LG Cover December 13 17/10/2013 15:03 Page 3
December 2013 £3.50
FAMILY AFFAIR Eight pages of outfits that make mother and daughter look equally stunning PLUS
BUYING GUIDE
Where to shop for your winter collection
RDABLE O F F A E TH 0 TOP 10 op 100
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FIX YOUR
FAULTS Six pages of tips to lower your scores PLUS
UN CO VE RE D
The English star's Solheim reflections n Her 1st tee wobble n Playing with Charley n Lotta's captaincy n …and the celebrations!
EQ UI PM EN T
JODI EWART
Learn from Solheim Cup ace Carlota Ciganda
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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
YONEX.CO.UK/GOLF
Putting more power into your hands The new Ladies’ EZONE XP range is quite simply an exceptional set of clubs. Its revolutionary Dual Tungsten Power System combines a heavier head and grip, counterbalanced with a lighter shaft. The result. A perfectly balanced club that delivers more power with less effort. The new Quick Adjust System, allows you to fine-tune your woods for the ultimate, distance enhancing ball flight. Which means you not only have extra power – but breakthrough power.
AW17004_xp_advert_UK_A4_ladies_KLE.indd 1
09/10/2013 11:07
LG pp 3 Contents 18/10/2013 10:09 Page 3
CONTENTS December 2013
RANGE FROM YONEX 10 NEW
The EZone XP range is lighter, so you can swing it faster... and gain more distance!
COLUMNIST 12 MYSTERY
Why the sports media should be ashamed of its sparse coverage of the Solheim Cup.
A GREEN LAMB CART BAG 13 WIN
We’ve got three limited-edition bags to give away, courtesy of MissDesignerGolf.com
EWARTSHADOFF 18JODI
The English star reflects on her amazing Solheim Cup debut in Europe’s 2013 victory
GAME 32GENERATION
We make it a family affair in fashion, with a Mother and Daughter collection
100 COURSES UNDER £100 45TOP The Affordable 100 is here – which of your favourite venues will make the cut?
LG pp 4 Ed Comm 18/10/2013 14:50 Page 4
Welcome
4 Lady Golfer
It’s all relative
Subscription special It’s the perfect Christmas gift for the golfer in your life and they’ll even get a free Under Armour hat! P56
Volume 17 Issue 5 Consulting Editor Mickey Walker Editorial Director Dan Murphy Deputy Editor Mark Townsend
FAMILY AFFAIR
Staff Writer James Tompkinson Fashion Editor Justine Board
Eight pages of outfits that make mother and daughter look equally stunning PLUS
BUYING GUIDE
FREE
Where to shop for your winter collection
The Affordable Top 100 courses list Britain’s finest layouts that won’t break the bank and will be a special treat P45
HAT!
Subscribe to LG and get an Under Armour winter hat
RDABLE THE AFFO 0 TOP 10 Top 100
Britain’s – don’t INSIDE: r £100 for Unde g. e rankin Courses d r definitiv miss ou Sherwoo Enodoc, St g irn and Starrin ovey, Na erd Ab , Forest re many mo
FIX YOUR
FAULTS Six pages of tips to lower your scores PLUS
Top gear Introducing Yonex’s new range of ladies’ clubs P10
Learn from Solheim Cup ace Carlota Ciganda
JODI EWART
UN CO VE RE D
The Yorkshire girl making waves in America is now a Solheim Cup star P18
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
The English star's Solheim reflections n Her 1st tee wobble n Playing with Charley n Lotta's captaincy n …and the celebrations!
EQ UI PM EN T
Meet Jodi
December 2013
December 2013 £3.50
Mother and daughter take centre stage in this month’s fashion special P32
Ou rr eg ula re n n A quip D n m n aily all-n ent W n ils Spo ew tea Gle on rt ran m nm St Pro ge give uir aff Str fro th Oli D-1 etc m Y eir v via 00 h tr on er d sw hy ous ex ict on ea brid ers ... te r
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ydia Ko has decided to turn professional at the age of 16, the only problem being that the LPGA are not currently allowing her to be a member of their tour. As things stand, she is only allowed to play in a maximum of six events per season. The New Zealand teenager has already won twice on the LPGA this year as an amateur so it is hard to argue that she is not ready for the pro ranks. She also finished second behind Suzann Pettersen at a Major, the Evian, and is ranked fifth in the world. The decision lies with the tour’s commissioner Mike Whan, who has the power to make an exception if he chooses, as he did with Lexi Thompson a few years ago. The first reaction of most of us to a 16-year-old entering an adult world is that it is too early and she would do better to enjoy a “normal” teenager’s life before entering the bubble of professsional sport. But it is rarely that simple when you are as good as Ko. Right now, the world is her oyster as just about every ladies’ event would love to have her in the field. For all we know, the golf she is currently playing may be the best of her life. That seems to have been the case with Aree Song and Michelle Wie, to take two examples, and Ko might just earn enough in the next couple of years (if the LPGA let her, which you suspect they will in the end) to make her financially secure for life. Go back to New Zealand to pursue an education and for all we know she could turn pro in five years’ time and make little impression. The sponsors’ invites would very quickly dry up in those circumstances. It isn’t straightforward. All we can do is wish Lydia all the best and hope she is making the right decision for the right reasons.
On the cover
Contributor Madeleine Winnett Chief Designer Andrew Kenworthy Designer & Webmaster Daniel Cooper Publisher Tom Irwin Sales Executive Carley Warrington Fashion Co-ordinator Eve Burton Finance & Operations Director WIll Shucksmith (ACA) Accounts Emma Abbott Chairman Peter Burgess
What we’ve been talking about this month Sophie going home Sophie Gufstafson has been a Solheim Cup stalwart and has enjoyed a successful career in America. She’s also coped with a speech impediment and faced up to it in public. She will be missed now she’s returned to Sweden.
Subscriptions Tel 0113 289 3979 12 issues (incl. P&P): UK £32 Europe £42 World £52 Online from £19.99 nationalclubgolfer.com Sports Publications Ltd, Unit 2, Arena Park, Tarn Lane, Scarcroft, Leeds LS17 9BF Tel 01132 893 979 editorial@sportspub.co.uk ISSN 1369 4790
TOP 100 UNDER £100
Published by © Sports Publications Ltd. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, but the publishers cannot accept responsibility for omissions and errors. Readers are advised to check pricing and details of availability before making any journeys. All material in this publication is strictly copyright and all rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. The views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of Sports Publications Ltd. Every care is taken in compiling the contents but the publishers assume no responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from participation in any offer, competition or advertising contained within.
in association with
BRITA I N’S BEST
100 COURSES UNDER £100
E wanted to create a list which realistically reflects golfers’ budget – although £100 is not a trifling amount for a green free. We based the limit on 2013 summer green fees for a round during
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100
KILMARNOCK BARASSIE A
hi
No lavish green fees, just top-class courses
the week in high season – before special offers, packages, group discounts or twilight offers were applied. You did not have to be a member of any type of scheme to play for under £100 and we sought clubs which genuinely welcome members.
99
SEASCALE Cumbria 2013
f
in association with
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KING’S LYNN
£35
Norfolk 2013
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SHERINGHAM Norfolk 2013
f
£65
Amy turns pro
Mum and daughter
Autumn’s here
Talking of talented young players joining the professional ranks, Wales’ Curtis Cup star Amy Boulden is also leaving the amateur game. She is not quite in Lydia Ko’s league (at least not yet!) but we wish her all the best.
They certainly make a striking pair and we think both Jacky and Natalie look great as they model some of the latest collections. We’re sure you’ll find inspiration for a new look of your own after seeing the special feature.
But don’t despair, Lady Golfer will be packed with brilliant content to help you through the long winter months. Watch this space as we hope to unveil some highly exciting plans for the future before long.
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
LG pp 6-7 Five mins, Tweets 18/10/2013 10:10 Page 6
THE STARTER
Follow Lady Golfer: @LadyGolferMag
TOP TWEETS Thx for all love for joining twitter! Have no idea what I'm doing at the min! Little overwhelmed!! Lol! @Karrie_Webb WHAT?!?! This can't be true!!!!! Is it really the one and only @Karrie_Webb?!?! Happiness!!!! @ThePCreamer Working with electricity in the house teaches me things real fast. I lived. I learned. #zapped @SophieGustafson The diagnosis of my injury is; Postural hypertension, thoracic outlet syndrome, scapular dysfunction, forearm ischaemia! @kellylouise92 (Kelly Tidy) 7 1/2 hours on the course, 45 min workout then I get home and get to watch the voice! @Lexi Just checked in for the 3rd time at 3 different airports in the last 30 hours... Travel much?? @Stacy_Lewis
SARAH-JANE BOYD James Tompkinson talks to the 21-year-old about the WBO and future ambitions “Playing at the Women’s British Open really was a fantastic experience, but I didn’t feel like I did myself justice. I didn’t attack the course, and that’s something I’ve reflected on. I can’t wait to get back there. It gave me a taste of what that life is like. “I was lucky enough have my practice rounds with Inbee Park, so that was fantastic. It was quite crazy actually because she had an entourage of about 50 people following her. It was a bit surreal but I could definitely get used to it! “My first target next year would be the Curtis Cup. I’m doing everything I possibly can this winter to get my game in shape to try and make that team. That would be my ultimate amateur ambition.
“I think I’m relatively inexperienced compared to other girls on tour, even though I’m slightly older than them. But because I came into golf a bit later, I’ve still got a lot more to learn and this year has been a big learning curve for me. “For me, it comes down to how much you want it. You put into it what you want and you’ll get the results. I know how much I want it and so I’m prepared to do whatever it takes n Sarah-Jane Boyd is an England international amateur from Cornwall. She won the 2012 British Strokeplay Championship and played in the 2013 Women’s British Open at St Andrews. She represented England at the European Ladies’ Team Championships and the Ladies’ Home Internationals this year.
“I remember looking at the last Curtis Cup and thinking wow, what a team, and how great an experience that would be. It would just be wonderful. “Playing for a team brings an extra level to your game because you know that everyone wants it for you as much as you do. It gives you that extra buzz that you need to perform better. “My other ambition would be to turn pro, but I won’t be doing that until I feel I’m ready to compete on tour.
First trip to mainland China. To say its hazy here would be akin to saying that fire is warm. If we played today, idk if we'd see our shots. @TheChristinaKim You know when you're like...I have no idea what I am doing right now...well that was my entire day.. @Jodi_Ewart About to download TVseries to keep me entertained for 4 weeks in Asia... any recommendations? #helpneeded #thanks @ANordqvist
6 Lady Golfer
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LG pp 6-7 Five mins, Tweets 18/10/2013 10:10 Page 7
LG FASHION
NEWS IN BRIEF
Reviews by Madeleine Winnett
COWLEY WINS GIRLS ORDER OF MERIT TITLE Brocket Hall’s Gabriella Cowley has won the England Golf Girls’ Order of Merit title. Image courtesy of Leaderboard Photography
GLENMUIR Olivia sweater SRP: £58 This looks good in the photo – and even better in reality! The pinky-red grenadine colour (black also available) is gorgeous, and the horizontal white stripes are unusual and striking. Made from 100 per cent cotton, it’s very soft, and the small pocket is ideal for tees and change. I wore it for a night out before it hit the course – and it was universally admired!
SURPRIZE SHOP Winter cap SRP: £19.99 If you prefer the shape of a cap, but like the warmth of a bobble hat because it protects your ears as well, this is the perfect combination! The one-size-fits-all adjustable cap has a soft, fleecy base which fits snuggly round your ears. It also solves the problem of where to keep your ball marker – it sticks firmly to the magnetic peak!
DAILY SPORTS Thermo Pro-Stretch Trousers SRP: £79.99 What beautifully warm, cosy trousers these are! Despite them feeling thick and fleecy on the inside, they are still very slim fitting and flattering. They are also very stretchy, giving complete freedom of movement when bending down to line up a putt. All four pockets are deep, and the additional faux zipped pockets look very smart – as does the rear stitching detail.
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The 17-year-old climbed almost 500 places in the world rankings, qualified for the Women’s British Open at St Andrews and represented England at ladies’ and girls’ level. “I’ve worked hard this year, both during last winter and through the playing season, and this shows that it’s paying off,” she said. HEWSON WINS TELEGRAPH TITLE England international Alice Hewson won the girls’ title in the Telegraph BMW Championship at Quinta do Lago in Portugal.
The Berkhamstead youngster led throughout the event but had to hold off a challenge from fellow international Sammy Fuller. She will now play alongside 2014 Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley and boys’ winner Ashton Turner in next year’s BMW Championship pro-am at Wentworth. OFFER FOR LADY GOLFER READERS AT TRETHORNE Trethorne GC are currently offering Lady Golfer readers the chance to get 10% off all 2014 golf breaks. The club are also currently offering one night winter golf breaks including dinner, bed, breakfast and unlimited golf from just £69pp from November-March 2014. The course has been transformed over the last eight years and is a superb venue for winter golf. The club also has a great stayand-play reputation.
Lady Golfer 7
LG pp 8-9 Starter 17/10/2013 15:42 Page 8
THE STARTER
ON TEST With our equipment expert and two fellow Trentham members
WILSON STAFF D-100 HYBRID SRP: £119
MADELEINE WINNETT Handicap: 4 When I first swung this club without trying to hit a ball I didn’t think I was going to like it. As part of the Superlight range, it felt too light and I couldn’t feel the head. However, as I nailed my first two shots – effortlessly straight with a touch of draw – I couldn’t help but like it! Simple to use, great ball flight, and excellent results from all lies!
MANDY AMBERT Handicap: 13
BRENDA CHATTERJEE Handicap: 35 Ting , Ting, Ting, musical to the last note! It could be renamed Tiny Ting! Delightful to look at and similarly to hold. It is effortless to use, sends the ball high and into the distance most satisfactorily. One could almost believe that one was actually good at this game! Perhaps Wilson might take pity and send me one. Buy it, it works.
8 Lady Golfer
Cowdrey Park’s Hannah Ralph secured her maiden LET Access Tour victory in the WPGA International Challenge at Stoke by Nayland in Sussex. The 25-year-old won the tournament by two shots after a frantic final day which saw the lead change hands several times. She posted birdies on the final two holes to clinch victory from Welsh debutant Amy Boulden and Russia’s Galina Rotmistrova.
“It’s the best win of my career,” said Ralph. “I wasn’t expecting anything so it’s a bit unbelievable at the moment.” The tournament is the only LET Access Series event currently played in England, and was widely considered to be a success. PGA chief executive Sandy
PETERS WINS ORDER OF MERIT Nottinghamshire youngster Alex Peters capped off a fantastic season by winning the England Golf Ladies’ Order of Merit title. Peters claimed the award by the smallest of margins from fellow England international Sarah-Jane Boyd. The Notts GC member was runner-up in both the English Amateur and Welsh Strokeplay, reached the last 16 in the British Ladies’ Amateur and represented Great Britain and Ireland in the Vagliano Trophy. “It’s a big thing to win because it shows that all my
Image courtesy of Leaderboard Photography
This club was ‘alternative’ right from its unusual head shape to its light weight. I thought ‘I’ll never hit this’. How wrong can you be? Superb. Very forgiving on and off the fairway with excellent distance and accuracy. It sounded nice on contact and had good trajectory. It’s one of those clubs where you’d love to try the whole set to see if they live up to the performance of the hybrid. Definitely a ‘hit’ for me.
RALPH SECURES FIRST WIN AT STOKE BY NAYLAND
hard work has paid off,” the 19-year-old said. “I’ve been steady throughout the year and it proves that you don’t need to win, but you do need to be consistent to get to the top.” Peters will remain amateur and hopes to play in next year’s Curtis Cup in Missouri.
Jones said: "We had been discussing with the LET the concept and creation of this event. I am very pleased to say that it was presented at Stoke by Nayland, a venue that is well known to us and has partnered the PGA on many past occasions to stage great golf events.”
REVIEWED SURPRIZE SHOP Christmas Robin ball marker However badly you are putting, this little chap is bound to put a smile on your face on the greens. He has even got little yellow feet to set off his Christmas hat and red breast! It is just one of many amusing and functional novelty ball markers, such as your initials, 50 years young, or Get Me to the 19th Hole complete with drink. Great fun. SRP £2.49
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
LG pp 8-9 Starter 17/10/2013 15:42 Page 9
YORKSHIRE ARE NEW ENGLISH COUNTY CHAMPIONS Hertfordshire and Lincolnshire. Represented by Becky Wood, Emma Brown, Holly Morgan, Charlotte Austwick, Ellie Goodall, Rochelle Morris, Kirsty Beckwith and Megan Lockett, Yorkshire sealed their emphatic victory in a tense 5-4 win against runners-up Lincolnshire on the final day.
Image courtesy of Leaderboard Photography
Yorkshire have been crowned the best English county following an outstanding victory in the County Finals tournament at Wilmslow. After a two-year absence from the event, the White Rose county won all five of their matches against Kent, Warwickshire, Gloucestershire,
ENGLAND MISS OUT ON TITLE England narrowly missed out on regaining the Women’s Senior Home Internationals title at Llandudno Maesdu, losing out to defending champions Ireland on countback. After both teams secured wins in their early games against Scotland and Wales, England and Ireland tied 4-4 in their title showdown on the final day. That meant that the result was determined by individual games won, with the Irish team getting 18 to England’s 16½. Home nation Wales ended the tournament in third place, with Scotland finishing last and picking up the wooden spoon.
WALES’ LEWIS CAPTURES SENIOR CROWN AT PORTRUSH Wales’ Ann Lewis is the new Senior Ladies British Open champion following a oneshot victory at Royal Portrush. Lewis was in a three-way tie for the lead heading into the final hole, but a birdie proved enough to beat Ireland’s Sheena McElroy and Finland’s Minna Kaarnalahti to the title. "I'm delighted," said the 57year-old from Royal St David’s.
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"When I came off the green, the Welsh supporters told me I might win because I had finished 10 over and the two leaders behind me were 11 over, needing to birdie the last to tie me,” said Lewis. "So, here I am, suddenly Senior British Champion. It's hard to believe. I'm not only delighted, I'm in a state of shock," she said.
Lady Golfer 9
LG pp 10-11 Yonex 17/10/2013 13:56 Page 10
THE STARTER
THE WEIGHTING GAME
Yonex’s EZone XP range is based on compelling logic, says Dan Murphy
VEN someone with my level of knowledge of the laws of physics can appreciate the principle that a heavier head will generate faster speeds. But we also know that a lighter club is easier to swing more efficiently. And that means there is a trade off. With their
the butt (grip end) than is normally the case. A lighter than usual grip is counterbalanced with a 20g tungsten powder integrated within the rubber near the top. All this means that the swing balance and total club weight are the same – but more of the weight is in the head.
E
new EZone XP range, Yonex have come up with a very clever and logically compelling solution to this eternal problem. In the case of the driver they have added 13.5g to the head and engineered a shaft that is lighter and has a balance point much nearer
EZONE XP PRICES SRPs: Driver £249; fairway wood £179; hybrid £149; irons 4-S £799 graphite, £649 steel Available: now - www.yonex.co.uk
Carbon composite This expensive technology helps redistribute weight where it is most needed
Hot looks The XP really stands out from the crowd with its blend of red and black colour scheme and smooth aesthetics Weighty matters An 8g tungsten screw in the back of the head helps move the CG further back and deeper Dial it in You can move the loft +/- 1.5˚ to get the exact flight that you are looking for
Pure quality Benefit from the superior performance and consistency of some of the highestquality shafts in the business
10 Lady Golfer
LG pp 10-11 Yonex 17/10/2013 13:57 Page 11
1
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SIX REASONS WHY THE XP DRIVER IMPRESSES 1FAST OFF THE FACE 3 LOFT ADJUSTABILITY 5 HIGHLY FORGIVING Thanks to the weighting system, this really feels like a responsive driver. It’s quick off the face and helps you get the ball flying. And Yonex drivers have always been among the easiest to use on the market.
You get a total range of 3˚ of adjustability in the XP driver. So in the 9˚ model you can go as far down as 7.5˚ and up to 10.5. Do bear in mind that decreasing the loft will open the face and increasing loft will close it.
2 IT’S MULTI-MATERIAL
4 COMPOSITE CROWN
As you can see from this X-ray view above, the XP is a multi-material driver featuring a carbon composite crown and a chunky tungsten screw in the back. Beacuse the crown saves so much weight, it allows for advanced levels of weight redistribution to optimise performance in all areas.
Yonex are leaders in carbon graphite technology and this super-light structure reduces crown weight, allowing for the tungsten weight to be positioned in the rear of the sole and further weight to be placed inside the head. Composite crowns are much more expensive to manufacture than one-piece heads.
There is a difference of opinion in the engineering world at the moment as to whether as much weight as possible should be positioned low and back or low and forward. Yonex go for the former and that certainly makes the XP a forgiving driver on mishits.
6 ADVANCED SHAFT
This shaft is made by the Japanesebased manufacturer, who have specialist expertise in the area, and counterbalanced to move the balance point nearer the butt (grip end) of the club than would normally be the case. It matches the head perfectly.
ALSO IN THE XP RANGE Matching fairways, hybrids and irons are out now
The EZone XP fairway features much of the same technology as the driver – the head weight is increased by 8.5g and this is counterbalanced by the design of the shaft and the grip to give you increased clubhead energy and increased distances.
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
The EZone XP hybrid looks great and this time the head weight is increased by 6g. The lofts can be adjusted +/- 1.5˚ in both the hybrids and fairways, just as in the driver, so you can dial in your preferred flight and distance for optimum gapping.
The same counterbalancing technology applies in the EZone XP irons, which have a double undercut cavity. This results in a superthin sole that makes the face hotter for more distance. A lower CG allows for higher trajectory despite stronger lofts.
Lady Golfer 11
LG pp 12 Mystery Columnist 17/10/2013 13:59 Page 12
Mystery Columnist What a shame so few sports fans saw our Solheim Cup heroics
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T was great to see such a fantastic European performance at the Solheim Cup in September, although if we relied on media beyond Radio 5 Live or subscription TV it would be difficult to know that the event had taken place. Let alone that Europe had won the trophy for the first time on American soil. What a contrast to the equivalent men’s event, the Ryder Cup, where each player’s breakfast menu is up for debate 24-7! In the concluding small hours I was very struck by how delighted the 5 Live commentary team of Iain Carter, Maureen Madill and Karen Stupples were with the quality of the golf and the way that the players managed the pressure. Carter, who watches golf day in, day out, was in raptures over the performance of Charley Hull, and rightly so. But his delight was so genuine it is just a shame that the national media didn’t pick up the story and report how well a group of young European women had played. So well in fact that Lotta Neumann’s side posted a record victory in the competition. How can the next generation be encouraged to take up the game when golf, like so many women’s sports, is hidden from view of the general public? Supporting the European Solheim Cup team made me think again about the golf club set-up here in the UK. In an idle moment I began to wonder if courses and club structures would ever just be set up for golf and golfers, 12 Lady Golfer
Brilliance But how many saw Charley?
rather than focused on the gender divisions. In some countries in Europe the game is structured around ability rather than gender so instead of men’s and ladies tees, the tees are based on playing handicap and playing ability. Gender and age division is less important. Participants play from a tee relevant to their golfing ability and players of the same ability – men, women, young and old – play against one another from the same tee. This kind of restructuring might contribute to challenging the UK’s current gendered construction of the game and lead towards women’s achievement getting the same media attention as men. How very sensible I hear you say?
Well, our European partners do just that. Subscription television is a great service if you can afford it but if you live in a family without access how do you learn about the game and get to know and admire the role models and ambassadors of the sport? This is not just an issue for women’s golf but for many sports that once would have made appearances on freeto-view television but are now only shown on subscription channels. The funding that comes from the TV rights may be much needed by the sports governing bodies but is the outcome taking the game even further away from the next generation of would-be participants? The clock will not be turned
back and, if anything, more and more sport will only be available on subscription TV. A further challenge to the game’s administrators will be attracting the next generation of players. A quick look, (data protection allowing), down the date-ofbirth column on a membership spreadsheet at any club will quickly illustrate that this is a pressing issue. Developing the game and continuing to make it an attractive proposition to young people is the responsibility of all those playing today.
Mystery Columnist • The female author of this piece works within golf and wishes to remain anonymous as her views do not necessarily represent those of her employers
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LG pp 13 Miss D Competition 17/10/2013 14:03 Page 13
WIN A GREEN LAMB CART BAG We’ve got three top-of-the-range bags to give away courtesy of MissDesignerGolf.com
E have teamed up with our friends at new website MissDesignerGolf.com to give you the chance to win a brilliant new cart bag. The Green Lamb Lady Pro cart bag is EXCLUSIVE to MissDesignerGolf.com and is the must-have cart bag for 2013/14. With three vibrant colours, this stylish bag has a 14-way full-length club organiser to ensure you a quick easy access to all your clubs. Incorporating an integrated lift handle and lightweight materials, lifting this bag out of your car and on to a trolley couldn’t be easier. Features include a matching rain hood, padded strap in case you wish to carry your bag, a dry pocket which is seamsealed to ensure that it is waterproof, a mobile phone and GPS pocket, a
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hydration pocket with anti-leak and cool technology, external umbrella holder and 10 easy access storage pockets. With only a limited run of this bag – which is 35” tall and weighs 3.32kgs – this is a rare opportunity to get your hands on this superb offering from Green Lamb – absolutely free! MissDesignerGolf.com launched in 2013 to provide lady golfers with the leading brands – such as Tommy, Green Lamb, Calvin Klein, Cutter & Buck and Lija – at affordable prices. They are not on the High Street, and can pass on the savings they make on rent and rates to their customers. Free shipping on all orders.
KEY FEATURES OF THE BAG n Lightweight n Integrated heavy duty handle n 14-way full-length club organiser n 10 easy access pockets To be in with a chance of winning a bag go to www.nationalclubgolfer.com and click on Competitions and answer the following question:
Q: WHO CAPTAINED AMERICA IN THE 2013 SOLHEIM CUP? Closing date: November 30, 2013. Ts & Cs apply.
Lady Golfer 13
LG pp 14 Di Meets…Charlotte Jackson 17/10/2013 14:04 Page 14
THE STARTER
Where do you play? I am not a member anywhere but I’m lucky enough to play on lots of different courses due to golf days and my friends being members. I go to the driving range at Dukes Meadows in Chiswick, and if I haven’t got long, play on the par 3 which is great for your short game. The course I probably know the best is Stoke Park, as I played 100 holes there on a charity day this year. We teed off at 430am and finished at 9pm! What is the toughest thing about the sport? That it can be frustrating. One day you may have an amazing round, and next time you play you seem to be hacking around and nothing seems to be going right. What are the strengths to your game? I would say driving. I do find it difficult to read the greens – but I’m learning. Do you prefer inland or seaside courses and which is your favourite course? I think I would say seaside – as long as it’s not a really windy day. I have been lucky enough to play Port Royal in Bermuda and the Green Monkey in Barbados, both stunning courses with magnificent views. What was your best round? I played at Langland Bay recently – another course I would recommend and it was one if those days when everything was going right! Days like that are rare but you certainly enjoy them. How is your golf at the moment? My handicap is 20 although my fiancé thinks that’s my ‘bandit’ handicap! Who is your favourite player? Well, I like Adam Scott, but I’ll say Justin Rose, as we use the same TaylorMade clubs. I’ve played golf with him before 14 Lady Golfer
DI MEETS... CHARLOTTE JACKSON
“MY HANDICAP IS 20 ALTHOUGH MY FIANCÉ THINKS THAT’S MY ‘BANDIT’ HANDICAP” TV personality and Lynx ambassador Di Dougherty chats to her fellow presenter Charlotte Jackson about playing 100 holes in a day and those 1st tee nerves and he’s such lovely guy, as is his family. I was so pleased for them when he won the US Open, it was a long time coming and amazing that it had been 43 years since the last Englishman to win.
Do you ever get nervous playing golf? I get nervous on the 1st tee of a golf day with everyone watching! But once you have hit that 1st tee shot, as long as it’s OK I relax a bit.
Who is the most well-dressed golfer in your opinion? I think it’s always good to make a bit of an effort on the golf course and develop your own style. It’s a difficult one as now there’s so much choice. Most people look good and there are some who have fun with it too – like John Daly’s trousers!
Finally, will Europe win the next Ryder Cup at Gleneagles? I think so. Although the US did well recently in the Presidents Cup with some new pairings and rookies I am backing Europe again. After that amazing comeback at Medinah I think (and hope) that Europe will continue with that fighting spirit and I have confidence in the captain Paul McGinley. He’s a great people person and does have an uncannily ability to win as part of a team.
Why is golf such a great game? Because you can play with all ages and abilities – it’s a sociable game and gets you out in the fresh air.
Follow Charlotte on Twitter @CharLouJackson
DI TEAMS UP WITH LYNX “I became the ambassador for Lynx last year and the brand is growing from strength to strength. We all remember Ernie Els and Fred Couples winning Majors with Lynx equipment, the company are building on that heritage and are keen to remember their history in today’s market. The company also recognises the importance of the women’s Tour and is very keen to support female British golfers. Design, style and performance are key for Lynx and their innovative ideas are clear to see in their new ranges.” lynxgolf.co.uk
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“Whatever you want to be,
If you’re different you will stand out.” Anita Roddick
www.lynxgolf.co.uk
Lynx Golf UK
@LynxGolfUK
Inspired By Passion And Innovation.
LG pp 16-17 Columnist MW 17/10/2013 15:44 Page 16
COMMENT
Mickey Walker Some of my favourite British golf trips and destinations
A
S the winter closes in, apart from being able to watch golf on television from exotic climates, it is always good to have a golfing break of our own to look forward to. The great thing is that in the winter months, because hotels and golf courses aren’t so busy, there are usually some great bargains. One such place to stay and play and where the course is especially good in winter is Thorpeness in Suffolk. The hotel has wellappointed rooms, offers good food, particularly the breakfasts which are all freshly cooked to order, and the course is an absolute gem. It is a James Braid design but several years ago had the bunkers redesigned so that if you find yourself in one from the tee it will cost you a shot. I am a huge fan of Braid as a designer, and love the fact that no two holes are the same. It offers a good mix of different length holes and also of the degree of difficulty. As a coastal heathland course I have never played there and come off the course with muddy bottoms to my trousers! The whole package is hard to beat. There may only be one course at Thorpeness, but they have an association with nearby Aldeburgh, another wonderful heathland course, and if you want a break from golf, Aldeburgh and Southwold are two oldfashioned seaside towns that have lots of interesting shops, good restaurants and are worth a visit if only for the wonderful fish and chips! Another place which I have always thought to be special is Gleneagles, the venue for the 16 Lady Golfer
Special The house in the clouds at Thorpeness
2014 Ryder Cup. I first played on the King’s course with one of my Scottish uncles when I was 15 and at the time relatively new to golf. From that moment on I have always been in love with the whole of the area. The original King’s and Queen’s courses were designed by Braid, while the PGA Centenary course on which the Ryder Cup is being played was designed by Jack Nicklaus. With a green fee on any of the three main courses costing £160 during the main season, look out for special offers and perhaps spoil yourself for that very special occasion and combine it with an overnight stay at the hotel so that you can enjoy some of head chef Andrew Fairlie’s award-winning cuisine. Incidentally Andrew is the only two-starred Michelin chef in Scotland, so that in itself is worth a visit! What for me is so wonderful about Gleneagles though, are
the surroundings. The scenery and views on virtually every hole are breathtaking. If you are lucky enough to play there on a sunny day even more so. The overall package might be expensive, but in my opinion worth saving up for. I grew up playing my amateur golf in Kent, which is home to several wonderful links courses. Many readers will know of Royal St George’s, the first-ever English club to host the Open Championship back in 1894 and most recently the venue in 2011, when the winner was Darren Clarke. The other two great links courses are Prince’s, which is adjacent and itself hosted the Open Championship back in 1932, and nearby Royal Cinque Ports, sometimes known as Deal, which hosted the Open Championship twice back in 1909 and 1920. Stay at the Lodge at Prince’s which offers stunning views across the English Channel
over to the White Cliffs of Ramsgate and top-class modern accommodation. Enjoy fine dining at the Brasserie on the Bay and look out for some very special winter offers notably £110 per person for one night’s stay, a two-course dinner and breakfast and two days of golf at Prince’s on their 27 holes incorporating the Shore, Dunes and Himalayas loops. It can be very bleak on the Kent coast, but the warm welcome, cosy accommodation and great food will make up for a day on the links, and if you do hit lucky, so much the better. Lady Golfer often features breaks to fit all tastes and pockets. The three here I have first-hand experience of and can thoroughly recommend. One thing is for sure and that is that if you don’t mind chancing your hand with the uncertainty of our British winter, there are lots of good deals available. www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
LG pp 16-17 Columnist MW 17/10/2013 15:44 Page 17
MY VERDICT ON THE SOLHEIM CAPTAINS Meg Mallon is one of the most popular people to play on the LPGA Tour, and one of, if not the, most popular American Solheim Cup captains. I don’t think that she did anything wrong except that when the American players said that they wanted to win for their captain, thus adding to the pressure and desire to recapture the cup from the Europeans, on this occasion I got the feeling that they really meant it. At times I thought that the Americans were trying too hard. Most of their players were intense in their play, in their pre-match interviews and in trying to get the crowds going. Perhaps that was proved by Brittany Lang being the leading American player with three points out of a possible four. Brittany is one of the quieter American players who calmly goes about her business and just lets her clubs do the talking. Lotta Neumann was a www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
wonderful captain. Her quiet, constant manner and vast experience all had a calming manner on everyone. The Europeans in general had a much calmer demeanour and, whilst they celebrated great shots or putts, it was to my mind in a way that was appropriate, only really ramping it up at the end of a match or when something extraordinary happened. I spoke with Lotta on Monday morning after Europe’s win, and she told me that she wouldn’t take the captaincy again if it was offered to her, as nothing could possibly live up to her experience of this year. And besides, she felt that someone else should be given the honour of being captain.
Mickey Walker • Lady Golfer’s consulting editor captained Europe in the first four Solheim Cups. She regularly appears on Sky Sports as an expert summariser
Lady Golfer 17
LG pp 18-21 Ewart-Shadoff 17/10/2013 14:08 Page 18
INTERVIEW
All smiles Jodi with her college coach Jill Trujillo
LG pp 18-21 Ewart-Shadoff 17/10/2013 14:08 Page 19
American
history
Solheim heroine Jodi Ewart Shadoff looks back on Europe’s record-breaking week in Colorado with Mark Townsend
W
olheim My favourite S Aza Munoz and I were waiting for Karine Icher and Cristie Kerr to finish and they were all square after 16 so, no matter what, they were coming up 18 so we hopped on a buggy. I had a flag wrapped round my neck and it was flapping round my so I stood up and the helper radioed in to say ‘look down the 18th fairway’ and we all started going mad.
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HEN we last spoke to Jodi Ewart Shadoff at the start of 2012 she had just come through both the LET and LPGA Q Schools. It takes something special to cope with the pressures of one, let alone both in the space of just a few weeks. She will now, at the young age of just 25, go down in the record books forever as one of the 12 Europeans who first captured the Solheim Cup on American soil. To add an extra sparkle to an incredible week Lotta Neumann’s heroines also posted a record-winning margin. They not only retained the prized trophy for the first time, they thumped their opponents by a whopping 18-10. Ewart Shadoff was one of the Swede’s captain’s picks and her inclusion prompted the selection of compatriot Charley Hull at the close of the Women’s British Open at St o ot ph Andrews. Weeks later they produced one of the stories of a week which was packed full of them. When were you told you were on the team? I was told before the start of the Women’s British Open and obviously had to keep it quiet! I had been playing well and had a couple of top 10s in Majors. I also had a high finish in Ohio the week before St Andrews and had a good matchplay record as an amateur so I was hopeful but you never know. Then Lotta told me at the start of the week.
What was Lotta like as a captain? She was awesome and is so laid back. All that helped to make everyone get on so well in the team room and the atmosphere was brilliant thanks to her. How well did you know her assistants Annika Sorenstam and Carin Koch? I had never met either before the Solheim and it was great to be able to pick their brains about their cup experiences and careers. After the first foursomes match Annika gave me some really good advice about getting away from having to hit the perfect shot; there is so much pressure and she said to play your own game and that everyone would hit a bad shot and that settled me down. Can you talk us through the Spanish influence on the team bus? Before the week we had a questionnaire and we had to pick songs for the team bus. Somebody from the LET put together a CD and one of the Spanish songs got everyone going on the team bus back to the hotel on the Friday night, I don’t think anybody sat down for the whole journey all the way home. How did the nerves compare to Majors? On the 1st tee it was definitely the most nervous I have ever been and it took a few holes to wear off. I hit the perfect tee shot at the 1st but it was on the greens where it was hard to settle down as I was putting so much pressure on myself. And, as is often the case in matchplay, I seemed to be getting a lot of the first putts and Lady Golfer 19
LG pp 18-21 Ewart-Shadoff 17/10/2013 14:08 Page 20
INTERVIEW
I was trying so hard to hole it. Looking back now it was so useful to go through that sort of experience as the week after in Canada there were no nerves and it was just like a leisurely round. Did your partner Catriona Matthew try to talk you through those early holes or let you find your own feet? A little bit of both, she was the most experienced player on our team which helped and she is such a calm player anyway so being around her helped. You were up against one of your best friends Jessica Korda, did you know that she had been sick halfway down the 1st fairway? We thought we were going to have to play against one another at some point but when we heard the first-day draw it was unbelievable. It was nice to share that debut experience and it almost made it more comfortable. I don’t know how I missed her throwing up down the 1st fairway! You can see the difference in players’ demeanour between the rookies and the more experienced players particularly on the 1st tee. What is the 1st tee like, as much as you want to interact with the fans you are more nervous than ever before? There were two stands and the Europeans had a very small part of one of them but they made more noise than everyone put together so it was really cool. When Charley and I played together they started singing ‘England, England, England’ like the football song which was amazing. 2011 captain Alison Nicholas appeared to be leading most of the singing? I’m surprised she had any voice left at the end of the week after all her efforts, a lot of the others didn’t.
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Going up Jodi is now up to 46th on the world rankings
LG pp 18-21 Ewart-Shadoff 17/10/2013 14:08 Page 21
Famous day Jodi celebrates her singles triumph
JODI’S SOLHEIM RESULTS Friday foursomes - With Matthew lost to Pressel & Korda 3&2 Saturday fourballs - With Hull beat Creamer & Thompson Two holes Sunday singles - Beat Lincicome 3&2
What was the strategy with Charley? We are very different players, she is fearless and aggressive while I tend to be down the fairway and middle of the green. We decided that I would hit first and get one ball in play and she could then be as aggressive as she wanted to be. And it worked out really nicely as I made four birdies and she had six. Was it always the plan to play together? We played in practice rounds together but not as a pairing. I wasn’t that surprised though as we were both playing really well and complemented one another. I think we had a 63 best ball. What is she like as a partner? She is awesome, she is young and great to be around. She really doesn’t get nervous. When she made that birdie at the 17th to go one up against Paula and Lexi, we were walking to the 18th tee and she said she was a ‘bit nervous’ over the putt. I was in the corner of the
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green almost throwing up! Could you imagine doing that at 17 years old? I wouldn’t have been able to stand up never mind do what she did. Have you ever played in a match like that? I was surprised we were put out in the first group, the first and the last groups are usually the strongest pairings and we were a pair of rookies. They shot a 65 and there were birdies pretty much on every hole. Your drive at the 18th appeared to be the longest of the week, how pumped up were you? I was so pumped up and had 152 yards in and I hit a 9-iron all the way to the pin and, even at altitude, that is huge. You know you are pumped up and the mistake is to swing too hard so I tried to swing about 60 per cent. What was said on Saturday night with a five-point lead and the chance to make history?
The captain and her assistants kept reminding us that it was far from over and to play our own games. We only needed three and a half points but I looked at the scoreboard after about three holes of my match and there was just no blue on the scoreboard so I just told myself to get my head down and not look again. Did you have any say in where you went out on Sunday (Jodi was in the 10th match)? I was comfortable wherever I was playing. Everyone hopes it
LIJA Golf I started off on the Symetra Tour in the States and LIJA was just breaking through then and I saw other girls wearing it and loved it. I got in contact with them and have been wearing their clothes the last two years. I wear a lot of their tennis skorts as well and a mix of T-shirts and polo shirts. www.lijastyle.com
comes down to your match and you hole the winning putt but at 10th that looked unlikely. They didn’t ask us where we wanted to play, everyone was happy to play anywhere. Where were you when you found that Europe had won? I was walking down the 15th and I was three up at the time against Brittany Lincicome. We could hear all the singing coming from the 18th and one of the helpers was with me and she told me that we had won. How long did the celebrations go on? I went to bed about 2.30am and there were a few still left. We had our own team room in the hotel and we had a DJ come in, there were a lot of people in there and it was very cool. It is still really fresh now and I’m still getting congratulated in person and on Twitter. It was the best experience I’ve ever had on a golf course and I can’t imagine anything coming close to winning the cup on American soil.
Lady Golfer 21
LG pp 22-23 Columnist Mad Win 17/10/2013 15:46 Page 22
COMMENT
Madeleine Winnett My first foray into cake and course design
HERE are many iconic moments in my life – the first time I swam without armbands, the first time I rode my bicycle without stabilisers, the first time I played a sub-par round of golf. And now, perhaps the most defining moment of all. My first fully fledged cake design! This is only the second cake I have ever been involved with – the first for my lady captain’s day, and now this one when I thought I would turn my hand to a spot of course designing. Move over Jack Nicklaus, I now have a new career mapped out – and my greens are better than yours! I like every course of Jack’s that I have played from tee to green, but then he ruins it by putting ridiculous giant swirls and borrows on the short stuff. Killeen Castle, host of the 2011 Solheim Cup, is the perfect case. What brilliantly designed holes, then you come to the greens and they nearly all have a giant apex of a roof running across them. Admittedly, I created one Mackenzie green, but it’s flat once you reach the pin level. This actually wasn’t always the case, because my cake began life as an upturned cardboard box, and the greens and water were cut from a blue and green bird seed sack. As they kept developing annoyingly curly edges, they then had to be Blu-Tacked down, but I was so proud of my template and the burgeoning design which was taking shape before my eyes. What began as a simple rectangle then grew as my design idea started to become more ambitious.
T
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Just desserts No free drop from the chocolate fingers
Having found an old kitchen cupboard door, I then went in pursuit of an electric saw to create my base. I hadn’t actually ever used an electric saw before, but my general philosophy of, “How hard can it be?” proved to be right once again. Unguided, I managed to get a more or less round end and retain all my fingers, so I regarded that as a successful outcome. Clearly, wood, plastic and cardboard I could cope with, but icing was a whole new ball
Your views Do you agree with Madeleine’s opinions? We give away a Cobra Baffler fairway wood or hybrid to the author of our Star Letter. Email us to let us know what you think.
game – and an extremely frustrating one at that. It took me three hours just to smear green icing smoothly over the cake (which fortunately, someone else had made) and front of the board. The irony of the fact that I could have walked 6,000 yards and taken around 76 shots in the same time wasn’t lost on me! At this point I was mightily fed up of the whole project and suddenly had sympathy with Gordon Ramsay for the first time. If this is how he spends his days, no wonder he swears so much! Not wanting to face the prospect of any more icing for a while, I turned my hand to the rest of my features and started crumbling biscuits for my bunkers. Initially, I wanted to base my bridges on the ones featured in every iconic shot of Augusta. I duly made my presence felt in the kitchen
when my mother was making some cookies, secured a raw ball of mixture, and set to work fashioning an impressive replica of a double arched bridge. I even drew the brick work in with a knife, and waited eagerly for my architecture to come out of the oven. Unfortunately, I hadn’t taken into consideration the fact that things rise, swell, and become grossly misshapen once they sit in 150°, not to mention that they lose every last impression of carefully created brick work! Crestfallen that once again I had been defeated by the vagaries of cooking, I decided I needed a Plan B. Thankfully, I thought of one almost immediately in the form of chocolate fingers. Melting them to stick together to form a natural arch seemed far too precarious, so I decided to glue them onto a strip of empty drinks bottle. I www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
LG pp 22-23 Columnist Mad Win 17/10/2013 15:46 Page 23
religiously read all the labels on the glues I owned, and although several said they were ‘Multi-task’ and that they bonded a variety of materials, none actually mentioned chocolate. This, I thought, was an oversight by the companies, and I fully intended to bring it to Bostik’s attention if their All Purpose Extra Strong Adhesive didn’t prove to be all purpose after all. Fortunately, it did, and I was so proud of my first rustic bridge, I had to make a second one! No self-respecting course is complete without trees, and fortunately, I remembered I had made trees before for my cup cake arrangement on lady captain’s day, and hadn’t had the heart to throw them away afterwards. I had affectionately tucked them away in the garage for two years, and wasn’t worried about the prospect of poisoning people after so long because I had ignored the initial instructions anyway. When the recipe said to use ice cream cones with pretzels secured by royal icing as the base, I had improvised with cardboard, staples, polyfiller and lolly pop sticks. Admittedly, they were looking a little anaemic where the butter icing branches had faded, but that was nothing a quick dunk in some green dye couldn’t fix – and if I was going to kill people, I might as well do it properly! To be honest, I was both delighted and a little miffed when I found them again. The garage where I’d left them seems to be a very happy home for Mr and Mrs Mouse who have eaten their www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
way through several golf bags and head covers, but who resolutely left my butter cream alone. It seems that even they have heard about my prowess in the kitchen! However, when all the touches were added together, I was immensely proud of my creation. But, if you are looking for someone to make a golf-themed cake – don’t ask me. From now on I’m sticking to the real thing. It’s far less stressful, takes up far less time and is infinitely easier to master!
I’d give my right arm to... You know how glibly we all say, “I’d give my right arm to…” Well, I have rethought that strategy after reading about a Hungarian man who sawed off an arm by accident below the elbow, then fished it out of the offending machinery, and drove 10 miles to hospital whilst clutching the severed limb! I nearly passed out when I saw a splinter had gone down my finger nail, so I don’t think I would have been able to carry something severed. So, from now on, I won’t give my right arm to putt like Inbee Park – but perhaps I could stretch to giving myself a bruise.
Madeleine Winnett • Lady Golfer’s equipment expert is a Staffordshire county player and never short of a forthright opinion on the game!
Lady Golfer 23
LG pp 24 Display Ads 18/10/2013 11:52 Page 24
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LG pp 25 Lead to Instruction 17/10/2013 14:10 Page 25
YOUR GAME Hit it further and straighter I Hole more putts I Short game I Golf psychology I Course management
TOUR TIPS: What you can learn from Carlota Ciganda
2) With the modern ball spinning far less than the older balls it is more important now than ever to hit down, more to encourage a little more backspin. The modern fairway wood is bigger and deeper in the face, than in years gone by, meaning the sweet spot is higher up the face at times. This also has an effect and encourages more of a ‘hit down’ than before to create a central strike.
1) We are always told to hit up on our woods and down on our irons. This surely requires two different swings? However it would appear here that perhaps this isn’t the case at all. The steep nature of the attack into the ball is clear to see from the divot produced. This gives us an insight into how the modern day professionals are playing these shots.
Analysis by Sandy Smith. Sandy is Carly Booth's coach, a PGA Fellow Professional and the head pro at Ladybank in Fife. For more www.sandysmithgolf.com or Twitter @sandysmithgolf
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Lady Golfer 25
LG pp 26-27 Tara Dayer Instruction 17/10/2013 14:12 Page 26
INSTRUCTION
BACK TO
BASICS
How to ensure you get your posture, set-up and grip right
T
OO many club golfers don’t get the basics right before they have even pulled the putter back. The more you get right before making the stroke, the more you are likely to hit a good putt. To begin with concentrate on tilting from the hips with your legs relatively straight. You do not want to be bending from the knees. Also think about keeping your back straight and your shoulders not being rounded.
Tara Dayer-Smith plays on the Ladies’ European Tour and Jamega Tour. She is attached to Brocket Hall GC in Hertfordshire. For more visit www.taraworld.co.uk
LG pp 26-27 Tara Dayer Instruction 17/10/2013 14:12 Page 27
BE FREE TO ROTATE
EYES DOWN
I like to think of having the back of my neck as flat as possible so it is comfortable to rotate my head after impact. Your arms should hang freely and perpendicular to the ground which will remove any tension.
A tried and tested method to check where your eyes are looking at is to drop a ball from between your eyes and it should land on the back of the ball.If it doesn’t your eyes are not over the putter head.
THINK OF THE TOOTHPASTE
LEFT FOOT FORWARD
Your grip is a very personal thing and what is right for one player may feel totally alien to another. I am more interested in your grip pressure, you should feel like you are holding a tube of toothpaste.
I like to have my ball position towards my left foot making sure that the face of the putter remains square at impact. This should also help to keep your shoulders level which is crucial for any solid putt.
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Lady Golfer 27
LG pp 28-29 Williams Instruction 17/10/2013 15:48 Page 28
INSTRUCTION
ON FIRM 1BUILT FOUNDATIONS At set-up almost feel like you are stronger at address and have a firmer foundation than a normal shot. Grip down for more control with the ball position in the centre of your stance. Sometimes I have it further back in my stance but you don’t want to shut the loft down too much.
28 Lady Golfer
ANGLE 2 STEEP OF ATTACK
You don’t want too much weight transfer through the swing and you are trying to create a steep angle of attack to help it get through the grass. Employ a threequarter swing to make sure you can accelerate well into the ball.
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LG pp 28-29 Williams Instruction 17/10/2013 15:48 Page 29
Lucy Williams is the current PGA Professional women’s champion and 2011 English Amateur winner. She now plays on the LET Access Series and is available for lessons at Mid Herts GC. Follow @lucywgolf
ROUGH AND
READY How to escape the thick stuff
T
HE biggest problem club golfers have when they end up in the heavy rough is getting the clubhead caught up and tangled in the grass, therefore not getting the ball out.
This is because the loft gets shut so we need to hold the club a bit tighter and feel like the back of the left hand is going towards the hole so the club doesn’t turn over.
HAND IS 3 LEFT THE KEY
We can see here that I’m trying to keep the back of the left hand facing the hole as long as possible and staying down on the shot. If you look at the clubface there is still a lot of loft showing well after impact. In the finish I am still holding the left hand off and am in balance despite playing an aggressive shot.
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Lady Golfer 29
LG pp 30-31 Hinton Instruction 17/10/2013 15:50 Page 30
INSTRUCTION
M
ANY people have an unnecessary fear of bunker shots, especially when the ball is lying on a slope. Simple adjustments in the way you set up to the ball can make a huge difference to the success of these shots. An uphill lie in a bunker can sometimes be an advantage – if played correctly, it’s easier to get height on the shot. Try these tips next time you’re on an uphill slope to get the ball out first time, every time.
UPHILL BATTLE Escape first time every time from this awkward lie
Sally Hinton is a PGA professional at Close House just outside Newcastle. There are two courses, a very modern academy and an exquisite hotel and Courtyard rooms. www.closehouse.co.uk
30 Lady Golfer
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LG pp 30-31 Hinton Instruction 17/10/2013 15:50 Page 31
NO NEED TO SCOOP A common mistake people make is trying to scoop the ball up with the majority of the weight on the back foot. This usually leads to the club hitting the sand too early and slowing down dramatically. As a result, the ball fails to get enough height or distance to escape the bunker.
INCREASE THE LOFT Set your weight more on the front foot with your ball position just ahead of centre. Wriggle your feet into the sand slightly to create a
stable base for the swing. Open the clubface slightly to increase the loft of the club and, as a result, the height of the shot.
BE AGGRESSIVE It’s important to make a full, aggressive swing as the ball will usually fly higher and shorter than from a flat lie. Aim to hit the sand one inch before the ball and follow through fully. It’s easy to get stuck back on the lower foot due to the slope but try to force your weight through up the bank.
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Lady Golfer 31
LG pp 32-33 Fashion 17/10/2013 14:15 Page 32
The Genera Golfwear can be timeless and elegant whatever your age -
LG pp 32-33 Fashion 17/10/2013 14:15 Page 33
In association with
Left - Kent Winter Cut Offs £70, Horizon Roll Neck £42, all One Up Golf Right - Beresford Trousers £79, Shawl Cable Sweater £68, Interlock Roll Neck £35, all One Up Golf
ation Game Our stylish mother and daughter team show us how
LG pp 34-35 Fashion 17/10/2013 14:16 Page 34
Left - Miranda Shorts £44, Erin Tank top £57.20, Sophie Polo Shirt £30.25, all Glenmuir Shoes: SoftJoys £65, FootJoy
Right - Stella Trousers £55, Erin Tank Top £57.20, Sophie Polo Shirt £30.25, all Glenmuir Shoes: LoPro Casual £75, FootJoy
LG pp 34-35 Fashion 17/10/2013 14:16 Page 35
In association with
Kaleidoscope Jumper £69.95, Polo £37.95, all IJP Design
LG pp 36-37 Fashion 17/10/2013 14:18 Page 36
Braer Polo £39.99, Spirol Lambswool £79.99, all Glenbrae Tech Pant £55.00, Puma
LG pp 36-37 Fashion 17/10/2013 14:18 Page 37
In association with
Assymetrical long sleeve mock turtleneck £105, Capri leggings £40, all Poodle Slim Track Jacket £50, Puma, Natasha Twill Cap £25, Tommy Hilfiger
LG pp 38-39 Fashion 18/10/2013 10:12 Page 38
Left - Arielle Pant £70, Ingrid V-neck Sweater £75, Laure Polo £45, all Tommy Hilfiger Shoes: LoPro Casual £75, FootJoy Right - Arielle Bermuda £70, Luce Jacket £125, Laure polo £45, all Tommy Hilfiger Shoes: SoftJoys £65, FootJoy
LG pp 38-39 Fashion 18/10/2013 10:13 Page 39
In association with
Pattern Polo £40, Puma Shot on location at Oulton Hall, Rothwell Lane, Oulton, Leeds (www.devere.co.uk, 0871 222 4690) Photography: Chris Chippindale (chrischippindalephotography.co.uk) | Photographer’s assistant: Zoe Booth Hair and Make up: Dani Haigh, Gurdeep Kaur Digpal, Olivia Anderson With special thanks to Rachel Riches at Oulton Hall for her kind assistance and our models Jacky and Natalie Stockists: Glenbrae (glenbraegolf.com), Puma (puma.com), Glenmuir (glenmuir.com), FootJoy (footjoy.co.uk), IJP Design (ijpdesign.com) One Up Golf (oneupgolf.co.uk), Poodle (poodlegolf.com), Tommy Hilfiger (tommy.com) and missdesignergolf.com
LG pp 41 Fashion Shops 17/10/2013 14:20 Page 41
MISS DESIGNER GOLF Key brands: Green Lamb, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Under Armour, LIJA, Puma, Cutter and Buck, Fairway and Greene How to buy: Online at MissDesignerGolf.com Website: MissDesignerGolf.com Tel: 0800 3763 596 Product details: Green Lamb Myra Wool V-Neck Sweater, £29.99 (available in 7 colors)
GOLFING LADY ONLINE Key brands: Rohnisch, Nivo, Daily Sports, Green Lamb. How to buy: In store at Royal Winchester GC or online. Website: golfingladyonline.co.uk Tel: 01962 859 222 Product details: Daily Sports Cardigan, Ivory, £56.99
LADIESGOLF.CO.UK Key brands: Green Lamb, Nike, Galvin Green How to buy: Online at ladiesgolf.co.uk Website: ladiesgolf.co.uk Tel: 01634 914 020 Product details: Lija Ladies WindChill Jacket, £79.99
WEAR TO
SHOP
Give your wardrobe a winter pep-up before the weather turns
ONE UP GOLF Key brands: One Up Golf, AshB, Proquip, Under Armour, Crocs How to buy: Online or by telephone Website: oneupgolf.co.uk Tel: 0844 5572011 Product details: One Up Golf Elderberry Roll Neck, £65
EUREKA Key brands: Daily Sports, Rohnisch, Ping Collection, Adidas How to buy: Online at eurekagolf.co.uk Website: eurekagolf.co.uk Tel: 01915 841 198 Product details: Daily Sports Scratch Player Jacket, £82.50
GOLF GARB Key brands: Daily Sports, Ping Collection, Nike, Green Lamb How to buy: Online or by telephone Website: golfgarb.co.uk Tel: 01225 745 758 Product details: Glenmuir Ludivine Sweater, £59.99
Miss Designer Golf 17/10/2013 15:37 Page 1
LG pp 42-43 Christmas Gifts 18/10/2013 12:26 Page 42
CHRISTMAS
GIFTS Find a present the golfer in your life will really want this year‌
p GOLF BUDDY
p SABONA
What they do: Golf Buddy specialise in producing GPS devices. Their range is substantial and contains both wearable and hand-held devices.
What they do: Sabona have been manufacturing copper and magnetic bracelets for over 50 years.
Description: GPS devices allow players to view exact yardages and pin positions. The brand-new wearable WT3, which has dynamic green view and moveable pin placement features, is the newest addition to the Golf Buddy range. The rechargeable batteries also last for up to 50 days. The hand-held Platinum device features a 40,000-course storage capability, statistics analysis, and is held in a water and shock resistant case.
Description: Copper is an essential element required by the body, and Sabona’s bracelets allow the skin to have direct exposure to copper, which can in turn help with the relief of aches and pains. This is particularly relevant to golf during the winter, where exposure to cold and wet conditions can exacerbate joint pains. The bracelets are worn by many top names in the game, including Ernie Els, Ian Woosnam, John Daly, Chris DiMarco and Miguel Angel Jimenez.
LG pp 42-43 Christmas Gifts 18/10/2013 12:27 Page 43
p BEST IMPRESSIONS What they do: Best Impressions specialise in personalised gifts. Description: The company is best known for its production of personalised golf ball markers, but they also make various personalised gift sets, tees and balls, and sell apparel, pitch mark repairers and gloves.
p NORTHCROFT GOLF
p GOLF QUEEN
What they do: Northcroft Golf design products to help players who suffer with bending down.
What they do: Golf Queen sell various different golf apparel and accessory products.
Description: The range of products from Northcroft Golf help those who suffer with back, knee or hip problems, which can make aspects of golf such as teeing the ball up or marking your ball on the green difficult. Their products are also an excellent option for disabled golfers. The innovative ball and marker pick-up device clips onto the top of your putter grip and allows players to place markers and pick up their ball without having to bend down. The separate tee-up product aids with both placing and removing tees as well as teeing the ball up.
Description: Aiming to sell functional and fashionable products for women of all ages, many of the products sold by Golf Queen are exclusively imported from the USA and meet high specifications in terms of both performance and style. The company sells gloves, handbags, headbands, visors, caps, ball markers, sunglasses, golf belts, headcovers, towels and divot repair tools. Many of the products have a quirky or different feel, adding to the concept of buying bespoke equipment which will stand out on the golf course.
p INFINITY PRO What they do: Infinity Pro produce magnetic bracelets. Description: Many golfers are seen on the course wearing either magnetic or ion bracelets to help improve circulation. Infinity Pro’s Energetix magnetic bracelets are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
p SURPRIZE SHOP What they do: Surprize Shop sell exclusive golf gifts. Description: Stocking everything from on-course accessories to novelty items, Suprize Shop is a great place to find golf-related stocking fillers. They also have a special range of seasonal designs on various items.
p SKYPRO
pTHE LITTLE ONE
What they do: SkyPro is a swing analysis product from SkyGolf, who produce rangefinder SkyCaddie.
What they do: The Little One is a training aid designed to help improve ball striking.
Description: This product allows players to gain detailed insights into their swing patterns. The device is around the size of a USB stick and weighs less than 30g. It attaches to the shaft of any golf club and syncs information to the SkyPro app, which can be installed on mobile phones. The ultra high-speed capture rate captures up to 3,200 samples per second, creating up to 100,000 data points from address to impact. Many factors become available for analysis, including clubhead speed, swing path, face angle and impact position.
Description: Available as both a 7-iron and a pitching wedge, this minature clubhead attached to a full shaft provides an excellent way for players to practice hitting the ball from the sweet spot more consistently. The design draws on inspiration from other sports such as cricket and baseball, where professionals practice with smaller, narrower bats to improve their focus and accuracy levels. By increasing the difficulty in hitting the ball with smaller clubs, it becomes easier to find the sweet spot on full-size clubs.
p POODLE What they do: Poodle produce high-quality golf clothing. Description: Amsterdam-based brand Poodle offers a unique combination of performance and style. Their ‘mashie rashie’ collection is surf inspired, taking its name from a combination of the old spade mashie club and the rashguard material which is used to protect surfers.
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NEW! WATCH The dedicated golf GPS watch. Accuracy & style. - Moveable Pin Placement - Distances to hazards - Over 36,000 free courses for ever - 50-day watch charge - Scorecard, odometer, shot distance measurement - Dynamic Green View
ACCURACY MATTERS
GolfBuddy makes supremely accurate devices exclusively for golfers - no-one else. Our Dynamic Green technology has been developed to always give distances to the front middle and back of the green directly from the golfer's angle of approach. Not all GPS brands offer this important technology. We also walk courses to create ground-verified maps that ensure total accuracy. Not all GPS brands do this. So in a game where even inches matter, itrust the brand that goes the extra mile to be the most accurate.
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LG pp 45 Top 100 Lead & 100-93 17/10/2013 15:52 Page 45
TOP 100 UNDER £100
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BRITA I N’S BEST
100 COURSES UNDER £100
E wanted to create a list which realistically reflects golfers’ budget – although £100 is not a trifling amount for a green free. We based the limit on 2013 summer green fees for a round during
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No lavish green fees, just top-class courses
the week in high season – before special offers, packages, group discounts or twilight offers were applied. You did not have to be a member of any type of scheme to play for under £100 and we sought clubs which genuinely welcome members.
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KILMARNOCK BARASSIE
Ayrshire 2013 green fee: £60 Recently extended, Barassie now has 27 holes. Expect high-quality surfaces to hit and putt on and bunkering that must be respected. Why it’s special: A quintessential west-coast Scottish links
BUDE & NORTH CORNWALL
Cornwall 2013 green fee: £33 A seaside course of little more than 6,000 yards, there is a testing finish almost in the very centre of town. Classic holiday golf. Why it’s special: The views from the putting green are sensational www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
SEASCALE
Cumbria 2013 green fee: £35 In one direction are the Lake District hills and in another the Irish Sea. The industrial backdrop to the south unfairly dominates conversations about this fine links. Why it’s special: Incredible value and an experience few get to enjoy
DALMAHOY
Edinburgh 2013 green fee: £65 Dalmahoy was good enough to host the Solheim Cup in the 1990s. It was designed by James Braid and finishes in some style with a hole that crosses a gorge. Why it’s special: An 18th-century manor house is a lovely backdrop
KING’S LYNN
Norfolk 2013 green fee: £50 Tight, tree-lined and featuring several doglegs, King’s Lynn is the gateway to any trip to Norfolk. A round here is much more than a warm up to Norfolk’s links. Why it’s special: You could be playing at one of Surrey’s finest
NORTH HANTS
Hampshire 2013 green fee: £ Where Justin Rose grew up and by mastering his home course’s tree-lined fairways and tight heathland turf he honed his ball striking and accuracy. Why it’s special: A courses where you rarely see any other holes
SHERINGHAM
Norfolk 2013 green fee: £65 Sitting on cliffs, get Sheringham on a clear day and you will be glad to be alive. Natural and rugged, the toughest holes are usually those beside the railway. Why it’s special: The views of the sea and the sound of the old trains
HAYLING
Hampshire 2013 green fee: £60 This links is over 100 years old but the design owes much to Tom Simpson in the 1930s. It’s rugged and natural with plenty of gorse. Why it’s special: Arguably the only true links to the west of Rye on the south coast Lady Golfer 45
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TOP 100 UNDER £100
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DOWNFIELD
Angus 2013 green fee: £69 Classy Downfield is a verdant, parkland treat in a region much better known for its flinty links courses. Get this Open qualifier in the summer months and you will love the conditioning but don’t be deceived – it is a substantial test from the back tees. Why it’s special: There are some wonderful risk-and-reward par 5s
WALLASEY
Cheshire 2013 green fee: £80 Separated from Liverpool by the width of the Mersey, Wallasey enjoys a stunning location with views in the opposite direction of the North Wales coast. This is a links course that begins and ends in the dunes. Why it’s special: The best holes here would not be out of place at nearby Royal Liverpool.
GULLANE (No 2)
East Lothian 2013 green fee: £48 Just like Blairgowrie’s Rosemount and Lansdowne we think there is less between Gullane 1 and 2 than is usually assumed. In fact, the layouts have much in common – and the locals says No 2 is often in even better condition. Why it’s special: The romantic views towards Edinburgh and the Forth Road Bridge 46 Lady Golfer
ISLE OF PURBECK
Dorset 2013 green fee: £48 This is an unusual course – it is near the sea yet actually more heathland in nature than anything else, with outbreaks of gorse and heather. It was touched by the hands of the great Harry Colt in the 1900s. Why it’s special: The views here are amazing and in all directions
LUFFENHAM HEATH
Rutland 2013 green fee: £55 Just off the A1 not far from Stamford is an oasis of golfing sophistication. Luffenham is in places delightfully old-fashioned, although the course has recently been extended and improved. Why it’s special: The finishing stretch is stunning, with the highlight being the short 17th
PERRANPORTH
Cornwall 2013 green fee: £36 At the risk of damning unassuming Perranporth with faint praise, this is the kind of holiday golf you dream of – impossibly pretty, great fun, quirky and really welcoming. Perfect for summer evenings. Why it’s special: Only a golfing heathen would fail to be charmed by Perranporth
BLACKMOOR
Hampshire 2013 green fee: £60 What is commonly known as the Surrey sand belt in fact extends into Berkshire and Hampshire, with Blackmoor perhaps the most westerly course to benefit from its ideal golfing characteristics. It’s a gorgeous place to play. Why it’s special: The purple heather gives Blackmoor a special look all of its own
IPSWICH (PURDIS HEATH)
Suffolk 2013 green fee: £55 Suffolk can be an under-rated golfing region because with gems like Purdis Heath there is plenty to recommend it. It’s a course that keeps itself to itself – maybe a few more should be let into the secret. Why it’s special: The journey from wooded beginnings to classic heathland in the middle
ST ANNES OLD LINKS
Lancashire 2013 green fee: £75 Whisper it quietly, but the word is that St Annes has one of the best greenkeepers in the business and it it has never been in better condition. Spectacular it is not and hemmed in it may be, but what a thorough test of your game. Why it’s special: Because it is so consistently good
FULFORD
Yorkshire 2013 green fee: £55 Once a European Tour stop and still a delight to members and visitors – who included Europe’s best female amateurs last summer – Fulford is bisected by the A64. On the near side it’s parkland, across the road more heathland. Why it’s special: The holes are evocatively named after tour players who competed here
BLAIRGOWRIE (LANSDOWNE)
Perthshire 2013 green fee: £60 There is a myth that the Lansdowne is very much a second course to the Rosemount – we encourage you to play both and find out the truth for yourself. It was considered good enough to host this year’s Scottish Amateur. Why it’s special: This is stunning Gleneagles country
HINDHEAD
Surrey 2013 green fee: £70 Famed for the contrast between its two nines, initially the fairways wind through narrow valleys. It is a different story later on, with a heathland plateau providing flatter terrain. Arthur Conan Doyle was among the founders. Why it’s special: The view from the 2nd tee is worth the journey to this corner of Surrey alone www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
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CHART HILLS
Kent 2013 green fee: £70 Sir Nick Faldo’s very modern design is golf on a grand scale with some audacious bunkering and green complexes. There is subtlety though, too, on what is a typically strategic and demanding Faldo parkland course. Why it’s special: This looks and feels like real championship golf and is quite a test
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PYLE & KENFIG
South Wales 2013 green fee: £55 If the first nine was even half as good as the second then P&K would be a contender for the top course in Wales. Such is the drama of the inward half, which ploughs joyously between dunes and hillocks, that the previous statement is not hyperbole. Why it’s special: The way the second nine is sprung upon you
BROADSTONE
Dorset 2013 green fee: £68 Beginning in the town and rising gradually to higher moorland wth expansive views, Broadstone is not an easy course to categorise. Never less than varied, there is something for everyone here and it is a real challenge in the wind. Why it’s special: The stretches of heathland take Broadstone to a level of real excellence www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
LINDRICK
Yorkshire 2013 green fee: £65 A geographical curiosity in that it spans Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire, Lindrick hosted the Ryder Cup back in the 1950s. Another grand old course bisected by a major road, it’s a combination of parkland and heathland on the outskirts of Worksop. Why it’s special: The Ryder Cup memorabilia is worth the trip alone
LUNDIN LINKS
Fife 2013 green fee: £58 One of Fife’s classic old courses, Lundin begins and ends in genuine linksland, briefly climbing in the middle to higher ground. There is real subtlety in some of the shorter par-4 holes here, which are cunningly protected. Why it’s special: This is golf as it was meant to be – and it’s virtually unchanged over the years
ASHRIDGE
Hertfordshire 2013 green fee: £67 Henry Cotton and Alex Hay are two of the former club professionals at what is – after WGC venue The Grove – surely the finest course in Hertfordshire. Ashridge enjoys a special setting and its unusual routing means there are several starting points. Why it’s special: Wild deer roam the fairways
SEATON CAREW
Durham 2013 green fee: £44 You might not come to this part of the world for the views – which are mainly industrial – but what a course awaits, and a true links at that. Worthy of greater recognition and praise. Why it’s special: The design genius of Dr Alister MacKenzie is evident throughout
IRVINE BOGSIDE
Ayrshire 2013 green fee: £50 What a misnomer – Irvine’s turf is springy to the point of being linkslike and this is another of those Scottish courses that should form part of your golfing eduction. Score well here and you can definitely play the game. Why it’s special: We love the blend of testing and quirky
CONWY
North Wales 2013 green fee: £55 Conwy has hosted plenty of professional golf over the years, most recently the ladies and seniors. You can see why – it’s a genuine championship links with a increasingly enclosed closing stretch that can be claustrophic as gorse lines the fairways. Why it’s special: Several changes of direction make for great variety Lady Golfer 47
LG pp 48 Top 100 Ads 17/10/2013 16:52 Page 48
Monifieth Golf Links
Medal Starter’s Box Princes Street, Monifieth, Angus DD5 4AW
Monifieth Medal Weekdays £59, Weekends £65 A unique challenge to golfers
The Ashludie Weekdays £25, Weekends £30 Offers golfers immense enjoyment Day package including a round of golf on each course plus full catering £79 (Mon-Fri only) Winter rates apply until 31st March 2014 Special online rates also available via our website
Enquiries: 01382 532767 Email: bookings@monifiethlinks.com Online booking facility available via our website: www.monifiethgolf.co.uk
48 Lady Golfer
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
LG pp 49 Top 71-60 17/10/2013 15:57 Page 49
TOP 100 UNDER £100
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BRORA
Highlands 2013 green fee: £49 An achingly romantic place to be, especially during those endless late spring and summer days that you get this far north. The greens are roped off to keep the sheep away and the holes blend seamlessly into the landscape. Why it’s special: This James Braid links is simply as natural as they come
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LEVEN LINKS
Fife 2013 green fee: £55 Separated from Lundin by just a stone wall, Leven nevertheless has a slightly different feel. All the holes are at sea level and in the summer it gets hard and fast, just as it should be. Why it’s special: This would be a great place to start if you’d never played links golf before and wanted to know what it’s all about
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GOLSPIE
Highlands 2013 green fee: £45 Beautifully presented and with as much variety as you could ever wish for, Golspie alternates between links, heathland, woodland and even parkland. The consecutive short holes at the 16th and 17th are a highlight. Why it’s special: You will get as warm and as genuine a welcome here as anywhere in the land
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MONIFIETH
Angus 2013 green fee: £55 Monifieth backs on to Panmure which in turn runs into Carnoustie – so this is prime linksland. This was the first links course Tom Watson ever played back in 1975 and he would surely still recognise it today; a classy links with echoes of Ganton. Why it’s special: Monifieth has classic humps and hollows
PENNARD
Swansea, South Wales 2013 green fee: £50 This is an extraordinary course – perhaps the only one of its type – that combines being perched at the top of some almighty cliffs with genuine links turf and features. That gives you the twin pleasures of outstanding golf and views to die for. Why it’s special: It would be easier to say why it isn’t. Magic www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
CASTLETOWN
Isle of Man 2013 green fee: £42 The off-course experience here is still sadly lacking but there can be no denying the excitement and drama of the links itself. At times, it feels more clifftop in style and there are some wonderful views of the Irish Sea. Why it’s special: Rugged and natural, you won’t forget the experience of playing here
BERWICKUPON-TWEED
Northumberland 2013 green fee: £42 This is pure linksland – by which we mean straw-coloured, bouncy, fast-running fairways, uneven ground and sensational green sites. It is occasionally quirky, very varied and does not require any show-stopping splendour. Why it’s special: The dune formations are exceptional
SCOTSCRAIG
Fife 2013 green fee: £56 Many golfers will visit St Andrews several times without realising Scotscraig is just a short drive away. They are missing out on a course re-designed by James Braid in the 1920s that is inland but with seaside tendencies at times. Why it’s special: Scotscraig is preparing to celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2017
PRINCE’S
Sandwich, Kent 2013 green fee: £80 Much has changed at Prince’s over the last five years and a course that was looking a little tired has been rejuvenated. The conditioning and bunkering are now sensational. The three loops of nine each bring you back to the clubhouse. Why it’s special: You don’t get to play an Open venue every day
ST MELLION (NICKLAUS)
Devon 2013 green fee: From £85 Jack Nicklaus’s first course design in Europe is spectacular and never less than demanding. There is plenty of water and some seriously quick greens. It is maintained to a high level and has a super hotel (and the Kernow course) on site. Why it’s special: As strategic an inland test as you will find
LITTLESTONE
Kent 2013 green fee: £70 While the likes of Sandwich and Deal steal the limelight in Kent, the locals know that Littlestone is a fine links in its own right. Relatively flat for the most part, it builds to quite a finish with the highlight being the 16th. Why it’s special: Littlestone is brilliant in the winter – this is the driest corner of the country
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SPEY VALLEY
Aviemore, Highlands 2013 green fee: £60 Getting to the 1st tee from the clubhouse is a journey in itself but that is soon forgotten when a new world opens in front of you once you reach the 2nd green. Is there an inland course in Britain that occupies a grander setting? Why it’s special: Secluded to the point of isolation, Spey Valley is a treat to the senses Lady Golfer 49
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TOP 100 UNDER £100
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TENBY
South Wales 2013 green fee: £25 The oldest course in Wales is also one of the very best, especially the opening 14 holes. Tenby is a popular tourist destination, but the course is rather more than that, as is apparent from the very first hole, where the drive is blind and the green protected by a dune. Why it’s special: You simply can’t play here and not enjoy yourself
ROYAL NORTH DEVON
Westward Ho!, Devon 2013 green fee: £55 You could come here just to soak in the atmosphere and history of England’s oldest club. You need to play here a few times before you start to learn its secrets. Why it’s special: You can almost feel the presence of JH Taylor, the five-time Open champion who grew up here
MONTROSE
Angus 2013 green fee: £55 Golf has been played over this quintessential links since the 16th century. There are opportunities to score early on during the fine shore-side holes but what a finish – culminating in the 17th, a long par 4 with its green a shelf cut into the gorse-filled hillside. Why it’s special: Golf and town life are indistinguishable here 50 Lady Golfer
LUFFNESS
East Lothian 2013 green fee: £85 Classy and impeccably presented throughout, Luffness has a certain status about it. It may not be the longest anymore but a stingy par of 70 ensures good scoring is a rarity. Until recently, Luffness was a regular host for final qualifying when the Open came to Muirfield. Why it’s special: The turf is sensationally good here
PARKSTONE
Dorset 2013 green fee: £75 It is not far to the seaside from Parkstone yet in terms of character you could be 100 miles inland. This is a predominantly heathland course, and one with fine views of Poole Harbour. Originally laid out by Willie Park, it was redesigned by James Braid. Why it’s special: The closing hole is a spectacular par 3
MACHRIHANISH DUNES
Argyll & Bute 2013 green fee: £70 The new (McLay) Kidd in town is Mach Dunes, just a few years old and next to the original Machrihanish. It’s fantastic, and is getting better with every year. Why it’s special: This is completely natural seaside golf, dictated by the often wild pitches and rolls of the land
ASHBURNHAM
South Wales 2013 green fee: £39 It is a travesty Ashburnham does not receive more widespread acclaim. If honest links are your thing then you will not be disappointed here – in fact a stretch of nine or 10 holes in the middle is truly great. Why it’s special: It is ridiculously good value – a game here is worth twice the price
TREVOSE
Cornwall 2013 green fee: £69 Trevose has so much to offer the visiting golfer but while the onsite accommodation is superb, it is the championship course that really counts. Heading immediately towards the ocean at Booby Bay, this is a big course that enjoys a sensational location. Why it’s special: The location of the 4th green (above) says it all
MORAY OLD
Moray 2013 green fee: £70 A glorious links course in the best traditions that begins and ends in the lovely seaside town of Lossiemouth. On the front nine the fairways are lined by gorse while there is more space on the way home. Why it’s special: Playing up the last fairway towards the grand old clubhouse is so memorable
MURCAR
Aberdeen 2013 green fee: £80 This is a club where plenty of competitive golf is played and it is a real treat of a links, especially the stretch along the coast that begins with the 4th. A couple of inland holes are not quite of the same standard but the finish is tight and testing. Why it’s special: The thrilling stretch on the front nine
DELAMERE FOREST
Cheshire 2013 green fee: £55 You may well not have heard much about this Herbert Fowler gem built on sandy soil, but he made exemplary use of a rolling site that a lesser designer may not have put to such good use. Why it’s special: It is not a club that seeks the limelight so what a treat it is to play here
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ROYAL ASHDOWN FOREST Sussex
2013 green fee: £65 Famously without a single bunker, The Old here (there is the West too) is certainly not lacking in protection with grassy hollows easily costing you half a shot. The second course, the West, is almost every bit as good. Why it’s special: The highlight is surely the view from the 11th tee www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
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GLASGOW GAILES LINKS
Ayrshire 2013 green fee: £95 Gailes will be Scotland’s host of final Open qualifying for the next few years and it is nice to see this august links emerge from the shadows and take its share of the attention the classic Ayrshire courses rightly attract. Why it’s special: You don’t often see heather on a links course
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PANMURE
Angus 2013 green fee: £75 Panmure is classy, well-presented and packed with fine holes. Work is currently underway to move a couple of fairways further away from a caravan park and this will only add to the experience. Why it’s special: Taking aim at the raised, well-protected green on the 6th, named after Ben Hogan, is quite a challenge www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
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SEACROFT
Lincolnshire 2013 green fee: £40 Not too many golfers would think immediately of Skegness when it came to an east-coast golfing trip but those who make it here love Seacroft. It’s a links course of real substance that quickly opens out as you play away from the town over the opening holes. Why it’s special: The quartet of par 3s offer a bit of everything
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BEAU DESERT
Staffordshire 2013 green fee: £70 There is a special – if unlikely, to those who don’t know better – golf trip on offer in Staffordshire and the highlight may well be Beau Desert. Herbert Fowler’s pine-clad heathland masterpiece lies in glorious seclusion. Why it’s special: Firm, sloping fairways demand a cunning gameplan to be executed well
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DUNBAR
East Lothian 2013 green fee: £65 The first of the great East Lothian courses you encounter if approaching from the South East, Dunbar does not begin in great style but quickly picks up the pace. It’s a course that occupies a long, narrow piece of land – there’s just enough room for a vintage links. Why it’s special: You get very, very close to the sea here Lady Golfer 51
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NEW ZEALAND
Surrey 2013 green fee: £85 Perhaps the least known of Surrey’s great heathlands, and one senses that is just the way the club and its members like it. At around 6,000 yards and entirely flat, it is as easy-walking and relaxing an experience as golf can provide. Why it’s special: Playing here feels like discovering a secret course nobody else that has visited
LITTLE ASTON
West Midlands 2013 green fee: £90 Most people think of The Belfry when asked about parkland golf in Sutton Coldfield but Little Aston is certainly prettier. It’s also a championship course with the occasional water hazard that demands your respect. Why it’s special: It’s in suburbia but you really wouldn’t know it. An extremely friendly club, too
BOAT OF GARTEN
Highlands 2013 green fee: £41 If you’ve never played ‘The Boat’, then it’s something you really need to change. It’s a unique experience and all who visit this Aviemorebased club seem to fall in love with this short, strategic and simply beautiful tree-lined course. Why it’s special: It’s the prettiest course in our list – bar none 52 Lady Golfer
BLAIRGOWRIE (ROSEMOUNT)
Perthshire 2013 green fee: £60 There are suprisingly few topclass inland courses in Scotland but Blairgowrie assuredly has two of them. The better known is the Rosemount, where many of the fairways are lined by trees and heather is a recurring hazard. Why it’s special: The turf is delightfully springy here
SAUNTON (WEST)
Devon 2013 green fee: £79 This is another of those second courses that tends to be patronised by the occasional visitor. In this case, it’s the West that suffers but it really shouldn’t – it is a fine course in its own right. Why it’s special: A burn crosses several holes and must inform your strategy accordingly
THE MACHRIE
Isle of Islay, Argyll & Bute 2013 green fee: £72 There is remote and then there is the Machrie, on the Hebridean island of Islay, which is famed for its peaty whiskies. You will never play a course with more blind appoach shots. Why it’s special: How can you fail to enjoy this improbable and often outrageous links?
SOUTHERNESS
Dumfries & Galloway 2013 green fee: £50 So many otherwise well-travelled golfers never seem to make it to Southerness, which is just across the Solway Firth from Silloth. Those who do are rewarded with an exceptional links experience including a stellar last five holes. Why it’s special: That end-ofthe-world feeling you get when discovering a golfing outpost
DUNDONALD
Ayrshire 2013 green fee: £95 The sister course of Loch Lomond is a modern links that gets better with every year. It is not exceptionally pretty but more than makes up for it by the sheer quality of the holes. The 16th is one of the hardest you’ll ever play. Why it’s special: It is superbly designed by Kyle Phillips and of high technical merit
ROYAL ST DAVID’S
Harlech, West Wales 2013 green fee: £55 A tough and rugged links that sits in the shadow of Harlech Castle, Royal St David’s is the scene of many of Welsh golf’s most important moments. Outstanding value for money. Why it’s special: You can’t fail to be inspired by the location. The 15th is one of the best in the land
FERNDOWN (OLD)
Dorset 2013 green fee: £75 Ferndown occupies a delightful swathe of heathland just outside Bournemouth and is the kind of course that you just want to play again and again. It’s a very classy layout and a lovely place to be. Why it’s special: Peter Alliss’s father, Percy, was the professional here for more than 25 years
ST ANDREWS (JUBILEE)
Fife 2013 green fee: £70 Criminally under-rated, since Donald Steel’s redesign the Jubilee is categorically a top-quality links, with the possible exception of the uninspiring opener. So many golfers come to St Andrews and don’t play here – that is a shame. Why it’s special: It’s the same piece of linksland as the Old
ROYAL WORLINGTON & NEWMARKET
2013 green fee: £50 This is Britain’s finest nine-hole course. This Suffolk-based course’s flat, tree-less land can be slightly underwhelming on first visit, but on closer inspection, the holes are wonderfully subtle. Why it’s special: The clubhouse – order your drinks through a hatch and sit by an open fire. www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
LG pp 52-53 Top 42-19 18/10/2013 10:19 Page 53
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LADYBANK
Fife 2013 green fee: £54 This is a blend of parkland and heathland where the smooth fairways are often lined by pines and the greens are delightfully situated. The perfect course to play on either the first or last day of your trip to the Grey Toun. Why it’s special: Positioning is all-important here so that you can navigate tree-lined doglegs
GULLANE (No 1)
East Lothian 2013 green fee: £96 Virtually as good in the winter as it is in the summer, golfing turf does not really get much better than at Gullane. There are two significant climbs here, and both are among the best uphill holes you will ever play. Why it’s special: The vista from the 7th tee is magnificent
SHERWOOD FOREST
Nottinghamshire 2013 green fee: £60 Often inexplicably absent from lists such as this one, Sherwood assuredly belongs in the highest company, with firm and springy playing surfaces, the ambience of the club or the merit of the holes. Why it’s special: It begins like an open heathland, but is later lined by pines, silver birches and oaks www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
WEST HILL
Surrey 2013 green fee: £75 You can derive full enjoyment from this classy heathland layout that specialises in tricky par 4s with streams, heather, towering pines and sand to catch you out. You can score well here in places but the course usually wins. Why it’s special: It is an oasis of timeless calm just a few miles away from the city
WOKING
Surrey 2013 green fee: £75 Woking might just be the most subtly designed of Surrey’s famous Three Ws, which all lie within a couple of miles in and around Woking. Architect Tom Dunn invented the concept of a bunker in the middle of the fairway to influence strategy. Why it’s special: It is the first heathland course
WORPLESDON
Surrey 2013 green fee: £90 There will never be a unanimous verdict on the relative merits of the Three Ws but it can surely be agreed that the work of JF Abercromby and Willie Park Jr at Worplesdon was among their very best. It begins in real style with an inviting downhill par 4. Why it’s special: It enjoys a delightful, sheltered setting
LIPHOOK
Hampshire 2013 green fee: £64 The famous Surrey sandbelt extends as far as Hampshire and Sussex. Stunning Liphook, with its charming old clubhouse and birch- and pine-lined heathland fairways is not long but is the equal of its more famous peers. Why it’s special: Liphook has a wonderful collection of short holes that look perfect from the tee
MOORTOWN
Yorkshire 2013 green fee: £80 A recent tree-clearing and bunker renovation project is helping Moortown to restore heathland characteristics that were in danger of being lost. Those who have not visited for a few years will be amazed by the transformation. Why it’s special: Hosted the 1929 Ryder Cup and was a European Tour venue in the 1980s
BURNHAM & BERROW
Somerset 2013 green fee: £75 A vintage and first-class links. The opening hole is a thrilling way to begin and the closing stretch is up there with the very best. In the middle it’s less inspiring but only because there are so many striking holes either side of it. Why it’s special: Fowler, Alison, MacKenzie and Colt all tweaked it
THE ADDINGTON
Surrey 2013 green fee: £65 Even some very fine courses can begin to blend into each other but The Addington comes with a guarantee that it will live long in the memory. As quirky as a remote links in places, JF Abercromby’s design often borders on genius. Why it’s special: The par-5 12th and short 13th are sensational
ALDEBURGH
Suffolk 2013 green fee: £75 Inland but with definite links characteristics, Aldeburgh is blessed with fast-running, gorselined fairways, some steep-faced, sleepered bunkers and outstandingly good greens. Its par of 68 is certainly a contender for the stingiest in the country. Why it’s special: This is a classy layout and a timeless experience
ST ANDREWS (NEW) Fife
2013 green fee: £70 Too often eschewed by visiting golfers who think the Old is the be-all and end-all in St Andrews. It really isn’t, and indeed many locals and good players prefer the New as a test of golf. Much more clearly defined from the tee with fairways often lined by gorse. Why it’s special: 9th is arguably the best short hole in the town Lady Golfer 53
LG pp 54-55 Top 18-1 18/10/2013 10:40 Page 54
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NOTTS (HOLLINWELL)
Nottinghamshire 2013 green fee: £75 Hollinwell must rank as one of the finest courses in this list at which to arrive: the clubhouse is set in the base of a valley with holes extending all around it. It is a mix of parkland and heathland. Why it’s special: Hollinwell enjoys a location that is both highly attractive and spacious
SOUTHPORT & AINSDALE
Lancashire 2013 green fee: £95 Recent work to rebuild the 2nd and 16th greens, as well as dramatically change the contours around the short 10th, show that S&A is serious about improving its status in the golfing paradise around Southport. Why it’s special: A lovely blend of pure links holes and heathland.
HANKLEY COMMON
Surrey 2013 green fee: £90 Many of the great Surrey courses are surrounded by houses but Hankley is set within an astonishing 850 acres, and this confers a sense of space and peace. It’s a magnificent heathland – now extended to over 6,700 yards. Why it’s special: It’s so quiet you could be in the Cairngorms 54 Lady Golfer
ABERDOVEY
West Wales Green fee: £52.50 The romantic’s choice for the title of the finest course in Wales, Aberdovey is gloriously oldfashioned and quirky, from the train station in its car park to the outrageously blind short 3rd. Why it’s special: It looks like an out-and-back links but thanks to the curve of the shore you play in changing directions on each hole
HUNSTANTON
Norfolk 2013 green fee: £90 Just a perfect place to play. And that’s at any time of the year – Hunstanton is fantastic in the winter. Hunstanton’s greatest charm is the feeling that little has changed out on this championship links over the past century. Why it’s special: Beach huts, sleepered bunkers and the North Sea
CRUDEN BAY
Aberdeenshire 2013 green fee: £90 You might find the occasional curmudgeon who will tell you that Cruden is just too quirky but the other 99 per cent of the golfing population absolutely love it. There are several unforgettable holes here. Why it’s special: Your first, elevated view of the links on arrival always stirs the soul
MACHRIHANISH
Argyll & Bute 2013 green fee: £65 To play here is to make a golfing pilgrimage, and now that Mach Dunes has opened next door, bringing with it some welcome new accommodation, it is so much easier to justify your trip to this remote corner of Argyll & Bute. Why it’s special: Take in the view as you approach the 3rd green and you will know exactly why
SILLOTH ON SOLWAY
Cumbria 2013 green fee: £47 Silloth represents arguably the best value to be found on our list. Only sheer remoteness (you can’t go further north and west in England) keeps the crowds away. Why it’s special: Some greens are in sunken dells, others are on tabletops – it offers a truly wonderful variety
ALWOODLEY
Yorkshire 2013 green fee: £80 This is the first course Dr Alister MacKenzie ever designed in an architectural career that also included Royal Melbourne, Cypress Point and, most famously, Augusta National. At Alwoodley he created a heathland layout of rare subtlety and sophistication. Why it’s special: The expansive beauty of Wigton Moor
WEST LANCASHIRE
Lancashire 2013 green fee: £95 Finally emerging from the shadows of esteemed neighbours such as Formby and Royal Birkdale, West Lancs is very much a peer when it comes to the layout. This is a big sprawling links and a huge piece of land. Why it’s special: There is a barely a weak hole here
ROYAL WEST NORFOLK
Norfolk 2013 green fee: £85 This extraordinary links will probably have you scratching your head at times on your first visit – expect cris-crossing fairways, blind shots and the occasional drive where you will simply have no idea where to aim. Brilliant. Why it’s special: Brancaster is packed with architectural features
WEST SUSSEX
Sussex 2013 green fee: £75 This might just be the prettiest heathland course in Britain after Sunningdale and a round here is a blissful experience indeed. It is a surprisingly young course, dating back only to 1930, and measures less than 6,400 yards. Why it’s special: The blend of heather, gorse, silver birches and beautifully shaped bunkers www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
LG pp 54-55 Top 18-1 18/10/2013 10:41 Page 55
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NORTH BERWICK
East Lothian 2013 green fee: £90 Founded in 1832, North Berwick is one of the original Scottish links and it is fair to say it is as fine a specimen as you will find. Simultaneously quirky and honest, it is simply a delight to play any time of the year. Why it’s special: It exemplifies all that is joyous and yet unpretentious about seaside golf
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NAIRN
Highlands 2013 green fee: £95 Nairn is one of the prettiest links you will ever play, with sea views across to the Black Isle and the Highlands beyond. Most of the front nine plays adjacent to the beach and close enough to see and smell the ocean. Nairn was a worthy host of last summer’s Curtis Cup. Why it’s special: The greens here are the purest you will ever putt on
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ST ENODOC
Cornwall 2013 green fee: £75 St Enodoc has charm. In fact, it has an abundance of it. Curiously, certain parts of the course have a parkland feel (the 4th springs to mind) and others are moorland (following the loop around the church) but the best bits occupy sensational linksland. Why it’s special: Come to see the cavernous Himalaya bunker www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
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GANTON
Yorkshire 2013 green fee: £75 We can blame Ganton, indirectly, for the oxymoronic term ‘inland links’. In this case, and in this case alone, the description is accurate. Nine miles west of Scarborough, Ganton’s firm, sandy soil, true greens, gorse-lined fairways and deep bunkers are the real deal. Why it’s special: Positioning and a clear strategy count for so much
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SAUNTON (EAST)
Devon 2013 green fee: £79 Arguably Herbert Fowler’s finest creation (along with Walton Heath), what sets Saunton apart is that, much like at Royal Birkdale, the holes tend to run through corridors between the dunes rather than through them. Why it’s special: The view across the links from the 1st tee is one of the best in golf
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WOODHALL SPA
Lincolnshire 2013 green fee: £88 Woodhall Spa is perhaps not the most exciting course you will ever play but it is surely one of the best. Understated compared to, say, Sunningdale (then again where isn’t?) it stands comparison with anywhere when discussing the nation’s finest inland courses. Why it’s special: Woodhall is classy and stringent throughout Lady Golfer 55
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LG pp 58-59 Le Telfair 18/10/2013 16:47 Page 58
PLAY AWAY
Amazing
Mauritius Treat yourself this winter with a trip to the Heritage Le Telfair Golf and Spa Resort, says Harriet Chubb
F
lying into Mauritius, with its mountainous terrain and lush green, exotic flora and fauna, it’s hard to believe for someone who has only ever experienced a typical English course that here lays a magnificent 18-hole course. But The Heritage Golf Club, stretching out over 100 hectares, is there, nestled into the Domaine de Bel Ombre in the south west of the island, part of the impeccable Heritage Resorts. Whoever you are travelling with there is a restaurant, sport, activity or spa treatment to suit everyone at this duo of 5-star hotels, with the choice of Heritage Awali or Heritage Le Telfair. Easily the most exclusive of the two hotels, Le Telfair’s architectural style will transport you to a different era
58 Lady Golfer
altogether. Harking back to the Golden Age of travel, it is reminiscent of the island’s colonial sugar plantation past. Think white, fine, elegant open woodwork, manicured tropical gardens, and romantic restaurants. Each spacious room has a distinct villa feel to it and has been thoughtfully designed with light green, beige and cappuccino colours creating an intimate, stylish finish. French windows
open onto a typical Mauritian veranda; the perfect place for a spot of breakfast. Annabella’s, the main restaurant, dishes up international brassiere style food and will be your regular go-to for breakfast and dinner. If you are looking for something a little more special, book an evening at the imposing Chateau De Bel Ombre with its high ceilings and antique furniture – it
emanates the charm of times gone by. Situated among magnificent gardens, this period property is at the heart of the golf course and is a gourmet experience, with the chef choosing as many local, island products as possible to create delicate, Mauritianinspired plates. Or if you are in the mood for more of a PanAsian feast, hot-foot it to oceanside Gin’Ja where the Wagyu beef is to die for. A visit to the Seven Colours Spa is a must; all treatments are bespoke so you will be receiving a package tailored specifically to your needs. After a four-hour round nothing is better than a personalised massage followed by a predinner drink in the oh-so-chic Cavendish Bar & Lounge. The course itself offers some of the best panoramic views; the sea is the backdrop, barely www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
LG pp 58-59 Le Telfair 18/10/2013 16:47 Page 59
distinguishable from the bright blue of the sky, but turn 180˚ and you will be confronted with the hills of the Black River Gorges nature reserve. Carved into an undulating landscape and featuring lakes and streams, it is an 18-hole, par72 championship course (and there’s also a 9-hole, par-3). It was designed by the renowned architect Peter Matkovich, who has taken care to make sure that the natural
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
topography of the land remains as untouched as possible – you won’t find any artificial ponds here. It presents a real challenge and is a great chance to improve your technique, know-how and skill. In fact, with a PGA professional on hand, many visitors come purely to improve their game. But it isn’t all about golf. What makes these hotels so special is the huge range of activities to suit any holiday maker. From
kite-surfing to kayaking and paddle boating to personal training there are myriad options to choose from and nearly all are complementary. Take the glass-bottom boat out to the extensive coral reef for a viewing platform with a difference or, if you are more suited to dry land, an exhilarating quad-bike tour of the nature reserve is a truly enchanting excursion. Wear a swimming costume under your clothes as they don’t tell you that a pit-stop at a lagoon, complete with fairytale waterfall, is on the agenda, where you can swim off the heat of the day and the dust from the bikes. Want something a little more private? You can’t get closer to the course than hiring a Heritage Villa, with unlimited green fees as well as preferential rates at two other
neighbouring courses (Le Paradis and Tamarina), throw in the personal chef, butler service and free golf cart in each villa and you will never want to leave. For something really different, why not try a round of night golf? The par-3 course offers the chance for you to test your skills to the limit by using glow sticks and phosphorescent balls – an unforgettable experience under the stars.
Factfile Harriett Chubb went to Mauritius courtesy of Turquoise Holidays. You can enjoy seven nights at Heritage Le Telfair, Mauritius, from £1,444 per person, including accommodation in a Deluxe Room, daily breakfast and dinner, private transfers and international flights. Call 01494 678 400 or visit turquoiseholidays.co.uk
Lady Golfer 59
LG pp 60-61 Club Golf Ads 18/10/2013 12:15 Page 60
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Lady Golfer 63
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LG pp 66 Columnist CK 17/10/2013 14:31 Page 66
COMMENT
Claire Kane The trouble our trolleys can get us in
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HERE is a vast selection of golf trolleys on the market these days so, when it comes to selecting a new one, the choice can be tricky. It’s not just a question of whether it’s manual or electric, how small it packs down, or even if it has two, three or four wheels. It’s also important to find out if it’s reliable or has any shortcomings, something you don’t usually discover until you actually get your hands on it and put it into action. Whilst it’s amusing seeing trolley wheels fall off (put on the wrong way?) the humour can turn to horror when brakes fail and golfers have to wade into muddy hazards and swift streams to rescue wayward trolleys. Recently, I’ve noticed a new problem with electric trolleys, where the touchscreen technology is so sensitive the slightest movement over the control panel can send it shooting down the fairway. One incident I recently saw involved an elderly lady (in her late eighties) who switched on her electric trolley. But, instead of it gliding up the fairway in an orderly
Keeping fit
Anyone seen a trolley anywhere?
66 Lady Golfer
Hands free Anyone seen my owner anywhere?
fashion, the trolley developed an independent streak, reared up like a stallion, bucked off its bag of clubs and raced off like a runaway horse minus its owner. The shocked lady started to chase after it but sadly she was no longer blessed with the athletic skills of her school sports’ day and her valiant effort to stride after the rogue trolley was more like watching a Formula One car being pursued by a jogger. This wasn’t an even contest. As the trolley continued to gain on her, I decided I had no option but to intervene so, reluctantly, I ran after the outof-control trolley to try and cut it off at the pass. As I raced towards it, the question of how I was actually going to stop the speeding object was going through my
mind. With my bad back, I was reluctant (probably unable) to make a sudden lunge at the collapsed (flat) trolley, which by now resembled a driverless Go-Cart in full throttle. I’ve never been a natural sprinter (or jogger) but eventually I drew level with the speeding lump of flashing steel long enough to grapple and hold it until I finally figured out how to switch it off – at least I got some aerobic exercise that week! The second incident was a couple of days later on my own course where we regularly let our trolleys freewheel down a dip, where they usually stop well before the next tee. However, in the case of my playing partner, her electric trolley kept chugging on, climbed up a bank, turning
sharp left to trundle over the immaculate tee area (sorry greenkeepers) before finally entering a dense gorse bush where we thought it would completely disappear just like our golf balls. With hoover craft technology emerging from USA golf courses in the form of former Masters champion Bubba Watson’s prototype ‘hoover golf cart’ and ‘hoover cameras’ about to film golf tournaments, I’m sure it won’t be long before we have new technology to wander over water hazards, although goodness knows what mishaps this will bring about.
Claire Kane Claire is a freelance journalist, a keen golfer and someone who doesn’t take herself, or her golf, too seriously. Follow her tales on twitter @golfsnippets
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
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