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Thursday, March 21, 2013
Advertising Feature
postgolfnorthwest
W
ELCOME to our special inside view of some of the region’s top golf courses. Nowhere else in England can boast such golfing riches. No, let’s go further. Nowhere else in the UK can lay claim to be golf ’s capital. And the reason we can make such an extravagant claim? Two Open championship venues just a matter of miles apart, a string of top class championship clubs serving up the best in links golf, a variety of challenges from courses deep in the lush Cheshire countryside to bustling clubs in the heart of the city of Liverpool. Well, that will do for starters. And then we can throw into the mix top professionals such as Southport’s trio of European Tour players – Lee Slattery, Tommy Fleetwood and Matthew Baldwin – or Wirral’s Paul Waring. And there is also Royal Birkdale’s Florentyna Parker, enjoying a successful time on the European Ladies Tour, where Emily Taylor (Hillside) is embarking on her rookie season. And the area is rich in players of all ages making their mark in the amateur game, such as Oliver Carr, Paul Howard, Holly Muse and Eloise Healey, in a corner of England that has a golfing pedigree running deep into the very origins of many of the game’s biggest competitions. And sharing in the host of success stories is the Liverpool Post and its readers through the paper’s commitment to a full page of news from the local golfing community every Thursday. Now you can enjoy our exclusive guide to some of the area’s best venues. And look out for our next guide later in the year. Time to get out those clubs...
FEATURING: Aintree Golf Centre ● Denbigh Golf Club ● Abersoch Golf Club ●True Fit Golf Centre
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Thursday, March 21, 2013
post golf north west
Advertising Feature
Aintree Golf Club sits in the centre of the world famous racetrack, home to the Grand National
Going is always firm at racecourse golf club
A
INTREE Golf Club, home to one of the longest nine-hole courses in the UK, has a number of membership places now available. The golf club offers first class facilities in an iconic setting, the grounds of Aintree Racecourse, home to the world famous Grand National. Facilities include an onsite driving range, practice greens, club house and golf shop. Designed by PGA Professional Michael Slater, the course sits in the centre of the racetrack and offers some test-
ing holes, with the opportunity to play over the world famous Becher’s Brook and a replica Grand National fence. You’ll not need to worry if it’s too wet to play, as Aintree’s course is one of the best drained in the area, with very few closures due to wet weather conditions. The course prides itself on the fact it can be played with full tees and greens all year round. Becoming a member offers genuine handicap status and regular competitions every Sunday morning. Members also receive a Driving Range Loyalty Card with an
amount of credit depending on their membership category. They also receive discount in the golf shop and can book tee times up to 10 days in advance. Members of the golf club are also entitled to apply for two complimentary badges for one of the race meetings held at Aintree (not including the Grand National). The golf club is run in a friendly and relaxed manner and all new members are made to feel very welcome. Along with competitions held at Aintree, the golf club also enters a number of national competitions, as well as vis-
iting local courses on away days. Annual membership starts from just £275 for the remainder of 2013. For more information call 0151 523 5157. Non-members are also welcome to use the course and can book a tee time a maximum of five days in advance. Improve your game at the floodlit driving range. Aintree’s onsite driving range offers 30 floodlit bays and four spacious teaching bays where resident professional Scot Duffy can help you to improve your game. The range has now introduced a loyalty card which
provides extra benefits. When you join this loyalty card scheme you will receive extra credit on your card when you top up with the following amounts: ■ Top up with £15 and receive an extra 10% credit (£16.50) ■ Top up with £20 and receive an extra 15% credit (£23) ■ Top up with £30 and receive an extra 20% credit (£36) Bays don’t need to be booked in advance, and costs for balls start from just £2.50. There are a variety of targets to keep your session interesting, along with good quality mats and balls.
The range is ideally suited for both beginners and seasoned golfers to practice and improve their game. Club hire is available if needed. For those wanting to have a snack or refreshment, the driving range has a coffee bar which provides meals, snacks and drinks. The driving range is open 8am-10pm in the week and 8am-7pm at weekends. The last bucket of balls is sold 30 minutes before closure. ■ Aintree Golf Club is on Melling Road, Aintree, L9 5AS. For more information call 0151 523 5157.
Learn, practice and play at the world famous Aintree
Situated in the centre of Aintree Racecourse, home of the John Smiths’ Grand National, Aintree Golf Centre boasts one of the most unique locations for a golf range in the UK. With a 30 Bay Floodlit Driving Range, practice greens, PGA Coaching for Juniors and Adults by our resident professional Scot Duffy, well stocked golf shop, a coffee bar and a 9-hole golf course, one of the longest in the UK, Aintree Golf Centre has it covered.
Annual Membership from only
£275*
Become a member today and you’ll receive our Driving Range Loyalty Card which gives you dicount in our shop and credit when you top up the card. The range is open 8am until 10 pm in the week and 8am until 7pm at weekends. Annual membership starts from just £275 for the remainder of 2013. Call 0151 523 5157 to discover more or vist www.aintree.co.uk/golf.
Call 0151 523 5157 to book or visit www.aintree.co.uk/golf
*for the remainder of 2013.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
post golf north west
Advertising Feature
A very warm welcome awaits you
L
OCATED one mile from Denbigh town centre, Denbigh Golf Club offers a very warm welcome to new members and visitors alike. This superb 18-hole parkland course offers a challenging and enjoyable round of golf that will test all standards of play. At just under 6,000 yards you will have to be accurate to find the fairways and greens in regulation play. Failure will result in being blocked out by the course’s mature trees. Denbigh Golf Club caters for members of all ages, male and female, and for all abilities from the beginner to the low handicap player. In addition to the golf there is a well-supported social programme of events held throughout the year. Annual membership runs from March to February.
Membership prices for 2013 are £525 for full membership, though people who live over a 30-mile radius away from the club via the AA Route Finder qualify as a distant member with a reduction in price to £389. Junior membership costs from £70. Visitors will receive a warm welcome to this friendly club and records show that, having enjoyed their visit, they pledge to return. Summer green fees are £26 on a week day, or £32 of a weekend. There’s a discount for large groups and packages to suit your needs. If you are looking for challenging golf with magnificent views of the Vale of Clwyd, plus the chance to relax in the clubhouse and enjoy fine food and guest beers, then Denbigh Golf Club has it all. ■ Visit Denbigh Golf Club, Henllan Road, Denbigh, LL16 5AA, tel: 01745 816669.
Try it free DENBIGH Golf Club is hosting a free golf taster session for beginners next month. Taking place on Wednesday, April 24, it’s your chance to enjoy the golfing experience at Denbigh Golf Club. The free junior taster session runs from 5pm-6pm. An adult session follows on from 6pm-7pm. All equipment will be supplied. Come along, have a go and, if you enjoy it, you could enrol for four weekly, one hour coaching sessions commencing Wednesday, May 1. Normal course fees will then be £5 for juniors and £10 for adults. Denbigh Golf Club is at Henllan Road, Denbigh, LL16 5AA telephone them on 01745 816669, email them at denbighgolfclub@aol.com or view www.denbighgolfclub.co.uk.
The picturesque ninth hole at Denbigh Golf Club
Enjoy stunning views at ‘friendliest’ course
Y
OU can be sure of a very warm welcome when you visit Abersoch Golf Club. Recently featured in Golf Monthly, it has been described by visitors as “the friendliest golf course in Wales,” “a jewel on the Welsh Riviera,” and a “fantastic golf course, stunning views.” The golf club at Abersoch is definitely one to put on your North Wales golfing list. Offering a challenging mix
of 18 holes on traditional links and park land, the course is a must for golfers of all abilities. Take, for example, the signature 246 yard par three, third hole with its elevated tee and panoramic views. It requires an accurate drive downhill, over both gorse and a water hazard, to a sloping green with a bunker waiting at the back. Or the fifth hole, a par five where the sandy beach sits in the eyeline to the right, waiting for a sliced drive. Follow those with links
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hugging the coastline and contoured over a century ago by huge, natural sand dunes. Accuracy is key here, as wayward drives can be punished. After your golf, settle down in the welcoming clubhouse and have a couple of drinks on the patio area, along with a bite to eat. The renowned Abersoch nightlife then awaits, with bars and restaurants to suit all tastes. ■ Abersoch Golf Club, Golf Road, Abersoch, Pwllheli, Gwynedd, 01758 712636.
The course at Abersoch Golf Club has plenty of challenges
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Thursday, March 21, 2013
post golf north west
Advertising Feature
Truly a great place for the golf fan
S
PEND some time at one of the area’s most comprehensive golf centres, True Fit Golf Centre, Warrington, and play the North West’s newest golf
course. For golfing fans, whether expert, enthusiast or beginner, True Fit Golf Centre offers a wide range of fantastic facilities for certain golfing satisfaction. There’s a 22 bay driving range, for starters. Then there’s the golf superstore, where you can buy all the equipment you’ll need to improve your game. Another way you can improve your swing is through the help of a golf professional, and True Fit Golf Warrington has three resident PGA instructors who can help you lower your handicap through expert one-to-one tuition. But the best way to improve your allround game is to hit the greens and fairways. Lucky then that True Fit Golf Centre has an 18-hole course suitable for all levels of ability. Known as Fiddlers Ferry Golf Club, the course plays out beneath the landmark cooling towers of the Fiddlers Ferry power station. It makes for a quite unique location to play golf, and the course is pretty unforgettable too. A pay and play course, with members, the greens and tees are designed to United States Golf Association (USGA) standards, making for 18 very interesting holes including a variety of par fours, a par five and some picturesque par threes. The gently rolling terrain has some strategically-placed water hazards and
bunkers, making it a challenge for players of all levels. It also offers some wonderful views over open countryside and a course which takes in 120 acres, complete with water features teeming with wildlife. The 7,000 yard course has a 5,474 yard layout which certainly requires good shot making to navigate the water hazards, doglegs and plateau greens. With ongoing improvements and maturity, the course certainly represents great value, providing the qualities and feel of a private members’ course, but at an affordable price. And once you’ve finished the course, how about a round at the 19th hole, the Clubhouse Bar & Bistro. Opened just last summer, the new bar and bistro offers great food, a licensed bar and free Wi-Fi. Whether you’re fresh from the course, a lesson, the club store or the driving range, it makes sense to take the weight off your feet and enjoy some delicious refreshments at the Clubhouse. Enjoy fresh coffee, cold draught beers and freshly-made meals including cooked breakfasts, paninis, jacket potatoes, snacks and sweets too. Visiting golf societies are very welcome to sample the course and Clubhouse, with flexible packages available including warm-up practice, 18 holes and food, from bacon sandwiches to hot pots, tailored to your budget. ■ For more information about True Fit Golf, Warrington, visit the centre on Widnes Road, Cuerdley, Warrington, WA5 2UW; telephone 01925 791790; or go online: www.truefitgolfcentre.com.
The USGA standard course, above. Left, the Clubhouse is the perfect place to relax
Complete Solution for Golfers...
WE ARE A PERFORMANCE CENTRE FOR BRANDS INCLUDING
WELCOME TO TRUE FIT GOLF CENTRE WARRINGTON
True Fit Golf Centre is one of the North-West’s leading golf facility’s. With a premier golf range, PGA coaching, golf superstore, ‘Clubhouse’ Bar & bistro and a course designed to suit both beginners and experienced players alike, True Fit Golf is a complete solution for golfers new to the game and more experienced players. PREMIER GOLF RANGE The driving range at the True Fit Golf Centre represents a great facility to practise your golf all year round, with 22 automated bays. GOLF CENTRE SUPERSTORE The True Fit Superstore has established itself as the region’s leading independently owned golf store for top quality brands in clothing, footwear, bags and equipment.
NEW ‘CLUBHOUSE’ BAR & BISTRO NOW OPEN Fresh Coffees, Licensed Bar, Free Wi Fi, Visiting Societies Welcome.
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FIDDLERS FERRY GOLF COURSE True Fit Golf Centre includes its own Pay and Play 18 hole golf course. Visiting Golf Societies are welcome. Membership is now open to the public. CUSTOM FITTING & PERFORMANCE True Fit Golf Centre are industry leaders in Custom Golf Club Fitting.Using Flightscope technology, Using Radar Tracking to custom fit your equipment to improve your game. PGA COACHING At the True Fit Golf Academy, all levels of golfer are catered for by our PGA qualified coaches. Improve your existing game or give yourself the best start if you’re a beginner.
FOR ENQUIRIES & BOOKINGS
01925 791790
1 Widnes Road, Cuerdley, Warrington Cheshire WA5 2UW
www.truefitgolfcentre.com