Golf News March 2013

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Issue 219 | March 2013

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Issue 219 | March 2013

Golf News, The Studio, 14 Deanway, Hove, East Sussex BN3 6DG. Tel: 01273 556377. email: info@golfnews.co.uk. Website: www.golfnews.co.uk

Editor Nick Bayly editor@golfnews.co.uk

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Advertising Production Kath Perry ads@golfnews.co.uk

Photography Kevin Murray (kevinmurraygolfphotography.com) Action Images, James Cheadle

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Why nine can be fine

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quality experience for golfers who, without an alternative to a five-hour slogathon, might be lost to the game completely.

Although most clubs offer a Twilight fee, it’s a rather woolly product that gives no clear indication as to whether you’ll be able to fit in 18 holes or 10, and the fee is never half price, so a cheaper fee with a guaranteed nine might be a more tempting proposition.

There’s even some hard evidence that it can work.

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© Copyright Golf News 2013. No part of this publication may be copied, photocopied or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in anyway or means, either by recording or otherwise, without permission of the publishers in writing.

lthough it’s far from a novel idea, I’ve often wondered why more clubs with 18-hole courses don’t offer a nine-hole green fee.

Besides making some extra money from golfers who otherwise couldn’t afford the time to play 18 holes, it would also give golfers a wider choice of venues to play in under two hours.

Admittedly, not all clubs feature two obvious and equal loops, but a lot of courses have layouts that could offer a shorter, but equally high-

STAY AND PLAY

generated £2.3 million for clubs via its ‘Let’s Play 9’ initiative last year, in which many 18-hole venues sold nine-hole tee times. The company said it sold 225,000 rounds in off-peak slots for time-conscious players.

Golfers used to playing traditional 18-hole courses have often been put off – quite wrongly in my view – from playing standalone 9-hole layouts, so for 18-hole clubs to offer half green fees for half the golf seems like a sensible way of making golf more accessible and affordable.

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March 2013 / Issue 219

D-DAY BECKONS FOR CENTURION CLUB Nick Bayly reports on the forthcoming opening of a new upmarket members club in Hertfordshire

The finest downland course in Sussex...

Bookings now being taken for our Dormy House, open throughout the summer until November Twin bed en-suite rooms with a five course dinner, bed & full english breakfast, including two rounds of golf from £95 to £145 per person per night GREEN FEE VISITORS CAN NOW BOOK ONLINE AT SPECIAL PRICES go to www.seafordgolfclub.co.uk and follow the visitor tee booking link For a brochure and more information call Sue on: 01323 892442, e-mail: sue@seafordgolfclub.co.uk or visit: www.seafordgolfclub.co.uk

S EAFORD G OLF C LUB SEAFORD GOLF CLUB, FIRLE ROAD, SEAFORD, EAST SUSSEX, BN25 2JD

The finishing touches to an exclusive new golf club in Hertfordshire, The Centurion, are currently being completed, with the course due to open in just three months’ time.

The club, which is located west of the M1 between St Albans and Hemel Hemstead, will be opening its doors at a time when many other clubs are finding it hard to cling onto the members that they have, let alone find 200 new ones – which is the task facing the club’s management team, led by chairman Graham Wildish.

The 7,200-yard course, which opens for play in early July, has already attracted interest from local golfers, but it is expected to draw its membership from all over north and west London, as well as number of corporate clients.

The Centurion is owned by a quartet comprising Wildish, who is a Kent-born industrialist; managing director Scott Evans, and Dutch businessmen Bert and André Pronk. Oxfordshire-based architect Simon Gidman has designed the layout, which offers a mixture of woodland and parkland holes on an undulating farmland, while Troon Golf, the leader in high-end resort management, has been brought in to ensure that the course is constructed to the highest possible standards.

“Our goal is always to exceed the expectation of the golfer,” said Simon Doyle, Troon’s head of agronomy. “We want to prepare the course to tournament

specifications and we also want yearround playability, which is why we have re-established the greens with creeping bent grass. This variety has proven itself around the world, providing a superb putting surface, with all of the critical characteristics we look for.”

He added: “Course manager Andy Garland has done a great job executing the agronomy programme, and the course is already in great shape, and will be even better as the official opening approaches.”

Centurion Club managing drector Scott Evans is confident that the club will add something special to the golf offering in the region. “When we began this project, we were determined to build a private golf club of unrivalled quality that would appeal to discerning golfers, and the feedback we have been receiving suggests we are on track to achieve that goal,” he said. “One experienced player told us it was the best new course he had ever visited, and several others have bought memberships on their first visit to the club.”

“We believe that our location will be regarded as one of the club’s key strengths,” he added. “We’re just 30 minutes by car from central London, so we expect a lot of enquiries from Londoners who want a fast escape from the city.”

The off-course facilities at the club, which opens for play in June, will initially be housed in a temporary building while the main clubhouse is under construction.

Shire to host Longest Day charity event The Shire London is to stage a major celebrity-backed charity golf event later this year to raise funds for life-saving equipment at a specialist heart hospital.

The Mid-Summer Masters, which is scheduled for June 21, aims to raise £24,000 to buy a new ECMO machine for Papworth Hospital in Cambridge. The charity is particularly close to Shire owner Tony Menai Davis’ heart, as such a machine saved his life in June last year, after he suffered a serious bout of pneumonia.

“The chef Raymond Blanc once told me that God laughs at those who make long term plans,” said Menai Davies, who spent five weeks in hospital recovering from his illness.

“It’s only thanks to Papworth’s brilliant staff, and the ECMO machine, that I’m still around to make any plans at all. So I hope golfers will join me in helping to raise funds for such a worthwhile cause.”

Shire owner Tony Menai Davis with Seve

Teams of three players are being asked to enter, with the fourth to include a celebrity form the world of sport or showbusiness.

The day will cost £250 per person, and will include breakfast, 18 holes of golf on the Seve Ballesteros-designed course, followed by a champagne reception and a threecourse dinner.

To register a team or to find out more details, visit www.papworthhospitalcharity.org.uk

March 2013 / Issue 219

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Justin Rose becomes Goodwood ambassador World No.6 Justin Rose has become the official touring professional for Golf At Goodwood in West Sussex.

The 32-year-old Ryder Cup star, who lives in Florida for the majority of the year, signed the deal to represent the club, and feature its logo on his tour bag, prior to the WGC World Match Play in Arizona, where he was knocked out in the third round by fellow Ryder Cup player Nicolas Colsearts.

The new link up with Goodwood follows Rose’s most successful year on Tour in 2012, which included his first World Golf Championship victory at the Cadillac Championship, along with his invaluable contribution to the extraordinary Ryder Cup win at Medinah.

Goodwood’s General Manager, Stuart Gillett, said: “We are thrilled to be working with Justin on the Rose will be spreading the Goodwood word on Tour back of his great success last year.

Justin was a natural choice for Goodwood given his success both locally taking Golf At Goodwood to a new level.“ and nationally as a junior, along with the Speaking about the new commercial club’s proximity to where he grew up in relationship, Rose said: “I’m delighted Hampshire.” to be announcing this partnership Gillett added: “We are committed to with Goodwood, given the history and developing junior golf here at Goodwood heritage of the Goodwood Estate and the and what better inspiration for the stars fantastic facilities that they have to offer of tomorrow. We believe we offer a truly there. I’m also excited by their ambitions unique golf experience set alongside for the development of their junior golf England’s finest sporting estate, and with programme and hope to be a part of their Justin’s involvement we look forward to plans for many years to come.”

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‘Spoon’ celebrates silver anniversary The 25th renewal of the Laddie Lucas Spoon is being held at Prince’s Golf Club on April 3.

The tournament, which is sponsored by The Golfing Society of Great Britain, is held in honour of the late ‘Laddie’ Lucas, who was co-founder of the Sandwich-based club.

The Spoon is a scratch competition open to juniors aged between eight and 13 years old. No handicaps are required, although there are also various handicap competitions as well as prizes awarded for age categories. The scratch winner will be presented with the Spoon, which is held permanently on display in the clubhouse. The tournament has been won by Worthing’s Marco Penge for the last two years, although he is too old now to defend his title next month. To book a place call 01304 611118.

that anyone will ever tire of playing at Chart Hills.” Sir Nick Faldo “I doubt

Come & play Chart Hills this winter on one of our amazing winter deals.

For individuals, play Chart Hills on any Tuesday,Thursday or Friday morning from as little as £40pp (Fridays £50pp)and enjoy a full English breakfast before you play. For societies of 12 or more, our winter society rates start at just £49pp (includes breakfast roll,18 holes and single course meal) Both offers run till the end of April 2013.

Call us on 01580 292222 to check availability.

www. charthills.co.uk/offers&events/wintergolfoffers.asp Chart Hills Golf Club, Weeks Lane, Biddenden, Kent TN27 8JX www.charthills.co.uk T:01580 292222 E: info@charthills.co.uk ‘Laddie’ Lucas is a Princes’ legend

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March 2013 / Issue 219

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With so many newer golf courses of a similar style why not try a golf course with 125 years of history and 18 very unique and testing holes for your next golfing occasion?

The new: the course has been lengthened but retains many classic features.

The BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth is always one of the best events on the British sporting calendar, and this year’s renewal, which takes place from May 23-26, promises to be a hot ticket among golf fans, as the cream of European golf make a rare appearance on UK soil to fight it out for one of golf’s most coveted titles.

Luke Donald will be back to defend the title he won so brilliantly in 2012, while Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood, Justin Rose, and a whole host of Ryder Cup stars, will be bidding to wrestle the famous trophy from his hands.

Advance ticket and hospitality packages, including 18th green grandstand seating and limited on-site parking, are available now through the European Tour’s website, with children aged 16 and under admitted free of charge if accompanied by an adult.

This year sees the introduction of a new park and ride system to help facilitate the flow of traffic in the club. The system will operate from two locations – one near Sunningdale, carrying traffic from the

Camberley celebrates centenary Camberley Heath Golf Club teed off its centenary celebrations in fine style earlier this month, when over 80 golfers donned period costume to take part in a match replicating the first golf played at the club in 1913.

Centenary captains Richard Broderick and Susan Carpenter teed off from the first at 8.30am, exactly 100 years to the minute when the Harry Colt-designed course first opened for play.

Following the competition, the captains returned to the first tee, where 18 past captains drove out their year again, before the new captain drove in the Centenary Year using a wooden driver.

The Captain and Ladies Captain raised the centenary flag, and then unveiled the Centenary Stone, a specially commissioned artwork designed to mark the centenary, which was the brain child of past captains Geoffrey Rout and Ian Walton. At the end of the year a time capsule will be buried containing memorabilia from the centenary year.

The club is staging numerous competitive and social events to mark the centenary year, including the Centenary Trophy on June 22 and the Presidents Centenary Day on July 27.

Call us to ask about our many packages for Golf Societies and visitors including weekends and add some unique ‘Heritage’ to your golf day.

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West (M3 and M4) and one at the Review Ground, Windsor Great Park, which is east of the tournament venue close to the M25.

Both parks will operate free shuttle bus services to Wentworth every five minutes, with the journey time taking around ten minutes and allowing easy access to a new entrance through the tented village.

As well as the usual choice of day tickets and season passes, golf fans looking for hospitality packages can take their pick from a variety of options, including the Moët & Chandon Brasserie. Located in the tented village

Captains Richard Broderick and Susan Carpenter unveil the centenary stone

alongside the 18th green, it provides a relaxed setting from which to enjoy the action during the four rounds of the Championship.

The price of a package is £160 per person, and contains all the ingredients for an unforgettable day at Wentworth, including admission, reserved on-site parking, breakfast, a glass of champagne on arrival for lunch at a reserved table, followed by a two-course lunch with half a bottle of wine per person.

For bookings visit www.europeantour. com/tickets or call 01344 840538.

Hockey hero plays starring role Great Britain Olympic hockey bronze medallist Chloe Rogers showed that she’s also more than handy with a set of golf clubs by helping England register a third successive win in the Ladies Golf Cup World Final at Spain’s La Manga Club.

Essex-based Rogers, who plays off four at Braintree Golf Club, had no trouble switching sports, and played a leading role as England held off Thailand to claim victory in the 36-hole competition.

The 27-year-old Leicester Ladies star, who has more than 160 combined caps for England and Great Britain, won both her matches on La Manga’s famous fairways and was one of only two players to score maximum points at the international event.

Entering the final day on the resort’s

South Course, Rogers and her three teammates – Ann Hynes from Burhill, Enmore’s Jayne Errington, and Nicola Clarke from Castle Royle – held a narrow one-point advantage over their rivals from Thailand, with Portugal three points further back. But the English quartet were in no mood to surrender their title, and scored strongly in the remaining matches, culminating with a second maximum from Rogers as they finished on 18 points, three ahead of Thailand.

Ben Lambourne, UK licensee for the Ladies Golf Cup, said: “La Manga lived up to all expectations and provided a wonderful platform to ensure everyone enjoyed a memorable experience. Hats off to England for completing a hat-trick of victories at the world final.”

Ridge reveals clubhouse refurb

Golfers visiting The Ridge Golf Club this season can look forward to a host of new facilities, following a planned £250,000 clubhouse refurbishment programme at the Maidstone-based club.

The upgrade will include a new bar, an expanded dining room – which will be able to cater for up to 160 guests – a new sunroom overlooking the course. Other improvements at the club over the winter have resulted in a new car park for the club’s popular driving range, while a new

fleet of buggies has already arrived in time for new season.

The club is currently offering a half-priced membership offer, which has attracted 60 new members in recent months.The package comprises 7-day membership for £43 a month, following an initial payment of £85. There is no joining fee and members have the opportunity to join the Golf Network and play 27 other clubs for free. For more details visit www.theridgegolfclub.co.uk.

Win a FREE Golf Society Day For Up To 20 Players At Any Of Our Three Great Courses

Come enjoy a spectacular day of golf at one of our three courses‌ The peace and tranquility of Horton Park Golf Club, located on the edge of Epsom, is a convenient treat for golfers across London, with easy access from the A3 and M25. The course is better than ever having just completed a £500,000 redesign, including 3 new holes on the Millennium Course and a completely revamped driving range, clubhouse and fully stocked pro shop. The beautiful parkland layout features a wide variety of holes, elevation change, mature trees, streams and picturesque ponds.

With its two 18-hole championship courses, driving range and a 9-hole short course, Chichester Golf Club offers the finest, friendliest, golf and practice facility in the South of England. Ideally situated for easy

access, just two miles south of Chichester and close to the A27, Portsmouth and the A3.

Conveniently located just off the A-27 near Worthing, Hill Barn Golf Club is a spectacular 75-year old course designed by the legendary Fred Hawtree. The club has a long and enviable history having hosted many professional tournaments and been graced by names such as Peter Alliss and Tony Jacklin. The 18-hole course nestles in the rolling hills of the South Downs National Park and provides sweeping panoramic views out over the English Channel. As the course is built on the South Downs it is free draining, so you can play year round without the mud which plagues many other courses, making us an ideal choice for golf societies.

Enter to win here: MapleleafGolf.co.uk/freegolfsocietyday

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News in Brief

March 2013 / Issue 219

AUGUSTA GOES PUBLIC

HOME WIN FOR CIPA South Essex Golf Complex’s Steve Cipa won the Essex PGA Winter League meeting on his home course with a one-under-par round of 70. Cipa, who makes regular appearances on the European Senior Tour, held off the challenge of runner-up Johnnie Fryatt (Thorpe Hall) and former PGA European Tour star Mark Davis (Thorndon Park), who both signed for 72. Mark Stokes (Rayleigh) took fourth place with 73 and Steve Richardson (Garon Park) fifth with 74.

TAVERNER’S TRIUMPH Brocket Hall’s James Taverner won the Hertfordshire PGA professional prize at the Ron King Trophy meeting held at Sandy Lodge. A four-under-par 67 saw him finish four shots clear of Peter Cherry, whose Ashridge team of Graham Holland and Tom Butler won the Ron King Trophy with 93 points.

Tee times are up for grabs at the Masters venue

After letting its first black members join in 1990, and its first two women members in 2012, Augusta National, home to the Masters Tournament since 1934, is to open itself up as a pay-and-play course for the first time in its history later this year.

The ultra-exclusive club in Georgia, which numbers past presidents and CEOs of some of America’s biggest companies among its membership, is to release a strictly limited number of

rounds for members of the public to play the Bobby Jones-designed course this summer, as part of its drive to become a more socially conscious club.

The tee times are being released on a ballot system similar to that operated by the St Andrews Links Trust for rounds on the Old Course.

The ballot will include 250 four-ball tee times, which means that up to 1,000 golfers will be given the opportunity to experience the legendary course where champions such as Sam

Snead, Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, Tiger Woods, and last year’s winner, Bubba Watson, have gone before. The course will be set up in exactly the same way that it will be for the final round of this year’s Masters, so that golfers can enjoy the complete experience.

Applicants must be a member of a club and possess an active handicap of 18 or less. To put your name into the ballot, please email teetimes@ augustanational.com by April 1, 2013.

More water at Moor Park!

Golfers playing Moor Park Golf Club’s challenging High Course for the first time this year will have to keep their wits about them on the eighth hole, following the construction of a large pond.

The new hazard, which was built over the winter, will make the uphill 467-yard par four even more of a challenge, as it protects an area to the right of the fairway that is in range off the tee for the biggest hitters. The eighth is widely regarded as one of the signature holes on the Harry Colt-designed course, and the new water feature will ensure it continues to live up to its stroke index one billing.

Other improvement at the Rickmansworth-based club include an on-going bunker renovation programme, which will see many of the bunkers of the High and West Course restored to their former glory, while off the course, the locker rooms inside the iconic Mansion clubhouse are shortly to be refurbished.

The club is hosting a number of open competitions this season, with the highlight being The Hertfordshire Bowl, a four-round stroke play competition open to category one golfers, which takes place on August 10-11, and is shared with Porters Park.

The new pond on the 8th hole

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March 2013 / Issue 219

Masters week at Maylands Maylands Golf Centre in Essex is hosting a series of competitions and fundraising events in April to raise money for Cancer Research.

The Masters Open Week at the Romford-based club will run from April 8-14, with money raised from green fees and various charity auctions being donated to the club captain’s chosen charity for the year.

Open to members and visitors, the week will include numerous stableford competitions, where there will be some generous individual and team prizes, including a month’s free membership and a test drive in a new BMW. After the on-course events have finished, competitors will also be able to watch the action unfold from Augusta on big screens in the clubhouse. For more information, or to book tee times, call 01708 341777 or email sales@maylandsgolf.com.

Stoke Park to host Heroes day

Charlotte Jackson in action last year

Stars of sport, stage and screen will be on show at Stoke Park Golf Club in Buckinghamshire on April 24, when the Help for Heroes Celebrity Golf Day tees off for its fourth annual tournament.

The star-filled charity day, which is being sponsored by YourGolfTravel. com, in partnership with event founders Cignet Group, will raise vital money for the Help the Heroes fund. The day sees 24 teams of three amateur golfers paired with a celebrity for 18 holes of golf over the historic parkland layout.

Among the famous names already lined up to play are former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan, Football Focus presenter Dan Walker, and event ambassador and Sky News presenter Georgie Bingham, who said: “I’m delighted to be on board for the 2013 Heroes Celebrity Golf day. All I can say is

that the weather had better play ball this year! Stoke Park almost drowned last April, and yet so many people made it such a fabulous day.”

Once again, there will be a strong military theme to this year’s Help for Heroes Golf Day, including military bands, a special clinic for Battle Back Golfers, military hardware and presence, and a flyby followed by a gala dinner and charity auction.

As an added incentive to take part, the first person to ace the 180-yard 7th hole will win a brand new Jaguar F-Type, while there will be a host of ‘money can’t buy’ experiences on offer in the auction, which is being hosted by Lord Jeffrey Archer.

For more information about booking a team for this event, visit www.heroescelebritygolf.com or email info@heroescelebritygolf.com.

TAVISTOCK ARE TRUST CHAMPIONS Tavistock Golf Club is champion of the EWGA Trust, England Golf’s charity for girls’ golf, after beating over 140 other clubs to claim 2012 EWGA Trust Stableford Competition. The Devon club’s top 10 players together amassed an impressive 388 points to finish 20 points clear of its closest rivals.

BRUCE ALLMIGHTY AT THE MEADOWS Bruce Cuff made the best of a home course advantage to win the Middlesex PGA Par Three Championship held at Dukes Meadows Golf Centre. His twounder-par 52 was one better than Vanslow Phillips, also from the host club, with third going to Stanmore’s David Bunker. Cuff signed for six-under-par 48 in the Better Ball Pro-Am with the help of partner Miguel Moitas, who plays off plus one.

NZ HOSTS CLINK CHARITY DAY The New Zealand Golf Club in Surrey is to host The Clink Charity Golf Day on May 9. The tournament, which will raise funds to rehabilitate young offenders through training programmes, costs £400 for a team of four, to include breakfast, 18 holes, a four-course lunch designed by The Clink Charity’s founder trustee, chef Alberto Crisci, and a charity auction. The Clink is a 90-cover restaurant based in High Down Prison in Surrey, which is staffed entirely by inmates. To enter a team, visit www.theclinkcharity.com and follow the links.

News in Brief

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March 2013 / Issue 219

JACK HAS PLENTY MORE MILES LEFT IN THE TANK! In partnership with Sherfield Oaks Golf Club A two 18-hole complex managed by Crown Golf, Europe’s largest golf operator

GoLf ASSeSSment Saturday 13 April 2013

Register now for September 2013 Entry at 11, 13 and 16 years of age Telephone: 01256 884800 Email: hmpa@gss.gemsedu.co.uk www.sherfieldschool.co.uk

A club golfer from South London is celebrating 65 years of unbroken membership at the same club.

Jack Miles, who celebrated his 100th birthday in March, has been a member of Wimbledon Common Golf Club since 1947, during which time he has seen quite a few changes at the club, which enjoys a national reputation courtesy of its requirement for players to red tops.

“I joined Wimbledon when I was 32,” said Jack, who still plays four holes a week. “I had four young boys, and was going mad without a hobby to get me out of the house, so golf proved my salvation. I joined with three friends, and we were all pretty poor players – we played off 24 – and I had to buy myself a red linen jacket to play the course.”

Jack has served on one or other of the club’s committees for 64 continuous years, including the management, greens, social and handicap committees. He also served as captain (1965), president, and even held the position of club secretary for a time during the 1970s, following his retirement from the building trade.

“I’ve tried to serve the club in whatever role I can,” added Jack. “I became secretary in 1978.

It was one of those wonderful serendipitous moments that come to you once or twice in a lifetime. I retired from my job as a surveyor on the Friday, and became club secretary the

100 not out: Jack Miles is Wimbledon’s oldest member

following Monday. It was a part-time job then, which suited me nicely.”

Looking back at the changes he’s seen over the last six decades, Jack said: “I think the club has come on in leaps and bounds. I don’t agree with some of the folk who bellyache about how things were so much better in the ‘good old days’. The course and the facilities weren’t a patch on what they are now. When I first started there were no showers – there was just a big hole in the ground where we washed our feet. Also the club is a much more welcoming place than it used to be 40 years ago. Having lady members has certainly helped – I’m all for them!”

He added: “I still play four holes most weeks, but the sad thing about growing old is that I’ve lost all my playing partners. I’ve had a great life – and it’s been a privilege not only to be president, but also to be captain of the Home Counties Secretaries’ Association.”

Sherfield School

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Hoebridge’s pirate course proves a swashbuckling hit Since opening its new Pirate Island Adventure Golf Course in December, Hoebridge Golf Centre in Woking has welcomed more than 3,000 swashbuckling golfers to tackle the obstacle-strewn 18-hole layout.

Receiving over 100 visitors per day, the payand-play facility’s newest attraction is swathed in pirate-themed furnishings, including a shipwreck, cannons and treasure chests, for everyone from young buccaneers to old seadogs to negotiate with a putter and golf ball.

Hoebridge’s general manager, Mike O’Connell, said: “Adventure golf is fun, fast and affordable for everyone, plus it’s not difficult to play, so it’s popular with people of all ages, whether they’ve got experience of playing golf or not.”

The centre also offers three traditional layouts, comprising the 18-hole Hoebridge Course, the 9-hole Shey Copse, and The Maybury, an 18-hole par-three course with holes ranging from 72 to 182 yards.

Fun for all the family at Heythrop Heythrop Park Hotel & Golf Resort in Oxfordshire is to stage a family open day on Sunday, March 24.

The five-star resort, which is based near Blenheim Palace, will open up its doors to all golfers, with free taster sessions, crazy golf competitions, and a special 9-hole challenge where golfers can win a month’s golf membership. Trick show specialist Jeremy Dale will also be among the free entertainment on offer, along with an mini Easter egg hunt, an adventure playground, and free refreshments.

Non-golfers will be able to enjoy taster treatments and in the resort’s spa, and there are plenty of prizes to be won, including free golf and health memberships.

Heythrop Park’s 7,100-yard Bainbridge course, which was designed by Tom Mackenzie, has already won plaudits for the quality and condition of its layout, which encircles Heythrop Park mansion in over 300 acres of mature parkland. For more details visit www. heythropparkgolf.co.uk.

March 2013 / Issue 219

Poulter plans Major assault

Ian Poulter has outlined his plans to launch an all-out attack on this season’s Majors, following his semi-final finish in the Accenture Match Play Championship.

The Ryder Cup hero, whose best finish in a major is second place at the Open Championship in 2008, is focusing his entire 2013 schedule on peaking for the Majors, kicking off with next month’s Masters Tournament.

The 37-year-old, who rose to world No.8 on the back of his typically battling match play performances in Arizona last month, has outlined a lighter playing schedule than previous seasons in a bid to stay fresh for the biggest prizes.

“Playing loads of tournaments at the back-end of 2011, and then going out and playing more at the start of last year was too much,” said Poulter, whose preparation for the 2012 Masters suffered following a bout of pneumonia in March.

“You have got to take the breaks,” added Poulter, who has not played a single event on the European Tour so far this season.

“You don’t realise what it takes out of you when you go gallivanting about around Asia and all over the place. You have to make sure you do the right work in the winter and don’t neglect any practice. I’d like to do the same at the end of this year. People keep asking me why I’m not playing, but you’ve got to take forced breaks. There are enough good tournaments in the world to play a decent schedule.”

Outlining his new-look schedule for the Majors, he said: “I’ll probably play the week before the US Open, but take a week off before The Open Championship.

There’s enough rest time in there. I’m barely playing before the Masters, so I couldn’t be any fresher going into the summer, which is great. You can’t do it every week if you are slightly tired.

You have to be switched on and ready to go.”

/ 13

Ford hits top gear at Wentworth Matt Ford (pictured left) has bagged two wins on the trot in the 2013 Winter Series after firing off sub-par rounds at The Berkshire’s Red and Wentworth’s Edinburgh courses.

In the first of two consecutive days of top class golf, Ford produced a polished performance, shooting three-under-par 69 around The Berkshire’s Red course to see off Guy Woodman by one stroke after he bogeyed the last.

Ford and Woodman led a four-man chasing pack, comprising Lewis Atkinson, Michael Lowe,

Richard Wallis and Callum Haughey, all of whom shot par rounds for a share of third spot, with Haughey’s card earning him the Titleist and FootJoy ball, glove and shoe contract as the leading assistant.

On the second day at Wentworth, Ford got through the Edinburgh’s front nine in one-underpar, while a level-par back nine was good enough to bring him home the winner ahead of Paul Newman (East Berks), Callum Scott (Silvermere) and Leatherhead’s Michael Lowe.

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March 2013 / Issue 219

There’s a spring in the step at Windlesham Golf Club, where the opening of a new-look clubhouse in May looks set to elevate the popular Surrey venue to even higher heights.

Words by Nick Bayly

WINDS OF CHANGE An artist’s impression of the new-look pro shop

It’s safe to say that few clubs in the country, let alone the South East, have spent as much money on improving their facilities in the last five years than they have at Windlesham.

And perhaps what’s even more surprising is that the ‘old’ facilities, weren’t even old, and would have been a source of pride at most other clubs. But Windlesham isn’t like ‘most other clubs’, and has always sought to go the extra mile to make playing the course or visiting the clubhouse something of ‘an experience’, rather than just a run-of-the-mill outing.

Bearing that philosophy in mind, I arrived at Windlesham in early March to find the clubhouse in the midst of arguably its biggest transformation since the club first opened in 1994. High visibility jackets and hard hat-wearing workmen were swarming all over the site, busy putting the structure of the new extension into place. The £1 million project, which includes a complete redevelopment of the ground floor of the building, is on schedule to be completed in early May, just as the new season properly kicks into gear.

The redevelopment has obviously had some shortterm effects for the membership, with the bar and restaurant operation being temporarily moved to new home in the large first floor Lutine Suite – which again, would be very comfortable at your average club – but the transformation has so far been a thankfully smooth one, especially in light of the extreme weather conditions experienced over the winter.

The plans in the entrance lobby reveal the full ambition of the project, which will see the whole building extended some 20 feet outwards in the direction of the golf course, providing for a sizeable increase in the internal space of the clubhouse. This will allow the popular Nineteen Restaurant to increase its capacity to up to 120 diners, while the main bar and lounge area will be transformed into a light and airy space, with huge sliding windows and skylights making the transition from course to dining room almost seamless.

Addtionally, the pro shop, which has always been one of Windlesham’s unique selling points, will find a new larger home at the front of the building, overlooking the golf course, with plenty of space for all the latest equipment and clothing ranges..

As well as offering members and guests a bigger and better place to relax and be entertained, the newlook clubhouse will also help to show off the club’s star attraction, the 6,650-yard championship golf course, via a new first floor balcony that extends from the Lutine Suite.

Also the subject of considerable investment in recent years, the Tommy- Horton-designed parkland layout continues to thrive under the careful stewardship of course manager Alastair Higgs, who has wasted no time in implementing many of the improvements outlined in a 10-year course management plan undertaken by renowned architects Hawtree Ltd. This has included the construction of several new

March 2013 / Issue 219

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The comfortable upstairs lounge

The course is always presented in superb condition

The extended clubhouse will be opening in May

tees and a bunker renovation programme, which has resulted in the traps being more visible from the tees and from the fairway. New run-offs around several greens have also been introduced, and a number of fairways re-shaped, all of which has served to place more of an emphasis on accuracy and good course management, as well as improving traffic management around the greens.

Horton’s approach when designing Windlesham was to develop a course that ‘excites and tests all standards of golfer’, with gentle slopes and streams forming the main difficulties for all players. That very much remains true today, and it’s definitely a challenging course to play, with the two loops of nine testing out all the shot-making skills in the bag, as well as forcing golfers to engage their golfing brains off virtually every tee.

Length h ­ as never been the course’s main defence – although it is plenty long enough – because it requires skillful shot placement to score well here.

The first, second, fifth, sixth, seventh, ninth, 13th, 16th and 17th all require a ditch and/or water to be negotiated at some point, with lay ups off the tee, or daring shots to the greens required to go for birdies.

The size of the USGA-specification greens makes them slightly easier to hit, but can also leave massive putts across undulating slopes.

All in all, it’s an entertaining course to play, getting better the more you play it, and represents excellent value at £60 a round for visitors on weekdays and £65 at weekends after midday.

Societies are equally well catered for here, with bespoke summer packages available from just £70 per head for groups of 12 or more.

A healthy number of new members has joined the club since the new year, while member retention, which is a massive issue for many clubs these days, is equally impressive, providing further evidence that the club has got its product right both on and off the golf course.

There is currently a waiting list for five-day membership, while seven-day membership costs £2,070 (including a £175 loyalty card credit). There is a joining fee of £750, but this is currently being waived for those that join before July 1. As an added incentive to remain with the club, a loyalty discount scheme sees members receive a 1% loyalty discount against each renewal year that they have at the club, up to a maximum discount of 15%.

Members enjoy priority use on the course at all times, with mornings exclusively blocked out for members’ tee times (up to 11am weekdays and noon at weekends). In addition the club has an online booking facility, with bookings available up to 14 days in advance for members, while allowing visitors to secure tees times outside peak hours.

The club also operates a regularly-updated website, a Facebook page and a Twitter feed, while a new mobile App has just been launched which offers a completely interactive experience for golfers, including fly-by videos of holes, GPS measuring, digital scoring, tee time bookings, and live weather

“We have a philosophy for continual improvement at Windlesham Golf Club, and we are investing in our team, our infrastructure, and our facilities to ensure that the club is moving forwards. Culturally we strive for obsessive perfectionism, and our aim is always to deliver a first class service and golf club for our members and visitors.”

Stewart Judd, General Manager ,links. It’s just one of the many reasons why Windlesham remains ahead of the game.

If you’re interested joining Windlesham, or would like to come and look at the facilities before the new clubhouse opens, then call general manager Stewart Judd directly on 01276 452220 or email stewart.judd@windleshamgolf.com.

Windlesham Golf Club, Grove End, Bagshot, Surrey, GU19 5HY. Tel: 01276 451122 (Pro) www.windleshamgolf.com

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March 2013 / Issue 219

DOWNS IS ON THE UP!

A flexible approach to how golfers play the game, while still focusing on membership, is reaping rich rewards at Surrey Downs Golf Club There’s a good reason why car dealerships offer their latest models in a variety of colours, trims and extras packages – we all have different needs and life would be pretty boring if we all drove silver family saloons with MP3, Sat Nav and four cup-holders.

For the same reason, Surrey Downs Golf Club has made sure that potential and existing members have the greatest range of choices when it comes to their golfing needs.

In recent years, many clubs have seen a trend away from membership to casual play or, at best, a flexible points-based scheme that tries to encourage regular play.

Surrey Down’s Director, Peter Townson, and his team decided to go their own way and offer categories that encouraged membership and loyalty, while addressing the pressure placed on members by the current economic climate.

“I inherited a dwindling membership, with the usual five and seven-day choices and a social golf scheme that charged a lump sum for 20 rounds,” explains Peter. “Membership revenue was going the wrong way, and the sense of belonging was fading, so we couldn’t sit back and allow that to happen. Flexibility was required, but I was nervous about the points-based schemes as they felt a bit like glorified pay-and-play – easy to walk away from and subject to the vagaries of our climate, as the last year’s weather proved.”

As the club, which is based in Kingswood, prepares for its 2013

renewal, the story is quite different. Seven-day membership is nearly at capacity; the social golf scheme has been re-worked to accommodate the growing demand for full-time members, and new categories for 3-Day, Twilight and restricted 7-Day membership are all over 80 per cent filled. And to further differentiate, the loyal members now benefit from an annual boost to their levy cards based on an ever-growing percentage of their subscription being paid back.

Peter adds: “We didn’t want to just copy what everybody else was doing, we had to challenge our thinking about how golfers were choosing to play, and the work we have done has definitely paid off, as we are now one of the club’s able to report growing membership numbers.”

The knock-on benefits include more players in the club competitions, a better atmosphere around the club, more club matches, and more money for course improvements.

Some members downgraded to a new category to better suit their circumstances and playing patterns, but those same categories encouraged lots of new members too. In fact, the golf team make a point of highlighting better deals for members not getting the best from their current choice.

Seasonal Membership is the newest offering, giving golfers the chance to buy shorter periods (from four to 10 consecutive months) in midweek categories, saving themselves some money if they happen to spend extended periods away from the UK or maybe are just not fans of winter golf.

With the impending appointment of a new club professional there is also the intention to introduce new range and academy categories that will make the most of a superb grass tee practice ground that gets great use from local golfers already.

The new season has already seen a number of clubs closing or going into receivership, so the team’s focus is not wavering.

“Golf clubs cannot afford to keep doing things the way they have always been done, we have to adapt to survive, especially where we are in the highly-competitive South East,” says Peter.

And in the case of Surrey Downs, the belief that members must remain the lifeblood of the club seems to be paying off.

For details of all the membership options, including quotes for the seasonal scheme, call Surrey Downs on 01737 839090 or email feedback@surreydownsgc.co.uk.

March 2013 / Issue 219

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SAUNDERS BAGS EMIRATES TITLE Top Kent County player Michael Saunders has followed in the footsteps of European Tour stars Michael Hoey and Peter Hanson by winning the Omega Emirates Amateur Open in Dubai.

Saunders, who is a member at Dartford Golf Club, won the prestigious 36-hole tournament by four shots, after sharing the overnight lead with East Sussex National’s Ashley Rees.

He fired a two-over par 74 over the Faldo Course in the first round, before moving on to the Majlis course, home to the European Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic, where he added another 74 to claim a convincing four-stroke victory.

Woburn’s Sam Towler finished runner-up after adding a second round 74 to his earlier 79.

Epsom rises to the hickory challenge Epsom Golf Club took a step back in time last month when it held its annual Hickory Golf Day. The event commemorated the club’s Founders Day, with 2013 being its 124th year. Head Professional Stuart Walker, dressed in authentic tweed and using hickory-shafted clubs, pitted himself against the testing Downs course in a match played with club captain Peter Killick and ladies captain Yvonne Barrows (pictured right).

“Playing with hickory clubs offers less choice of both club and shot,” said Stuart. “The shots are more crafted, which you

wouldn’t normally play with modern equipment, using more running shots and accepting less distance off the tee. It was great to play with both captains and was a great experience.”

The club is holding an Open Weekend on March 23-24, when local golfers interested in joining the club are invited to try out the course for free. For bookings, call 01372 741867.

Herds of deer are a common sight at Hampton Court

Play in the Pro-Am at the Palace Golfers looking to play some competitive golf in the grounds of one of the royal family’s former stately palaces, should sign up for the Hampton Court Palace PGA Pro-Am, which takes place on May 24.

Hampton Court Palace Golf Club is based in the grounds of Hampton Court, the main residence of Henry VIII during his 38-year reign, and golfers are often treated to the sight of herds of deer, which are managed by the Royal Parks Agency, and roam the fairways.

The course, which was founded in 1895, was laid out as an inland links by Willie Park, who was responsible for the Old Course at Sunningdale, among many other fine layouts. Measuring 6,513 yards and with a par of 71, it represents a challenging test to players of all abilities.

The club recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of the opening of its new clubhouse, while significant sums have been invested in recent years to improve the overall conditioning of the course.

The price for a three-ball team in the Pro-Am, which will also include an allocated PGA South Region Professional, is £300 (£225 for club members), which covers three 18-hole green fees, coffee and bacon roll on arrival, and a postround buffet lunch. To book a place, call 020 8977 2423 or email hamptoncourtpalace-golfdays@crown-golf.co.uk.

SOCIETY PACKAGES 2013 Package prices from £29 per person

Bespoke packages on request To book please call Debbie or Lizzie on

01959 522944 www.dvgc.co.uk Darenth Valley Golf Course, Shoreham, Kent, TN14 7SA

Newbury & Crookham Golf Club www.newburygolf.co.uk Tel: 01635 40035

The perfect

golfing day out

CHIPSTEAD GOLF CLUB NEW WEEKEND SOCIETY PACKAGES FOR 2013

• Coffee and Bacon Bap On Arrival • 18 holes of Golf followed by • 2 course carvery Cost £48.50 pp • Golfer’s Brunch followed by • 18 holes of Golf Cost £36.95 pp r 20 Book fobefore or moreMarch 31st ganiser or and thes FREE goe

Weekday packages from £24.95 - see “Societies” page on our website

Visit our website WWW.CHIPSTEADGOLF.CO.UK Please Call Emma or Gary Now !! on 01737-555781 or email office@chipsteadgolf.co.uk For further information.

SOME DATES REMAINING FOR 2013

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Societies & Visitors The perfect venue for your golfing day out Fantastic golf course all year round Superb food & welcome Wide range of packages available to suit your requirements Play & Stay Packages available

Don’t just take our word for it!

“The greens, quite simply the truest, fastest and smoothest that you will putt on in England, I’m not a member but this is no exaggeration”

“It has one of the best collections of par 3’s in the land, 4 of the 5 of them are truly memorable. Course in excellent condition, under rated and well worth a visit”

Taken from: top100golfcourses.co.uk

Visit one of Surrey’s hidden gems…

How Lane, Coulsdon, Chipstead Surrey CR5 3LN

For further details email amanda.fisher@newburygolf.co.uk Newbury & Crookham Golf Club, Bury’s Bank Road, Newbury, Berks RG19 8BZ

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March 2013 / Issue 219

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March 2013 / Issue 219

SOUTHERN STAR After bagging an unprecedented third successive Order of Merit title in the PGA South Region, Kent professional Richard Wallis reflects on a career spent trying to break into the big league. Words by Kevin Redshull

Richard Wallis has more reason than most club pros to be looking forward to the 2013 season. Still enjoying the afterglow of a successful defence of the Titleist PGA Play-Offs in Turkey, the 30-yearold Walmer & Kingsdown professional is chomping at the bit for the new competitive season to get under way.

Wallis was in superb form throughout 2012, winning an unprecedented third successive PGA South Region Order of Merit title, then rounding off the season by winning his second successive Play-Off title by four shots in Turkey. Following that performance Wallis went into the Christmas break knowing that he had secured a place in the GB & Ireland PGA Cup team to face the United States at Slaley Hall in September. Another target ticked off on Wallis’s wall chart of career goals.

It’s fair to say that 2012 was a game changer for Wallis, with his consistent form resulting in wins in the Surrey Open, the Tylney Park Classic, and the Keith MacDonald Memorial Match Play, the latter of which was achieved after defeating James Ablett in a terrific birdie-filled battle at The Berkshire.

Reflecting on his year, Wallis, who also won a staggering eight Pro-Ams, said: “It took a while to get my swing into shape and my confidence back after some mediocre golf earlier in the season. But winning the PGA Surrey Open at Gatton Manor, after the disaster of my final shot to the 18th last year, was very sweet. Taking the match play title was another point I needed to prove to myself, although Jabbs [Ablett] pushed me right to the limit with some terrific golf.”

The 31-year-old, who lives in Deal with his wife Nicola, is the first player in PGA history to win three successive regional Order of Merit titles.

“The South Region is probably the strongest of the seven PGA regions, and so to win the Order of Merit three years in a row is very pleasing, especially as I didn’t play in all of the events.”

But 2012 produced one big disappointment for Wallis – failing to secure his European Tour card

for this year. Once again he missed out at the Second Qualifying Stage in Spain, and so he faces another year-long wait before he can try again.

“It’s frustrating to have missed out again because I wanted to be playing on tour by now,” he admitted. “Ideally, I would have liked to have gained my card by the time I was 27 or 28 but for various reasons it didn’t happen. But I’ve now been through the first and second stage qualifying a number of times and, thanks to my coach Paul Page and the backing of my sponsors, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before I make it.”

Wallis believes that working with Page at the Kings Hill Golf Club Academy for the past couple of year has transformed his game. And he is also quick to pinpoint the contribution of his equipment sponsors. “I signed a deal with TaylorMade last year, and the support they have given me has

been unbelievable. They’ve given me a full Tour deal and that includes being able to use their Performance Lab at Wentworth.”

Making the most of such hi-tech assistance must seem like a million miles away for Wallis from the moment when he first picked up a club as a youngster. “It was at my primary school’s annual fete, I was about 11 years old and in my last year. One of the stalls involved chipping golf balls into a paddling pool. It was run by the wife of Phil Sparks, who at the time was the head pro at Prince’s, and she said to me, ‘If you are interested in taking up golf, Phil is holding some lessons for juniors on Sunday mornings’, and so I went along and 10 years later became head pro at Prince’s.”

Wallis completed his two-year PGA training course at Chelmsford, working under Mark Welch, himself a former Prince’s assistant pro. He then worked part-time for a publishing consultancy in the City for a few years, which included a period spent living in the United States working on Strokesaver guides after the company, TPC, bought the US franchise.

But Wallis’s focus remained on becoming a European Tour pro, and so he returned home to take up the position of head pro at Prince’s, before becoming attached to nearby Walmer & Kingdown four years ago. Since then, he has concentrated on playing full-time, rather than coaching, and the results have been dramatic – again helped by the support of his sponsors, High Finance Group, a London-based recruitment company. Wallis recently signed a new three-year deal with HFG and knows that defending his PGA title was an early repayment of their faith in him.

While looming fatherhood is highest on Wallis’s immediate priorities, his longer term focus remains proving himself on tour, so earning a start at the BMW PGA Championship in May is an opportunity he is eager to exploit.

“I’m looking forward to the playing opportunities next year,” agreed Wallis, “but I’ll have to work hard at my game and hopefully I can prove to myself and others that I’ve got what it takes to perform at the very highest level.”

M62 M18

M1 M40

M11

M4 M2 M5 M25

A38

M20

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March 2013 / Issue 219

HEADLINE HERE If you’re looking for a confidence-inspiring round in a countryside setting, then Chelsfield Lakes Golf Centre ticks all the right boxes. Words by Nick Bayly

LONGING FOR THE LAKES OPEN DAY SATURDAY, APRIL 13

Chelsfield Lakes Golf Centre is hosting an Open Day on Saturday, April 13, when all golfers looking to find out what the club has to offer are invited to try the course, use the range, have a lesson, or simply enjoy the facilities.

The day will include lots of fun activities for all the family, including the unmissable David Edwards Trick Shot Show; an 18-hole open competition with prizes; free range balls all day; free family golf on the par 3 Vista course; great bargains in the pro shop; discounts on future green fees; and a special Open Day menu in the clubhouse.

To book a place, or to find out more details, please call 01689 896266, email sales@chelsfieldlakesgolf. co.uk or visit www. chelsfieldlakesgolf.co.uk.

Like its sister club, Broke Hill, Chelsfield Lakes suffers from a slight misnomer, with its name giving the impression of vast stretches of water in which to lose balls and, quitepossibly, your temper. On closer inspection, ‘the lakes’ are confined to a large pond that divides the ninth and 18th fairways, and another that comes into play for hookers on the left-hand side of the 16th hole.

If anything, the club could well be re-named Chelsfield Sands, as the popular 6,112-yard, 18-hole hilltop course features over 50 astutelyplaced bunkers, which turns what looks like a fairly straightforward course on paper, into a really good test of accurate shot-making.

That said, I think most mid-handicap golfers would describe the pleasant parkland layout as a ‘confidence-builder’, which, for my money, is what more golf courses should aspire to be, rather than trying to make themselves into ‘championship’ layouts where making a bogey is regarded as a bonus.

The short par-four is one of my favourite, if very much under-employed, hole formats, and Chelsfield Lakes offers an excellent variety of these, with the 355-yard third hole being a great example, with its sweeping downhill left-to-right dogleg fairway offering a tantalising opportunity to smack one over

the corner in search of the well-protected green.

The toughest hole is unquestionably the fourth, a 366-yard par four that wraps itself around the side of a hill that slopes severely off to the left. Only a deftly-faded drive (for right-handers) up the right side (although not too far right, as there’s OOB there) will have a chance of staying on the fairway, while the green offers little respite, with severe contours making three-putting more than likely if you end up on the wrong side of the cup.

The three par-fives (6, 7 and 13) are all decent tests, measuring 514, 507 and 503 yards respectively, although the latter is eminently reachable for strong hitters. The four short holes offer a nice mix of yardages too, from the 205-yard second, which requires an accurate shot to a sizeable sloping green, to the dinky 15th, which measures just 107 yards off the yellow tees to an appropriately small target guarded by bunkers right and left.

The final three holes offer a suitably strong finish, with a long, straight par-four, mid-length par three, and the 18th, a nigh on 400-yard par four, which is protected all the way down the left-hand side by the aforementioned lake. A par here will feel like a job well done, while a birdie will give you plenty to boast about in the clubhouse bar.

Located just off the M25 near Orpington, Chelsfield has been hugely popular with local golfers since it opened in 1992, and enjoys a healthy mix

There are wonderful views to be enjoyed from many of the holes

The spacious clubhouse

of regulars, as well as being an attractive venue for societies and corporate bookings. Speed of play is always a bone of contention at busy pay-and-play venues, especially at weekends, and Chelsfield is no different on that score. Under its former owners the gap between tee times was reduced to an almost unworkable four minutes, but since being taken over by Green Grass Golf in 2011, this figure has now been set at a far more sensible eight minutes, which ensures groups are not backing up on the tees during peak periods.

Like all golf courses, it still relies on good etiquette from players to ensure rounds don’t drag on, and course marshalls are employed to ensure pace of play is kept up, which is an essential ingredient to any enjoyable game of golf.

Based on chalky soil, the course remains dry and playable when other courses have long since been waterlogged, and the overall condition, especially the greens, is impressive regardless of any expectations you might have from the affordable green fee rates.

As well as the 18-hole layout, Chelsfield also benefits from the fun, if surprisingly underused, 9-hole Vista Course, which offers a series of wellconstructed par threes varying between 100 and 160 yards. Ideal for youngsters and beginners, it’s also an entertaining addition for societies and groups looking for a 27-hole experience.

The sizeable pro shop offers a wide range of top brand equipment, clothing, footwear and accessories, while the 36-bay driving range is popular with players looking to warm up before a round or taking a lesson from one of the centre’s experienced PGA-qualified professionals, who are headed up by Nigel Lee. The generously-proportioned clubhouse is a welcoming and comfortable place to enjoy a meal and a drink – the Wednesday and Sunday roasts are not to be missed – while it also has a choice of four function rooms that are used for both business and social events at very cost-effective rates.

There is also a free loyalty card scheme for less regular golfers, which offers a £5 discount off the green fee every time they play, as well as a number of special discounts and offers throughout the year.

Whichever way you to choose to enjoy Chelsfield Lakes, you can be guaranteed a warm welcome and superb service, which is a great start to any golf outing.

March 2013 / Issue 219

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It’s not very hilly, and it’s certainly not Broke, but there’s a lot of fun to be had with a game at Broke Hill Golf Club in Kent

RICH REWARDS AT BROKE HILL Like many courses built in the mid-90s, Broke Hill Golf Club was created on the back of the seemingly relentless demand for new clubs in the UK at that time. The R&A’s now infamous document, which urged the construction of 700 new courses to meet the needs of a new golf-obsessed generation, was read by hundreds of farmers and landowners up and down the country with a few acres to spare, and resulted in a large percentage of those courses being built.

Now entering its 20th year, Broke Hill, which is located near Orpington, has survived and indeed thrived through the boom and bust years, and currently enjoys a healthy and interactive membership. It has changed hands a few times since it was first set up by the Rolstone family in 1993, with Green Grass Golf now running operations, following its acquisition last year (along with the neighbouring Chelsfield Lakes, see the page opposite).

And although not short of competition in the area, it’s easy to see why Broke Hill is such a hot property. With its handy location, just two miles from junction 4 of the M25, it’s within easy reach of a large percentage of the population of South East London, West Kent, and Surrey, while its attractive parkland course and welcoming clubhouse make it an appealing venue for both members and casual golfers alike.

Despite its name, Broke Hill is not an arduous walk – a feature often commented on by first-time visitors who might have been expecting to slog their way up and down steep inclines. Indeed, the front nine

The 18th hole often requires a shot over the water to find the flag

is verging on pancake flatness, with only the subtle slopes of the notoriously quick greens providing anything approaching undulations to contend with. That’s not to say that it’s uninteresting, as the challenges are more strategic rather than physical here, with careful placement of bunkers, encroaching tree lines, sloping greens, tactical pin positions, and the odd gust of wind ensuring that golfers have to maintain concentration at all times to score well.

At 6,509 yards off the back tees, it’s certainly no pushover lengthwise either, and respected course architect David Williams has used all of his expertise to craft a course that offers a fair test from whichever tees you play off, while at the same time giving the opportunity for birdies if you hit it in the right spot. Three of the four par-fives are over 500 yards, with the 544-yard ninth, which has lakes in play off the tee and on the approach to a small green, providing a suitably challenging end to the first half of the round.

The back nine, which is built on quick-draining chalk, is where the hill of Broke Hill comes into the equation, with both the par-four 14th and par-five 15th holes enjoying significant changes in elevation not only from front to back, but also with vicious side slopes that can whip an errant tee shot violently off course.

The par-three 11th is arguably one of the course’s signature holes, following the creation of a new members’ tee that requires players to take on a lake, with a 150-yard carry required to clear the water and reach the putting surface. The change resulted in the Standard Scratch being raised to 72, which offers lower handicappers more of a chance to better or maintain their handicaps, while toughening up the course for the rest.

Water also comes into play on the 300-yard parfour 13th, which is a deceptively tricky hole thanks to its extremely shallow and heavily contoured green, which is protected by a ball-hungry front bunker. The round finishes with a challenging ongpar four, where the approach has to flirt, or usually attempt to carry, a pond from which a large haul of balls are dredged up each year.

The greens are presented in superb condition throughout the year by the hard-working groundstaff, and despite the awful conditions of the last 12 months, the course has remained open

and extremely playable on all but the snowiest of days. Overall, it’s an honest test, with no trickery and few blind shots, and which rewards good play, while offering some lovely views over the Kent countryside.

The clubhouse is, like most members’ clubs, a veritable social hub. As well as offering a comfortable bar and restaurant, it has facilities to cope with large functions, wedding and societies.

The club has built up an enviable reputation for a lively social life, and its legendary tribute act nights (Elton John, Take That, George Michael and Neil Diamond are among the upcoming sing-a-like bookings) draw in large numbers of club members, as well as locals looking for an entertaining night out. The crowds are also boosted by the fact that Knockholt train station is located at the end of the club’s driveway, so that those who have slightly over-indulged can catch the last train home without worrying about driving or having to get a cab.

The competition scene at Broke Hill is also active, with regular inter-club and intra-club competitions, both fun and serious, offered to the membership.

New members are made to feel very welcome, and the atmosphere is never less than warm and friendly.

For those looking to get a taste of life as a member, the club is hosting a series of open events for men, women and mixed groups on May 22 to celebrate its 20th anniversary, which are expected to be hugely popular.

There are currently vacancies for membership across all categories, while society and casual green fee play is welcome with prior booking. Members enjoy a host of great benefits, including 12-day priority booking, 10% off clubhouse expenditure, and a reciprocal agreement with nearby Chelsfield Lakes, as well as the opportunity to play up to 25 courses in Crown Golf’s sizeable portfolio, as part of an on-going agreement with the previous owners.

It all adds up to an extremely attractive package that has served the club well over the last 20 years, and looks sure to carry on doing so for many years to come.

For more details, to enquire about membership, or book a trial round, call Gary or Sally on 01959 533225, email events@brokehillgolfclub.co.uk or visit www.brokehillgolfclub.co.uk.

Twitter: @BrokeHillGolf

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March 2013 / Issue 219

BROOME PARK GOLF CLUB

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The Broome Park Estate, Barham, Nr Canterbury, Kent CT4 6QX www.broomepark.co.uk

Fisher finds his feet in Florida Former Wentworth Foundation graduate Ross Fisher has set his sights on a return to the world’s top 50, as he embarks on his first full season on the PGA Tour. The 32-year-old former Ryder Cup player has slumped to 110th in the world rankings after reaching a career high of 17th, but feels that he is more suited to playing in the US and is looking forward to getting his career back on track.

Fisher earned his PGA Tour card when he finished second at Q-School in December, although he also plans to play the required number of events to retain his European Tour card.

The former Surrey amateur star, who is married with two young children, is one of several Europeans to have set up a base at Lake Nona in Florida, and he feels the move across the Atlantic will enhance his chances of breaking back into the world’s elite.

“That’s where I feel I belong, and I’ve been there before,” said Fisher, Fisher has enjoyed a solid start to his PGA Tour career who has made the cut in four of the five US tournaments he has played in so far this year. “I got to 17 in the world, so I know I can get there. It’s just hard work, dedication and a bit of luck along the way.

Hopefully, this year I will just do what I have been doing all of my career, get out there, play golf and enjoy it.

“I will probably play my minimum number of 15 events in the US, but it depends how the season goes,” he added. “Obviously the FedEx Cup is a big thing here, so if I start well, and get myself right up in the rankings, I may decide to play more. But I also want to retain my European status, and play all my events in Europe as well. It’s going to be tough to play both tours, but I’m certainly going to give it a go this year and see how I get on.”

Roll up for Goodwood Manston’s a perfect Easter kids’ camp fit for Cleveland Junior golfers can learn the secrets of the pros and how they train at a residential training camp being held at Goodwood in West Sussex this Easter. The four-day camps, which run from March 25-28, April 1-4 and April 8-11, are open to boys and girls aged between six and 18 years.

The courses will be hosted by PGA pro Ryan Fenwick, who is the current Sussex Professional Champion and lead coach for the Sussex Junior squad. Golfers can stay three nights on site, with daily tuition covering all aspects of the game. The cost per person is £299 for those requiring accommodation and £45 per day for those travelling to the club. For bookings, call 01243 755 168 or email ryan.fenwick@goodwood.com.

Manston Golf Centre in Kent has been selected by leading golf equipment brand Cleveland Golf to become one of its Elite Fitting Partners.

Cleveland’s custom-fitting cart is the most comprehensive in the industry, enabling golfers to try irons, drivers and, uniquely, wedges in a range of interchangeable specifications. After installing the cart at Manston, Cleveland Sales Manager Martin Galway said: “Manston Golf Centre is seen as a great venue by Cleveland Golf, with its combination of trained fitting staff, outstanding driving range facilities, state-of-the-art launch monitor and depth of stock meeting all the criteria of an Elite Fitting Partner.

New Lane, Sutton Green, Nr Guildford, Surrey, GU4 7QF Tel: 01483 747898 email: admin@suttongreengc.co.uk

www.suttongreengc.co.uk

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March 2013 / Issue 219

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HOME IN ON HARLEYFORD

Set within an historic estate, Harleyford Golf Club provides a bit of golfing heaven for members and visitors alike

Harleyford’s welcoming clubhouse

Golfers looking for a combination of quality golf and superb facilities, all at an affordable price, need look no further than Harleyford Golf Club in Buckinghamshire, which offers all three elements in equal measure.

Located in the beautiful town of Marlow, set beside the River Thames, and just a few minutes from the M4 and M40, Harleyford is well placed to attract golfers from all over the South East.

Indeed plenty of people have been hooked on Harleyford since it first opened its doors in 1996, with many having been members at this attractive private club since that time.

The Harleyford estate dates back to the 12th century, and the whole site is designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty.

And it is within this superb setting that the 6,714-yard parkland course, which was designed by Donald Steel, has been expertly laid out. Although parkland courses have a reputation for being flat, there are plenty of elevation changes and twists and turns here, all of which serve to add to the excitement of the layout.

Among the crowd-pleasing holes are the 470-yard, downhill par-four 7th and the scenic 12th, a stunning par three that is played across a wide valley. It’s only 165-odd yards to reach the green, but many a good player has come up short on this most deceptive of short holes.

Harleyford enjoys an enviable reputation for always being in

The parkland course enjoys plenty of elevation changes

tip-top condition, thanks to its experienced greenkeeping team, and the course is playable all year round due to its free-draining soil and USGA-standard greens.

Once a game is over, golfers can relax in the stunning clubhouse, which has been developed from the original Victorian farm buildings, including a converted flint barn, and provides stunning facilities for many social occasions. The 12,500 square foot building features all the facilities you’d expect from a modern clubhouse, including well-equipped changing rooms (with towels provided), a bar, lounge, conservatory restaurant, and a variety of well-proportioned rooms for public and private functions. The Pavilion courtyard comes complete with a fullycovered canopy, and caters for full-scale banquets, buffets and receptions, seating up to 150 all year round.

Inside, the Gothic Bar overlooks the 18th green, with a terrace making it perfect for soaking up the sun, while the club lounge offers a homely open fireplace, with chandeliers and wall torches the epitome of baronial style, and provides a relaxing venue for a post-round pint of Harleyford’s very own Pilsner lager and a snack from the traditional golf club menu.

Membership comes with its privileges, including unlimited golf for £1,600 a year, as well as discounts in the clubhouse, pro shop and with local businesses, advanced tee times, and access

The Thames flows right past the course

to the excellent practice facilities, including the driving range and chipping green. Members enjoy an active competition calendar – former Olympic rowers Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Matthew Pinsent’s annual Sparks Charity Golf Day is one of the highlights – while there is a vibrant social scene, with monthly themed nights, summer balls, family days and Christmas parties.

As well as enjoying a strong and growing membership, Harleyford welcomes visitors and societies, with summer green fees starting from £20, rising to a maximum of £35 at peak times.

Packages for groups of eight or more start from £39pp bacon rolls and coffee, 18 holes and a light lunch, while individually-tailored packages can be organised to suit all group sizes and budgets.

Corporate membership opportunities are also available.

Harleyford has a range of special membership offers across all categories, with no joining fees making it an affordable option for all golfers in the area. The club just opened up 20 new 7-day memberships, which are sure to be in hot demand.

Golfers interested in joining Harleyford can book a free trial round by calling 01628 816162, or to find out more, visit www.harleyfordgolf.co.uk. For the very latest news follow the club on Twitter @HarleyfordGreens or on Facebook @HarleyfordGolfClub.

secret24

Ask our Members how to get here, they’ll tell you where to go.

Just between us, Sweetwoods Park is a truly exceptional 18 hole golf course, perfectly maintained and set in breathtaking landscape. Once you play it, you’ll want to keep it to yourself.

SECRET GOLF OFFER FOR TWO – £39 18 holes for 2 people, 7 days a week (after 10am at weekends) until April 30th 2013.

Quote secret24 when you phone to book a tee time on 01342 850 729 Ext 1.

Or visit www.sweetwoodspark.com for more info.

Don’t tell anyone but you can find us tucked away between Tunbridge Wells and East Grinstead on the A264. Visitor green fees and Memberships available.

Sweetwoods Park Golf Club, Cowden, Edenbridge Kent TN8 7JN.

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March 2013 / Issue 219

NickBayly

GNeditor reveals what has caught his eye in the golfing headlines in recent weeks

Would you pass an etiquette exam? Bad workers and

Any golfer who has ever watched the film Caddyshack can’t fail to feel a tinge of sympathy for Carl Spackler, the downtrodden greenkeeper played by Bill Murray. Dreaming of working at Augusta, yet having to ply his trade at a suburban country club, Spackler is something of an iconic figure among greenkeepers the world over.

Of course, the film is full of grotesque clichés about golf club life, yet amid all the foolery there’s more a grain of truth running through it about the nature of the greenkeeper/golfer relationship.

I’ve known a few greenkeepers in my time, and while many have, over the years, developed a deep mistrust of golfers, most remain relatively sanguine at the almost futile nature of the constant struggle against golfer and, of course, Mother Nature.

This mistrust, which only rarely slips into contempt, is largely born out of hours spent watching helplessly from the sidelines as their pride and joy is destroyed on a daily basis. Every divot that

goes unreplaced, pitchmark ignored and bunker unraked, is like a dagger through the heart.

According to a recent survey, the average greenkeeper spends upwards of 40 hours a week getting the course into shape. They also have to get up at ungodly hours so that their work doesn’t interrupt the normal flow of play. So I can fully understand why it winds them up to see ignorant golfers failing to observe the most basic principles of good course husbandry.

I remember writing an article a few years ago about the art of repairing a pitchmark, and being surprised to learn that I’d been doing it the wrong way for almost 20 years. I felt I’d been making a decent fist of it, but when I spoke to the Sports Turf Research Institute I was told that repairing a pitchmark incorrectly can do as much damage as not repairing it at all.

When you joined your club, did they offer lessons in pitchmark repair? Or, for that matter, the art of correctly raking a bunker? No they didn’t. Which is why the results of a recent industry survey revealed that 90% of greenkeepers believe that golfers should have to pass a test on etiquette and course care before they are allowed to set foot on a golf course. A Course Management MOT, if you like.

Given the horrendous weather we’ve experienced in recent years, the importance of looking after our courses has never been greater, and while it’s vital that clubs continue to invest in machinery, staff and best practices, it is equally vital that we, as golfers, do all we can to make that job easier.

So next time you fail to replace a divot or repair a pitchmark (or someone else’s), times that by 10,000 on your course alone for one day, and think about the impact your inconsiderate behaviour has on everyone else’s enjoyment of the game. If you can’t do it for yourself, do it for Carl.

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onveniently located between Horsham and Guildford, Wildwood provides superior facilities for all societies and groups.

Nestling in panoramic surroundings in the shadow of the Surrey Hills, the stunning 27 hole course along with the high quality catering in the welcoming clubhouse guarantees you a great day.

For more information and available dates contact Louise Harrison on 01403 753255

Wildwood Golf & Country Club Horsham Road, Alfold (Nr Cranleigh), Surrey GU6 8JE Tel. 01403 753255 e.mail louise@wildwoodgolf.co.uk www.wildwoodgolf.co.uk

the blame game

I wonder whether Lewis Hamilton and Rory McIlory are on Tweeting terms? If so, I’d hazard a guess that they share a few jokes about what it is be the focus of intense media speculation over a switch in the tools of their trade during the off season.

Hamilton has thrown in the towel with MacLaren, in search of a new challenge behind the wheel of a Mercedes, while McIlroy has turned his back on Titleist, a brand that took him from tousle-haired boy wonder to the pinnacle of the golfing world, and joined Nike, a relative new kid on the block when it comes to the matters golfing.

While the double major winner has 200 million reasons not to blame his new Nike tools for his poor early season form – although he might blame his dentist – he will need to work out where it’s going wrong pretty soon if he is to compete for the season’s big titles, which are lining up like buses.

Panic buttons are not being pressed just yet, but you can bet the big cheeses at Nike HQ are crossing everything in the hope that their two biggest stars clash swords in more than just paid-for TV advertisements in the weeks ahead.

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28 /

March 2013 / Issue 219

With a new home in Florida, a new set of woods in the bag, and a renewed desire to compete for the top titles, it’s full steam ahead for Lee Westwood as he bids to end his Major drought before he hits his fifth decade

ENGLAND EXPECTS

March 2013 / Issue 219

/ 29

Is it fair to say that 2012 was a frustrating season for you?

I feel like I let a couple of wins slip through the net, but any season when you win a few tournaments are good seasons, just not great ones. Frustration is not a helpful state of mind to find yourself in, so I take the positives and move on.

appealing and the kids were a good age to move.

So the family is happy and I can work a lot on my game.

What do you think will be the difference this year?

Well, I hope it’s not that different, as I like the way I’ve played for the last three years. I’ve played a lot more this winter than I would normally play, so there’s no rust. The reason for moving to Florida was to move on my game a little bit more, and to get more practice rounds in the sunshine. I wouldn’t play normally at all when I was at home in England, but I’ve had shorts on and have been out playing golf since Christmas, so that should stand me in good stead for the year ahead.

Can we expect to see you playing more events on the PGA Tour?

I certainly hope so. Jet lag was becoming an issue and it starts to take its toll on your body. You start to feel it more when you get a little bit older. So part of reason for moving over was to make life easier for my playing schedule.

Is there any part of your game that is sharper?

I’ve started off better than I finished off last year, and feel like I’m hitting the ball better, and my short game feels sharper, especially my putting. The greens are part of the reason for the improvement, and having the right conditions to work on my game is really helping. Living in England, I’ve always felt like I finished off the year, went home, packed the clubs away and came back out trying to catch everyone else, rather than trying to show up and hit the ground running.

What made you move over to the States?

It just seemed like the right time. I played on the PGA Tour a lot last season and really enjoyed it and fancied a new challenge with the family.

The prospect of being somewhere warm was

Westwood is gunning for a long overdue first Major title

Do you wish you had made the move earlier?

I tend to not dwell on the past or have regrets about that kind of stuff. I’m pleased I’ve done it now, and the first signs on the golf course have been good.

Are you settled into your new home now?

Just about. We’ve been renting a house since December, but moved into the new house properly on February 14. The kids have started schools and we’re beginning to get into a routine. They like going to school in shorts, t-shirts and trainers. I’ve definitely seen a change in them. Other than being a little more tanned, they’re very relaxed.

What do you enjoy about living in Florida?

I like being by the ocean. I find it very relaxing. Just getting up in the morning and not having to look out the window and worry about if it’s raining. I just throw on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt and go.

It’s almost too easy. It feels weird not having to get wrapped up and scrape the ice off the green.

Where are you practising?

I’m using the facilities at Old Palm Golf Club in West Palm Beach. The practice facilities are incredible, with tees at both ends of the range, so that I can into or against the wind. There are three practice holes, and there’s a great short game area, with putting greens and plenty of bunkers, so I can practise every aspect of my game.

“Jet lag was becoming an issue and it starts to take its toll on your body. You start to feel it more when you get a little bit older”

You’ve made a few changes with coaches and caddies. How is that working out?

I didn’t really change coaches. I just did away with a few. I don’t feel like I’ve made any big changes as such. Mike [Kerr] is my caddie still. It was unfortunate with Billy’s injury, but it couldn’t be helped.

“Part of the bonus of being with Ping for the last 25 years is that they know my game pretty well, so when I do need new clubs I can stick them straight in the bag and know they’ll perform for me”

You’ve started this season a lot later than normal, was that all part of the plan to stay fresh for the Masters?

I used to get the itch to play when I saw the guys turn up in Abu Dhabi or Qatar or starting on the West Coast in the States, but I didn’t get that feeling this time around. I felt like I needed a break after last year. I played a lot, and I just needed to get away and chill, but still work on my game.

You’re 40th is coming up. Do you see it as a milestone worth celebrating or is it just a number?

I hope someone has made some plans. I would love to have some sort of celebration. Hopefully somebody will surprise me. But no, it’s just a number and I’m feeling good, so turning 40 doesn’t bother me.

Does turning 40 give you any extra motivation going into this yesrs Majors?

No, that would be putting a bit of extra pressure on myself. No, I try hard every year, but I just need to find a little spark that takes me from finishing second or third to winning one.

You’ve put quite a few new clubs into the bag this season. How is that working for you?

Considering I’ve changed all my woods and my putter, I’m really pleased with the way it’s going. I’ve put the G25 driver, fairway wood and hybrid into the bag and a new putter. I think it’s part of the bonus of being with a company like Ping for the last 25 years. They know my game pretty well, so when I do need new clubs, I can stick them straight in the bag and know they’ll perform for me.

You partnered your dad at the Pebble Beach ProAm last month. How much of an influence has he been on your career?

He’s had a massive influence on me. He’s the real reason I’ve got so good at this game. He and my mum invested a lot time in me when I was growing up. He didn’t play golf before we started together, so the first the time we both set foot on the golf course was together. I was nearly 13 years old. So we both started playing together. I turned pro at 19 and came on tour and he was still a 12 handicap, so I can’t understand the reasons for that. He went to every lesson that I had, drove me there, and sat there and listened to it. I just got a bit better than him. Must be down to talent or something like that!

Do you still feel like you have improvement in you?

Golf is the kind of game where you can always improve. Twenty-six years on and I’m still trying to improve. You hit a good shot and you remember that feeling. You feel like you can go back and hit one even better. You hit a bad shot, you get frustrated, and you want to keep practicing more. I always feel like I can improve.

The US Masters begins on April 11. Watch all the action from Augusta on Sky Sports and the BBC.

30 /

March 2013 / Issue 219

Storybehindthepic Nick Faldo and Greg Norman US Masters, Augusta, April 14, 1996 t’s quite a common sight these days to see golfers hugging each other like long lost friends and crying like babies on 18th greens around the world, but it wasn’t in 1996, when men were men, and pros were happy to be seen wearing polo shirts with vertical stripes.

As Nick Faldo broke down on the final green on that fateful afternoon at Augusta, it was hard for viewers to know whether he was crying for himself – having just bagged a sixth and, as it later transpired, final major – or for his unfortunate partner, Greg Norman, who had just suffered one of the most shocking meltdowns in Major history.

The Shark, searching for his first Masters’ title, began the final round with a seemingly unconquerable six-shot lead, but then suffered the sort of existential crisis that not even

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his worst enemy (i.e. Faldo) could have imagined. He shot a six-over par 78 and handed the Green Jacket to the 40-year-old Faldo on a virtual plate, who let’s not forget, shot a stunning final round 67.

“I don’t know what to say to you, mate, but I want to give you a hug”, were the consoling words that Faldo

Major title to have been won by an Englishman, and it’s a record that Messrs Westwood, Poulter and Rose will be keen to rectify, or at least alter, when the 77th renewal comes around next month. Another person looking to avoid another Masters Meltdown will be Rory McIlroy, who suffered his own attack of

“I don’t know what to say to you, mate, but I want to give you a hug”

later revealed to have uttered to his defeated rival, offering a small insight that Faldo wasn’t always the complete and utterly self-centered egotist that many had made him out to be.

Somewhat incredibly, Faldo’s third victory in the Masters remains the last

the Augusta Anxiety in 2011.

Leading the tournament by four shots with 18 holes to play, Rors found trouble in the woods at the 10th, and never recovered, shooting a final round 80 and ending up finishing 15th.

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March 2013 / Issue 219

EwenMurray ANCHORING DEBATE CREATES TOUR DIVIDE

A

fter experiencing Keegan Bradley may some putting be alllowed to carry on difficulties during anchoring his putter if the the latter stages PGA Tour has its way of my playing career, I switched to the long putter, but I had no idea the method would open up such a can of worms over two decades later.

There has been much debate recently on whether anchoring during the putting stroke should be allowed to continue. The debate seemingly ended with the USGA and the R&A announcing it would be outlawed from the beginning of the 2016 season.

However, during the Accenture Match Play in Tucson, the PGA Tour’s commissioner, Tim Finchem, who is paid handsomely to do his best for his members, muddied the waters by saying that the Tour would go its own way and ignore the ban.

This, of course, sets a dangerous precedent. The R&A have been the custodians of the sport from the outset, and together with the USGA, oversee the rules of the game. If the Tour goes its own way, where does that leave the governing bodies?

Finchem, I felt, was just seeing how his ideas would be viewed. He had researched the data. The statistics of users of anchored putters don’t rate above those who use conventional putters. He said the PGA professionals in America teach youngsters to use the anchored method because it is a sound one. In fact, over half of the current crop of college players in the United States use some sort of anchored putter. At the Masters this year, the golfing world will be introduced to Guan Tianlang, a 14-year-old sensation who won the Pan Pacific Amateur Championship. This young lad has only known putting with the anchoring method. Finchem went on to say that on two occasions the USGA had passed the use of these putters.

While nobody was winning majors with them, their use was mentioned only in passing, but when three out of five majors were won by Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson and Ernie Els, they came under renewed scrutiny.

My own opinion is that they are against the spirit of the

game. Broomhandles and belly putters are generally used by those who had putting problems with a conventional putter, and, speaking from experience, they allow poorer putters to get closer to the good putters. A large percentage of good putting is about controlling nerves. Anchoring is a stabiliser.

Many, like myself, continue to get pleasure from playing by using them, and I would not want that to be taken away from club golfers. But is it right to have some rules for professionals and others for amateurs? I don’t think that is healthy.

Should the PGA Tour go its own way and the governing bodies go theirs, we face a rules bifurcation and a potentially farcical situation. In the Open and US Open, anchoring would be outlawed, and I would guess the Masters committee, with its strong sense of tradition, would join them. The PGA of America I think would side with the Tour, so anything would go at the PGA Championship.

This of course will not happen. Finchem’s words during the Accenture were the first of what will be a lengthy conversation.

Wrongly or rightly, these putters will be around for the foreseeable future. The more important issue now is that the R&A and the USGA continue to lead the sport, not the PGA Tour.

Sky Sport’s voice of golf speaks out on issues of the month

Why Jacklin deserves a knighthood While I was at the Senior Open Championship at Turnberry last year, I was fortunate to catch up with several of the companions I shared the fairways with during my career on tour, including the legendary Tony Jacklin.

I spent many happy hours alongside Tony in South America on our winter tours there, and shared many of his interesting stories and tales away from the course. After all he has achieved in and around the game, I’ve never understood why he hasn’t been knighted. His win at Royal Lytham in 1969 was the first home Open win since Max Faulkner 18 years previously, while his glorious US Open victory in Minnesota was the first by an Englishman since Ted Ray in 1920.

These victories came at a very important time for European golf, with the European Tour, as we know it today, being formed on the back of his success in America. Tony put golf on the back and front pages again, and in many ways his play was the harbinger of the prolific influx of the top European players we have admired since.

That was only the beginning. With the Ryder Cup dying on its feet, he took it by the scruff of the neck, and today it’s one of the truly great sporting showpieces. Concorde was commissioned to take his Ryder Cup side to Florida in 1983, where they came within a whisker of winning. Two years later, his team triumphed at The Belfry, before going to Muirfield Village in 1987 and winning the Ryder Cup for the first time on American soil. He gave his team members the belief they needed to not only take on the Americans, but to know that they were better than them. He turned decent players into great ones, and made them feel like they truly belonged.

Some sportsmen are knighted on the back of their own performances, and some on the performances of others. Tony was a marvellous player who achieved much, as both a player and a leader, and wrote his own chapter in British golfing history.

Having done that, he gave so much back to so many, and for that he surely deserves our gratitude.

We haven’t got all day, Jason!

While the anchoring ban rumbles on, maybe we should apply ourselves into finding a solution to another problem facing the professional game: slow play. During the Accenture Match Play we saw a resurgence of form from Australian, Jason Day. The 25-year-old from Beau Desert finished second in the Masters and the US Open in 2011, but since then he has struggled, but has now made his way back into the world’s top 30.

Although I’m a huge admirer of his game, his pre-shot routine almost

made me lose the will to live. I met Webb Simpson for the first time during the week and both he and Keegan Bradley are two of the most impressive young men you could ever wish to meet. Both are wonderful golfers, but boy are they slow. Should they not address this problem soon, it will halt their progress.

They have a duty to pick up the pace, as so many youngsters look up to them. I hope they do, as they have the talent to reach the very top.

Jacklin should be honoured for his services to golf

March 2013 / Issue 219

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Braid courses join forces to add membership benefits

Don’t miss out...

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EE

Read the UK’s No.1 Golf Paper online at www.golfnews.co.uk

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over 350 courses, as well as being the professional at Romford Golf Club in Essex for eight years and at Walton Heath in Surrey from 1904 until his death in 1950. As well as being a brilliant architect, Braid won the Open five times, played a role in forming the PGA, and is credited with inventing the ‘dogleg’ hole.

Walmer & Kingsdown

Mid Herts Golf Club

Among Braid’s most famous designs are Gleneagles, Carnoustie, St Enodoc and Dalmahoy, while closer to home, he was responsible for numerous layouts, including North Hants, Verulam, Littlestone, Goodwood, Mid Herts and Walmer & Kingsdown. Among the 36 new additions to the association’s membership this year are Brighton & Hove, Sundridge Park, and Axe Cliff.

“The advantages of being a member club is that the members of those listed can play at all the other clubs for a reduced greenfee, thereby hopefully increasing the awareness of Braid’s work” said Michael Herriot, who runs the association. “I am delighted so many clubs have joined, as now 100,000-plus golfers have access to many excellent Braid courses, which will help increase club’s revenues and their members’ knowledge of Braid and his designs.”

To see a full list of the Association of James Braid Courses member clubs, visit www.henleygc.com and click on the ‘Sponsors & Links’ section.

EE

Issue 217 | December 2012 - January 2013

Twitter@golfnewsmag Issue 218 | Febuary 2013

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Newbury & Crookham tempts societies Society organisers looking to sample one of the oldest inland courses in Britain should take a look at Newbury & Crookham Golf Club in Berkshire, which boasts one of the richest histories in a county blessed with historic golf clubs.

The 18-hole, par 69 course is set among mature heath and woodland just south of the town of Newbury, and close to the junction of the M4 and A34. Designed in 1923, the course fully utilises the undulating heath and woodland to ensure that no two holes are the same. Measuring just 6,000 yards, the layout is renowned for the quality of its greens and the variety of its holes. The upward curving eighth hole is one of the most challenging par fours in Berkshire. while the closing holes can be the making or breaking of a good card.

With the course always kept in superb condition, and with catering to match, it’s the ideal venue for societies looking for a change from playing 7,000-yard layouts.

Packages can be arranged to suit all needs, including play and stay packages with the local Hilton Hotel, which start from £79 for two rounds of golf and an overnight stay. For the latest deals call 01635 40035 or visit www. newburygolf.co.uk.

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Five thousand Swingers can’t be wrong!

Flying Club Swingers, Virgin Atlantic’s innovative loyalty golf programme, notched up it’s 5,000th member last month in a season which has already seen well over one thousand scores submitted, despite being just a few weeks in.

Thanks to key partners Cleveland Golf and Srixon, the ever-expanding global golf league, has added a fantastic new competition to recognise every ex-finalist over the 10 seasons it has been going.

While submitted scores will compete for the main competition, there is a separate leaderboard to decide the ‘Champion of Champions’, with an amazing prize of a trip to Gleneagles, a set of Cleveland wedges, a

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Cleveland golf bag and Srixon balls. Other prizes include exclusive Q’aja Golf polo shirts and commemorative Golfbidder Pin Flags.

It’s sure to be hotly contested by those Swingers who have already experienced the glory of making the grand final, which started off life as a one-day affair at The Grove in the Hertfordshire. Since then, the final has expanded to four days, visiting California and Florida, and this year heads to Scotland for the first time.

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March 2013 / Issue 219

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‘King’ Richard bids to retain PGA crown Richard Wallis is set to be the man to beat again in an exciting Virgin Atlantic Order of Merit schedule unveiled for leading southern-based PGA professionals.

The Walmer & Kingsdown pro (pic right) has topped the rankings for three years, but faces stiff opposition to make it four in 2013 with seasoned Tour campaigners Benn Barham and Matt Ford competing in all seven merit events.

Following qualifying schools in March at Kingswood, North Downs and Sand Martins, the south schedule gets underway in June with the Virgin Atlantic PGA Southern Open Championship at the popular Drift Golf Club in East Horsley. A month later sees the PGA Surrey Open Championship back at the challenging Gatton Manor club in Surrey, where Wallis will be bidding to retain his title.

De Vere’s Wokefield Park in Reading is the destination for a new Order of Merit event, while one of the season’s highlights will be in August, when Zane Scotland defends the PGA Kent Open Championship at Prince’s, host venue to this year’s British Amateur.

September sees a move back inland to Foxhills for the PGA Southern Professional

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Sam Smith, secretary of The PGA in England (South), is delighted with the line-up, commenting: “We have seven Order of Merit events again, all on top courses, and of course the popular Keith MacDonald Match Play Championship, which will see the finals at The Berkshire’s Red and Blue courses again.

All these events are in pursuit of another very attractive prize fund as well, so with the addition of two more of the region’s top players, this year it looks like there’s some hot competition that will set the bar that much higher to win.”

Micklem Trust donates £60k The Gerald Micklem Charitable Trust, which was set up in memory of one of Britain’s finest post-war amateur golfers, has donated £60,000 to the Golf Foundation.

The grant, which is to be provided over the next three years, will be donated to the HSBC Golf Roots Plus initiative, which provides funding for projects where the development of life skills is the primary purpose using golf as the catalyst. Local delivery partners include youth services, local authorities, police services and schools. A further £10,000 per year will go to supporting the golf charity’s infrastructure

as it works to expand its golf programmes at school and club level.

Gerald Micklem, who died in 1988, was one of the most successful amateur golfers during the post-war period, during which time he won the English Amateur twice (1947 and 1953) and represented GB & Ireland four times in the Walker Cup, captaining the side in 1957. After serving as a major in the Grenadier Guards during the war, he lived for the latter part of his life on a house that backed onto the 16th hole at Sunningdale, where he played almost every day.

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£25 Green light for Giant’s Causeway course Work on a £100 million golf resort near the famous Giant’s Causeway on Ulster’s north coast is due to get under way later this year after a landmark ruling at the Northern Ireland High Court on February 27.

Mr Justice Weatherup dismissed a legal challenge by the National Trust, which claimed the proposed site of the Bushmills Dunes Golf Resort & Spa, which is a mile and a half from the Giant’s Causeway, would have a major environmental impact on the heritage site.

More than a decade after the initial planning application was lodged, the judge endorsed a decision made last year by the Northern Ireland Environment minister Alex Attwood to give the go-ahead for a championship course and 120-bedroom five-star hotel to be built outside the village of Bushmills in Co. Antrim.

The ruling was a personal triumph for the

US-based Northern Ireland businessman Dr Alistair Hanna, who is heading up the investment group involved in the resort, which he claims could create up to 360 jobs.

Work is expected to begin on the resort this summer and take three years to complete. David McLay Kidd, who designed The Castle at St Andrews, has been commissioned to design the course. He said: “Bushmills Dunes offers the opportunity for golf to fit so beautifully and so naturally into the landscape. We aim to match the quality of Portrush and County Down, both of which are acknowledged to be among the top courses in the world. It’s closer to the sea than Portrush, and although there is some land that will probably have to be remodeled. The most dramatic stretches near the ocean feature some big, steep dunes.”

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TOURS FACE SPLIT OVER ANCHOR BAN

PGA Tour boss Tim Finchem is not supporting the ban

The PGA Tour and the European Tour are heading for a clash over the the controversial proposals to ban putter anchoring.

In a statement issued by the PGA Tour last month, commissioner Tim Finchem last said there was ‘no overriding reason’ for the US-based tour to support the ban, which is due to come into force in 2016. Just a week later, George O’Grady, the European Tour’s chief executive, issued his own statement, giving his full support to the R&A’s proposal.

“We have to look if anchoring is good, bad or indifferent for the game, and we have concluded it’s not been negative,” said Finchem. “The thinking of the players, and others that looked at this, was the absence of data to conclude there is a competitive advantage to be gained by using anchoring. Given the amount of time that anchoring has been in the game, there was no overriding reason to go down that road. The USGA did, on multiple occasions, look at this and came to one conclusion – 25 or 30 years later they have come to another conclusion.”

The PGA Tour has already written to the governing bodies to voice its opposition to the proposals unveiled in November last year. A three-month consultation period to discuss the move, which would outlaw the anchoring method whereby a player hinges a putter to a fixed point on the body, ended on February 28.

The PGA of America, which controls the Ryder Cup in the US and represents American club pros, has already expressed opposition to the rule changes. It puts the two most influential US golfing organisations on a collision course with the R&A and the USGA, while also presenting the possibility of a split between the rules on the PGA Tour and European Tour events.

The European Tour has confirmed its support for the R&A and their proposal for the prohibition of anchoring.

George O’Grady said: “Virtually all of our Tournament Committee and player representatives support the proposed rule, even though they are aware, and have taken into account, the fact that some of our players use the anchored method.”

March 2013 / Issue 219

Trump applies to build second course American billionaire Donald Trump has applied for planning permission to build a second 18-hole layout at the Menie Estate in Scotland.

The Mary MacLeod Course, named after Trump’s Scottish-born mother, would occupy several hundred acres and form part of the £750 million resort located along the north-east coast of Aberdeenshire.

To be designed by Martin Hawtree, the 18-hole course would complement the first and provide even greater capacity for golfers, tournaments and events at the estate, according to Trump, who will be visiting the site in April. He said: “Once again Martin Hawtree’s design is genius – we have the greatest piece of links land in the world and the unprecedented demand to play our championship course has accelerated our plans to build the second course.”

Commenting on the second course, Dr Hawtree said: “I am excited at the opportunity of developing a second course for Mr Trump. The special challenge for me is to ensure that it sits comfortably beside its neighbour, neither outshone by the existing course, nor making any attempt to mimic or rival its qualities.”

A second 18-hole course is planned for the Menie Estate

PERFORMANCE IS

Tiger bags 7th Cadillac title Tiger Woods wrapped up a dominant win at the World Golf Championships tournament at Doral with a twoshot victory over Steve Stricker.

His closest pursuer after the thrid round was Graeme McDowell, but the Northern Irishman’s challenge fell apart on the back nine and he finished tied for third with Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia and Phil Mickelson.

It was the second win of 2013 for Woods and moved him closer to Rory McIlroy’s number one spot in the world rankings. McIlroy made up eight strokes on the final day to finish joint eighth. The 23-year-old flew up the leaderboard with an eagle on the first followed by five further birdies to card a flawless 65. “I’m quite happy with where my game is at compared to where it was at the start of the week,” McIlroy said.

But the tournament belonged to Woods, who led the event from day one and made few mistakes on his way to a 17th WGC title. “I played well this week,” said Woods, who carded a one-under-par round of 71 to finish on 19 under. “It was one of those weeks where I felt pretty good about how I was playing.”

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March 2013 / Issue 219

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PGA Seniors switches to Mottram

PIC OF THE MONTH

The ISPS HANDA PGA Seniors Championship is to be held at De Vere Mottram Hall in Cheshire, from June 6-9.

The tournament, which is the only 72-hole event on the European Senior Tour outside of the majors, was held at Stapleford Park last year, but now switches to the new venue near Manchester, with Japanese firm ISPS Handa putting up an increased prize fund of £260,000.

Last year’s tournament was won by six-time PGA Cup player Paul Wesselingh, which helped him win the European Seniors’ Tour Rookie of the Year title.

UNIFORMITY PREPARATION PRECISION. MORE DISTANCE. FOR EVERY PLAYER. PROVEN. COMMITMENT. CONSISTENCY. INNOVATION.

SNOW STOPS PLAY: It was heartening to see that while Britain was gripped by a second ice age in February, the world’s top professionals were also enduring a bit of unseasonal hardship on the weather front.

The first round of the Accenture World Match Play had to be suspended after the Arizona desert was blanketed by an inch of snow – not something that the residents, let alone the players, are used to encountering.

It was certainly a novelty for 30-yearold Louis Oosthuizen who, almost unbelievably, had never seen snow up close in his life before. Asked what his first impressions of the powdery white stuff were, the 2010 Open Champion replied: “It was probably what I’d imagine it would look like. But it was really good fun, especially at the hotel, it was a beautiful setting last night.”

OK, so a solo expedition to the North Pole looks unlikely then, Louis?

Five minutes with…

Jamie Spence What do you remember of your first professional tournament?

It was in Morocco in 1987 at the Dar Es Salaam course. I was totally out of my depth. The course was at least twice as long as any I had ever played!

Which is your favourite course in the world?

Royal Melbourne.

What performance has given you the most satisfaction?

The last round 60 I shot to win the European Masters in 1992.

Who is your favourite playing partner?

Gordon Brand Jnr or Mark James. No nonsense, play quickly and probably a laugh or two at my expense.

What is your earliest sporting memory?

Charlie George’s 20-yard screamer to win the FA Cup for Arsenal in 1971.

If you hadn’t been a golfer, what would have been your alternative career?

Centre forward for Arsenal, of course. Failing that, a sports teacher.

What’s the best advice you can give an amateur?

Know how far you hit your clubs by pacing out yardages on the range.

MORE DISTANCE AND PERFORMANCE.

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What is your favourite film?

It’s a toss up between Zulu and Saving Private Ryan.

Who would make up your favourite fourball?

Bill Little, Graham Jones and Bob Hailstones. Three friends, all bloody good players who are no longer with us, and whom I really miss.

Join Team Titleist at titleist.co.uk

GolfNews_TitleistProV12013_DPS.indd 2

What would be your choice of US Masters winner’s dinner?

Roast beef with all the trimmings, followed by apple pie and cream.

28/02/2013 10:29

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March 2013 / Issue 219

Presidents Cup. “I was able to walk the course and It’s been a giddy 12 months for Branden watch my heroes close up, but the thing I remember Grace. A virtual unknown before 2012, the most was going to the practise range one day and 25-year-old South African bagged a large seeing Tiger Woods warming up. There was no one slice of the media limelight last year, and a else there and I was able to just sit and watch, and that whole lot of cash, after winning no fewer was one of the things that convinced me I wanted to than four times. do this for a living.”

First, he won the Joburg Open, which qualified him Ten years ago, Grace’s family moved from Pretoria to for the following week’s event, the elite field Volvo the coast, where he was enrolled at a school in George.

Golf Champions, where he had the temerity to beat Living so close to the sea, surfing was his main afterhis boyhood heroes, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, in a school activity, but he gave it up abruptly when there three-way play-off for the title. Some critics were quick was a shark attack in the area. Instead he concentrated to write his back-to-back wins off to a combination of on the slightly safer sport of golf, a game that he had current form and home-ground advantage, but a month only taken up after the move. His father played a little, before his 24th birthday, Grace quashed any doubts but there was professional golf in the family; Grace is about his class by claiming his third win of the year – and related to Sunshine Tour player Michiel Bothma and his first outside his homeland – at the Volvo China Open.

European Tour winner Darren Fichardt.

Overnight, he transformed his image from a youngster He turned out to be a natural and, upon joining with bags of potential, to the ‘Next Big Thing’ to come the Fancourt Foundation in 2006, was immediately out of South Africa. invited to play for the club team. He remembers how While some players might have sat back and counted privileged he and the other members of the team their blessings – and their money – Grace punched on, Branden Grace has majors on his mind in 2013 felt: “They kitted us out with clothes and clubs and and just when others were thinking of putting their feet moved us around the country to play in events. If the up for Christmas, he won the cash bonanza that is the Foundation hadn’t been a part of my life then, who knows where I’d be today? I Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews. He ended the season with over €2.5m may never have known what I could achieve.” in the bank and a world ranking of 34.

Grace turned pro in 2007 and was snapped up by Chubby Chandler’s “You always hear people talking about life-changing experiences, but no one knows International Sports Management group. He didn’t know it, but ISM was about how it really feels until it happens to you,” says Grace, reflecting on his extraordinary year. to become the hottest golf talent agency in the world, as Louis Oosthuizen, Charl “Winning once or maybe twice in a season is the stuff of dreams, but to win four times Schwartzel, Darren Clarke and a youngster called Rory McIlroy were all on ISM’s was just unbelievable. I’ve got no hassles now. I’ve got money in the bank, an exemption books at the time. on tour, and five or six guaranteed starts in the States.”

Grace’s rookie year on the European Tour in 2009 brought him back to earth Victory at Fancourt was perhaps the sweetest win of the quartet, as it was here with a slight bump, as he lost his card after failing to come to terms with the that Grace spent a year in 2006 as part of the Ernie Els Fancourt Foundation, a With four wins in pressures that come with playing for money against an altogether higher class of programme that helps nurture young talent. “It was an awesome experience player. [winning the Volvo], not least because it was at Fancourt where I spent such 2012 and a top-50 “I think things happened too quickly,” says Grace, about his first season on Tour. a happy year with the Foundation,” says Grace. “If there was one event world ranking, South “I literally played pro golf for a year, got my card and shot off. I wasn’t as good in the world that I would have wanted to win at this stage in my life, African Branden Grace a player as I am now, and I know now I’m a lot more mature as a golfer, and as it would have been that one. I just love playing The Links, so to a person, than I was then. Losing my card was actually a good thing. I think it be in a play-off against Retief and Ernie was an unbelievable is hoping to challenge helped me do things differently, and that’s why I started playing well last year. I experience.” his more experienced feel comfortable with who I am now, and I feel I’ve calmed down a lot. Whereas Things have come full circle for the Grace, who was countrymen to the in the past when things didn’t work out I’d get frustrated and go backwards, but inspired to take his golf more seriously after watching now it’s just onwards and upwards. Rather than listening to what other people Els and Goosen play at The Links in the 2003 game’s biggest prizes.

Words by Nick Bayly

AMAZING GRACE were saying, I’m doing what I want to do, in the way that I want to do it.

Obviously, you still need to listen and learn, but I’ve practiced hard on the stuff that I should have done and mentally I’ve got strong again.”

The year of Oosthuizen’s Open, 2010, was also the year Grace won his first professional tournament: Fittingly, the Coca-Cola Charity Championship, a three-round Winter Tour event which was played over the Montagu Course at Fancourt. The following year Grace showed steady improvement and his multiple wins on the European Tour last year made him one of the hottest properties in golf, which among other things, has resulted in him switching his management to IMG, whose reputation for maximising their clients on and off-course exposure is unrivalled.

As for goals this season, he highlights climbing up the world’s top 50, performing well in the majors, and simply winning more tournaments. And while his fellow countrymen are snapping up majors left, right and centre, Grace is putting no pressure on himself to stake his claim to one of the big four, although he seems to have the inner belief that most Major winners possess.

“I knew I was good enough to win tournaments, it was just a matter of when,” he says with a confidence that borders on arrogance. “I know how to win now, and that gives me a great feeling. I feel like I can compete with anybody on any day. I’m looking forward to getting in the bigger stages and competing with the best players. I’m looking forward to the future and getting into the Majors, playing practice rounds with Louis and Charl and seeing how they do it. It’s all just a learning curve.”

A learning curve, indeed. It’s just that Branden Grace’s is steeper than most.

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Go to www.srixon.co.uk today to find the right ball for your game!

_030NN_CRE00379 2 Piece Half Page Ad 128.5x360 AW.indd 1

March 2013 / Issue 219

1/4/13 4:27 PM

UP TO THE 588S!

If you’re in the market for a new set of wedges, now’s the time to dig out your rusty old spanners and take advantage of a one-off tradein deal from Cleveland Golf

Cleveland Golf is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the iconic 588 wedge by offering golfers £25 off any of its new 588 RTX or forged wedges.

The trade-in promotion, which began on March 11, allows golfers to receive £25 off their next 588 wedge, regardless of the make, model or age of the wedge being traded in.

The promotion runs until June 30 and gives golfers the chance to trade-in up to three wedges, so that they can experience Cleveland’s new Rotex Face technology.

Wedges are often used from poor lies, so it’s important that proper attention is paid to signs of wear, to make sure the club is performing to the best of its ability and offering the necessary friction and spin required to control the ball.

Worn grooves and clubfaces will not create consistent spin or sufficient

March 2013 / Issue 219

ADVERTISING PROMOTION

/ 41

PRECISION-MILLED WITH ADVANCED LASER TECHNOLOGY

THE NEW FACE OF SPIN Cleveland Golf, the leaders in wedge innovation, introduce the new 588 RTX Rotex Wedges: • • •

16% larger grooves for increased contact and friction at impact Enhanced laser-milling for improved durability and surface roughness Unique directionally-optimized Rotex face pattern for maximum spin

588 RTX Blade

control, especially from bunkers and around the green. Most Tour players will change their wedges at least two or three times a season to cope with the demands of regular use. Graeme McDowell most recently added the 588 RTX to his bag in 58-degree loft and put it to great use in the WGC Cadillac Championship.

McDowell said: “It’s important for Tour pros and club golfers to regularly upgrade their wedges to make sure they are getting the maximum control and spin they can possibly get. As soon as I tried out the new 588 RTX I could really feel the ball nipping off the new grooves, and I was getting a lot more control. We use our wedges on so many critical shots out on the course that it’s crucial to use a wedge that helps rather than hinders your scores.”

The 588 RTX wedges are set to revolutionise the wedge market thanks to Rotex Face technology, which Cleveland has dubbed ‘the new face of spin’. The Rotex face is a directionally-milled face pattern that adds roughness and imparts maximum spin on open-face wedge shots, where the impact tends to be closer to the toe. With a more durable and advanced form of laser milling, the Rotex face creates more friction at impact, helping generate even more spin on chips, pitches and partial shots.

The 588 RTX wedge also features 16% larger U-Grooves, developed with the input of Cleveland’s tour players, to maximise

588 RTX CB Cavity Back

spin on critical scoring shots – especially out of the rough, sand or in wet conditions.

The 588 RTX CB wedge features a reverse C Sole design. Inspired by Cleveland’s CG14 and CG16 wedges, it is a wide, constantwidth sole combined with heel and toe grinds to improve performance from bunkers and deep rough. The undercut cavity promotes perimeter weighting for more forgiveness on off-centre hits.

The 588 RTX bladed wedge features an S-Sole design, inspired by Cleveland’s CG15 wedges. The wider sole width near the heel and narrower sole width near the toe improves performance from bunkers without sacrificing versatility. The 588 Forged RTG wedge is aimed at the more experienced golfer. Forged from carbon steel, it offers an incredibly soft, yet solid feel around the greens with maximum control thanks to the laser milling and Tour Zip Grooves.

The last wedge offering is the 588 Forged wedge, which was released in 2012 and features the same laser milling and Tour Zip Grooves as the 588 Forged RTG. It comes in the largest variety of loft and bounce options in the industry, and can also be custom fitted to produce a perfectly-matched wedge set thanks to Cleveland Golf’s new fitting carts.

To find the location of your nearest Cleveland fitting cart, please visit www.clevelandgolf588.co.uk.

WWW.CLEVELANDGOLF.COM

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1/8/13 11:29 AM

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March 2013 / Issue 219

FALDO LAUNCHES EQUIPMENT BRAND THE GEAR EFFECT The prize-winning equipment in the bags of recent winners MATT KUCHAR WGC Accenture Match Play DRIVER: Bridgestone J40 430 (9.5°) FAIRWAY WOODS: Ping Anser 3-wood (14.5°) HYBRID: Ping Anser (20°) IRONS: Bridgestone J40 WEDGES: Bridgestone J40 (52°, 57°) Titleist Vokey Design SM4 (62°) PUTTER: Bettinardi Signature Model 1 BALL: Bridgestone Tour B330-S MICHAEL THOMPSON Honda Classic DRIVER: Ping i20 (9.5°) FAIRWAY WOODS: Ping G25 (15°), Akira 5-wood IRONS: Ping S5 WEDGES: Ping Tour-S (47°), Ping Anser Forged (52°, 58°) PUTTER: Ping Anser 4 BALL: Titleist Pro V1x DAWIE VAN DER WALT Tshwane Open DRIVER: TaylorMade R1 FAIRWAY: TaylorMade RocketBallz Stage 2 HYBRID: TaylorMade RocketBallz Stage 2 IRONS: TaylorMade RocketBladez WEDGES: Titleist Vokey Design (48°, 52°, 56°, 60°) PUTTER: Scotty Cameron Newport BALL: TaylorMade Lethal STACY LEWIS HSBC Women’s Champions DRIVER: Mizuno JPX-800 (9°) FAIRWAY: Mizuno MP-650 Titanium 3 (15°) HYBRID: Mizuno MP-650 (17°) IRONS: Mizuno JPX800 Pro (4-PW) WEDGES: Mizuno MP T-11 (52°, 56°, 60°) PUTTER: TaylorMade Ghost TM-110 Tour BALL: Titleist Pro V1x TIGER WOODS WGC Cadillac Championship DRIVER: Nike VR Tour (8.5°) FAIRWAY WOODS: Nike VR Pro (15°), Nike VR_S Covert (19°) IRONS: Nike VR Pro Blade WEDGES: Nike VR Pro (56°, 60°) PUTTER: Nike Method 001 BALL: Nike One Tour D SCOTT BROWN Puerto Rico Open DRIVER: Nike VR Pro LTD (8.5°) FAIRWAY: Nike VR Pro (15°, 19°) IRONS: Nike VR Pro Blades WEDGES: Nike VR Pro (54°, 60°) PUTTER: Nike Method 001 BALL: Nike 20XI SUZANN PETTERSEN World Ladies’ Golf Championship DRIVER: Nike VR_S Covert Tour (9.5°) FAIRWAY: Nike VR Pro (15°) HYBRID: Nike VR Pro (18°) IRONS: Nike VR Pro Cavity (4-5), Nike VR Pro Combo (6-PW) WEDGES: Nike VR Pro (48°, 52°, 59°) PUTTER: Nike Method Core 3i BALL: Nike 20XI x

Six-time major winner Sir Nick Faldo is to expand his golf business empire with the launch of a new equipment and clothing range.

Partnering with Edel Golf, Faldo is putting his name to a range customised clubs that will include irons, wedges and putters.

“Faldo by Edel is the realisation of a golf dream for me,” said 55-year-old Faldo. “I’ve long been an advocate of customising equipment for look, feel and individuality.

David Edel is a precision engineer, and he and his team make true one-of-akind equipment with craftsmanship and technical know-how applied to each club.”

“Knowing how fastidious he was as a player about equipment, I was not surprised that Nick understood our vision,” said David Edel, chairman of Edel Golf. “This is a man with huge vision, knowledge of the game, artistic prowess and insight. Together we will design practical and functional products and concepts to help golfers of all abilities to maximise their game.”

After rebranding his own corporate businesses with the Claret & Green crest, Faldo has granted the first licence to New York-based clothing company Bernette.

Faldo has worked closely with Bernette’s design team to create the Claret & Green clothing brand, which will be available

to consumers this spring. The collection incorporates both classic clubhouse lines and ‘Faldo-fit’ performance wear.

“Dating back to my days with Pringle, I have looked hard at design and golf attire,” said Faldo. “The experienced team at Bernette has allowed me to take part in every step of the process. I think we have taken what works best on tour and combined it with what is most fashion forward, yet still works for most men in golf and clubhouse attire.”

Hit the fairways with golf’s new super cart

Clubstohire expands equipment options Online golf club rental service ClubstoHire has expanded the range of equipment on offer to travelling golfers across Europe this season with the addition of brand new sets of Mizuno JPX-825 irons and woods from two of its busiest shops in Faro and Malaga airports.

The new deal with Mizuno involves more than 400 sets of rental clubs, and brings the total number of playing options to five, with the original line up of TaylorMade, Callaway, Wilson and MD Golf sets.

TaylorMade is also supplying the very latest R1 and RBZ2 clubs for hire.

“This year we can offer travelling golfers the best ever selection of clubs to play during their golfing break in Southern Europe,” said chief executive Tony Judge.

“Many of our customers like to trial different clubs during a week away and we help them discover the set to suit their game, as

Faldo always stood out for his fashion sense

well as avoid airline charges.”

ClubstoHire.com, which has Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley as a brand ambassador, now operates from 14 locations across the Mediterranean – from Belek in the east to Faro in the west – and clubs can be hired at airports from €35 per week.

More than 30,000 sets were rented out last year and the company claims to have saved golfers nearly £1m in additional airline baggage charges in the process.

A new ClubstoHire shop has just opened at Malaga airport, one of Europe’s busiest tourist destinations, while other airport locations include Faro, Murcia, Gibraltar, Palma, Gran Canaria, Edinburgh and Dublin.

The company has also just launched a new-look website - www.clubstohire.com – which offers golfers the chance to book their clubs faster than ever before.

Cobra goes green for US Masters It’s becoming a bit of tradition for equipment brands to bring out clubs, shoes and clothing to honour golf’s biggest events. While previously only available to tour pros, some brands are extending availability to pro shops, as is the case with Cobra Golf’s new Masters-inspired limited edition AMP Cell driver. Only 1,800 of the drivers, which feature a green sole to match the colour of the Master s’ winner’s jacket, will be available to buy, with each one stamped with a number on the sole for authenticity. Retailing at £249, the limited edition green will feature all of Cobra’s latest driver technology, including MyFly and SmartPad.

With its leather seats, alloy wheels and carbon fibre body, the new Garia Mansory Currus buggy is a Premiership footballer’s idea of the ultimate golfing toy.

And those wanting to buy one of these eye-catching vehicles will need to be on a footballer’s wages – and be quick off the mark – because they come with a £50,000 price tag and only seven are being built. The souped-up super cart has a top speed of 37mph, and costs almost ten times as much as a standard buggy. It is being manufactured by Danish buggy company Garia, which has teamed up with car-customising firm Mansory to make the new ‘Currus’ model.

Powered by lithium batteries, the road legal vehicle has a range of 37 miles and comes with three different driving modes - golf, street and race - which adjusts its top speed and acceleration.

Anders Lynge, Garia’s creative director, said: “The Garia Roadster is really the closest you get to a golf car version of your favorite luxury sports car. We were inspired by the sense of freedom and joy you get from riding a sports car and we wanted to translate that experience to the golf car.”

The Currus golf buggy, which, like any ordinary cart, has two seats and holds two golf bags, made its public debut earlier this month at the Geneva Motor Show.

The Currus has a top speed of 37mph and costs £50,000

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Using FlightScope technology we have helped hundreds of golfers make the right choice in equipment, they have all seen their ball striking and game improve. Flightscope is only a tool, the real skill in custom fitting is the person doing the fitting, all our custom fitters at Pachesham are PGA professionals who are all passionate about the game of golf and custom fitting, receiving up to date training from all the companies we are in partnership with to ensure you receive the best fitting possible.

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To see why so many golfers feel that Pachesham Custom Fit Centre is the best in the South East please give us a call: 01372 843453

We take pride in the level of service we deliver, so if you are looking for a driver to hit it straighter and further down the fairway, or that set of irons to help you hit more greens, don’t get it wrong, a fitting usually costs about 5-10% of the total value of your purchase, hundreds of satisfied customers feel was a price well worth paying to get it right!

Once you decided to make a purchase we will price match the top three leading internet companies.

For further information and to book your fitting please contact Andrea Timms on andreatimms@pacheshamgolf.co.uk or 01372 843453 PACHESHAM GOLF CENTRE OAKLAWN ROAD LEATHERHEAD, SURREY KT22 OBP

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March 2013 / Issue 219

In association with

FREE GIFT CARD

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Adams Golf Super S irons RRP: £499.99/£599.99 (st/gr) Contact: adamsgolf.co.uk The Super S irons feature a half hollow construction to make them perform like hybrid, while still having the look and feel of an iron, giving golfers the best of both worlds, with better stability at impact for less clubhead rotation during impact.

Featuring a thinner face for increased ball speed, and improved shaping to give better balance, the compact design moves some of the cavity’s weight higher and closer to the face for better energy transfer, less vibration through impact and more consistent ball-club interaction.Featuring reduced offset and a thinish topline, the Super S is fitted with KBS Tour 90 steel shafts or Mitsubishi Rayon Kuro Kage Black 80 graphite shafts, in Snr, Reg, Stiff and Extra-Stiff flexes.

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Nikon Coolshot AS RRP: £399.99 Contact: nikongolf.co.uk Nikon’s Coolshot AS takes into account the height of the target, so that it eliminates the guesswork from playing shots from raised tees or to elevated greens and vice versa. The digital display provides both the horizontal and slope-adjusted distance within a range of 10 to 600 yards. Other features include the Target Priority Switch, which has two measurement modes: First Target and Distant Target. Compact, lightweight and waterproof, the Coolshot offers x6 magnification.

SHOP Taylormade RBZ Stage 2 driver RRP: £249 Contact: taylormadegolf.eu

The second generation of the best-selling RocketBallz family features a thinner, weight-saving crown design and more adjustability than its predecessor. The crown has a variable thickness design that allows the titanium shell to get as thin as 0.4mm (think half the thickness of your now pointless Blockbusters card). That 3g of saved weight is used to make the face larger while keeping the centre of gravity low and more forward, and enhancing the shaping of the body of the driver to improve the way the clubhead’s aerodynamics. This all adds up to an extra 10 yards of distance on last year’s model. It offers 12 settings that change loft across a range of 1.5 degrees per loft, so the 13-degree model can be taken up to 14.5, and the 9.5-degree down to eight. A white crown with a yellow and grey arrow-like graphic offers help with alignment.

It comes with a 45.5-inch Fujikura RocketFuel (50g) graphite shaft as standard.

Ecco Biom Zero RRP: £140 Contact: ecco.com/golf The limited edition Zero is Ecco’s lightest ever shoe, weighing just over 12 ounces (or 280g, if you’re the metric type). Featuring Ecco’s low profile Street outsole, the Zero offers a thin leather lining and leather uppers, a direct injected midsole – which requires no glue or stitching – and an anatomical last that provides full-length support and a natural motion experience for the wearer. A HydroMax finish ensures water resistance, while the leather lining wicks moisture away to keep the foot cool. They come in black or white, in sizes 40-46.

Power 8 Swing Trainer RRP: £25 Contact: powerofgolf.co.uk Golfers looking for a fast and permanent fix for ‘chicken wings’ and ‘flying elbows’ should invest in the Power 8 swing trainer, a lightweight, portable and effective training tool that is designed to get the arms working in unison with the body. Endorsed by Sky Sports’ swing expert Simon Holmes – who also demonstrates how to use it in an online video on the Power of Golf’s website – the new inflatable Power 8 has an improved shape, with both arms fitting snuggly into the hooks to make the device feels locked to your body. Once in place, it ensures the elbows keep the same width during all phases of the swing, resulting in complete connectivity between arms and body.

Tour players create a similarly solid arm action, which allows them to use arm speed to add to the action of the core muscles to hit the ball long distances.

The Power 8 also helps wearers feel the rotation of the left arm and the folding of the right elbow, and results in increased power without losing control.

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March 2013 / Issue 219

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Titleist Scotty Cameron Select Golo 5 RRP: £278 Contact: titleist.co.uk The mallet-style Select GoLo 5 is the latest addition to the Scotty Cameron Select range of putters. Featuring a compact, rounded profile, with select weighting technology for balance and stability, the slightly asymmetric back profile is designed to encourage a flowing stroke along the ideal arc. There are two neck configuration options to choose from, a single bend shaft or straight centre shaft, both of which feature a black mist finish and a trademark pistol grip.

Ping Scottsdale TR Adjustable Putter RRP: £129-£209 Contact: ping.com It remains to be seen whether the pro tours adopt the proposed ban on anchoring broomhandle and belly putters, but the timing of the launch of Ping’s new adjustable length putter couldn’t be better.

With everyone in a tizzy about whether to go long or short, or somewhere in the middle, golfers can purchase this putter safe in the knowledge that they can adjust it to a length that works for whatever swing technique they choose to use.

Already in the hands of Lee Westwood, the Scottsdale True Roll comes in three models: a standard version, which can be adjusted to play between 31 and 38 inches, a belly option (37.5 to 46.5 inches), and a long-handled number, which be stretched between 44.5 and 55.5 inches.

Within the three designs there 12 head options to suit varying swing styles (slight arc, strong arc, neutral), as well as non-adjustable shaft options. All models contain a new True Roll face insert that features variable depth grooves that are deepest in the centre and get gradually shallower to the perimeter, which provide consistent ball speeds across the putter face. The insert is made from a lightweight aluminum that provides a solid feel and sound. The finish is black PVD, and all models feature white sight lines for easier alignment.

Nike TW 13 shoe RRP: £150 Contact: nikegolfeurope.com As he is with his clubs, Tiger can be quite pernickety about his golf shoes too, so the world No.2 been working closely with the Nike footwear team to come up with a shoe that offers him the support required for one of his power-packed swings, while at the same time allowing him to float around the course as if he’s barefoot.

The result is the TW13, a total reworking of the franchise that draws upon the ‘Free’ technology featured in many of Nike’s running shoes to offer a flexible, lightweight shoe that mimics the natural movement of the foot.

The upper consists of a coated stretch fabric that features in Nike’s Hyperfuse basketball shoe, while part of the heel has been created from recycled Nike Air Max running shoes, which make the material strong, as well as breathable.

TW13 shoes also use Flywire technology, which offers the maximum amount of support across the saddle of the shoe, to keep the foot secure throughout the phases of the swing. Choose from black or white.

TRIED &

TESTED PING G25 irons Rating: RRP: £80/£100 (st/gr) Contact: ping.com If Ping irons are the Marmite of the golf equipment world, then it looks like a lot of people like Marmite. And with the launch of the new G25 irons, I think even more golfers are going to get a taste for yeast extract-flavoured irons in the very near future.

I think even Ping will admit that it has taken several years of fine tuning the G series to get it spot on, but I believe the bulls’ eye has been hit with the G25s. Billed as the ultimate game improvement iron that will appeal to tour players and mid handicappers alike, the G25s could be a real game-changer for those who found previous models a little too chunky. A sleeker design, featuring thinner top lines and a moderate offset, has been combined with a stabilising weight pad – which is half the size of previous weights – placed low in the shallow cavity to create a club with progressive sole widths (which are close to those of the i20s) that provides higher-launching, more-forgiving long irons, and short irons with added playability . I had the i20s in the bag for 18 months or so, and although I love their look and feel, I found the long irons just a little too harsh on my less-than-perfect shots, and the trajectory slightly lower than I’d like. So to find an iron that doesn’t look too dissimilar at address, yet ticks all the boxes when it comes to distance, trajectory and forgiveness, is a happy day indeed.

Now pass me the Marmite...

Powakaddy Freeway RRP: Freeway £369, Digital+ £429, Sport £479 Contact: powakaddy.com Powakaddy has three new models in its line up. The Freeway has been given a sporty makeover, with a new oversized central tube and a soft-touch double handle, a new power off/on light, and a pause/resume button, while the Freeway Digital+ includes all of the functions of the standard model with the addition of a 9-speed control roller and an LED screen with a digital distance function. The range-topping Freeway Sport trolley adds a battery life monitor and digital clock, and a separate Digital Distance Function button. All come in black or white, with the Sport also available in graphite, with a choice of lead or lithium batteries.

46 /

March 2013 / Issue 219

BALLS, BOYS Serving up the latest range of super-charged sphericals

4

3

4. TaylorMade Lethal 2

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1. Nike 20XI 2. Mizuno MP-S

RRP: £39.99 for 12 Contact: nikegolf.eu

RRP: £49.99 Contact: mizunoeurope.com

The second generation of the four-piece 20XI features a dense, yet lightweight resin core married to a heavier mantle layer that results in faster ball speeds and improved levels of spin around the greens. The 201X and 201X X feature twice as much RZN material as their predecessors, resulting in more distance and greater stability. The 20XI is designed to enhance short game control, while the X is more distance orientated, offering reduced driver spin.

Mizuno has been making a variety of golf balls for the Japanese market for some time, but has now decided to launch them worldwide. The tour-level MP-S ball is a three-piece design with a large, solid rubber core and two urethane covers. It’s very soft to the touch, with an almost tacky feel, and offers high levels of spin on shots around the green, and a mid trajectory off drivers and irons.

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5. Srixon Z Star XV RRP: £48 for 12 Contact: srixon.co.uk The new Z Star and Z Star XV both offer improved feel and spin control courtesy of a new high grip coating, which results in a 20 per cent increase in friction at impact and a softer overall feel. The four-piece XV features an energetic dual core, which produces more distance for players with fast swing speeds. A softer inner core and firmer outer core produce lower spin rates with the driver and long irons.

A new 344-dimple pattern offers four per cent more dimples than before for increased lift and improved stability in the wind.

6

7. Titleist Pro V1 7

RRP: £51 for 12 Contact: titleist.co.uk

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The seventh generation Pro V1 is now even softer and longer than before, which has been made possible by lowering the compression of the dual core. It flies a bit lower and produces less spin off the driver and long irons than its predecessor, while a shallower landing trajectory results in more run and overall distance. A new urethane cover makes it feel slightly softer, while a more durable and whiter paint finish prevents it from scuffing up. The four-piece Pro V1x is designed to fly slightly higher than the Pro V1, although lower than the previous X model.

RRP: £44.99 for 12 Contact: taylormadegolf.eu Used by Justin Rose during last year’s Ryder Cup, the Lethal is a five-piece design that offers the most penetrating and stable ball flight of any TaylorMade ball. A semi-firm middle mantle layer works with the urethane cover to generate low-launch, high spin off short irons, while a firmer outer mantle combines with the cover to deliver Tour-calibre spin. A soft core provides low driver spin and efficient power transfer for a wide range of swing speeds.

3. Bridgestone Tour B330-S RRP: £34.99 Contact: bridgestonegolf.com Designed to work at its best for swing speeds over 105mph, the B330 features a large core, soft cover and Bridgestone’s dual dimple technology, which in essence is a dimple within a dimple. The urethane cover, which is 13% softer than the previous model, maximises spin control around the green, while the larger gradational compression core increases ball velocity for greater distance. The dual dimple design offers superior aerodynamics, enhanced wind performance and consistent flight.

6. Wilson FG Tour RRP: £39.99 for 12 Contact: wilsonstaff.com A three-piece ball designed to appeal mid-to-low handicappers looking for more distance and control, the FG Tour X has a 93 compression to offer a firmer feel and improved performance for players with higher-than-average swing speeds. The firmer core delivers more distance from the driver and long irons, while the multi-layer construction – covered in a thin urethane – provides maximum spin and control on short irons. The dimple pattern is designed to improve stopping power into greens by engaging more contact with the surface area of the club’s grooves.

8. Callaway HEX Black Tour RRP: £39.99 for 12 Contact: callawaygolf.com The five-piece HEX Black Tour offers high short-game spin and low long-game spin for the best combination of distance and control. Callaway’s i-Core Technology maximises the difference in compression between the inner and outer layers.

The soft inner core helps reduce spin off the tee, while the high-compression outer core increases spin closer the green.

A urethane blended cover provides a soft, yet durable outer shell, while the hexagonal dimple design produces 100 per cent surface coverage, which results in reduced drag and a more stable ball flight.

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48 /

March 2013 / Issue 219

PACK YOUR BAGS FOR PATSHULL PARK

2 night golf breaks at Patshull Park One of Shropshire’s premium resort courses from as little as £64.50 per person per night including golf, three course dinner, English breakfast, full use of hotel leisure club, and a friendly welcome.

Patshull Park Hotels, Golf & Country Club has long been a favourite for golf and leisure breaks, with the three-star hotel sitting in a magnificent setting among wonderfully mature trees, rolling parkland and expansive lakes that was designed by the renowned 18th century landscaper Capability Brown.

The beautifully mature par 72 parkland course is an enjoyable challenge that will test the best, as it winds its way through majestic old oaks, elms and Lebanese cedars. Designed

by John Jacobs, the layout is not long, but it’s relatively tight, especially on the heavily tree-lined holes around the turn. Elsewhere, elevation changes, and a few ponds, ditches and well-placed bunkers ensure golfers have to keep their concentration at all times, while

Visit Wales launches gastro golf tours Golfers for whom good food and good golf come equally high on the menu are licking their lips following the launch of a range of gastronomic golf tours by Visit Wales. Taking in three or four day-itineraries, golfers can sample mouthwatering Michelin-starred food and play

Why not enquire about our golf society packages A great day of golf and refreshments from just £27.00 per person.

Conveniently located off Junction 3 of the M54, in glorious countryside, less than an hour from Birmingham and 90 minutes from Manchester.

Patshull Park Hotel, Pattingham WV6 7HR

Visit our web site www.patshull-park.co.uk and call our experienced sales team on 01902 700100 email: sales@patshull-park.co.uk

the true greens are a pleasure to putt on.

After a round, players can relax in clubhouse before retiring to one of the hotel’s 49 wellappointed bedrooms, all of which tastefully furnished, with many commanding stunning views over the golf course or the lake.

In addition to the golf course, there are numerous other health and fitness facilities, including a large indoor pool, Jacuzzi, steam rooms, saunas, solarium, beauty treatments and a well-equipped gym.

Stay and play packages start from just £99pp for a one-night break and two rounds of golf, rising to £139 if you add another night.

Any additional round of golf can be played for just £20.

To book a golf break call 01902 700100 or visit www.patshull-park.co.uk.

Pennard Golf Club

some of the principality’s most revered golf courses.

Golfers visiting the south west of Wales can start their trip at the iconic Ryder Cup venue at Celtic Manor, before driving up the Wye Valley to the Rolls of Monmouth Golf Club, a Rolls-Royce of a parkland course set in rolling border country. You’ll be swapping one valley for another when you play at the Monmouthshire, a superb example of a mature parkland course located in the Usk Valley. Round it off with a night at the Beaufort Arms in Raglan, where good hospitality and good food come naturally.

Golfers who prefer a diet of links golf and seafoood can start off at Newport Links on Pembrokeshire’s rugged north coast. It’s a gem of a course with wonderful views across Newport Bay, Llys Meddyg is a fashionable boutique bolthole where locally-caught scallops are well worth trying.

The foodie ambience is also matched at the awardwinning Grove at Narberth in south Pembrokeshire. Stay here before or after playing at Tenby , reputedly the oldest club in Wales. Then it’s off to the Gower Peninsula and Pennard Golf Club, the remarkable ‘links in the sky’ overlooking beautiful Three Cliffs Bay. Stay at Fairyhill, an intimate country house hotel with outstanding food that proudly proclaims its local provenance.

For more details please visit www.golfasitshouldbe.com.

March 2013 / Issue 219

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Awarded 5 Star Gold Award by British Tourist Board

Please visit our new website

27 holes of fantastic golf

www.dorsetgolfresort.com

Taste the cream of Cornish golf Boasting some of the finest hotels, restaurants and beaches in Britain, Cornwall has long been an attractive destination for UK holidaymakers, with its temperate climate and stunning countryside proving a winning combination. Add to that some of the most challenging and beautiful golf courses in the country, and you have all the ingredients for the perfect break.

Golf Holidays Cornwall specialises in organising golf holidays in the south west for many years and with its local knowledge and expertise, it is able to offer keenly-priced packages and custom-designed tours that are designed to suit all budgets and skill levels.

Packages for the current season include two nights at the Trebarwith Hotel in Newquay, with three rounds of golf at Newquay, Carlyon Bay and Lostwithiel, from £199. Alternatively,

THE DORSET GOLF HOTEL AND LUXURY LOG HOMES FOR RENT 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 £59.95 pppn including Dinner, B&B and FREE GOLF

you can push the boat out and play Cornwall’s ‘big three’ – St Enodoc, Trevose and St Mellion – for just £315. A fourth night can be added for free during April. Alternatively, two nights at the Bossiney House Hotel in Tintagel, and play Bude & North Cornwall, St Enodoc and Bowood Park, for £224pp.

Off the golf course, Cornwall is bursting with attractions, including pretty coastal towns such as Port Isaac, Rock and Padstow. The region’s rich culture features the inimitable Tate St Ives, displaying the very best in modern and local art, the incredible Eden Project and Lost Gardens of Heligan, while outdoor activities such as sailing, surfing, walking and horse riding are as good here as anywhere in the British Isles.

For more details on these and other golf breaks, visit www. golfholidayscornwall.co.uk, email ian@golfholidayscornwall. co.uk or call 01883 743725.

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MARCH & APRIL SOCIETY SPECIAL OFFER l Coffee & Bacon Baguettes on arrival l Basket of Driving Range Balls l 18 Holes of Championship Golf l Two Course Dinner, Coffee & Mints

ONLY £32.95pp! (min 8 players)

DORSET’S PREMIER GOLFING VENUE NOT TO BE MISSED!

TELEPHONE NO: 01929 472244

Bowood hits the gold standard Bowood Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort’s reputation as a high quality golf and leisure destination for was reconfirmed last month after the popular Wiltshire venue secured a number of awards at the South West Tourism Excellence Awards held at the Eden Project in Cornwall.

The Calne-based resort won a gold in the ‘Business Tourism’ category and a bronze award in the ‘Large Hotel of the Year’ section, and now goes on to represent the region in the national finals.

Located in the western corner of Capability Brown’s 2,000-acre Grade I Listed Great Park, Bowood offers an English country house feel, drawing upon its impressive heritage,

yet featuring plenty of modern twists. The three-story hotel features 37 bedrooms and six suites. There is also an adjoining spa, which features a large pool, steam room, sauna, four treatment rooms and a gym.

The Dave Thomas-designed golf course is widely recognised as one of the finest layouts in the South West. Measuring 7,317 yards off the back tees, the parkland layout represents a serious test, although forward tees reduce its length to a manageable 6,566 yards, making it suitable for golfers of all standards. There are also great practice facilities, including a threehole academy course and a covered range.

For the latest golf break offers visit www. bowood.org or call 01249 822228.

FREE GOLF At The Ashbury Golf Hotel The UK’s Largest Golf Resort

Set in the foothills of Dartmoor National Park, Devon.

The Ashbury Golf Hotel is the ideal venue for your golf break.

Oakwood 16th 172 yards, Par 3

Ashbury 6th 410 yards, Par 4

Dartmouth offers Easter savings Families seeking a last-minute bargain on an Easter break can take advantage of savings of more than £1,350 when they book a five-night stay at the Dartmouth Golf & Country Club.

The popular resort in South Devon is offering families and groups the perfect excuse to get away from it all for the holiday period, with packages starting from just £599 for six people enjoying five nights’ bed and breakfast accommodation in its recently refurbished four-star cottages.

Same-sized groups can enjoy a similar length stay in one of Dartmouth’s excellently equipped self-catering lodges for only £100 more – less than £120 per person – and the free benefits don’t end there. As well as free broadband, guests can enjoy complimentary use of the club’s extensive leisure facilities including indoor pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and spa, while a 25 per cent discount on green fees is available, as well as free tickets to the nearby Woodlands Family Theme Park.

To book a stay, call 0800 043 3669 or email reservations@dgcc.co.uk.

7 x 18 hole course options all on one site!

KIGBEARE PINES FOREST ASHBURY BEECHES OAKWOOD WILLOWS

Par 72 Par 72 Par 71 Par 69 Par 69 Par 68 Par 54

6528 6400 6140 5804 5765 5502 1939

Forest 8th 442 yards, Par 4

Kigbeare 15th 382 yards, Par 4

Summer Specials 01/7/13 - 01/9/13 • FREE UNLIMITED GOLF • FREE BUGGIES • DRIVING RANGE TOKENS

May / June Midweek Bargain Breaks from £53 per person, per night!

Sports Bowls Table Tennis 5-A-Side Basketball

Additional Facilities FREE to residents of our hotels Leisure Racket Sports Family Swimming Tennis Funhouse Badminton Spa & Sauna Gamezone Squash Snooker Waterslides Short Tennis Ten-Pin Play Area

Ranges Archery Air Pistols Air Rifles Laser Clays

PLUS unique Craft Centre featuring 17 tutored crafts, including Pottery & Woodwork

0800 389 9892 ashburygolfhotel.com All rooms en-suite • Full board • Child rates • Party discounts

CLASSIC TRACKS ON YOUR DOORSTEP Golfers looking to bag themselves a great value golf break in the UK this autumn, should try out a quartet of stunning courses on the Hampshire Surrey border.

The 11th hole at Hayling Island

Experienced golf holiday company Exclusive Golf Breaks has put together a superb package for stay-at-home golfers this autumn, combining a collection of wonderful courses with quality hotels, to offer an unbeatable three-course, two-night break.

Golfers can chose between the delights of Hindhead, Hayling Island, Stoneham and Liphook, while staying at either the Marriott Hotel in Portsmouth or the Lythe Hill Hotel & Spa in Haslemere, for as little as £259 per person, based on guests playing three courses and sharing twin rooms.

The only problem with this break is deciding which course to leave out, as they are all classics that you’ll want to play again and again.

Hindhead is a delightful Open qualifying course set over two valleys, and is in superb condition all year round. The front nine meanders majestically through Neolithic valleys guarded by tall pines before finally emerging at the hillside plateau of the back nine.

Peter Alliss is a member here, so you might be lucky to catch ‘The Voice of Golf’ swapping stories in the atmospheric clubhouse after your round.

Just down the A3, Liphook is similarly spectacular, with the classic heathland course always presented in pristine condition, and boasting some of the best

greens in the country. Although the course measures just 6,200 yards, its par of 69 and the prevalence of trees and heather will keep your score honest. With each hole enjoying its own sanctuary, and the sandy turf a pleasure to hit off, there are few more enjoyable settings for a day’s golf.

Pushing on down to the coast, the A3 takes you almost to the doorstep of Hayling Island Golf Club, arguably one of the most under-rated links courses in the country. Enjoying stunning views of the Solent, the Isle of Wight and Langstone Harbour, the free-draining links is the perfect autumn golfing venue, with springy turf and consistent greens making it pure golfing pleasure. The easy-walking course is no pushover, with the occasional blind shot, and a succession of testing, well-protected par threes making this a challenge for the best golfers, especially if the wind whips in off the Solent, as it is prone to do on this exposed outcrop. After a round, golfers can relax in the stylish Art Deco-style clubhouse, where the panoramic views never cease to inspire.

Moving further west along the coast, the final link in this particular chain is Stoneham Golf Club, an undulating heathland/parkland classic located just outside Southampton. Much underrated, except by those who know it, Stoneham offers a serious

test, with the only truly level lies found on the tees, making club selection and shot execution a challenge.

With cross bunkers to avoid, gullies to negotiate and streams to cross, a round at Stoneham is never dull, with brain rather than brawn being required to score well around this thrilling 6,392-yard layout. And if your golf isn’t up to scratch, you can at least enjoy the variety of wildlife to be seen on the course, from deer walking through the woods to kestrels circling above.

Golfers can choose to base themselves at two very distinct hotels for their two night break, with the Marriott Portsmouth offering easy access to major routes, as well as being a convenient location for popular sights like the Spinnaker Tower, Gunwharf Quays and the historic naval dockyard.

The hotel offers newly-renovated spacious rooms, with cable TV, wifi and all the usual services of a quality hotel, including 24-hour room service.

Alternatively, guests can stay at the Lythe Hill Hotel and Spa in the delightful market town of Haslemere.

To book this package, which costs £249pp for three rounds of golf and two nights’ B&B accommodation (a £10 supplement is payable for weekend breaks), visit ww.exclusivegolfbreaks. com or call 01822 618181.

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2 NIGHTS B&B at St Mellion or Trevose 3 ROUNDS St Mellion, Perranporth & Trevose

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2 NIGHTS B&B at Toorak Hotel, Torquay 3 ROUNDS Churston, Torquay & Teignmouth

2 NIGHTS B&B at either: Marriott Portsmouth or Lythe Hill Hotel & Spa, Haslemere

2 NIGHTS B&B at The Metropole Hotel DAY 1 Cradoc G.C 18 holes DAY 2 Llandrindod Wells G.C 18 holes DAY 3 Builth Wells G.C 18 holes

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 £199 pp

ONLY £225 pp

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3 ROUNDS at any of these courses:

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Weekend supplement: £10pp extra

Weekend supplement: £15pp extra

1 x Bracken Course* 1 x Seacroft GC

* Located at Woodhall

Weekend supplement: £17pp extra

To discuss your exclusive golf package call 01822 618181

We have over 15 years experience of organising golf breaks throughout the UK and Europe

March 2013 / Issue 219

Friday, February 1 Pro-Ams offer a rare opportunity for me to play team golf, and its especially fun if I can play with my son Jonathan, and friends Guy Butterwick and Grant Kurland. We really enjoy the Pro-Am team format and the camaraderie that it engenders. The American Golf Holiday offer a range of fantastic destinations in The Pro-Am Tour, and Scottsdale is one of the most popular. British Airways offers a direct flight from Heathrow to Phoenix, and our flight was both comfortable and punctual. John and Alison Hooper host all the events, and were there met us on arrival after a 10-hour flight. Within minutes we collected our spacious rental car for the short drive to the Scottsdale Plaza Resort, where most of the teams were staying. After checking in, we head for the hotel bar for a quick beer and it was great to meet lots of the teams who were all looking forward to a good week.

Saturday, February 2 An early start for the Golf Club at Eagle Mountain, where we enjoyed a fantastic warm up round on the Scott Miller-designed course, which offers a very playable desert layout and superb views.

After a quick lunch, it was just a short drive to TPC Scottsdale to watch the third round of the PGA Tour’s WM Phoenix Open. Saturday is definitely party day, and by early afternoon the crowds are enormous, and the atmosphere is lively to say the least. I later discover that there was a record attendance for a Saturday, with 179,000 passing through the gates – although I reckon 150,000 were partying and the remaining 29,000 were watching the golf! That said, the tournament has a unique atmosphere, and the stadium mounding ensures great viewing. In fact, the grandstands totally surround the famous 16th hole to create ‘The Coliseum’ and I have never experienced anything like it. No pressure, but if you miss the green you get 20,000 golf fans booing you. But there were no boos for Phil Mickelson, the former Arizona State University player and fan favourite, who simply took dead aim and hit it stiff to huge cheers.

That evening we dined in Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse which is one of America’s best steakhouse chains, and just a short walk from our hotel. We enjoyed the food and wine so much we booked to return later in the week.

Sunday, February 3 All the teams met for breakfast in Phil’s Grill at Grayhawk Golf Club, named after the newlycrowned Phoenix Open champion. The Grill has lots of Mickelson’s memorabilia from when he represented Grayhawk as a tour pro. The food and atmosphere was great, and we had the chance to meet a few more teams. After registration we received a gift voucher to spend in the pro shop. We also received discount coupons for Scottsdale’s 43,000-square foot PGA Tour Superstore, which is the largest golf shop I’ve ever seen.

The Welcome Challenge Day consists of an individual Stableford competition over the excellent Tom Fazio-designed Raptor Course, itself a former PGA Tour venue. The course is a real challenge and there were certainly some testing pin positions! Guy was our star player, coming second in his division.

After golf, lots of teams went to various bars to watch the Super Bowl on television, but we decided to try the upscale Japanese restaurant Roka Akor, which is just a short walk from the hotel. This was a fantastic dining experience and the food was superb.

Monday, February 4 Tournament Round 1 was held at the exclusive Fire Rock Country Club, one of the area’s top private clubs. Set in Fountain Hills, the club offers a superb layout, with far-reaching views.

Along with buggies, range balls are included

/ 51

The iconic 16th at TPC Scottsdale

Troon North, Eagle Mountain and Superstition Mountain. However, the most popular choice is the Ryder Cup-style match against the members of Desert Highlands Golf Club. This proved to be a fantastic day. It was a real privilege to play one of Arizona’s top private clubs, and also to relive my Ryder Cup experience playing with my son against the Director of Golf and one of the members in better-ball fourball matchplay format. Team Europe were well and truly beaten on the day, but the hospitality and friendship shown by the members was tremendous, and it was a wonderful golf experience for everyone who played.

THE

GREATEST SHOW ON GRASS Former European Tour No.1 and Ryder Cup player Ronan Rafferty provides a personal diary of a week spent playing Arizona’s finest golf courses in The ProAm Tour’s Scottsdale Classic Pro-Am

Bruce Whipham’s team bagged the best dressed prize

every day, and the practice facilities were simply superb. PGA Tournament Official Andy Holding announced our names and Team Rafferty were off and running. The format is two best nett scores per hole medal play, and we got off to a great start, shooting 14 under par for a two-shot lead.

That evening we celebrated our good start with dinner at Veneto Trattoria, an great Italian restaurant which is just five minutes from Scottsdale Plaza. Scottsdale offers a fantastic choice of restaurants to suit every taste and budget, and there are so many situated close to the hotel.

Tuesday, February 5 For Tournament Round 2 we drove an hour north to Quintero Golf Club, set in the hills among some spectacular desert scenery. This Rees Jones course provides another strong test of golf, with unforgiving desert awaiting any errant shots. The par threes all have elevated tees and the views are amazing. Team Rafferty struggled to a three-

Winner Craig Cowper with John Hooper

under par score, however, our disappointment was short-lived, as the other teams also found it tough, and we managed to maintain a three-way share of the lead.

One of the most hotly-contested competition during the week is for The Best Dressed Team Award. Team Rafferty, as new boys to the event, did not quite realise how determined the regulars are to win this prize, and there were certainly some great outfits, with Bruce Whipham’s team deservedly winning the prize with their matching Union Jack suits and bowler hats.

After two rounds, the teams are split into two divisions, gold and silver, and start a new competition over the last two rounds to give more teams a chance of winning a team prize.

However, we were totally focused on winning the main 72-hole Pro-Am event.

Wednesday, February 6 This is a free day, but a variety of golf options are on offer, including a choice of tee times at Scottsdale’s other top courses, including

Thursday, February 7 Tournament Round 3 was at the spectacular We-Ko-Pa Golf Club, which offers two stunning courses, Cholla, and the course we played, Saguaro, which is named after the giant cactus which you see everywhere in Arizona. Saguaro was certainly one of the prettiest golf courses you will ever play, with distant views to the Four Peaks and Superstition Mountains. A steady round today leaves us one shot back in second.

Friday, February 8 We arrive at TPC Scottsdale just five days after the finish of the Phoenix Open, and although the place is considerably quieter than our last visit, the fact that most of the grandstands were still in place gave it the feel of a big PGA Tour event.

The course was magnificent and a great test, and it was really special to play it so soon after the tournament. Despite having a great forecaddie to assist us with reading the putts, we left a few too many shots out there, and had to settle for second place behind Matt Stephen’s team.

Craig Cowper deservedly won the professional individual event with four sub-par rounds, including a magnificent 65 at Quintero.

Back at the hotel, we head for Remington’s, the fine dining restaurant at the Scottsdale Plaza, where the prize-giving is held on the patio with a hosted bar. The banter and camaraderie was tremendous as the prizes, which included top-branded golf equipment and some very nice trophies, were handed out. After the prizegiving we enjoy an excellent dinner and time to reminisce on a superb week.

Saturday, February 9 Our departure day, but due to the late flight time there is still time for some more golf, but we like the idea of a leisurely lunch and a bit of shopping.

To sum up the trip, Scottsdale is an outstanding winter golfing destination, offering an abundance of excellent courses, a superb winter climate, and there is a high quality feel and ambience about the place. In particular, I was pleasantly surprised with the vast choice of quality restaurants, many offering some great selections of wine.

The overall tournament package and organisation was exceptionally good. John and Alison Hooper, who have run The American Golf Holiday for the last 20 years, and personally host all The Pro-Am Tour events, do a fantastic job. Their attention to detail is magnificent, and they have tremendous rapport with their many regular customers. This creates a unique and wonderful atmosphere where everyone feels welcome and very comfortable. My team really enjoyed the experience and will be booking another event in the very near future.

Ronan Rafferty travelled with The American Golf Holiday, which operates The Pro-Am Tour, which includes events at Sawgrass (straight after The Players Championship), Pebble Beach, Las Vegas, Pinehurst, Whistling Straits and Palm Springs, as well as their two popular annual events in Scottsdale.

Please visit www.pro-amtour.com for further information or telephone 023 8046 5885.

52 /

March 2013 / Issue 219

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028 9023 2112

To help Vale de Lobo celebrate its 50th anniversary, the resort at Monte da Quinta is offering a range of exclusive holidays, with a three-night break, including three rounds of golf and many other attractive benefits, from just €408 per person.

From €136 per person per night, golfers can enjoy three nights in one of Monte da Quinta’s impressive suites and 18 holes on each of Vale de Lobo’s celebrated layouts – the Royal and Ocean courses – plus a free round depending on availability. For those people looking for an extended stay, a seven-night break, including four rounds, costs from €728 per person.

As part of the package guests will receive unlimited house wines and beer during happy hour each day, while complimentary use of

5* Moon Palace Resort

from £675 PP 5* Argentario Resort Golf & Spa 7 nights b&b unlimited golf incl. car hire, excl. flights

La Manga offers sporting Easter breaks

www.chakatravel.com

enquiries@chakatravel.com

An INN on York Street 7-DAY SPECIAL FOR ONLY £349 Enjoy 7 nights B&B including 3 rounds of golf for just £349 each + a second consecutive week for just £300 (based on 2 people sharing and assuming rate of £1 to $1.55)

AIRE’ N O I L MIL GOLF

S

N UNDI EW & SC AN IN OVERED LAN MYRT LE BEA D CH

Stay in a historic Southern Plantation, English run B&B Never more than 4 pampered couples Play leisurely golf on fabulously conditioned courses Experience the slow pace and charm of small-town mid America Relax and unwind after golf by the pool by sipping "Mint Juleps" Luxury en-suite rooms with gourmet breakfasts and concierge services Golf booked and arranged to your liking Choice of more than 20 courses within a 35-minute drive Just a 50-minute drive south of Charlotte Airport Check out our guest reviews on www.tripadvisor.co.uk or www.destinationnexus.com

An INN on York Street 164 York Street, Chester, SC 29706 Tel: 001- 803- 581- 8681 E: info@innonyorkstreet.com W: www.innonyorkstreet.com

the resort’s gym, indoor heated pool, sauna, Jacuzzi, Turkish bath and sensorial shower is also available.

Accommodation is provided in one of Monte da Quinta’s 132 self-catering suites, and the packages, which include a buffet breakfast each day, can be taken anytime during the months of April, May, September and October.

Monte da Quinta’s new Short and Long Drive breaks featuring golf at Quinta do Lago are equally appealing, with prices starting at €447 per person for a three-night package, including two rounds of golf. Prices include accommodation in one of the resort’s suites, a round of golf on Quinta do Lago’s North and Laranjal courses, one evening meal with and a free massage in the resort’s Magnolia Spa. To book, go to www.mqresort.com.

Sports fans are in for a treat at La Manga Club this year following the luxury Spanish resort’s decision to extend its semi-inclusive packages due to popular demand.

Initially available for winter 2012/13, the five-star sports complex has broadened the offer for stays until the end of October.

Staying at the four-star Las Lomas Village apartments, a four-night semi-inclusive break costs from €488 per person including three rounds of golf or three hours’ tennis court hire and a range of attractive cost-saving benefits.

These include half-price golf buggy hire, a two-course dinner each night at any of La Manga Club’s restaurants and unlimited drinks in the evening until midnight, while complimentary use of Spa La

Manga Club’s fitness centre, indoor pool, saunas and steam rooms is also on offer.

Golf can be taken on any of La Manga Club’s three 18-hole courses – the South, North and West – while tennis can be booked at its impressive 28-court tennis academy as three one-hour court slots.

A semi-inclusive four-night stay in La Manga Club’s fivestar hotel costs from €563 per person and packages are available to book any time until October 31, apart from July 24 to August 18. To book, call 00 34 968 17 5577 or visit www.lamangaclub.com.

Savour South Africa’s finest fairways Boutique Cape Town hotel, golf and wine estate, Steenberg, and luxury Garden Route golf and leisure resort, Fancourt, have just teamed up to launch a Golf Total package, which offers discerning travellers the chance to combine two of South Africa’s must see attractions, with luxury accommodation and the opportunity to tee off on some of the country’s top golf courses.

The package includes three nights in a luxury room at Fancourt, including daily breakfast, and a round of golf on either the Montagu or the Outeniqua course, and free access to the spa and gym facilities.

It also includes three nights at Steenberg, with daily breakfast, two rounds of golf at the Peter Matkovich-designed Steenberg course, as well as one three-course dinner. Steenberg also offers guests a complimentary wine tasting and a cellar tour at the Steenberg Winery.

The two properties are easily combined either via a short flight between George and Cape Town or guests can opt to self-drive the

Steenberg Golf Club

450km between the two venues.

The six-night package is being offered by Elegant Golf Resorts, and costs from £1,599 per person, including British Airways flights direct to Cape Town from Heathrow, based on travel between April and October. Prices are based on double occupancy and include golf club carriage. Non-golfers can opt for spa vouchers instead of rounds of golf.

For bookings visit www.elegantgolfresorts. com or call 0208 421 7019.

I love this course.

Actually, I love hating this course.

It really is a love/hate relationship. Of all the courses I’ve played in South Carolina – from the mountains to the beach – this is one of my favourites. It’s right on the water and it’s beautiful. Every year when we come to golf, I look forward to playing it. And every year, this course owns me from the first tee to the eighteenth green. Owns me.

I don’t know what to make of it. I just know I can’t wait to play it again next year.

Harbour Town Golf Links #18, Hilton Head Island

54 /

March 2013 / Issue 219

Stay & play brought to you by

For bookings please contact Your Golf Travel.com: Call Free: 0800 193 6612 Email: info@yourgolftravel.com Web: www.yourgolftravel.com

EAST ANGLIA FOR A BREAK? THEN HEAD FOR THE SUFFOLK

It’s probably fair to say that when Constable cast his eye across the county’s landscape he didn’t think, “wouldn’t that make for a great par-5, dog-leg round that old oak then across the stream to a raised green…”, but the terrain does indeed lend itself to wonderful parkland golf. And the Genevieve Course at the Suffolk Golf & Spa Hotel is a fine example, with the meandering River Lark providing a pleasant if menacing companion for your round.

It’s not just a gentle walk in the country though; the Genevieve has been a stop for the aspiring professionals of the PGA EuroPro Tour so it’s got some teeth, too. The course is mature, crafted around the established woodland of the estate and at 6,391 yards is the sort of length that achieves the right balance of challenge and playability.

Feedback is consistently good from golfers walking happily off the 18th green towards a well deserved beer, and that’s just the start of the experience at The Suffolk.

Head just a mile or two north from the heart of Bury St Edmunds, the historic market town that itself has much to offer, and you will stumble upon the welcoming hotel where you’ll be made to feel immediately at home. With a small collection of just 41 rooms, this is not a sprawling resort where you can get lost between reception and

The verdant pastures, lush riversides and sweeping shorelines of Suffolk were enough to tempt Constable and Gainsborough to devote a lifetime to its depiction.

Now most of us would admit that our golf swings are not picture perfect, but head for this stunning corner of East Anglia and you may find the setting inspires you to create a golfing masterpiece!

breakfast; the atmosphere is laid back, personal and relaxing – just right for a couple of day’s golf.

The rooms are recently refurbished and their style – clean, bright and spacious – is ideally suited to the needs of the visiting golfer. That said, there’s plenty that will appeal to non-playing companions as well.

Comfortable accommodation is assured, as well as an excellent breakfast, and then there’s the spa. It’s here that the hotel really shines: unwind in the pool, bubble away in the Jacuzzi, ease weary muscles between the sauna and steam room or even book into one of the treatment rooms for a massage. That’s a prospect that appeals whether you play golf or not!

In the area, there’s plenty that you can throw in the mixer to give your stay even more of a punch. Newmarket, the home of British Horse Racing, is local and an afternoon at the races is a popular addition to many a golf break. Beer and golf are also pretty cosy bedfellows, and a trip to the Greene King Brewery and Museum may well appeal to the thirsty among us.

Whatever you choose, it’s pretty clear that this is a venue that ticks most of the boxes out there. And there’s one more that we’ve not yet mentioned: value. Stay here and the bang for your buck is extraordinary. Check out our deals for golf breaks this March and April and we think you’ll have phone in hand in no time.

YOUR GOLF TRAVEL OFFERS TEL: 0808 163 9630

ONE-NIGHT BREAK 1 Night, Bed & Breakfast Unlimited Golf FROM

£39

PER PERSON VALID MONDAY – THURSDAY IN MARCH

ONE-NIGHT BREAK 1 Night, Bed & Breakfast Unlimited Golf FROM

£59

PER PERSON VALID FRIDAYS, APRIL – OCTOBER

PLUS: 1 FREE IN 8 PLACES!

March 2013 / Issue 219

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Me&MyTravels Trick shot show specialist Jeremy Dale is stuck on Sunningdale and has fond memories of Magnolia Park and getting engaged in Amsterdam My most recent golf trip was to...

Florida, to compete in a trick shot competition at GolfFest, which is a US version of Golf Live. There are four competitors and a winner-takes-all prize of $5,000. I started the World Golf Trick Shot Championship with a friend in 2005, but could not find the sponsorship to sustain it.

My favourite golf course is...

Sunningdale New, where my brother Chris is a member. I love course architecture and the New is a Harry Colt special. It has a spectacular routing, dramatic elevation changes and lots of interest around the greens.

Most of the holes go left to right, so it also suits my left-handed draw.

My ideal fourball would include… my brother and my friends on our annual trip to Royal St David’s Golf Club at Harlech.

My most memorable ever round was at…Rijswijk Golf Club in the Netherlands in 1991. I was 26 and shot 40 for nine holes. Nothing amazing

My worst holiday experience was… in Brunei. I went to do a show at an event there and took my wife. The hotel had no soul and the bar had no beer – soft drinks only. We were living in Australia at the time and should have stayed there that week.

Paradis in Mauritius

about that, except that it was my first time playing left-handed on a course.

The round changed my life, since I switched to playing left-handed shortly afterwards and am now, as far as I know, the only truly ambidextrous trick shot artist in the world.

My most embarrassing moment on a golf course was… also at Rijswijk, which was my home club at the time.

In 1992, eight months after switching to playing left-handed, I entered a Dutch PGA qualifier. I flat topped my first drive into a water hazard and then had an argument with my playing partner about where to drop the ball. I ended up making a six, which the general manager called the best six he had ever seen.

Sunningdale New

My favourite golf resort is…Paradis Hotel & Golf Club in Mauritius. It’s on a stunning peninsular with turquoise waters, white sand and a mountain backdrop. My wife and daughter love the beach, so everyone is happy if I go off to play some golf. My yardages from the room this year were 67 to the beach, 78 to the first tee, and 54 to the bar! It’s not hard to see why they call it Paradis.

My favourite city in the world is…

Amsterdam. I lived there for two yards when I was assistant pro at Amsterdam Golf Club. Maryjane and I got engaged after a night in Amsterdam, so it will always be special. We both speak Dutch and love going back.

My golfing hero is… Seve. He was an artist. I was lucky enough to meet him a few times and I even beat him at trick shots in Dubai in 1999. We gave a clinic together, and at one point he got a request to hit a shot from his knees.

I joined him and we teed up two balls close together hitting simultaneously, him right-handed, me left. My shot was a corker and he topped his 50 yards. He then turned to the audience to ask “Aah, which one was my ball?”

Amsterdam

My best gross score was… 67 at Magnolia Park playing left-handed, and 70 playing right-handed at Goring & Streatley, where I was a junior. In case you’re asking, I’ve also had eight hole-in-ones – two righthanded and six left.

I’m planning a golf trip to… the US Masters next month! It is unreal enough to go to the Masters, but I have also been invited to give a show with Gary Player at his Invitational Charity Tournament at Champions’ Retreat on the Monday after. Amazing really. You couldn’t make it up.

Jeremy Dale is available for trick shot show displays and after dinner speaking engagements. For bookings, visit www. jeremydale.com or email Jeremy@ jeremydale.com.