LG Cover May 13 22/03/2013 15:54 Page 3
May 2013 £3.50
THE MOST POWERFUL
WOMAN IN GOLF Lady Golfer talks to Nike CEO Cindy Davis
SHOE REVOLUTION! Introducing the ‘Crocs Golf with Hank Haney’ PLUS
Galvin Green trousers, Yonex driver and an exciting Odyssey putter
TAKING THE STRAIN A three-page showcase of trolleys to lighten your load
SAVE SHOTS NOW! Get better out of bunkers, around the green and with your irons
ALSO IN S THE TO P COLU IDE M NIST M ICKEY W S ALKER BECKY BREW CLAIRE ERTON KANE JAYNE STOREY
BIG-NAME INTERVIEW
NA YEON
CHOI
The world No.3 and US Open champion on...
n Setting herself small goals n The Korean mentality n Getting an Olympic medal
Puredrive 20/03/2013 17:04 Page 1
LG pp 3 Ed Comm May 2013 22/03/2013 15:56 Page 3
Welcome E have for many years had a dilemma to face in the first week of April. On the one hand, there is an interesting tournament taking place between the world’s best male golfers. On the other, it is staged annually at a club which is, to be kind, deeply conservative in its outlook. Having no female members, and being fairly dismissive of the issue, did not sit well with us – as it will not with you. Having said that, we are not going to pretend the urge to watch the Masters on TV was always easy to resist. Augusta National has now admitted two female members but we can’t say it finds much favour with us; two is a, frankly, pitiful number and they are both predictably high profile. Some might suggest they are women doing men’s jobs. And the sickly quotes from the club could not, in our view, disguise the reluctance with which they have allowed their new members to join. It changes very little for us; it is merely a few steps down a long journey. Until women can join Augusta National as freely as men, our conscience will do battle with our curiosity when the BBC’s coverage begins from Georgia. Sadly, we face the same dilemma in July, when the Open heads to Muirfield, a club which is still without a female member. In the year 2013.
W
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
On the cover
May 2013 Volume 16 Issue 11 Consulting Editor Mickey Walker
Cindy Davis May 2013 £3.50
The Nike CEO opens up in a candid interview P12
Shoes with bite! First look at the new ‘Crocs Golf with Hank Haney’ P35
Trolley showcase Upgrading, or buying a first? Here are 12 options P43
Stroke savers Tour star Jade Schaeffer kicks off three great tips P21
Great columnists From Solheim icon Mickey to happy hacker Claire P10
Na Yeon Choi Get to know the amazing US Open champion P8
Editorial Director Dan Murphy Deputy Editor Mark Townsend
THE MOST POWERFUL Lady Golfer talks to Nike CEO Cindy Davis
Staff Writers Joe Harrison James Tompkinson Joe Whitley
SHOE REVOLUTION!
Contributors Madeleine Winnett
WOMAN IN GOLF
Introducing the ‘Crocs Golf with Hank Haney’
Chief Designer Andrew Kenworthy
PLUS
Galvin Green trousers, Yonex driver and an exciting Odyssey putter
Designer & Webmaster Daniel Cooper
TAKING THE STRAIN
Publisher Tom Irwin
A three-page showcase of trolleys to lighten your load
SAVE SHOTS NOW! Get better out of bunkers, around the green and with your irons
ALSO IN S THE TO P COLU IDE MNIST MI S CKEY WA LKER BECKY BREW CLAIRE ERTON KANE JAYNE STOREY
BIG-NAME INTERVIEW
NA YEON
CHOI
The world No.3 and US Open champion on...
n Setting herself small goals n The Korean mentality n Getting an Olympic medal
Sales Executives Carley Warrington Neil Braddish Luke Kelly Tom Lenton Jamie Miles Digital Marketing Eve Burton Finance Director WIll Shucksmith (ACA) Accounts Emma Abbott Chairman Peter Burgess
What we’re talking about this month
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Suzann Pettersen
Serious spa time
Intriguing invitation
We’ve loved Suzann since her amazing comeback in the 2002 Solheim Cup – and now she’s a world champion after winning in China. Read about her latest victory on page 4.
We headed for North Yorkshire to visit Aldwark Manor – and we were more intent on massages and facials than chips and duffs. Read Justine Board’s article from page 47.
Just as we were going to print we received a invite to a press conference at the Buckinghamshire in April that promises to change the game! As soon as we know, we’ll tell you too...
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Lady Golfer 3
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22/03/2013 12:37
LG pp 6-7 Starter MOTM 22/03/2013 15:58 Page 6
THE STARTER
6 Lady Golfer
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
LG pp 6-7 Starter MOTM 22/03/2013 15:58 Page 7
N rin 20 EW g/ 13 Su m m er
Sp
THE MONTH IN A SNAPSHOT THERE was a time when Suzann Pettersen went 20 months without a win – in 2010 she finished runner-up six times. The 31 year old now has three wins in the last six months, is up to seventh in the world and will once again headline Europe’s defence of the Solheim Cup. Her latest victory came at the Mission Hills World Ladies Championship in China where she came from two shots behind Inbee Park to win by one after closing with a blemish-free 66. The next best was defending champion Shanshan Feng, seven shots adrift of the Norwegian, who is now up to 16 victories around the world and six on the Ladies’ European Tour. Along with Marianne Skarpnord the pair also finished second in the team event where Korea, Park was paired with Ha Neul Kim, were the predictable winners. Kim also landed another prize by being voted the best dressed player on course as voted for by the public, with an incredible 1,016,191 votes cast in her favour. She beat last year’s winner Danielle Montgomery of England into second place, who collected an equally impressive 902,672 votes. Laura Davies and Trish Johnson helped England into fourth spot which was comfortably the best of the home nations – Scotland (Carly Booth and Kylie Walker) were 12th while Wales (Becky Brewerton and Lydia Hall) were 15th. “I guess with the title I can call myself the world champion. I’m not sure if I’m going to put the jersey on like they do in cycling and travel round with the jersey on for the next year. It’s a very nice trophy to add to my list of wins in Asia and it’s called the World Championship so I guess I’m the world champ,” said Pettersen.
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Lady Golfer 7
LG pp 8 Tweets, 5 Mins With 22/03/2013 15:59 Page 8
THE STARTER
Na Yeon Choi The World No 2 and US Open champion on one shot at a time, Tae Kwon Do and Brazil 2016
Y coaches Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott always give me good advice about really small goals. They say I need to have a small goal every day. Sometimes you have to forget a bad result or a bad day. But sometimes you have to forget good days too. So just do what you can do and just focus on your game and have some small goal before you tee off, and just warm up. And warmup is just warm-up. Don't judge or compare about the swing.
M
They always say golf is five or six hours of sport. But I have to do only 10 minutes of focus on my game. When I hit the shot, it only takes like five or seven seconds. And after the shot, during the walk to the next shot, I switch off. Before I started golf I was playing Tae Kwon Do. I went to Tae Kwon Do academy every day with my brother. I had a coach in there and he really want to make me like a professional fighter but my father say ‘you can't do this’. She's going to play golf. When I started golf, I just quit the Tae Kwon Do. I think American parents or American people like to compliment but I think Korean people get motivated from other people. We can bounce other Korean players up higher. We have a lot of golfers on the LPGA Tour
8 Lady Golfer
around my age like Inbee Park, Jiyai Shin, Song‑Hee Kim and IK Kim. We grew up together and we were on the same national team when we were young. I think we're pretty close to each other. My final goal is I want to play in the 2016 Olympics and get a medal under the Korean flag. That is my biggest goal right now. I can be like No. 1 in the world or Player of the Year,
Follow Lady Golfer: @LadyGolferMag
TOP TWEETS Was sitting above the wing of the A383 coming back to LA. That wing is so big you could put a tennis court on it. @SophieGustafson Been quite the productive off day! Saw my chiropractor, physical therapist, did some crafts, and packed my suitcase for 2 months @TheMichelleWie Who is the laziest caddie on the @LPGA? And who is the biggest flirt? Time to head to the Caddie Awards Party to find out! @karin_sjodin Played ok today, finished with a beautiful 4 putt on the last! Other than that, I am hitting better shots, and feeling progress @suzannpettersen
but my biggest dream is playing in the Olympics and I want to get a medal from there. After I won the Vare Trophy 2010 and I finished No. 1 on the Money List, I felt not many people knew about me, especially American fans and American media. Then I talked to my dad, saying I might need to study English. I found myself an English tutor and travelled with him for whole year. And even when we had dinner or when we had breakfast, I was talking English with him.
I was part of a high speed 5 car accident on way to BKK. I was in the middle car and felt like a ping pong ball. I saw doctors, no concussion, sore shoulder and moderate whiplash @ThePCreamer Enjoyed my afternoon practice today...enjoyed even more that Amy Yang thought I was a new rookie @Kstupples After finding marshmallows at breakfast, I now find downton abbey on TV. Loving Mission Hills @FlicJohnsonGolf
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15/02/2013 14:25
LG pp 10-11 Columnist MW 22/03/2013 16:00 Page 10
COMMENT
Mickey Walker I’m optimistic about the ladies’ game but a British superstar would be nice
S a studio guest for the recent women’s HSBC Champions tournament at Sky Sports I had a number of conversations about the state of women’s golf with the presenter Sarah Stirk. Having worked in golf and the golfing media for most of her professional career Sarah seemed an ideal person to ask about what she thought about top women’s golf. Her thoughts were that the standard and presentation had improved quite dramatically over the last several years. Sarah compared watching a Ricoh Women’s British Open several years ago with what we were witnessing at the HSBC women’s tournament. Although that is also my opinion, I was heartened to hear the same thoughts from someone very much involved in women’s golf. Looking much further back I’m sure some fans will recall the disaster of the 1984 Ladies’ British Open sponsored by Hitachi! Before the event started it appeared to have all the ingredients that would launch women’s golf into the public eye and encourage many more sponsors. It had huge prize money relative to the time, a global field and it was the first time that the BBC was to broadcast women’s golf since the days of the Colgate a decade earlier. What could possibly go wrong? In a word – everything! The weather was vile, wet and windy, and in those days the selection of women’s waterproofs was either navy or black, so it was extremely
A
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Thriller The last Solheim Cup was dramatic and exciting
difficult to identify players and did nothing to enhance the attributes of women. The pace of play was so slow that the matches from the 1st tee arrived at the 11th (the other starting hole), with almost an hour’s tee times still to tee off. This meant that when the BBC came on air, they were showing the middle of the field rather than the leaders, who were all scoring well above par. Only the winner – Ayako Okamoto from Japan – was under par and she won by about 12 shots from Scotland’s Dale Reid which was probably the one high point for the then fledgling WPGA (now LET) Tour. Understandably, it took several years after that for the BBC to cover women’s golf again! Move on another eight years to 1992 and Europe were winning the Solheim Cup at Dalmahoy – I remember it well as I was the captain!
At that time I was also the head professional at the Warren Golf Club in Essex, and as such had a lot of support from the women’s section. Something in the region of 20 couples came to support Europe, with the women coming on all three days and the men going off playing golf on the first two days before making a token appearance on the final day. Well, the standard of golf and excitement generated on the final day made everyone from the Warren a fan of women’s golf for life. The men couldn’t get over the standard of play, they just hadn’t realised how good top women’s golf was. Move on 19 years to the 2011 Solheim Cup victory at Killeen Castle and the standard and excitement has again increased dramatically. The head of golf at Sky Sports, the host broadcaster,
said he thought that it was every bit as exciting to watch as a Ryder Cup. Part of the problem in getting men to appreciate it is in getting them to see for themselves. Every male golfer that I know who has attended a women’s tournament or watched top-class women’s golf on TV enjoys it as much, if not more that men’s golf. One of the reasons that we sometimes can’t identify with the top female golfers is that we don’t get to watch them enough on television. If you are a golf fan and have Sky Sports, there are usually two if not three men’s tournaments shown every week, so fans get to know the stars and their personalities. Sky are big supporters of women’s golf. They show weekly highlights of both the LET and LPGA Tours, and three of the women’s Majors live, as www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
LG pp 10-11 Columnist MW 22/03/2013 16:00 Page 11
Fun time Players like Christina Kim add welcome colour to the game
well as the Solheim Cup and several other women’s events, but that’s not the same as seeing live women’s golf on a weekly basis. I’m not criticising Sky Sports – without them, the women’s golf that we see on TV would be limited to the British Open shown on the BBC. Lady golfers often ask why we don’t see more women’s golf on TV. Well first of all, it is a very expensive sport to cover. To do a full outside broadcast costs hundreds of thousands of pounds – and someone has to pay that bill. If we had a British superstar contending on the world stage week in week out, that would help a great deal rather in the way that British and European male golfers have caused massive media attention and TV coverage. We do have some great British players – like Scotland’s Catriona Matthew and for years Laura Davies was one of the top players in the world. Sadly, although we have many really good British players no megastar seems to be emerging. These days the majority of the world’s www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
best female players are from Asia. I have mixed feelings about this. On the plus side, it is good in that apart from the exceptions of Annika and then Lorena Ochoa, they are now dominating women’s golf and setting incredible standards. As women’s golf is so big in Asia, that area of the globe sponsors an increasing number of events. On the minus side, the overriding characteristics of Korean players are hard work, discipline and not showing emotion. While these traits certainly make for successful golfers, they do not tend to endear themselves to fans in the western world. So, the standard of play has most definitely improved, as has the dress, fitness and the way that players present themselves – it is chalk and cheese from the start of my professional career. And the world is cottoning on.
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 11
LG pp 12-13 Cindy Davis 22/03/2013 16:01 Page 12
INTERVIEW
LG pp 12-13 Cindy Davis 22/03/2013 16:01 Page 13
Cindy LG MEETS
Davis Dan Murphy sits down with the president of Nike Golf to discuss Tiger, Michelle, Apple and the path to her current role
CINDY DAVIS has been the president of Nike Golf since 2008. When Rory McIlroy was presented to the global media in Abu Dhabi in January and announced as a Nike athlete, it was Davis who shared a stage with the World No 1. From Maryland, the 50-year-old is arguably the most powerful woman in golf. Tall and lithe, she combines all aspects of the running of Nike Golf with a fitness regime that involves a weekly appointment with her personal trainer and daily 5am alarm calls. Davis was good enough to play at college and consider a professional career, but instead chose to enter the corporate world. Prior to joining Nike, she served as senior vice president at the Golf Channel. Also are on her CV are roles as the CEO of the Arnold Palmer Golf Company and vice president of the LPGA. As a guest at Nike’s global product launch in Orlando late last year, Lady Golfer had the opportunity to sit down with Davis and talk to her about the challenge of establishing Nike’s reputation in golf, the new Covert driver and 20XI ball, working with Tiger and her experiences of being a woman in male-dominated boardrooms.
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LG: If you have the best players and you now have the product, what stands between Nike and more market share? CD: Ourselves. We also did a real look at how we brought product to market. We wanted to be very clear with our messaging. The hardest thing about Covert is it’s so loaded with technology you could tell a lot of stories. We came up with the high-speed cavity back as the headline and we need to tell the story so the consumer wants to try the product. Then it’s the moment of truth – how it performs in their hands. Which other golf companies do you admire? Apple. I know it’s not a golf company but it’s an inspiration to use because what they did is create simplicity for the consumer. I have a belief that we in the golf industry have so over-complicated things. We’ve over-complicated how you’re fitted, how you teach the golf swing, you buy a golf club. People want simplicity. Fitting will get simpler and the confidence of doing it for yourself will increase. Nike is not a golf company – it’s an
innovation company it’s a technology company. And Apple have been exceptional at it. Is there a sense of frustration that Nike don’t get the recognition you deserve? I’ve been in this role for about four years now, and it was three years ago that we really had a moment when we looked in the mirror and said OK, let’s really look at our innovation, let’s really determine what we do well, what we don’t do well, where we should invest, where we should divest. And then let’s re-allocate our resources to get this right. We said to ourselves: It’s time to be Nike in golf. If you think about RZN core technology in balls – that’s being Nike in golf. We took a path others aren’t travelling. And now we’re looking at something in metal woods with Covert, and high-speed Cavity back technology, again a path no-one has gone down. We’re finding our voice now in ball and club. It’s going to be exciting. How much help has Tiger Woods been to the process? Having a guy like Tiger on our staff,
Lady Golfer 13
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21/02/2013 14:06
LG pp 15 Cindy Davis 22/03/2013 16:02 Page 15
INTERVIEW
CINDY’S GOLF
Star appeal Wie and Pettersen are two of Nike’s big names
because he’s got almost a sixth sense about product, he’s accelerated our team’s ability to solve with new innovation. He’s been able to give us insights that could have taken years to get. He feels product, he senses product. He’s accelerated us being better at innovation. What achievement are you most proud of at Nike Golf? I’m most proud of the team – they inspire me every day. And the innovation we’re bringing to the market. We’ve been
Masters bound
Guan Tianlang was 14 when he qualified for Augusta
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working on this for years and it’s like we’re pulling the covers back and saying ‘OK world’ and showing people what we’ve been doing. Our best years are ahead of us undoubtedly. We now have an opportunity to being the product the golfers that is going to make people step back and say wow. What’s it like being a woman who is in charge of Nike Golf? I have been in the golf business in various capacities for a number of years, probably more than I want to admit to now and I’ve always believed that, and I think my career has said that, opportunities happen because you perform. I happen to work for a phenomenal company that happens to think that way and creates opportunities for lots of people. And it’s been fun. I’d be lying if I didn’t say there was always an intrigue because I’m asked that question a lot, but in the end I think they want to work with someone they can do great business with, or an athlete wants to work with someone who makes great product, so the currency of what it takes to
be successful supersedes all that other stuff. Have you had to work harder to earn that trust than a man would have done? I can’t say that, on a personal level. I think that in this industry though the fact that I understand golf, that I’ve played golf, that I played in college, that’s helped. But I’ve noticed it always comes down to: can we find a way to have success together? Can you make me a better athlete on the course? In the end, that’s what it always comes down to. That has been my experience. Have you ever encountered any hostility? No. The way people have behaved towards you? No. Really? Now, didn’t you have a woman prime minister? Come on! I didn’t say it was impossible... I mean, that’s tough, this is nothing compared to that!
How much golf do you get to play? The highlight of my year was playing in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. And I played with one of our athletes, Kevin Chappell, who was terrific. I worked really hard on my game practising to get ready for that event because there’s nowhere to hide – you’re on TV and there are people. I had a blast. It was fun. I’d do it again in a second. If I have a goal I’ll practise and play. I think my favourite thing now is just to take out one of our new products – it’s so much fun. Have you played much in the UK? I have. I’ve played a number of courses in Scotland and about the same in Ireland. I played at Lytham a couple of years ago, I’ve even played Wentworth, and I’ve played Sunningdale – I loved Sunningdale. So if you say anywhere I like best I’d say I love Sunningdale.
How often do you get to play? It’s almost embarrassing to say – I probably play about 25 times a year. You’ve got to remember I live in Portland, Oregon, and it rains a lot but because we make such great gear I have exactly what you need to play in that weather! I’d love to play more but I’m too busy making sure we can bring products like Covert to market.
Lady Golfer 15
GO TO MACH DUNES — GO HOME WITH A TROPHY What’s even better than playing golf at Machrihanish Dunes? Playing golf at Machrihanish Dunes and bringing home a trophy! Check out the fun and exciting competitions planned for 2013 and sign up soon – places are going fast! April 13 – Ladies’ Champion of Champions event* - SIGN UP NOW! April 20 – Men’s Champion of Champions event* - SIGN UP NOW! June 15 – Golf in Scotland Tournament June 29 – Summer Open July 28 – Shepherd’s Cross Tournament† September 27-28 – Hickory Golf event‡ October 7-10 – International Pairs Competition October 12 – Autumn Open
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LG pp 17 Cindy Davis 22/03/2013 16:03 Page 17
INTERVIEW
Would you agree that this is a man’s industry? Here’s what I agree. I think there’s far more opportunity for diversity across the entire sport in every capacity. If you really think about what golf is and if you have a passion for growing our sport then I think to do that we’re going to have to open our minds in a lot of ways. And that doesn’t mean that doing that would ever compromise golf as we know it now but maybe there’s a different type of golf experience, maybe there is a different way in which people can access golf. Do you think another major golf company would have appointed you as a woman? I think a company would appoint anyone it believed could deliver results – period. You don’t think you had to be better at your job than the men? They expect me to deliver results and they remind me of that!
How important is the ladies’ game to you? It’s worth about 20 per cent of the market. In this day and age I don’t think you can just
INTRODUCING
COVERT
It might seem hard to imagine that a driver that is bright red with a swoosh on the crown could be called Covert but the real story with Nike’s new driver is not to be seen at address. Nike have brought multiple new technologies to the game that have never been done before – including the concept of a cavity-back driver. But arguably more significant is that the VR_S Covert is the first club to allow the independent adjustability of loft and lie. According to Nike it offers 42 yards of dispersion, based on a 250-yard drive. The matching fairways and hybrids are also going to be much in demand.
walk away from 20 per cent of the market. How do you assess Michelle Wie’s progress, as a long-time Nike athlete? When I’m asked about Michelle I always say that she just became a full-time golfer. So until we see her as a grounded full-time golfer I think it’s too early to judge. I can tell you though that when we see her on a launch monitor her natural talent is unlike anything I’ve ever seen with any woman golfer, I mean she is just so gifted. It’s going to be fun to watch as focuses on her game. Her numbers are like some of the PGA Tour players that we have for ball speed, she’s on the lower end of their scale. I think the best thing for Michelle – honestly – was going to college because Michelle needed to develop and to find out who Michelle is. The ladies’ game is being dominated by Asian players. Is that a threat to the game in America or an opportunity?
Golf is growing in Asia; wherever there’s a middle class, golf is growing. I’d love to see that kind of growth in the UK or US or the mature markets. There’s a lot of energy in that part of the world, they perceive a lot of opportunities. A 14-year-old Chinese kid (Guan Tianlang) has just qualified for the Masters – there’s a message to the future right there – and incidentally he was using a lot of our product, which is nice. And will it be the same story in the men’s game soon? I think the women are starting it but we believe the men are probably five to 10 years behind but you can just start to see it changing. What frustrates you about the golf industry? We’re not early adopters. So we’re afraid of change. So for a company like Nike who is all about creating change, all about disrupting the market, all about pushing the envelope – I wish our industry would move faster.
LG pp 18-19 Columnist Mad Win 22/03/2013 16:04 Page 18
COMMENT
Madeleine Winnett What has equality ever done for me?
In bloom The Augusta azaleas
K, it’s official. I hate equality! What has equality ever done for me except leave an enormous hole in my wallet? Take car insurance, for example. I was very happy with Sheila’s Wheels. I didn’t just choose them because I liked the catchy tune with the bouncy ball over the words to sing along to. It’s an inescapable fact (whatever the editor says!) women are better drivers than men. We have fewer accidents, are therefore less of a liability to insure and should be entitled to cheaper payments. And I was – until equality waded in and decided I now have to pay the same as the spotty youth with his holeridden exhaust, doing drag-car racing starts from traffic lights
O
18 Lady Golfer
First lady Condoleezza Rice in golfing action
and copying donuts from Top Gear in car parks, before driving through someone’s garden hedge at 3am, three sheets to the wind and as high as a kite. Then there is my golf club membership. A couple of years ago I seem to remember paying something around £800, and this year it is an eye-watering £1,400 and something or other, complete
Your views Do you agree with Madeleine’s opinions? Perhaps you have something to add to the debate yourself? We give away a Cobra Baffler fairway wood or hybrid to the author of our Star Letter. Email and let us know what you think.
with compulsory bar levy. That’s not funny. And what benefits do I get for now having to stand on street corners with a three-legged dog and a begging bowl? None. Not one! Before equality, I wasn’t allowed to play before 11.30am on Sundays, but personally, I can’t see why anyone wants to play before 11.30am on any day of the week, let alone a weekend. Traditionally, Sunday is a rest day, and that suits me just fine. It gave me a perfectly legitimate excuse to lie in bed before playing in the alternative day competitions. Now I have to create excuses in order to avoid being dragged onto the tee at some ungodly hour by my playing partners who clearly don’t understand the need for sleep.
In the days when I was unequal but considerably wealthier, I used not to be able to play before 4pm on a Saturday in summer, and 2pm in winter. Now that I am being asked to pay the same as the equivalent of training for a flight in space for the privilege of being able to play on Saturdays, I can’t get on the course anyway because there are so many men playing in their competition day, so I have gained nothing. True, ladies can now go into the Oak Room – the former hallowed inner sanctum – but we don’t bother because the mixed bar is so much lighter, nicer and just appears to be more cheerful. Plus, we have sat there for so long, it is our habitual gathering place. Equality also gave us CONGU, and don’t even get
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LG pp 18-19 Columnist Mad Win 22/03/2013 16:04 Page 19
Fifty Shades of Green
me started on that one! In fact, if you give us our old ladies’ handicap system back – the one where everyone enjoyed their golf and didn’t hate every person from the other division – I’d even happily pay my extra subs without moaning! So, after all the things I dislike about equality, was I happy to learn about the first two women being invited to be members of Augusta? Well, quite frankly, yes. Apart from anything else, it makes the stance by the R&A look very isolated. While they continue to refuse to admit women, and play their championship at clubs for men only, some will see them as an institution run by misogynist dinosaurs. Next month: Madeleine continues her love affair with the Equality Act.
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I wish to point out that I haven’t actually read Fifty Shades of Grey. There was a copy at a friend’s house, which I read two pages of at random, and decided it was complete garbage, so that was enough. However, it is so irksome that something so badly written can earn so much money for its author, I’m going to do my own golfing version Fifty Shades of Green. As Jilly Cooper cornered the riders’ market, I’m sure there’s a gap here. The plot is still a little hazy, but there will be an inevitable tryst between the greenkeeper, lady captain and the secretary. I can’t guarantee that it will be a bodice ripper at this stage, but I’m pretty sure I can get as far as a Pringle trembler!
Madeleine Winnett • Lady Golfer’s equipment expert is a member at Trentham, a Staffordshire county player and never short of a forthright opinion!
Lady Golfer 19
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22/03/2013 15:57
LG pp 21 Lead to Instruction 22/03/2013 16:05 Page 21
YOUR GAME Hit it further and straighter I Hole more putts I Short game I Golf psychology I Course management
BE AMBITIOUS FROM FAIRWAY BUNKERS Ladies’ European Tour star Jade Schaeffer explains how to do more than just splash out from traps with a lower lip I THINK a lot of amateurs know how to get the ball out of greenside bunkers; hit down and through the sand an inch behind the ball. It should be quite easy! But knowing what to do out of a fairway bunker isn’t as obvious to many. Is it like a normal iron shot where you hit down on the ball and squeeze it against the grass? Or is like the deep bunker shot which I mention above? If you don’t know the asnwer to that question, you will never hit consistently good fairway bunker shots. Yet, if you’ve got a good lie in a bunker with a low lip, there really isn’t anything to worry about. In terms of preparation, I’d urge you to move your hands an inch or even two down the grip, move the ball back at least one ball’s width and open your stance slightly. To complete your address position, shuffle your left foot into the sand but keep the right ‘on top’ – I want you to swing ‘around’ this right knee, almost like it is a pivot. Keep your weight on your left side throughout, don’t swing past threequarters and – here’s the crucial bit – at impact hit the ball and then the sand, taking an imaginary divot as you would from the fairway.
ABOUT JADE Jade Schaeffer has played on LET since 2007 and has claimed two victories. She was photographed here while competing in the Standard Bank Mauritius Open at Le Touessrok in December 2012.
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
Lady Golfer 21
LG pp 22-23 Langford Instruction 22/03/2013 16:07 Page 22
INSTRUCTION
The Long Arm Law
How a straight left arm will lead to longer, stronger shots
M
ANY women golfers try to hit the ball with the weakest part of the body - the hands and wrists. Keeping the left arm straight through impact increases the width of the
through swing, adds power and reduces the risk of wrist and elbow injuries. Allow your upper body to turn after impact so that your chest faces the target, this will allow you to keep your arms extended for longer
X
X
In an effort to hit the ball harder I have allowed my right hand to push the club through, causing my left arm to bend and my wrists to roll. Notice how the clubface points to the left, resulting in a hook and poor ball flight.
22 Lady Golfer
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LG pp 22-23 Langford Instruction 22/03/2013 16:07 Page 23
Keep everything turning Allowing the upper body to turn through impact makes it possible to keep the arms extended for longer, resulting in longer, straighter and higher shots. Allow your head to turn as you turn your chest for greater freedom.
Water-tight action If you want to get a feel for the through swing, pick up a bucket and pretend you are throwing water – there is an uncanny resemblance to the golf action in this natural, twohanded exercise. To throw the water further we would swing our arms faster rather than use the wrists – which would result in wet feet! Christine Langford is the Director of Golf at Abbotsley Golf Hotel. For more visit www.abbotsley.com. Clothing courtesy of One Up Golf
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Lady Golfer 23
LG pp 24 Jennings Instruction 22/03/2013 16:08 Page 24
INSTRUCTION
Vision
chips Make your short-game practice more focused
H
ow many of you practise your chipping? And how many of you make it really specific? You know for certain that you will face plenty of chips throughout the round so this is a great drill to tighten up your short game. Place two clubs 10 yards apart and get out your most lofted club. Now try and hit your first chip as short a distance as possible but still landing it over the first club. With each shot thereafter get the ball past the previous effort. This will give you a real idea of how far you need to swing the club for certain distances and also how much loft the club is actually capable of and how quickly you can stop it. You might surprise yourself.
24 Lady Golfer
Rachel Jennings is a second year professional on the Ladies European Tour. You can follow Rachel on Twitter @racheyjgolf
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
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LG pp 26 Columnist BB 22/03/2013 17:09 Page 26
COMMENT
Becky Brewerton Saluting Laura Davies, the true legend of the tour
VERY event this year is huge for trying to make the Solheim Cup side. The points are double those of last year so every tournament is crucial and you can really make a significant move up the rankings with a couple of big weeks. The qualifying system can be quite complicated but you have to finish inside the top 10 (top 20 for a Major) to record any points so, other than Spain’s Carlota Ciganda, nobody is really certain of anything yet. Four players qualify through the Ladies’ European Tour rankings, four through the world rankings with four captain’s picks making up the side. If I were in charge I would have five spots for the LET players as it used to be. I suppose I would say that given that this is where I play but I think it is so important to support the home tour. I really felt for Diana Luna as she just missed out last time and, if you do, you sort of have the feeling that the picks will go to those playing on the LPGA Tour. It doesn’t encourage those players to get behind our tour though players like Laura Davies and Sophie Gustafson have been incredible supporters of the LET and it makes such a difference whenever they play. Had it not been for Laura at times you wonder whether the LET would have kept going at times. I can see it from their point of view but you’d like to think that more could be done by some to play a bit more in Europe. Over the two-year qualifying
E
26 Lady Golfer
Shining light LD is the ultimate legend on our tour
period you only have to play in six events – so if you take the British Open and Evian that is four – which leaves only one event per season. If you can’t make that then that is a serious lack of effort, if it were up to me it would be 15 events. We have now got the opportunity to build a really good tour with the new chief executive and, if we could attract the bigger names, then that would elevate the sponsors, crowds, prize money and, ultimately, gain us some more respect. I can understand the travel side of it but Laura has won 84 events around the world and has probably cost herself a place in the Hall of Fame but she will always be thought of as the absolute legend of the European Tour. On the course I am getting there and the confidence is slowly coming back. We
recently visited Mission Hills in China for the World Ladies Championship where I was representing Wales with Lydia Hall and it really is an amazing place. It is hard to get your head round the scale of the place, there are 10 courses there and it takes 25 minutes to drive from one end of the property to the other. That said it was such a treat to be able to walk back to your room after the round. It was an individual and team event though we didn’t play in teams but we were in the next pairing to one another so you get a sense of being together. Suzann Pettersen’s score to win the individual was incredible and I could never have imagined someone finishing at 18 under. When you look at her stats of fairways and greens hit she obviously did very little wrong all four days.
Otherwise we have been Down Under and the pick of those weeks was Lydia Ko’s victory in New Zealand. I played with Lydia in the first two rounds in the same event last year and she is so lovely and carefree and happy and takes everything in her stride. Even when she won her reaction was extremely calm and her level of consistency is almost even more impressive. Everyone raved about Michelle Wie at such a young age but you would have to say that Lydia is some way better at such an age. Her putting is phenomenal and the stroke is fantastic. And she’s not yet 16 – absolutely incredible!
Becky Brewerton • Becky, from Abergele in Wales, plays on the LET. She has won three times and was part of the 2007 and 2009 Solheim Cup teams. Twitter: @BeckyBrewerton
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
I PLAY BENROSS. Beckie Mabbutt / Handicap 11 Slinfold Golf & Country Club
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15/03/2013 09:52
LG pp 28 Columnist JS 22/03/2013 16:10 Page 28
COMMENT CHI POWER GOLF: ADVANCED PERFORMANCE TECHNIQUES
Jayne Storey How golf is played with the feet
ACK Nicklaus was legendary for leaving his footprints in the dirt after teeing off and he remarked many times that ‘golf is played with the feet’. This resonates with ancient principles from the Chinese martial art of Tai Chi because the flowing movements of Tai Chi are ‘rooted in the feet’, in exactly the same way as a fluid, powerful golf swing. Rooting is one of the most important things in life. A tall building must have a strong and firm base and a healthy plant requires a healthy root; yet rooting is often misunderstood as stability, when it really means mobility. Roots in all plants and trees are in constant movement and your feet must move even when you are standing still, as the expansion and contraction of your toes activates muscles in your body all the way to the top of your head. To produce a fluid yet powerful swing you need a strong base in your foot. Once the foot provides a firm, reliable base, the other parts of the body can relax and move freely and effectively. The foot itself should neither be too relaxed nor too loose, but should give you a feeling of firm compression into the surface on which you are standing.
J
DEVELOPING YOUR ROOT To ensure the entire foot is rooted, the three points on the medial or inner aspect of the sole are of particular importance. The first point is the big toe; the other two points are on the 28 Lady Golfer
Ground up Rooting is a big part of the Tai Chi principle
inner part of the ball of the foot and the inner part of the heel, on opposite sides of the instep. In Tai Chi these three points together are called ‘the three active nails.’ When the foot is rooted, these three points grip like three nails penetrating the ground. TAI CHI FOOTWORK PRINCIPLES "The 1st nail (the big toe) is like a rudder of a ship, the 2nd nail (ball of the big toe) acts like the engine, and the 3rd nail (the inner part of the heel) works like an anchor to 'keep the frame' of each movement." — Tai Chi Grandmaster Chen By concentrating on the three active nails and
therefore keeping your weight on the inside of the foot, you can enhance your swing and avoid some common injuries. The most significant of these are injuries to the knee. When golfers let too much weight rest on the middle or outside of the foot, they get ‘knee wobble" which can cause stress to the knee. For example, when winding up to the top of your backswing, do not let your foot roll out so that the weight is on the outside of the foot and the big toe lifts up. Keep all three nails of the substantial (weight-bearing) foot connected to the ground with the knee directly above the first two nails. At the same time, do not let either foot pronate (roll inwards), so that the outside
edge lifts away from the ground. Just practise finding the most relaxed and easy alignment with gravity. The three nails align with the weight-bearing centreline of your body, which is the line of least resistance, greatest economy of movement and greatest power. In turn, being rooted in the feet helps to ease the joints, soften the muscles, and allows the inner energy (chi) to flow easily, all without interrupting the foundation.
Jayne Storey For more information on personal tuition, group seminars, products and newsletter, please ring Jayne on 07986 447 250 or visit www.chipowergolf.com
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
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LG pp 31 Fitness 22/03/2013 16:12 Page 31
FITNESS
LET’S GET THINGS STARTED
FOCUS ON THE SIDE MUSCLES
TWISTING YOUR TRUNK
Grab an iron from your bag take a wide grip on the shaft, with it held out parallel in front of you. Then simply raise it over your head, nice and slowly – but continuosly. Keep your back straight with a little bend in your knees.
Now with the same grip, we add a little lateral bend. So, starting with the club above your head, lower your left hand, keeping both arms extended, until you feel the stretch in the hip and left side of your trunk. Repeat on the other side.
Now we’re going to get your tummy, lower back and shoulders warmed up with a trunk rotation. With the same grip and keeping your belt buckle facing front, turn your upper body so you end up looking over your left shoulder.
MOVING INTO THE GOLF ZONE
FEEL YOUR BACK LOOSEN
GETTING TO THE TOP
By now your bigger upper body muscles are getting warmer, so we can afford to raise the difficulty level a touch. Adopt your golf posture while still holding both ends of the shaft as before – and it should be parallel to the floor.
Begin to swing back as you normally would in your golf motion and you should feel the key muscles loosening off. Having your hands apart like this will really stretch your important golf muscles, especially in the back.
Finally, get to the top of swing and pause momentarily before ‘swinging through’ as you normally would. Complete 20 turns back and through. Now, you are ready to hit your first drive – with no stiffness!
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WE all know we should turn up for our tee time half an hour early, undergo a leisurely stretch on the range, hit 50 balls and finish off with at least five minutes’ putting on the practice green before strolling over to the 1st tee. In reality, we arrive nine minutes before we are due to play and it’s all we can do to get our shoes on and grab a drink from the pro shop on the way to the tee. If this latter scenario sounds like you, this quick warm-up will be perfect. You can do it on the tee in the time it takes you and your playing partners to decide who is
partnering with whom. And I guarantee it gives you a better chance of hitting a sweet first shot of the day. Kati Crossfield is a personal trainer based at David Lloyd gym in Leeds. She can be contacted on 07786 557822 or by visiting davidlloyd.co.uk
Lady Golfer 31
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22/03/2013 16:35
LG pp 33 Lead to Equipment 22/03/2013 16:13 Page 33
YOUR GEAR The latest club reviews I New equipment I Fashion I Style tips I Electric trolleys I Pull trolleys
NEW SHOES WITH SOME BITE The “Crocs Golf with Hank Haney” collection has arrived in the UK In the words of Hank Haney, best known as the former coach of Tiger Woods: “The first lesson in golf is to be comfortable.” Comfort is something that Crocs know how to do – witness their instantly recognisable clog-style shoe. Now, with the help of Haney, Crocs have added golfing insight to their own expertise in comfortable footwear to produce shoes that are stylish, comfortable and perform to the highest level.
Available in the UK for the first time, they combine the extreme comfort of Crocs street shoes with the stability and traction of a modern golf shoe. Crocs have developed a unique, patented one-piece manufacturing technology, which produces the sole and insole as one piece. This technology dramatically reduces weight, increases comfort and improves traction and stability.
The Bradyn shoe brings a host of features with an incredibly light, functional and stylish design. Crocs’ innovative multi-cleat spikeless design offers excellent grip in all conditions and the hybrid construction reduces weight and increases comfort and performance. Interchangeable leather kilties in white and fuchsia or white and turquoise are included. SRP: £79.99 www.crocs.com 0844 2098 886
LG pp 34-35 Equipment 22/03/2013 16:13 Page 34
EQUIPMENT
YONEX Ezone SD Driver I automatically assumed at 12° that the loft would be too much for me but no – I was very pleasantly surprised by the trajectory. The flight was really good. Admittedly, I lost a bit of distance into the wind, where the additional loft did show, but otherwise I could cope very happily with that trajectory. I know I’m not a pink fan, but as this is more in your face, rather than girlie pink, I can live with it. The head is very shiny, showing all the reflections on a sunny day, but some people will miss not having anything on it to help with their alignment. The grip is nice – it is quite narrow, but the texture is great. The club is effortless to swing and it feels really well balanced. The strike is superb, and so is the sound on impact – really solid without a hint of tininess. A great confidence builder. SRP: £199
A PRODLUL REVIE CTS BY M WED ADEL WINNETEINE T
GALVIN GREEN Naomi Ventil8 Trousers
LAMKIN Gripes Cleaning Wipes
I have finally found my perfect trousers! Golf trousers invariably seem to be designed for either teenagers with an eating disorder, or with so much material in the thighs, they instantly make you look two sizes bigger. However, these are just a fabulous fit and shape. They are incredibly stretchy, so you almost feel as though you are wearing nothing when you crouch down to line a putt up. 10/10 in every department, but rather pricey! SRP £99
I can’t believe I am excited by a cleaning wipe, but I genuinely am! These wipes come in a handy re-sealable pack (similar to baby wipes), and when sealed properly, are supposed to last for more than a year. I was amazed how well they worked to clean and reactivate long since gone tackiness on my grips. My driver grip was in need of replacing, but after using this, it honestly felt as good as new again! One wipe does five clubs (15 per pack). Marvellous! SRP: £5.99
34 Lady Golfer
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LG pp 34-35 Equipment 22/03/2013 16:14 Page 35
LADIES WHO LAUNCH ODYSSEY White Hot Pro D.A.R.T Putter With strong, fast-swinging lady golfers in mind, Madeleine reviews clubs designed for men
DAILY SPORTS Polo Shirt Most golf shirts tend to have the striking design on the front, whereas this has the more subtle embroidered logo on the front (optional) and saves the dramatic cross for across the width of the back, where it looks very striking. Made from 95 per cent cotton and 5 per cent spandex, it is soft and comfortable, and sufficiently stretchy to give you complete freedom of movement, but without feeling tight or clingy. It is also mercifully long enough not to come untucked during your swing. SRP: £49.99
There are so many good things to write about this putter, I hardly know where to start. The dart-shape alignment line is superb, making you think that you can line up with the smallest, most precise target. No longer will it be the case of aiming right of centre, it’ll be aiming at a specific blade of grass! I love the white face insert as the ball comes off the putter face so softly you get great feel and control. Long putts are effortless to hit and so is judging distance. The interchangeable weights are very easy to change, and conveniently, the two spare weights (giving you options from 350 to 370g) and wrench are housed in the headcover, so you never need to be caught out by different speed greens again when you go anywhere to play. SRP: £109
YOUR
VIEW
Angela Tams who plays off 24, tests out a Ping Serene hybrid
SURPRIZE SHOP Vacuum Flask What a clever idea – a sensible sized flask (8” x 3”) with a carabiner to attach it to your golf bag for easy access. As it holds 350ml, it’s perfect for something warm to sustain you on the course in winter – even soup or pasta - or cold drinks in summer. The opening is big enough for ice cubes, and it also has a pour through stopper for easy pouring. Very smart in brushed steel, or in eye-catching pink for the girlie girls. An excellent product! SRP: £9.99 www.surprizeshop.co.uk
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
First impressions were favourable. The club looks inviting and good to the touch, the grip is firm and comfortable, and the weighting seems on a par with my present rescue, a Ping Rhapsody with 26˚. I first tested it at the driving range, and to be honest, in that enclosed environment it didn’t seem much different to any other hybrid I’ve used – easy to swing, fairly predictable result, but nothing special. However, when I played it in the less forgiving and still damp semi-rough of the course, it came in to its own providing excellent loft, plenty of length and good control. I could be tempted – it’s purple as well which matches my golf bag! SRP: £129
Lady Golfer 35
LG pp 36-37 Equipment Directory 21/03/2013 14:35 Page 36
EQUIPMENT DIRECTORY
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36 Lady Golfer
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LG pp 36-37 Equipment Directory 21/03/2013 14:35 Page 37
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Lady Golfer 37
walk 18, feel like you played 9 Crocs hybrid golf shoes combine legendary Crocs comfort with the stability and traction of a modern golf shoe. The patented one-piece technology not only dramatically reduces the weight of the shoe, but also increases player comfort and improves traction and stability. All this makes Crocs the first truly hybrid golf shoe. And it delivers on performance, comfort and style.
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LG pp 39-40 Fashion 22/03/2013 16:16 Page 39
FASHION
SUMMER POLOS
FASHION
GOLFINO UV Protection Plain Piqué Polo (White Label) £79.95
ABACUS Marion £49.99
LYLE & SCOTT Polo £55
NIKE Graphic Wrap £50
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Lady Golfer 39
LG pp 39-40 Fashion 22/03/2013 16:17 Page 40
EQUIPMENT FASHION
SUNICE
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Tracey Tulip sleeve melange £49.99
Women’s Short Sleeve Stretch Pique £40
GLENBRAE Melba £34.95
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Women’s Polo £24.99
Ecosmart £30
DUNLOP
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Diamond Golf £10.99
Dry Comfort jersey sleeveless polo (Green Label) £79.95
Alexandra £60
40 Lady Golfer
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LG pp 41 Display Ads 20/03/2013 17:09 Page 41
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Lady Golfer 41
Powerbug 20/03/2013 17:09 Page 1
LG pp 43-45 Trolleys & Buggies 22/03/2013 16:19 Page 43
EQUIPMENT
TROLLEYS AND
BUGGIES Save your energy for hitting shots and enjoying being on the course this year – there’re never been a broader choice
POWAKADDY FREEWAY SPORT Renowned as the world’s best-selling trolley of the past decade, the Freeway has been the recipient of a number of design and technology upgrades. Nowhere is this better demonstrated than the Freeway Sport, the design that spearheads the range and offers golfers myriad new features. It has an innovative, but simple to use ergonomic soft-grip handle. This features an ambidextrous nine-speed control roller combined with an integrated LCD display screen and a separate button giving direct access to the Digital Distance Function. All of this combines to create the group’s most modern and sporty buggy to date. SRP: £479.99 with standard battery & black or white frame; £509.99 (extended range battery & black or white frame); £679.99 (lithium battery & black, white or graphite frame; £729.99 (Lithium EBS & graphite frame) www.PowaKaddy.com 01795 473 555
LG pp 43-45 Trolleys & Buggies 22/03/2013 16:19 Page 44
EQUIPMENT
MOTOCADDY M1 PRO Following on from the award-winning S-Series, Motocaddy’s new M1 Pro golf trolley has a lot to live up to. As a result, it has been packed with new features, but retains what has made the brand so popular. The M1 Pro is the company’s most compact design to date, folding down to a size not much bigger than airline hand luggage allowance. In addition to this, it weighs just 10.5kg meaning that transporting the trolley has never been easier. An integrated accessory station and nine different speed settings are also available. The trolley is powered by a whisper-quiet 230w motor, with the option of an 18-hole lead-acid battery or a powerful, super-lightweight lithium alternative, available in 18 or 36-hole options. Motocaddy have made the M1 Pro available in a choice of stylish black or alpine matt finishes. SRP: £549.99 with lithium battery; £399.99 with lead-acid battery www.motocaddy.com 0208 549 5500
BIG MAX WHEELER New fourth wheel provides added stability on the course Weighs just 8.3kg and folds down to a remarkable 63x41cm SRP: £229 www.bigmaxgolf.com 08442 098886
44 Lady Golfer
BIG MAX’S NE BLADE TROLLEW IS OUT NOW –Y SEE NEXT MONTH’S LG FO FULL DETAILS R
POWERBUG PROTOUR Five distance settings allow for automatic parking Adjustable front-wheel tracking system SRP: £300 (acid battery); £500 (lithium battery) www.powerbug.co.uk 0118 940 6609
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LG pp 43-45 Trolleys & Buggies 22/03/2013 16:19 Page 45
GOKART AUTOMATIC CONTROL Compact, light design with 18hole battery and charger Comes with two-year warranty SRP: £299 www.gokart.co.uk 01227 712 288
JUCAD DRIVE SL TRAVEL EX3 Three-wheel model weighs only 5.5kg Packs away quickly and tidily SRP: £3676.30 www.jucad.de/home-en
STEWART GOLF X7 LITHIUM REMOTE MOTORA M2 CONTROL
50m range with safety cut out Comes with a 24-month warranty SRP: £999 www.stewartgolf.co.uk 0333 800 18 18
Lightweight 10.5kg frame and wide wheelbase makes travelling over slopes easy Comes with lightweight 1kg Li-ion battery SRP: £789 www.motoragolf.co.uk 01392 499096
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GRASSHOPPER JUNIOR SE Hand-built in Nottinghamshire factory Can be used on a variety of flat and hilly terrains SRP: £2,295 www.grass-hopper.co.uk 01623 404730
PUREDRIVE LITTLE MIRACLE
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Available in 18-hole or 36-hole models 75% lighter than a standard lead-acid golf battery SRP: £197 18 hole; £247 36 hole www.puredrivebatteries.co.uk 01242 621 548
75% lighter and a third of the size of a lead-acid equivalent Battery management system optimises performance and life SRP: £199.99 www.litepower.co.uk 01795 473 315
Lady Golfer 45
Menara Travel Morocco 22/03/2013 14:42 Page 1
MOROCCO GOLF
The Magic Awaits You...
TA I L O R M A D E G O L F H O L I D AY S A L L Y E A R R O U N D AGADIR £399 per golfer – including: 7 nights on B&B in the ATLANTIC PALACE HOTEL 5***** + 4 rounds at the OCEAN GOLF CLUB + Airport transfers + Golf shuttle + Free access to SAUNA & HAMMAM (Valid from 01 January – 31 March 2013)
MARRAKECH £389 pp on B&B in PALMERAIE VILLAGE Apartments 4**** £649 pp on B&B in PALMERAIE GOLF PALACE HOTEL 5***** Including: 7 nights on bed & buffet breakfast
+ 4 rounds of golf with your preferred prebooked tee times playing on the PALMERAIE GOLF COURSE + Airport transfers (Valid from 03 Jan – 28 March 2013)
MAZAGAN BEACH & GOLF RESORT 5***** From £589 per Golfer – 4 Nights on B&B + Unlimited Golf From £829 per Golfer – 7 Nights on B&B + Unlimited Golf Including: Return direct flight from London GATWICK with AIR ARABIA inclusive of
taxes & check-in luggage of 20Kg & golf clubs carriage + Accommodation on Bed & Buffet Breakfast in a deluxe room (partial ocean view) + Unlimited Golf on the MAZAGAN GOLF COURSE + Complimentary shared BUGGY per day on the Mazagan Golf Course + 1 round at the ROYAL GOLF EL JADIDA + Airport transfers (shared shuttle - scheduled hours only) from & to CASABLANCA AIRPORT
MOROCCO GOLF FESTIVAL ‘4th edition’ 05 – 12 October 2013 MARRAKECH
For bookings & further details please contact
Menara Travel Ltd Fully bonded Tour Operator ATOL 6662 t: 0207 371 2030 e: info@morocco4golf.com www.morocco4golf.com
LG pp 47 Aldwark Manor 22/03/2013 16:22 Page 47
WELLBEING
Aldwark Manor GOLF & SPA HOTEL
Justine Board visits this North Yorkshire retreat and is happy to be inside looking out
T is freezing and starting to snow as I pay the 40p toll to cross the ludicrously quaint 18th-century Aldwark toll bridge (notable for once being hit by an iceberg!) on the way to the Aldwark Manor Golf and Spa Hotel. The bridge crosses the River Ure which also cuts picturesquely through the 100 odd acres of parkland and golf course surrounding the hotel. Aldwark Manor sits between York and Harrogate in
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the Vale of York and overlooks misty, rolling moorland, the Howardian Hills and, further on the horizon, the North Yorkshire Moors loom ominously (for me at least, remembering a recent cycling trip with unanticipated gradients). It was commissioned in 1865 by Lord Walsingham as a wedding present for his eldest daughter and the original manor house now forms the heart of the hotel. I pull into the discreet, sweeping
driveway and despite the weather there are a couple of hardy golfers sauntering to the 1st tee, but I’m not here for the golf, thankfully I’m heading for the spa. I’m greeted by the soporific site of spa-goers mooching around in robes, chatting in pairs while, I’m told by my therapist, their other halves are out on the course. There is a gym with the full range of training equipment but the only sweat-inducing activity I
have any intention of pursuing involves sitting in a sauna. I’m led away to one of seven treatment rooms for my blissful Espa full body massage, only managing to stay awake on the heated bed through fear of what somnolent noises I might produce. Apart from the beauty treatments on offer, life revolves around the pool with its picturesque views over the course – it was particularly gratifying to sit in the Jacuzzi
Play & stay Or even make use of the fully fitted gym
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
Lady Golfer 47
TopGolf
Coaching Our aim is to deliver the most effective and passionate level of coaching as good as any venue in the world, whether you’re an advanced golfer or a complete beginner.
Our facilities provide various training aids as you’d expect from any top golfing facility, but also boast three of the most unique technologies around: • TopGolf the Game • Flightscope • V1 Analysis Software All of this means we offer you the very best coaching methods, from the very best PGA coaches: • • • • • •
Single Lessons Group Lessons — Get in to Golf scheme Course Lessons League Nights & Longest Drive Competitions Junior Coaching & Holiday Camps Golf and Coffee Mornings
TopGolf is an authentic golf experience that combines competition with entertainment. TopGolf offers the excitement of gaming, the pleasure of great food and drink, and the positive energy of a kinetic and slightly flirty social experience. It’s like drinks with your best buddies, the weekly poker night, a Sunday tee-time, playing Wii with the kids and the best date you’ve ever had — all rolled into one.
Visit TopGolf.com for more information @TopGolfCoaching
LG pp 49 Aldwark Manor 22/03/2013 16:25 Page 49
WELLBEING
Easy walking There is 120 acres of parkland golf to enjoy
and watch snow fall peaceably on the adjacent green. There’s also a sauna, steam room and for the brave/masochistic, a bucket shower which dumps ice cold water on the souls below. Lunch was a healthy Cajun chicken salad in the buzzy spa brasserie although this isn’t one of those monk-like ascetic retreats and no-one will disapprove if you order a glass of wine. If you’re staying overnight, other eating options include the highly regarded Brasserie Restaurant (robes definitely not permitted) or the less formal Terrace Bar overlooking the 1st fairway, a choice spot in better weather. Service was never less than charming and a friendly atmosphere pervades with guests chatting amicably to each other whether be-robed or fully dressed. Aldwark Manor is perfect for a short break and close enough to both York and www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
Harrogate to combine golf and spa with a shopping or cultural trip. The course is a gentle walk that tests accuracy if not length, but rewards with lovely views including a scenic footbridge over the Ure. This is also a beautiful part of the world for walking and there are some great village pubs to discover in the surrounding countryside including the Punchbowl Inn in Marton-cumGrafton and the Durham Ox in Crayke, both run by the excellent Provenance Inns who specialise in locally sourced produce from God’s Own County.
To the Manor
There are many ways to unwind at Aldwark
Factfile Aldwark Manor Golf and Spa Hotel is part of the Q Hotels portfolio. A full day spa package costs from £70 per person and includes full use of the facilities, slippers, robe, lunch and a one-hour spa treatment. Green fees are from £15 per person off peak and £25 at peak times. Rooms start from £90, including breakfast
Lady Golfer 49
LG pp 50-51 Wharton Park 22/03/2013 16:26 Page 50
PLAY AWAY
Wharton Park
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IRST things first, let’s get the 1st hole out the way. Passing visitors will likely look at the opening hole and envisage a four-hour slog where your energies are best saved for walking rather than the golf. True, it is uphill and your opening drive won’t get too much run but the good news is that this is as hard as it gets on the feet (and lungs) and, better still, it leads to incredible views over the nearby Worcestershire countryside. If the legs aren’t up to it, or you just fancy travelling in style, the club have their own buggies and have installed tracks around the entire course
50 Lady Golfer
to make the experience that much more pleasant. And what goes up must come down so expect plenty of help later in the round. It is also immaculate, the greens and teeing areas are outstanding – particularly given that we are still in March – and it is easy to see that plenty of work (and money, over £1m has been spent by the new owners in the last three years) has gone into making it a course whose condition matches the surrounds. As early as the 2nd there is a gentler pace to everything with a short downhill par 4 ahead of a shortish par 3. We then move to the far side
“One or two prayers might be unanswered at the 16th hole Amen Corner” of a 43-acre Royal Forest – cast your eye to the right of the 4th tee for what look like camouflaged pigs – and these are the holes where the best views are afforded and the prettiest approach, at the dogleg 7th, awaits. Things then really get going from the 12th onwards with a pair of grand par 5s that benefit from elevated tees. If there is a signature hole this comes at the 15th where a downhill par 3 is made fairly
interesting, to say the least, by a rock coppice that sits in front of the green. The 16th, Amen Corner, then follows and one or two prayers might be unanswered with water lurking beside the green and more water awaits (possibly) at the last though the enormous clubhouse balcony and a well-earned drink might now be on your mind. This is a members’ club but there is no ‘them and us’ here; all the dining areas are open
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LG pp 50-51 Wharton Park 22/03/2013 16:27 Page 51
Mark Townsend heads to this serene retreat in the heart of the Worcestershire countryside
to all and your post-round refreshments can be as casual (or formal) as you like. If you do want to treat yourself then try Greens Restaurant which, like most of Wharton Park’s best assets, overlooks the 18th green and fits snugly into the heart of the clubhouse. Here there is a sumptuous array of local produce (and extensive wine list) at very affordable prices – a common theme throughout the stay – along with a cheese board as varied as one or two are strong. Amber Mist tickled my particular fancy. There should be time for at least one night cap so head
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
next door to the recentlyrefurbished bar which is very smart. Mention should also be made of the staff who are as friendly as they are helpful, are often one step ahead of you to meet any of your needs and nothing is too much bother. And it’s all genuine. Finally, to your room and one of seven boutique bedrooms. Anything you require from your sleeping quarters will be ticked here with Super King beds in all, 40” HD TVs, wet rooms, free Wi-Fi and, should you request one of the four which overlook the course, the chance to watch some golf. Even from a horizontal
position on your Super King. Staying on site has many benefits and being able to enjoy an early evening drink on your own balcony or pulling up the blinds to reveal the first and last holes is a very nice way to start any day. Other than golfing there is plenty to do in this charming part of the world and just a 20minute walk away is the town of Bewdley, which lies on the River Severn. Here there is much to see and do but if it’s nothing that you’re after then there are two day spas to ease off those aches and pains or perhaps reinvigorate you for one last attack on the course.
Factfile Here are a selection of fantastic offers now available; Stay and Play: Stay Sunday to Thursday bed and breakfast and add a round of golf for two for only £115 per room. Summer Sizzler: Round of golf for four, two buggies and four Chef’s Specials for only £99. Lady memberships are also available now www.whartonpark.co.uk
Lady Golfer 51
75% lighter
5-year warranty*
LIGHTER. LEANER. LONGER. No matter which electric trolley you use, the LitePower Lithium battery offers the perfect alternative to replace your traditional lead acid unit. Weighing 75% less than its lead acid equivalent, the LitePower Lithium battery is also much smaller at only one third the size allowing it to fit into any electric golf trolley battery tray. In addition, the sophisticated battery management system and high quality components used, means that its lifetime is also five times longer. The LitePower Lithium range is available in two sizes to cover 18 or 36 holes and now comes with a market-leading five year limited warranty. * Terms and conditions apply. See www.litepower.co.uk/warranty for further details.
LITEPOWER IS DISTRIBUTED IN THE UK BY:
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LG pp 53-54 WM Area Guide 22/03/2013 16:28 Page 53
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Gaudet Luce
West Midlands
There's plenty of choice if you're looking for a day out or weekend away this summer
Rapidly approaching its 20th anniversary, this modern golf centre comprises an 18-hole course, a 9-hole par-3 layout and the Russell Adams Golf Academy. Gaudet Luce is Latin and roughly translates as “rejoicing in the light'. These words were found inscribed on a plaque in the 17th-century farmhouse here. Watch out for the 12th – one of Worcestershire's finest short holes. Nearest town: Droitwich
Ingestre Park This Staffordshire parkland is now 35 years old and has matured delightfully over that time. A little over 5,500 yards, most visitors remember the 6th here best, a downhill par 3 to an attractively situated green. It finishes with a long par 5 so make sure your card is in good shape before late in the round. There are fine views from the clubhouse across the course allowing you to reflect on your round. Nearest town: Stafford Park life The superb clubhouse at Sandwell Park
Sedgley This is a modern golf centre that combines a driving range with a 9-hole pay-and-play course. Set in 90 acres, you can score well here but the greens are not without protection and can catch you out. It is the ideal course to develop your skills on while enjoying the pristine conditioning. Work is currently ongoing to add nine further tees so create variety on your second loop. Nearest town: Wolverhampton
Sandwell Park
Malvern treat Elgar was a member at The Worcestershire
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
This mature parkland dates back to the 1890s and has been on its present site for all but two years of that time. Originally a 9-holer and extended by Harry Colt in 1911, this is one of the best courses in the region and measures a shade under
Lady Golfer 53
LG pp 53-54 WM Area Guide 22/03/2013 16:28 Page 54
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5,500 yards from the red tees. The firm turf and sandy soil mark Sandwell Park out as a treat to play. Nearest town: West Bromwich
par is often more sensible. The composer Sir Edward Elgar was a member here back in the late 19th century. Nearest town: Malvern
Expect some heavily wooded holes and others with a more open feel. Nearest town: Oxford
Hagley The Worcestershire
Carswell
Nestled beneath the Malvern Hills is a testing 6,445-yard layout. What the Worcestershire may lack in length it makes up for with its sloping and speedy greens. Watch out for the par517th, which offers real riskand-reward. It can be reached in two if you can take on the water-guarded two-tier green but playing for a safe
Carswell Golf and Country Club is roughly halfway between Swindon and Oxford close to the WiltshireOxfordshire border. Occupying over 150 acres of landscaped countryside, both nines start and finish outside the distinctive clubhouse that has been sympathetically converted from a farmhouse.
Set in 170 acres of parkland, Hagley is home to one of the most advanced teaching academies in the region. The course was originally laid out in 1980 as a nine-hole track, with the second nine added in 1984. Watch out for the 15th hole – known as “The Monster”. The par 5 more often than not requires three of your best strokes to find the
putting surface. Nearest town: Stourbridge
Studley Wood Studley Wood is set in 170 acres of Oxfordshire countryside and was designed cleverly by Simon Gidman to give each fairway and green its own character. The layout has two loops which play in opposite directions. The course also features testing natural hazards courtesy of 13 lakes spread around the 30-acre wood which line and protect the undulating fairways. Nearest town: Oxford
Water works Studley Wood is one of Oxford’s finest courses
54 Lady Golfer
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
LG pp 55 West Mids Ads 22/03/2013 16:55 Page 55
£8
classes Come & join our ladies
per session inc golf balls
Every Wednesday evening - 6.30 Beginners • 7.45 Advanced
ler To book please contact Mark But Call: Mark 07887 995712 Email: mark@themarkbutlergolfacademy.co.uk Web: www.themarkbutlergolfacademy.co.uk Sedgley Golf Centre | Sedgley | West Midlands | DY3 3DL
Call Mark for BUY ONE GET ONE FREE Ladies Golf Lessons
Societies welcome throughout 2013 Golf Packages from £22.50pp (including food)
New 28 bay Driving Range Wassell Grove Lane, Hagley, West Midlands DY9 9JW
For bookings contact the Society Co-ordinator Tel: 01562 883701 www.hagleygolfandcountryclub.co.uk
SANDWELL PARK GOLF CLUB
Birmingham Road, West Midlands B71 4JJ
Ladies Open Day Monday 27th May 2013 Recruitment for potential new lady members - 5 day, 5.5 day and full 7 day membership available - reduced entry fee Our Professional Daniel Lowe will be available for free coaching
Tel: 0121 553 4637
Email: secretary@sandwellparkgolfclub.co.uk
www.sandwellparkgolfclub.co.uk
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
SPECIAL OFFER 2 months free membership June and July Contact our Lady Captain on 07817 178649
Lady Golfer 55
LG pp 56 County Champions 22/03/2013 16:29 Page 56
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County Champions Two fabulous courses perfectly set up to make your next ladies’ away day a memorable one
Seascale, Cumbria Play one of the country’s finest courses
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links golf. About It is crucial to make the most Founded in 1893, Seascale is of the downwind holes, while a west Cumbrian layout that players should watch out the discerning golfer Y CHAM T will love. P for a stream that UN provides a hazard The course has CONTACT early on the back been ranked as t: 01946 728202 nine. one of the seascaleg olfclub world’s top .co.uk p: CA20 1 Top Hole 1000 by Rolex QL Most would agree and is deemed that the top hole is the the second best in short 10th. Known as “Beck”, Cumbria by it features a small stream and Top100golfcourses.co.uk. is the best of a collection of This quality was rewarded last testing par 3s. year when the layout hosted the prestigious English Amateur Card Wrecker Championship. There are lots of tricky holes on the course but the 16th The Course certainly stands out. It boasts Seascale is is not a particularly more defences than just its long course by modern length and can very easily standards. However, fast make a dent in an otherwise greens and varied terrain tidy scorecard. create a very tough test of
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Welwyn Garden City, Herts Enjoy a round at the home club of one Nick Faldo
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extended to the full 18. About Set in undulating parkland, its Established in 1923, Welwyn is narrow fairways and small the home club of the six-time greens have seen many Major champion Sir Nick Faldo scorecards ruined with just a and 2011 Silver Medal winner touch of wayward hitting. at the Open Championship, Superb drainage makes it Tom Lewis. playable all year round. This south-east venue is a traditional but C H AM TY Top Hole progressive club P UN The 17th is which welcomes CONTACT regarded by societies and t: 01707 325243 many as the visitors during the wgcgc.co.u k signature hole. A week. The club is p: AL8 7B P tough par 5, this is conveniently a true three-shotter. located within 10 miles of the M25, Card Wrecker making it one of the easiest Making par at the tough 9th clubs in the region to reach. should be seen as a bonus. The fairway narrows at the The Course landing area while you must Welwyn Garden City was clear a bunker when playing originally opened as a 9-hole to a sloping green. layout, but has since been
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LG pp 57 County Champion Ads 21/03/2013 15:03 Page 57
Seascale Golf Club Co-host to English Amateur Championships 2012
Summer 2013 Green Fee Rates
FourBall Special
Mon - Fri: Round £35.00 • Sat, Sun & B.H: Round £40.00
£112 includes 18 holes, soup and sandwiches (Mon-Fri only)
Late Start Deals - available from just £17.50
Both subject to availability and prior booking
Please call for details of all our special packages
Tel: 019467 28202 Email: seascalegolfclub@googlemail.com | www.seascalegolfclub.co.uk THE BANKS, SEASCALE, CUMBRIA CA20 1QL
Welwyn Garden City Golf Club 2013 SOCIETY PACKAGES Limited number of Summer Society Packages available from as little as £31 per person. Play the best kept course in Hertfordshire – Book Now! Further improvements made for 2013
WELWYN GARDEN CITY GOLF CLUB
Mannicotts | High Oaks Road | Welwyn Garden City | Herts | AL8 7BP
www.wgcgc.co.uk | secretary@wgcgc.co.uk
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
Lady Golfer 57
LG pp 58 County Champions 22/03/2013 16:30 Page 58
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County Champions Two fabulous courses perfectly set up to make your next ladies’ away day a memorable one
North Shore, Lincolnshire A first-class James Braid links by the sea in Skegness
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from the best of both styles About due to a band running Five-time Open champion through the course. James Braid laid out the course here in 1910 Y CHAM and it is still going NT P Top Hole U The first links hole strong today. CONTACT comes at the 4th The attached t: 01754 763298 where the contours hotel sits in an northshore hotel.co.u take over to unrivalled k p: PE25 1 DN provide a test that is position, being judged as the most the closest to the difficult hole. There is a sea in Skegness and large hump in the middle offering some of the fairway which you can marvellous views across The either try and take on or play Wash to the Norfolk coastline. short of to leave a very long approach into the green. The Course The course is a fascinating mix Card Wrecker of parkland and linksland. The 14th is a really tricky par 3 Often when this is the case which can play any club in the you might enjoy nine holes of bag depending on where the one before a change of wind is. Of modest yardage, it flavour but here it constantly may appear relatively simple, moves from one to the other. but a par is always good. Some of the holes benefit
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Hawkesyard, Staffordshire Formerly St Thomas Priory, this is a great day out
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beginners and improvers. About Significant investment in the Nestled in the heart of course, which now lays on an Staffordshire is Hawkesyard all-weather sandstone bed, Hall, a Grade II listed building offers top quality golf with history dating back to the throughout the year. 13th century. A short stroll through the treeTop Hole lined bridal pathway, past the Dominican Monks C H A M After negotiating the TY first 17 holes, your ancient sunken N P U round concludes gardens, on the CONTACT at the signature way to the t: 01543 491911 hole, the par-4 clubhouse hawkesya rdestate.c o m 18th. This requires encapsulates the p: WS15 1 PU a carry of 150 feeling of the yards over three estate. pools built by the Dominican Monks. The Course Benefiting from parkland Card Wrecker contoured greens and treeThe 10th is probably the most lined holes, the mature course dangerous. It requires both a offers a challenge to any good tee shot and second seasoned golfer and a great and a four is a rare treat. learning environment for
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LG pp 59 County Champion Ads 22/03/2013 15:37 Page 59
T: 01754 763298 E: info@northshorehotel.co.uk
www.northshorehotel.co.uk BEST WESTERN North Shore Hotel & Golf Club, Skegness, Lincolnshire PE25 1DN
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
Lady Golfer 59
LG pp 60-65 Club Golf Ads 22/03/2013 15:34 Page 60
COURSE DIRECTORY
FREE Wine Quote LG/May13
MALTON & NORTON GOLF CLUB “North Yorkshire’s hidden Gem” - Peter Allis
GENTS SPRING AMAM OPEN DAY Sunday 28th April 2013
MIXED AMAM STABLEFORD Wednesday 18th September 2013 Please download an entry form from our website For more details please contact Emily on
01653 697912 www.maltonandnortongolfclub.co.uk
BOWOOD PARK HOTEL
2 Day Golf Break to include: 1 Nights Bed & Breakfast • 1, Three Course Evening meal • 2 Rounds of Golf April & October: £105pp May – September: £115pp
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“I have just one word to describe Bowood Park Hotel and Golf Club and its facilities – Superb! This Cornish cracker is a must visit!” John E. Morgan – Former PGA and European Tour Star
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RESIDENTIAL GOLF BREAKS 2013 2012
Available midweek or weekends
3 Day Golf Break to include: 2 Nights Bed & Breakfast • 2, Three Course Evening Meals • 3 Rounds of Golf April & October: £164pp May – September: £175pp
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Available midweek or weekends
4 Day Golf Break to include: 3 Nights Bed & Breakfast • 3, Three Course Evening Meals • 4 Rounds of Golf April & October: £218pp May – September inclusive: £240pp Available midweek or weekends • All package tariffs above are based on 2 people sharing a twin/double room. • Single room upgrades incur a supplement of 50% of the per person package price.
Additional golf break benefits in 2013: Organiser FREE OF CHARGE for groups of 16 and above
• Superior room upgrades incur a supplement of £10 per person per night. • Buggy hire is available at £22 per round or £33 per day. Advanced booking is advisable.
BOOKING HOTLINE
01840 213017 Bowood Park Hotel & Golf Club, Lanteglos, Camelford, Cornwall PL32 9RF For further information please visit us at www.bowood-park.co.uk or contact us at golf@bowood-park.co.uk or 01840 213017
60 Lady Golfer
Follow us on
@bowoodparkgolf www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
LG pp 60-65 Club Golf Ads 22/03/2013 15:35 Page 61
Craigielaw Golf Club
THE FULFORD (YORK) GOLF CLUB 1906 – 2013
AB ERL ADY | EAS T LOTHIAN | S COTL A N D | EH32 0PY
…truly a golfer’s paradise
Opening soon our 25 bedroom golf lodge… Great play and stay packages available More details from our site www.craigielawlodge.com
APRIL RATES Available from £45pp Packages also available
SUMMER 2013 Selected dates are now available for visitor bookings Please quote Lady Golfer to secure these rates. Visit our website for last minute deals and internet bookings
www.fulfordgolfclub.co.uk
Tel: 01875 870 800 Email: info@craigielawgolfclub.com www.craigielawgolfclub.com
Contact Gary / Fiona for further information
01904 413 579 info@fulfordgolfclub.co.uk
Ladies Reside ntia
l Golf Br eaks 20 13
Enjoy 2 rounds of Golf plus Dinner in our contemporary Restaurant and Bed & Breakfast in our NEW Boutique Accommodation from only £87.50 per person*. Call or email for more packages and offers. Book any residential or society package for 12 or more people by 31st July 2013 and receive a complimentary prize package worth £40.00* *T&C’s apply. Based on 2 people sharing a standard room Sunday - Thursday. Subject to availability. Society packages valid Monday - Thursday. Subject to availability.
Society Packages
from £21.50 pp* Includes coffee and bacon sandwiches on arrival and 18 holes of golf.
enquiries@whartonpark.co.uk www.whartonpark.co.uk 01299 405 222
Longbank, Bewdley, Worcestershire DY12 2QW
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
Lady Golfer 61
LG pp 60-65 Club Golf Ads 22/03/2013 15:35 Page 62
COURSE DIRECTORY
MOOR ALLERTON GOLF CLUB Coal Road, Wike, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS17 9NH
4-BALL FROM £100
SOCIETY PACKAGES FROM £25PP CALL NOW TO BOOK A GREAT DAY OUT
27 GLORIOUS HOLES STATE OF THE ART PERFORMANCE CENTRE
62 Lady Golfer
0113 266 5209 www.magc.co.uk
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
LG pp 60-65 Club Golf Ads 22/03/2013 15:35 Page 63
Lilley Brook Golf Club C h e l t e n h a m ’ s Pr e m i e r G o l f C o u r s e
Set in the magnificent Cotswold Hills, Lilley Brook Golf Club is a mature park land course designed to be challenging and enjoyable, sharing its heritage with the renowned Augusta National, home of the US Masters - Both courses were designed by the famous Dr. Alister MacKenzie.
Visitors and Societies Welcome throughout the week and at weekends, Subject to availability.
Various Memberships Available from Full, Five Day, Flexible & Youth Visit our website for more details Lilley Brook Golf Club Cirencester Road | Cheltenham | Gloucestershire | GL53 8EG
01242 526785 | secretary@lilleybrook.co.uk www.lilleybrook.co.uk
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
Lady Golfer 63
LG pp 60-65 Club Golf Ads 22/03/2013 15:35 Page 64
COURSE DIRECTORY
BULWELL FOREST HUCKNALL ROAD, BULWELL, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE NG6 9LQ
GREY OWL GOLF
Let us organise your bespoke golfing break FRANCE • BELGIUM • SPAIN • ITALY Contact Bill Anslow Tel: 01206 841994 • Fax: 01206 841995 Email: bill@greyowlgolf.com • Web: www.greyowlgolf.com Champs de Bataille - France
Come and visit Nottingham’s Oldest Golf Course
FANTASTIC OFFER TO NEW MEMBERS ONLY 2013 Full 7 Day Membership £399 Lady Members £299 Husband & Spouse £650 Junior Members under 16 yrs Free Stage payments accepted, T&Cs apply to membership offers, Golf England and County Union fees apply
18 HOLES Weekdays £15
Near Wareham
Available until 31/3/13
SOCIETY PACKAGES Groups of 6 - 11 Save 20% Groups of 12 - 17 Save 25% Groups of 18 - 23 Save 30% Groups of 24+ Save 40%
SAVE £££!
Email us at secretary@bulwellforestgolfclub.co.uk
5 Star British Tourist Board Venue
GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
Upper Rushmire, Wotton-Under-Edge, Gloucestershire GL12 7PT
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ARD 5 STAR ccccc COMMENDED LUXURY LOG HOMES & GOLF LODGE HOTEL
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Close to Poole & Bournemouth • 27 Holes of Championship Golf • Dinner, Bed, Breakfast & Free Golf from £65.95pppn
Visit our website for online bookings
12 Luxury Detached Log Homes to rent. Min 2night, sleeps 8, sauna, log stoves.
www.bulwellforestgolfclub.co.uk
You won’t be disappointed! CALL TODAY 01929 472 244
64 Lady Golfer
The Cotswold Edge GOLF CLUB Green Fees: £18 per round weekdays and £23 per round weekends Handicap certificates not required
Delightful views, friendly atmosphere, challenging course VISITORS AND SOCIETIES WELCOME Secretary: Estelle Johnson t: 01453 844167 f: 01453 845120 Professional: R Hibbitt t: 01453 844398 cotswoldedge@freenetname.co.uk
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
LG pp 60-65 Club Golf Ads 22/03/2013 15:36 Page 65
THE PROFESSIONAL SHOP AT...
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West London’s Finest Golf Store
Images courtesy of GOLFINO
• GOLFINO’S biggest golf club outlet • A spectacular newly re-fitted shop • Special offers every week • Fantastic Ladies Shop in store • Two female PGA Professionals • In shop ‘Performance Studio’ for the ultimate club fitting experience and state of the art teaching • Generous loyalty card scheme with added benefits • Innovative online teaching with GASP Systems ‘E-Book’
Winner of Pro Shop Europe Awards ‘Pro Shop of the Year 2012’ Ladies Clothing from GOLFINO, Chervo, Masters, Galvin Green, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Daily Sports, Rohnisch, Green Lamb, Under Armour, Footjoy, Ecco Shoes, Cutter & Buck, Pret a Golf and Lija
proshop@matthewpaget.co.uk • www.matthewpaget.co.uk • 020 8939 0148 • Richmond TW9 2SB
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
Lady Golfer 65
LG pp 66 Columnist CK 22/03/2013 16:31 Page 66
COMMENT
Claire Kane When working out doesn’t work out
NE area of my game where a few, gentle improvements could be made is my general golf fitness. It has been known for me to flag a little towards the end of a long day and last year came the final straw when I walked off the 18th feeling completely shattered. There was nothing else for it – I had to do something about my lack of fitness. Let’s face it, standing over the ball on the back nine feeling exhausted is not conducive to a decent score, let alone attempting to tackle 36 holes in a day. Now, I’m not a big fan of gyms as I’ve always found them brimming with red-faced individuals, waiting their turn to leap on complicated, torturous looking equipment. So I decided to try a different approach and signed up for a step class which, according to the convincing flyer posted through my letterbox, would whip my muscles into shape, increase my stamina and help me lose weight. The fit-looking instructress was a wonderful advert for her profession, making the exercises look effortless and the class was crammed full of glamorous ‘Sweaty Bettys’ who moved together in perfect unison. Intimated but not undaunted, I arrived in functional leggings and baggy T-shirt, set up my steps and enthusiastically hurled my body into the programme. I must have climbed the equivalent steps in the Eiffel Tower (600, in case you’re wondering) in the challenge to
O
66 Lady Golfer
Wishful thinking In time this could have been me
keep pace with the seasoned regulars. Despite oxygen deprivation, common sense finally kicked in and I came to the conclusion being out of step with the class wasn’t the end of the world even if I did look like Lance Corporal Jones in Dad’s Army. I didn’t appreciate just how effective the workout was until I Tower of strength I think I’ll take the lift
caught sight of my puce face in a mirror at the end of the session. By the time I climbed in my car and tried to coordinate the clutch and accelerator I realised my muscles had turned to jelly, making my journey home a whole new kangarooing experience. The next day I woke up as stiff as a board, taking a good five minutes to swing my legs over the side of the bed. Every muscle from my waist down had gone into shock and my back had come out in sympathy and had completely seized up. Days later, I hobbled through the doors of a physiotherapist, racked with constant back pain. Instead of the usual bodily checks and manipulation the physio asked me lots of questions, finally asking me to show her how I walked up a stairs. Now this physio had come
highly recommended but I started to have serious doubts about her abilities at this point – surely, she knew how someone walked up stairs? When I attempted the action, she pointed out my core muscles on one side were so pathetic that my hips tipped like a see-saw, putting enormous strain on my back. Numerous physio appointments later and minus hundreds of pounds, my core muscles were truly toned and my hips back in balance – more importantly I could actually stand up straight. So much for improving my golfing stamina. I wasn’t able to play golf for weeks and when I finally did I was completely unfit!
Claire Kane Claire is a freelance journalist, a keen golfer and someone who doesn’t take herself, or her golf, too seriously. Follow my tales on twitter @golfsnippets
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
draycote H O T E L
whitefie G O L F
from
£49 CALL: 01788 521800 www.whitefieldsgolfclub.co.uk Bed, Breakfast & Two Rounds Golf. Please quote ref: NCG1 to receive free range balls on your stay. It is a 5220 yard par 71 course for ladies. There is a PGA Professional on site who is available for lessons. There is also a Sports Therapist on site. Buggies for hire. There are private dining rooms available for larger parties. Close to the following attractions: Stratford upon Avon with it’s Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Coventry Cathedral, Coombe Abbey Country Park, Warwick Castle, Kenilworth Castle, Ryton Organic Gardens, Draycote Water, Shopping in Coventry, Rugby, Leamington Spa and Warwick. Draycote Hotel & Whitefields Golf Course and Club, London Road, Thurlaston, Nr. Rugby, Warwickshire CV23 9LF Tel: 01788 521800 Fax: 01788 521695 Email: events@draycotehotel.co.uk Terms & conditions apply. Subject to availability.
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C O
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15/03/2013 13:39