delicious food. Society days at Dibden Golf Centre Situated on the edge of the New Forest with views across the Solent. Packages start from just £20 per person. Available weekdays and weekends.
The fairway on the first hole has been widened as part of a handful of changes made to the layout at Royal St George’s
also become the first player in Open history to finish all four rounds under 70. The most significant change announced by the R&A is at the fourth hole – the one with a huge bunker staring the players in the face as they tee off – which will switch from
being a 497-yard par five to a 495-yard par four. Other alterations include the lengthening of the par three third by 30 yards to give the option to take it up to 240 yards off the back tee, taking the seventh from 532 to 564 yards, and the ninth up from 388 to 412 yards.
Royal Cinque Ports in May. Further events in the region include Royal Ashdown (pictured), Coombe Hill, Moor Park, Farnham, and The Addington. The series is being backed by former European No.1 Ronan Rafferty, who said: “With a schedule of over 25 events, I feel the TP Tour Series will provide the ultimate training ground for professional golfers who are seeking high level competitive golf. Whether you are an existing tour player looking for additional competitive play, or a young aspiring pro at the start of your journey, the TP Tour Series is the tour for you.” For the complete list of events and entry details visit www.tptourseries.com.
Dibden Golf Centre, Main Road, Dibden, Southampton SO45 5TB
Tel: 023 8084 5596 newforest.gov.uk/golf
the ridge golf club
summer Golf Packages 1st April 2011 – 31st October 2011
Diamond Bronze EMERALD Silver Gold Platinum
Coffee, bacon rolls, 18 holes of golf English breakfast/light lunch, 18 holes of golf Coffee, bacon rolls, light lunch, 18 holes of golf Coffee, bacon rolls, 2 course dinner, 18 holes of golf Coffee, bacon rolls, light lunch, 2 course dinner, 28 holes of golf Coffee, bacon rolls, light lunch, 2 course dinner, 36 holes of golf
£25 £29 £33 £37 £52 £55
Weekend bronze: £35 Weekend Silver: £44
TP Series takes on top venues The TP Tour Series, a new tour for professional golfers, was launched last month, with the aim of offering a selection of 18- and 36-hole tournaments at top class venues throughout the South East, many of which have hosted championship
events in the past and are featured in the top 100 list. Open to all professional golfers, the TP Tour Series kicked off with events at Walton Heath, The Berkshire, and Littlestone in April, and will be visiting Princes, Stoke Park, and
Free Society Guide out now! ladies day every monday
reduced green fees to visiting ladies on Monday’s, only £15 instead of £24
Join The Ridge & Play 26 Courses Free of Charge
Membership Available from just £179.00 Contact us for more information
PLAY & PAY EVERY TUESDAY & THURSDAY Play the Course any time for £18 (60+ £15). After 2.30pm £14, Loyalty Cards extra savings The Ridge Golf Club, Chartway Street, Sutton Valence, Maidstone, ME17 3JB. Tel: 01622 844382. Web: www.theridgegolfclub.co.uk
Golf News’ Ultimate Guide to Society & Company Golf 2011 is now available. This has been a musthave publication for every golf society organiser for many a year and now it’s even bigger and better than before with a new look, size and style. Featuring many of the regions finest clubs and courses, predominantly located in the South East, this indispensible, handy, full-colour booklet provides all the information you’ll ever need to make your golf day a success.
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descriptions of all the courses, with full colour photographs. For your free copy of The Ultimate Guide, please email your Society or Company name to: info@golfnews.co.uk.
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ngthens defences
The main change on the back nine will be at the 15th, the hole that saw the start of Thomas Bjorn’s collapse from three ahead with four to play in 2003 – which has been stretched from 475 yards to a 496yard par four. In other slight tweaks
to the overall design, the chances of Tiger Woods losing a ball with his first shot, as he did in 2003, have been severely reduced after the landing area on the first fairway widened by 12 yards. Statistics from the 2003 Open Championship showed that less than a third of all drives managed to hold the fairway, forcing the authorities to grant the players a small concession at this testing 442-yard opener, which often plays into the wind. Woods racked up a triple bogey seven on the opening day in 2003, and went on to finish just two shots behind Curtis. Royal and Ancient Club chief executive Peter Dawson was at pains to explain that the changes at the first hole were not a knee-jerk reaction to the former World No.1’s lost Nike, but rather a response to the general difficulty of the hole, given that the fairway cambers to the right.
Pepperell joins pro ranks
Oxfordshire’s Eddie Pepperell has given up the chance to play in this year’s Walker Cup following his decision to turn professional. The 20-year-old from Abingdon, who was named in Great Britain and Ireland’s 23-man training squad for September’s match against the USA at Royal Aberdeen, has ruled himself out of appearing in the ‘amateur Ryder Cup’ by prioritising his long-term future. “I spoke to a lot of people about the Walker Cup,” said Pepperell, who is a member at Drayton Park Golf Club. “It is a great event, but for me to achieve my goal of gaining a European Tour card at the end of the year, I have got to give myself the best opportunity. I believe that is by turning pro sooner rather than later and earning enough points. I am confident I can do that.” Pepperrell’s first decision as a professional was who to represent him in his business dealings, and that job has gone to 4Sports & Entertainment, a leading Swiss sports management agency. Pepperell, whose last victory as an amateur came at the Portuguese Amateur Championship in February, looks set to have an exciting future ahead of him following an excellent career as an amateur. The 20-yearold represented England at all age levels, and has a number of amateur titles to his name, including the Welsh Amateur in 2008, and Faldo Series wins at U15 and U16 level. He will play his first events as a professional on the Challenge Tour, starting at the Mugello Tuscany Open. He will then head to Austria to play the Karnten Golf Open presented by the Markus Brier Foundation. On signing his contract with his management company, Pepperell said: “Turning pro is a big step for me, and while I feel 100% ready, it is great to know that I will have the experience of the team at 4sports supporting and advising me as my career develops.”
“Tiger’s lost ball was not an influence,” he said. “It was the overall statistic of only 28% of players finding the fairway that made the alteration necessary.” The fairways on the 17th and 18th hole have also been made more userfriendly, enjoying similar expansions to their widths. With over 180,000 spectators expected to head to Royal St George’s over the four days, extra train services have been set up from London. Two direct, high-speed services per hour will go to Sandwich during the morning from St Pancras International and two services an hour back, from lunchtime onwards – reducing regular journey times by one hour. Additional early-morning trains from St Pancras International will ensure that spectators can get to the course in time to watch the first groups tee-off. Supplementary trains on the mainline service, early in the morning, will run from Charing Cross and Victoria.
Lovelace gets lucky at ‘magic’ Hindhead Merrist Wood College’s Alan Lovelace booked his first ever trip to The Belfry after topping the leaderboard at the Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship qualifier held at Hindhead Golf Club. Lovelace tied for top spot with Stoke Park’s Stuart Collier, with the pair being the only players to go under par in tough scoring conditions at the windblown Surrey venue. Lovelace and Collier now join 19 other qualifiers from the South Region in the £78,000, Peugeotsupported final at The Belfry, which will be played over the PGA National course from June 14-17. All 21 qualifiers will be part of a 156-strong field at The Belfry, with the added incentive of a place on Great Britain & Ireland’s PGA Cup team up for grabs for the leading finishers.
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Bartlett on fire Worthing Golf Club’s Jack Bartlett is enjoying a solid start to his college golf career in America, with his most recent performance seeing him come from five shots back to win the Buccaneer Invitational by one stroke. Representing Southeastern University men’s team, Bartlett fired a final round 69 at Normandy Shores Golf Club in Miami to earn the individual medalist honours and help his team into third place.
Golf ball spill causes chaos Drivers in West Sussex saw parts of the A27 west of Brighton declared out of bounds on May 4, after a car carrying hundreds of golf balls collided with a lorry, spilling its unpredictable load on to the road in Lancing. The accident, which happened at the height of the rushhour, saw hundreds of balls bounce across the carriageway. The driver of the offending vehicle, who was not named, can expect at least three penalty shots and a loss of licence (and the hole).
Russ raises the roof at Kingswood The annual Russ Abbot Charity Golf Day held at Kingswood Golf Club in Surrey last month helped to raise over £60,000 for the Variety Club of Great Britain. Celebrities present on the day included Bernard Gallacher, Pat Pocock, Darren Bicknell, Min Patel, Rod Harrington, Ian Irving, Ray Clemence, Jess Conrad, Rocky Taylor, Steve Coppell, Adger Brown, Keith Deller, David Redfearn, Ian Balding, Paul Jones, Roger de Courcey and Allan Wells. The team prize was won by Barry Root, Alan Cole, Roy Rose and stand-up comedian Keith O’Keefe. A post-dinner auction and raffle hosted by Adger Brown raised over £60,000, while three Sunshine coaches were presented to the charity on the day. The Russ Abbot Classic has been running for some 15 years and raises thousands of pounds to buy special Sunshine Coaches for sick, disabled and disadvantaged children. “I can’t believe it’s been going so long and even in this current economic climate we still manage to raise so much money,” said Abbot, who is a member at Wentworth and plays most weekends when work commitments allow. Kingswood is hosting its own annual Pro-Am in aid of Barnados on July 1, with entries being sought for teams of three to be joined by a professional. Teams cost £500, with guests enjoying a round of golf followed by dinner, prize giving, and a guest speaker. For details call Mark Stewart on 01737 357734 or email mwndj@aol.com.
Russ Abbot (centre) with the winning team
The Shire set to Seve Challenge
The Shire was the late Seve Ballesteros’s sole design project in the UK
T
he Shire London, the only golf course in the UK designed by the late Seve Ballesteros, is hosting a number of special tournaments this year, including one to commemorate the passing of the Spanish legend. The Potters Bar-based club has teamed up with The National Golf Club Challenge to host the 2011 final in support of The Seve Ballesteros Foundation. Golfers from clubs across
the country will compete in The National Golf Club Challenge by playing at their local charity fundraiser on July 23 or 24. All money raised will go towards helping The Seve Ballesteros Foundation, which works in partnership with Cancer Research UK to fund research into beating brain cancer. The top four men’s and ladies teams will then battle it out on September 26, and play the Ballesteros Masters’ Course to win the title of
the 2011 Seve Ballesteros Foundation National Golf Club Challenge Champions. The winners will be awarded a stunning trophy made especially for the final, while finalists will have the chance to win some fantastic prizes, including holidays to La Manga Resort in Spain and Marriott Taba Heights in Egypt. Ceri Menai Davis, Events Manager at The Shire, said: “As the only golf course designed by Seve in the UK, it
9
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host Final means a lot to us that we are able to host the final of the National Golf Club Challenge to help support the Foundation that he set up. The Foundation is testament to Seve’s courage and determination, which we all witnessed throughout his life. We look forward to welcoming the finalists in September and to doing our best to raise as much money as possible.” The club is also staging the Father & Son Golf Classic on September 27, which is open to both amateurs and professionals, and can include fathers and grandfathers, as well as stepfathers and stepsons. The event, which costs £125 per pair, will see the winners invited to take part in the European Father & Son’s Grand Final in Portugal from October 24-29. For more details visit www.thesevechallenge. com or email ceri@ theshirelondon.com.
Two-time Open champion Padraig Harrington will officially unveil a new bunker on Prince’s famous Himalayas course at Sandwich on June 1 named in memory of the legendary Gene Sarazen, who won the 1932 Open Championship on the course with the help of a club he invented especially for the event – the modern sand wedge. The original hickoryshafted club used by
Harrington to open ‘Sarazen’ bunker
Sarazen to win his only British Open title will be held by Harrington in the bunker in front of Prince’s club members, owner Michael McGuirk, and staff who built the sand
trap under the direction of head greenkeeper Nick Chidwick and project manager Sean McLean. The new ‘Sarazen bunker’ is located on the left edge of the 9th green,
and covers a bunker played by Sarazen on his way to a five-shot victory over fellow American Macdonald Smith nearly 80 years ago. From that day, the Gene Sarazen Sand Iron was born and, as the R-90, became one of Wilson’s best-selling golf clubs. Sarazen captured six more Majors with his Wilson irons - one of only five players to have won all four Majors – and enjoyed the longest running endorsement in professional sport with Wilson Golf covering 75 years. Harrington will be at Prince’s to declare the bunker open at 11am on Wednesday, June 1.
O’Connor bags Oxon crown Katherine O’Connor retained the Oxfordshire Ladies Championship after a dominant display at Burford. The 21-yearold Tadmarton Heath member defeated Tilly Magill (Woburn) 4&3 in the final to collect the title for the third time. O’Connor also dominated the 36-hole qualifying event, finishing six shots clear of the field, before storming her way through the matchplay rounds.
Marathon men head for Wales
Birchwood hosts Open Day It was fun in the sun for scores of families at a successful Open Weekend held at Birchwood Park Golf Centre in Kent over the Easter weekend. Around 400 visitors enjoyed a host of free golf and nongolf-related attractions at the popular Dartford-based venue. The centre’s par-3 Orchard Course offered free rounds to allow new golfers, while those not quite ready for the course were able to test out their skills on the 41-bay driving range, where Birchwood Park’s PGA Professionals gave lessons to beginners. There was also a ‘Beat the Pro’ competition for those visitors who felt brave enough to try to outdrive the experts, which was won by Dan Roberts. Other activities during the weekend included a petting zoo, falconry and bird sanctuary displays, bouncy castle, face painting and a Sunday carvery. To complete the weekend’s events, 500 balloons were released for Kent Air Ambulance.
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Four golfers from Redhill in Surrey are swinging into action for a charity campaign in a marathon dawn-to-dusk challenge. The four will be taking part in a 72-hole fourcourse game to raise money for people with incurable muscle-wasting conditions. Team captain Andrew Mountney will be leading friends Alex Walker, Steve Hadfield and Jonny Purchase in the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign’s Four Course Classic on June 24.
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Three stylish Druh Belts up for grabs!
Golfnews has teamed up with those stylish people at Druh Belts & Buckles to offer three lucky readers the chance to pimp up their golfing wardrobe this summer with a fully customised belt from the brand’s 2011 range
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ruh Belts & Buckles, a unique range of stylish belts and buckles in sumptuous classic and chic casual styles, has quickly become the must-have belt in golf. Perfect for discerning golfers who like to look good on and off the course, Druh is already the preferred belt for numerous tour golfers, including World No.1 Lee Westwood, snappy dresser Robert Karlsson and top Dane Thomas Bjorn, while on the ladies tour, the flamboyant American Christina Kim, Swede Sophie Gustafson and Korea’s Jimin Kang, all favour Druh’s unique designs. The beautifully-handmade Druh range has made an immediate impact on the golf world thanks to its excellent selection of colourful leather belts in different embossed styles, from crocodile to ostrich effect, and its unusual range of water snakeskin belts that come in traditional black, brown and blue, as well as funky pastels and metallics. Druh also offers a great choice of buckles in brushed nickel, polished silver or gold, vibrant ceramics and dazzlingly diamante that allows golfers to design their very own individual belt by picking a personal belt and buckle combination. Each belt comes with a buckle of choice plus a standard signature ‘db’ buckle, which is fully interchangeable at the press of a popper, meaning that each belt can be customised by the golfer andmade to look smart on the course and more casual for leisure time. Druh Belts & Buckles retail at £125 for snakeskin and £79 and can be ordered through www.druhbeltsandbuckles.com.
TO ENTER: To win a Druh Belt of your choice, all you have to do is answer the question below correctly and email it to: info@golfnews.co.uk (with ‘Druh competition’ in the subject line), including your name, address and telephone number. The final date for receipt of entries is June 30, 2011. Winners will be contacted immediately after that date. QUESTION: Which top English golfer has recently signed up as a Druh brand ambassador? 1. Ross Fisher 2. Lee Westwood 3. Paul Casey
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Under the management of Mytime Golf, High Elms Golf Club and Bromley Golf Centre are spearheading a new generation of quality venues offering affordable golf
D
espite the radical cuts made to local government budgets in recent months, it is heartening to know that some local councils still regard funds spent on affordable golf facilities as money well spent. Of course, there are all sorts of arguments about what sports should and shouldn’t be a drain on public resources, but no doubt Golf News readers will be with me when it comes to extolling the social and physical virtues of a game that you can begin in nappies and carry on until you’re back in them again. Of course, local councils aren’t really equipped to manage golf clubs, so, as with many specialist services, these operational contracts have been outsourced to companies that do know what they’re doing when it comes to golf. One such outfit is Mytime Active, a Bromley-based social enterprise specialising in running health and leisure services for local authorities. Mytime first launched into the golf business just three years ago, but already well into 2011, Mytime Golf – the golfing arm of the operation – is now one of the bigger fish in the golfing pond, with a group of diverse golf venues across the South East that has now reached double figures. One of the many positive elements of Mytime’s involvement in golf is that its status as a charitable trust means that 100 per cent of its profits are reinvested into the business, so golfers get to see the benefits of continual investment into their local golf facility. An obvious hit with local authorities, which generally don’t want to see public funds turned into private profits, Mytime Golf has experienced a rapid growth curve over the last two years, and has successfully developed a brand reputation for delivering great value golfing experiences. This has resulted in thousands of golfers – of all ages, gender and skill level – being welcomed through the doors of its clubs each week. And, as these numbers grow, so does Mytime’s ability to offer quality golf at affordable prices. The company’s expansion into golf started with two courses in South East London – Bromley Golf Centre and High Elms Golf Club, both of which are now at the forefront of developing a unique Academy product and have undergone refurbishment work to the courses. Bromley Golf Centre, which is just a drive and a 9-iron from the town centre, has woven itself into the fabric of the local community during the years since it first opened, providing a welcoming and affordable place for golfers young and old to enjoy the game. Incorporating a full-size 9hole parkland course and a 20-bay, floodlit driving range, Bromley is the ideal venue to both play and practise. Open from 7am until 9pm every day during the summer, the range features new automated PowerTees, which make learning the game fun and convenient, while the venue is also home to the Mytime Golf Academy, a state-of-the-art teaching facility which offers heated teaching bays, Explanar swing training systems and a T.O.M.I. putting motion analysis area. The centre also has
Make time for Mytime The practice facilities at Bromley are of the highest quality
a team of qualified PGA staff that is always on hand to provide quality coaching at affordable prices. And with a comprehensive programme of lessons and instruction courses available for beginners, ladies, juniors and adults, there’s no excuse not to take your game to the next level. To make the most of these outstanding facilities, Bromley has recently launched aacademy membership, costing just £40 per year, which offers customers significant discounts on range balls, a free monthly golf clinic, entry into a sponsored tournament, and free custom fitting on all golf clubs bought from the pro shop. Golfers who register now will also receive a loyalty card which offers further discounts on greens fees and range balls – and even a free drink. The adjacent 9-hole, 2,795-yard course is an ideal place for beginners to put their practice into practice, so to speak, and develop their game before moving onto an 18-hole course, such as nearby High Elms or Cobtree Manor, both of which are run by Mytime. That said, the course, which offers one par five, six par fours and two par threes, is still a stimulating test for experienced players, with water hazards and well-protected greens making for a good challenge. And with some of the par fours measuring well under 300 yards, there is also the opportunity for longer hitters to go for the greens in one, offering chances for eagles and that rarest of birds, the albatross. Mytime has continually invested in all its facilities, and last year saw the launch of a brand new café and pro shop at Bromley, while expenditure out on the course has made playing conditions better than ever. With 9-hole green fees available from just
High Elms Golf Club offers a quality experience at extremely affordable rates
An example of the magnificent greens on offer at High Elms
£10.50 during the week and £13.50 at weekends, and society packages starting from £11, it is no wonder Bromley has been experiencing a significant surge in interest from local golfers. A variety of membership packages are also available, with seven-day membership, offering unlimited golf at Bromley and High Elms, costing £860, and five-day membership is £588, or £390 for Bromley only. For those with less time on their hands, the new Registered Card offers a 20% reduction on green fees for a one-off outlay of £39.95, while golfers can also pay an annual fee of £275 and then pay £4 for every round they play. Continue a few minutes down the road from Bromley, and you’ll arrive at High Elms, an established 18-hole venue nestled deep inside the stunning High Elms Country Park which was once a woodland playground for Charles Darwin to foster his horticultural specimens. The 6,221-yard, par-71 layout features many tree-lined fairways and strategically-placed bunkers, which call for accurate driving and precision approach shots. With small, sloping, and deceptively fast greens, and some significant changes in elevation, it presents a proper test that will require the use of every club in the bag – most of them on the notoriously difficult 13th, an uphill par three measuring 224 yards. Other fun holes include the second, a short dog-leg par four, which offers a tantalising glimpse of the green through the woods from the tee, while the sweeping downhill dog-leg 14th is another to set the pulses racing, along with the 158-yard 16th, with its elevated tee providing a stunning view of the green below. With excellent bar and restaurant facilities, High Elms is a particular favourite with societies, as well as for private functions. And to make group outings even more enjoyable, Mytime offers a complete golf day management service, including a website enabling golfers to register their attendance and receive event news and updates. All society bookings at either venue can be made directly with sales manager Sally Taylor, whose extensive experience in the smooth-running of golf days will ensure your every need is catered for. Visitors can book tee times in advance
at either venue, or take advantage of a booking card, which offers six-day advanced bookings. Green fees are £21 for adults during the week, £23 on Fridays and £28.50 at weekends, with seniors and juniors paying £13.50, £15.50 and £15.50 (after 12pm) respectively. Recent course and clubhouse improvements have been made, and ambitious future plans are in the pipeline, including the creation of a seven-hole short game academy, which will make High Elms one of the finest public golf courses in the country, and a place to be enjoyed by future generations. So the next time you want to enjoy a friendly round of golf, practise your skills, take a lesson, or invest in some new equipment, you only need to remember one word – Mytime. TEE TIMES AND SOCIETY BOOKINGS To book a tee time at any of the MyTime courses, visit www.mytimegolf.org.uk and follow the links. Society bookings and membership enquiries should be made with Sally Taylor at sally.taylor@mytimeactive.org. uk or by calling 01689 858175.
Two Great Offers for Golf News Readers Golf News readers can receive a FREE academy membership at Bromley Golf Centre by quoting ‘GN-ACADEMY’ when registering. This will entitle you to receive range balls at a member’s discount, attend a free golf clinic every month, take part in a sponsored tournament, and receive free custom fitting for all golf club purchases made in the pro shop. Readers can also receive a discounted Registered Card for High Elms by quoting ‘GN-REGCARD’ when registering. This will entitle you to receive one of High Elms registered cards for only £29.99, offering savings of up to 20% on every green fee until March 31, 2012.
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The world of golf lost an old friend and a generous s of former boxing heavyweight champion Sir Henry
Our ‘Enry leaves his
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hile legions of boxing fans will look back with pride over Sir Henry Cooper’s achievements inside the ring, which included numerous British and Commonwealth titles during his 20-year career, he went on to become one of the true sporting icons of the 20th century, transcending the boundaries of a sport that has lost much of its public appeal in recent years. The first person to win the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award twice (1967 and 1970), Cooper was a much-loved public figure, whose gentle nature and charismatic personality outside the ring won him as many fans as his brutal left hook (aka Henry’s Hammer) did inside it. Awarded an OBE in 1969, he was finally knighted in 2000, an honour which many regarded as long overdue. Throughout his boxing career, Cooper liked to get away from his punishing training schedule by playing golf, and, following his retirement in 1971, he was rarely seen without a club in his hand. A mainstay of the celebrity golf circuit that developed during that period, Cooper hosted the Wang Four Stars Tournament (earlier known as the Bob Hope British Classic), which was held at Moor Park Golf Club in Hertfordshire between 1980-1990. A fully-fledged European Tour event, it brought together professionals and celebrities from all over the world, and drew in huge crowds to see the
by Nick Bayly likes of Lee Trevino and a young Bernhard Langer compete alongside actors such as Sean Connery and Telly Savalas, and TV personalities including Terry Wogan, Jimmy Tarbuck and Ronnie Corbett. Cooper was a huge supporter of charity throughout his life, channeling his love of golf as a way of raising money for many deserving causes. A past captain of The Variety Golf Society, he was also its chairman at the time of his death and continued to play an active role in all the big events right up until ill health took its toll of his public outings. Peter Stovold, the society’s executive director, said: “Sir Henry held a special place in the affections of all of us, and we were always so pleased when he was able to join us out on the golf course. “On those days, and at so many events associated with Variety Club, he was just ‘one of the boys’ and we felt privileged to be in his company. I know that a great number of members will retain fond memories of the day they played golf
Sir Henry at the opening of Lingfield’s new academy in November last year
Sir Henry presented the trophy at the 2008 European Open held at London Golf Club
with ‘Our ‘Enery’. I will always be immensely proud to say that I knew him and worked with him on behalf of all the kids that The Variety Club Golf Society supports. We shall all miss him and the great contribution he
Penge scoops Laddie Lucas Spoon Sussex youth sensation Marco Penge claimed another significant achievement in his young career when capturing the Laddie Lucas Spoon at Prince’s Golf Club in Kent. Penge, who is just 12 and already plays off three, won the coveted title, which is open to boys and girls aged between eight and 13, with an impressive gross three-under par 69 over the 6,500-yard course. In the scratch strokeplay event, Penge was eight shots clear of runner-up Dylan Mahmut from Romford, while his 42 points saw him finish two points clear of Mahmut, who plays off nine, in the Stableford competition. Last year Penge lost in a three-way countback for the title, making him even more determined to win the event, which has in the past been won by the likes of Justin Rose, Oliver Fisher and Jonathan Bell. The little hickory-shafted spoon, which is donated to the winner each year, was the first prize local golf hero ‘Laddie’ Lucas ever won in a competition. He won it, aged five years and eleven months, in a Junior Open Event for under thirteen year olds at North Foreland, where the professional, Abe Mitchell, had it specially made for him by his clubmaker.
made to the charity over so many years.” Cooper never lost touch with his boxing roots, and set up The Sir Henry Cooper Golf Classic in 2000, a tournament based at Muswell Hill Golf Club which helped raise money
Kelly win Wentworth-based professional Jason Kelly won the inaugural Pro-Am Tour in Dubai, which featured play on four of Dubai’s finest courses, including the prestigious European Tour venues at Emirates Golf Club – Majlis Course, and The Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates. Kelly, who is playing in Europe on the Alps Tour this summer, was thrilled to record his second win on The ProAm Tour, saying: “I will take a lot of confidence from this win, especially as we played such great golf courses,
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supporter last month, with the passing Cooper, one of life’s true gentlemen
Treat Yourself...
s mark
for ex-London boxers who had fallen on hard times. He played in every tournament, with only poor health ruling him out of last year’s event, which was held in July. The tournament raised more than £37,000 over a 10year period, and attracted a Who’s Who of British boxing stars during that time, including former world champions John Conteh, Alan Minter, Charlie Magri, John Stracey, Billy Schwer and Dave ‘Boy’Green, to name but a few. A left-handed golfer of some skill – his handicap was as low as nine – Cooper was a member at The London Club in Brands Hatch for many years, and among his many public duties for the club was called upon to present
the winner’s trophy for the European Open in 2008, which he handed over to Surrey professional Ross Fisher. A sporting inspiration to many kids growing up, he also gave his name to The Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters, a tournament for young amateurs golfers that began in 1998 and takes place in June every year at Nizels Golf Club in Kent, where he also served as chairman. The tournament always attracts a strong field of rising stars, with players travelling from all over Europe to take part. Previous winners of the 36-hole event include Zane Scotland, Matt Richardson and Tom Lewis, while recent European Tour winners David Horsey and Rhys Davies also took part during the early part of their amateur careers. Sir Henry attended the final day’s play at Nizels last year, handing over the prestigious trophy to Woodhall Spa’s Nathan Kimsey. Although ill health prevented him playing golf during his final monts, Sir Henry’s last public golf
engagement was at Lingfield Park Golf Club in November, where, as patron for the club for the last 20 years, he was asked to officially open the club’s new golf academy. Speaking on behalf of the club, Operations Manager Chris Morley said: “Along with his many fans, everyone involved in Lingfield Park Racecourse and Golf Club were very sad to learn of the passing of Sir Henry. He was a great supporter of Lingfield Park, holding a longstanding position of patron of the golf club for over 20 years. Just a few months ago he opened the new golf academy, which forms part of the Marriott Hotel at Lingfield. As ever, he made a wonderful impromptu speech, joking that he would be trying out all the new practice facilities. “Back in 2003, he also kindly opened the refurbished grandstand on the racecourse, where a plaque inscribed with his name has pride of place. Over the years he attended many functions at both the racecourse and the golf club, and entertained many hundreds of fans. “As a good friend to many of the Lingfield staff and customers, he will be truly missed.” Sir Henry, who lived in Hildenborough, near Tonbridge, up until 2008, died at his son’s house in Oxted on April 30th, aged 76. His wife, Albina, died in 2008, while his twin brother, George, who was also a professional boxer, died in April last year. Both events were believed to have contributed to his sudden decline.
ns in Dubai showdown
Winning Dubai professional Jason Kelly (left) receives the trophy from The Pro-Am Tour Sheikh John Hooper which annually test the world’s best players. Dubai is a fantastic destination for a Pro-Am Tour event, which was once again very well
organised and attracted a great group of competitors.” Garry Parker narrowly beat his fellow Knebworth professional James Pratt
into second place in the professional individual event, while Simon Boyd led his Sotogrande-based team of Simon Ingram, Oliver Ingram and Toby Ingram to victory in the Pro-Am team event. The Pro-Am Tour in Dubai is just one of a series of Pro-Am Tour events, which include The Sawgrass Classic, The ProAm Tour at Pebble Beach, The California Classic, The Arizona Classic, The Scottsdale Classic, and The Las Vegas Classic Pro-Am.
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18 Profile
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inning the BMW PGA Championship has been the kiss of death, competitively speaking, for a number of players in recent years, with David Howell (2006), Scott Drummond (2004), Ignacio Garrido (2003) and Andrew Oldcorn (2001), all spectacularly failing to build on their moment in the sun at Wentworth. None have come even close to scaling those dizzy heights after success at the European Tour’s flagship event, and none have won a tournament since. Not that any of this is keeping Simon Khan awake at night. Since winning the championship in such dramatic fashion last May, the biggest pay day Khan has managed is the €11,166 he pocketed for coming 20th in the Sicilian Open in March, which has also been his highest finish. But when you’ve just bagged €750,000 for four day’s work, and can almost afford to live off the interest alone, you could forgive Khan for not overly worrying about how he’s going to pay the bills for the next few years, given that it represents more than a lifetime’s earnings for most people. In fact, you could hardily blame him if he packed it up altogether and sat in the garden all day and played swingball with his daughter. Not all golfers can aspire to win majors, and for some the opportunity to win a title doesn’t come around very often and has to be grasped with both hands. And Simon Khan did just that. In the aftermath of his surprise win, Khan was described in all sorts of ways by the media, with no adjective being more demeaning than the dreaded ‘J’ word – ‘journeyman’ that was banded around. I don’t know about you, but someone who has won close to €5 million in a
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20-year career doesn’t qualify as a journeyman in my book. And even if between his two wins his form has been average, it has still been quite some journey. Khan’s story is one to warm the heart of all sports fans that cherish the idea of the underdog having his day. And despite his sizeable prize haul, Khan was definitely an underdog when he arrived at Wentworth last year, ranked 471st in the world. Having lost his card at the end of the 2009 season, Khan earned his place back on the tour through qualifying school – which he won – and only got into the BMW PGA Championship on a sponsor’s invitation. Little did he know it at the time, but it proved to be a lifeline like no other. “To realise my card had gone was the worst I have ever felt, while winning at Wentworth has to be the best,” say Khan, who turned pro aged 17 in 1991. “This tournament is the reason I started playing golf and I was elated just be given the chance to play in it, so to win it just
So simple for Simon: Khan with the BMW PGA Championship trophy in 2010
but instead they got another Englishman, and the cheers were just as loud. The look on Khan’s face as he sunk what turned out to be the winning putt said it all, and summed up all the emotions for golfers who live for the moment when it all comes together. Just five months earlier, Khan had broken down in tears when he lost his Tour card at the Hong Kong Open, where he
“This tournament is the reason I started playing golf and I was elated just be given the chance to play in it, so to win it just meant everything.” meant everything.” On an attritional final day at the redesigned West Course, Khan was seven shots off the lead, with 10 players – including Luke Donald, Paul Casey and Padraig Harrington – standing between him and the trophy. But this was a day when the cream sank to the bottom, leaving the way open for Khan to overturn a record deficit for the tournament, shooting a six-under par 66 to win by one stroke from Sweden’s Fredrik Andersson Hed. Thousands of fans had come to cheer home local boy Donald,
came up $40,000 short of the required target. His career was in tatters, and with wife Lesley and four-year-old daughter Ruby to provide for, he was unsure where the next pay cheque was coming from. Yet here, at Wentworth, where his golfing dream had first begun, Khan was in tears again after securing his family’s financial future with the £640,000 winner’s cheque. As well as the prize money, victory provided the security of a five-year European Tour exemption, as well as an invitation to play in The Open for
the next three years, and several other high profile events. Introduced to the game by his grandfather, Khan played for Essex at county level before turning professional at the age of 17. A member at Chingford Golf Club since he was a boy, one of his proudest moments following his win at Wentworth was to take back the trophy to the old club to show it off, and the celebration that followed lasted long into the night. Despite the parties with friends and family, Kahn is still bothered by the fact that he didn’t take time out from his playing schedule to sit back and fully appreciate what he had done. Instead he did what most players in his situation do and played in every tournament going, hoping that the magic would somehow carry on. Instead, it worked out quite the opposite, with tiredness and a devil-may-care attitude about making cuts, resulting in a season that petered out rather tamely. “I was really drained by the end of the season, and was kind of going through the motions at some events, knowing in the back of my mind that I’ve got those exemptions and the money in the bank,” says Khan. “But I’ve got to put that
all behind me now, and try and treat every event like it’s a major or a big tournament, otherwise I’ll be in danger of losing my enthusiasm for the game, which I never want to happen.” It’s the irony for many players of Khan’s ilk, that the very thing that drives them forward, that makes them want to get out of bed in the morning to go and bash balls on the driving range all day – all for the dream of winning a big tournament – is also the thing that makes them want to give it all up. Joining the game’s elite has been something of a culture shock for the Epping-born Kahn, who had to wait 13 long years for his first win at the Celtic Manor Wales Open in 2004, where he beat Paul Casey in a play-off. Hearing his name called out by the starter at the US PGA Championship last August, and at the World Golf Championships, has been a slightly surreal experience for a man brought up on a diet of low-key Tour events in far flung corners of the world. Along with the trappings that such wins bring, comes new commercial responsibilities, thus Khan has launched his own website – simonkhangolf.com – while he has also signed up with a new management company to make the most of his elevated status. Recent results, by Khan’s own admission, have been patchy, with his world ranking having dropped back to 174th from the dizzy heights of 106th following his win. But four months into the new season, and on the eve of defending his title at Wentworth, Khan is back fine tuning his game with short game coach Pete Cowen and swing guru Matt Belsham, in a bid to regain some of the magic that saw him take on and beat some of the world’s best players. Who knows, he might just do it again.
Twelve months after Essex tour pro Simon Khan turned his life around with a stunning victory in the 2010 BMW PGA Championship, he’s back to defend his title a much happier, and wealthier, man
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Par 3 Champs offers big money prize
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n impressive top prize of £15,000 is on offer to the winner of the Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship, which takes place at Nailcote Hall in Warwickshire from August 9-12. This unique event continues to break with convention, and this year is no exception, with the prize for this year’s winner increasing by £10,000, while the overall prize fund has risen to £46,000. The current highest prize money for a PGA event in the UK currently stands at £10,000 for the winner of the Glenmuir Championship held at the Belfry, but the sum on offer at Nailcote eclipses that by some margin. The increase in the prize fund reflects the ongoing commitment by the event organiser to increase interest in one of the most unique golf events in the UK, which sees professionals from all levels of the game compete over one of the most thrilling short course layouts in the country. Over the last three years, Nailcote Hall has seen the likes of European Tour stars Robert Rock, Gary
Boyd, Oliver Fisher, Graeme Storm, Gary Wolstenholme and David Dixon compete in the championship, and the sizeable prize funds looks sure to attract some big names when the event gets under way again in August. Two-time major winner Tony Jacklin will once again host the event, and he has invited close friend
Fleetwood rises to English Challenge
Teen wins Hertfordshire title
Rising star Tommy Fleetwood will be hoping to go one better when the English Challenge returns to Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf & Spa near Colchester, Essex, from July 21-24. Aged just 19, and still an amateur, Fleetwood finished one stroke behind Australia’s Daniel Gaunt at the inaugural edition of the €160,000 event last year, but with a year’s experience as a pro under his belt he is confident of making another bold bid over the Gainsborough Course. He said: “I had a great run at the English Challenge last year, and although I came up just short, it gave me the confidence that I could hold my own on the Challenge Tour. I’m really looking forward to going back to Stoke by Nayland to see if I can go one better.”
Tony Jacklin plays host at the British Par 3 Championship at Nailcote Hall
Past winner Richard O’Hanlon with Robert Rock.
Thirteen-year-old Ella Ofstedahl became England’s youngest-ever county champion when she won the Hertfordshire title in an all-teen final held at Moor Park. The Mill Green member beat off the challenge of another talented 13-year-old, English U13 champion
Larry Laoretti, winner of the 1992 US Senior Open, to compete this year. The American will be the first professional from the US to compete in the tournament. Sandwiched either side of the championship are two Celeb-Am days that regularly attract a strong cast of celebrities drawn from sport, stage and screen, including Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Bobby Charlton, Len Goodman, Peter Shilton, Peter Schmeichel, Jasper Carrot and William Roache. A new prize structure for the host of European Senior Tour professionals attending the event has been put in place to increase the level of competition and strengthen the field. The professional with the lowest score over the age of 60
Alice Hewson from Berkhampsted, in a gripping final over the High Course, eventually emerging the winner by a margin of 3&2. Ofstedahl knocked out top qualifier Steph McEvoy (Old Fold Manor) 2&1 in the semi-finals, while Hewson defeated defending champion Alison Franklin
will receive £5,000, while second and third place will receive £3,000 and £2,000 respectively. This additional change to the prize structure could see players over the age of 60 winning not only the Super Senior first prize, but the main championship first prize, taking potential earnings to £20,000. Rick Cressman, owner of Nailcote Hall, is excited by the increased prize fund and the changes to the prize structure. He said: “The changes that we have made to the prize fund for this year’s Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship confirm the event is one of the most important and exciting events on the PGA Calendar. With star names from the past, the introduction of the Super Seniors’ prize fund is particularly appropriate for the over 60s, and this will provide a real competitive edge for these players. I am sure that the changes will make the event even more compelling viewing for all of the spectators who attend the event and viewers watching it on Sky Sports.” For more information please visit: www.openpar3 championship.co.uk
(Harpenden) by the same margin. The final was another close match and with two birdies apiece on the front nine, the players were all square at the halfway stage. However Ofstedahl played the more consistent golf over the back nine and eventually won 3&2. Hewson returned the best net score in qualifying to win the Anne Pyke Trophy for the second year in a row. Ofstedahl, who celebrated her 13th birthday at the end of September, took up golf aged six, joining the Tiger Academy at Mill Green. Progressing through Young Masters Golf coaching programmes and the Wee Wonders Championship, she has been ladies champion at Mill Green for the past two years.
Long sentence for golf course murderer A 21-year-old man has been jailed for 19 years after being found guilty of murdering a man whose badly burned body was found on a golf course in East Sussex. The body of Stefan Welch, 36, was discovered between the 17th and 18th holes at Dyke Golf Club near Brighton on September 4 last year. Welch died from head injuries and his body was dumped and set alight on the golf course. Jurors at Lewes Crown Court found Sean Iran, of Portslade, guilty of murdering Welch, while his father and brother were sentenced to seven and six years respectively for helping to hide evidence of the crime.
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22 News
THE OPEN ISSUE 200th Edition
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Scrum down at Burhill The academies of Burhill Golf Club and the London Irish rugby team came face to face recently, as young golfers joined the Premiership club’s stars for the day. Twelve year-olds James Olrog, Cameron Marshall and Connor Norris, along with 13 year-old Nick Shilton, watched first team training before meeting a number of the players, including England World Cup winner Mike Catt, Chris Malone, Bob Casey, Jonathan Joseph and the Armitage brothers, Delon and Steffon. Following training the boys were able to quiz the stars on their training routines and in return the rugby players were just as interested in learning some golfing tips from the youngsters – especially Delon Armitage who was keen to improve his golf as he kept ‘embarrassing himself at charity golf days’. Gill Fee, Burhill Golf Club Sales and Marketing Manager, who helped to plan the trip with London Irish Academy Manager Neal Hatley, was full of praise for the Premiership stars. “The London Irish team could not have been more welcoming,” said Gill. “They were all happy to answer questions from the boys and ask plenty of their own, too.” Burhill Golf Club’s academy has developing a number of youngsters who have gone on to play professionally, including world number seven Paul Casey.
Also view online at www.golfnews.co.uk London Irish rugby stars Chris Malone, Jonathan Joseph, Mike Catt and Delon Armitage with Burhill youngsters and Burhill’s Gill Fee
Spring & Summer Savers
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olfers in Kent can avail themselves of some quality new practice facilities following the opening of the new Golf Academy at Tenterden Golf Club. The state of the art facility was officially opened by the Mayor of Tenterden, Alan Sugden, on May 8,
which was followed by an Open Day, where local golfers of all ages were able to try their try their hand at the game, many for the first time. PGA Professional Richard Silman and assistant Harry Shearing were on hand to offer tips and advice during the open day and there were competitions and a
Williams wins English
Get your hands on our Pre-Open and 200th issue out next month.
CREWS HILL GOLF CLUB
Tenterden unveils
Hertfordshire’s Lucy Williams won the 2011 English Women’s Amateur Championship, when she defeated 15-year-old Charley Hull on the 19th hole of a thrilling final held at West Sussex Golf Club in Pulborough. Williams came back from one down after
Urban golfer enjoys the outdoor life! Buckinghamshire’s Steve Smith swapped indoor golf for Cambridgeshire’s windy Gog Magog course to win the Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship East Region qualifier. Smith, who is based in Marlow, but was representing London’s Urban Golf, was one of just two players to go under par. And now he will join 14 other players from the East Region at The Belfry for the Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship, which will be played over the
PGA National course from June 14-17. Smith qualified for the final at Moortown three years ago - but admits that the outdoor life is almost
alien to him these days after pipping Michael Few of Norwich’s Weston Park club by two shots. He said: “It was very blowy and difficult out there
- the wind was coming at me sideways, which is not what someone who plays most of his golf indoors is used to! I only play outdoors a handful of times each year, as I’m the head professional at Urban Golf. We help London-centric players get a game of golf in the city, where we have three venues and another one planned. It means people can get their fix of competitive golf. It was a bit of a gamble, but it’s been going well. But I do like to get out and play on grass every now and again!”
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Tailored golf society packages available. The above rates apply to parties of 8 or more players between: 1st April and the 30th October 2011 Crews Hill Golf Club is less than 4 miles off the M25 Junctions 24 or 25. A tremendous Harry Colt parkland course. Middlesex County venue for matches & championships.
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Crews Hill Golf Club, Cattlegate Road, Enfield, EN2 8AZ
The London Club and Bearwood Lakes are among five venues chosen to host qualifying events for the recently-launched British Airways Pairs Championship, an amateur tournament which offers the regional winners an all expenses-paid trip to The Bahamas to take part in the grand final. The betterball handicap tournament will see one winning pair from each of five UK events progress through to the final held at five-star Sandals Emerald Bay in Great Exuma in January 2012. The prize includes flights with British Airways, accommodation, unlimited food and drink, and green fees on the resort’s Greg Normandesigned championship course for the 36-hole grand final. The entry fee for the qualifying events is £400 per team, and includes a welcome bag for each player, containing over £100 worth
Bearwood Lakes
Bahamas awaits BA Pairs winners of products from Cleveland Golf and Srixon, breakfast on arrival, free use of the practice facilities, 18 holes of golf and a two-course dinner. Prizes, which go down to the fifthplaced pair, include TAG Heuer watches, Nikon rangefinders, Cleveland wedges
and Srixon golf balls. The London Club is hosting its qualifier on August 25, while the Bearwood Lakes’ event takes place on September 21. For more information and registration visit www.pairschampionship.com.
News 23
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s new academy
prize draw, offering free membership to the club. The academy comprises grass tees on the driving range, as well as new covered bays that have been fitted with True Strike mats, for better ball striking. The range itself now features a series of strategically-placed target greens, as well as high
visibility yardage markers. There is also a practice bunker, a chipping area and practice putting green. The academy is equipped with many of the latest training aids, including the Explanar Swing Trainer. Speaking after the launch, Richard Silman said: “The day went brilliantly, and it’s great that we have been able to introduce lots of new players to the game. It is very important to us here at Tenterden to form strong links in the local community, and to be recognised as a club that welcomes and caters for a ll categories of golfer.” To find out more about the Academy and how to sign up for individual or group lessons, visit www. tenterdengolfclub.co.uk or call 01580 763987.
h Women’s Amateur 16 to snatch the title on the 19th with a birdie, eagle, birdie finish. This was the first time Williams has played in the event, which clashed with school and then university commitments, when she was a student at Birmingham on the Talented
Athlete Scholarship Scheme. Now, with her degree under her belt she’s taking her parents up on a promise of a year of golf. The finalists were both well under par for their rounds, and treated a large crowd of spectators to a superb final.
SUSSEX BY THE SEA
Experience breathtaking views from Seaford Head Golf Course
Hull secures Welsh title England international Charley Hull led from start to finish to win the 54hole Welsh ladies’ open strokeplay championship at Tenby. The 15-year-old from Woburn looked as though she would run away with the title after she opened up a five-shot lead with a level par 72, but she eventually secured the victory by just one stroke after closing with a 79, allowing runnerup Lucy Gould to make up ground with a 75. Victory in Wales saw Hull become the highestranked English female amateur golfer in the world, according to the official website of the World Amateur Golf Ranking, which is managed the R&A and the USGA. The new website combines both the new women’s rankings and the men’s rankings, which were first established five years ago.
Chart Hills Performance Centre raises the bar
Building on its reputation as a centre for excellence, Chart Hills Golf Club has recently opened the Golf Performance Centre, which aims to bring together the club’s team of PGA professionals alongside experts in the field of sports biomechanics, physiology, psychology and nutrition to provide a completely holistic approach to golf coaching. Open to existing golf members free of charge, the Golf Performance Centre will also be open to golfers from outside the club who are looking to take their game to the next level. For a 12-month membership fee of £500, Golf Performance Centre members will have access to all of the world-class practice facilities at Chart Hills, as well as the changing
rooms, clubhouse, bar, restaurant and lounge. Other benefits include 80 practice balls for every visit, invitations to attend six outdoor PGA workshops and six ‘Mind to Perform’ golf psychology workshops. Members will also receive a free subscription to the Mind to Perform website and e-newsletter, and be given a 10% discount on all needs assessment sessions. Each centre member will also receive a membership bag tag and an exclusive gift as part of their joining package. The Performance Centre’s team is headed up by Director of Golf and respected coach James Cornish, who has been at the club since 2004, who will be ably assisted by PGA Level II coach Anthony Froom and PGA
Advanced Profoessional Karl Steptoe, who is running the psychology element of the coaching. Rosemary Livesley, a qualified sports therapist, will be looking after the physical elements of golf improvement. Her area of expertise involves designing bespoke exercise plans, injury management, deep tissue massage, nutrition and dietary analysis. One-to-one coaching sessions start from £45 for 45 minutes, rising to £200 for a package of five lessons. Players of all skill levels are also welcome to enjoy the benefits of the trainning sessions and private golf lessons without being members of the performance centre. For more details call 01580 291148 or email jamesc@charthills.co.uk.
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Column 25
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NickBayly
Golf News’ editor reveals what has caught his eye in the golfing headlines in recent weeks email: editor@golfnews.co.uk
St Andrews lets in women – through the back door
A
fter much harrumphing, it looks like the less than honourable all-male members of St Andrews Golf Club have finally been dragged by their hair-shirted waistcoats into the 21st century, after word got out the club is on the cusp of agreeing to let women join in the jolly japes that go on behind the closed doors of the vast Victorian mansion that sits behind the Old Course’s 18th green. The 168-year-club has been forced into changing its constitution in order to comply with new equality laws. The Equality Act 2010 does not ban single-sex clubs, but does not allow private clubs to discriminate on the basis of gender. In a letter to members, club officials wrote that a ban on women could be a ‘retrograde step’ and set out three options in order to comply with the legislation. The letter reads: “Firstly, it could operate as at present, with members and their male guests being permitted
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club is under pressure to fall into line with new gender equality legislation
to use the members’ lounge. This would result in no lady guests being permitted at all in the clubhouse, as all guests must be given the same rights of access under the Act.” The second option would see the members’ lounge used for members only, while a third option allows members and guests into all public areas of the clubhouse, whatever their gender. The letter adds: “After much discussion, the management is recommending that option three be adopted as the best way of safeguarding the long-term
wellbeing of St Andrews Golf Club.” Well hurrah for them. Heaven forbid that women should be corralled into some cupboard in the corner of the snooker room, or kept in the kitchen on washing up duties. Despite the imminent change at the St Andrews Golf Club, the situation at the world-famous Royal and Ancient Golf Club remains unclear. It has never admitted a female member since its establishment in May 1754, and it has stated that it is ‘aware of the new laws and will act accordingly’. Don’t hold your breath.
Darren manages ‘magnificent seven’ at Sunningdale Grassed up by world No 1 Lee Westwood, who texted the show, a sheepish Darren Clarke called in to admit his guilt. “Those sandwiches are great for a hangover and I think I was particularly hungover that morning,” he laughed. Pressed by Evans, who received a further text from Westwood speculating that Clarke may, in fact, have polished off eight not seven sarnies, Clarke admitted: “That might be true...” I have to admit to having enjoyed more than my fair share of the aforementioned bread and pork-based comestibles during rounds at Sunningdale, while the sandwiches at Wentworth’s famous hut, which isn’t really half-way, are also well worth stopping for. Where’s your favourite half-way house, and what makes it so special? I think we need to know.
sp for we Se ec m bs e ia o it l nt e o h ff ly er s
We all love a bite to eat during a round of golf, but how far have you taken the traditional snack at the halfway house? Darren Clarke, fresh from his success in Majorca, had Chris Evans’ BBC2 Breakfast Show listeners laughing on May 17, when he admitted to being guilty of eating seven sausage sandwiches in one sitting at Sunningdale Golf Club. ‘Sausagesandwichgate’ unfolded after Evans explained how during a round at the course he’d popped into the halfway hut and tucked into a sausage sandwich, only for staff to tell him that ‘someone famous called Darren’ had once wolfed down seven of them. Intrigued, Evans called on his listeners to shed light on the mystery Darren - was it indeed Clarke, or maybe even equally-portly cricket legend Gough?
‘Welcomes all golfers’ Membership & Society golf available Kings Hill Golf Club, Fortune Way, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4GF. Tel: 01732 875040
website: www.kingshillgolf.co.uk
Liam finds golf .... and God Golfers of a sensitive disposition who tread the fairways of golf courses around London should close their ears – and perhaps their eyes – should they ever happen to spot former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher wielding a golf club anywhere in their vicinity. The angry, not-so-young man from Manchester, who has recently formed a new band called Beady Eye, has taken up golf in his dotage, and by all accounts seems to have become hooked on the game. Speaking about his new passion, Gallagher, who turns 40 next year, said: “I love
making proper contact with that f**king ball. If you whack it, it f**king goes, man. If you get it right it goes miles.” The former darling of Britpop – who also recently admitted to believing in a higher being than himself – seems to have got the hang of using his driver, although he appears to be having less success when it comes to getting out of bunkers. “I spend too much time in that f**king sand pit, but there you go… it’s a learning curve. And, what’s even better, there’s a drink-up after.” Club stewards, you have been warned.
“Some might say.... I’m not very good with a sand wedge”
London Golf Club Jack’s Inspiration
Jack Nicklaus’ success and vision as the greatest golfer in history is peerless, and was the inspiration for his two championship courses at London Golf Club. Jack’s vision demands the best in tournament golf, which is why we are excited to be part of the oldest Championship of all – this year proudly hosted by Royal St George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, only 1 hour from us. Welcome to London Golf Club, host to The Open Championship Regional Qualifying.
To find out more call 01474 879899, or email us at info@londongolf.co.uk www.londongolf.co.uk
London Golf Club, Stansted Lane, Ash, Nr Brands Hatch, Kent TN15 7EH
Feature 27
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Golf News columnist and Sky Sports presenter Ewen Murray pays a personal tribute to Seve
T
he golfing world is in mourning with the passing of Severiano Ballesteros, who slipped away in the early hours of May 7th in his home town of Pedrena. I first met Seve when he was a teenager at the Under 25 Championship in Evian. It was a practice round, and this engaging Spaniard arrived on the first tee with some dodgy-looking shoes and minus the full complement of clubs. My first question to him was: “Who are you caddying for?” To which he replied: “I am playing.” After a few holes, I realised I was in special company, and it was the beginning of a friendship that would last until his untimely death. Two years after our first meeting, Seve introduced himself to the world at The Open at Royal Birkdale. Leading in Southport, despite seeing parts of the course that not everyone knew existed, he came up short against Johnny Miller – but during that week he left no one in any doubt about his mercurial talents, highlighted by the cheeky chip he sent between the bunkers at the 72nd hole, which endeared him to everyone that was there to see it, along with the millions watching on television. A week later, in Holland, he won the first of 50 European Tour events. The Seve story had begun. At that time, the European Tour was in its infancy, and there was some doubt as to whether it would succeed. Seve came along at just the right time to give it the injection
of glamour it needed, and without his influence who knows where we would be today. At the age of just 54, this charismatic and caring man has been taken away long before his time, but the legacy he leaves will guide us through the future. He will be remembered for many
José Maria Olazabal celebrating Europe’s first win on American soil are forever etched in our memories. Yet it was his last Ryder Cup as player that I perhaps remember most fondly. Struggling with his game, he was out in the top singles match against Tom Lehman in the 1995 match at Oak Hill in New York. Seve hit one green during the first nine holes, chipped in twice, and reached the turn all-square. His heroics seemed to inspire those around him, and somehow Europe turned a two-point deficit into a glorious win for captain Bernard Gallacher. Two years later, Seve enjoyed his reward as captain, leading his side to victory at Valderamma. His greatest gift to the European
“Euam the great thing about this game is there is always another day” things, one of them being his almost single-handed revival of what was a flagging Ryder Cup. Seve was instrumental in changing the composition of the team from Great Britain and Ireland, to joining forces with Europe. He became the modern ‘Mr Ryder Cup’, and the images of him and his great friend
Tour, however, will be the way he crossed the Atlantic and took on the Americans in their own back yard. He was the ‘Pied Piper’ for the joyous European successes during the 1980s. He was the one
who gave the others belief, and he did it with his own unique style. I spent many days with Seve on the course during my time on tour, and I felt blessed just to be alongside him. One Sunday we were paired together in the final round of the Scandinavian Open at Ullna in Northern Sweden. We were in the third last match and in with a chance, but we both had an awful day, spraying shots all over the place and in the end struggled to break 80. Standing on the 18th green ruing our misfortune, he put his arm around me and said: “Euam, (he never could pronounce my name), the great thing about this game is there is always another day.” Sadly for Seve there are no more days left, but the legacy he leaves is heartwarming. It is full of golden memories and intoxicating images, such as his now iconic celebration on the last green at St Andrews in 1984. There have been some great champions in Europe, and there will be many more in the years ahead, but the greatest champion of them all is Severiano Ballesteros – a golfing genius and a treasured friend.
28 Feature
www.golfnews.co.uk
Hailed as a ‘genius’, ‘the King of European golf’ and ‘Arnold Palmer a Seve Ballesteros was above all an inspiration, which is an epitaph an
S
eve Ballesteros, the farmer’s son who captured the imagination of the golfing world from the moment he refused to surrender at Royal Birkdale in 1976, finally lost the one fight that not even his lionlike heart would allow him to beat. The 54-year-old died at his home in northern Spain on May 7, following a valiant three-year battle with a brain tumour that first came to light when he lost consciousness in Madrid Airport on October 5, 2008. A superlative career offered a CV no other European golfer can match, with five Majors, 50 European Tour wins, 37 other titles worldwide and a remarkable Ryder Cup record crowned by his winning performance as captain in 1997. That_career was cut short at the age of 40 by an arthritic back, but his early death brings an end to a life which, despite having barely reached the back nine, enriched the lives of all who witnessed it. Ballesteros blended skill, spirit and sheer willpower as, playing with his heart on his sleeve, he contested every tournament in which he played as if it were his last. A global following was drawn to him by his passion and genius. His legacy can be measured not only by the titles he captured, but the way in which he won them. He threw caution and technique to the wind. You didn’t have to like golf to love Seve. Ballesteros, who on March 22, 1974, at the age of 16 years, 11 months and 12 days, became the youngest professional golfer in the history of Spanish golf, made his debut that year in the Spanish Open – the tournament being played on the weekend of his death – and the last of his European Tour wins in 1995. It was in 1976 when he first showed the world his true potential, at The 105th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, where, at the age of 19, he led the tournament for three days. The attending crowds, and the millions watching on TV, were mesmerised by the young Spaniard, as he belted the ball as hard as he could. By the final day, a nation was willing Ballesteros to hold off the might of America. He led by three shots with 17 holes to play, but by the turn Johnny Miller had surged ahead. The title belonged to the Californian; but Ballesteros refused to submit. He produced a blistering birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie finish – five under in four holes – and secured a tie for second with Jack Nicklaus with a deft, cheeky chip-and-run between bunkers at the 18th that finished just a few feet from the cup. Everyone present knew they had seen the embryonic flourish of a true superstar. Blessed with wonderful imagination, Seve’s ability to execute a shot took your breath away. You almost hoped_that he would stray from the straight and narrow, just so that you could witness a recovery shot of such brilliance that even his playing partners would often shake their heads in amazed acknowledgement. One such shot contributed to Ballesteros capturing the first of his three Open Championships in 1979. On the brink of completing an astonishing second round, having
Lio birdied the 14th, 15th and 17th to be five under for the day, Seve hooked his last drive way offline, with the ball coming to rest on the down slope of the back of a bunker. Ballesteros, however, improvised a shot of such beauty that far from just finding the sanctuary of the green, he landed the ball next to the hole. Another birdie, a 65. What followed over the next two days was pure theatre. Ballesteros put together scores of 75 and 70 in brutal conditions. He was the only player to finish under par for the week and claimed the famous Claret Jug by three shots from Ben Crenshaw and Jack Nicklaus. He would win The Open again in 1984 at St Andrews, and back at Royal Lytham in 1988 and, of course, in 1980, he became the first European to win the Masters, winning again at Augusta in 1983. In 1979, at The Greebrier in West Virginia, Ballesteros and his compatriot Antonio Garrido created more history, when they became the first continental players in a now European Ryder Cup team. This launched a revolution that would transform the biennial match with the United States and trigger a golfing explosion across Europe. In essence, the Ballesteros factor meant that world golf would never be the same again. The Ryder Cup provided the perfect stage for Ballesteros’s swashbuckling style. Even in the team’s slender defeat in 1983, he produced another of those ‘shots heard round the world’. It came at the 18th
against Fuzzy Zoeller – a wood that exited the fairway bunker where the lip was at its lowest, flew high with a slice and landed as softly as you like, 18 feet from the hole. In all, Ballesteros, having guided Spain to World Cup victories in 1976 and 1977, and later the Continent of Europe to success in the inaugural Seve Trophy, made eight Ryder Cup appearances – winning 20 points from 37 matches – and he formed with José Maria Olazábal the greatest Ryder Cup partnership of all time, with 11 wins and two halves from 15 matches. Then came that special moment in 1997 when Seve, a born leader of men, led Europe to victory at Valderrama and was presented with the Cup by the Infanta Maria, daughter of King Juan Carlos.
What followed, of course, was the realisation for Ballesteros that his arthritic condition would not allow him to resurrect a career that had brought him and his millions of admirers so much pleasure and had enabled him to become the No.1 golfer in the world. Yet even though he had come to terms with this by announcing his competitive retirement, he was then forced to use every ounce of the guts and determination that brought him fame on the fairways to battle the wretched disease that would blight the last two years or more of his life. Now we mourn the loss of Severiano Ballesteros, who captured all our hearts, and whose legacy is not simply to be found in the record books, but also in the knowledge that he leaves the game far, far richer than he found it.
His legacy can be measured not only by the titles he captured, but the way in which he won them
Feature 29
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and Jack Nicklaus rolled into one’, ny man can be proud
onheart Seve by Numbers Ten Seve-induced statistics that set the world alight His first European 1 Tour event was at the 1974 Spanish Open, aged
Peter Alliss
“Very few people are called legends in this world and Seve was one of them. Never before in our lifetime have we seen such a talent swing a golf club. It was an honour to play under him in the Ryder Cup and an honour to play with him.”
“I’ve lost an inspiration, genius, role model, hero and friend. Seve made European golf what it is today.”
Won the Order of 3 Merit for the first time in 1976, aged 19 years and
Lee Westwood
youngest winner. He won it again in 1983. Finished in the top ten 6 of Order of Merit every year between 1976-1989 and 16 times during his career – a record held jointly with Bernhard Langer.
First European player 7 5 to win the Masters Tournament in 1980. Aged 23 years and four days, he was also the
“He was wonderful to watch; he brought delight and joy to many people. He was a fighter, feisty, skillful, loveable, cheeky – he was everything. I will always remember his smile – when Seve was in a good mood, the world was happy.”
Bernard Gallacher
1976 Dutch Open, beating Howard Clark by eight shots.
4
“Seve had a huge impact on me and on my life in golf. He was the greatest show on earth. I was a fan and so fortunate I had a front row seat.” Nick Faldo
“Seve was our Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus rolled into one. I can’t speak too highly of him – he was Europe’s best ever player. He felt it was his duty as the best player in the world to inspire the European team, which he never failed to do.”
Won his first European 2 Tour title aged 19 years and 121 days at the
Won his first Open Championships at Royal Lytham in 1979, and repeated the feat in 1984 and 1988.
“No tribute will ever do justice to everything he did for golf and to everything he gave us. What impressed me most about Seve was his strength, his fighting spirit and the passion he put into everything he did. The best tribute we can pay to Seve is to go on playing for him.” José Maria Olazabal
Colin Montgomerie
17 years and eight days, making him the youngest professional to play in a European Tour event.
250 days – the youngest player to achieve the feat. He retained it in both 1977 and 1978, and won it again in 1986 and 1991.
Tributes to Seve
Won 50 European Tour titles, eight more than Bernhard Langer, who is next highest. He won a total of 91 titles worldwide.
8
Won at least one European Tour title for 17 consecutive years between 1976 and 1992 – a European Tour record. Played in 418 9 European Tour events and made the cut in 311, with 170 of those finishing in the top ten. Was the first player 10 to reach £1 million, £2 million and £3 million in career earnings.
“Seve was one of the most talented and exciting golfers to ever play the game. His creativity and inventiveness on the golf course may never be surpassed.” Tiger Woods “He has inspired me so much throughout my career and I admired him above all for his fighting spirit – never more so than in the manner in which he has battled his illness. It is the most enormous loss to the world of sport, although he will be remembered and loved forever. He was a champion on the golf course, but also a champion for the game in Spain and Europe.” Sergio Garcia
30 Feature
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Duke and Duchess of York Polseden Lacey, Surrey 1923
Storybehindthepicture guests was King Edward VII, while Mrs Greville was particularly close friends with George VI and the Queen Mother – so much so that in 1923, the then Prince Albert and his new bride Elizabeth, spent part of their honeymoon at Polesden Lacey,
where among other entertainments, the couple enjoyed a round of the golf on the estate’s nine-hole golf course. Sadly, few records remain of the course, and the bunkers and greens have long since grown over, although many modern day dog
walkers refer to the area left to the driveway of the house as ‘the golf field’. However, close examination of the contours clearly shows the outline of the original bunker shown in this picture, which sees Prince Albert
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attempting to get up and down from the sand by the ninth green, watched on by his admiring wife, in what looks suspiciously like a breach of R&A rules in relation to the testing of surfaces. A scorecard of the historic match has never been found, although it’s safe to say that it involved a fair amount of gimmees. Despite attending St Andrews University, and having access to seven of the world’s finest links courses, George V1’s great-grandson, William Windsor, the fifth Duke of Cambridge, has shown little interest in golf to date, although he did have a close brush with the game in 1991, when he was struck on the head by an errant 7-iron following some horseplay at Ludgrove prep school. It left the future King with a Harry Potterstyle scar on his forehead, and a healthy disregard for the sport.
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EwenMurray
Sky Sport’s voice of golf speaks out on issues of the month email: ewen@golfnews.co.uk
PGA Tour scores an own goal at Players The Players Championship produced some typically exciting golf over the four days at TPC Sawgrass, but if it ever had the tag of the ‘Fifth Major’, it certainly doesn’t have it now. I’m of the belief that the four majors sit comfortably in the golfing calendar, and they all have the history and gravitas that is befitting of their titles. By not having Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood in Ponte Vedra, the Players was just another tournament in the PGA Tour schedule. Any tournament which top players, rightly or wrongly, feel that they can give a miss, has to be of questionable value. The organiers were, of course, unlucky that Tiger Woods remained out through injury, but to not have the world’s number one and six in the starting line up was nothing to do with misfortune. For a long time now, America has called the shots in the professional game, but that has all changed with the European successes of recent times. It is extremely hard to play both Tours, even with the ease of travel today. The American players are unaware of just how tough it is, as they have never had to make a choice of playing two tours, such has been the strength in depth of the PGA Tour. But no longer is it just Europe and America. The Asian Tour is headed in the right direction, and the emergence of Korean and Chinese players has ensured that the future of the game lies worldwide. The PGA Tour’s commissioner, Tim Finchem, has to embrace this or fall behind the rest, because if the world players continue to impress and their tours continue to grow, the likes of Lee and Rory may find it hard to commit to the US Tour, where they have to play in a minimum of 15 events, especially when ranking points are to be made where the top players play. Take Wentworth and the BMW PGA Championship. The world’s top 50 are eligible to play in this event, -which offers well over $1m to the winner – yet how many Americans will play at Wentworth this month? I suspect, none, despite the ranking points being of major proportions. Should this trend continue, it will become harder for American players to climb the rankings and they may be forced to travel, should they want to try and top that list. The simple solution is for the PGA Tour to drop the minimum 15 events to 12, like the European Tour, and give its own players a chance to play where they want, while giving the worldwide players a chance to support their home tours, as well as play in the States. One other thing about the Players Championship. It now sits uncomfortably amid a run of regular Tour events, and the course is poorer for being held in the May heat. My advice to Mr Finchem would be to change the date back to the one he had in March, two weeks before the Masters, and if it is to be called The Players, then give all the players who deserve to be there the chance to compete.
Watson leads charge of the ‘wrong’ brigade
W
ith the next major being the US Open at Congressional next month, it’s perhaps timely, and pertinent, to focus our attention on the PGA Tour. It has certainly been an interesting season Stateside, with Tiger Woods being out of form and, indeed, out of the running, following his injury caused during the Masters. His absence has left the door wide open for some new names to make their presence felt. With Mark Wilson winning twice in the early part of the year, and the likes of Bubba Watson finally coming of age, following some well documented false starts, 2011 could be a breakthrough year for many of America’s lesser lights. Another player who has been making waves in the early exchanges has been Tommy ‘Two Gloves’ Gainey, a 23-year-old from South Carolina, who, having come off the Nationwide Tour last year, currently stands well inside the top 30 of the FedEx Cup standings with four top-10 finishes. And, yes, before you ask, he does wear a glove on both hands. What catches my eye with Tommy, and many other players currently making inroads on Tour, is that after a decade or more of talking about technical excellence, modern techniques, and the search for the ‘perfect swing’, we have a new generation of stars who simply do things their own way. Gainey
Bubba Watson is one of a new breed of top golfers whose swings won’t be found in any coaching manual
and Watson have swings that are just plain ugly, but as Seve – who had by no means a classical swing – once famously said: “It doesn’t matter if you look like a beast before or after the hit, as long as you look like a beauty at the moment of impact.” Of course, idiosyncratic swings are nothing new in this game. You only need to cast your mind (or your DVD player) back to the likes of Lee Trevino, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, to know that playing your natural game, rather than one copied from a coaching manual, can serve you very well indeed. And it looks like there is plenty of young talent out there following the same route today, with the likes of Ricky Fowler and Camillo Vellegas, neither of whose swings could be classified as orthodox, producing some stunning results out on the golf course. The good thing about this new trend is that these
players are thinking less about technique and more about scoring. While Villegas is struggling to find the form of two years ago, and Fowler is still searching for his maiden win, they both play golf in a carefree manner rather like the admirable Bubba, who constantly defies logic with his tee shots often swinging 40 yards laterally through the air. I find it refreshing, as all too often in the past, young players who were blessed with remarkable talent fell by the wayside in search of perfection. Over-coaching has been a problem, and I hope one of these aforementioned players goes on to major success. If they do, it will no doubt help those coming behind them to have confidence in their own ability, rather than running off to swing gurus every time something goes wrong in their game. So, here’s to the rise of natural golf!
France receives its Ryder reward
Darren’s not done yet It was an absolute joy for me to see Darren Clarke back in the winner’s circle again after such a long absence. His victory in Majorca may not have surprised all, but after some poor early season scoring, his win has him back in the top 100 of the world rankings – a place where he knows he truly belongs. It’s been a busy time in Darren’s life, with the family moving from their roots in London back to his homeland in Northern Ireland, and recent engagement, so perhaps his focus has been more off the course than on it. Whatever his distractions, I, and all of his fans, will be hoping he builds on this success and goes on to bigger and better things. Lots of golfers have enjoyed their best years in their 40s – Mark O’Meara, Vijay Singh and Miguel Angel Jimenez to name but three – so there’s plenty of inspiration for Darren to draw upon as he moves into comfortable middle age.
My congratulations go to France on winning the bidding process to hold the 2018 Ryder Cup. France, and French golfers, have been great supporters of the European Tour for a long time. They worked hard and showed a determination to host this huge event, and I wish them all well. Le Golf National, the host
venue, is one of the finest courses we could have picked to host an event that is now up there alongside the top sporting occasions in the world. I’m a big fan of The National and so will the spectators be. It has wonderful vantage points all around the course, and it has four glorious closing holes, three of which you can see from one position. It also has a very well balanced start to the course,
and there will surely be many minor improvements made to the layout in the next seven years. The traffic around Paris might be a problem, but they have plenty time to sort out these potential hazards, while the new rail link from Charles de Gaulle airport to Guyancourt will ease travel issues, as will the neighbouring airfield. With the palace of Versailles on hand to use for
official functions, the 2018 Ryder Cup is sure to be an elegant affair. With the venue chosen, what of potential captains? By 2018, many of the current candidates – including Paul McGinley, Darren Clarke and Thomas Bjorn – will be approaching their 50s, while Lee Westwood will be into his mid-forties. With José Maria Olazabal at the helm in Chicago next year, the first three I mentioned are all in the running for Gleneagles in 2014, while I’m sure Lee will be hoping to be playing for a good few years yet. Of course, the host nation may well have a new hero, and would perhaps prefer one of its own to be in charge – anyone for Jean van de Velde? – just as Seve was at Valderamma in 1997. The one thing Europe is not short of is potential captains, many of whom have enjoyed an education under the stewardship of numerous successful skippers before them, bar Nick Faldo – but then again, the lessons you learn in defeat can only make you stronger.
32 Product Review
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GPS systems are changing the way golfers get around a course, and leading the forefront of this technological revolution is Skycaddie, whose range of hightech handsets can do almost everything except take the shot for you
P
laying a golf course for the first time can be a daunting experience at the best of times. Knowing which car park to use, where to change your shoes, finding out how to get tokens for the range and locating the first tee, are all concerns that the club member, or the regular visitor, doesn’t have to worry about as he prepares to play the round of his life. However, it’s only as first-timer’s stand on the tee, looking hopefully down the fairway, that problems really begin to mount up. How far is it to carry that pot bunker? Is the stream within reach with my driver? What club should I take to lay clear the lake? Decisions, decisions. Course yardage books and sprinkler heads can, of course, be useful, but they are often less than accurate, and only offer a handful of marker points on which to work out precisely where you are on the course. Global Positioning Systems, to use their generic name, have been about for a number of years now, and have been especially useful for yachting types lost at seas and weary lorry drivers looking for depots. But now they are beginning to pop up in more enjoyment-enhancing applications, not least in golf – where the ability to accurately measure distances is essential to good scoring. There are a multitude of companies operating in the golf GPS market, many of which promise accurately plotted courses from Austria to Zimbabwe, but knowing which is going to be most suitable for you depends largely on how often, where, and for what reason you want to use it. While some systems operate from satellite images – many of which are out of date – others are painstakingly researched by an army of ground-based ‘mappers’, who walk the courses using backpackmounted satellite systems, charting out almost every inch of the layout, to provide supremely accurate and trustworthy addition to a golfer’s armoury. The courses are being constantly updated, so that new holes, new bunkers, in fact any slight alterations to the design, however minor, are added to ensure players have total confidence in the system. The latter is a methodology – costly though it is – which is only employed by Sky Golf, whose range of SkyCaddie products is perhaps the most widely-known brand in the UK market. “What differentiates SkyCaddie from other GPS systems is that we have a lot better chance of getting you to the right place, because we’re looking at what is in front of you,” says Steve Winstone, who manages Sky Golf’s team of mappers in Europe, and who kindly guided me around the unfamiliar surroundings of Worplesdon Golf Club using SkyCaddie’s top-of-the range model, the SGX. “A lot of the aerial maps are two or three years old, and the targets have either changed or gone away. Plus, you can’t see terrain from a satellite photo. Each course takes us approximately five hours to ground map, whereas satellite mapping takes about an hour, which tells you all you need to know about their relative accuracy.” The advantages to ground-mapping a course versus satellite-mapping it, or using a laser-finder, are several. As Winstone
Caddy the
in your pocket
points out, it’s much easier to see terrain and slopes from the ground than from 20,000 miles up in space. Also, you don’t need a clear line of sight to get an accurate distance reading, whereas with a laserfinder, if you’re obstructed by some trees or you have a blind approach, you can’t get an accurate yardage. Because the targets are pre-programmed, using a SkyCaddie eliminates the need to aim through a lens, accidentally hitting the wrong target on a hole, or trying to hit a flag that’s bending in the wind with a laser beam at 200 yards. SkyCaddie has produced a whole family of GPS devices to suit different demands and budgets, from the lightweight SG2.5, with its 2.2-inch mono screen, to the SG3.5, SG5 and the previously-mentioned SGX, which can store up to 30,000 pre-loaded course maps and which even shows the undulations on fairways and greens in glorious technicolour. No matter which model you choose, all SkyCaddie handsets automatically calculate distances to up to 40 targets per hole in less than a second. Which means, by the time you reach your ball, the screen will tell you your exact yardage to the pin, or any specific point on the golf course, allowing you to reach for the right club and concentrate on making a good swing. Any course can have one of four levels of coverage within the SkyCaddie system. These are broken down between
by Nick Bayly SkyPro courses with IntelliGreen, SkyPro courses without IntelliGreen, SkyPlayer courses with tee/layup/green targets and SkyPlayer courses with front/centre/back of green targets. A SkyPro course offers access to the full range of information – layup yardages, hazard distances. In the unlikely situation that a particular course isn’t featured in the system, you can programme the pin locations by simply standing by the hole and pressing ‘record’, and after just one round, you’ll have your own course mapped out. SkyCaddie really comes into its own around the greens, where most amateurs waste plenty of shots. Very few courses even bother to mark yardages inside of 100 yards, and as any student of the Dave Pelz method for short-game scoring will know, getting precise yardages inside 100 yards is critical. Knowing that your facing a 55-yard shot and not a 70-yard shot is of vital importance once you’ve learned to dial in your wedges. Another innovative feature is IntelliGreen, which automatically rotates the shape of the green to match your angle of approach. The handset calculates your distance to the front, centre and back of the green, as well as any point in between, using the dimpled toggle device on the bottom of the screen. Users can toggle to the exact pin location on the green and it will provide the precise yardage. Another new feature, IntelliGreen Pro, even shows contours and tiers on the green – vital if you want to leave a makeable putt. Other handy features include a bird’s eye view of each hole to help you with
strategy off the tee, further highlighting SkyCaddie’s effectiveness as a course management tool, and not just a gadget for offering distances. As well providing eyes – if not ears – around the course, a SkyCaddie is also an excellent tool for getting to learn how far you can hit each club, with a ‘mark’ button allowing yardages to be measured between two specific points. Equipped with this knowledge, you will soon be knocking shots off your handicap, as well as playing with the greater level of confidence that comes from knowing that you have the right club in your hand. Another by-product of using GPS systems is a general improvement in the speed of play. Instead of wandering around the course looking for reference points, players can walk straight to their ball and play the shot. Looking at the professional game, SkyCaddie has also helped to level the playing field on the minor tours for those players who do not have the money to employ a caddy. Skycaddie owners can choose from thousands of available courses from the company’s website to download directly onto their handset. These are available through a variety of annual membership subscription packages, which vary according to the number of courses and the level of information you want to download. While this makes using a Skycaddie more expensive in the long run than other handsets where the courses are all pre-loaded, Sky Golf argues that is the only way of ensuring that clubs can be constantly monitored for changes to their layouts and users have the most current information at their fingertips. Sky Golf’s website is more than just a place to download courses, as members can also use it to track their scores, analyse statistics and trends within their own game, as well as engage with other Skycaddie users in online forums. So if you want to ensure you step up onto the first tee with one over your rivals before you’ve even hit a shot, it could be time to switch on to joys of owning a SkyCaddie – the only caddy that doesn’t demand a percentage of your winnings! For more information on SkyCaddie and its latest range of products, visit www.skygolf.com or call 0800 883 0505.
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34 Product Review
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If you want to put some more distance between you and your golf ball, then the Power Hip Rotator could be the answer to your prayers Swing coach Simon Holmes demonstrates how the Power Hip Rotator helps every phase of the golf swing, from set up....
O
...to the backswing...
...in the downswing...
It’s all in the hips
nce in every while, I come across a golfing gadget or a training aid that leaves me wondering why someone hasn’t thought of it before. More often than not, it turns out they have, only it failed to capture the public’s imagination and now languishes in the back of someone’s garage, gathering dust among all the other harebrained ideas that never quite got off the ground. But occasionally, I stumble across something that is not only genuinely ground breaking and innovative, but something that I really wish I’d thought of myself. The Apple iPod and the Dyson vacuum cleaner may have been two of them, but after having had a chance to try out the new Power Hip Rotator, I am seriously considering adding it to what I call my ‘Dragon’s Den list’ (i.e. those things I’d like to have had the opportunity to invest in had I been a multi-millionaire businessman, rather than a humble golf hack). OK, so the Power Hip Rotator can’t download MP3 files, or suck up dust in a bag-free environment, but what it can do is improve your golf swing like few other training aids have ever done before. As someone who has a nasty habit of swinging with my arms, rather than turning my shoulders and hips, the Power Hip Rotator (PHR) really should have my name on it, metaphorically speaking, as this innovative piece of kit is designed to reintroduce the hips into the golf swing. The hips, as most of us know to our cost, are a part of the body that most club golfers fail to use to any great degree, resulting in a loss of power and, in most cases, a weak fade. impressed with the product that they have The Power Hip Rotator’s creator is not a agreed to back it, Denis as an endorser, golf pro, swing coach or even back-room and Simon as an official ambassador. Both biomechanics boffin, but, rather reassuringly, appear as presenters on the 10-minute just a regular club golfer who was simply instructional DVD that comes with every looking for a cure to the problems described Power Hip Rotator pack, above. Antonio, who and both are evangelical plays off five and about the benefits that is a member of Mill it has for all levels and Ride Golf Club in ages of golfer. Berkshire, set up his “All great ball strikers company, Power of begin by generating Golf, several years speed from their lower ago, with a view to Denis Pugh body and transferring designing a series of that speed through training aids that can the hips, torso, and into their arms, and be applied to many areas of sporting activity. then finally into the club,” says Pugh, His concept for the Power Hip Rotator was who is using the Power Hip Rotator as an to design a product that would not only instructional tool for many of his students engage the hips, but also help to synchronise at The Wisley, where he coaches Ross all the elements of the swing and recreate the Fisher and the Molinari brothers. “It’s movement and power that we regularly see this sequence that creates power and, top professionals achieve. consequently, distance. If your hips are It wasn’t an easy journey, with numerous tight, the tendency is to slide them to the prototypes being tried, tested, discarded side on the backswing instead of turning and re-engineered, before the final product them, which causes the dreaded reverse was brought to market. Along the way it pivot. This is a very weak position, and will has been rigorously tested, and is being cause numerous faults in your swing.” used by numerous tour professionals, while Pugh continues: “Ideally, you want to rotate respected Tour coaches Denis Pugh and your hips on the backswing in order to load Simon Holmes, whom golf fans will be your weight correctly. Think of winding your familiar with from their regular appearances upper body over your lower body, so that on Sky Sport’s Golf Night, have been so
“There is only one way to create effective power, and this begins with the starting of the hips in the down swing”
your left shoulder (if you are right-handed) ends up over your right knee. You will now have your upper body stacked correctly over your rotated hip. There is only one way to create effective power, and this begins with the starting of the hips in the down swing. The faster the hips move, the swing will generate more power through their speed, and by gradually increasing the speed of your hip rotation, you should see a great change in the length of your shots.” It all sounds simple in theory, but turning this concept into a working piece of equipment to facilitate this movement was no easy task. The resulting components, although looking like something out of an S&M dungeon, are actually an incredibly straightforward system of pulleys and anchor points that help to create the right tension in all the right areas of your body. Featuring customised belts for the waist and the legs, a specially designed rubber resistance band is passed through the belts and attached to the ground with a steel peg, although it should be noted that the PHR can also be used indoors through a variety of attachments that fit around door frames, making it ideal for using at home, in the office, or indeed anywhere you have a space to stand. The resistance bands come in two colours, grey and yellow, which can be used to
...at impact and followthrough
help create tension in the backswing or to encourage a faster downswing, depending on which way you thread it through the waistband and where you place the anchor points in relation to your set-up. Either way, when used for a few minutes each day, or even a couple of times a week, it is guaranteed to build up not only the feeling of what it is to swing with greater speed (created from the hips and not simply faster hands), but also build up the golfing muscles to help you do it once the bands are taken away. It creates what biomechanics experts like to call ‘muscle memory’, which allows movement to be repeated without having to consciously reproduce it. The effectiveness of the Power Hip Rotator has also been measured scientifically by biomechnical expert Mark Bull at Burhill Golf Club. His laboratory is able to accurately measure the efficacy of such products through a full 3-D analysis of the golf swing while using it. Test results using real golfers under real conditions revealed that the Power Hip Rotator can significantly help with improving hip turn in the backswing and at impact, reducing hip sway and hip slide, and encouraging the hips to accelerate in the downswing. It also helps with balance in all directions, and creates the power platform from which all solid swings must start. And if you’re after more anecdotal feedback as to the success of the Power Hip Rotator and its effectiveness for all ages, you only need to cast your eye over the swing of Antonio’s son, Shergo – www. shergokurdi.com – who although only seven years old, already has the technique of a seasoned pro. He has been using it for the last six months with dramatic results, improving his hip movement and taking his swing speed up to an impressive 62mph (check it out at www.shergokurdi.com). He is also taking his power-packed swing out onto the course, winning numerous tournaments and regularly outhitting and outscoring players much older than him. The Power Hip Rotator comes in its own velour-lined bag, comprising the waistband and leg fittings, two resistance bands, steel fixing pin, the presentation DVD, and a full set of instructions detailing how to use the product according to the elements of the swing that you’re most keen to focus on. Place your order now! The Power Hip Rotator, which costs £100, is only available to buy from Power Of Golf Ltd directly by calling 01483 812235 or by emailing: info@powerofgolf.co.uk.
For more information please visit www.powerhiprotator.com. The units are available to fit waist sizes from 28-44 inches, with extra bands available for £20.
News 35
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Pentland boss has a real mountain to climb!
P
GA Professional Johnathan Callister is hoping to match the achievements of Cheryl Cole, Chris Moyles and Denise Van Outen later this year, after setting himself the challenge of climbing Africa’s highest mountain. Callister, who is the chief executive of Pentland Golf, which operates four golf clubs in Kent, has set himself the tall task of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for charity at the end of October. Although the celebrities that climbed the famous 19,300 ft peak in 2009 helped raise of £1.5 million for Comic Relief, Callister has set his sights slightly lower, aiming to raise a worthwhile £12,000 for Demelza, a charity based in the South
Tall order: Jonathan Callister (centre) is in training to climb Mount Kilimanjaro
East that provides care to children and their families who live with lifethreatening conditions. Climbing Kilimanjaro is no mean feat, as those who watched the Comic Relief attempt on television will testify. Aside from the obvious altitude sickness and freezing temperatures, there is a large amount of training and preparation that needs to be carried out prior to the event. Callister, who aims to lose four stone before setting off on the week-long trek, joked: “Those people who know me, know that I don’t do physical work, I don’t do tents and I don’t do sleeping bags. I don’t do without showers, I don’t ever switch my mobile phone off, and to top it all, I haven’t been on a diet since
Tandridge polishes a Colt classic
The new look fifth-hole at Tandridge
Almost 90 years after it first opened, Tandridge Golf Club in Surrey has completed the first stage of a significant overhaul of its Harry Coltdesign in order to return it to the test that its legendary architect first envisaged. Like many of its contemporaries from the 1920s, the 6,270-yard, par 70 layout was beginning to show its age, with a combination of modern equipment and the natural encroachment of trees resulting in a course that the members felt no longer matched what Colt originally intended. At the same time, the club was keen to make improvements that would attract more visitors and
interest, making it one of the leading society and corporate venues. Extra length, to bring the course to around 6,500 yards, and greater visual beauty, were key elements of the renovation plans. Tandridge officials brought in experienced Dutch architect Frank Pont – who has successfully renovated a number of Colt designs in his native Holland, including Kennemer, Royal Hague and the exclusive Utrecht De Pan – to undertake the project. The work carried out has so far been restricted to three ‘trial’ holes on the front nine – the third, fourth and fifth – which has given club members the chance to sample the
changes before the green light was given to complete the entire renovation programme. The third hole – a slight dogleg uphill par four – was the first to be changed, with the dogleg straightened a little by the removal of some trees on the right, while a large bunker has been built on the ridge at the start of the fairway, adding definition from the tee. A lone bunker on the left of the fairway has been replaced by two at a greater distance from the tee that now eat into the fairway, while the green is protected by far more visually impressive sand. The fourth hole, a short par three to a raised green,
was previously protected by three fairly plain bunkers at the front and one to the side, but now golfers are faced with what looks like an island green on a sea of sand, framing the hole perfectly. The fifth, a tough par four that turns down to the left to a green with a deep bunker protecting it, has had the tee pushed back, while the fairway bunkering has been completely revised to take the extra length into account and to be more visually striking. In order to minimise impact, the holes were worked on one at a time, with one of the practice grounds providing a temporary par three hole whilst each was shut. Following positive feedback from members, work will go ahead in late Summer on the remaining six holes on the front nine, with the back nine expected to be completed by the end of 2012. The finished course is likely to be the first Colt design in the UK to benefit from such an extensive overhaul.
On! w o N tar SaleIXON Z 9s.50 doz SR NLY £1 37.00 ! O £ st NOW r 2 doz tocks la o s ile ...wh
I came out of nappies… so please, donate kindly!” To help raise money for his quest, Callister is holding a number of fund-raising events throughout the year, including a golf day, a charity ball, a race night and the 81-hole golf challenge, which involves playing the courses at Boughton, Austin Lodge, Etchinghill and Pedham Place in a single day – 81 holes in all. Keeping Callister company on the trek will be long-time friend Huw Jones, who will also be raising money for his chosen charity, Nightingale House hospice in Wrexham – specialists in palliative care services. To donate go to www.justgiving. com/JohnathanCallister
Shergo blazes the trail at Hever Castle A field of 50 juniors took part in the first qualifying event for the 2011 Trailblazers Tour Championships at Hever Castle Golf Club on May 8. Competing over the 2,784-yard Princes 9-hole course, the standard of golf among the young players was exceptionally high, with stiff competition for the top two places in all three age categories. The top placed boy and girl in the 11-13 section were Jack Staines and Darcie Smith, with Joseph Shergo Kurdi Goody and Chloe Burdon winning the 8-10 year section, while the 5-7 year old group was won by Shergo Kurdi and Olivia Heard. The first two places in each of the six categories (3 girl and 3 boy categories, based on age group) qualify for the end of tour final in September. The next Trailblazers Tour Championship qualifying events are at Blacknest Golf & Country Club in Hampshire on June 5, followed by Boars Head Golf Centre in Sussex on July 24. Scott Stevens, founder and organiser of the Trailblazers Tour, said: “Our message is simple – we want to have a fun environment for both the juniors and their families to experience competitive golf, often for the first time. There are still places available at the forthcoming Trailblazers Tour qualifying events, but we are also holding non-Tour Championship events, which are an excellent way to get involved in Trailblazers and are a great experience for the juniors as well.” For further details visit www.trailblazerstour.com or email: info@trailblazerstour.com
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36 Profile
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Pants golf: Stenson has suffered a major slump in form since 2007, leading to some increasingly bizarre on-course behaviour....
Stenson enjoys a joke at Thomas Bjorn’s expense during the Seve Trophy
Three years ago Hen the world and had th saw him finish plum l to have a clue what w numerous rise and fa
A
s one of the most successful golfers of his generation, Henrik Stenson is used to breaking records. But last month saw the 35-year-old Swede achieve a record that he would probably rather not be recognised for when his professional career is finally over. Playing in the first round of the Masters – which he only qualified for as a reserve following a late withdrawal – Stenson was standing on the tee of the fourth hole, a par three called Flowering Crabapple, with his score on a perilous plus-two for just three holes. Five minutes later, his score had risen to seven over par, after taking eight shots to cover the 230 yards of this seemingly innocuous short hole. Speaking to the media after the round – which he finished on 11 over par – he asked whether there was ‘any crystal on offer’ for such an achievement – the reward traditionally reserved for those who manage to eagle any of the holes at Augusta. If you wanted a snapshot of Stenson’s career, and of his general attitude to the game, it was captured right there and then. When he’s bad, he’s record-breakingly bad, but he still manages to retain a sense of humour. Sweden has a habit of producing ‘characters’, shall we call them, when it
comes to golf. They broke the mold when they offered us Jesper Parvenik, he of the peaked cap, tight trousers and a taste for eating volcanic ash, but they’ve been creating jokers ever since. To outward appearances, Stenson can come across as a rather serious individual, staring out expressionlessly from behind those trademark wraparound shades, but the truth is he wears them on medical grounds to protect over-sensitive eyes, rather than in any attempt to block out the outside world. Away from the course, and sometimes on it, he’s known as a happy chap who has a reputation for being a bit of a prankster. There was the time when he walked along the practice range at a tour event asking other players to write down their email addresses so that he could keep in touch with them. The joke being that the pen he gave them was wired up to deliver a small electric shock. Ha, ha, Henrik. He also has a habit of doing the unpredictable. Almost a decade ago, he walked off the course, while competing in the European Open at the K Club, after failing to find the fairway with a 3-wood after three attempts. “I told the guys they’d be better off without me,” Stenson recalls. “The balls were all over the place.” Amazingly, only two months before that embarrassment, he had won the Benson & Hedges International at The Belfry, seen at
the time as the natural extension of a career that was progressing seamlessly in an upward curve. That, we now know, is the Stenson way. We’ve all walked in from time to time in our golfing lives, and so have numerous professionals whose frustrations get the better of them, but Stenson has the ability, if it can be classified as a skill, to take it to new levels. Last year, he famously hurled a wedge back over his head into a water hazard, after taking nine at his final hole during the second round of the Qatar Masters. If you’ve not seen it, I thoroughly recommend a search on Youtube for the clip, as the casual manner with which he lobs the offending club into the water after fluffing a chip is completely priceless. He didn’t even look back to see where it had landed. He was subsequently rebuked by the tour for his unorthodox actions, as it generally frowns on club throwing, although he did well to escape a fine. So where did it all go wrong? How do you go from winning the Accenture World Match Play in 2007, the World Cup in 2008 and The Players Championship in 2009, to struggling to hit your hat over the last 18 months? In all fairness, Stenson’s career has been punctuated by highs and lows from the very beginning. His curve has never been linear. While most golfers’ form runs in reasonable streaks, Stenson’s chart is all peaks and troughs, from brilliance to blindingly bad
Team player: Stenson was a key member of Europe’s 2006 Ryder Cup-winning squad
Profile 37
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what’s happened to henrik?
nrik Stenson was ranked No.3 in he majors in his sights, but last month last in the Masters without appearing went wrong. Nick Bayly charts the alls of Sweden’s most mercurial player in the blink of an eye. He would be a psychiatrist’s dream patient, if he was ever able to sit still long enough to be assessed. How a man can go from beating the world’s best with ease and withstanding the pressures of the Ryder Cup, to missing a fairway by 400 yards remains one of golf’s eternal mysteries. If you dig deeper, the reasons for Stenson’s downward spiral are all too obvious. While the swing problems that have blighted his career are easy and quite reasonable excuses, protracted health problems in 2010 were the cause of much of his troubles, with suspect viral pneumonia cited as the reason for his calculated – and somewhat controversial – withdrawal from the first round of last year’s Accenture. Faced with a first round tie against Tiger Woods, he played just one hole before walking off the course complaining of sickness. Had Stenson not turned up on the first tee, he would have forfeited and gone home with nothing, but as he had started the match, he was entitled to his loser’s fee of $45,000. Besides earning him the record for pocketing the most money per shot in golfing history, it also gave rise to the rumours that Stenson was in serious financial trouble, and needed the money more than he needed the golf tournament. By that time it was well known that Stenson, along with Vijay Singh and
thousands of other clients, had invested most of his $6 million career earnings with Sir Allen Stanford, a Texan businessman whose financial empire turned out to be a pack of cards that came crashing down at the beginning of 2009. Quite how much of his savings Stenson lost has never been revealed, but some estimates put it as much as 90 per cent. Whatever the final figure, it clearly has had a significant impact on his financial security. Where once he was
“When the head is a bit rocky, my patience wears thin, and that’s when it turns ugly” playing to top up his healthy bank balance, he was perhaps now playing for next month’s mortgage payments and his children’s college education. I don’t think many of us can feel too much sympathy for those who are paid such enormous sums to play golf, but we can all relate to having our life savings fraudulently taken from us, however rich or poor we might have started out. With his accounts with Stanford frozen, and no sign of him ever recouping those losses, Stenson has been required to start from scratch again. Not easy for a man with
15 years of wear and tear under his belt, and a generation of eager, hungry players snapping at his heels. Any lingering doubts about his technique, or his mental fragility, have been magnified, leading to spiral of decline as the pressure has mounted up. Stenson has always struggled to impose any sort of structure to his raw, natural ability. And while it was a battle he seemed to be winning (if at times only barely) for much of the middle part of the last decade, the scales seem to have once again been tipped in favour of the habits of old. Pete Cowen, who coached him out of his previous slough of despond back in 2003, is quite clear where the underlying problems with Stenson lie. “Anyone can win on handeye coordination and manipulation, and that is what Henrik had done for most of his career. So his good shots were fine, but it was the bad shots that were a real problem.” Cowen continues: “He simply didn’t understand why his mechanics were breaking down. He didn’t know how it worked. It was like lifting the bonnet on a car and looking at the engine without really knowing what you’re looking at. If you don’t know, fiddling with the knobs is more than likely to make things worse rather than better. He needed a swing that would stand up under pressure. It is the hardest thing I’ve ever done as a teacher.” Mechanics aside, throughout that
traumatic period of his life, Stenson worked with sport psychologist Torsten Hansson, a former diver in the Swedish navy. The pair had first come into contact through Hansson’s work with Swedish amateur golf, and their relationship was tested as never before. “For the first six months things weren’t too bad, in that he wasn’t expecting too much success,” Hansson says. “But after that, he was struggling mentally. At times he felt ashamed of himself. He had guilt, and his ego suffered. He ended up with a real choking problem with the long clubs. For a time he played with his eyes closed, so that he could focus on releasing the club properly. For us both, it was hard work. He could understand the process intellectually, but it was more difficult emotionally.” Given all these mental and physical challenges, it’s small wonder Stenson hasn’t flipped out more often, and it is to his credit that he has managed to keep a lid on his temper for so long. Although that’s not to say that he’s not prone to the odd outburst. “I am a perfectionist,” Stenson acknowledges. “I get far more upset on the range than I do on the course. When I am in a good shape mentally, my patience is good, and I stay calm. But when the head is a bit rocky, my patience wears thin, and that’s when it turns ugly. I have to let the steam out sometimes. It sometimes happens that a clubhead gets separated from its shaft, stuff like that.” As well as regular club throwing incidents, 2009 saw him capture the front and back pages of the newspapers when he stripped down to his underpants to play a shot from a muddy water hazard during the first round of the WGC-CA Championship. Even Seve, in his most maddest of moments, would have retained his dignity in such circumstances, but not our Henrik. Bold as brass, he stepped into the murky depths in just his best white Bjorn Borg boxers, and splashed out to safety to rescue a bogey. “I didn’t have my rain gear, so I didn’t have any choice,” he explained later. “I felt like I was definitely going to save a shot by playing the ball, so that has to be worth taking your shirt and trousers off for, doesn’t it?” Well, it does in the crazy, mixed up world of Henrik Stenson.
38 Tour News
brief news in
Westy is best after double win Lee Westwood wrestled back the world No.1 spot from Martin Kaymer after notching up back-to-back wins on the European Tour, winning first in Indonesia, and then in South Korea to move back up to the top spot, which he occupied for 15 weeks at the end of 2010. The 37-year-old from Worksop lived up to his No.1 billing with a stunning final round 67 to take the Ballantine’s Championship in South Korea. It propelled him to his 21st European Tour title, but his first since 2009, and lifted him to €653,508 in The Race to Dubai.
Choi wins as McDowell falters South Korea’s KJ Choi beat David Toms in a playoff to win the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. The pair finished tied on 13 under par, but 2001 US PGA champion Toms three-putted the short 17th, the first sudden-death play-off hole, as Choi made par to take the title. Graeme McDowell led by one shot going into the final round, but the US Open champion collapsed to a five-over par 79, and was overhauled by Toms and Choi, with Paul Goydos, Nick Watney and Luke Donald filling the minor places.McDowell’s challenge fell apart with three dropped shots on the front nine, and four more on the back, including three trips to the water, while 44year-old Toms, who led by three shots with four to play, found the water at 16 to let Choi back in.
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France to host 2018 Ryder Cup
F
rance will host the Ryder Cup for the first time in 2018. The historic announcement, which will see golf’s greatest team event return to the Continent of Europe for the first time in 21 years, was made by Ryder Cup Europe and announced at Wentworth on May 17. Le Golf National, on the outskirts of Versailles near Paris, the wellestablished home of the Alstom Open de France, will become only the second continental venue – following Valderrama in Spain in 1997 - when the 42nd edition of The Ryder Cup is contested in the autumn of 2018. Five nations – France, Germany, Holland, Portugal and Spain – had participated in an exhaustive bid process to identify the country best qualified to follow Hazeltine in 2016 as host of the biennial contest. A sixth bid, from Sweden, had dropped out of the race last year following financial difficulties. Richard Hills, Europe’s Ryder Cup Director, led a four-strong committee, comprising 2018 Bid Director David MacLaren, Ryder Cup Match Director Edward Kitson and Financial Director
French toast: Thomas Levet and Jean van de Velde celebrate France being awarded the 2018 Ryder Cup
Jonathan Orr, to evaluate each bid, including a series of thorough site inspections to the five countries. Hills commented: “We would like to congratulate France on becoming the host for The 2018 Ryder Cup, but more importantly, we would like to express our deepest gratitude to all the representatives of France, Germany, Holland, Portugal and Spain, who responded so diligently to Ryder Cup Europe’s bidding criteria and conducted themselves in a thoroughly professional manner throughout the most detailed evaluation
process we have ever embarked upon. “We have one worthy gold medallist in France, who gave us the confidence to believe that they will stage a truly memorable Ryder Cup in seven years’ time. France will now be entering into a multifaceted relationship with Ryder Cup Europe, lasting a minimum of 12 years and benefiting many aspects of golf at all levels.” France has hosted 118 European Tour, 60 European Challenge Tour and 12 European Senior Tour events. Ten
French golfers have won 24 tournaments on The European Tour and 36 players have gained 51 wins on the European Challenge Tour, while Thomas Levet and Jean Van de Velde have represented Europe in the Ryder Cup in 2004 and 1999 respectively. Le Golf National, an impressive ‘stadium’ course which has received high praise over the past 20 years, will next month stage the 2011 Alstom Open de France for the tenth successive year, and the 19th time in total since its inception 1991.
Cheyenne keeps Woods name in lights Despite Tiger Woods failing to win a tournament in the last 18 months, the Woods extended family still has a winner to celebrate following the success of Cheyenne Woods, who is stepping out of the shadow of her famous uncle and making a name for herself on the college golf circuit in America. Last month saw the 20-year-old beat the field at the Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Championship by seven shots – something her illustrious uncle might have inflicted on his rivals when he was a similar age. Cheyenne has already won over 30 amateur events, and is considered to be the best women golfer at Wake Forest, where she has recently graduated.
Sweden retains the Nations Cup Anna Nordqvist and Sophie Gustafson retained the European Nations Cup as they earned Sweden a threestroke victory over England at La Sella in Spain on Sunday. The first nation to retain the trophy in the four versions of the event, the Swedes began the final round with a three-stroke advantage and finished with a four under par 68 for a total of 21 under par, the same score with which they triumphed 12 months earlier. They began the final round of Valencian Cup, which is a variation on foursomes, with a birdie on the first hole and were out in one under par 35. They bogeyed the seventh and birdied the par-five ninth, when Nordqvist holed a six footer to trigger chants of ‘Sverige, Sverige, Sverige’ from the large Swedish contingent in the gallery. They were just one stroke ahead of England at that point, but took charge with four birdies and just one dropped shot on the back nine. Nordqvist rolled in the winning birdie putt after Gustafson chipped to three feet on the 18th green in front of a bank of waving Swedish flags. English pair Laura Davies and Melissa Reid momentarily tied for the lead, after mixing six birdies with one bogey on the front nine for an outward total of 31, but they stalled on the back nine until Davies holed a monster eagle putt from across the green at the last, coming back in 35 for a 66.
PowerPlay revs up for Celtic Manor launch Tickets are selling fast for PowerPlay Golf’s inaugural Tour-style event, which takes place at Celtic Manor on May 30. Officially titled PowerPlay Golf driven by Saab: IGNITION, the event, which will uses nine selected holes on the Twenty Ten course, sees a 12-player field, which is headed by both current US Open Champions Graeme McDowell and Paula Creamer, and also includes Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, John Daly and Ian Woosnam, plus several other big names, take part in the PowerPlay format of the game. Hailed as golf’s
equivalent to Twenty20 Cricket, PowerPlay Golf’s two-flag ‘risk and reward’ format promises to deliver an unforgettable experience both for spectators and TV viewers. The big-hitting Daly is set to excite the crowds with his flamboyant style, which is well suited to the risk-and-reward nature of PowerPlay Golf. He said: “I love the idea of getting extra points for firing at the tough flags. PowerPlay Ignition is going to be a real blast and I can’t wait to get out there and give it a rip.” Motoring giants Saab, who are sponsoring the event, have arranged for all
Saab drivers who turn up on the day to receive a free entry ticket. And competitor Ian Poulter has invited his global Twitter audience of well over one million people to enter an online competition to play with him in the day’s Pro Am. Tickets, which can be bought at the gate, cost £15 for adults, £10 for seniors, while children under 16 go free with a paying adult. The gates open at 2pm, with a trick show by David Edwards preceding the PowerPlay event, which takes place from 5pm until 8pm. For more information visit www.powerplay-golf.com.
Tour News 39
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Spanish Open overshadowed by Seve’s passing The flags were flying at half mast over the clubhouse at El Prat Golf Club in Barcelona and the players were all wearing black ribbons during the latter stages of the Spanish Open following the death of Seve Ballesteros. But the show went on, nonetheless, with South Africa’s Thomas Aiken lifting his first European Tour title following a final round 70, which gave him a 10 under par total and a two-shot cushion over Anders Hansen.
Playing his first tournament after a seven-week lay-off, the 27-year-old from Johannesburg was quick to dedicate his victory to the former three-time winner, who had died less than 24 hours before the tournament finished. “It’s been a sad week with Seve passing away,” he said. “I definitely want to dedicate this win to him, with it being his home Open and what he gave to his home fans and to golf. He was everything to the game of golf and I am
happy to have won for him - any of us would have won for him. I remember how he enjoyed life and how he enjoyed the game. He has been an inspiration for me and has kept me working hard. I’ve been waiting for this for a long, long time and I’ve been knocking on the door.” José Maria Olazábal, mourning the loss of his great friend and ex-Ryder Cup partner, finished with a five-over 77 and fell outside the top 50 on eight over par. “I owed it to Seve to carry on playing,” said Olazabal.
FRED COUPLES IN GOLF STREET
Monty in the frame for Ryder Cup reprise Colin Montgomerie has done a U-turn and thrown his hat into the ring to captain Europe in the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles. Since masterminding the victory over America at Celtic Manor last September the Scot has insisted that his only target is to win his ninth Ryder Cup cap as a player in the defence against the Americans at Medinah in 2012. However, his Scottish rival Sandy Lyle suggested that Montgomerie should be approached for the captaincy for Gleneagles, which is only five miles from his home in the Perthshire village of Dunning. Montgomerie admitted he would take the job because now ranked a lowly 413th in the world, he is fast accepting that his Ryder Cup playing days are over.
Rested Clarke reigns in Spain Darren Clarke ended a winless streak stretching back to the KLM Dutch Open in 2008 with victory in the Iberdrola Open in Spain. Sitting out the Players Championship due to his lowly world ranking, the 42-year-old Northern Irishman trailed Bristol’s Chris Wood by four shots going into the final round, but a closing 69 gave the former Ryder Cup star a three-shot victory over the hapless Wood, who collapsed with a closing 76. Six weeks ago Clarke was so disgusted with his form he decided to take a complete break. But he came back reinvigorated and played some of his best golf for years, sinking putts, hitting great approach shots and, as he did on the final hole, chipping in from off the green.
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40 Equipment News
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Amateur golfers can enjoy a Tour-le when Cleveland Golf’s Tech Truc
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Equipment News 41
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Golfers looking for the full Tech Truck experience should look out for the ‘truck’ symbol next to the event on Cleveland’s website. Those looking to test product with a view to a fitting on the day, will have their needs amply met by attending a Demo Day, also clearly indicated on the site. Even though the truck days will offer the average golfer more service and technology than they would have had before, customers can take their experience to an even further level by making an appointment at the Cleveland/Srixon Centre of Excellence in Maidenhead, where they will be exposed to the digital age of club fitting. At the Centre of Excellence, golfers will have the chance to improve their game through the use of the world-renowned Trackman system, a state-ofthe-art piece of software that accurately measures launch
angle, spin rate, swing speed and club speed. Thanks to the expert knowledge of Cleveland’s team of fitting professionals, any golfer will come away from a session here with total confidence in their equipment. Everyone who has invested time in playing golf has a right to feel good on the course, but very rarely do they reach that comfort zone we all strive for. Now, with the ability to have clubs custom fit in front of your eyes through Cleveland Golf Tech Truck days, every golfer has the ability to aim for perfection. To find your nearest Cleveland Golf Demo Day or Tech Truck event, please visit: http://clevelandgolf.com/UK_ demodays_uk.html. To book a custom fitting at the Cleveland/Srixon Centre of Excellence, call: 07747 533959 or email: customfit@ srixoncleveland.co.uk.
Cleveland and the CG logo are registered trademarks of Cleveland Golf / Srixon, CG16 and Zip Grooves are trademarks of Cleveland Golf/Srixon
MY LOFTS ARE 48°, 52°, 58°
TO FIND OUT WHAT WEDGES YOU SHOULD PLAY, GO TO YOUR LOCAL PRO SHOP AND
TELL THEM G-MAC SENT YOU! WWW.CLEVELANDGOLF.COM
TOTAL PERFORMANCE. PRECISION FIT.
INTRODUCING 910 DRIVERS.
High performance 460cc full pear-shaped driver that produces mid-to-high launch with medium-to-low spin.
High performance 445cc classic pear-shaped driver that produces mid launch with medium-to-low spin.
adaM scott
Geoff oGIlvy
RoRy McIlRoy
suRefIt touR Hosel tecHnoloGy Patented, innovative, dual angle technology allows for precise adjustment for maximum fitting effectiveness.
Independent loft & lIe adjustMent Delivers optimized ball flight: higher or lower, more fade or draw â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for increased distance and control.
HIGH peRfoRMance WeIGHtInG Sloped, ultra-thin crown design and rear weight screw create a low & deep CG for increased speed and stability.
fast face desIGn Large maximum ball speed and optimum launch area for increased distance potential.
The new 910 drivers deliver total performance with improvements in distance, shot control, looks, sound and feel. 910 drivers feature a fast face design and high performance weight distribution, and our new SureFitTM Tour hosel technology inspired by the bending adjustments previously done exclusively on Tour Vans. Now 910 provides all players with the opportunity to have their loft and lie independently adjusted for a more precise fit. To experience improved distance and shot control through your own tour-van-in-a-hosel, see your local authorised Titleist fitter, or go to titleist.co.uk for more information. Titleist, St Ives, Cambs PE27 3LU titleist.co.uk Sign up to In The Swing, our free e-newsletter, at intheswing.info
44 Pro Shop
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TaylorMade Burner Superfast 2.0 driver RRP: £249 Contact: www.taylormadegolf.eu TaylorMade claims that the new SuperFast 2.0 is the lightest driver it has ever produced. The ultra-large 4,550mm2 face and low-drag aerodynamics are designed to increase swing speed, a higher launch angle and lower spin-rate, resulting in five yards and give more distance off the tee than the original Burner SuperFast. To improve performance without sacrificing feel and playability, the 2.0 features a moderate draw bias with a ‘measured square’ face angle. The larger face is important in light of the fact that the longer club-length makes it more challenging for the average player to make square contact
consistently; the larger face provides more area with which to strike the ball. The high-MOI titanium clubhead also features TaylorMade’s Inverted Cone Technology, milled directly into the back of the clubface. This expands the area of the clubface that delivers high ball speed, meaning that golfers can miss the centre of the clubface and still generate high ball speed and long distance. It is available in 9.5 and 10.5degree lofts, with a Matrix Ozik XCon 4.8 shaft, which is both light and tip-soft.
Adams Golf F11 Speedline Woods Under Armour Stability shirt RRP: £60-£55 (long/short sleeve) Contact: www.underarmour.co.uk With the stresses and strains that we golfers put on our lower backs, anything that is designed to ease this painful and seemingly unavoidable side effect of playing golf seems like a good idea. Under Armour’s new stability shirt, which comes in a choice of long and short sleeve models, aims to do just that, utilising a clever combination of fabric technologies that tighten the area around the key golfing muscles, protecting the spine and increasing feel throughout the upper body, to help golfers stay connected to their swing. Other bonuses for wearers include reduced muscle fatigue and faster recovery times between bouts of exercise. The design also features mesh ventilation zones that speed evaporation, helping to regulate body temperature on hot or cold days, making it the ideal base layer for year-round play.
RRP: £299 driver, £199 fairway woods Contact: www.direct-golf.co.uk Adams Golf’s F11 Speedline drivers and fairway woods, which hit the shelves this month, feature Velocity Slot Technology for increased distance and forgiveness. Three visible channels, precisely located on the sole and crown, keep the airflow attached to the clubhead for longer, creating 35 per cent less drag and a corresponding increase in clubhead speed. The result is over six more yards of carry, an expanded hitting area, and a higher moment of inertia, that creates higher ball speed and forgiveness, even on off-centre hits. Other design improvements include a lower and deeper centre of gravity that produces a higher launch angle with a lower spin rate. All woods come with high-launch Aldila Voodoo VS shafts as standard. Driver loft options are 9.5, 10.5 and 12.5, as well as 3 and 5-woods. There are also draw options for all woods.
Yonex VMS irons RRP: £399 (st), £549 (gr), 4-SW Contact: www.yonex.co.uk Designed for mid to high handicap players requiring distance and forgiveness, the new VMS iron features V-Con Core technology situated behind the ultra-thin 3mm face. The Elastomer sandwich helps generate maximum power while reducing unwanted vibrations for greater feel. A progressive power weighting system repositions weight in the cavity throughout the set for optimum performance. In the long irons (4 and 5) the weight is positioned towards the heel to reduce the tendency to slice. The mid irons (6 and 7) have neutral weighting to enable accurate ball striking, while the short irons (8-SW) have weight positioned towards the toe to reduce the tendency to hook the ball. Yonex’s own HS700 graphite shaft features Centrifugal Force System technology enabling maximum energy transfer through the ball and a solid feel through the ball strike. A range of VMS hybrids have been developed to fit seamlessly into the iron set allowing long irons to be replaced by more forgiving and powerful hybrids.
Ecco Casual Cool II RRP: £120 Contact: www.ecco.com/golf Ecco’s new Casual Cool II Hydromax range features handcrafted uppers made from distressed leather with additional rubber detailing for enhanced weather resistance and style. Ecco’s own Hydromax waterproof technology guarantees ultimate protection in all conditions. Other benefits include a removable dual component insole, a low profile, direct-injected midsole for torsional support and stability whilst a sleek, single density TPU outsole features laser engraving. It is available in white/ chili red/black, black/buffed silver/white and bison/fire/black.
Callaway Diablo Edge stand bag RRP: £119 Contact: www.callawaygolf.com Ensuring you stand out from the crowd this season, Callaway’s eye-catching range of Diablo stand bags are rammed full of features without weighing too heavily of your shoulders. The 9-inch graphite-friendly top comes with a matching rainhood, while the sevenway divider system – three of which are full length – will keep your clubs in good order and prevent excess wear and tear while extracting them from the bag. The Izzo dual shoulder carrying system is both comfortable and practical, while an airmesh hip pad makes it a comfy bag to carry. Additional features include eight pockets, an umbrella loop, carabineer clip and a lightweight, yet extremely durable stand mechanism, which offers a wide stance for extra stability. Choose from red/ black, black/white and white/red.
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Nike VR Pro Wedges RRP: £99 Contact: www.nikegolfeurope.com US Masters champion Charl Schwartzel had two VR Pro wedges -– a 54 and a 60 degree model – in the bag when he charged home at Augusta. The wedge is forged from high grade carbon steel for a soft feel on full and half shots and is available in two finishes - brush oxide raw and satin chrome. It also features Nike’s brand new X3X groove pattern on the face, which also appears on the VR Pro blade and VR Pro Combo irons. The groove pattern is designed to minimise the effect of the new groove regulations introduced by the R&A last year and sees more grooves on the face spaced closer together. The grooves are also deeper than previous grooves for maximum control. Better players will enjoy the sleek head, square leading edge and low bounce profile that makes it ideal for nipping off tight lies.
Snake Eyes 685T woods RRP: £199 driver, £109 fairway woods Contact: www.golfsmitheurope.co.uk Snake Eyes new range of woods benefit from an adjustable weight towards the back of the sole, which adjusts the centre of the gravity that in turn leads to a change in trajectory. The heavier the weight is in the sole of the head, the higher the ball flight because of the increase in vertical launch angle. The woods also feature Snake Eyes’ new Dynamically Optimised CT technology that helps to produce consistently fast ball speeds across a large area of the face, so even if you don’t hit the ball out of the middle of the club, the new technology means you still get a forgiving result. Golfsmith’s unique custom fitting facilities allow an almost unlimited choice of shaft and grip styles, while shafts can also be pured and frequency matched.
Mizuno JPX-800 irons RRP: £75/£100 per club (st/gr) Contact: www.mizunoeurope.eu
A
Powakaddy PK Sport Electric Trolley RRP: £429 (lead), £649 (lithium), £699 (lithium brake) Contact: www.powakaddy.com PowaKaddy’s new electric Sport trolley is without question its most user-friendly model to date, featuring a host of new features that makes it a joy to take out onto the course, including a new handle design and a reconfigured speed control. The new ergonomic soft grip double handle features an ambidextrous speed dial that allows golfers to steer the trolley with either hand and operate the speed roller with either forefinger. A fully integrated LCD display screen, showing speed, time and battery life, is also included, as well as a separate digital distance function, which automatically sends the trolley 15, 30 or 45 yards away at the touch of a button. As well as the standard 18 and 36-hole lead acid battery options, the Sport is available with a lightweight lithium battery, which fits into the battery tray without the need for connecting cables, and can be left in situ even when the trolley is collapsed. Either battery drives a quiet 200-watt motor, which is attached to a robust aluminium frame, which comes in a choice of black, white or graphite colour options. All models come with an extended two-year warranty period.
lthough Mizuno staff player Luke Donald is clearly in love with his MP-63 irons, even he was impressed with the brand’s new JPX 800 irons, which he managed to squeeze nearly 20 yards in extra distance over his iron of choice when he had the chance to test them a few months back. Although he prefers the feel and workability of his MPs, the JPX 800s promise to deliver the magical combination of distance and forgiveness that ‘normal’ golfers kill for, while still fitting the eye of all good players. The JPX-800 offers a mid-size head that appears even more compact and versatile than it is thanks to a triple-cut sole design, which sees the leading a trailing edge beveled and the mid sole cambered. It also features the hottest face of any iron in the company’s history, while also being the most forgiving. This is achieved thanks to a thinner, more uniform iron face to reach the maximum allowed limits for energy transfer. The JPX-800 also features a flow cavity design with smaller heads and cavities as you work through the set from long iron to short. David Llewellyn, Mizuno’s head of research and development, who witnessed Donald’s initial reaction during testing, said: “The JPX-800 is hard to pigeonhole. To achieve these ball speeds and MOI numbers, you’d expect to compromise by adding lots of offset or thick top and bottom edges. But our design challenge was to pack all this performance into a head shape that a Tour player wouldn’t reject.” The JPX-800 delivers an extra seven yards carry over the MX irons which are being replaced by these beauties – need we say more?
RATING
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 RRP: £39.99 Contact: www.easports.com It’s been a long time coming, but for fans of the US Masters, the 2012 edition of the Tiger Woods PGA Tour franchise (Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3) will have been well worth the wait, with all 18 magnificent holes of Augusta National painstakingly recreated in digital format for the first time in gaming history. With Woods being so out of favour with the golfing public, and playing rather poorly by his own high standards of late, Augusta has come to EA Sports’ rescue this year, with a whole new generation of gamers likely to invest just so they can try to virtually tame Amen Corner or recreate Woods’s iconic putt on the 16th green. Augusta’s transference to the small screen is nothing short of amazing, with new laser scanning technology mapping every Azalea bud and every subtle borrow on the fairways and greens, recreating them to within inches of the real thing. New gaming features include the ‘Road to the Masters’, where you start out at the bottom of the golfing pile and work your way up the rankings to earn your invitation to the Masters. You can, of course, cut to the chase, and dive straight onto the first tee like a birdie-hungry Rory McIlroy, where you will find US broadcaster Jim Nantz as sugary as he is in real life. Among the more noteworthy new features is the caddie experience, where a chap in white dungarees will guide you around the course, suggesting aggressive plays and safe shots.
46 Product Showcase
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Ping Scottsdale
Mizuno Line 90
Odyssey White Ice D.A.R.T
RRP: £109-£139 Contact: www.pinggolf.com
RRP: £89 Contact: www.mizuno.eu
RRP: £149 (Sabretooth), others £99 Contact: www.odysseygolf.com
Available in 14 different models, the Scottsdale series features a white thermoplastic insert with a thin face that provides soft feel, yet crisp sound at impact. The insert contrasts with an eye-catching black PVD coating to aid alignment and boost confidence at address. All models are fitted with a soft Winn AVS red and grey grip.
The Line 90 alignment system uses a sequence of lines placed parallel to the putter face. The sequence is positioned using a stainless steel medallion above the blade, which also encourages users to keep the putter square to target. Choose from five designs, all of which are named after volcanoes in a nod to the lava orange mid-size Winn grip.
Odyssey’s latest launch sees a dart-like prong on the top of the head to align the centre of the face with the target. The eyes align to the target using this line, while the mind’s eye completes the realignment by placing the apex of the dart at the centre of the ball. Choose from adjustable weighting mallet or blade designs.
The latest high-performance putters are designed to improve alignment
Shooters Straight
Wilson Golf Vizor
Benross Pure Red Hi-Moi
RRP: £119 Contact: www.wilsonstaff.com
RRP: £69.99 Contact: www.benrossgolf.com
Featuring ‘I-Lock’ technology, which offers increased consistency through better alignment, the Vizor use a cantilever alignment system that ensures the golfer’s eyes are positioned directly over the target line. Players are made aware of the correct address position when the red bars, which feature on the toe and heel, can no longer be seen when standing over the ball.
By precision milling the face and grooves, and using the softest stainless steel, the Hi-MOI series ensures maximum feel and feedback. The face groove pattern helps grab and grip the ball at impact, imparting more topspin for smoother, truer running putts, while bold alignment aids allow golfers to align themselves squarely at the target. Choose from Monterey or Kiawah head shapes.
Scotty Cameron Studio Select Laguna
TaylorMade Rossa Ghost
RRP: £250 Contact: www.titleist.co.uk
The aim of the all-white head is to make it stand out against the grass, so the topline and leading edge are easy to focus on. Golfers use the middle of the three alignment lines as the target line, while the outer two lines are as wide as a golf ball, which helps centre the ball on the face. Chose from three mallet and one blade design.
The latest output from the Cameron studio is precision milled from stainless steel and features circular weights in the heel and toe which can be factory-adjusted depending on preferred shaft length. The high toe profile eliminates any tendencies to raise the toe at address –– causing pulls to the left – while a milled sight line in the flange aids alignment.
Nike Method Core RRP: £120 Contact: www.nikegolfeurope.com Nike’s Core range combines soft polymer and milled steel grooves to generate faster and more consistent roll at impact. The red-coloured insert lessens vibrations and feeds back a purer sound, helping enhance the feel on a variety of putts. The Core range includes three blade styles, a centre-shafted mid mallet and a heel-shafted mallet.
RRP: £129 Contact: www.taylormadegolf.eu
48 Breaks
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Take a tour of Kent’s finest
Join now at www.golfnews.co.uk/greensaver or call 01273 556377
TENTERDEN, KENT.
CALLING ALL GOLF SOCIETIES
London Beach Celebrates the British Open 2011 at Royal St. Georges Sandwich By offering this fantastic deal!
Book a Golf Society between now and the 31st July 2011 and 50% of your total spend will be donated to a charity of your choice. Minimum of 10 people required. For more information on this offer contact 01580 766279 or enquiries@londonbeach.com The London Beach Hotel & Golf Club, Ashford Road, Tenterden, Kent. TN30 6HX
www.londonbeach.com
Prince’s Golf Club enjoys an enviable location alongside Royal St George’s in Sandwich
W
ith The Open Championship coming to Sandwich in July, the county of Kent is pulling out all the stops to promote itself as a top golfing destination for UK golfers. One of the numerous initiatives to attract visitor numbers is a link-up between VisitKent, the county’s official tourism website, and Golfbreaks. com, who have formed a partnership to promote
Play where the stars have played From e30 (£27)
1996-2009
...Arras Golf Club Hotel & Golf Club l 18-Hole Championship Course Par 72 - 6692 yards l Societies and visitors welcome reservation advisable
The links at Littlestone
an array of golf break packages featuring many of the UK’s best and most stunning courses, including Royal St George’s, host venue for this year’s Open Championship.
A wide selection of the county’s most celebrated links and parklands courses, and high-quality hotel, guesthouse, inn and B&B accommodation, will be playing their part
Discount breaks on offer at delightful Dartmouth
Dartmouth Golf & Country Club has announced some significant discounts on its unlimited golf breaks
during June, with golfers able to benefit from nearly 20 per cent reductions on normal prices.
Stay & play in the
Garden of England
l Luxurious 3 stars Hotel 64 rooms and 4 suites l Cosy Clubhouse with Bar and Brasserie l Driving range and Practice facilities l Golf Shop l Buggy and Trolley Hire
special summer offer
Green fee & meal @ 50€ Includes main course, 1/4 wine or beer, coffee & dessert
l Easy access from Calais by motorway A26
(Calais/Reims) l 5 mins drive from the centre of historic town
of Arras (Pas de Calais) l Special rates for parties of 12 or more l Societies packages and Stay and Play
packages on request Arras Golf Club rue Briquet Taillandier, 62 223 Anzin Saint Aubin-France Tel: 00 33 3 21 50 24 24. email: golf@golf-arras.com www.golf-arras.com
For more information please contact us Tel: 00 33 3 21 50 24 24. Fax 00 33 3 21 50 29 71 email: golf@golf-arras.com or visit our website
www.golf-arras.com
in promoting the county’s tourist attractions through the scheme. Among the courses participating are the celebrated ‘Regal Golf Coast’ quintet of Royal St George’s, Prince’s, Royal Cinque Ports, Littlestone and North Foreland – all situated along Kent’s picturesque South East coastline – along with a host of inland courses, including London Golf Club and Chart Hills. So far, 16 golf courses
Play one of the best courses in Kent while enjoying the very comfortable 4 star Ramada Hotel 1 night Bed & Breakfast, 2 Rounds of Golf
£85 £129
per person
2 nights Bed & Breakfast, 3 Rounds of Golf
per person
1 night dinner, Bed & Breakfast, 2 Rounds of Golf
£98 £155
per person
2 nights dinner, Bed & Breakfast, 3 Rounds of Golf
per person
Contact us today on: 01622 844382 www.theridgegolfclub.co.uk The Ridge Golf Club, Chartway Street, Sutton Valence, Maidstone, Kent ME17 3JB
A one-night dinner-bedand-breakfast package, with two days of unlimited golf during June, will now cost just £89 per person. Those wanting to spend longer at the south Devon resort can enjoy 15 per cent off four days unlimited golf, with three nights’ bed-and-breakfast accommodation and one two-course evening meal. The unlimited golf breaks package entitles guests to a daily round on the resort’s Championship course and unlimited access to the nine-hole Dartmouth layout. In addition, golfers can also enjoy free access to the extensive Lakeside Health & Leisure Club, which boasts an indoor pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and spa among its facilities. For more information call 0800 043 3669 or email reservations@dgcc.co.uk.
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t tracks and 27 venues offering accommodation have signed up to the partnership, with more to follow in the coming months. Around 40 packages will be promoted via the Visit Kent website and dedicated 12-page Golfbreaks. com brochure. Among the special offers include: Stay and play golf breaks from £90): Play at Princes and stay at The Lodges at Princes (opens July 2011) – from £110 (Sunday Special, one night’s B&B). Mid Kent golf tours from £109): Play the London Club, Chart Hills and Etchinghil, with accommodation at the Holiday Inn in Sevenoaks, from £270 (two nights’ B&B). Kent coast golf tours from £134): Take on the Royal St George’s and Royal Cinque Ports and stay at the Royal Hotel in Deal – from £339 (one night’s B&B). Coastal golfing tours from £149): Play Littlestone and Walmer & Kingsdown and book in at the Millers Arms in Canterbury – from £215 (two nights’ B&B). For more information visit www.golfbreaks.com or www.visitkentgolf.co.uk
Azaleas arrive early at the Augusta of Dorset
Visitors to The Dorset Golf & Country Club near Wimborne could be forgiven for thinking they’ve arrived at Augusta National, such is the abundance of colourful azaleas and rhododendrons at the picturesque West Country resort. The hottest April on record has resulted in many of the resort’s flowers blooming much earlier than usual, and just four weeks after Charl Schwartzel earned the coveted green jacket in Georgia, ‘The Augusta of Dorset’ has exploded into full bloom, providing some of the most colourful backdrops to any round of golf. The Woodland Golf Course, which is cut through a forest of rhododendrons, has been
giving many new guests the ‘wow factor’. It’s a wonderful place to be and at times it’s difficult to concentrate on the golf with such beautiful foliage lining the fairways. Banks of pink, red and purple dominate the eyeline, sparking thoughts of Augusta. Not just restricted to the Woodland Course, the Lakeland and Parkland Championship Course is also blessed with flourishes of rhododendron and cherry blossom and the views and reflections across the huge lakes really do look spectacular. The club’s marketing manager, Marc Windust, says: “We have a lot of visitors who book their golf break at this time of the year in order to see the fantastic floral display.
“This year looks like a wonderful showing, and with such good weather it should last until the end of June. There’s a real tranquil feeling on the course, being surrounded by acres of rolling heathland, without a single property in sight except our own luxury Scandinavian lodges. The three courses, all built with full USGA specification greens, are always well maintained, but the flowers in May and June provide that special touch of magic.” The resort’s 13 five-star luxury log cabins are also surrounded by towering pine trees and rhododendron, making for a wonderful place to stay on a golfing break. There are a few golf society days still available, so organisers looking for a share of the magic should call reservations on 01929 472244.
Just awarded British Tourist Board Gold Award
FREE GOLF Air-conditioned clubhouse facilities l Restaurant offering an extensive menu l On site accommodation in the Dorset Golf Hotel 16 twin rooms l From £55.95 pppn including Dinner, Bed and Breakfast and FREE GOLF l One Day Society Packages from £25.00pp l l
Telephone No: 01929 472244
HAMPSHIRE & SURREY CLASSICS 2 NIGHTS B&B at either: Marriott Portsmouth or Lythe Hill Hotel & Spa, Haslemere 3 ROUNDS at one of Hindhead, Stoneham, Hayling or Liphook
ONLY £249 pp Weekend supplement: £10pp extra
ENGLISH RIVIERA DEVON
CORNISH CREAM
MID WALES
2 NIGHTS B&B at Toorak Hotel, Torquay 3 ROUNDS at the following courses:
2 NIGHTS B&B at St Mellion or Trevose 3 ROUNDS at the following courses: St Mellion, Perranporth and Trevose
2 NIGHTS B&B at Th DAY 1 Cradoc G.C DAY 2 Llandrindod We DAY 3 Builth Wells G.C
ONLY £199 pp
ONLY £225 pp
ONLY £199 p
Churston, Torquay & Teignmouth
Dinner Option: £10pp per night extra
Dinner option: £20pp per night extra
To discuss your exclusive golf package call 01
We have over 15 years experience of organising golf breaks throughout the UK and Europe
he Metropole Hotel 18 holes
ells G.C
18 holes
C
18 holes
pp
Weekend supplement: £15pp extra
NORTH WALES
WOODHALL GOLF BREAKS
2 NIGHTS B&B at The Royal Sportsman DAY 1 Porthmadog G.C 18 holes DAY 2 Nefyn & District G.C 18 holes DAY 3 Royal St Davids G.C 18 holes
2 NIGHTS B&B at Woodhall Spa Hotel 3 DAYS 1 x Hotchkin Course*
ONLY £225 pp
ONLY £249 pp
Weekend supplement: £17pp extra
1 x Bracken Course* 1 x Seacroft GC
* Located at Woodhall
01822 618181 or visit exclusivegolfbreaks.com
52 Travel
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Clive Agran leaves behind the masses in mainland Spain and heads for the island of Majorca, where great courses and luxury resorts make for a golfing heaven
Majorca Magnificent
M
ajorca, the largest of the Balearic Islands, has been one of Europe’s most popular destinations for British tourists since we ‘discovered’ it in the 1960s. However, while the ‘bucket and spade’ brigade has been making the annual pilgrimage to these beautiful shores ever since, the golfing hordes have been less abundant, which makes for a refreshing break for those of us who would rather not rub shoulders with our fellow Brits while playing the old game. I’d like to say that the absence of huge numbers of English makes for empty fairways, but then you’d be forgetting about the Spanish second home owners, Germans, French, Swedes and the myriad of other nationalities who have fallen for Majorca’s undisputed charms. Along with its sister islands of Minorca and Ibiza, Majorca lies in the Mediterranean off the south east coast of mainland Spain and is approximately two and half hours flying time from the UK. The island provides ideal conditions for golf, whatever the time of year. In the months of spring and autumn the weather is mild and pleasant, while the winter months are still mild, with a little more chance of rain. The summer, of course, can be extremely hot, so if you like playing golf with a blazing sun on your back then this is the best time to come. Like the rest of Spain, Majorca is currently undergoing its second golfing growth spurt following a period of maturation. Eighteen is, of course, a significant number in golf, and so it’s fitting that the island boasts 18 full-sized courses open to the public. In case you’re interested, there are two further 18-holers for members only and three nine-hole courses, making a total of nearly 400 holes! A golf holiday in Majorca is therefore a very appealing proposition and there’s no better place to stay than the splendid Marriott Son Antem Golf Resort and Spa. Located in the south centre of the island a quarter of an hour from the airport, and a similar distance from the lively capital Palma, it’s simply perfect. Geared up for golfers and sandwiched between two superb courses, the Marriott Son Antem is the ideal base from which to enjoy what Majorca has to offer. But
Marriott Son Antem (also above and below) is one of the finest resorts on the island, boasting two championship courses
there’s no need to go exploring if you don’t want to, as the resort provides pretty well everything a keen golfer could want, including a pair of challenging courses in excellent condition, beautifully presented and a real pleasure to play. Built either side of the new millennium on what was an old hunting estate, the courses embrace a nature reserve and are consequently full of fascinating wildlife. With tighter fairways, menacing rough, tricky greens and longer carries, the West is rightly regarded as the tougher of the two. Although the East is certainly no pushover, it’s a lot less punishing and perfectly complements its immediate neighbour. The many trees help provide plenty of definition and both courses are decidedly walker-friendly with gentle hills that render a buggy redundant for all but the injured, infirm or terminally lazy. The splendid adjoining hotel beautifully blends authentic local character with modern comfort. Low rise and unobtrusive, it’s tastefully decorated, delightfully furnished and extremely welcoming. As well as a couple of huge swimming pools, there’s a fascinating Holistic Lifestyle Spa, which provides a wide range of experiences from steamy equatorial
to icy arctic. There’s a fitness centre and a range of pampering massages and treatments are also available. With four tennis courts, two beach volleyball courts, a basketball court and a jogging path, the energetic are well catered for. The two restaurants are so good that even the normally sedentary might feel motivated to burn off a few calories. The comfortable rooms have either balconies or terraces and overlook one of the courses or the pool area. Nowhere is Majorca’s regeneration more typified than at nearby Son Gual, a high end championship course which opened for play in 2007, which takes the golf offering on the island to another level. The reasons for this are not just to be found in the price of the green fee – €150 – but the quality of the course, the facilities and the service. Located less than 15 minutes from Palma, Son Gual is the dream-made-reality of a German businessman who wanted to have his own private playground. Some €30 million and five years later, and Adam Pamer’s vision has been created by German architect Thomas Himmel. The land on which the 18-hole course has been built probably wouldn’t have been that inspiring for Thomas to look at when the diggers first moved in, but the small matter of 1.4 million cubic metres of earth were moved in order to create the stunning hills, valleys, streams and lakes through and around which the gently rolling fairways could flow. Such a sizeable budget gave Himmel the resources to fulfil plenty of daring design elements that would be beyond most resort courses, including an island green, a 1.2km man-made river, a vineyard and the planting of acres of wild flowers in the rough between fairways. Another feature of the course are
the fabulous olive trees that border many of the fairways, the harvests from which will no doubt make it onto the tapas menu in the clubhouse in years to come. The course itself flows in two loops, with seven large lakes puncturing the fairways at regular intervals to provide plenty of thrills and spills. Although a tough track off the back tees, at an eye-watering 7,243 yards, the vast teeing areas – some of which stretch to 900 square metres – ensure that golfers of all standards have a fair chance of scoring, although even the yellow tees are around 6,500 yards. Apart from the massive clover-leaf shaped bunkers (of which there are 66) the key feature of the design are the treacherous false fronts to the greens. Cut short, these luscious lips will suck up anything left short, depositing balls at the bottom of some steep slopes yards from where they originally landed. The well-designed clubhouse offers plenty of creature comforts, including a steam and sauna suite, with on-site massage (it’s a German thing), while the dining experience is well up to and beyond most five-star resorts I’ve ever stayed at. Son Gual will undoubtedly add hugely to the golfing experience in Majorca, which already boasts some super layouts, including Jack Nicklaus’s new layout at nearby Puntirò, which opened in 2006 to much applause. Another beautiful setting is to be found at nearby Pula, the longest and most demanding of all Mallorca’s courses. It underwent some major surgery a few years ago and is now a stunning championship that has hosted the Mallorcan Open in recent years. Palma is a delightful city to visit. With its historic centre, Gothic and Renaissance architecture and smart art galleries, the capital is light years away from the lagerlout image of Majorcan seaside resorts. The city is clean, confident and lively. It is also easy to explore on foot, with plentiful cafes, bars and restaurants to provide diversions. The imposing Cathedral dominates the skyline, while the chic marina is packed with millionaire’s yachts…one of which might be owned by Adam Pamer, providing he’s not too busy playing golf. For more information please visit www.mallorcamarriott.com.
Travel 53
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meandmytravels with Andrew Castle The former British No.1 tennis player and GMTV presenter canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get enough of La Manga, but wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be going back to St Lucia My first holiday was toâ&#x20AC;Ś Corfe Castle in Dorset. I dreamt about it many times during my childhood afterwards.
La Manga Resort Grosvenor House in Dubai
but at a more gentle level. They may look funny but they are effective.
Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m planning on a trip toâ&#x20AC;Ś La Manga Club in the summer and Corvera Golf and Country Club. I can`t wait for both, as we all love that part of Spain.
My favourite golf resort isâ&#x20AC;Ś La Manga Club.Three distinct courses, three different challenges. Many ways to ruin a decent score. Standing on the 18th tee at the West Course is fantastic.
I always travel with myâ&#x20AC;Ś Ear plugs. They are moulded for me and cut out 80% of noise so I can hear all the stupid announcements on the plane
My favourite golf course in the world isâ&#x20AC;Ś Old Course, St Andrews. I swear the place is populated by the greats of the past!
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The worst holiday Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever had was toâ&#x20AC;Ś St Lucia. The Almond Bay Resort was a nightmare from beginning to end. The staff were inattentive and unmotivated. The food was a mish-mash of recycled leftovers and the room was dilapidated. On top of that, the airport is overcrowded and painfully slow, although there may be a new one now â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I will never know. My top travel tip isâ&#x20AC;Ś be rested when the journey begins, because youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to need your energy getting there.
My favourite city in the world isâ&#x20AC;Ś London, despite the pace, anger and price! I live here, so I have to be
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I always packâ&#x20AC;Ś Too many things. How many pairs of socks do you need in 100 degrees for a day on the beach?
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My best ever round wasâ&#x20AC;Ś Level par at Corvera.Mind you, the greens are perfect and the course is new, so no rough to contend with.
loyal to the old bird. There are times, especially at night, when it sparkles.
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My most recent holiday was toâ&#x20AC;Ś Diani Beach in Mombasa, Kenya. I stayed in a house on the beach with a friend called Julien Diaz who is a former dance professional now physical trainer. His methods of training have changed the way I feel. We work with a flow of movement that stretches and strengthens the body. It is like being ironed out and the effect of it all is that I can walk, run and play sport better.
My ideal travelling golf partnersâ&#x20AC;Ś My wife Sophia plays off 22 but it is not always easy to get her on the course, when I do she really enjoys it. She can be a bandit, she was 7 over after 9 last time out, I`m glad she was my partner. Don McCarthy is my great golf mate. No matter what disasters unfold on the course he retains his sense of humour, helped by the magic hip flask. Don can hit it milesâ&#x20AC;Śin any direction!
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Keeping your holiday on course
7/12/09 15:57:56
54 Travel
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Check out the Czech Golf Festival with Abante
C Make the most of Morgado To celebrate the acquisition of three new golf courses in the Algarve, the CS Hotel chain is offering some great value golf packages for the summer. All the rooms in the fivestar Morgado Golf Hotel, which opened in March, have views of the par 73 Morgado course, which, at just over 7,000 yards, in one of the longest in the region. The comfortable clubhouse, which also has panoramic views over the course, is just a few yards from the hotel, as is
the Algarve’s largest golf academy, which offers holiday golfers the chance to work on all aspects of their game during their stay. Specialist operators Golf Escapes have secured some great deals to the CS Golf Hotel, with halfboard packages also including drinks. Packages comprising five nights’ half board accommodation (including beer, half a bottle of wine per person and soft drinks), and five rounds of golf (three at Alamos and
two at Morgado), costs £365pp between now and September 30. Also included in the package are free trolleys and a daily token for the driving range. The same package over three nights, with three rounds of golf (two at Alamos and one round at Morgado), costs just £249pp. The resort is located 10km from Portimao and 14km from Alvor, both of which offer plenty of ‘après-golf’ activities, although the hotel is ideal for those looking for a more laid-back end to their day’s golfing, with a choice of great restaurants and bars on site. For more information, please contact Golf Escapes on 01342 811777 or visit www.golf-escapes.com.
zech Republic golf holiday specialist Abante Golf has announced the launch of the 2011 Czech Golf Festival to celebrate the company’s 10th anniversary. The festival, which will enable golfers to experience the best that the country has to offer on and off the course, will be held from July 10-15 in association with Planet Golf, the leading outbound golf tour operator for the Czech Republic. For as little as £499 per person, players can enjoy four-star B&B accommodation for five nights at the Majestic Plaza Hotel, with four rounds of golf and free transfers.
Konopiste will be one of the venues used for the festival
The event comprises rounds at Prague City, Albatross, Berovice and Konopiste, and will also include a tour of Prague’s ancient city, all transfers, a welcome reception
and gala dinner and refreshments after golf. Further tournaments are scheduled for 2012 and 2013 in West Bohemia and Prague respectively, for which plans are already in an advanced stage. For more information on the Czech Golf Festival or booking a golf break with Abante Golf, visit www.abante-golf.co.uk www.czech-golf-festival. com or call 0208 133 4366.
Great rates at Monte da Quinta Laranjal
The Monte da Quinta resort in the Algarve has launched a range of golf package deals, including car rental. Located in the heart of the
prestigious Quinta do Lago estate, Monte da Quinta boasts a collection of 132 self-catering suites and a range of two and three-
Holidays begin Discover the beautifully uncrowded fairways of France and northern Spain with Brittany Ferries.
Play & Stay in France 1 night plus golf from
10th hole at Pléneuf Val André
For our latest offers call the golf desk on 0871 244 0668 or visit brittanyferries.com/golf Prices are per person based on 4 passengers travelling in one car for travel in April. Selected sailings, exclusions and conditions apply. See website for full details.
2 nights plus golf from
£154 £233 where holidays begin
bedroom townhouses and spacious villas, all of which come with private pools. The seven-night package includes three rounds of golf at each of the South, Laranjal and North courses – the latter including a buggy – plus an additional four rounds per booking at the Benamor and Castro Marim courses. The deal also includes car rental, a golfer food pack and free use of the health club with indoor heated pool, sauna, Jacuzzi, Turkish bath and sensation shower. Non-golfers are offered three treatments at the Magnolia Spa in place of the golf. Packages are priced at 630 euros per person – based on six sharing a three-bedroom townhouse – or 665 euros pp with four sharing a two-bedroom townhouse. A seven-night stay in a two-bedroom townhouse starts from 1,499 euros for a party of four. For further information, or to book a stay, call 00 351 289 000 300 or go to www.mqresort.com.
Made for perfect days, perfect greens and perfect putts.
Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club #13, Pawleys Island, South Carolina
There’s nothing more fun than a golf vac ation, and nowhere better t o t a k e t h a t t r i p t h a n S o u t h C a ro l i n a . Wi t h m o re t h a n 3 6 0 c o u r s e s from the mount ains to the coast, we’re Americ a’s #1 golf destination. Come see why South Carolina really is made for vac ation. Find out more at SouthCarolinaGolf.com.
HOT LIST GOLD WINNER 2 YEARS IN A ROW
The longest driver in golf is also one of the most popular. Bubba Watson, armed with his award-winning G15 Driver, continues to lead the PGA Tour in driving distance while leaving his competitors and fans in awe of his shot-making skills. Visit a PING Fitting Specialist or ping.com to find out which PING driver fits your game.
Š 2011 PING
Source: PGA Tour Statistics through 3/20/11