Long Drive World Series Magazine: Issue 3

PLUS TRAVEL

INSIDE...

IT BEGINS...

ALL THE DRAMA FROM LDWS #1 IN DUBAI

TUITION

HOW TO BLAST IT WITH SCOTT BEAVEN

MAURITIUS & SLOVAKIA

FASHION

WATERPROOF JACKETS

EQUIPMENT

BEST DRIVERS FOR 2018

POWER OF

SCOTLAND JAMES TAIT CONQUERS ALL IN DUBAI

TEE-OFF AT PINE CLIFFS, A LUXURY COLLECTION RESORT ALGARVE

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At the Pine Cliffs Golf Academy, manned by a team of Internationally Qualified PGA Professionals, players can sharpen their individual game skills and hone their technique to get more fun and enjoyment from the game.

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E D ’ S

L E T T E R

ell, it was certainly worth the wait. The LDWS 2018 adventure got under way under the lights in Dubai where 12 of the world’s biggest hitters and four local qualifiers went head to head over two dramatic days.

In a tense final, Britain’s James Tait won his first LDWS title, defeating Tim Burke. Massive congratulations to James. We meet the Dubai champion on page 14 and find out how it all went down. Maurice Allen and Joe Miller made the semi-finals and there were great stories and intrigue throughout this amazing event.

Elsewhere in the new issue, LDWS’s Scott Beaven gives us a unique insight into what we mere golfing mortals need to do if we really want to launch it off the tee; travel comes from Mauritius where we experience a golfing paradise and Slovakia, where we experience surprisingly great courses and the odd wild bear… If you’re looking to buy yourself a new driver for the 2018 season, you’ve come to the right place – check out our Top 10 Drivers Guide for 2018 including the new long sticks from Callaway and TaylorMade. In golf fashion we showcase the Best 7 Rain Jackets to keep you on the golf course as winter starts to (finally) give way to spring.

Right, we’re off to Club De Golf La Hacienda, Mexico for the second instalment in this epic LDWS adventure. Enjoy the issue and we’ll see you again very soon…

W

TIM SOUTHWELL

Editor

CEO

Operations Director

e. tim@mindhowyougomedia.com

e. martin@longdriveworldseries.com

e. jamie@longdriveworldseries.com

Contributors

Managing Director

Magazine Sales Director

e. jay@longdriveworldseries.com

e. ashley@longdriveworldseries.com

Tim Southwell

Gavin Newsham, Daniel Owen, John Dean, Lea Salomone, Christopher Pike, Una Dean

Martin Westney

Jay Boisert

Jamie Marland

Ashley Collin

Design, Illustrations & Cover

Karl Barr www.karlbarrcreative.co.uk

06 07 LDWS ISSUE 3

The Long Drive World Series brand and logo are Copyright 2018 © Long Drive World Series.

CONTENTS

LONG DRIVE WORLD SERIES MAGAZINE ISSUE 3

THE STRETCH DIRECT FROM THE TEE Pounding it 400-yards on a regular basis does not come easy. So what do the LDWS boys do to prepare for a season lording it up in Kaboom Town?

18

11

L DW S DU BA I R E VI EW HERE WE GO! THE LWDS SEASON STARTS HERE!

And they’re off! The LDWS season got under way in Dubai and we were right there in the thick of it to bring you the best of the action.

GOLF TUITION HOW TO BLAST IT

30 34

LDWS athlete Scott Beaven spends a lot of his non-long drive time teaching golfers how to hit it way longer. Now it’s your turn.

EQUIPMENT TOP 10 DRIVERS 2018 Time to buy yourself a new driver for 2018. And we have 10 of the very best for your delectation, from Callaway to TaylorMade...

7 RAIN-PROOF GOLF JACKETS

50

G O L F T R AV E L SLOVAKIA & MAURI TIUS

8 9

LDWS ISSUE 3

40

We travel to Slovakia and Mauritius in search of golfing heaven. Very different destinations but both quite wonderful.

SOUTH COURSE

Murcia · Spain

If there is one thing that defines La Manga Club, it is our unparalleled sports facilities.

Covering an area of around 1,400 acres, the resort’s award-winning facilities include three 18-hole golf courses, a 28-court tennis centre, eight FIFA-approved football pitches and modern cricket amenities.

If that wasn’t enough, La Manga Club boasts an array of four and five-star accommodation, a luxury spa and more than 15 bars and restaurants – plus one of the best climates in Europe to enjoy.

WEST COURSE

THE END RESULT, A TRULY UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE.

Tel. +34 968 17 5577 reservas@lamangaclub.com lamangaclub.com

NORTH COURSE

WINTER

GOLF PACKAGE

From

£85

per person

• Sausage and Bacon Muffin with Tea or Coffee • LGC Welcome Gift • Inclusive of Range Balls & use of Practice Facilities • 18 Holes on the International Course • 2 Course Meal after Golf

Sunday* to Thursday

Available Sunday – Thursday (*Sunday limited tee-times only), from 1st November to 15th April, subject to availability.

Must be booked in advance. Driving Range closed Monday from 10am for maintenance.

Excludes bank holidays

To book please contact the Club on 01474 879 899.

1st November 2017 - 15th April 2018

www.londongolf.co.uk London Golf Club, Stansted Lane, Ash, Kent, TN15 7EH

THESTRETCH

Long Driver Ilija Djurdjevic

“Everyone says they go the extra mile. Almost noone actually does. Most people who do go there think: “Wait...no one else is here... why am I doing this?” And they leave, never to return.

That’s why the extra mile is such a lonely place.

That’s also why the extra mile is a place filled with opportunities.”

Steve Jobs

POWER PACKING Hitting drives 400-yards doesn’t come easy. In the off-season the LDWS competitors dedicate themselves to punishing regimes in the gym and on the range in order to be ‘LDWS-ready’.

We caught up with the guys just before they headed off to Dubai for the first event of the season to find out exactly what they’ve been up to, and what their wishlist for 2018 looks like…

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TIM BURKE UNITED STATES

“Last year I had a few health setbacks with my wrist, but I’m feeling better than ever now. I’ve really been focussing on speed now that I am healthy, and my speed is right where I want it. My gym routine is two days of power lifts and three days rotational, plyometrics (also known as “jump training” or “plyos”, – exercises in which muscles exert maximum force in short intervals of time, with the goal of increasing power, and speed work. In terms of how far I’m hitting it going into the season, I have no real clue except for hitting a couple 440+ on my TrackMan!”

JOE MILLER UNITED KINGDOM

“I’ve been working on greater range of motion in the shoulders and general mobility. Normally I take the winter period off but with the early start of LDWS in February I’ve maintained speed, gym routine and diet as normal. My usual routine throughout the year is to focus daily on different muscle groups, with emphasis on power. My best drive pre-season so far is 449-yards… so watch out world!”

MAURICE ALLEN

RYAN STEENBERG UNITED STATES “In the off-season I have changed my training regime in order to promote a right to left ball flight. In years past I would take a break from swinging with my training and have more of a powerlifting/isolation routine.

That resulted in me peaking mid-season in terms of pliability and speed. This year I decided to shift away from heavy weight training, refocussing my attention on athleticism, function, and speed. As a result my joints are less restricted and I feel freer throughout the sequence. I am faster than I have ever been going into a season and excited to see the end result.

A typical pre-season training week for me consists of one day committed to total body strength in order to prime the system, the second day it would be linear power, the third day rotational speed complexes that fire on all cylinders. These focus on ground-up plyometrics (also known as “jump training” or “plyos”, – exercises in which muscles exert maximum force in short intervals of time, with the goal of increasing power)... a fun way of saying medicine ball work. I do swing work twice a week that will increase in intensity leading into the weeks before a tournament.

My longest drive this off-season has been a grand total of.... wait for it..... seven yards.... haha. With three feet of snow on the ground and a temperature of minus five I find myself mindlessly smashing balls into my aboutGOLF simulator on a weekly basis. Variations in technology make it hard to really understand what the ball is going to do outdoors, therefore my focus has been speed, flight, and spin. My best swings have been producing 150+ swing speeds with 220+ ball speeds and <2000 rpm spin... launch a few of those outdoors and they come to rest well over 400-yards.”

UNITED STATES “To be honest I haven’t done anything differently pre-season. I push myself to the max every day that I have. I do 21 workouts a week which isolate the body (chest, back, arms, shoulders and legs) but I also do a lot of functional exercises as well. I honestly haven’t hit the ball yet this season, so I have no clue how far I’m hitting it. It’ll be a nice surprise to see how far it goes.”

SCOTT BEAVEN UNITED KINGDOM

“Over the winter I have been working on putting a few new power moves into my swing, using my body more effectively and increasing my rotational range, all to aid speed. I’m going to the gym three times a week doing mostly cardio and light weights. Really, I’m just trying to work off my Christmas dinner!”

JAMES TAIT UNITED KINGDOM

“I’ve been working a lot on angle of attack, faceto-path while maintaining speed. So there have been a lot of swing changes to achieve this, but I’m happy with where I’m at right now and I look forward to the 2018 season. For me, this year, it was a bit different regarding my gym routine. I had a lot of technical things to work on in my swing, so gym routine has only been three times a week which would be: 1 x Leg day; 1 x Press day; 1 x Pull day. Each of these I will combine with strength, power and speed exercises in there (squats, push, jerk, deadlift, hang power clean etc).”

WILL HOGUE UNITED STATES

“I’ve really focussed on practicing consistency preseason. Last year I didn’t have time to practice and when I did it was all over the place. This year I’m getting a consistent routine and schedule. I do heavy lifting six days a week, I’m trying to get to Joe Miller and Ryan Steenberg’s level! My best drive so far is about six yards… That’s where the practice net is.”

RYAN REISBECKCK UNITED STATES

EMIL ROSBERG SWEDEN

“Mainly I have been trying to get healthy and strengthen my core, which is going to be key this year with the additional events and long travel days.

In the past I have worked a great deal on stretching and yoga, but this winter I have tried some low-impact plyometrics ( jump-training exerting maximum force in short intervals of time) to help improve my rotational speeds. I’m more of a rotational swinger vs a glider or launcher. It’s not flashy but it’s very effective in my opinion.

I’m saying this with a straight face, and most people don’t believe me, but almost every gym session starts with 10 and usually 20 minutes of time in the massage chair. For whatever reason, I think it helps me to relax but mostly it keeps away knots in my muscles which seem to creep up when I spend too much time at the driving range. After the massage chair I do some sort of biking, incline walk or elliptical work to get the body warmed and primed so I can move to weight and band training. I do a lot of work with resistance bands to create instability in order to work my core muscles.

When it comes to weight-lifting I’m a ‘low weightlow rep’ kind of guy, which may not be what you see others do but my body feels a lot better avoiding extremely heavy weights or burning out with a lot of reps. I usually end my session with some sort of dynamic stretching or throwing movements and some more core work, specifically focussing on the abdominal and lower back.

I’ve probably been hitting the ball only about 400-yards. Reason being when I practice during the winter it’s outside at a facility that has covered bays with overhead heaters and it’s always cold and wet or there is snow on the ground. I’m only allowed to practice when golfers are not playing because I hit drives over the net at the end of the driving range onto one of the holes of the golf course.

I rarely measure distances during practice this time of year but I’ll ask the workers where they’ve been picking them up at and then I can go to Google Earth to measure distances from the satellite images.”

14 15 LDWS ISSUE 3

“Gym has been my focus this winter, just like last year.

I improved 12mph in swing speed last season so, hopefully, I have gained some this year as well! My focus has been firmly on explosive and fast-training. I don’t hit balls at all during the winter in order to keep my body away from injuries! So it’s kind of hard to answer how far I’ve been hitting it. But the balls I’ve hit just recently have been feeling good and are around 390-420-yards!”

ILIJA DJURDJEVIC SERBIA “I’ve been hitting the gym five times a week doing strength exercises, rotation and explosive speed drills. Also a lot of yoga. Gaining flexibility and protecting my body from injuries. Keeping my mind in a positive state and balanced.

I also worked on gaining more muscle weight.

I was around 86kg for the Dubai event 2017. Now I am about 95 kg.

My morning session starts at 7/8am. I’ve been doing specific exercises for strength, rotation, speed, depending on the day. Wednesday I usually go swimming (1km) instead of the gym. And at the end of each training session I go to the spa. I am lucky my gym has an amazing spa, where I hang out every day after the gym and yoga.

I do the yoga for one and a half hours at my gym most evenings. My longest drive pre-season?

Somewhere over the driving range. :) There is a Villa at about 410-yards… we’ll leave it there in case the owner reads this!” 

Photography: Christopher Pike

JAMES TAIT PROFILE NATIONALITY: UK WINNING DRIVE: 386 YRDS CAREER BEST: 401 YRDS (LDWS DUBAI 2018 Q-FINAL) HEIGHT: 1.92M WEIGHT: 217LBS DRIVER: KRANK F7 DRIVER WITH XXX FUJIKURA FLYWIRE SHAFT

18 19 LDWSÂ&#x201E;ISSUE 3

★★★★★

POWER OF SCOTLAND

Say hello to our first LDWS champion of 2018. It’s Scotland’s James Tait. Here’s his tale of the tape from Dubai…

LDWS: Congratulations James, that was quite a performance! Tell us, how did you get into golf?

“It started when I was about three. My uncle gave me a golf club and saw I had a natural swing. My parents and family were all big golfers and living in St Andrews there’s not much to do growing up, so it was either golf or golf!”

LDWS: What were your personal golf highlights as a player growing up?

“I was Junior St Andrews Club Champion and the 250th Junior Gold Medal Winner. I played off scratch.”

LDWS: What appealed to you about long drive?

“I always absolutely loved trying to rip drives off the tee, so I guess it’s a perfect fit for me. I always got much more out of hitting a monster drive than actually scoring.

The way I got into long driving was a bit of a fluke. I hadn’t actually hit a ball for a couple of years and my sister made me enter the American Golf Long Drive tournament, and I hit around 390-yards to get into the next round.

Then I looked at my numbers – swing speed etc – and figured that I had a chance. I dug a little deeper and saw that Joe Miller’s coach Lee Cox didn’t live too far away from me, so I called him up, we had a chat and took it from there.”

LDWS: How did you feel going into Dubai?

“I felt confident going into it. You know it’s all about performing on the day. I’d done a lot of speed work using the super speed sticks, I was also hitting the gym three times a week and hitting balls at the range five times a week, plus the occasional indoor session.”

LDWS: Describe how it went down in Dubai…

“Dubai was my fifth long-drive event to date, the longest ball I hit there was 401-yards. Every time

I stepped on that tee box I just said to myself ‘hit the crap out of it!’. In the first round I did just that, hitting 401.

In the second round I missed the grid and thought I may be going go out, but I knew I still had the power ball to come. I felt good and went in with the same mentality I had from the start.

Luckily I did enough to get through.

In the semi-final I didn’t hit it great, but I posted a number to chase. Luckily it was enough and then I was in the final. I gave it everything in the final and hit 387 which was good enough to win.”

LDWS: Did you think you were going to win before the event?

“I felt good, but I just wanted to hit it long and do my best. When I won in the quarters on the power ball, that’s when I started to think I’ve got a shot here.”

LDWS: How much psychology goes on in LDWS? “Actually, there’s none at all. Everyone who is a part of this tour is hugely encouraging. The camaraderie is great, we’re almost like a band of brothers in a way, including all the qualifiers. It’s a really great atmosphere. LDWS is a fantastic opportunity. I get to compete against the best in the world, it attracts the finest players from countries all over so the level of competition is always going to be high. I also get to see parts of the world which I may never have seen so that’s pretty cool too.”

LDWS: Mexico is up next. What do you reckon?

“I feel absolutely great coming off the back of a win. It just gives you such a massive lift knowing that you have it in you to do it. Now I just want to keep the momentum going. If you ask me if I’m expecting to win again?... ...Yes, absolutely.” 

NSTAGR

Photography: Christopher Pike

The LDWS global adventure got under way in Dubai amidst a cavalcade of fireworks both on and off the grid.

It was a veritable Kaboom-fest of the highest order. James Tait prevailed with some brilliant blasts and there was drama aplenty every step of the way. Here’s our pictorial tribute to a fantastic couple of days…

I T BEGINS Steady Emil, this is a family show… Rosberg can’t believe his luck as he goes out to Will Hogue in round one. He was soon joined at the bar by fellow first round losers Tommy Hug, Paul Howell, Ryan Reisbeck, Dan McIntosh, Ryan Steenberg and Scott Beaven. Better luck in Mexico, lads…

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...

Sky Sports’ LDWS presenters Sarah Stirk and Gethin Jones get us under way as the opening matches explode into action. First up is Joe Miller versus Tommy Hug, with Joe prevailing. There were also first round wins for Emil Rosberg, Tim Burke, James Tait, Kevin Shook, Maurice Allen and two qualifiers – Bobby Bradley and Jason Cook.

Joe ‘Total Package’ Miller launches one in his quarter-final against Bobby Bradley. This turned out to be the longest drive of the tournament at a whopping 405-yards. Bradley could not answer this and Joe sailed into the semi-finals.

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NSTAGR

Will ‘Smoke Machine’ Hogue has recorded 469-yards in competition.

Such a number proved elusive in Dubai, however, and he went out in the first round to Emil Rosberg

Maurice Allen seeks divine intervention as he prepares to take on Tim Burke in the semi-finals…

22 23 LDWS ISSUE 3

Qualifier Dan Macintosh smashes his longest drive of the night in his quarter final with Joe Miller. Unfortunately Joe was about to unleash the biggest drive of the whole tournament...

That’s right, you guys just sit around drinking beer while the LDWS boys do all the grafting…

Jason Cook used to be a baseball player, you know. Played in the Olympics for South Africa. His unusual long drive style got him all the way from the qualifiers to the quarter-finals in Dubai, where he hit his longest drive 376-yards.

Then James Tait stepped up and hit it two yards further…

24 25 LDWSÂ&#x201E;ISSUE 3

Photography: Christopher Pike

No wonder the crowd love him.

Maurice Allen always brings something extra to LDWS. I’m not sure he looked quite so happy after losing his semi-final to Tim Burke mind…

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NSTAGR

The Gasp-ometer in Dubai was off the scale…

Word up, Package! Joe Miller comes from nowhere to make the semis…

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What a feeling!

Scotlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s James Tait is our Dubai LDWS Champion 2018.

NEW KIDS

ON THE GR Meet the new kids on the block. Ex-baseball players Jason Cook and Bobby Bradley came through qualifying in Dubai and intend to become LDWS permanent fixtures…

Jason Cook LDWS: Who are you? How did you get here? What do you want?

“I’m South African and started golf at age 12. I’m now a three-handicapper and I play most of my golf in Johannesburg, South Africa, at Zwartkops Golf & Country Estate.

I first heard about Long Drive when they held the Remax Long Drive tournament in 2008, but I first took part in long drive in 2010. I did ok, hit one 425-yards.

I won the Quantum South African national long drive championship in 2012, 2013, 2014, and then again in 2017, hitting just over 400-yards.

I originally played baseball and participated in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, we finished 8th. The baseball has definitely contributed to my weird and unique swing style.”

LDWS: What appealed to you about the LDWS opportunity?

“After watching last year’s event in Dubai, I knew I wanted to take part this year. It was colourful and loud and I knew I was long enough to compete.

This year it became reality.”

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LDWS: How was the event? Did you surprise yourself how well you did?

“I was very happy with my performance and I was always confident that I would do well. I was a bit disappointed that I did not progress to the semifinals. That would have been the pinnacle of the trip. I was beaten by James Tait, who won with the power ball. I hit 376-yards in the regular round, then James hit 378-yards to beat me by two yards. I am, however, ecstatic about qualifying for Mexico, and intend to stay in the top 12.”

LDWS: What’s the longest drive you have ever pulled off?

“Unofficially it’s 508-yards on a par-5 in Pretoria, but official is 475-yards.”

LDWS: Blimey!... How much practice do you put in for long driving?

“I train in the gym five days a week and hit two or three times a week on the range. I definitely want to stay on the tour for the rest of the season. My goal is to win at least one event and just keep hitting it long.”

LDWS: Next up is Mexico…

“I’m really looking forward to Mexico. I expect a top four placing. I think the event will grow from strength to strength, and the atmosphere and hype will grow at every event.

I have hit in Mexico before, so I am aware of the conditions, but every event is singularly the most difficult event. Every player competing has the ability to win and the pressure is intense. The LDWS events will become more epic as each country wants to showcase this auspicious event.

I know South Africa will pull out all the stops at Sun City in April.”

RID Bobby Bradley LDWS: Who are you? How did you get here? What do you want?

“I’m from Wellington, FL. I was born and raised off Hole-5 at Palm Beach Polo Country Club’s Old Course. I don’t play enough golf to have a proper handicap, but I would be a 6-8.

My longest drive in competition was 465-yards at the 2014 World Championships.

Outside of long drive, my best achievement is making my own line of premium putters called Royalty Sports.

I’m the definition of a one-trick pony. I’ve been working corporate and charity days hitting drives on par-5s for the past 11 years across the United States. I’m confident I can still shoot in the high 70s if there is some money on the line!

My background is baseball, same as Jason. I was selected in the 1st Round by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft. I got nerve damage in my pitching hand and had to retire in 2006. I competed in my first long drive qualifier in 2007 and the rest is history.

I heard about LDWS from Ryan Reisbeck. He highly recommended competing in the qualifier at the 2018 Dubai Tournament.”

LDWS: What appeals to you about LDWS? “LDWS competes in the biggest cities all over the world. I would have never travelled to Dubai if it wasn’t for LDWS hosting the tournament. If you’ve never been to Dubai, I would highly recommend adding that trip to your bucket list.

Winning a spot in the LDWS qualifier in Dubai gave me the opportunity to compete in the main event. It was lot of fun hitting under the lights in front of a nice-sized crowd with TV cameras, music and pyrotechnics.

Unfortunately, I ran into two-time World Champion Joe Miller aka “Total Package” in the quarter-finals where he hit the longest ball of the event – an impressive 405-yards.”

LDWS: How much practice do you put in for long driving?

“I get a lot of practice from entertaining at over 100 exhibitions a year. I haven’t had a home driving range in a really long time. Par-5s are my strike zone. I would love to participate in as many LDWS events as possible this year. I’m really looking forward to competing in London, and my bags are packed and ready for Mexico.

For me it’s about hitting quality drives in play.”

Since my ball speed isn’t 215-225mph like some of these monsters, hitting the grid and putting a lot of balls in play is critical. I’m always trying to find that sprinkler head in the grid!

2018

W O R L D

T O U R

LEADERBOARD

*

POS.

PLAYER

POINTS

01

JAMES TAIT

25

02

TIM BURKE

15

03

JOE MILLER

10

04

MAURICE ALLEN

9

05

KEVIN SHOOK

8

06

BOBBY BRADLEY (Q)

7

07

JASON COOK (Q)

6

08

EMIL ROSBERG

5

09

RYAN REISBECK

4

10

WILL HOGUE

3

11

SCOTT BEAVEN

2

12

RYAN STEENBERG

1

(Q) = QUALIFIER

30 31 LDWSÂ&#x201E;ISSUE 3

* Total points after 1 event

32 33 LDWSÂ&#x201E;ISSUE 3

Photography: Lea Salomone

HOW TO HIT YOUR DRIVES FURTHER WITH LWDS ATHLETE SCOTT BEAVEN

s a PGA teaching professional and two-time European Long Drive Champion golfers always ask me: “How can I hit the ball further?”

Unfortunately, there is no simple trick to hitting the ball past 300-yards, no quick tip. If there was, the PGA tour average driving distance wouldn’t be 293-yards.

There are many different aspects of a golf swing that have to be supercharged and perfectly in sync in order to drive the ball far.

You need to optimize your ‘centredness of strike’, your angle of attack and your swing path. You need to minimize your backspin while optimizing your launch angle. You need to maximize the power output your body can achieve by adopting

A

techniques that are not necessarily conventional to golf: This requires adapting your set up, your swing length and even how you think about driving the golf ball. Perfectly fitted equipment, designed for what you are trying to achieve is also critical. This is even before we get on to speed training and strength work in the gym.

However, for you club golfers out there just looking to add 20-yards or out-drive your friends on a Sunday morning, I am happy to report you are in the right place.

In each issue of LDWS magazine I will share and explain the techniques that we utilize in Long Drive – no matter your ability or physical persuasion – that are guaranteed to increase your length off the tee.

No. 1: YOUR SET-UP Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s start at the beginning. Set-up for a driver should always differ from your iron set-up. With irons, we need accuracy and control, with driver we need distance!

THE BALL The ball should be teed high and positioned forward in your stance, level with the big toe on your left foot (RH players). This will allow you to create an upward, or positive, angle of attack.

YOUR STANCE Your stance is widened to help balance, with left foot turned slightly out to avoid restricting body turn.

Creating more body and club speed will require more balance.

BODY ANGLES Spin tilted to the right side (RH players) to promote an upward angle of attack. Having a positive angle of attack gives a higher launch angle and therefore allows a lower lofted driver to be used, which will reduce the amount of backspin on the ball. High launch + low spin = more distance. A positive angle of attack can also cause the swing path at impact to be travelling more to the left (RH player), so a slight closing of the shoulders should be made, depending on your natural swing path.

ANALYSIS As you can see from the FlightScope data here, even with a slight reduction in club-head speed, our player has gained over 15-yards of carry. This is due to the much-improved angle of attack and the reduction in back spin. Using FlightScope, we also optimize the data to show what is possible with a perfect strike, higher launch, and very low spin.

The results are astonishing!

034 035 LDWSÂ&#x201E;ISSUE 3

SCOTT BEAVEN PROFILE

Nationality: British (UK) Height: 5’9” | 1.73m Weight: 120kg | 18.8st.

Driver: Callaway XR16 Shaft: 50’ Fujikura XXX Flex Clubhead Speed: 150mph Ball Speed: 225mph Loft: 3O Longest Drive: 422 YDS

422 0

100

YDS

200

300

400

500

10 OF THE BEST DRIVERS

The LDWS guys are like Liam Neeson in Taken, they have a very particular set of skills that need very specific types of equipment. You are not a long driver, so you most likely don’t need the same style of driver as them. Here are 10 awesome drivers for the normal golfer.

Words: Dan Owen

WILSON C300 The C300 driver looks fantastic with its Deep Matte Red finish, and features four power holes – two on the sole and two on the crown – spaced towards the heel and toe of the 460cc clubhead. Wilson Golf claims this increases the overall Face Deflection and adds seven yards in extra distance. The heel and toe Power Holes combined with new Reactive Face Technology provide greater balanced performance across the entire club face.

With its three adjustable weights, the driver can be set for neutral, fades, or draws.

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CLEVELAND LAUNCHER HB The Launcher was always an absolutely beautiful driver behind the ball, with a classic pear shape. And the new Launcher HB is no exception. They’ve added a version of the Hi-Bore dropdown crown that helps increase ball speed by flexing at impact, and we think it helps for alignment too. The Launcher HB uses a cup-face design, where Cleveland have attached the face by welding it on around the side of the head. We find this helps the driver achieve more forgiveness across the face. A unique FlexFin design on the sole compresses at impact and transfers more energy back to the ball for longer drives, especially on miss-hits.

VERTICAL GROOVE The most unique-looking driver on the market at the moment, the Verical Groove Golf driver has proven its chops on the Champions Tour, with wins from John Daly and Kenny Perry (US Open). Deep-faced and squat front to back, it’s smaller looking than most drivers.

However, the two-tone crown looks great at address and is super easy to line up with the long green alignment aid. The real story is the Vertical Grooves which are designed to increase accuracy by reducing side spin. It’s a low-spinning monster for big hitters.

TAYLORMADE M3 & M4 TaylorMade’s Twist Face technology rethinks the way driver faces are designed to help everyone hit the ball straighter. Twist Face is featured in both the new M3 & M4 drivers, and is TaylorMade’s solution for golfers’ most common misses. Specifically, those resulting from shots hit high on the toe, and low on the heel. They’ve moved the bulge and roll on the face diagonally, so the face is more open, with more loft high on the toe and less loft and closed low on the heel. Both models feature a carbon crown while the M3 features a Y-track movable weight system for finetuning launch and spin.

TOP 10 DRIVERS 2018

COBRA F8 The Cobra F8 drivers are digitally connected with their Cobra Connect sensor powered by Arccos.

Automaticatically tracking your stats and relaying them to your mobile, you’ll have hard quantifiable data to help you realise where you need to improve on the course. More obvious technology at first glance, though, is the CNC milled driver face. Not just form over function, the fully-machined driver face utilises a unique multi-directional CNC milling pattern that delivers the highest level of precision.

Compared to traditional drivers, CNC precision milling allowed COBRA engineers to achieve precise face thickness and tighter tolerances, resulting in a face that is 3% thinner and 10% lighter for maximum ball speed across the face with distance and accuracy.

MIZUNO ST180 The Mizuno ST180 is a change of direction for Mizuno. Rather than concentrating on maximum adjustability, the focus is on raw low-spin power. The Amplified Wave sole has been used on fairways and hybrids, but this is the first time it’s been used in the big dog. Essentially it concertinas at impact, compressing, and then expanding to increase energy and deliver more ball speed to your drives. On top of that, weight is moved low and forward in the head, which massively drops spin rates. Featuring a Forged SP700 Ti multi-thickness face – according to Mizuno – it’s noticeably faster off the face. Internally, a waffle crown design saves weight that can be added low in the clubhead.

PXG 0811X PXG don’t just introduce drivers for product cycles, they release them when they feel there is a significant improvement.

PXG added a patented honeycomb TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) insert in this driver. A high-performance compound with vibration-dampening characteristics, TPE enhances sound and feel. The honeycomb structure increases efficiencies and helps to reduce the overall clubhead mass. An ultra-strong, lightweight carbon fibre crown allows the weight to be repositioned in the sole of each club for optimal launch conditions. The matte black crown also reduces reflections and helps to eliminate distractions.

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PING G400 MAX This driver does exactly what is says on the tin – it’s the G400 maxed-out. With the G400 they made the decision to make the head a little smaller to help with aerodynamics, and potentially increase swing speed. And it was still the most forgiving driver Ping had ever produced. But they knew they could do more.

The G400 Max is a full 460cc and is designed for maximum forgiveness. Its MOI (Moment Of Inertia) is higher than the standard G400, which was already the highest on the market.

The small amount of distance you might have lost out on the occasional perfect drive with a G400, you’ll make up with the G400 Max as it’s so damn easy to hit straighter consistently.

CALLAWAY ROGUE Ping and TaylorMade are trying to sell a straighter drive this year.

Callaway are still talking distance. Epic, with its Jailbreak tech, was a huge hit, but Rogue moves it up a step. They’ve made the Jailbreak rods behind the face lighter by thinning them out in the centre, but without losing the strength and stability they add to the head for longer drives. They’ve also removed the sliding weight that was present in the Epic. By saving the weight they can move elsewhere in the head for maximum forgiveness. If you need a draw-biased head they now offer a Rogue Draw, while there is also the low-spin Rogue Sub Zero, so Callaway still has something for everyone. 

THE LONGEST HOLES IN GOLF

SATUKI

TO PIN: 150 YDS

GOLF CLUB, JAPAN HOLE

PAR

YARDS

7 7 964

TO PIN: 360YDS

river, 3-wood, 3-wood, 3-wood, wedge… That’s how it could look. If you play it well. Locals have been known to walk off this hole with scores north of 15. That’s +8 on one hole. There is a name for this. Just like an eagle is -2 for a hole, a +8 is known as a patridge. A +9 is a vulture and a +10 is a dodo.

But anyway, back to Satuki’s monster. The Guinness Book Of World Records has declared that the 7th at Satuki golf course in Sano, Japan, is the world’s longest golf hole. You have five shots to get to the green and two putts for a par 7.

It’s a monster, alright. But word has reached us of a challenge to Satuki’s title. And you’ll have to wait until the next issue to find out if there really is a new monster kid on the fairway… 

D

TO PIN: 550YDS

Illustration: Karl Barr Creative

TO PIN: 740YDS

TO PIN: 964 YDS

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SLOVAKIA

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THE GOLF FRONTIER SLOVAKIA Before we were contacted by The Black Stork Resort, we didn’t even know there were golf courses in Slovakia.

We know better now. Much better...

WORDS: TIM SOUTHWELL

lovakia may only have been its own country since 1993 (splitting from The Czech Republic in the amicable ‘Velvet Divorce’) but its golfing history dates back more than a century. The first 9-hole course was created in 1907 at Tatranska Lomnica by the Austrian-Hungarian monarchy for the pleasure of the wealthy staying at the surrounding luxury hotels and spas. In 2017 alone, four new courses were opened in Slovakia. Golf is catching on and there are now over 20 courses across the country.

Our own Slovakian golf adventure has taken us to Mountain Paradise and the Black Stork Golf Resort at the foot of the Tatra mountains – just down the road from that original Slovakian course in Tatranska Lomnica – in the little village of Velka Lomnica.

The Black Stork Golf resort is a golfing oasis.

27 holes wind their way around the hotel and spa, reaching out to the mountains and giving you incredible views as you’re lining up a putt or preparing for Kaboom Town off the tee.

There is also an excellent short game area and fully-loaded range.

S

The Hotel International features 28 double and twin rooms, and a wellness-centre with indoor and outdoor pools.

The air is thin here. You’re already 639-metres above sea level before you’ve even taken the James Bond cable car up to the top of Tartranska Lomnica mountain where you can actually hire apartments to stay overnight. You might want to test yourself for vertigo first, the Lomnicky Stit pinnacle is 2,634 metres above sea level.

Even down at the golf course you’re aware that walking 27 holes at this time of year (October) as Winter approaches, takes more out of you than usual.

Slovakia in 2017 is not what I expected. In fact, I didn’t know what to expect as I’d honestly rarely given it any thought. But what we found were picture postcard houses, great restaurants and hotels and extremely low prices. For example, a pint of Pilsner Urquell will set you back a meagre €1.80.

Sometimes you just have to appreciate a bargain, and Slovakia offers it up in spades. It might not be as fashionable as Switzerland or Italy but you could be forgiven for thinking you were in either: Beautiful scenery, stunning mountains and delicious food.

SLOVAKIA FLIGHTS: London Luton - Poprad (2hr flight - 15min transfer) Bristol, Liverpool, Edinburgh or Belfast - Krakow (2hr flight - 2hr transfer)

OUR TOP PICKS MOUNTAIN PARADISE

Mountain Paradise has a four-night golf package for £699 per person or a two-night package for £499 per person. Both packages include return flights from the UK to Poprad or Krakow, including return airport transfers, accommodation at Hotel International with breakfast and fourcourse evening meal, unlimited access to spa and wellness, and unlimited rounds of golf.

PENATI GOLF RESORT, SENICA:

About an hour’s drive north of Bratislava, the Heritage course at Penati is often referred to as Slovakia’s best course, though the other 18, the Legend is a Jack Nicklaus-designed course which gets rave reviews also, with trademark water-protected greens and wooden buttresses.

GRAY BEAR, TALE:

200 miles north of Bratislava, and designed by US architect Bob Walton, Gray Bear is located in the foothills of the Tatras at the ski resort of Tale.

It became the first 18-hole course built in Slovakia in 2002 and marauds through wild forest. They had the Ladies European Tour Slovak Open here between 2010 and 2014.

BEST OF THE REST:

Also worth checking out are Borsa GC at Green Resort, Hruba Borsa (27 holes); Black River at Bratislava Golf & Country Club in Bernolakovo (amazing chateau clubhouse); newest of the lot is Sedin Golf Resort in Velke Ulany and is located on the floodplain of the Little Danube River. Look out for the Sedin to be hosting a big event soon, it’s over 7,100-yards long. 

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And golf. The Black Stork is made up of three nines: The Braid, Vardon and Taylor.

The greens are all quite large which can be quite disconcerting when you’re trying to figure out which club to take for your approach. With the mountains towering in the distance, the greens look a lot closer than they actually are.

The greens might be accommodating but they are surrounded by weighty bunkers, some of which look like the local deer have been break-dancing in them overnight, until the greenkeepers arrive with a shake of the head that suggests this is not the first time they’ve had to re-rake the deer-damage.

Signature holes include the par-three 4th over water and the par-four 27th which demands a pecise tee shot down into a valley, followed by a sharp dogleg to the right over a shimmering stream.

The green, like a few here, is tiered and if you’re on the wrong side, you’re faced with

either a razor-quick downhill with multiple breaks, or a demanding uphill charger which, as we all know, can go either way.

You’re always aware that your immediate neighbours in the surrounding woods and hills are a varied and noble tribe: deer, wolves, bears, wild boars and lynx all roam freely in the surrounding wilderness.

After 27 holes, you need some down-time and the Black Stork spa and wellness hub has you covered. Whether you’re in the indoor or outdoor pool, Jacuzzi or one of the sumptuous steam rooms or saunas, it’s kick-back-central.

The Black Stork resort recently achieved the prestigious PGA Golf Course Brand Of Distinction award, becoming only the 19th course in the world to achieve the honour.

So you’re in good hands. The Faldo Series also hold events here and there are plans for Challenge Tour events.

Golf in Slovakia. Well worth investigating.

ADVERTORIAL

GREG SMITH GOLF ACADEMY 3 simple tips to increase your driving distance using your right leg.

The legs are the real driving force behind the golf swing and when used correctly, they can produce extremely fast clubhead speed through effortless motion. These 3 simple tips will allow you to improve your leg action and dramatically increase clubhead speed.

TIP #1 RIGHT FOOT POSITIONING We want to create as big a turn as possible in the backswing without loosing posture or sliding laterally into the right leg.

By positioning the right foot straight ahead at a 90 degree angle to the target line, you are able to align the hip joint and right knee in a position that reduces slide and over rotation.

In this position, you will also be able to feel a slight muscular readiness in the right thigh. This will allow you to generate an incredible amount of force and speed in the downswing.

TIP #2 MAINTAIN THE RIGHT LEG ANGLE As we look at the driver set up from a side on view, we will see that the right leg will be slightly angled in. This is because of the wider stance adopted when using the driver. As you make your backswing move, you should try to create as big of a turn as possible whilst still maintaining the right leg angle. This will allow you to produce a backswing with maximum possible leverage and coil whilst still keeping a solid base.

TIP #3 THE RIGHT LEG PISTON You need to utilise the right leg correctly in the golf swing to generate maximum possible force.

Imagine that your right leg works as a piston in your golf swing. As you load into your backswing, you should feel that you are loading the piston and compressing your right foot into the ground. As you move into the downswing, imagine that piston is being released as your right foot pushes off the ground.

This creates a very similar motion to that of a vertical jump and produces an enormous amount of speed from the body.

Put these three techniques into your golf swing and be prepared to start hitting colossal drives.

If you would like to receive more awesome tips on how to improve your golf swing then go to: www.gregsmithgolfcoach.com/transform-your-game-guide-v1-2 and download our free guide.

To book private coaching please contact Greg Smith on 07967 803473 /

info@gregsmithgolfcoach.com / www.gregsmithgolfcoach.com

HAPPY BOMBING!

GOLF TRAVEL: Heritage Le Telfair, Mauritius

PARADISE FOUND As phone calls go, the one we received inviting us out to Mauritius for a week was as good as it gets. Staying at Heritage Le Telfair is one of life’s great treats, and Mauritius truly is the ultimate paradise-found for golfers...

WORDS: TIM SOUTHWELL

e arrived at Heritage Le Telfair at lunchtime after our 11-hour flight via Dubai. After being introduced to some local cocktails and drums, we were whisked off to our apartment. And when I say apartment, I mean luxury mansion.

It was a staggering piece of architecture, a five-bedroom palace with its own infinity pool.

Heritage Le Telfair is a very ambitious set up.

The 7,084 yard championship course was just about to host the Mauritius Open which combines the European, Asian & Sunshine tours. So you’re guaranteed quality golf.

As we departed the clubhouse on our first visit to the course, the spectator stands were up and we were feeling like tour pros who’d turned up a week early to get a good look at the course.

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Then we got to the first tee and any such aspirations were quickly dispelled. And we could hardly blame the course. It was in absolutely immaculate condition from tee to fairway, bunker to green.

The range of hills that tower over the Heritage Golf Club course can help keep wind at bay on one side but when it gets up you can find yourself clubbing-up three to four clubs on occasion.

And then, just like that, the wind is gone and a magnificent tranquility descends upon the place.

There are currently 27 holes here, the 18-hole championship course and a great little 9-hole Par-3 course. Both were designed by architect and ex-European Tour pro Peter Matkovich. We found generous fairways and some great views of the lagoon and nature reserve. You are surrounded by stunning views and an amazing array of

MAURITIUS

“You are surrounded by stunning views and an amazing array of colourful flora and fauna. Don’t be surprised if you see a wild boar, deer or a gaggle of monkeys either”

GOLF TRAVEL: Heritage Le Telfair, Mauritius

await for your pleasure. colourful flora and fauna. Don’t be surprised if you see a wild boar, deer or monkeys either. The monkeys are extremely cheeky and not averse to pinching your golf ball on occasion.

The signature hole is the 9th. We played it with Head Pro Ryan Dodds. Technically, you can drive the green here. Technically, Ryan did this the first time of asking. And he holed his 25-foot putt for eagle.

The Heritage Golf Club has become one of my Top 10 favourite golf courses (alongside Prestwick, Troon, Spy Glass, St Andrews, The Green Monkey, Doonbeg, Ballybunnion, DID YOU KNOW? The dodo bird is the national symbol of Mauritius.

But did you know it took just 175 years since discovering it for us humans to make it extinct?

Burnham & Berrow and Pulborough (West Sussex) if you’re interested...

Why? It’s just an ace track. Plenty of risk and reward short par-fours mixed with demanding shot-making holes and some stunning vistas.

As a resident of Heritage Le Telfair, you are also granted privileged access to two other courses nearby, the Tamarind and Le Paradis.

Both courses offer something totally different to the Heritage experience. Tamarind feels like it is literally in the middle of nowhere.

You are surrounded by lush vegetation and the trees are alive with beautiful monkeys. It’s one of the most tranquil golf escapes we’ve ever experienced. Le Paradis, by contrast, runs along the sea under the watchful gaze of the spectacular Le Morne mountain.

After a rousing round of golf there was only one place we were going, the villa’s infinity pool: golf-off, trunks on, fall in, submerge, surface, place arms on edge of infinity pool, sip ice cold beer and watch the golfers coming up the 7th fairway which runs past our palace.

Golf is only half the story here. The Heritage Le Telfair Golf & Spa Resort is a luxury 5-star hotel and a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World group. There’s nothing you could ask for that isn’t here: extremely friendly people, fine restaurants and bars, the Seven Colours Millesime Spa, a 600 m2 outdoor pool, a 175m2 indoor heated pool, and an impressive array of sea and land adventures

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“After a day or two you’re lulled into a blissful tropical semi-coma. It would be a brave man who would try to stop us going back…”

The Heritage resort is situated on the Domaine de Bel Ombre in the unspoilt south of Mauritius which offers up a pretty persuasive combination of beach, nature, relaxation and adventure.

Stretching from the hills to a turquoise lagoon, the “Domaine of Experiences” will have you gasping in awe.

If, like us, you are partial to exploring the local restaurants and bars you might be a little surprised to hear that they don’t really exist in Mauritius. Not in rural areas, anyway. You can find plenty in the bigger coastal towns but inland, instead of going to bars and restaurants, they socialise at each others’ houses.

The food was what really knocked us out at Heritage Le Telfair. Several gourmet chefs await your every culinary command, cooking up Mauritian, Japanese, French, Asian, British, Italian, great steaks, amazing seafood, traditional Mauritian cakes and teas. And then there were the pizzas. Best we’d ever tasted.

Heritage Golf Club has, for the fourth consecutive year, been voted the Best Golf Course in the Indian Ocean at the World Golf Awards.

And things just got even better at Heritage Le Telfair as they’ve just announced Louis Oosthuizen is taking on his first golf course design project, partnering with the championship course designer Matkovich on a new 18-hole course.

MAURITIUS

Almost every tee box will have a spectacular ocean view, and the overall theme of the golf course is to create a forest feel with the ebony trees that abound here.

“I’m thrilled to be working with Peter (Matkovich) on this project,” says the 2010 Open champion. “It’s a dream to be designing a course in Mauritius, and at one of the most beautiful resorts on the island, Heritage Le Telfair. I’m looking forward to helping create a golf course which perfectly balances the challenge of a championship layout with the critical element of fun that needs to be incorporated into any course.”

Amen to that Louis… see you in the infinity pool... 

7

OF THE BEST RAIN-PROOF JACKETS It might be challenging out there on the golf course but these cool rain jackets will not only help you stay dry and warm, you’ll also be the talk of the club house.

Words: John Dean

ADIDAS CLIMAPROOF® HEATHERED RAIN JACKET We kick off with this adorable Climaproof® heathered rain jacket from adidas. The Climaproof® woven material provides maximum weather protection, is fully seamsealed and mesh-lined. There are waterproof zippers on the chest and front pockets, articulated cuffs with velcro closures for secure fit, and back ventilation for breathability.

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J.LINDEBERG PACLITE GORE-TEX JACKET BLUE ECLIPSE PRINT If you fancy putting the wind up your playing partner this weekend, get yourself one of these JL jackets.

Made to last, this casual, clean-cut sports jacket features functional fabrics and decorative detailing.

The Gore-Tex fabric is totally wind and waterproof, which increases insulation power without adding any weight or compromising breathability.

PUMA BLACK STORM JACKET The Storm jacket features a two-way full zipper with neck guard, reflective cuff adjustments, and water-resistant hand pockets. This jacket is fully seam-sealed with stretch stormCELL fabrication and comes with a 1-year waterproof warranty. The signature Puma Cat is located on the left chest and the 18-hole logo is on the back of the collar.

DESCENTE HOODED RAIN JACKET LIGHT Descente is traditionally a ski brand so they know a thing or two about keeping people comfortable during challenging conditions. Descente Golf’s innovative range offers high fashion and cuttingedge technology clothing for all golfers with elegant design and honed functionality. Worn by Danny Willett on the European and PGA Tour.

RAIN PROOF JACKETS

ZERO GRAVITY TOUR PING WATERPROOF JACKET MIDNIGHT We’ve tried this and it’s super lightweight and waterproof, featuring Pertex Shield 2.5 layer fabric. It’s fully seam-sealed and packs into your pocket. It also comes with a 3-year guarantee, has adjustable hem and cuffs, and is wind-resistant.

RLX RALPH LAUREN COOL WOOL JACKET SCOUT HEATHER The Cool Wool jacket from RLX Ralph Lauren has had a few subtle changes for the Spring/Summer 2018 season.

The top has merino wool sleeves and a wind-blocking filled panel at the front which allows full mobility while keeping you protected from the elements.

There are two zip-up hand pockets and the signature RLX logo is printed on the wearer’s left shoulder and down the back neck. A versatile piece which combines both function and fashion.

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UNDER ARMOUR GORE-TEX PACLITE JACKET You never see Jordan Spieth looking damp under the collar, do you? Well, that’s because, when the going gets tough, he wears the Gore-Tex Paclite jacket from Under Armour. Made with UA storm technology, which repels water without sacrificing breathability, the Gore-Tex construction is fully waterproof as well as wind-resistant due to a bonded 2.5-layer fabric.

W GOLFPUNK N E MAGAZINE

The GP Staunchie 2018 Reader Awards Including Drivers, Irons & GolfPunk Of The Year

GolfJunk

The Best New 2018 Gear

+

A Quick Livener

Golf’s Biggest Hitters, Fibber The Golfin’ Dolphin, Golf Porn and Biscuits...

+

Keep Yourself Nice Best Golf Shoes for 2018

GP Classics:

Squire Adam Scott

Planet Golf

Caribbean Golf Caper

WIN A Luxury Golf Holiday In Slovakia

THE GUVNOR

HOW TOMMY FLEETWOOD HAULED HIMSELF FROM NOWHERE TO THE WORLD TOP 15 ISSUE 01 | MARCH 2018

GOLFPUNK

D I G I TA L M A G A Z I N E

ISSUE 1 OUT NOW! CLICK HERE TO VIEW NOW ON THE ISSUU PLATFORM

£}Q

SPECIAL OFFER FOR FIRST MONTH TO LONG DRIVE WORLD SERIES EMAIL RECEPIENTS SELECTED RECENT RESULTS*

Do you want to make over 400points a year betting on the PGA and European tour events each week?

WELLS FARGO 3rd May I B Harman 108/1 USPGA 13th August I .J Thomas 45/1 EUROPEAN MASTERS 10th September I M Fitzgerald 28/1 beats our other selection in play-offS Hend 80/1

Well, look at my results from Dec 2016 and take advantage of my special introductory offer of £39 per month, normally £99 per quarter or £349 per annum.

TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP 24th September I Tour X Schauffele 129/1 In fact we get 1st, 2nd, 3rd + 4th with .J Thomas 16/1 R Henley 109/1 and K Kisner 129/1 PORTUGAL MASTERS 24th September I L Bjerregaard 50/1

The difference from other less successful tipsters is that I do the selections and reasons on Wednesdays, I do a halfway update on Saturday mornings and final round update on the Sunday morning!

BRITISH MASTERS 1st October I P Dunne 69/1 SAFEWAY OPEN 8th October I B Steele 33/1 WORLD GOLF HSBC 29th October I .J Rose 27 /1 SHRINER HOSPITAL OPEN 5th November I P Cantley 23/1 We also had 2nd + 3rd with A Cejka and W Kim MAYBANK CHAMPIONSHIPS 4th February I S Sharma 59/1

I also encourage dialogue, so please feel free to email me your thoughts on golf and your players to watch etc!

WASTE MANAGEMENT PHOENIX OPEN 4th February I G Woodland 74/1 *Odds based on BetFair prices Full list of years results available on website

Contact Nick for more information:

07860 214837 I 0207 636 7 441 I nick@fclpr.com I www.fleminggolftips.com

LEARN TO BE LONGER...

FROM THE LONGEST! PGA PROFESSIONAL AND LONG DRIVE WORLD SERIES COMPETITOR SCOTT BEAVEN IS THE TWO-TIME EUROPEAN LONG DRIVE CHAMPION WHO CAN HELP YOU IMPROVE YOUR GOLF GAME AND ADD YARDS TO YOUR DRIVES! TO BOOK A SERIES OF LESSONS IN WITH SCOTT AT THE EXCLUSIVE APHRODITE HILLS RESORT IN CYPRUS, PLEASE CALL, EMAIL, OR VISIT THE WEBSITE NOW. TEL 00357 97651316 WEB WWW.SCOTTBEAVENGOLF.CO.UK

Bedfordshire Golf Club

Visit our website for further details

www.bedfordshiregolf.com or call in to try for yourself 58 59 LDWS ISSUE 3 ScottBevan.indd 1

10/31/17 9:00 PM

ADVERTORIAL

GOLF’S NO STRA DAMUS In his years in the music business, Nick Fleming has helped launch the careers of The Stone Roses and Will Smith. Then he started betting on the horses. And now golf. And he’s good. Very good. We caught up with him and found out what makes his golf-tipster brain tick…

LDWS: How did you get into golf betting? What were you betting on previously?

“I have been betting on golf for five years now, and also horse racing for longer. I actually won the Racing Post/Tote ‘Ten To Follow’ competition back in 2003, winning £369,000 – a wonderful day! About two years ago after a particularly successful run of winners on the golf, I asked bet 365 for a breakdown on my bets for the year and was astonished to note that I had won over £5,000 in a year (as I only bet with £5 and £10 per selection). There was a clear message, to stop betting on horses and stick to golf, also I made sure these figures were well hidden from my wife…”

LDWS: What specifically about golf appeals to you?

“With horse racing it’s rare that a 50/1, or 100/1 wins, but in golf it happens most weeks, there are so many great players priced up from 33/1 to 250/1, that I try and cover 10/12 players per event. Most make the cut and it’s a rare final day if I don’t have three or four players in with a chance.

I avoid the favourites, I take the view they use the smaller events as warm-up for the majors. And I am pleased to say it’s rare that I go three weeks without winning.”

LDWS: What have been your best wins?

“The first week I went public I was fortunate enough to advise Brian Harman at 108/1 to win the Wells Fargo event back in May, 2017. I then cleaned up in the US Open in June with Brooks Koepka 64/1 to win, but also Tommy Fleetwood 22/1 top GB and Bernd Wiesberger 20/1 to be top continental European. The reaction from clients was so pleasing one even called me Nostradamus!

Then Kyle Stanley 54/1 for Quicken loans followed by Xander Schauffele 74/1 in the Greenbrier Classic. That all made for a wonderful July!!

August and September were also great months, the pinnacle being Xander Schauffele 129/1 winning the Tour Championship. The final round was relaxing, as my clients also had 2nd with Justin Thomas 16/1, 3rd Russell Henley 109/1 and 4th Kevin Kisner 129/1. So for the final six holes I knew one of my selections would prevail whereas normally it’s nailbiting stuff in the final round!!”

LDWS: What have been your most surprising wins so far?

“The biggest surprise winner was Justin Rose in the HSBC World Golf Championship in October. He was six or seven shots behind Dustin Johnson in the final round. The bookies had Johnson at 1/10, it seemed impossible he could lose but a mixture of Rose playing brilliantly and Johnson blowing it meant we had a surprise 27/1 winner.”

LDWS: What advice would you give to people betting on golf for the first time?

“If betting on golf for the first time, keep the stakes small to start off with. The aim is to win over a year and not blow your money in the first few events. Other tipsters advise four or five players each way. I advise approximately 10 players to win, it gives us greater coverage for the same stake.

As I mentioned, the household names use minor events as practice.

They also get appearance money to turn up.

So we select players that need to win to earn

Contact Nick for more information: Telephone: 07860 214837 / 0207 6367441 Email: nick@fdpr.com Web: www.fleminggolftips.com

their money and each week. There must be 30 or 40 with realistic chances. I do updates at the midway point and before the final round to show how players are performing.

Although we normally have players contending for the lead, I guarantee players I nearly selected who are also contending.

Maybe I should select more players??”

LDWS: Do you think Tiger can win again?

“I think Tiger can be competitive in the majors but I don’t think he can win. It’s good for golf that he’s back, he’s box office and in his prime arguably the best ever golfer. What an iron player, and his putting made Jordan Spieth seem ordinary.

At his best his confidence was high. Now I think it means too much to him, he’s going through emotions and doubts that most normal golfers suffer from and it’s getting to him.”

LDWS: What are your thoughts about spread betting in golf?

“Spread betting in golf can be a licence to print money. Golf fans should look at players who regularly finish top 20 but struggle to actually win on the final day. Paul Casey is a good example, and in certain events Charles Howell.

Betfair exchange, who I advise clients to bet with (as they are normally 10 or 20 points longer than bookmakers) also offer prices on players to finish top 10 or top 20. I have named two, but I could name six more that regularly finish top 20 but allow final day nerves to get the better of them…” 

THE INTERNATIONALIST Thinking of investing in overseas property? We talk to Paulo Costa, Director of Crest Costa Real Estate Services & Transactions to get the low-down…

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LDWS: What is the current climate with overseas property investments?

“The international market is very mixed, but one country stands out with its dynamism and that is Portugal. The Portuguese government has, for several years, introduced some benefits to attract investors from around the world, thanks to the golden visa, taxation for pensioners and advantageous conditions for international companies. With a lower cost of living in Europe allied to a very pleasant climate, Portuguese real estate is the most interesting at European and global level.”

LDWS: What have been the main pitfalls in overseas property investments in recent years?

“Definitely people investing without knowledge of the local market.”

LDWS: How has Brexit affected things?

“Brexit has had a strong impact in the European real estate market since a lot of UK companies and healthy people were obliged to stay connected to the European market.”

LDWS: What does the future look like for overseas property investors?

“Portugal is definitely my main tip for investment, but the main European capitals remain globally interesting too. As far as emerging markets for investment in the future, I think Eastern countries will be the future for overseas investments.

Whatever you are looking for in an overseas property investment, Crest can offer its unrivalled network, dynamic team and many years of experience in the oversees real estate market.” 

“The Portuguese government has, for several years now, introduced some benefits to attract investors from around the world, thanks to the golden visa and advantageous conditions for international companies”

For more information visit: www.crestimmobilier.com

UNITED KINGDOM THE LONDON CLUB Illustration: Karl Barr Creative

TBC JUNE, 2018

PORTUGAL VENUE TBC

TBC SEPTEMBER, 2018

UNITED STATES VENUE TBC

TBC MAY, 2018

MEXICO

CLUB DE GOLF LA HACIENDA 17 MARCH, 2018

2018 LDWS WORLD TOUR SCHEDULE COMING SOON TO A GOLF COURSE NEAR YOU!

62 63 LDWSÂ&#x201E;ISSUE 3

SWEDEN VENUE TBC

TBC JULY, 2018

SWITZERLAND VENUE TBC

TBC AUGUST 2018

TURKEY

VENUE TBC TBC NOVEMBER 2018

CHINA

VENUE TBC TBC OCTOBER, 2018

DUBAI, UAE

JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES 9 FEBRUARY, 2018

2018 LDWS Tour Winners SOUTH AFRICA VENUE TBC

13 APRIL, 2018

Dubai

Feb 9

Next Event: Mexico, Mar 17

James Tait