NCG Cover April 13 20/02/2013 15:31 Page 3
ALSO INSIDE: 20 DRIVERS TESTED n SKIBO CASTLE n NORTHERN FRANCE
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MASTERS 2013
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The season starts here: Ernie Els & Sandy Lyle help us preview the first Major PLUS Billy Foster’s course secrets n Spotter’s guide n Club golfer plays Augusta
A CLUB FOR EVERY SHOT IN YOUR BAG
THE NEW G25 SERIES DESIGNED FOR YOUR GAME When we design a club, we always start with the golfer. That’s why every PING® club has been scientifically engineered to get the most out of your game.
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The Scottsdale® TR™ putter’s new insert has consistency down to a science. Its variable depth grooves, machined into an aerospace grade 6061 aluminum insert, create unmatched distance control. Whether you hit it dead centre or toward the heel or toe, your putts travel nearly the same distance. Add even more consistency with an adjustable shaft (optional) in one of 12 models. Visit a PING® Fitting Specialist or ping.com.
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distance + Forgiveness + feel The Custom Tuning Port (CTP) is integrated into the sole to raise the MOI for more distance and forgiveness.
Distance isn’t the only thing G25™ irons will add to your game. You’ll also get consistency and control. Every 17-4 stainless steel head has been custom engineered with a sleek, versatile design that’s packed with maximum forgiveness. To get distance you can count ©2013 PING P.O. Box 82000 Phoenix, AZ 85071 on, visit a PING® Fitting Specialist or ping.com.
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Performance drives all of us at Titleist. We are inspired to design and make the most consistent and best performing golf balls in the game even better. The 2013 Pro V1 and Pro V1x have undergone rigorous machine and player testing. Our process of listening to players’ needs, testing prototypes and further refining ensures that a new Titleist golf ball delivers meaningful performance improvements for players at every level of the game.
The 2013 Pro V1 utilises a new, softer compression ZG process core technology for the softest Pro V1 yet. Golfers also benefit from more distance due to its lower driver and iron spin, and a shallower angle of descent that produces more roll, along with exceptional D ro p - a n d -S to p™ greenside control.
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An improved Urethane Elastomer™ cover system has a new cover formulation, and a new paint system that provides significantly better durability to retain its out-of-the box appearance longer. The Pro V1 and the Pro V1x. The best choices for all golfers looking to shoot lower scores. Visit titleist.co.uk to learn more.
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NCG pp 6 Ed Comm 21/02/2013 11:19 Page 6
ALSO INSIDE: 20 DRIVERS TESTED n SKIBO CASTLE n NORTHERN FRANCE
DON’T MISS OUR
30 PAGES OF ‘CLUB GOLF’ Tackling the topics that matter the most to you
BRITAIN’s No 1... ALWAYS THE LEADER IN THE CLUBHOUSE APRIL 2013 £4.00
MASTERS 2013
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The season starts here: Ernie Els & Sandy Lyle help us preview the first Major PLUS Billy Foster’s course secrets n Spotter’s guide n Club golfer plays Augusta
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Dan Murphy DEPUTY EDITOR Mark Townsend STAFF WRITERS Joe Harrison James Tompkinson Joe Whitley CONTRIBUTORS Chris Bertram Colin Callander Robert Rock PHOTOGRAPHY Getty Images, Thinkstock, Eve Burton CHIEF DESIGNER Andrew Kenworthy DESIGNER & WEBMASTER Daniel Cooper PUBLISHER Tom Irwin SALES EXECUTIVES Neil Braddish Luke Kelly Tom Lenton Jamie Miles DIGITAL MARKETING EXECUTIVE Eve Burton FINANCE & OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Will Shucksmith (ACA) ACCOUNTS Emma Abbott CHAIRMAN Peter Burgess PRINT/REPRO Precision Colour Printing, Telford SUBSCRIPTIONS Tel: 0113 289 3979 12 issues including P&P: UK £42; Europe £48; World £58 SPORTS PUBLICATIONS LTD Unit 2, Arena Park, Tarn Lane, Scarcroft, West Yorkshire LS17 9BF, United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0) 113 289 3979 e-mail: editorial@sportspub.co.uk ISSN 1354 2532
Editor’s Comment ONSIDERING we are the midst of a global recession, and also that here in the UK we have just endured our wettest summer in a hundred years, the golf industry is showing remarkable resilience. I was in Orlando in late January at the PGA Show, effectively a worldwide gathering for those involved in the game, and I was greatly encouraged by the level of optimism. Official statistics show the game is growing again in America and we can only hope that that same same weather front, in both economic and literal terms, crosses the Atlantic. A bit of sunshine would clearly help. It doesn’t have to be boiling hot every day like it was back in the summer of 2006 (though that would be nice) – a basic requirement would simply be that, come July, bunkers are not submerged and club championships do not have to be postponed due to waterlogged courses, as was the case last year. Many stories abound of struggling clubs but the part of the game that I think is most in the danger is the role of the club professional. I’m sure you are bemoaning the lack of golf you were able to play last year but imagine if you had stocked a shop with thousands of pounds-worth of clubs, balls and, especially, summer apparel then barely saw a member, let alone a visitor, for weeks on end through what were supposed to be your busiest months. Frankly, I dread to think how many boxes of polo shirts had to be re-packed last October and are currently sitting in store rooms up and down the land. I firmly believe that there is a bright future for diligent club professionals, especially those offering a point of difference, such as a custom-fitting service. But the days of each and every club having a fully stocked shop with a professional on hand to look after the members are surely coming to an end. Many clubs simply have no need and cannot afford
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a full-time professional. Even if they can, the pros themselves are unable NCG is a month ly magazine distri to make the numbers buted to the go lf clubs of Grea add up. t Britain. Written specific That’s a shame, ally for you, the serious golfe r, we aim to because a good pro provide an insigh tful is the heartbeat of and trustworthy guide to all the club. aspects of the game We all talk blithely about supporting our pros, but I would suggest that if you really care about their continued presence and want them to succeed then now is the time to do something about it. If that involves buying a new set of clubs then so much the better but a less significant investment in a couple of lessons would certainly benefit both parties. And at the very least, have a heart and take a couple of shirts off their hands in the pre-season sale. auging early-season form ahead of the Masters has never been more difficult. Some start in Hawaii, some in the Middle East and some in California. Others still, like Rory McIlroy, aren’t really seen until the Matchplay in late February. The first, and indeed only, time we see all the best players at the same strokeplay event before Augusta is at Doral for the WGC event. It all makes it very difficult to decide who is worth backing for the first Major of the year. Aren’t tour pros inconsiderate?
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TWO HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS ISSUE... P39: THE MASTERS IS NEARLY HERE
P56: SANDY LYLE
It’s official – winter is over. At least that’s they way we see it once NCG is packed with pictures of Augusta National. No other event is anticipated quite like it so we trust our preview will get you in the mood.
A quarter of a century. That’s how long it is since dear Sandy picked that famous 7 iron off the top of the Augusta sand to set up his famous Masters win. We caught up with him in the States last month.
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Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, but the publishers cannot accept responsibility for omissions and errors. Readers are advised to check pricing and details of availability before making any journeys. All material in this publication is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. The views expressed in National Club Golfer do not necessarily represent the views of the company or the editor. Every care is taken in compiling the contents but the publishers assume no responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from participation in any offer, competition or advertising contained within National Club Golfer.
MASTERS PREVIEW
MASTERS PREVIEW in association with
SETTING THE SCENE
Tiger, Rory, Poulter and the left-handers
ES THEM2013 OF THE
MASTERS
approaches, As the opening Major of key Dan Murphy outlines eight suggestion that storylines – including the year this could be Ian Poulter’s
Can Rory win his first Green Jacket? One of the most vivid Masters is memories from recent from that of Rory McIlroy, fresh the his adventures in and among cabins at the 10th and taking 12th green, seven, four-putting the into the then hooking his drive Creek flowers to the left of Rae’s the brink and the 13th fairway, on with his of tears, covering his face sleeve. year That was in 2011 and last at the he was in a strong position all behind it put to stage halfway rounds of him, only for weekend alongside 77 and 76 to leave him Woods in a none other than Tiger tie for 40th.
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yet to It all means that he has at Augusta, finish inside the top 10 No 1, despite being the World a man holder of two Majors and been who seems as if he has trees and strolling among the pine azaleas for many years. but That will certainly change, top 10s merely chalking up useful Rory – he doesn’t really do it for less than will be aiming at nothing need to a win. One thing he will plays the improve on is the way he +5 over the opening hole – he was four rounds last year. Can Tiger earn his first Green Jacket for eight years? since is, remarkably, eight years
2 It
r.com 40 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfe
“Tian-Lang was not even born when Woods won at Augusta in ‘97” the Masters Tiger Woods last won chip – and eight years since that left on the the one from long and lip before 16th that hung on the toppling in. After that memorable triumph, Jackets Woods had four Green attempts from nine professional to overtake and he seemed certain six Jack Nicklaus’ record of – Masters wins. Since then nothing.
That said, his worst finish was sixth. between 2006 and 2011 never Last year he was 40th and contended. This year he will surely remains, improve on that. Augusta of a annually, his best chance lack of Major given the relative and its penalty for errant driving and reward for brilliant chipping Tiger putting, two areas in which has traditionally excelled. passes Yet with every year that are less since his last win, the odds in his favour. The fuss over two new members of Augusta National Golf Club it Not just any two new members,
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US must be said. The former secretary of state Condoleezza a financier Rice and Darla Moore, become from South Carolina, have two female Augusta National’s first members. an It does not exactly represent but it is a equal-opportunity policy like the massive change at a club Major. venue for the season’s first said “This is a joyous occasion,” Billy Augusta National chairman Payne, in a statement that convinced nobody. There will be many awkward questions for him to avoid he faces answering directly when year’s the media ahead of this tournament. And undoubtedly of the even more in the direction
it will remains to be seen whether next still be in the bag come
all-male R&A, whose Open the allChampionship heads to of male Honourable Company Edinburgh Golfers in July.
How you can follow the action 77th Masters Tournament Augusta, Georgia April 11-14 TV coverage on Sky Sports: Par 3 contest Weds. All four days live BBC: Highlights Thurs & Friday; live Sat & Sun Radio coverage BBC Radio 5Live: Regular updates and live commentary on Sunday evening
There is a 14-year-old golfer in the field Guan Tian-Lang had just last turned 14 when he won Amateur November’s Asia-Pacific it a place Championship and with in the Masters. When he tees it up at Augusta younger he will be fully two years was when than Matteo Manassero as the he made his debut in 2010 reigning Amateur champion. The Chinese teenager, putter to startlingly, used a belly and it Thailand in event win the
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month. is his Guan says Tiger Woods to favourite player and hopes with the arrange a practice round as he 14-time Major champion prepares to tee off at Augusta. as Frighteningly (for Tiger was much as anyone), Tian-Lang won not even born when Woods in 1997. his first Green Jacket back Will the left-handed domination continue? When Bubba Watson in a defeated Louis Oosthuizen the fifth play-off last April, it was that the time in the last 10 years won by a Green Jacket had been
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Twenty-five year paved the way s after his Masters triumph for success, we disc Europe’s glorious run of uss all things Aug usta with...
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SANDY LYLE
INTERVIEW
www.nationa lclubgolfer.com
6 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
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NCG pp 10-11 MOTM 20/02/2013 16:20 Page 10
ON THE TEE Your essential guide to the world of golf – including competitions, quick tips, interviews and new gear
10 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
NCG pp 10-11 MOTM 20/02/2013 16:20 Page 11
MOMENT OF THE MONTH
THE GREATEST SHOW IN GOLF Dan Murphy reports from the PGA Show in Florida
We travelled to Orlando with Virgin Atlantic, w ho offer daily flights from Gatwick and Manch ester and tr anspor t yo golf clubs ur for no extr a charge. R fares star t eturn from ÂŁ495 . 0844 2092 770 or virg inatlantic.c om
THERE may be a global recession but the golfing world turned up in force to January’s PGA Show in Orlando to showcase an array of new equipment, apparel and gadgetry. Back in the day, this show marked the moment when the big companies revealed new ranges to an open-mouthed audience. The internet, among other factors, has changed all that but what the PGA Show lacks in surprises it makes up for in sheer size. The week begins with a demo day at what is described as the biggest driving range in America. Set out around the circumference of a gigantic circle with a diameter of 500 yards, this is the chance to try product in any and every spec, while watching the golfing world go by. The rest of the week is spent inside a conference centre the size of a small town. The biggest exhibitors once again were TaylorMade Adidas Golf. Instead of a stand, they had a show within the show. Entry was through a tunnel and on the other side the new R1 and RBZ Stage II drivers were most prominent, along with the AdiZero shoe. PGA club professionals come from all parts of America to the show, and so too does anyone with a commercial interest in the game worldwide. This year, that included: Sir Nick Faldo (who has a new clothing line, Claret & Green, a new range of clubs, Faldo by Edel, and also a new Faldo Series Academy in Arizona); Sandy Lyle (who has just joined Bridgestone as a staff player); and leading sports psychologist Bob Rotella (who gave a lecture on behalf of Titleist). The overwhelming mood was one of astonishing positiveness in the circumstances and belief that the industry will continue to build on the growth the American market experienced in 2012. www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 11
NCG pp 12-13 Change Your Game 20/02/2013 16:21 Page 12
ON THE TEE
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THIS WILL CHANGE YOUR GAME
ODYSSEY VERSA PUTTERS Improve your alignment and stroke with this striking new range
ALL-
W VERNSEA PUTT
ERS
BLACK AND WHITE Choose between white with a black line and black with a white line. The #1, #2, #7 and #9 models are available in both combinations. Pictured here is the #2. “Our goal is always to create products that will make the game more enjoyable and this range will certainly make a difference to golfers on the greens,” said Neil Howie, Callaway’s European managing director. “The only question now is whether your eye will be drawn to a black-white-black or a white-black- white Versa putter.”
Key facts and figures SRPs: £119 for all models apart from the 2-Ball, which is £169 Available shapes: Versa #1, Versa #1 Wide, Versa #2, Versa #7, Versa #9, Versa 90 2-Ball All models are available with a 33”, 34” or 35” shaft, as well as a host of custom options
Great feel The White Hot insert is meticulously engineered for more consistent sound, feel and performance across the striking surface
12 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
NCG pp 12-13 Change Your Game 20/02/2013 16:22 Page 13
VERSA IS
NO VICE
By contrast The Versa work through the contrast of colours. This accentuates the top line at address to make alignment easier
Odyssey’s latest innovation can help you hole more putts, says Dan Murphy
Tight cut Laser milling cutting process achieves tight tolerances and better matches insert shapes to the head shapes for more consistency
THE SCORING ZONE
VERSA #1
VERSA #1 WIDE
CHOOSE YOUR SHAPE As well as the #7 and #2, here are the other available shapes
VERSA #9
VERSA #90 2-BALL
The visual design of the Versa putters accentuates the face angle at address, through the stroke and at impact. This contrast prompts golfers to better align putts and improve their chances of holing out in the 10–15-foot scoring zone. This is critical as being just 1˚off line is enough to miss from 12 feet. The design also promotes concentration during the putter stroke and helps maintain consistency at impact. “We set out to design a distinctive and highly effective alignment system for a blade putter,” said Austie Rollinson, principal designer, Odyssey Golf. “The human visual system is both sensitive to contrast and very good at complex tasks such as edge detection. We utilised both to create a very effective alignment aid.”
Holing putts with any degree of regularity involves a combination of feel and technique. It is a fact that you can’t find the target without accurately judging both the pace and line. It is also the case that it makes no difference how well you read a putt if you are unable to execute your stroke in the desired fashion. Frankly, few of us pay enough attention to the art – and at least part-science – of reading greens but then again there is little point without the ability to line up properly. One of the main reasons for this is one eye being dominant over the other and so creating a discrepancy between where we think we are aiming and where we are actually aiming. This is where Odyssey’s new Versa putters come in. They call it ‘visionary high contrast alignment’ and what that means is that these putters make it easier to line the blade up perpendicular to the target line. You can choose a black putter with a white top line or a white putter with a black top line – whichever looks strongest to your eye. Stand over a putt and the effect becomes immediately obvious. Odyssey are offering a Versa in many of their most popular styles – from the futuristic #7 wielded so successfully by Luke Donald to the classic blade #9 preferred by Phil Mickelson and the legendary 2-Ball. The Versa also works during the stroke – your eye follows the blade on the way back and through. I would suggest it works most strongly on those whose putting stroke is square-to-square because if who open the face on the way back and close it again as you go through, you may find it a little off-putting to see the blade rotating throughout the stroke.
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 13
NCG pp 14-15 WRBP Sunningdale New 20/02/2013 16:23 Page 14
ON THE TEE
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WE’D RATHER BE PLAYING...
SUNNINGDALE NEW It may be the club’s ‘second’ course, but it compares favourably with most
Pure class The short 5th demands precision
14 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
| GRASS ROOTS
NCG pp 14-15 WRBP Sunningdale New 20/02/2013 16:23 Page 15
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HERE is little better than a day at Sunningdale comprising a round on the Old and New with lunch in between. The Old is the more famous of the two but its sibling lacks little if anything in comparison, boasting the same heather-framed fairways and white-sand bunkers as well as gorgeous turf and equally delightful greens. The Old was originally laid out by Willie Park while the New benefits from the hand of the master heathland architect Harry Colt alongside club member John Morrison. Tom Simpson made amendments when a swathe of better land was acquired before the original designers returned to put the finishing touches some years later. This is the 183-yard, par-3 5th hole, bathed in late summer sunshine. It is an appealing prospect even on an overcast winter’s afternoon.
WANT TO PLAY IT?
A round on the New co sts £165, the O ld is £195 and a day ticket to play both is £28 0. sunningdal e-golfclub .co.uk 01344 298 003
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 15
NCG pp 16-17 Captured On Film 20/02/2013 16:34 Page 16
ON THE TEE
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CAPTURED ON FILM
JULY 20, 1980 Watson claims his third Open, this time at Muirfield
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N case any readers under the age of 40 have been wondering why there has been lots of talk about Tom Watson’s love affair with Scotland since being unveiled as the USA’s 2014 Ryder Cup captain, this is why. Or rather, part of the reason. This victory in East Lothian completed his Open hat trick – and all were in Scotland. His next was too, at Troon in 1982; the only occasion he claimed the Claret Jug in England was at Birkdale, in 1983. At Muirfield he was imperious, a third-round 64 blowing away a stellar leaderboard of Trevino, Nicklaus, Crenshaw, Lyle and Faldo. Ken Brown was with Watson in the last group on the final day and slumped to a 76 as his playing partner cruised to victory by four over Trevino.
16 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
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NCG pp 20-21 OTT TGD Quick Tip 20/02/2013 16:45 Page 20
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THE N VERDICTCG ON WHOSE GO COVERAGE LF IS THE BEST
GREAT DEBATE: SHOULD THE MASTERS LEAVE THE BBC? Is the depth of the coverage or the size of the audience more important? Two NCG writers lock horns...
YES
Otherwise golf’s audiences will become marginalised, says James Tompkinson
In 2013, the BBC will show just six days of live golf, with Sky Sports holding broadcasting rights to almost every tournament. The last two days of the Masters will be shown live on the BBC, as will the entirety of the Open. These are the two tournaments that golfers – and general sports enthusiasts – in the UK get excited about. There is no real reason why the Masters is seen as more important than either the US Open or the PGA Championship in Britain – other, perhaps, than the fact it has been shown on terrestrial television for decades – accessible to a wide-reaching audience. Casual golf fans need to feel like more than just extras who watch a few hours a year and
nothing more. I was speaking with a professional at a pay-and-play facility recently who said that in 2012 there was a distinctive increase in numbers on his course in the week following both the Masters and the Open. He went on to say that this didn’t hold true for either the US Open or the PGA. As much as the BBC have been criticised for using non-specialist pundits such as Gary Lineker and Michael Vaughan, Peter Alliss is a national treasure and is better than anything Sky Sports can offer. “It’s like playing poker with someone who has millions when you only have hundreds,” says Alliss of the bidding scenario. Golf on the BBC is in danger of taking a fatal turn, and that would be a tragedy for the sport.
20 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
NO
Sky Sports’ coverage is better and that’s all that counts, insists Joe Harrison
For a long time, the BBC led the way on sports coverage. Match of the Day was an institution, Steve Rider was super-cool as he fronted motorsport, rugby and golf – and even snooker and darts were given genuine care and attention. But over the years ‘Auntie’ has grown lazy and progressively more flabby. The same pundits have sat in the same chairs for too many years and the licence-paying public have had enough. For many golf fans, the final straw came with Gary Lineker’s inclusion in the BBC Masters team. This was a slap in the face for a sport that has served them well over the years. Lineker provided exactly the sort of banal insights you would expect from a former footballer. Hazel Irvine has stepped
in since and admirably props up much of the coverage, but even she has not always been entirely able to distract the viewer from shortcomings elsewhere – most infamously from Michael Vaughan’s ‘interviews’. Sky, on the other hand, have spent the last 23 years providing quality coverage in abundance to justify their hefty subscription fee. Monty is marmite, but he is knowledgeable and a relevant voice for the modern game. He sums up Sky’s recruiting of the best. Last year’s Ryder Cup is the only evidence needed to prove this. The Miracle in Medinah dominated the headlines even though it wasn’t broadcast live on terrestrial TV. Golf would be fine without the Beeb.
NCG pp 20-21 OTT TGD Quick Tip 20/02/2013 16:45 Page 21
Analysis by Gary Alliss, pro at Ladbrook Park. The ‘King of the Swing’ has twice captained the PGA Cup side. w: ladbrookparkgolf.co.uk
USE A LONG PUTTER WITHOUT
ANCHORING LIKE MATT KUCHAR Why the new rule will be no problem for the American Ryder Cup star
We may see more players adopting Matt’s method soon. Not that it is new; Sky Sports' Ewen Murray used such a method in his playing career. There are benefits of holding the extended shaft against the left forearm – it keeps the putter face, left wrist and arm squarely aligned with each other.
It is also easier to keep the left wrist high and firm, making too much wrist action at impact less likely. It can also promote a more fluid followthrough. Are there disadvantages? Well, this method requires the golfer to adopt a posture with quite considerable slant through the shoulders. The right shoulder has to be set much lower than the left – not conducive to those who like a level-shouldered address.
The stroke dictated results in an inside takeaway, with a push through followthrough towards the target, most players favour a putting arc, or a straightback, straight-through stroke. That can take some getting used to.
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 21
NCG pp 22 OTT Costa Nav Comp 20/02/2013 10:17 Page 22
ON THE TEE
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| COMPETITION |
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WIN A TRIP TO COSTA NAVARINO We’ve got a luxury three-night trip to Greece for two people, including easyJet flights, up for grabs
To enter this fantastic competition and many more, visit our new-look website WWW.NATIONALCLUBGOLFER.COM and click on Competitions. It is FREE to enter
C
osta Navarino is the prime, sustainable destination in the Mediterranean, located in the Greek region of Messinia in the southwest Peloponnese, and home to the first signature designed golf courses in Greece. To celebrate the launch of easyJet’s direct flights from Gatwick to Kalamata airport starting in July, Costa Navarino and easyJet are offering one NCG reader the chance to win a threenight trip to the destination. The new flights will significantly reduce the transfer time, making Costa Navarino an easy-to-reach five-star escape in the tranquil Messinian coast. The Bay Course was designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones Jr while the Dunes Course is the work of Bernhard Langer and EGD. Together, they have created a new luxury golfing destination. Other world-class facilities at Navarino Dunes include two fivestar Starwood-managed hotels –
The Romanos, A Luxury Collection Resort, and the Westin Resort, Costa Navarino along with Anazoe Spa – and a wide range of sport, outdoor and leisure activities, making this a complete destination for every season. The prize includes accommodation for two people for three nights at the Westin Resort, Costa Navarino in a deluxe room on a bed-andbreakfast basis, two rounds of golf per person and return flights from Gatwick to Kalamata with easyJet (www.easyJet.com). Transfers are not included. Valid until October 2013 excluding peak season For more information please visit www.costanavarino.com, www.costanavarinogolf.com and www.westincostanavarino.com To enter this competition, which is free, simply go to our website www.nationalclubgolfer.com and click on Competitions
22 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
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NCG pp 24-25 OTT MD, Seniors 2/21/13 10:03 AM Page 24
ON THE TEE
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THE ASTON MARTIN OF GOLF GEAR...
| TOUR | MD Golf have partnered with British sports car manufacturers Aston Martin to release a new range. The Aston Martin Golf Collection consists of apparel, bags, luggage, accessories and golf clubs. The range includes a driver, putter and full sets of irons and wedges, but it is the range of accessories that excites most. A choice of three bags and even a solid flight case are available, alongside an array of stylish shirts and jumpers in a number of sizes. The collection will be available at the likes of Harrods and House of Fraser.
“We believe that a combination of our 20 years of experience in the golf market coupled with a century of Aston Martin’s luxury sports car design has enabled us to produce a beautiful line of equipment,” said MD Golf’s Michael Morton.
“THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS JUST TO TRY TO ENJOY MYSELF” Our new monthly columnist Chris Lloyd reveals his aims for his rookie season on tour IN the coming months I hope to give you a taste of what it's like to be a rookie on the European Tour. I came through Q School in Spain in November thanks to a bit of a late surge in the sixth and final round. After my fifth round I knew I had a bit of a chance, being in 38th spot with the top 25 qualifying, and was four under with four holes to play. I saw a sign that said five under was the projected mark and then chipped in at the 6th and made birdie at the 7th. Coming to the 9th, my last, I knew I had a real chance but still had to play the toughest hole on the course – and one that two days earlier I had made a quadruple-bogey eight on. It wasn't really playing on
my mind until I asked my caddy for a new ball and he threw me one with the number eight on it. That helped me to see the funny side and relax a bit and I managed to hit a 5 iron to eight feet above the
WHO IS CHRIS LLOYD? Chris is from Bristol and is a rookie on the European Tour. The 21 year old is part of Chubby Chandler’s ISM stable. He turned pro at the age of 18 after a glittering amateur career.
hole. The qualifying mark was now six under but I felt like I needed the putt and managed to tickle it in. So far I have played the two events before Christmas and three this year and the biggest difference is how many players can win on tour. If you drop a shot you
24 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
can move down 10 or 15 spots and, whereas you could get away a little bit with short-siding yourself around the greens on the Challenge Tour, things are set up that bit tougher on the European Tour. Also the par 5s are generally all reachable on the Challenge Tour but, on the main tour, it is more like two out of four so you have to be very precise with your wedges to make your birdie. People always ask what targets I have set but, in truth, I haven’t set any. There are all sorts of things that I could say but the ultimate goal is to just try and enjoy myself. And if I do that that will hopefully go hand in hand with retaining my card.
NCG’S NE COLUMNISW T Look
out for Chri s’s dispatch fr om the European To ur every mon th
NCG pp 24-25 OTT MD, Seniors 2/21/13 10:04 AM Page 25
First time Royal Birkdale will host the Senior Open in July
05 EXCITING NEW
GEAR RELEASES What took our eye at the Orlando Show... ECCO BIOM ZERO At less than 10 ounces, the Ecco Biom Zero is the lightest shoe the company has ever produced. SRP: £140
FIVE BRITISH EVENTS ON NEW SENIORS SCHEDULE Birkdale will host the Senior Open for the first time with additional stops at Porthcawl and Woburn THERE may be a dearth of events on British – and specifically English – soil on the main tour but five Senior tournaments offer the chance of watching plenty of professional golf this summer. There will be three events in England, with the prestigious PGA Seniors Championship moving to De Vere Mottram Hall, in Cheshire, for the first time while Royal Birkdale welcomes the Senior Open Championship in late July. The Travis Perkins Senior Masters returns to the inland paradise of Woburn for a 13th consecutive year
KEY SENIORS DATES IN 2013 June 6-9 PGA Seniors, Mottram Hall June 14-17 Wales Senior Open, Porthcawl July 25-28 Senior Open Ch’ship, Birkdale August 16-18 Scottish Senior Open, Fairmont Aug 30-Sep 1 Senior Masters, Woburn
at the end of August and is always a popular stop with the players. There is a new date and venue for the Speedy Services Wales Senior Open, which will be played in June at the finest course in Wales, Royal Porthcawl, which will then host next summer’s Senior Open. Finally, the Scottish Hydro Senior
Open celebrates its 21st edition by returning to Fairmont St Andrews, on the outskirts of the Home of Golf, for the fifth year in a row in August. The contest to succeed Roger Chapman as the Senior Tour Order of Merit winner takes in four continents across eight months. It begins with the US Senior PGA Championship at Bellerive, Missouri, in May where Chapman will defend the first of his two Senior Majors. The Englishman will also defend his US Senior Open Championship at Nebraska’a Omaha Country Club in July.
SAVE MONEY PLAYING HOYLAKE
The Wirral Classic A great chance to play Hoylake (top) and Wallasey
The Wirral Golf Classic presents an opportunity to play Hoylake, next year’s Open venue, and three other fine links in the area for a very attractive price. This popular event takes and a regular qualifying place from September 23 course for the Ricoh to 27 and costs just £229 Women’s British Open. if you book now. The entrance fee also The other courses you includes two social events will get to play in friendly – a welcome reception competition include Open and prize-giving – and with qualifying venue Wallasey green fees alone almost (pictured below left), a double the cost of entry to terrific links which boasts a the Wirral Classic, the fearsome start and lots of event offers great value. quirky, interesting holes. Titleist are supplying the You also play inland prizes, worth over £3000. gems such as Heswall, To learn more visit where the 2006 Junior wirralgolfclassic.co.uk or Open Championship was telephone 0151 625 held, as well as Caldy, a 9994 – including offers former venue of the from accommodation Seniors’ Championship providers in Wirral.
HONMA W-105C WEDGES Look amazing and are certainly super-premium ...but more affordable than older models. £220 YONEX I-EZONE DRIVER White top line creates a strong look at address. See next month’s NCG for a full review.
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SKYCADDIE WATCH Attractive, lightweight and versatile watch for unmatched distance accuracy in the golf GPS watch category. £179.95
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 25
NCG pp 28 Manchester Golf Show 2/21/13 10:01 AM Page 28
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4 REASONS
GOLF SHOW POISED FOR MANCHESTER
TO VISIT TRY BEFORE YOU BUY The Golf Show provides a unique opportunity to get a feel for a wide range of equipment from different brands before making a purchase.
The north west will host its own interactive event next month
CUSTOM-FIT EXPERTS So many players are now benefiting from custom-fitted equipment, and the Golf Show is an ideal place to seek fitting advice from the experts.
A new show is set to launch in Manchester offering golf fans the chance to see and test the latest clubs as well as be entertained and educated by the experts, writes James Tompkinson. The Golf Show Group will hold the event at EventCity over the weekend of April 5 to 7 and it will follow the same format as the long-running London show, which is now in its eighth year. The show will be the first of its kind in the north west, and aims to provide an interactive experience for all attendees. It welcomes new retail partners Express Golf and Monarch Airlines along
with established brands such as TaylorMade, Callaway, Mizuno, Cleveland, Nike, Wilson, Cobra and Yonex. Visitors will be able to test the latest products on offer and gain insight into state-of-the-art equipment innovations throughout the weekend. With 16 driving
Golf Show Manchester Fri April 5 to Sun April 7 For more information and to buy tickets visit golfshowmanchester.co.uk Tickets cost £11 per person. One under-14 is admitted free with every paying adult.
28 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
bays and custom-fitting experts on site, the event provides an ideal base to source a new set of clubs or make key alterations and additions with the new season around the corner. European Touraccredited putting coach Andy Gorman and other PGA professionals will be on hand to offer expert advice and guidance, and visitors will also be able to view expert interviews, discussions and master classes on all aspects of the game including biomechanics, mind coaching, strength and conditioning. Trick-shot world champion Geoff Swain will provide entertainment
throughout the weekend, performing alongside Kevin Carpenter as "The Golf Trick Shot Boys". There will also be a designated 'kids zone' and competitions including nearest to the pin, longest putt and longest drive challenges. Prizes include Monarch flights to various world-wide destinations. “Manchester has been on our radar for a number of years and now the time is right for us to expand,” said MD Damian Benstead. “EventCity will provide a fantastic backdrop for us to engage with golfers. Our feedback suggests it will be supported by exhibitors and golfers alike."
TOP ENTERTAINMENT The wide range of competitions, exhibitions and shows means visitors will be thoroughly entertained as well as expertly informed throughout.
IDEAL FOR JUNIORS The interactive, hands on nature of the show makes it a perfect place for juniors, particularly as under-14's are admitted free with a paying adult.
OUT OF THE ORDINARY
Introducing the award winning Motocaddy S3 PRO electric trolley. The world’s most feature-packed trolley just got better – Different is good.
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NCG pp 30-31 OTT Glenbrae Comp, TTS 2/21/13 9:58 AM Page 30
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NTER this free competition and you and your club team could start the new season proudly wearing Glenbrae’s finest-quality knitwear and polo shirts. We will kit out the winner and their club team – whether it be rabbits, 8-15s or scratch – with eight Glenbrae sweaters and matching polo shirts in the style and colour of their choice. All garments will be embroidered with your club’s crest. Glenbrae are the British knitwear company who supply many of the best venues through the golfing world. The Glenbrae yarns are spun in their Yorkshire mill, which dates back to 1907.
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| COMPETITION |
WIN GLENBRAE KNITWEAR FOR YOUR CLUB TEAM You could start the season looking the part with matching jumpers and polo shirts – topped off with your club crest
What the prize includes: n EIGHT Glenbrae Spirol Lambswool or Merino sweaters, in either V-Neck, Crew Neck, Zip Neck or Slipover, in the size and colour of the winner’s choice – go to Glenbrae’s website to view the entire collection n EIGHT Glenbrae polo shirts in the size, style and colour of the winner’s choice n All the garments will be embroidered with the winner’s club crest To enter, go to our website and answer the following question: IN WHICH YEAR WAS GLENBRAE’S MILL BUILT? a) 50BC b) 1907 c) 2012 www.glenbraegolf.com GlenbraeGolfUK Glenbrae Golf
30 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
To enter this fantastic competition and many more, visit our new-look website WWW.NATIONALCLUBGOLFER.COM and click on Competitions. It is FREE to enter
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NCG pp 30-31 OTT Glenbrae Comp, TTS 2/21/13 9:58 AM Page 31
S
TATISTICALLY PEAKING
Follow NCG: @NCGmagazine
TOP TWEETS
116
This commercial makes me want to be a farmer. Bail hay, milks cows, plow fields. The good stuff @JasonDufner Happy for Sneds - great guy, works hard and deserves all of this success @LukeDonald
Sneds is officially the best golfer on the planet right now. Some serious golf he is playing. Rolling the potato really well @IanJamesPoulter
Man I love this place! Everyone is here to have a great time on some of God’s greatest real estate!! Gimme Pebble Beach any day!! @DJohnsonPGA
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO...
MARK MOULAND BEST MATE ON TOUR Gordon Brand Jr
WOOD WORKS No of starts it took for Chris Wood to land his first European Tour win. Wood pipped Sergio Garcia and George Coetzee with a closing eagle.
FUNNIEST PERSON ON TOUR None. They are all robots now... Shame
$2,859,920
WORST SHOT YOU’VE SEEN ON TOUR My shank playing with Gary Player in the Open Championship at Royal Lytham IF NOT A GOLFER WHAT WOULD YOU BE A bar owner on a Caribbean island WHICH FAMOUS PERSON DO YOU MOST LOOK LIKE Me
Oh yes! A win at last on the European tour.. I can tell you it feels good! Look forward to a cider when I’m back in Bristol!! @Chris3Wood
ONE CD AND A BOOK FOR A DESERT ISLAND Sinatra, the book was It’s Not About The Bike by Lance Armstrong
Apparently emirates airline can speak to you in 120 languages! Maybe they could use one of those to one day get wifi that works in a lounge! @markfozgolf (Mark Foster)
FIRST JOB Fruit market, Cardiff
USA bound! Hello delta! These ladies must know what they doing cus they been working here a long time! @gcoetzeegolf
ONE COURSE FOR REST OF YOUR LIFE Sunningdale
FIRST CAR Vauxhall
LAST TIME YOU CRIED When my best friend Baz fell down the stairs and has now got brain damage WHAT WERE YOU LIKE AT SCHOOL Pain in the arse
ANY SUPERSTITIONS I don’t use a number 3 ball MOST EXPENSIVE PURCHASE Diamonds in my watch BEST PUTTING TIP Keep your head still
60
Phil Mickelson’s opening round en route to winning in Phoenix. The left-hander could have become just the sixth player to post a 59 but his putt horseshoed out
The prize money Brandt Snedeker pocketed from his first five starts of the season. The 32year-old finished 3-T23-T2-2-1
TOP10 WORLD RANKINGS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Rory McIlroy Tiger Woods Luke Donald Brandt Snedeker Justin Rose Louis Oosthuizen Adam Scott Lee Westwood Bubba Watson Phil Mickelson
05
AV. PTS 12.03 9.03 7.58 6.91 6.44 6.44 5.85 5.50 5.28 5.16
07 WINNING MARGIN BY RICHARD STERNE AT JOBURG OPEN. THE SOUTH AFRICAN NOW HAS SIX WINS ON TOUR
GALLACHER FLYING HIGH Stephen Gallacher recorded an incredible five eagles in his victory in Dubai. The win came 210 tournaments after his maiden triumph at the 2004 Dunhill Links
March 7-10 WGC-Cadillac C’ship, Doral March 21-24 Arnold Palmer Invitational, Bay Hill
MAR
COMING UP... www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 31
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NCG pp 33 Columnist RR 2/21/13 9:55 AM Page 33
ROBERT ROCK Getting a new outlook on the greens F one country’s golf is definitely on the up it is South Africa with four wins in the first seven events on the European Tour. While Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen grab most of the headlines, and rightly so, one player who has really impressed me is Richard Sterne. I played with Richard in the first two rounds of both Dubai and Joburg and my caddy, Tom Whitehouse, and I said to each other that we would be amazed if he didn’t win soon. Not surprisingly, having been second in Dubai, he went on to win on home soil by no less than seven shots. He does pretty much everything right; he hits the par 5s in two, wedges it close and, if he ever was in trouble which he very rarely was, he would get up and down. In Dubai he was round in 62 and, not that you witness many 62s, it was one of the easiest 10-under rounds in tournaments I have ever seen. In the four rounds we played together I can hardly think of any bad shots that he hit and his 'misses' were just off the green. We also played with another real up-andcoming star in George Coetzee in Joburg. He looks very close to breaking his duck and putts beautifully. For me it has been a mixed few weeks with a couple of missed cuts and a top 10 in Dubai, my first since winning in Abu Dhabi last year. In Dubai I tried the AimPoint method on the greens which I had seen on the TV on the PGA Tour. I didn't really know much about it but I got together with Jamie Donaldson (same name, different person) for a few hours, gave it a go and found it to be really reliable. It basically involves trying to locate the straight uphill putt on the green and then use a chart to work out the break given how far away you are and the speed of the green. It obviously takes more time to chart the green beforehand but it does take a lot of the guesswork away. Since Dubai I have had Tom on the bag which has been good fun. He played on the tour for years and is now part of my academy so it’s a bit different having a great player alongside me, as well as being a mate, and he is able to take the mickey out of me if I hit some bad shots. We have also done a lot of work together on my short game in recent months so it has been
Pick your line Robert finished seventh in Dubai – his best effort so far this year
I
‘Sterne’s 62 was one of the easiest 10-under rounds I have ever seen’ very beneficial for him to see me in tournaments as opposed to a chipping green. Otherwise, hopefully I’m not too far away. I also missed the cut at the Africa Open, in East London, where we got the wrong side of the draw having started on the 10th where most of the holes were into the wind. I struggled at the beginning and was five over after 14 so to get it back to one over and have a putt to make the cut was quite satisfying and to be fourth in Greens in Regulation and second in Driving Accuracy was also encouraging enough. Finally, the news that Paul McGinley has been appointed Ryder Cup captain was very well received on tour and I think he will make a
Robert h relaunc as hed his web s For mor ite. robertr e visit ock.co.u k
great captain. I have played under Paul twice, both times in the Seve Trophy, and he was really thorough. He had a plan, which he let us all know straightaway, but also seemed to have a lot of options available to him. In the first match I had a poor opening couple of games and expected to be dropped. But he pulled me to one side and gave me a few kind words and that gave me a real boost that I wasn't expecting and I won my three games after that. Had I not I would have gone into the singles on the back of a pair of defeats and having been dropped. The 2014 matches might be 18 months away but you know that Paul will already be putting together a plan for Gleneagles.
• Sponsors: Emirates Palace, BBT, TaylorMade, Adidas, J Lindeberg and G/Fore gloves. Follow on Twitter @RobRockAcademy and robertrock.co.uk
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 33
NCG pp 34 Letters 21/02/2013 11:21 Page 34
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LETTERS
SEND YOUR LETTERS TO: Letters Unit 2, Arena Park, Tarn Lane Scarcroft, West Yorkshire LS17 9BF or email: letters@sportspub.co.uk
WRITE IN... AND WIN A NEW STAND BAG
LETTER OF THE MONTH: (Silly) season starts Dear Sir, INSPIRED by your Major predictions in the March issue I’d like to share my wishes for the new season. * The press correct their earlier mistake and tell us that Tom Watson has, in fact, been chosen as the next Ryder Cup captain for the European side with McGinley being his first pick as a wild card. * Peter Dawson explains exactly why his mother/wife/daughter are not honourable enough to be members at Muirfield. * In press conferences throughout the year McIlroy continually refers to the ‘swoosh’ as a ‘tick’. * Adam Scott holds the butt of his putter fractionally off his chest and wins the Masters while taking only 18 putts on the final day forcing the R&A to revert the new Rule 14b back to its original wording, “noone can do anything we don’t like, especially if they enjoy it or play better with it.” * Golf clubs are afforded the same tax breaks as coffee houses and politicians. * In the interests of global harmony – and with the above Majors having gone to Australia and Europe – Americans claim the US Open and
USPGA. I don’t care which Americans win – maybe Casey, or Donald, or McDowell, or McIlroy, or Poulter, or Rose, or Westwood, etc, etc, etc. * We don’t see the same rainfall as last year – because it all drops overnight. (I need the ground to stay soft as I changed all my clubs to high bounce models in 2012.) * I stop spending money on new clubs and start investing in lessons. R Holliday, via email
| GRASS ROOTS
The writer of the star letter each month wins a special Ping stand bag featuring NCG’s logo. This is a prize that money cannot buy and you will be able to show your support for Britain’s leading magazine for the club golfer every time you play. For more details on Ping’s outstanding range of bags, visit pinggolf.com
BACK AGAINST A EUROPEAN – ARE YOU CRAZY?
CITING ILLEGAL AIDS Dear Sir, I AM extremely annoyed with the direction taken by some manufacturers, offering sets with characteristics which must offend the R&A. If a clubhead has a slit in the base, allowing the clubface to move, with the ball at impact, and then return to restitution after the shot, then it must be considered an illegal aid. There are no doubt many numpties who would like to hit shots of greater distance but why are the makers so anxious to erode all club courses of normal length? This development strikes at the very purpose of the game and should be subject to critical review and I hope your magazine will consider a reaction to such a change. James Columbine, via email
34 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
Dear Sir, Mark Townsend has stated ‘What you won’t see’ at the Masters as ‘a European victory’. Is he having a laugh? Did he (along with Dan Murphy and Chris Bertram) not consider some of our victorious Ryder Cup team such as Luke Donald, Justin Rose and Ian Poulter as contenders for all of the Majors, and for an American what about Bubba Watson, you don’t mention him. Only Chris Bertram’s selection does not include an American. Far be it from me to suggest who will win any of the Majors but surely these guys definitely have what it takes to win one.
So, if I have to nominate someone to win the Masters then I would go for Rose and for the Open my choice is Poulter. My ‘One to watch’ would be the reliable Geoff Ogilvy and unfortunately I agree with Dan Murphy as my ‘One to flop’ to be Lee Westwood. It certainly will be interesting to see how it all pans out. Kelvin Wyatt, Weston super Mare Mark says: As much as I would love a European to win I’m just going by the stats – the last one was in 1999.
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NCG pp 39 Lead to Masters 21/02/2013 10:12 Page 39
MASTERS PREVIEW
The 2013
Masters
Your essential preview of the tournament
Masters preview in association with
in association with
NCG pp 40-43 Masters Scene Setter 21/02/2013 11:09 Page 40
MASTERS PREVIEW
1
Can Rory win his first Green Jacket? One of the most vivid memories from recent Masters is that of Rory McIlroy, fresh from his adventures in and among the cabins at the 10th and taking seven, four-putting the 12th green, then hooking his drive into the flowers to the left of Rae’s Creek and the 13th fairway, on the brink of tears, covering his face with his sleeve. That was in 2011 and last year he was in a strong position at the halfway stage to put it all behind him, only for weekend rounds of 77 and 76 to leave him alongside none other than Tiger Woods in a tie for 40th.
It all means that he has yet to finish inside the top 10 at Augusta, despite being the World No 1, holder of two Majors and a man who seems as if he has been strolling among the pine trees and azaleas for many years. That will certainly change, but merely chalking up useful top 10s doesn’t really do it for Rory – he will be aiming at nothing less than a win. One thing he will need to improve on is the way he plays the opening hole – he was +5 over the four rounds last year.
2
Can Tiger earn his first Green Jacket for eight years? It is, remarkably, eight years since
40 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
“Tian-Lang was not even born when Woods won at Augusta in ‘97” Tiger Woods last won the Masters and eight years since that chip – the one from long and left on the 16th that hung on the lip before toppling in. After that memorable triumph, Woods had four Green Jackets from nine professional attempts and he seemed certain to overtake Jack Nicklaus’ record of six Masters wins. Since then – nothing.
That said, his worst finish between 2006 and 2011 was sixth. Last year he was 40th and never contended. This year he will surely improve on that. Augusta remains, annually, his best chance of a Major given the relative lack of penalty for errant driving and its reward for brilliant chipping and putting, two areas in which Tiger has traditionally excelled. Yet with every year that passes since his last win, the odds are less in his favour.
3
The fuss over two new members of Augusta National Golf Club Not just any two new members, it
NCG pp 40-43 Masters Scene Setter 21/02/2013 11:09 Page 41
in association with
SETTING THE SCENE
Tiger, Rory, Poulter and the left-handers
THEMES OF THE 2013
MASTERS As the opening Major of approaches, Dan Murphy outlines eight key storylines – including the suggestion that this could be Ian Poulter’s year
must be said. The former US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore, a financier from South Carolina, have become Augusta National’s first two female members. It does not exactly represent an equal-opportunity policy but it is a massive change at a club like the venue for the season’s first Major. “This is a joyous occasion,” said Augusta National chairman Billy Payne, in a statement that convinced nobody. There will be many awkward questions for him to avoid answering directly when he faces the media ahead of this year’s tournament. And undoubtedly even more in the direction of the
all-male R&A, whose Open Championship heads to the allmale Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers in July.
How you can follow the action 77th Masters Tournament Augusta, Georgia April 11-14 TV coverage Sky Sports: Par 3 contest on Weds. All four days live BBC: Highlights Thurs & Friday; live Sat & Sun Radio coverage BBC Radio 5Live: Regular updates and live commentary on Sunday evening
4
There is a 14-year-old golfer in the field Guan Tian-Lang had just turned 14 when he won last November’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship and with it a place in the Masters. When he tees it up at Augusta he will be fully two years younger than Matteo Manassero was when he made his debut in 2010 as the reigning Amateur champion. The Chinese teenager, startlingly, used a belly putter to win the event in Thailand and it
remains to be seen whether it will still be in the bag come next month. Guan says Tiger Woods is his favourite player and hopes to arrange a practice round with the 14-time Major champion as he prepares to tee off at Augusta. Frighteningly (for Tiger as much as anyone), Tian-Lang was not even born when Woods won his first Green Jacket back in 1997.
5
Will the left-handed domination continue? When Bubba Watson defeated Louis Oosthuizen in a play-off last April, it was the fifth time in the last 10 years that the Green Jacket had been won by a ➤
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 41
NCG pp 40-43 Masters Scene Setter 21/02/2013 11:10 Page 42
MASTERS PREVIEW
Amazing... Grace is one of South Africa’s stars
Now or never Westwood’s last throw of the dice
Southpaws Mickelson has won three times
left-hander. Considering that Mike Weir became only the second southpaw in history to win a Major (Bob Charles, the 1963 Open champion, being the first) by claiming the 2003 Masters, this is quite a statistical anomaly. Since then Phil Mickelson has won three titles, in 2004, 06 and 10. Why should it be? Certainly Weir’s style of play could hardly be further removed from that of Mickelson, let alone Watson. Then again, the left-hander’s fade is ideally suited to Augusta’s many right-to-left doglegs with the added advantage that this softlanding shot is easier to control when approaching the greens.
6
The end of the wilderness years for Europe? Not only has a European
failed to win the Masters since the last Millennium (Jose Maria Olazabal, in 1999, to be exact) but only once have we managed a second place in that time (Lee Westwood in 2010). There really is no excuse for that these days – the continent is now heavily represented at Augusta. It’s far removed from the situation as recently as 20 years ago, when the likes of Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle, Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer and Ian Woosnam
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used to arrive at Augusta almost unsupported by other Europeans. With eight of the top 20 in the world rankings belonging to this continent, and given our recent dominance in the Ryder Cup, there is no reason we shouldn’t expect success in the first Major of the season.
Maybe it will be different this year. Apart from McIlroy, Luke Donald, and Lee Westwood (see below), Ian Poulter will be many people’s best-fancied British Isles player. The latter is on the brink of the top 10 in the world rankings and will be determined to channel the sprit of his Ryder Cup heroics in what is the first Major to be played since then. Could this be his year?
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Lee Westwood’s total career change Lee Westwood will turn 40 the week after the Masters. Clearly, the clock is ticking in terms of his remaining time as a world-class player. Even Vijay Singh has slowed down in his late 40s (Deer Antler Spray notwithstanding) and no-one has historically worked harder than the
NCG pp 40-43 Masters Scene Setter 21/02/2013 11:11 Page 43
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REMEMBER
Teenage kick Guan TianLang plays, aged 14
WHEN...?
James Tompkinson charts three past Masters
2012 TIMELINE Last year’s final day
19:55 Louis (LO) makes first albatross two in Masters history at 2nd from 253 yards. Leads by two
FIVE YEARS AGO
20:30 Phil (PM) finds bushes at 4th, plays two shots right-handed en route to a treble-bogey six
Trevor Immelman's victory ended South Africa’s 30year Masters drought. Holding off challenges from Woods and Snedeker, he held the lead from start to finish in cold winds. Despite three dropped shots in an unremarkable last round a total of -8 was enough to see off Woods, who ended on -5 for the week.
21:55 Bubba (BW) makes par at the 10th from the pine needles, LO bogeys and the lead is back to one
22:24 On the 12th Hanson finds the hosel and scrambles a bogey
22:32 Lee (LW) birdies 13 & 14 then misses eagle to share lead
10 YEARS AGO
23:05 Matt Kuchar almost adds albatross at 15. Shares lead after two birdies and eagle in four holes
Condoleezza Rice (left) and Jose Maria Olazabal (right)
super-fit Fijian. So perhaps we should not be surprised that Westwood has decided to gamble at this stage of his career and move to America. Not only that, he has rejoined the PGA Tour and has a new caddy and coach. It could work and in many ways it is a brave move. You can well
8
Returning Els and the South Africans This time last season Ernie Els wasn’t even in the field at Augusta. He will arrive this year as the reigning Open champion. He is part of a small but formidablelooking South African contingent that also includes the 2011
“In at least four Majors, Lee Westwood has been the best from tee to green” imagine Westwood’s frustrations – in at least four Majors he has categorically been the best player that week from tee to green yet failed to come out on top in any of them. So why not throw the dice? Well, it may just add a little pressure when he drives up Magnolia Lane. We shall see.
champion Charl Schwartzel, the 2008 winner Trevor Immelman, Branden Grace and last year’s runner-up, Louis Oosthuizen. The South Africans have had great success here in recent years and it is hard to imagine that at least one of them won’t be prominent coming down the stretch this year. ◆
All the pre-tournament talk was on Tiger’s hat trick bid but it was the altogether less exciting Len Mattiace who looked set to triumph. He made seven final-round birdies to take the lead before being caught by Mike Weir. He won the playoff, becoming Canada’s first Major winner and Augusta’s first left-handed champion.
15 YEARS AGO
23:16 BW makes three birdies from the 13th while LO moves one clear with a four at the 15th 23:25 A fourth straight birdie for BW. He and LO tied, two clear of LW in the clubhouse
23:40 Appalling drives from the leaders at 17 but both scramble pars it remains a two-horse race
23:53 Majestic drives from leaders but no birdies. Play-off
It should have been Fred Couples' second Masters title – but ended up being Mark O'Meara's first Major. The former dominated for three days... while the latter opened with a miserable 74 before a steady comeback on Friday and Saturday spectacularly culminated with birdies at 15, 17 and 18 on Sunday to win. Jack Nicklaus was 6th, aged 58.
00:18 LO lips out on first extra hole (18th), so it’s off to the 10th
00:24 BW finds pine needles way right but hits ludicrous hook to 12ft 00:31 LO can only bogey, BW two putts from nowhere. Cue tears, cue a new phrase; Bubba Golf www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 43
NCG pp 44-47 Masters Ernie Els 21/02/2013 10:25 Page 44
MASTERS PREVIEW
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
ERNIE ELS
Courtesy of his win at Lytham the South African is back at Augusta, after missing out in 2012. Mark Townsend listens to the Open champion’s excitement
RNIE ELS has been part of the Masters furniture since 1994. In the year that Jose Maria Olazabal emerged with a second Green Jacket, the then 24year-old Els left with the first of six top-10 finishes and, just two months later, captured the first of two US Opens. Ever since, Els has been one of the favourites to break his Masters duck. The closest he has come was nine years ago when two eagles and a last-round 67 looked to be enough for at least a play-off only for Phil Mickelson, playing in his 47th Major, to produce a finish of five birdies in the closing seven holes to claim his first. Fast forward to last year and the South African was gradually finding some form on the PGA Tour, posting a number of high finishes but not the win that would seal his place in the field for the year’s opening Major.
E
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An invitation was needed from the committee. It wasn’t forthcoming. A curious decision? Well perhaps not that strange given that Els doesn’t fit into the club’s very obvious policy of using their invites to add more Asian players to the field. In any case, Els stated that if he were offered a special invitation he would turn it down. It is not Els’ style to point fingers or attach blame, more to knuckle down and prove a point. On his website, the week before Augusta, he said: “It’s only the first week of April, and I have a long season ahead of me with lots of great tournaments to look forward to. And you know something, I genuinely feel like I can win any time I tee it up right now. That’s exciting. “Missing this year is not going to change my life. It’s just one of those things. I’ll be back there next year.” Indeed he will. ➤
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NCG pp 44-47 Masters Ernie Els 21/02/2013 10:26 Page 46
MASTERS PREVIEW
ELS TRIBUTES
WHY ERNIE IS MY HERO
Slipped away Els has been so close to a Green Jacket
By Louis Oosthuizen & Charl Schwartzel Oosthuizen, after winning the 2010 Open I spoke to Ernie on the Saturday night and it was just nice hearing from him. I could actually visualise him speaking to me. He was probably on the couch in shorts and things like that and just relaxing. It was good. It was nice. It was perfect timing when the Ernie Els Foundation started and came along. We took a big shot asking to get into the foundation, and Ernie immediately accepted. At that time I wasn’t playing for South Africa, I was still just playing for Southern Cape, which was the provincial side where I grew up, and about six months after I was in the foundation, I got picked for SA Juniors and then eventually SA Seniors. And it just went on from there. Ernie Els was amazing what they did for me. Schwartzel, after his 2011 Masters victory Ernie has had some fantastic Masters performances; some that’s been stolen out of his hands you could say. Sometimes that’s the way it goes. He has won US Opens and British Opens. It’s not like he can’t win any Majors. He’s more than capable of winning them. Sometimes things just don’t go your way. I didn’t think I was going to put on a Green Jacket before him.
You played in 18 straight Masters, what did you do last year while it was on? I wasn’t going to watch it, but then Louis [former member of the Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation] got into contention so I switched it on and obviously I was pulling for him. How touched were you with the lengths the media campaigned to try and get you an invite? Yeah, it was nice that people were doing that. I was a bit sad that an 18-year streak had come to an end, but I had only myself to blame. I put myself in that position by not playing well the previous year. It’s just one of those things. I said at the time I’d be back in 2013 and I’m happy to say I will. You have a bit of a curious record at Augusta – a mixture of top 5s and a few missed cuts. How would you sum it up? It’s that kind of golf course. The margins are so small that if you’re
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even a little bit off your game, it will beat you up. Seriously, you don’t have to do that much wrong to be packing your bags on Friday night. You must arrive at every Open Championship licking your lips, do you feel the same when arriving at Augusta? No, not so much. There is no reason why I can’t win at Augusta but the Open is different. I’ve won a couple of Opens and had so many top 10s that I feel like I can win on a links course even if I’m not playing my best. What do you remember of your first trip to Augusta, in 1994, where you were in contention after two rounds? That first drive down Magnolia Lane, you never forget that. I’ve spoken to guys like Gary and Jack who have been coming here for over 50 years and they say the buzz never wears off. It always feels special. And the condition of the
golf course really amazed me. I mean, you’ve heard all about it, but when you see it yourself that’s something else. I love the story about Jose Maria Olazabal when he first came here. He said the turf was so perfect, he thinned his first few iron shots because he felt bad taking a divot! You had already contended in the Open and US Open by that point but is there a different kind of pressure at Augusta? Yeah, Augusta feels like no other golf tournament, so in that sense you could say the pressure is different. Also we play here every year, so there are certain holes where there is a lot of history in the air, if you get my meaning. But a Major is a Major. It’s the same deal. You get that buzz when you arrive and then you want to be in the mix on Sunday. You have seen a lot of course changes and lengthening, how fair/good is it these days?
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HIS NEAR MISSES
AT AUGUSTA
1994 His debut in the Masters
Two months before claiming the US Open in a play-off over Colin Montgomerie and Loren Roberts, Els shot 74 on Thursday and Saturday but a Friday 67 showed he liked the course as he finished tied 8th.
1999 A last-day disaster
After consistently good performances since his debut, Els went into the last day in ‘99 just three adrift of eventual champion Jose Maria Olazabal. He shot an 80 to slump to a tie for 27th.
African trio With Retief Goosen and Gary Player
2000 A late charge is not enough I’d say it’s one of the toughest courses we play and, as I said before, the margins are so small between a great shot and a shot that puts you in a tricky spot. That’s the challenge here. You really have to play it smart; sometimes play away from pins. You have to pick your moments to be aggressive, more so here than any other course we play all year. You have a big interest in course design. If you were in charge of Augusta for a day what would you change? I’m not sure I’d change anything. Augusta is Augusta. Obviously it’s a different golf course to the one I first played 20 years ago, but as a designer and a competitor I can appreciate why they’ve made changes. Overall I’d say the committee does an incredible job with this tournament. Things are done at Augusta,
which are like no other event and I think it’s fair to say they’ve almost led the way in terms of how the players are looked after. Even little things, like the fact only players and caddies are allowed inside the ropes. That doesn’t happen anywhere else. It makes a huge difference for us, especially during practice rounds. The golf course becomes our sanctuary. Going back to 2004, it was a bit like the Open at Lytham in the sense that you had no sway on the result. What were you thinking when you finished your round – did you feel like -8 was enough? Well, you never know. I played a great back nine that day. Actually, that was and still is the best round of golf I’ve played at Augusta; it just wasn’t quite enough to win. I don’t want to over-simplify it, but that’s golf.
You’re going to have more disappointments than victories. Did you watch Mickelson play the 18th or just go by the crowd noise? I was hitting a few putts, so I was ready if there was a playoff. Yeah, I heard the roar on 18. I knew what Phil had done straightaway. How do you try and not get ahead of yourself at the start of the week? That’s something that comes with experience. It’s all about finding a routine that works for you, doing enough to feel like you’re ready to go on Thursday, not doing too much or too little. Personally, I like to keep things as normal as possible, go about my business at the course and then relax and eat with the family in the evening. You’ve got to know how to switch off. ◆
A best-of-the-day 68 could not reel in Vijay Singh, who won by three, as Els chalked up his first runners-up spot after David Duval’s challenge sank in Rae’s Creek – as Els’ did in 2002 while chasing Tiger.
2004 Lefty breaks Ernie’s heart
After yet another top 10 in 2003 (tie for 6th), Els signed for a 67 (only Garcia went lower) and a 280 total after narrowly failing with a birdie putt on 18. Mickelson then birdied 16 and 18 to send Els to the bar.
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NCG pp 48-53 Masters Caddies 21/02/2013 10:34 Page 48
MASTERS PREVIEW
THE INSIDER’S GUIDE Billy Foster has guided a player around here on more than 20 occasions. He tells Mark
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TO AUGUSTA Townsend the secrets.. and some tales from the past
THE COURSE HE most optimistic prognosis when Billy Foster’s foot went one way and his right knee the other at the end of April last year was four to six weeks out of action. The worst was that he might miss the Open Championship in July. He is still out of action and also out of a job. Alongside Lee Westwood, the pair amassed six Major top-three finishes, won nine times and got to World No 1 but the cruciate injury, picked up in the warm-up of a football match Foster was not even due to play in, has now cost him the bag of his great friend. The disappointment is still obvious but the Yorkshireman is philosophical, close to full fitness and, you would expect, another top job. After all, at Augusta alone he has worked for Seve Ballesteros, Thomas Bjorn, Sergio Garcia, David Frost, Darren Clarke and Westwood. And it is easy to see why, for many, he is the best in the business due to a combination of meticulous attention to detail and, in his own words, being ‘a bit of a clown’. His extended absence from the game allowed NCG the privilege of an lengthy audience with arguably the most respected caddy in the game. Over two hours at his home in Bingley, Foster revealed some of the secrets behind the most well-known but mystical course in the world – Augusta National. His views were predictably insightful on how to tackle the unique challenges of this pristine piece of Georgian land. And then we got talking about some of the characters he has encountered there over the past 22 years – and he was equally frank and colourful in recalling these anecdotes. We begin with the course first, and how he began to familiarise himself with it when he first arrived back in 1991. ➤
T
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MASTERS PREVIEW
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LEARNING AUGUSTA I learned everything about Augusta through caddying for Seve – his course management skills were second to none. My first ever day with him at Augusta was on the Saturday before and Seve played on his own and took seven hours to get round. He hit 10 tee shots, 25 approaches and 100 putts on every green and he had probably played in about 15 Masters by this stage. He was so professional. It is ingrained in me now and, whoever I ever caddy for at Augusta, I will always see it through Seve’s eyes – particularly around the greens. The course has changed a lot length wise and cutting the grass into you, so it doesn’t run as far and you can’t bump and run chips as it will just dig in. The greens haven’t changed too much.
is, which will affect how the ball reacts when landing. You want answers in your head before you get to the tee, I will be stood on the 3rd green not thinking whether he will hole the putt, rather where the wind is coming from on the 4th and how far it will be playing and will it be firm or soft. It is a bit like a snooker player thinking about the black three shots ahead. So when you get to that tee and the player asks the question you
have all the answers. And if we disagree it is up to me to give my reasons. It is no good saying ‘you hit your 7 iron between 170 and 180 yards’, you need to say he hits it 174 yards, 170 yards and you might be in the water. The key is for the player to not hit the shot unless they are 100 per cent convinced, Seve would never hit a shot with doubt in his mind.
THE PAR 3 HOLES The 4th has been lengthened by probably 40 yards and can be as
COURSE STRATEGY Before the round I will always go out and have a look at the pins to see where not to go. You can’t miss in some spots on every hole which is what makes Augusta so difficult and why players, on their first visit, don’t tend to do very well. It is unbelievably important to get on the right side of every flag. Most of it is in your head. You would keep notes from where they were the day before and where the wind was, where it pitched on the green and released or how far it spun back. You would have notes from days or tournaments before on how far it is over a ridge or how much room there is from the flag to the back of the green, little crosses for the no-go areas, compass points off the tee or on the green for where the wind is coming from. It swirls around a lot as it is deep down in a swale and there are a lot of trees. If it is blowing hard it’s easier, if it is a 10mph wind then it can be really tricky. I have a red dot by the side of every green and that is where Rae’s Creek is. If you ask the local caddies that’s where they say the grain runs towards so you have that in your head a little bit. It is also in the back of your mind where the grain
much as a wood if into the wind. It can swirl around a lot by the 3rd and the 4th and is difficult to gauge. Four threes here and you are picking up maybe two shots on the field. The 6th has two pin positions on the top plateau and, if you miss it, it will be a bogey. The 12th has got more and more difficult. The depth of the green is maybe 12 yards and, if you go over the green, it is very wet and fudgey and very easy to duff a chip. And it is very fast on the green as the grain runs towards the water so it is tough to chip it close. The bunkers have got more severe, the front bunker is a lot deeper and there isn’t as much sand in there so it is very hard to keep the ball on the green. The wind is all over the place: it can be a 9 iron one moment and a 6 iron the next. Your heart is in your mouth until it has actually landed. They have subtlely changed the 16th green over the years and it has a lot of smelly pin positions. Even the front left flag is hard as you can easily kick in the water. The back right flag can see you leaving a 50-footer for par. On Sunday it brings a hole-in-one into play or a putt where you are struggling to keep it on the green.
THE PAR 5 HOLES
THE ART OF BEING A GOOD CADDY I’ve always had the attitude that if my boss is shooting 62 or 82 I will always stay on an even keel. You have to whip them at the right times and stay quiet at times; sometimes they don’t want to hear it but that’s all part of it. All players are different, I wouldn’t dream of saying things to some that I have said to others. You would get a slap if you did. Other players want it. I have sat down with Lee and given him my honest opinions but I’ve always had that type of relationship with him. Conversations between shots can be anything, some of them I can’t tell you! It is just like any man in the street, ranging from a pep talk about the golf to “look at that bird’s knockers over there”.
I generally act the goat and have the jester’s hat on. I am serious for that minute when you have to be but am then a bit of a clown. When I was with Tiger Woods, for the Presidents Cup, it was a bit different; I had so much respect for him and like Seve he had a massive intimidation factor. As the week went on I lightened up and I thoroughly enjoyed it and he was an absolute gentleman. I can see him still winning Majors. He might not dominate the game as the other players aren’t quite so intimidated but he still has the game to win the big ones and can win at Augusta again. You can always tell where he and Mickelson are on the course by the massive roars.
At the 13th some of the guys will hit a 3 wood as it is easier to hit a draw. The bigger hitters will just bomb it over the corner. If you don’t draw it you will run into the pine needles which isn’t a disaster. Sometimes it’s no bad thing not to have to hit a 4 iron with the ball 18 inches above your feet. They expect it to go left with the lie but so many times the player over compensates and hangs it out to the right which is a 15-yard longer carry resulting in a watery grave. At the 15th it is a big advantage for the bigger hitters as you can have a 6 or 7 iron in. They seem to have made it a bit easier as the ball will now hold up on the bank. If you are pitching in you want to be down the left as it is flatter and the shot is coming up the green. ➤ Turn over for Billy’s reflections on the personalities, the shotmakers and the club itself
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MASTERS PREVIEW
2010 agony Foster and Westwood were close
AMATEUR DRAMATICS A scratch golfer at your club would be a 12 handicapper at Augusta, the trouble spots are so penal and the greens are so quick. If I took a single-figure player and placed a ball on every green and said two putt that, if they broke 50 putts they would be doing well. Nick Faldo was meticulous at never making mistakes, not the longest or the most exciting or the best ball striker but would not make those mistakes. The 14th green is about as weird and wonderful as it gets, there are three dead elephants underneath that green. You just cannot be short, otherwise you have an impossible chip. If you are short or right on the 5th you might as well write a five on your card. The thing about Augusta is that if I was playing you and your shot pitched a foot from mine, I could
kick mine in and you could be 80 foot away. Experience is everything there.
BILLY ON... THE CLUB Caddies don’t have much access, you’re not frowned upon but a caddy has his place at Augusta and,
boisterous and is the closest thing to the Ryder Cup, it is scary and you have to be a strong player to deal with it. My ears were ringing that day we played with Mickelson and it probably took about five hours for them to settle down afterwards.
“The caddyshack toilets didn’t have doors on them 20 years ago. Everyone could see you having a Tom Kite” if you haven’t got your overalls on, then you shouldn’t really be there. The caddyshack has had a massive upgrade; when I first went there 20 years ago the toilets didn’t even have doors on so, if you got caught short, everyone could see you having a Tom Kite. It’s very different these days and the practice facilities are better than anything. The Masters is so electric and
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It was hard to be in the middle of that cauldron of Mickelson love.
BILLY ON... A DYING ART I would say Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood are the best ball strikers in the game though Sergio probably just nicks it for me for his shotmaking skills and the way he can move the ball around. Bubba Watson is a freak of nature. He is a very talented guy
and brilliant to watch – in fact, he would be the one you would go and watch if you were heading to watch the Masters. Unfortunately shotmaking is a dying art and the equipment means we don't see the likes of Fred Couples, Corey Pavin and Ian Woosnam as much these days. It's not the same game and it's sad to see.
BILLY ON... SERGIO If I was to have anyone caddy for me it would be Sergio, he knows his own game better than anyone. I only worked for him for 18 months but I have seen him caddy and he was brilliant at knowing what shot to play and reading putts. I know he has missed putts in the last few years but that isn't because of misreading them. I think the best is yet to come from him and he has got his appetite back.
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LOSING TO MICKELSON
Demanding Seve could be tough to work for
BILLY ON... SEVE The first round I caddied for him, he hits the fairway at the 9th and he is doing OK. It is uphill, against the wind to a front left pin and he says pitching wedge. I tell him it's a 9 and he says OK and hits a great shot and I'm thinking the crowd are going to go wild and he will give me a big hug. Nobody reacts and when we arrive the ball is on the top of three tiers, putting down a marble staircase from 80 feet. He looks at me with his arms outstretched saying 'Billy, Billy, you son of my bitch'. And at that point I'm thinking – I do want my mummy. He putts it, the hole is over his left shoulder, and the ball stops on the edge of the green on the wrong tier. And then it starts trickling, you could see the dimples, and it finishes six inches away.
Coming off the green he puts his arm around me with a big smile and says: “It's not your fault Billy, it's mine for listening to you”.
...AND THE END The last time I worked for Seve at Augusta was in 1995 and we were playing with Ray Floyd and he had Steve Williams on the bag. We were on 17 and it was between a 6 and a 7 and he hit 6 on my advice. He hits a good shot and it finishes just off the back of the green, which was fine. You would expect him to chip it in but he knocked it eight foot past and missed the putt. By the time we got to the 18th tee he had already had a go at me five times accusing me of the wrong club, and it wasn't really. I bit my tongue until eventually I could feel the bubbles coming up through my throat into my ears and he had another go. And I shouted at the top of my
voice 'I f***ing heard you, alright!' And Ray and Steve's jaws just dropped and hit the floor. Seve didn't speak to me and we had a bit of a shouting match at the front of the clubhouse. I got a lot off my chest but it broke the relationship and when I got home on the Tuesday I got a call from his manager saying my services were no longer required. It was time to move on but we were like best mates within a few weeks. Around that time he couldn't compete any more and it broke his heart, and it broke mine too. If I could have gone to Spain and given him a piggyback to St Andrews to give him his final send off in 2010 I would have done. But he wasn't well enough. I was very lucky to do five Opens with him and the hairs on the back of your neck stood up every time you made your way to the 1st tee. Everybody, particularly in Britain, loved him. ◆
It started on Saturday. I went out and walked the pins and when I got back to the caddyshack I said to the other caddies that there was a really good chance of someone holing their second shot on the 14th as it was in that bowl on the back left. We were playing the 11th, and Lee had a five-shot lead, and by the time we got to the 13th green he was one behind. As soon as I heard the cheer I looked at the board and saw Mickelson was playing the 14th and thought I don't believe this, it's Mickelson who has holed the shot that I had called. On the Sunday Lee was playing all the good golf and Phil was deep in the trees on the 8th but it came back out and he made birdie. He made a brilliant recovery at the 9th where, unless he hit a perfect chip, it would be back to his feet. He made par and Lee three-putted from 25 feet. On the 10th and 11th he made pars from the middle of the trees, then he did it again at the 13th. I was stood in the middle of the fairway talking to Lee and he ummed and ahhed for what felt like 10 minutes and you thought he would just bump it down there. Then he hit this shot and, as the ball is in the air, I thought what the f*** is he doing, it was absolutely kamikaze. For me it was in the water all the way, and somehow it clawed its way over to four feet. I said to Lee when he knocks this in I'm going to get down on my hands and knees and bow to him. Along with Seve's shot from behind the wall in Switzerland it was the best shot I had ever seen. And he then missed the putt. Phil has got by far the best short game I’ve seen – and I worked for Seve for five years. He’s that good – and that’s why he wins at Augusta. It was the same with Mike Weir, he was the best holer out for five years. Donald is that man now.
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NCG pp 54 Columnist CC 21/02/2013 10:37 Page 54
MASTERS PREVIEW
in association with
COLIN CALLANDER Peter Alliss is the reason I’ll be watching the Masters on the BBC OR the last couple of years armchair British golf fans have been spoilt for choice when it comes to watching the Masters. Since 2011, when Sky was awarded dual rights together with the BBC, we have been able to watch the Par 3 tournament and the first two rounds on Sky and then choose between the two over the weekend. We can also elect to listen to all four rounds unfolding via 5Live’s excellent live broadcasts or else trawl the web for all the latest information. Indeed, just about the only thing that keeps us from abandoning real life altogether during the second weekend in April is the host club’s continued insistence that live coverage must be rationed. Until a few years ago, no broadcaster was allowed to show action from the first eight holes. That changed in 1993, but, to this day, the authorities still demand there is no live coverage on Sunday evening until 7pm BST. Like it or lump it, that’s the way it is. Masters officials exert an asphyxiating control over official broadcasters which is why even the most strident TV analysts appear more obsequious than normal when covering the action from Augusta. Everything, from the graphics to the number of ad breaks, is governed by the club. Its officials also insist that spectators should be referred to as “patrons” and not as “fans” and heaven help any broadcaster who makes unseemly references to prize money. It all smacks of Big Brother but that does not mean I shall be snubbing the coverage. In fact, I know now exactly what I will be doing on all four days of the forthcoming championship and can confirm it will be the same as last year and the year before. I am a big admirer of much of Sky’s coverage, and in particular the fine job done on a weekly basis by the likes of Ewen Murray, Robert Lee, Mark Roe and Wayne Riley. I will happily watch its Masters coverage over the first two days but will then be switching to the BBC come the weekend. The complete absence of advertisements is one reason and another is the fact the BBC are much better at straddling the narrow line that exists between adhering to the club’s edicts while not sounding too sycophantic.
Masterful Peter Alliss remains engaging
F
54 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
‘Peter Alliss rivals McEnroe as my No 1 commentator’ However, let’s be clear here, the main reason why I will watch the BBC, rather than its payfor-view rival, is because it will give me the opportunity to listen to the dulcet tones of Peter Alliss. Even in his 80s, he still rivals John McEnroe for the title of No 1 sports commentator, albeit for entirely different reasons. Alliss brings a unique perspective to golf broadcasting. He divides opinion but I find him engaging, informative and entertaining and it worries me that his days in the booth might be numbered both by his age and the real danger that his employers will lose what is left of its once substantial golf portfolio. Alliss is one of a growing number of BBC insiders who are pessimistic about the future. “It’s very hard to compete with someone with seemingly unlimited funds,” he told the Daily
Mail. “The racing has gone and Formula 1 has gone. It’s sad. It’s the end of an era.” My own belief is that it is inevitable that the BBC will lose the Masters to Sky in the not too distant future but I remain more hopeful it will continue to transmit the Open after the present contract runs out in 2016. That was a subject raised at last year’s Open Championship Media Day and it elicited an interesting response from the R&A’s chief executive, Peter Dawson. “They (the BBC) have to stay in practice,” he said. “They have to keep up with the advances in technology and they know we have our eye on that. “We recognise they cover much less golf than they used to but we do still think they do a good job. “Watching the coverage of the Masters and the Open on the BBC is not a bad experience,” he added and surely was not wrong.
• Colin Callander is a former editor of Golf Monthly and this year celebrates his 30th anniversary working as a golf writer
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15/02/2013 13:43
NCG pp 56-59 Masters Sandy Lyle 21/02/2013 10:41 Page 56
MASTERS PREVIEW
Twenty-five years after his Masters triumph paved the way for Europe’s glorious run of success, we discuss all things Augusta with... 56 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
NCG pp 56-59 Masters Sandy Lyle 21/02/2013 10:41 Page 57
in association with
SANDY LYLE
INTERVIEW
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 57
NCG pp 56-59 Masters Sandy Lyle 21/02/2013 10:41 Page 58
MASTERS PREVIEW
Proud man Sandy enters the Hall of Fame in 2012
These days I don’t think I could maybe compete as far as winning but I could definitely get in the top 20. At Augusta I know the course very well and it just suits my style of play, whereas I’ve always struggled on the Major courses in America with the narrow fairways and the heavy rough. I think it killed off Seve quite a lot as well, he felt like he was handcuffed and he couldn’t express himself. A foot off the fairway and you have to get the wedge out. They did the same at TPC Sawgrass not long after I won in 1987. They started to grow this long grass and and it spoiled the whole flavour of the tournament and now they’ve gone back to the Bermuda grass that gives the guy a little chance to express himself and play a fancy shot. And that’s what the crowd want to see. They want to see Freddie Couples in the trees hitting a big snap hook round the trees, over the water and onto the green. That’s what makes it exciting. Augusta has a good blend on both nines. You get past the front nine then think you’ve got a great chance on the back nine. There are some par 5s there that are very reachable and I always think when you get through the 12th you’ve got the 13th, the 15th and 16th where you’ve got a good chance of making a few birdies. They put in a new tee there at 13 a couple of years ago. They bought the most expensive little piece of real estate you’ve ever had. I don’t know how many millions they paid for an extra 20 feet... In 88, the year that I won, I hit a drive and a 7 iron, around the corner, and even last year I hit a drive and an 8 or a 7 iron to the green, so I suppose it’s stayed pretty similar really.
Happy return The reigning champion dons his kilt
58 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
The way the 18th plays varies greatly. It depends on what time of day and what the wind is doing. The first bunker on the left used to be about 245 or 250. It’s now 310 to reach it. So there’s been a huge change in the tee position there – but I can still get in it and I have been in that bunker since they altered it more than once.
Their main task about six years ago was to still have the same length of second shots that the guys were having in the 60s or 70s. I think they were getting fed up of seeing guys like Tiger Woods driving it to within 40 yards of the front of the green on the 18th and making the hole look silly. Whereas back in the 70s it was a hard hole, I mean they were hitting a drive and a 5 or a 6 iron if the pin was on the back of the green. The 17th is longer now as well, it has had to be. The distances now are creeping up into the 350s, and that’s carry distance – it’s mind-boggling. I remember Gary Player said about 20 years ago there’ll be a guy like a Michael Jordan will come along, about seven feet high, and he’ll be athletic and he’ll hit the ball 400 yards, and everyone thought ‘has he been drinking, is he off his rocker?’ – well, he’s almost right in his words.
MASTERS RECORD Sandy has played in every Masters since ‘85. Appearances: 31 Debut: 1980 Top 10s: 1 (1988!) Cuts made: 15 Last cut made: 2009
If anything, the bit of rough that has appeared might even have helped. I hate to say it but Augusta does get a little thin on the fairways early in the year and you get the odd season when they’ve had a really tough winter and the edge of the fairways, like the 13th near the water, gets very, very thin. It might look on television like nice green grass but when you’re there looking down on it there’s a lot of earth sticking up and just thin blades of grass. So now there’s a nice dose of grass and it’s probably a little better. You get a bit more grass under the ball. The 7th or the 1st are the holes that have really kicked my butt
NCG pp 56-59 Masters Sandy Lyle 21/02/2013 10:41 Page 59
in association with
1988 LEADERBOARD 1 2 3 4 5
Lyle -7 Calcavecchia -6 Stadler -5 Crenshaw -4 Couples -3 Norman Pooley
over the years. I’ve had quite a few sixes at the 1st, that really kind of spoils the flavour of your day. It’s just very hard to get the ball on the green. It’s early in the day, and you’re always a little nervous. And even after a good drive you know you’ve got to work hard on your second shot. It can play very long. I usually have very early times in the morning because of the TV guys and it can be a lot cooler and the ball doesn’t fly at 0830 or 0900 and you can very easily have 200 yards to the middle of the green; it’s not an easy green to hit from that range coming in from a flat trajectory. So it’s caught me out a few times. The ball is so much more consistent now, without a doubt. I remember having this conversation with Byron Nelson, sitting with him at the Champions’ Dinner at Augusta one year and asking him ‘how did you get on with the balls you used in the early days?’ And he told me how he’d fix his balls basically on the range. He’d have his caddy at the other end and when one felt pretty good he’d put his hand up and the caddy would put that in his pocket, that would be a keeper. You might go through a dozen balls and maybe get six or seven that felt good off the clubface. It’s amazing the scores they did in those days. I mean, that isn’t even a thought these days now to peel off a ball and think I’d better hit it on the range and make sure it’s OK before going out. The regulations and the quality control now are so good, but you used to carry little metal rings round that were just half a millimetre bigger than the ball itself and if it didn’t fit through it you would discard it as it was out of shape. It was a big selling point for Titleist many years ago because their balls always went through the ring when other makes of balls weren’t quite so clever. ◆
LYLE ON BALL EVO THE LUTION I grew up w ith bala
tas and rem changing to ember the larger ba lll. Early on like playing , it was with a foot ball – it didn anywhere. 't go There were obviously spin proble flight and ms but grad ua lly and multi-la new mater ials yers solved those. In th you had m e ‘80s ulti layers bu t it was all threaded. N ow it's diff erent covers and solid cores.
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NCG pp 60 Johnson at Augusta 21/02/2013 10:42 Page 60
THE INVITE I was invited by Fred Ridley who is the chairman of the organising committee and a former US Amateur champion and Walker Cup captain. He has played in the Masters and the other Majors and I had done some work for him and this was his way of saying thank you. We played there the week before the Masters two years ago, they close the course on the Tuesday, a week before the tournament starts. I played four rounds there, on the Sunday afternoon, twice on the Monday and one more round on the Tuesday before it shut. We stayed in one of the cabins and were looked after unbelievably well. You drive down Magnolia Lane, park the car and from then on they will not let you do anything.
WHAT HAPPENED WHEN
THE CLUB If you stay there you all eat at the same time, there is one sitting at 7.45pm and you walk in and see all these familiar faces. I had a very embarrassing situation where I thought I recognised someone but I couldn’t quite place him and it turned out to be the former vice-president Dan Quayle. Butch Harmon was there and Paul Casey was playing behind us. The food is surprisingly ordinary, fried chicken and potatoes, but they have the most fantastic wine cellar which you can have a tour of. I went up to the Bird’s Nest where the amateurs stay which is fantastic and there is some wonderful memorabilia. The locker I was given was next to Jack Nicklaus’ one so that was brilliant.
THE CADDY I had the same caddy, Eddie, for all four rounds and I put all my trust in him. He is employed by the club so when the club is shut during the summer he goes to work at
A NINE-HANDICAPPER
PLAYED AUGUSTA? Club golfer Robin Johnson relives the time he played and stayed at Augusta National
Whistling Straits and comes back to Augusta for the winter. The caddies make the difference, the first time I played the 12th I ignored him and went for the flag and ended up in the water. He told me that Jack Nicklaus always aimed at the middle of the green so I did that and after that I was fine. We played off not the championship tees but the back ones and it was a recovery club for me. You have to rely on the caddy on the greens, you would be told to hit the ball in completely the opposite direction and it would come back down to the hole.
THE CHALLENGE It is a long, long course and it is difficult to hit a bad shot and there
60 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
are some vast expanses of land in places. It is very hilly and you are really tired at the end of the round. If you take the 1st for example you have this massive dip where the fairway just disappears, at the 2nd the elevation drop is very dramatic. Every hole has got a slope on it but it is generous in terms of space and you never get a bad lie. And the big thing for me is how your drive just stops as they mow the grass into you and you can’t putt from off the green or play bump and runs. You can see why someone like Phil Mickelson does so well there. The greens are the key to it and, if you are in the wrong place, you are in trouble. You can’t hit the ball firmly on the greens, in time you learn to look at a spot
halfway to the hole and putt to that. What surprised me? I particularly liked the 15th as you really have to hit a good third shot in, at the 13th I was surprised how much space there is down the right. There are some enormous differences for the Masters, at the 11th the tee was possibly 150 yards further back. I didn’t find that hole as difficult as it appears on TV which I can only put down to the tee being so far back. The course isn’t as spectacular as you would think but, with the atmosphere, it is fantastic. The same year I was lucky enough to play Pebble Beach and I have to say I enjoyed that more. The tradition at Augusta is like nothing else but, to play, I preferred Pebble Beach. I had an eclectic of 75 over the four rounds, playing off nine at the time, which I was really pleased with.
DR ALISTER MACKENZIE The one thing that disappointed me, being an Alwoodley member, is that the designer Dr Alister MacKenzie is irrelevant to them. I was shown the orginal layouts, which they don’t display anywhere, and the course was originally laid out with the nines the other way round. Fred told me that he had found a letter in the archives that MacKenzie had never been paid by Augusta and he found a letter that the great designer had written to Clifford Roberts asking to be paid. Mr Roberts had replied saying that the country was in the middle of a depression and that the club was short of money and, I’m told, that MacKenzie was never paid before he died.
n Robin Johnson is a member at Alwoodley, in Leeds. His handicap is currently 11
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14/02/2013 16:50
NCG pp 62-63 Masters Spotters Guide 22/02/2013 15:14 Page 62
MASTERS PREVIEW
ARMCHAIR FUN
SPOTTER’S
GUIDE
Add an element of competition to your armchair viewing of the Masters E sit for hours watching the Masters and if you manage to stay awake between the leaderboard checks – AKA commercial breaks on US TV – you might have some fun with our Spotter’s Guide – almost as much, indeed, as we had compiling it…
W
THE PAR-3 CONTEST A hole-in-one, most notably at that hole over the water with an enormous backstop (2) Gary Player displaying some sort of athletic prowess, eg a muscle flex or press up (3) Small child hockeying it around the hole (1)
Small child fizzing one in and jazzing it back to two feet (7) Novelty caddies, eg Ant and Dec or Snooker Loopy’s Dennis Taylor (2) Tiger Woods back-slapping his playing partners (6) Everybody backs out of winning, save for Harrington, trying his nuts off with his tongue stuck firmly in his cheek, who wins for a fourth time (1)
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS A run down of how cheap the pimento and cheese sandwiches are (2) Mention of the black market and how much it will set you back to get your hands on a pair of tickets (2) Thursday night introductions from Magnolia Lane (0) Slightly uncomfortable observations on the verandah from a player who has just opened with a 68 (2) Honorary Starters feigning mock horror at length of Jack’s drive (1) Someone on hand with a TrackMan on the 1st tee to tell us exactly how far the balls have travelled (5)
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Generic chat on the clubhouse lawn with any ‘celebrity’ eg DJ Spoony. Maximum of five (10) Bad greenside interview from someone (never heard of before, never seen again) who has clearly not seen a single shot struck from the interviewee’s round (1) Use of the words ‘picture perfect’, ‘paradise on earth’ and ‘died and gone to heaven’ from Ken Brown (1 for each) Use of player’s stats, said in a rapid fashion, to get in their good books by Sky’s Tim Barter eg 16 greens, 28 putts, no bogeys, must feel pretty good? (2)
“A child fizzing one in and jazzing it back to two feet (7)” Realisation that the first round of the tournament has basically finished by the time the live coverage starts (2) Realisation that three of your four bets are basically on their way home by the time the live coverage starts (2) Realisation that Sergio Garcia, Geoff Ogilvy and Steve Stricker are not going to win this year’s Masters (1 for each)
NCG pp 62-63 Masters Spotters Guide 22/02/2013 15:14 Page 63
in association with
HOW TO PLAY: Spot the fo
llowing to score p oints and test your Masters credentia ls
Interminable scrolling through the leaderboard, picking out a few Europeans who “had hoped for better things this week” as there’s no golf to show/it’s another commercial break from the host broadcaster... (2) ...culminating in ‘and there’s Woosie, round in 82 but he did birdie 15, is it really 22 years ago sinzzzzzz’ (2) The only player you haven’t backed/didn’t even realise was in the field (generally Steve Marino, pictured left) has 13 single putts and then holes a bunker shot on the last for a 67. You immediately back him (3)
Realisation that the second round has basically finished by the time Friday’s live coverage starts and Marino is already halfway up Washington Road having had 43 putts in his 81 (2) At least a couple of shanks – score double if produced by Poulter (2) The handing over of the Green Jacket by Bubba Watson and Billy Payne to be enjoyable and not insprire any cynicism (6) The ‘low amateur’ to say anything of interest in the Butler Cabin (3)
STYLE WATCH Phil Mickelson to repeat his banoffee pie look of Sunday last year (left) (4) Peter Alliss’ spectacles to be attached to his body via some string straps (3) Palmer, Player and Nicklaus together (in ill-fitting clothes, and in Player’s case clothes that are way too big) (2) BBC commentator Ken Brown to be
attired in a stylish (most likely purple) turtle-neck shirt (4) Talk of spikeless shoes as though they have just been invented. Bit like the hybrid or ‘one of these rescue clubs’ was for at least 10 years after being introduced (3) Butch Harmon’s ability to coordinate one single item of clothing with another (7)
HOW DID YOU DO?
90+ Graduate with honours 75+ Rock solid 50+ Acceptable enough Under 50 Go to bed
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 63
YOU’RE ABOUT TO GET A WHOLE LOT LONGER. YO U ’ R E W E LCO M E .
B R I N G . I T. O N . A LVA R O Q U I R O S
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T H E N E W S TA N D A R D I N D I S TA N C E .
Introducing the XHot Family from Callaway. The new standard in distance from every club in the bag and from every lie on the course. See how at callawaygolf.com/xhot
Š2013 Callaway Golf Company. Callaway, the Chevron Device, OptiFit, X Hot, Hyperbolic Face and Speed Frame and VFT are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Callaway Golf Company. Alvaro Quiros averaged 310.9 yards on the European PGA Tour 2011 (Genworth Statistics).
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NCG pp 67 Equipment Lead 2/21/13 10:20 AM Page 67
EQUIPMENT Comprehensive and objective gear tests | The latest releases | Competitions | Fashion | Accessories Sleek Alex full-zip jacket in supple Gore-Tex stretch material SRP: £299
GALVIN GREEN
Light The Insula pullover, Dave, comes in five colours SRP: £109
Choice Extended trouser range includes August PacLite SRP: £229
ECCO LAUNCH
Lots of choice The new putters are available in 12 different heads
LIGHTEST EVER SHOE BY ECCO
FIRST
To appreciate just how light they are, you really need to see and pick up a pair yourself. Ecco continue to innovate in shoes, and their spikeless Golf Streets have effectively created an entirely new category. “Our brand has been heralded for redefining comfort and now we’re taking that to the next level,” says Michael Waack, head of global golf at Ecco. “We named Biom Zero after the zero heel drop, but also because it’s as close as you can get to a golf shoe that feels like wearing nothing and playing barefoot.” That effect is a result of Ecco’s patented Street outsole which offers full-length foot support and natural motion thanks to its dynamic traction system.The Biom Zeroes sit closer to the ground than any other Ecco product, while patented Biom technology promotes a natural foot position. The leather is stain-resistant and easy-to-clean while the supple leather lining maintains shape and water resistance. Ecco shoes are worn on tour by the likes of Graeme McDowell, Thomas Bjorn and Fred Couples. SRP: £140
2013 RANGE Galvin Green’s new collection is hitting the shops now, and the colours of the new season include apple green, electric red, vibrant yellow and Swedish blue . It is 10 years since the multi-layer concept was introduced and the latest range shows just how far the popular Swedish brand’s uncompromising ambition has come. Comfort and movement are the main themes behind Galvin Green’s biggestever range, which also sees a return to the primary colours and a greater degree of choice in matching garments and accessories with the same base colour. They remain the standard bearers for outerwear in golf. www.galvingreen.com
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NCG’S TOP
LOOK
AT PING’S ADJUSTABLE PUTTERS
Just when you thought that golf shoes could not get any lighter, Ecco have launched the limitededition Biom Zeroes, weighing less than 10oz. The shoes are available in two colours and offer exceptional comfort and flexibility.
06 BETTER PLAYERS IRONS We put them to the test last month
In sight White sight lines aid alignment on the Scottsdale TRs
1. TITLEIST CB SRP: £110 per iron
Steady speeds The variable-depth grooves greatly improve ball-speed consistency on off-centre hits
2. MIZUNO MP-64 SRP: £100 per iron
3. NIKE VR PRO COMBO SRP: £630 (steel, 4-P)
Solid sound The insert is made from a lightweight aluminium
PING UNVEIL ADJUSTABLE PUTTER New Scottsdale TRs can be lengthened and shortened in a few seconds... We have seen (from Ping) long putters that could be adjusted for length, and we have seen (from many other manufacturers) putters with grooves in the face. But the Scottsdale TR range offers two key developments on the theme: • The ability to adjust the length of your standard-length putter • Variable-depth grooves which Ping say greatly improves consistency of ball speed on offcentre hits. Taking the adjustability first, this is a brilliant application of technology that will help both in putter fitting and also those of us who want to tinker. Which of us has not come off the course after a frustrating day on the greens and wanted to change their putter?
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OPTIONS AND PRICES The range of different models is extensive. This is what is available: Anser 2, B60, Shea, Tomcat S, Anser 2 B (adjustable belly), ZB S, Shea H, Piper C, Tatum, Carefree L (adjustable long), Grayhawk, Senita The SRPs are as follows: £149 adjustable shaft versions; £129 non-Adjustable shaft versions; £169/£149 Grayhawk and Senita models; £209 adjustable shaft Anser B and Carefree L
Above: The new Scottsdale TR can be adjusted using a simple tool. Brilliant!
With these, you can go straight to the putting green and experiment with the length and come away feeling like you have a new putter. Perhaps just as significantly, you can also tinker with the way the putters sit: you can make them open, closed or dead square to suit your eye. The idea with the grooves is that they get shallower towards the perimeter. This has the effect of making the ball come off the face quicker with mis-hits to counter the problem of poorly struck putts coming up short. “We’ve engineered a putter insert with forgiveness,” said John Solheim, Ping’s chairman and CEO. “Regardless of where the ball impacts the insert, the variable-depth grooves produce nearly identical ball speeds.”
Protect Lightweight Acton with stretch Paclite Technology SRP: £269
4 ADAMS Idea CMB SRP: £899.99 (4-P)
5. PING Anser SRP: £160 per iron
NEW FEATURES ON GARMIN GPS WATCH
THIS new version of Garmin’s popular GPS watch comes preloaded with over 30,000 courses worldwide and automatically detects which one you are playing. It is just as easy to use as the bestselling original but is packed with new features. The S2 offers precise, at-a-glance yardages to the front, middle and back of the green as well as informing you of dogleg and lay-up distances A built-in digital scorecard allows you to log your progress as you move through the round and scores can be saved and even printed for later analysis.
Check out Ping’s adjustable putters
“The Approach S2 is the perfect companion for the recreational golfer,” says Martin Resch, product manager at Garmin. “With over 300,000 courses across the world ready to play out of the box matched with the comprehensive measurement features and its intuitive user interface, this device will instantly give golfers a competitive edge.” The Approach S2 is ideal for everyday wear on and off the course and comes in a range of colours. SRP: £209
6. TAYLORMADE RocketBladez Tour SRP: £699
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 69
Core content The e5 combines a tour-calibre cover with a graduational core
Cool Merwin shirt is light soft and breathable SRP: £89
70
No sidespin This anti-spin mantle keeps the e6 flying straight
Colourful Choose between white, yellow and orange in the e6
Quick core The e7 is all about fast ball speed and maximum distance
LYLE JOINS BRIDGEST
NEW BALL RELEASED
BRIDGESTONE HAVE AN
ONE Sandy Lyle will Augusta, Muirfield use the B-330 ball at during the the European Open and on Senior Tour. “Joining such great line up of class players a and I’m really is looking forward a real boost B-330 ball,” to playing the he said. “It has impressed a lot.” Lyle me will also use Bridgestone irons and driver and carry the tour staff bag.
E-SERIES BALL TO SUIT YOU Three-model range is redeveloped to offer less drag and more yards
The e-Series balls are designed with the needs of the amateur player in mind and each of the three offers distinctive performance characteristics to address your particular needs. Inspired by Bridgestone’s exclusive new 326 Seamless Dual Dimple technology, the redesigned e5, e6 and e7 balls reduce drag off the clubface and generate advanced aerodynamics for longer carry and greater total distance. The most popular ball in the range is the e6. Counter-intuitively, this is actually a very lowspinning ball and that is what makes it the best choice for anyone who
struggles for accuracy (and which of us doesn’t?). Simply put, it goes straighter, but because of the soft surlyn cover and low-compression core it does so while still feeling soft and responsive. Go for the e5 if you would like your shots to stay in the air for longer and fly higher to maximise your carry distances. An advanced two-piece
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urethane construction is the key here. A large gradational core contributes to longer carry distances, while the tour-calibre urethane cover delivers significant stopping power on the greens. The ultimate distance ball is the new, multilayer e7. The design brief for this is simplicity itself: to create faster, longer shots. The larger Dual Dimple and reactive surlyn cover combine to reduce drag and increased lift, while a speed-enhancing core and spin-reducing inner layer deliver explosive velocity and greater distance. SRP: £25.99 per dozen www.bridgestonegolf.com
GET FITTED FOR A BALL?
THIS IS WHY IT MAKES SENSE We called in for a Bridgestone ball fitting at Holme Hall, Lincolnshire, with their expert technician Joe Di Stefano. It’s available up and down the country and allows you to dial in the best ball for your game. Bridgestone believe ball fitting starts with the driver. Using a launch monitor to assess performance, Joe analyses data including ball speed and spin rates to recommend two or three models. You then compare their performance side by side to see which one works best. Bridgestone have conducted nearly 200,000 ball fittings worldwide – helping golfers add up to 10 yards to a drive by changing to the correct ball to match their swing speed. You can try an online ball fitting at the Bridgestone website.
Bridgestone eSeries balls hit the shops
MACGREGOR M59
ADAMS SUPER S
WILSON STAFF D-100
LYNX BOOM BOOM 2
MD GOLF SUPERSTRONG ST3 Ti
CLEVELAND XL
SRP: £99.99
SRP: £199
SRP: £199
SRP: £349.99
SRP: £99.99
SRP: £239
TESTERS’ COMMENTS JW: The shaft is inconsistent. And the head is light – not a combination for accuracy. SC: Doesn’t sound as nice as some. I’m not overly keen on the alignment line. DM: I’m not sure about the alignment aid and I struggled with the shaft so was inconsistent. But in terms of ball speed it was up there and my good shots were very good with this.
TESTERS’ COMMENTS SC: Off centre it’s ‘tingy’ but not when I hit it out of the middle. I got very good ball speed but somehow I was worried about mis-hits. JW: It looks pretty good behind the ball – not too closed. Not the most fun to use though. DM: I like this. Good-looking head, doesn’t sit too closed and it wants to help you. It comes off the face very well and tends to want to turn over, which is great.
TESTERS’ COMMENTS DM: You’ve definitely got a big one in you with this! I also like the looks. But ultimately it’s so light that I’m lacking any sort of control or consistency. SC: Very whippy shaft and a light head. I did hit this a long way but felt like I’d lack control. JW: First shiny head of the test – what a pleasant surprise! Very light. Too light for me. That meant it wanted to go left on me.
TESTERS’ COMMENTS JW: To hit, it was fine – quick off the face. The red doesn’t look quite right to me. SC: It looks like Ferrari red gone wrong! It’s quite a heavy driver. Sounds nice. I was really consistent with this and long. Very nice but I just wouldn’t pay £350 for a Lynx driver. DM: It looks like a driver for the better player to me – you can’t see much loft. It felt good off the face and went well. I’m not sure about the red finish, I think it detracts from the overall package.
TESTERS’ COMMENTS SC: I like the head and the shaft – very strong looks. High-pitched sound when I missed the middle but fine on my better shots. Great for the money. JW: I don’t like the way it looks behind the ball – the triangular head isn’t my cup of tea. I didn’t think this quite up to the usual MD Golf standard I expect. DM: It wants to go left, no doubt about it. It does come off very well and the ball speeds were excellent.
TESTERS’ COMMENTS SC: This has a very deep face – distinctive and different to anything else on test. Sounds nice and I was comfortable with it. I got on very well with this. I like the face shape. DM: The sound is good. It’s much lighter than it looks. I thought it would suit the better player but I think it’s a driver any club player could get on well with. JW: Quite a bland club – it looks a little closed. Very deep but also quite a small head.
PING ANSER
COBRA AMP CELL
DUNLOP NZ9
JOHN LETTERS TR47
TAYLORMADE R1
YONEX EZONE SD
SRP: £355
SRP: £249
SRP: £79.99
SRP: £199
SRP: £349
SRP: £199
TESTERS’ COMMENTS JW: I can’t see past the G25 for Ping this year. DM: I like this driver a lot. The head shape is more appealing than the G25. And you get a high-class shaft. But based on results, and on the evidence of this test, it might be hard for a lot of Ping fans to justify paying more to invest in the Anser. SC: I love the dark looks of the Ping. I like this a lot. But I guess I’d still go for the G25.
TESTERS’ COMMENTS SC: It seems quick off the face and feels solid. Controllable is the word I’d use. JW: First impressions – there’s just too much going on with the head. The head feels heavy. DM: I like the technology story and I like what Cobra are bringing to the game in terms of enjoyment but I couldn’t get this to perform.
TESTERS’ COMMENTS JW: It’s screechy but it got it out there. You can’t argue with the price or the performance. JC: This went well for me. For £80, it’s hard to beat. DM: Quite a shrill noise but apart from that very impressive – I like the white and green graphics and I hit it comparable distances to most of the big boys.
TESTERS’ COMMENTS DM: Sounds good. It’s quick off the face – there’s no doubt about it, the numbers were very impressive. I like the head shape. The shaft is very blue! SC: This driver seemed to me like it was trying too hard – and I hated the spongy grip. JW: I could feel the shaft kicking but then again it was a regular flex. It goes – that’s for sure.
TESTERS’ COMMENTS JW: I got very little out of this. It felt like hard work. A disappointment. SC: Don’t like the line across the top at all – the graphics are too much. It feels heavier than the RBZ. DM: The whole club takes a lot of swinging and that resulted in some inconsistent strikes. The few good shots I hit did go a long way. I really wanted to get on with it but it just wasn’t happening.
TESTERS’ COMMENTS SC: I like the head and it comes off the face well. It doesn’t look like a £199 driver to me. JW: I like the head but I couldn’t get on with the shaft. DM: I think this would have been a contender in a different shaft – the one we tested didn’t really suit James or me – as the head shape is great and it’s at an attractive price point.
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 81
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 83
81
Drivers test 2013 – which one triumphed?
NCG pp 68-69 Equipment Ping 2/21/13 9:52 AM Page 68
ECCO LAUNCH
Lots of choice The new putters are available in 12 different heads
LIGHTEST EVER SHOE BY ECCO
FIRST L AT P OOK
I ADJUSTNG’S A PUTTERBLE S
Just when you thought that golf shoes could not get any lighter, Ecco have launched the limitededition Biom Zeroes, weighing less than 10oz. The shoes are available in two colours and offer exceptional comfort and flexibility.
To appreciate just how light they are, you really need to see and pick up a pair yourself. Ecco continue to innovate in shoes, and their spikeless Golf Streets have effectively created an entirely new category. “Our brand has been heralded for redefining comfort and now we’re taking that to the next level,” says Michael Waack, head of global golf at Ecco. “We named Biom Zero after the zero heel drop, but also because it’s as close as you can get to a golf shoe that feels like wearing nothing and playing barefoot.” That effect is a result of Ecco’s patented Street outsole which offers full-length foot support and natural motion thanks to its dynamic traction system.The Biom Zeroes sit closer to the ground than any other Ecco product, while patented Biom technology promotes a natural foot position. The leather is stain-resistant and easy-to-clean while the supple leather lining maintains shape and water resistance. Ecco shoes are worn on tour by the likes of Graeme McDowell, Thomas Bjorn and Fred Couples. SRP: £140
In sight White sight lines aid alignment on the Scottsdale TRs
Steady speeds The variable-depth grooves greatly improve ball-speed consistency on off-centre hits
Solid sound The insert is made from a lightweight aluminium
PING UNVEIL ADJUSTABLE PUTTER
New Scottsdale TRs can be lengthened and shortened in a few seconds... We have seen (from Ping) long putters that could be adjusted for length, and we have seen (from many other manufacturers) putters with grooves in the face. But the Scottsdale TR range offers two key developments on the theme: • The ability to adjust the length of your standard-length putter • Variable-depth grooves which Ping say greatly improves consistency of ball speed on offcentre hits. Taking the adjustability first, this is a brilliant application of technology that will help both in putter fitting and also those of us who want to tinker. Which of us has not come off the course after a frustrating day on the greens and wanted to change their putter?
68 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
OPTIONS AND PRICES The range of different models is extensive. This is what is available: Anser 2, B60, Shea, Tomcat S, Anser 2 B (adjustable belly), ZB S, Shea H, Piper C, Tatum, Carefree L (adjustable long), Grayhawk, Senita The SRPs are as follows: £149 adjustable shaft versions; £129 non-Adjustable shaft versions; £169/£149 Grayhawk and Senita models; £209 adjustable shaft Anser B and Carefree L
Above: The new Scottsdale TR can be adjusted using a simple tool. Brilliant!
With these, you can go straight to the putting green and experiment with the length and come away feeling like you have a new putter. Perhaps just as significantly, you can also tinker with the way the putters sit: you can make them open, closed or dead square to suit your eye. The idea with the grooves is that they get shallower towards the perimeter. This has the effect of making the ball come off the face quicker with mis-hits to counter the problem of poorly struck putts coming up short. “We’ve engineered a putter insert with forgiveness,” said John Solheim, Ping’s chairman and CEO. “Regardless of where the ball impacts the insert, the variable-depth grooves produce nearly identical ball speeds.”
NCG pp 68-69 Equipment Ping 2/21/13 9:53 AM Page 69
NCG’S TOP
06 BETTER PLAYERS IRONS We put them to the test last month 1. TITLEIST CB SRP: £110 per iron
2. MIZUNO MP-64 SRP: £100 per iron
3. NIKE VR PRO COMBO SRP: £630 (steel, 4-P)
4 ADAMS Idea CMB SRP: £899.99 (4-P)
5. PING Anser SRP: £160 per iron
NEW FEATURES ON GARMIN GPS WATCH
THIS new version of Garmin’s popular GPS watch comes preloaded with over 30,000 courses worldwide and automatically detects which one you are playing. It is just as easy to use as the bestselling original but is packed with new features. The S2 offers precise, at-a-glance yardages to the front, middle and back of the green as well as informing you of dogleg and lay-up distances A built-in digital scorecard allows you to log your progress as you move through the round and scores can be saved and even printed for later analysis.
“The Approach S2 is the perfect companion for the recreational golfer,” says Martin Resch, product manager at Garmin. “With over 300,000 courses across the world ready to play out of the box matched with the comprehensive measurement features and its intuitive user interface, this device will instantly give golfers a competitive edge.” The Approach S2 is ideal for everyday wear on and off the course and comes in a range of colours. SRP: £209
6. TAYLORMADE RocketBladez Tour SRP: £699
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 69
NCG pp 70 Equipment Bridgestone 20/02/2013 10:02 Page 70
Core content The e5 combines a tour-calibre cover with a graduational core
No sidespin This anti-spin mantle keeps the e6 flying straight
Colourful Choose between white, yellow and orange in the e6
Quick core The e7 is all about fast ball speed and maximum distance
LYLE JOIN BRIDGEST S ONE Sandy Lyle w
NEW BALL RELEASED
BRIDGESTONE HAVE AN
ill use the B Augusta, M -330 ball at uirfield durin g the Open the Europe and on an Senior To ur. “Joining great line up such a of class play ers is a real and I’m real boost ly looking fo rward to pl B-330 ball, aying the ” he said. “I t has impres a lot.” Lyle sed me will also us e Bridgeston irons and dr e iver and ca rry the tour staff ba g.
E-SERIES BALL TO SUIT YOU
Three-model range is redeveloped to offer less drag and more yards The e-Series balls are designed with the needs of the amateur player in mind and each of the three offers distinctive performance characteristics to address your particular needs. Inspired by Bridgestone’s exclusive new 326 Seamless Dual Dimple technology, the redesigned e5, e6 and e7 balls reduce drag off the clubface and generate advanced aerodynamics for longer carry and greater total distance. The most popular ball in the range is the e6. Counter-intuitively, this is actually a very lowspinning ball and that is what makes it the best choice for anyone who
struggles for accuracy (and which of us doesn’t?). Simply put, it goes straighter, but because of the soft surlyn cover and low-compression core it does so while still feeling soft and responsive. Go for the e5 if you would like your shots to stay in the air for longer and fly higher to maximise your carry distances. An advanced two-piece
70 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
urethane construction is the key here. A large gradational core contributes to longer carry distances, while the tour-calibre urethane cover delivers significant stopping power on the greens. The ultimate distance ball is the new, multilayer e7. The design brief for this is simplicity itself: to create faster, longer shots. The larger Dual Dimple and reactive surlyn cover combine to reduce drag and increased lift, while a speed-enhancing core and spin-reducing inner layer deliver explosive velocity and greater distance. SRP: £25.99 per dozen www.bridgestonegolf.com
GET FITTED FOR A BALL? THIS IS WHY IT MAKES SENSE We called in for a Bridgestone ball fitting at Holme Hall, Lincolnshire, with their expert technician Joe Di Stefano. It’s available up and down the country and allows you to dial in the best ball for your game. Bridgestone believe ball fitting starts with the driver. Using a launch monitor to assess performance, Joe analyses data including ball speed and spin rates to recommend two or three models. You then compare their performance side by side to see which one works best. Bridgestone have conducted nearly 200,000 ball fittings worldwide – helping golfers add up to 10 yards to a drive by changing to the correct ball to match their swing speed. You can try an online ball fitting at the Bridgestone website.
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NCG pp 72 Equipment PK 20/02/2013 10:05 Page 72
MAKE THE
FREEWAY YOUR WAY
Powakaddy launch an impressive new family of electric trolleys – which model suits you?
POWAKADDY have launched three stylish and performance-infused models that herald the dawn of its world-famous Freeway franchise. Renowned as the world’s best-selling trolley for the past decade, the Freeway has been the recipient of a number of design and technology upgrades. The 2013 family comprises: a stylish new Freeway model, an enhanced Freeway Digital+ and the new Freeway Sport. The latter has seen the critically-acclaimed PK Sport model rebranded to spearhead the all-encompassing new range. It will continue to spearhead the PowaKaddy range, providing golfers with myriad advanced technologies. With unerring reliability, robust performance and sporty design features resonating throughout, the Freeway Family offers outstanding value throughout. “Our reputation has been built on delivering quality, functionality, innovative technologies and performance across the board. We now aim to take these core values to the next level with the Freeway Family,” said John deGraft-Johnson, PowaKaddy’s chairman. For further information visit PowaKaddy.com
Freeway Sport 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)
Freeway SRP: £369.99 with standard battery; £399.99 with extended range battery
Freeway Digital+ SRP: £429.99 with standard lead acid battery; £459.99 with extended range battery; £579.99 with lithium battery
KEY FEATURES OF THE NEW FREEWAYS
Four stand-out factors of the new, improved range
MODERN LOOKS
QUIET MOTORING
KEY LOCK SYSTEM
HIGH-TECH FUNCTIONS
PK’s designers have incorporated a new lightweight, oversized central tube and soft-touch ambidextrous T-Bar handle on the Freeway. This delivers a more modern and sporty look. In addition, the innovative new Power on/off LED indicator and Pause & resume function provide additional performance capabilities.
The 200w whisper quiet motor ensures the Freeway Digital+ is not only visually stunning, but also engineered to the highest possible specifications for outstanding performance on all terrains. It also boasts a lightweight and robust oversize frame. Combined with sporty low-profile five-spoke wide wheels, it has a modern look.
There’s nothing worse than a bag and trolley combination which sees the former coming loose, or worse still, falling off just when you least want it to – generally as you try to navigate a bank to hack out your drive. A cutting-edge key lock system holds cart bags securely without twisting to ensure that will never be the case here.
If you like your trolley packed with features, the Freeway Sport is the one for you. It has an innovative, but simple to use ergonomic softgrip 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.
72 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
Lamkin 19/02/2013 13:03 Page 1
NCG pp 74 Equipment Motocaddy 2/21/13 10:15 AM Page 74
ABOUT THE BAGS Pro-Series SRP: £149.99 Club-Series SRP: £99.99 Hybrid-Series SRP: £99.99 www.motocaddy.com
THERE’S A MOTOCADDY BAG FOR ALL OF US Motocaddy have become a household name in electric trolleys but you may not be aware their bags also carry the same levels of quality, thoughtfulness and reliability. For the new season they have upgraded their Pro-Series, ClubSeries and Hybrid-Series bags for a more contemporary look.
The Pro-Series model – Motocaddy’s best-selling cart bag – has been re-designed with a new striped pattern and now comes in four colours. Made from a premium PU material, it has 14 full-length dividers, seven pockets and external wells for a putter and umbrella. Other notable features
Sleek new look to all their models for 2013
include a detachable rain hood, velcro glove grip, pen holder, insulated beverage pocket and a dry valuables pocket. The sleek Club-Series cart bag incorporates 14 club dividers and new external wells for both a putter and umbrella. It comes in three new colour offerings. The new Hybrid-Series,
designed to function fully as both a cart and stand bag, offers even more features now. Three club dividers are added to provide 14 in total, plus an external umbrella well and dry valuables pocket. It has a quick-release stand mechanism and dual strap so it’s flexible to use, but has a bespoke anti-twist base to keep it in place.
LATEST FASHION
FOOTJOY TURN ON
STYLE FOR 2013 Fashionable colours and modern designs are hallmarks of range Last year saw FootJoy’s first full line of apparel and their 2013 collection is even more stylish, with an emphasis on fashionable colours that work in unison with contemporary designs. High-tech performance fabrics and two fit options further enhance this all-encompassing collection The FJ designers have used a variety of patterns and designs that are perfectly complemented by a modern and fresh colour palette which cleverly draws all the
74 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
garments together to form stylish and fashionable outfits. Featuring a core range of essential performance offerings, from poloshirts and trousers to sweaters and pullovers, the design focus remains on one sport – golf, which is FootJoy’s sole passion. FJ Performance Apparel is worn on tour by some of golf’s biggest names, including Ryder Cup stalwart Steve Stricker, two-time PGA Tour winner Jason Dufner and former Open champion Ben Curtis.
NEW GOLFBUDDY IS ALSO A WATCH THE new GolfBuddy Voice+ has dual watch and GPS functionality. Measuring less than two inches, an 11-hour re-chargeable lithium battery offers two full rounds on a single charge. The unit simultaneously displays three distances – to the front, centre and back of the green – on the main screen. Dynamic Green technology means distances are calculated from your angle of approach, no matter how wayward. Like the Voice, it actually speaks yardages and comes pre-loaded with over 36,000 courses and no annual membership fees. SRP: £159
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NCG pp 77 Equipment Skycaddie 20/02/2013 10:08 Page 77
NEW WILSON DX2 IS LONGER AND SOFTER At 40 Compression – the lowest of any ball in the UK – the Dx2 Soft is even softer than its popular predecessor and offers improved playability around the green. This new two-piece ball has also been completely reconstructed to provide higher and consistent ball flights and three yards extra in distance. SRP: £17.99 per dozen.
NOW YOU CAN HAVE A SKYCADDIE FOR £130... Launch of Sport Series sees hand-held mini Aire available for a fantastic price
NIKON’S NEW ANGLE The Coolshot AS features Nikon’s angle compensation technology which takes into account the height of the target, and instantly provides both actual horizontal and slope-adjusted distance. Ideal for use in practice, it offers a precise measurement of the distance to the flag with the push of a button. Even in poor light, the bright LED display is visible. SRP: £399.99
NEW PRICEPOINT
WHAT SKYCADDIE SAY
SkyCaddie’s accuracy and reliability are now available at an entry-level price thanks to the handheld Aire (top right). Retailing at £129.95, it is joined in the Sport Series by three other models, including SkyCaddie’s first GPS watch. All are ready-to-use out of the box and pre-loaded with distance information for 30,000 courses globally, including 99 per cent of courses in the British Isles.
“There are competitive golfers at all skill levels who demand the best” said Jacqui Surman, SkyCaddie’s UK MD. “We have golf’s most trusted rangefinders in our Tour Series. Sport Series offers simplicity, without compromising accuracy and reliability.”
SKYCADDIE MAPPING Hundreds of SkyCaddie course maps around the world are updated annually, on foot, by experts using the company’s proprietary TruGround highprecision course mapping technology – a process which SkyCaddie describes as ‘error-correcting’. Only SkyCaddie map, and re-map, every course in this way, which is what sets them apart.
THE NEW MODELS All Sport Series are pre-loaded with SkyCaddie’s ‘Par’ Membership – at no extra charge – which gives ‘Front, Middle and Back’ distances. The Watch (main picture) provides unmatched distance accuracy in the watch category and the Gimme is inexpensive with large, easy-to-read numbers. The Voice (bottom right) announces distances when you tap it while the Aire is a mini hand-held device. SRPs: Watch £179.95; Gimme £169.95; Voice £149.95; Aire £129.95 skycaddie.co.uk
GOLF PRIDE GOES WHITE
M:PROJECTS OFFER FREEDOM TO SWING SOFTSPIKES’ STEALTH AND CYCLONE ICE OUT Softspikes have revealed two forward-thinking cleat designs. As featured in FootJoy’s new M:Projects, the Stealth has been engineered to work with lowprofile shoes for superior traction and stability. Also out is the Cyclone Ice, which debuted in FootJoy’s XPS-1 shoe. SRPs: Stealth £8.99; Cyclone £8.99
Minimum construction for maximum feel is the idea behind FootJoy’s latest shoe. What this translated into for me was simple: freedom of movement. As someone who tends to get stuck on his right side, especially towards the end of a round or when under pressure, there is a lot to be said for a shoe that helps me complete my swing. FootJoy would like golfers to start getting fitted for shoes as
they would their driver, and consult a club pro for advice. Certainly, having alternated between the company’s most stable shoe, the XPS-1, and this one, there is a world of difference. With the XPS-1 you get stability while the M:Projects offer exactly the opposite – and will help to get your lower half moving. n Review by Dan Murphy SRP: Leather spikeless £95; Leather Spiked £105; Boa £115
The new limited-edition Whiteout grip is an extension of the company’s popular New Decade MultiCompound family and comes in a vibrant green, yellow and white combination designed to celebrate golf’s annual rite of spring. It is constructed with highperformance rubber to provide comfort and responsiveness to the lower hand and brushed cotton cord technology to offer moisture management and improved traction for the upper hand. This has proved a winning combination in previous members of the MultiCompound family.
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 77
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NCG pp 79 Lead to Drivers 2/20/13 4:41 PM Page 79
TESTS...
DRIVERS
Our three-man test team rate 20 new models... which will come out on top?
20 MODEL S RATED BY OUR TEST TEAM OF VARYING HANDICAP S
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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NCG pp 81 Drivers 2/20/13 4:40 PM Page 81
MACGREGOR M59
ADAMS SUPER S
WILSON STAFF D-100
SRP: £99.99
SRP: £199
SRP: £199
TESTERS’ COMMENTS JW: The shaft is inconsistent. And the head is light – not a combination for accuracy. SC: Doesn’t sound as nice as some. I’m not overly keen on the alignment line. DM: I’m not sure about the alignment aid and I struggled with the shaft so was inconsistent. But in terms of ball speed it was up there and my good shots were very good with this.
TESTERS’ COMMENTS SC: Off centre it’s ‘tingy’ but not when I hit it out of the middle. I got very good ball speed but somehow I was worried about mis-hits. JW: It looks pretty good behind the ball – not too closed. Not the most fun to use though. DM: I like this. Good-looking head, doesn’t sit too closed and it wants to help you. It comes off the face very well and tends to want to turn over, which is great.
TESTERS’ COMMENTS DM: You’ve definitely got a big one in you with this! I also like the looks. But ultimately it’s so light that I’m lacking any sort of control or consistency. SC: Very whippy shaft and a light head. I did hit this a long way but felt like I’d lack control. JW: First shiny head of the test – what a pleasant surprise! Very light. Too light for me. That meant it wanted to go left on me.
PING ANSER
COBRA AMP CELL
DUNLOP NZ9
SRP: £355
SRP: £249
SRP: £79.99
TESTERS’ COMMENTS JW: I can’t see past the G25 for Ping this year. DM: I like this driver a lot. The head shape is more appealing than the G25. And you get a high-class shaft. But based on results, and on the evidence of this test, it might be hard for a lot of Ping fans to justify paying more to invest in the Anser. SC: I love the dark looks of the Ping. I like this a lot. But I guess I’d still go for the G25.
TESTERS’ COMMENTS SC: It seems quick off the face and feels solid. Controllable is the word I’d use. JW: First impressions – there’s just too much going on with the head. The head feels heavy. DM: I like the technology story and I like what Cobra are bringing to the game in terms of enjoyment but I couldn’t get this to perform.
TESTERS’ COMMENTS JW: It’s screechy but it got it out there. You can’t argue with the price or the performance. JC: This went well for me. For £80, it’s hard to beat. DM: Quite a shrill noise but apart from that very impressive – I like the white and green graphics and I hit it comparable distances to most of the big boys.
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 81
smaller spaces need bigger thinking Be inspired by the newest and first fully automatically collapsible Ultra-Slim trolley from BIG MAX. Contact your local dealer today to test drive the new BLADE from BIG MAX.
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NCG pp 83 Drivers 2/20/13 4:36 PM Page 83
LYNX BOOM BOOM 2
MD GOLF SUPERSTRONG ST3 Ti
CLEVELAND XL
SRP: £349.99
SRP: £99.99
SRP: £239
TESTERS’ COMMENTS JW: To hit, it was fine – quick off the face. The red doesn’t look quite right to me. SC: It looks like Ferrari red gone wrong! It’s quite a heavy driver. Sounds nice. I was really consistent with this and long. Very nice but I just wouldn’t pay £350 for a Lynx driver. DM: It looks like a driver for the better player to me – you can’t see much loft. It felt good off the face and went well. I’m not sure about the red finish, I think it detracts from the overall package.
TESTERS’ COMMENTS SC: I like the head and the shaft – very strong looks. High-pitched sound when I missed the middle but fine on my better shots. Great for the money. JW: I don’t like the way it looks behind the ball – the triangular head isn’t my cup of tea. I didn’t think this quite up to the usual MD Golf standard I expect. DM: It wants to go left, no doubt about it. It does come off very well and the ball speeds were excellent.
TESTERS’ COMMENTS SC: This has a very deep face – distinctive and different to anything else on test. Sounds nice and I was comfortable with it. I got on very well with this. I like the face shape. DM: The sound is good. It’s much lighter than it looks. I thought it would suit the better player but I think it’s a driver any club player could get on well with. JW: Quite a bland club – it looks a little closed. Very deep but also quite a small head.
JOHN LETTERS TR47
TAYLORMADE R1
YONEX EZONE SD
SRP: £199
SRP: £349
SRP: £199
TESTERS’ COMMENTS DM: Sounds good. It’s quick off the face – there’s no doubt about it, the numbers were very impressive. I like the head shape. The shaft is very blue! SC: This driver seemed to me like it was trying too hard – and I hated the spongy grip. JW: I could feel the shaft kicking but then again it was a regular flex. It goes – that’s for sure.
TESTERS’ COMMENTS JW: I got very little out of this. It felt like hard work. A disappointment. SC: Don’t like the line across the top at all – the graphics are too much. It feels heavier than the RBZ. DM: The whole club takes a lot of swinging and that resulted in some inconsistent strikes. The few good shots I hit did go a long way. I really wanted to get on with it but it just wasn’t happening.
TESTERS’ COMMENTS SC: I like the head and it comes off the face well. It doesn’t look like a £199 driver to me. JW: I like the head but I couldn’t get on with the shaft. DM: I think this would have been a contender in a different shaft – the one we tested didn’t really suit James or me – as the head shape is great and it’s at an attractive price point.
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 83
NCG pp 84 Display Ads 2/22/13 10:04 AM Page 84
84 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
NCG pp 85-87 Drivers 2/20/13 4:34 PM Page 85
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GREAT FOR HIGH SPINNERS
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MIZUNO JPX 825
CALLAWAY RAZR FIT XTREME
BENROSS RIP/HOT/MAX
SRP: £249
SRP: £329
SRP: £149
TESTERS’ COMMENTS SC: This is flipping* lovely!! Don’t know if the numbers agree but this was the one I liked best. And the longest for me on the day. JW: Looks like it wants to go high. It looks closed to me. But it performs. DM: A brilliant club golfer’s driver. It wants to go up and it wants to go straight. I love the aesthetics. * Ed: We had to paraphrase here...
TESTERS’ COMMENTS DM: I love the looks but it performed like a driver with much less loft. When I went up a degree that really helped and it was long. Make sure you’re custom fitted as you might be surprised by the head and shaft combination. SC: I like the looks and the feel, a classy driver. JW: No wonder Phil Mickelson loves this driver so much! If you’re looking for a driver that keeps the spin down, here’s the answer.
TESTERS’ COMMENTS JW: Good driver. I was impressed by the head, and the finish, and the components. DM: I love the head – there are shades of Ping in the finish – and it’s a great sound. The spec probably wasn’t quite right for me but the feel and ball speed were excellent. Impressive. SC: Sounds nice and feels nice. The best of the ‘cheaper’ ones for me. I like that. Felt better than the R1 for me! Lovely.
BROADER APPEAL BUT STILL CLASSY
GREAT FOR EFFORTLESS POWER
TITLEIST 913D2
TITLEIST 913D3
CALLAWAY X HOT
SRP: £344
SRP: £344
SRP: £249
TESTERS’ COMMENTS DM: So solid, and such a nice, classy shape. It was long as well. Titleist drivers used to be niche but not anymore. The great thing about the D3 is it looks every bit as good as you would expect but is much easier to use than you might think.
TESTERS’ COMMENTS JW: It looks great on the shelf. It was quick off the face and lively. Low spin for me, which was surprising but certainly a plus. DM: I got a couple very high off the face but when I connected it went miles. Really quick off the face. I like the head shape and finish. It was just too light for me to be consistent. SC: The long shaft was very hard to control.
TESTERS’ COMMENTS SC: I like the looks but you’ve got to be on your game to hit it well. JW: Can I please keep this?! It’s a nice big head, feels really solid off the face and I hit nothing but great shots.
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 85
NCG pp 85-87 Drivers 2/20/13 4:35 PM Page 86
ABOUT OUR
THREE
Golfer JOINT NATIONAL
WINNERS It’s never happened before but on this occasion we got as far as a final three then just couldn’t split them. We were looking for drivers that would have huge appeal to you, the club player, and all three of these certainly deliver on that count. Of the three, the G25 is a little more expensive but none of these drivers would be classed as super-premium in terms of price point. We felt they performed better and more consistently than any of the others. The key word there is ‘consistently’. There wasn’t a club in the test that didn’t get it out there, but there is of course much more to a good driver than just distance. One thing the Ping G25, TaylorMade RBZ Stage 2 and Nike Covert have in common is that they are among the very best for sound, which also equates to feel. We like a driver that is meaty and quick off the face without being too high-pitched. These all fit the bill. All three of them contain, to a greater or lesser extent, adjustability but it’s fair to say that if adjustability is your thing then, of this trio, you’ll choose the Covert. If you want maximum ball speed and a fun driver, the RocketBallz is for you. Finally, if it’s performance, reliability and a traditional dark crown then you should not look past Ping’s G25. Crucially, we feel that each of these drivers would be a fantastic choice for any club golfer this year. So our advice is to go and see your pro and ask to try all three then decide for yourself.
86 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
CLUB
WINNER
Golfer JOINT NATIONAL
CLUB
WINNER
Golfer JOINT NATIONAL
CLUB
WINNER
NCG pp 85-87 Drivers 2/20/13 4:35 PM Page 87
TAYLORMADE ROCKETBALLZ STAGE 2 SRP: £249
TESTERS’ COMMENTS DM: I much prefer this to R1. I really like the sound, I like the head shape better and it just feels like it’s fast and powerful. It wants to help you – it’s responsive. And although the crown is busy – too busy for my liking really – it is nothing like as off-putting as on the R1. I also found it much easier to use. JW: I much preferred this to the R1. I don’t really like the graphics but they at least look like they might help you line up. It’s a driver you can quickly get to believe in. SC: I struggle with white drivers – they don’t stay clean for a start! But it feels great and you don’t have to hit it hard to get good distance results.
PING G25 SRP: £299
TESTERS’ COMMENTS SC: This looks nice, and it gave me confidence. The shaft feels good – I must admit I was surprised when I saw it was Ping’s own. I like the sound and the results were impressive. JW: It looks like a big head. I don’t really like it at address – there’s too much behind the ball. But on performance – very, very good. It’s another ‘can I keep it?’ driver. DM: The sound is great – solid and together. I’m not totally sold on the head shape – I prefer the Anser – but you just can’t knock the performance. There is an element of adjustability but really this driver to me is all about trust, reliability and ease of use.
ABOUT THE TEST
We wanted to identify the drivers that we could recommend with the most confidence to club golfers like you. We invited the major manufacturers to send in their best drivers. We hit them all extensively and used a TrackMan launch monitor, so we could look at trends including distance, carry, spin rate and launch angle. Key factors we took into consideration included: n Looks n Shelf appeal n Price n Ease of use n Sound and feel n Consistency of performance n Ball flight n Playability
THE TESTERS DAN MURPHY Handicap: 4 Current driver: Ping Anser JAMES WHITAKER PGA Professional Current Driver: Nike VR_S Covert STEVE CAVANAGH Handicap: 9 Current Driver: Nike VR Pro We conducted the test at Moor Allerton Golf Club in Leeds. Thanks to James and his team for the use of their outstanding facilities
NIKE VR_S COVERT SRP: £249.99
TESTERS’ COMMENTS JW: The adjustability puts the Covert in a class of its own for me. Nike have really nailed it with the sound on this model. SC: I like the look and I like the red. It’s much better than white. It’s up there with the best. The sound is good as well. DM: I like the shape – it’s actually very traditional, believe it or not, when you get past the red and the swoosh of the crown. It was solid and consistent without being a show-stopper for me. I’m hugely impressed by the options the adjustability gives and from what we saw during the test it really does work.
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 87
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NCG pp 89 Drivers WWL 2/20/13 4:39 PM Page 89
WHAT WE LEARNED Our conclusions from a day testing the latest drivers
@ Moor Allerton Golf Club, Leeds
For the best in
CUSTOM FITTING HOW IMPORTANT IS ADJUSTABILITY TO YOU? It’s all the rage at the moment and adjustability is very clever. But how much will it help your game? From our point of view, it’s great for the pros as they don’t have to stock as many options. It’s even better for fitters, as they are able to dial your performance in more quickly and accurately than ever before.
NO MAGIC DRIVER Based on our testing, there was no driver that categorically outperformed the others in terms of distance. Each tester hit certain drivers further than others, but that can mainly be attributed to the set-up being more or less in tune with their requirements. If you want to hit it further this year, you won’t do so merely by spending £300 on the latest TaylorMade or Ping – or at least you are by no means guaranteed to do so. However, if you invest in a new driver and are custom-fitted for it by an expert – then it says here that you will categorically hit it
further. That’s the strongest message we can bring you from this test. VALUE DRIVERS WENT SURPRISINGLY WELL You might expect to give up 20 or 30 yards by using a driver that is a third of the price but that was not our experience here. Some of the cheaper drivers really did perform. “You need to ignore the price, there’s a brilliant choice,” said our tester Steve. “Just look at the MD Golf driver – great for the money.” We hit several of them every bit as far on occasion. That said, there was a difference – it came in the form of levels of consistency and dispersion. LONG SHAFT A TRADE OFF Make sure you check the length of a driver before you buy, and compare it to a few others. You might well find that an extra inch in the shaft results in extra clubhead speed and possibly extra distance, but there is a trade off, and it comes in the shape of accuracy and consistency. There’s a reason driver shafts are the length they are – if you go too far then it becomes difficult to
control the head and also to connect with the middle head. COLOURS ON CROWNS Suddenly, colour is everywhere. You quickly get used to it but some crowns were just too busy for our eyes. It’s yet another reason you need to try before you buy to see if it bothers you.
We use Trackman for the ultimate in accuracy Authorised fitting centre for
LOFT CONVERSIONS Remember, a head being closed adds loft whereas a head set open decreases loft. By the same token, when you set the face open you effectively decrease loft and when you set the face closed you increase it. Don’t buy off the shelf – do get custom fitted.
www.jwgolf.co.uk
0113 266 5209 QUOTE ‘NCG’ for a free fitting www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 89
NCG pp 90-91 Fitting Centres 22/02/2013 10:05 Page 90
ADVERTORIAL FEATURE
EQUIPMENT INSIGHT
FITTING CENTRES To get the most from your gear, you need a proper fitting. Here are 12 top options
NCG pp 90-91 Fitting Centres 22/02/2013 10:06 Page 91
ANDERS MANKERT
THE BELFRY
GLENN RICHARDS
Location: Leicestershire
Location: Warwickshire
Location: Devon
Run by PGA Professional and Team Titleist member Anders Mankert, we use the latest FlightScope 3D technology and have a fully equipped fitting studio where customers hit out and can both see and follow flight. Specialising in Titleist, Ping and Yonex equipment, we carry all stock shafts along with a wide range of upgrades and tour shafts. Free tour stamping is available on all Vokey wedges when National Club Golfer is mentioned! We are located at Cosby Golf Club in Leicestershire.
The National Custom Fit Centre at world-famous venue The Belfry provides the ultimate experience of trial equipment in the UK. Using five custom-fitting suites, FlightScope launch monitors, nFLIGHT and Mizuno DNA, our custom-fit specialists analyse every aspect of your game to match your unique requirements. We fit latest clubs from the nine leading manufacturers, and are ideally located in the heart of England – close to the M6,M40 and M42. We are also opens seven days a week.
If you are looking for a truly great experience at one of Devon’s premier fitting centres, then visit PGA professional Glenn Richards at Tavistock Golf Club. We offer a professional service from an experienced custom-fit specialist, and are an authorised custom fitting centre for Ping, Titleist, Mizuno, TaylorMade and Wilson. Demo days are hosted throughout the season and both indoor and outdoor facilities are available. A state-of-the-art launch monitor is used for fitting, making for a truly professional experience.
01162750549 • www.andersmankert.co.uk
01675 470301 • www.thebelfry.co.uk
01822 612316 • www.glennrichards.co.uk
GAVIN HAY
PANNAL
HERONS’ REACH
Location: Harrogate
Location: Bedfordshire
Location: Blackpool
The Custom Lab fitting service is distinguished from others by the knowledge, training, and experience of our fitting staff. Our customers receive a first-class fitting service followed by recommending the latest technology in golf equipment tailored to suit your game, at unbeatable prices. All custom fitting is carried out on our Driving Range using the ‘FlightScope’ Launch Monitor. FREE Titleist ProV1 golf balls (sleeve of 3, value £10.99) upon placing any custom fit orders in April / May 2013.
Easily accessible for thousands of golfers via the A1, we have a large, indoor golf studio including a full size simulator. GC2 & HMT launch monitors give accurate, detailed ball and clubhead data. We make use of GASP video analysis and studio lighting, along with a Sam putt lab. We are an authorised fitting centre for Titleist, Taylormade and Ping, and can provide comprehensive fitting for model, length, shaft, flex, lie angle, loft, swingweight & grip as well as set composition. Best of all, custom fitting is FREE!
01525 860800 • www.golfx.co.uk
01423 872628
One of only five PGA Academies in the UK, Herons’ Reach can offer the latest custom-fitting facilities using Flightscope technology along with real ball flight. Our PGA Professionals are highly trained by the leading manufacturers to ensure the best product knowledge and fitting capabilities. Along with being TPI certified they will ensure that we combine the best equipment to suit your swing giving an unparalleled golfing experience. , heronsreachshop@devere-hotels.com 01253 832505 • village-hotels.co.uk
GOLF PRINCIPLES LTD
LEE PORTER GOLF SOLUTIONS
DAVID GEMMELL FITTING CENTRE
Location: Basingstoke
Location: Essex
Location: Scotland
We work at our independent fitting studio. Like a fingerprint, we believe that all of our customers are different and need to be thoroughly assessed in order for us to fit them for their clubs. We do this using our state-of-the-art Trackman technology. The main areas that we will measure you for include; ball speed and smash factor, launch and spin, flex and dispersion and length and lie. Basingstoke-based, we are specialists in club and shaft technology.
I offer a complete bespoke service for your golf equipment. Should you require to buy new clubs or want to customise your current set I can help. With over 27 years’ experience I offer everything from a simple loft and lie adjustment to advanced frequency matching. I pride myself in offering a completely independent fitting service, I give you the solution that is correct for you, not what a company wants me to sell.
We provide a full custom fitting and coaching service with the new Flightscope X2 system. All sessions are professionally fitted with the best equipment to suit you the individual. We have no brand preferences we only want to find you the best performing equipment to suit you. We charge £30 per fitting but this is fully refundable on purchasing after fitting. We fit, we care. Brands stocked include Mizuno, Cleveland, Callaway, Taylormade, Titleist, Cobra, and Nike.
01252 686246 • www.golfprinciplesltd.co.uk
01277 356016 • www.leeportergolfsolutions.com
01383 860256 • www.davidgemmellpgapro.co.uk
CLOSE HOUSE
MACHYNYS GOLF ACADEMY
NORFOLK PREMIER GOLF
Location: Newcastle
Location: Llanelli
Location: Norwich
The Custom Fit is a state of the art facility, where specialised custom-fitting of clubs is done on one-toone basis. Using the latest technology of the Flight Scope launch monitor and a SAM Putt lab the Professionals can fit all golfers to the same level as a tour professional. The staff are all certified by Callaway, Ping, Taylormade and Vega with achievement in knowledge and fitting of all the different branded products, and are also qualified in the Titleist fittingworks course.
Machynys Academy is based in Llanelli and run by head professional and renowned golf coach Mark Govier. Machynys is a fitting centre which offers all the major brands at excellent prices whilst also offering Trackman, the finest fitting radar technology. It hosts a 21 bay floodlit range with UKs largest Indoor putting green. The staff are PGA professionals and expert custom fitters who offer the highest level of expertise to help you select the right clubs.
We stock TaylorMade, Ping, Titleist, Mizuno, Callaway and Cobra. Our facilitiy features an 8-metre-square fitting room using FlightScope and v1 swing analysis. Our 16-bay automated range with short game area is one of the best in the region. We offer the best UK prices, with fitting by qualified PGA pros
01661 852255 • www.closehouse.co.uk
01554 744888 • www.machynys.com
chrispottergolf.co.uk • 01603 716 611
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 91
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94 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
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NCG pp 98-99 Equipment Directory 22/02/2013 09:52 Page 98
EQUIPMENT DIRECTORY
98 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
NCG pp 98-99 Equipment Directory 22/02/2013 09:53 Page 99
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NCG pp101 Instruction Lead 2/21/13 9:49 AM Page 101
Instruction section in association with
The UK’s Largest Golf Retail Group
YOUR GAME Hit it further and straighter | Hole more putts | Sharpen your short game | Golf psychology | Fitness tips HOW TO GET YOUR
SET-UP SPOT ON Alignment is a key fundamental to all aspects of the game – and putting is no exception. I often see golfers practising with a club or alignment stick on the ground. This is a great way to ensure your lower body alignment is correct – but what about your upper body? It can be argued the shoulder alignment has more of an impact on the putting stroke. The path of the putting stroke will largely be controlled by the direction your shoulders are pointing. What's more, by keeping your shoulders in check you will also go a long way to ensuring your forearms are correctly aligned. You have probably guessed the solution to the issue! Simply adopt your normal stance and let your arms hang down from your shoulders. Next, point your index fingers towards each other and, hey presto, you have a guide as to the direction your shoulders are pointing! You can use this same idea to help with your upper body alignment for the full swing as well.
Neil Darnell is the head pro at Mannings Heath which is home to two championship courses in Sussex. He is one of over 1,000 Foremost pros from all over the UK. Visit www.manningsheath.com
FIND YOUR NEAREST FOREMOST PROFESSIONAL AT WWW.FOREMOSTGOLF.COM THE SET-UP Many golfers set up with the driver in the same way as they set up with an iron and this is not going to give you long booming drives. When you hit an iron, you are hitting considerably down on the ball and delofting the club for maximising distance. When you hit a driver you are trying to achieve a higher trajectory and reduce the amount of spin. This is done when you reduce the descent of the club into the ball. Moving the ball position closer to the left heel will shallow out your descent.
THE NEED FOR SPEED
THE UK’S LARGEST GOLF RETAIL GROUP WWW.FOREMOSTGOLF.COM SWING SEQUENCE
POST AND ROTATE
How to become a more efficient ball striker
TIGER WOODS
T
P
OOR strike is one of the most common short-game issues amongst all standards
of golfers. The ‘post and rotate’ drill will get you striking the ball crisply and consistently. The short swings have less time to create a shallow but downward blow required for perfect pitching – so pre-set the impact position by aligning the left hip with the left foot (the post), and retain this position throughout the swing. All you need to do is turn around the ‘post’ into a finish on the left side. THE DRILL First of all, you have to see where your current strike is coming out of the face. Get some impact tape or even just some masking tape and place it across your driver club face. Hit 10 shots and look at the face. If the
strike is low or to the left or to the right, you will be losing serious ball speed. So where do you want to hit the ball? You want to hit the ball out of the sweet spot and this would be the centre of the clubface. However on a modern-day
Halfway back and this is a good position, clubhead in front of his hands (although the club has been taken away marginally outside the most orthodox line). In more recent times Tiger has taken the club away just a touch more inside, in order to facilitate hitting some draw shots but, in my opinion, the slightly outside takeaway was when Woods was at his best.
T is difficult to write much about the set-up and backswing pictures as Tiger has not changed that much. Quite frankly, in my opinion, he is still trying to make his golf swing work and is thinking how to swing the club rather than going out and playing golf. In this swing sequence, taken in 2007, I am going to try and point out some of the areas that he has tried to change to protect his body and stay injury free – and to eliminate some of the destructive shots that have become so common in recent seasons. Tiger has already won this year and he obviously feels very good about his game. “I was hitting the ball beautifully most of the year and driving the ball better than I have probably in my entire career last year,” he said. “It was nice to not have to hit so many golf balls on the range and work on the little things.”
Almost at the completion of the backswing and we see the typical late set of the wrists that he has always favoured, although if studied in minute detail his 2013 action reveals a marginally earlier wrist set, does it matter? Not really.
I
CHECKPOINT 1 Splay the left foot to aid the turn. Play a conventional pitch or chip shot whilst keeping the weight constant around the left hip.
Commit to a finish where you rotate your chest and hips to the target. The weight should finish over the left hip which is still in line with the left foot.
X
X
driver I would recommend that you would hit the ball higher up the face. This is due to the manufacturers moving the centre of gravity of the club lower and further back. This is where you should aim to hit.
Another common fault we see is that the hips just spin open on the downswing creating a weak slice with the driver. This is usually a result of the left leg straightening too early which in turn stops the hips' movement through the ball. To help prevent this, flare out your left foot around 15-20˚ and this will assist the hips to slide for longer and therefore produce a powerful ball flight.
This captures Tiger just as his takeaway begins, as a trigger to start the swing he kicks his right knee in towards the ball. Here we can see he has done this, because his right knee is more bent than his left. Today, Woods still has a superb address position and triggers his swing as he always has done.
The changing shape of the 14-time Major winner’s swing
Add an element of consistency to your short game
HE longest hitters have high clubhead speed and high ball speeds but one is far more important than the other. Ball speed is where the money is at and this is what dictates how far the ball can travel. You can have a high clubhead speed but unless you hit the ball out of the sweet spot, your ball speed will be low. We can measure how efficient your ball striking is and this is called the ‘smash factor’ – the ball speed divided by the clubhead speed. Tour average is around 1.5 – here’s how you can increase yours.
CHECKPOINT 2 Arrow check! When you have completed a pitch, place the grip into your chest. If the shaft points high and right you have tried to
'help' the ball up and you will be leaning away from the left foot. For greater consistency of strike your arrow should point to the target and parallel to the ground.
n Swing analysis by Gary Alliss. Gary is the PGA Master Professional at Ladbrook Park
This, for me, are where his woes emanate. He originally hit the ball very straight with a touch of fade on occasion but he believed he needed a power draw. To do this the ball must be attacked like Rory McIlroy a bit from the inside. This was not Tiger's former action so he started dropping the club onto a lower plane by an excessive squat to encourage an inside attack, but the draw attempt resulted in wild pushes or double crosses.
It looks OK here but from face on Tiger has too much lateral hip slide and now he has to snap his left knee back straight to clear his hips to avoid way right or way left shots. Plus he had to time the release of the angles in his wrists to perfection to match this
Almost over thank goodness, as we see Tiger's left arm fighting like fury to hold off the excessive release that must surely result in a closed face. If he held off too much then the ball simply would disappear down the right. What Woods appears to be trying to do today is better and more likely to result in better ball control, but he just looks as though he is trying to manufacture a swing.
jumpy action. Now he spends interminable time and innumerable practice swings rehearsing a slight out-to-in swing path and, if not out to in, at the very least a rapid body rotation to the left to ensure the club swings inside immediately after impact.
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Shot on location at Las Colinas Golf & Country Club
Graeme Bell is head professional at Linlithgow near Edinburgh. He is one of over 1,000 Foremost pros from all over the UK. For more visit www.foremostgolf.com and www.graemebellgolf.com
TIGER’S 2012 FINDING THE CENTRE Tee the ball up around half a ball above the crown of the driver as a rule. I see a lot of problems with driver strikes when the arms separate from the rib cage and the elbows
STATS pull apart. This will make it very difficult to co-ordinate and produce a repeatable strike on the face. To keep connection I like to have the player place a golf tee under each armpit and
make swings from hip height to hip height on the way through. I prefer this to the often used method of using a towel or glove because it requires subtle pressure and you won’t
Total driving: 88 (5th)
squeeze the life out of your ribs. This improves the connection and lets the arms stay straighter through the impact zone, thus resulting in a more repeatable centered strike.
Driving accuracy: 63.9% (53)
Shot on location at Las Colinas Golf & Country Club
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Simon Harrison is head professional at Lilley Brook in Gloucestershire. He is one of over 1,000 Foremost pros from all over the UK to give tuition. www.simonharrison-pga.co.uk
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Driving distance: 297.4 yds (35) Greens In Regulation: 67.6% (32)
This is normal Woods stuff. However in 2013 his left forearm is fractionally lower, such that the plane of his shoulder turn and that of his left forearm are almost identical. Flattening the plane brings his right forearm a little closer to his body in order to encourage more body rotation, meaning that his arms are less likely to work independently or become over active. This is done to minimise excessive release of his wrists which so often turns his desired fade into a pull hook.
Not very pretty; his lower body looks stiff, legs rigid as he fights to control the rotation of his forearms through the hitting area to avoid a pull hook. His poor knees and back are put under enormous strain as he lashes away. At least in 2013 he appears to be trying to swing more quietly with his lower body through impact allowing his knees to retain some softness as his hips rotate round. His swing is more rotational and less lateral, at least in theory.
Stroke average: 68.90 (2nd)
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ALSO INSIDE n POWER UP P102 Get the Smash Factor n TASTY CHIPS P104 A short-game masterclass n TIGER’S BACK P108 Gary Alliss on the why the former No.1 is looking good
NCG pp102-103 Bell Foremost 2/21/13 9:43 AM Page 102
THE SET-UP Many golfers set up with the driver in the same way as they set up with an iron and this is not going to give you long booming drives. When you hit an iron, you are hitting considerably down on the ball and delofting the club for maximising distance. When you hit a driver you are trying to achieve a higher trajectory and reduce the amount of spin. This is done when you reduce the descent of the club into the ball. Moving the ball position closer to the left heel will shallow out your descent.
THE NEED FOR SPEED How to become a more efficient ball striker HE longest hitters have high clubhead speed and high ball speeds but one is far more important than the other. Ball speed is where the money is at and this is what dictates how far the ball can travel. You can have a high clubhead speed but unless you hit the ball out of the sweet spot, your ball speed will be low. We can measure how efficient your ball striking is and this is called the ‘smash factor’ – the ball speed divided by the clubhead speed. Tour average is around 1.5 – here’s how you can increase yours.
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Another common fault we see is that the hips just spin open on the downswing creating a weak slice with the driver. This is usually a result of the left leg straightening too early which in turn stops the hips' movement through the ball. To help prevent this, flare out your left foot around 15-20˚ and this will assist the hips to slide for longer and therefore produce a powerful ball flight.
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Shot on location at Las Colinas Golf & Country Club
Graeme Bell is head professional at Linlithgow near Edinburgh. He is one of over 1,000 Foremost pros from all over the UK. For more visit www.foremostgolf.com and www.graemebellgolf.com
NCG pp102-103 Bell Foremost 2/21/13 9:43 AM Page 103
FIND YOUR NEAREST FOREMOST PROFESSIONAL AT WWW.FOREMOSTGOLF.COM
THE DRILL First of all, you have to see where your current strike is coming out of the face. Get some impact tape or even just some masking tape and place it across your driver club face. Hit 10 shots and look at the face. If the
FINDING THE CENTRE Tee the ball up around half a ball above the crown of the driver as a rule. I see a lot of problems with driver strikes when the arms separate from the rib cage and the elbows
strike is low or to the left or to the right, you will be losing serious ball speed. So where do you want to hit the ball? You want to hit the ball out of the sweet spot and this would be the centre of the clubface. However on a modern-day
pull apart. This will make it very difficult to co-ordinate and produce a repeatable strike on the face. To keep connection I like to have the player place a golf tee under each armpit and
driver I would recommend that you would hit the ball higher up the face. This is due to the manufacturers moving the centre of gravity of the club lower and further back. This is where you should aim to hit.
make swings from hip height to hip height on the way through. I prefer this to the often used method of using a towel or glove because it requires subtle pressure and you won’t
squeeze the life out of your ribs. This improves the connection and lets the arms stay straighter through the impact zone, thus resulting in a more repeatable centered strike.
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NCG pp104-105 Harrison Foremost 2/21/13 9:40 AM Page 104
POST AND ROTATE Add an element of consistency to your short game
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OOR strike is one of the most common short-game issues amongst all standards
of golfers. The ‘post and rotate’ drill will get you striking the ball crisply and consistently. The short swings have less time to create a shallow but downward blow required for perfect pitching – so pre-set the impact position by aligning the left hip with the left foot (the post), and retain this position throughout the swing. All you need to do is turn around the ‘post’ into a finish on the left side.
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NCG pp104-105 Harrison Foremost 2/21/13 9:41 AM Page 105
THE UK’S LARGEST GOLF RETAIL GROUP WWW.FOREMOSTGOLF.COM
CHECKPOINT 1 Splay the left foot to aid the turn. Play a conventional pitch or chip shot whilst keeping the weight constant around the left hip.
Commit to a finish where you rotate your chest and hips to the target. The weight should finish over the left hip which is still in line with the left foot.
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CHECKPOINT 2 Arrow check! When you have completed a pitch, place the grip into your chest. If the shaft points high and right you have tried to
Shot on location at Las Colinas Golf & Country Club
'help' the ball up and you will be leaning away from the left foot. For greater consistency of strike your arrow should point to the target and parallel to the ground.
Simon Harrison is head professional at Lilley Brook in Gloucestershire. He is one of over 1,000 Foremost pros from all over the UK to give tuition. www.simonharrison-pga.co.uk
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Puredrive 19/02/2013 13:46 Page 1
NCG pp107 Wingrove Instruction 2/21/13 9:38 AM Page 107
MAKE A SWISH How to help get your clubhead speed up
N many occasions my pupils ask me how they can hit the ball further? You can run a thousand miles a week, eat bran, do hundreds of press-ups, join a local gym but the simple truth is unless you can get the clubhead through the ball faster you will never hit the ball further.
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So try this. Turn the club upside down. Hold the club around the neck (socket) and then swing the club with a healthy, wrist flick using just one arm. If you hear the swish when it arrives at the ball or slightly after you are not swishing early enough. The highest level of sound should be before the shaft reaches the impact zone.
Dean Wingrove is the head professional at Wimbledon Park GC. www.wpgc.co.uk
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NCG pp108-109 Tiger Swing Sequence 2/21/13 9:35 AM Page 108
SWING SEQUENCE
TIGER WOODS
This captures Tiger just as his takeaway begins, as a trigger to start the swing he kicks his right knee in towards the ball. Here we can see he has done this, because his right knee is more bent than his left. Today, Woods still has a superb address position and triggers his swing as he always has done.
Halfway back and this is a good position, clubhead in front of his hands (although the club has been taken away marginally outside the most orthodox line). In more recent times Tiger has taken the club away just a touch more inside, in order to facilitate hitting some draw shots but, in my opinion, the slightly outside takeaway was when Woods was at his best.
The changing shape of the 14-time Major winner’s swing T is difficult to write much about the set-up and backswing pictures as Tiger has not changed that much. Quite frankly, in my opinion, he is still trying to make his golf swing work and is thinking how to swing the club rather than going out and playing golf. In this swing sequence, taken in 2007, I am going to try and point out some of the areas that he has tried to change to protect his body and stay injury free – and to eliminate some of the destructive shots that have become so common in recent seasons. Tiger has already won this year and he obviously feels very good about his game. “I was hitting the ball beautifully most of the year and driving the ball better than I have probably in my entire career last year,” he said. “It was nice to not have to hit so many golf balls on the range and work on the little things.”
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n Swing analysis by Gary Alliss. Gary is the PGA Master Professional at Ladbrook Park
TIGER’S 2012
STATS Total driving: 88 (5th) Driving accuracy: 63.9% (53) Driving distance: 297.4 yds (35) Greens In Regulation: 67.6% (32) Stroke average: 68.90 (2nd)
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This, for me, are where his woes emanate. He originally hit the ball very straight with a touch of fade on occasion but he believed he needed a power draw. To do this the ball must be attacked like Rory McIlroy a bit from the inside. This was not Tiger's former action so he started dropping the club onto a lower plane by an excessive squat to encourage an inside attack, but the draw attempt resulted in wild pushes or double crosses.
It looks OK here but from face on Tiger has too much lateral hip slide and now he has to snap his left knee back straight to clear his hips to avoid way right or way left shots. Plus he had to time the release of the angles in his wrists to perfection to match this
jumpy action. Now he spends interminable time and innumerable practice swings rehearsing a slight out-to-in swing path and, if not out to in, at the very least a rapid body rotation to the left to ensure the club swings inside immediately after impact.
NCG pp108-109 Tiger Swing Sequence 2/21/13 9:36 AM Page 109
Almost at the completion of the backswing and we see the typical late set of the wrists that he has always favoured, although if studied in minute detail his 2013 action reveals a marginally earlier wrist set, does it matter? Not really.
This is normal Woods stuff. However in 2013 his left forearm is fractionally lower, such that the plane of his shoulder turn and that of his left forearm are almost identical. Flattening the plane brings his right forearm a little closer to his body in order to encourage more body rotation, meaning that his arms are less likely to work independently or become over active. This is done to minimise excessive release of his wrists which so often turns his desired fade into a pull hook.
Almost over thank goodness, as we see Tiger's left arm fighting like fury to hold off the excessive release that must surely result in a closed face. If he held off too much then the ball simply would disappear down the right. What Woods appears to be trying to do today is better and more likely to result in better ball control, but he just looks as though he is trying to manufacture a swing.
Not very pretty; his lower body looks stiff, legs rigid as he fights to control the rotation of his forearms through the hitting area to avoid a pull hook. His poor knees and back are put under enormous strain as he lashes away. At least in 2013 he appears to be trying to swing more quietly with his lower body through impact allowing his knees to retain some softness as his hips rotate round. His swing is more rotational and less lateral, at least in theory.
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Highland Golf Escapes 21/02/2013 15:04 Page 1
HIGHLAND GOLF ESCAPES “Having played Tain and Brora, I cannot wait to visit Nairn Dunbar, Golspie and Boat of Garten, all of which are high on my list of MUST play courses. Now my days of competitive golf are behind me, I really look forward to annual visits to the Highlands and enjoy that which Scotland has to offer on and off the golf course. Anyone with golf in their veins must visit this special region, but I hope to get there “before ye on the high road” - Sir Bob Charles
BOAT OF GARTEN
5 of Scotland’s best courses have joined together with 3 great hotels to offer a golfing experience that can only make every golfer anticipate the new season with a spring in their step.
BRORA
GOLSPIE
NAIRN DUNBAR
TAIN
James Braids wonderful Brora, Golspie and Boat of Garten courses, along with the delightful Tom Morris designed Tain course and the excellent Nairn Dunbar are in partnership with the Royal Marine Hotel in Brora and the Morangie House and Mansfield Castle Hotels in Tain to offer superb value golfing holidays through their “Highland Golf Escapes”
PRICING April and October £195 | May - September £240 Includes 3 rounds of golf 2 nights B&B and 1 dinner. Please contact Royal Marine Hotel 01408 621252, Morangie House Hotel 01862 892281 or Mansfield Castle Hotel 01862 892052 to book who will also arrange tee times. More information can be found on the special web site www.highlandgolfescapes.org
NCG pp111 Wolstenholme Instruction 2/21/13 9:32 AM Page 111
GET UP TO SPEED Gary Wolstenholme offers a great drill to help with your pace on the greens
ANY players I find are short with their putts too often. I believe it is best to hit putts with ‘enough’ pace to hit the back of the hole much of the time. A great drill is to place a tee 18" past the hole in line with the highest point on the parabola of the break of the putt. Then, keeping your head still and eye firmly on the ball to create consistency, hit the putt with enough pace to reach the tee. If you can begin to trust the drill out on the course you will hole more putts as the ball will hold its line more effectively and therefore not die of pace before reaching the hole.
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Gary Wolstenholme plays on the European Senior Tour and he finished as Rookie of the Year in 2011 and was seventh on the 2012 Order of Merit. He is an ambassador for MacWet gloves, the ‘all grip, no slip’ glove. w:macwet.com
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NCG pp112 Columnist KM 21/02/2013 12:03 Page 112
GOLF PSYCHOLOGY
KARL MORRIS The quest for the magical 59 - can you keep your tempo when the pressure’s on? T was terrific to see Phil Mickelson win the Phoenix Open and come tantalisingly close to shooting the fabled number 59 in the first round. His putt to join one of the most elite clubs in golf spun a full 180 degrees around the hole before the golfing gods shook their head and said ‘no’ to the 59. It is no wonder that Mickelson is so popular with the majority (not all) of golfing fans as he plays a swashbuckling game that contains numerous birdies but also with a hefty sprinkle of dropped shots, missed short putts and wild tee shots. Mickelson can seem both indestructible and highly fallible during the course of nine holes let alone over 72 holes. Something most of us who play the game relate to very easily. On the PGA Tour the 59 has only been achieved five times and the European Tour is still waiting for its first Mr 59. I remember one of my former clients Phil Archer having a putt on the last stay tantalisingly high of the hole at Celtic Manor and he had to ‘settle’ for a 60. One man who didn’t have to settle for a 60 was Al Geiberger who shot 59 at Memphis in 1977 and held the record on his own for 14 years until it was equalled by Chip Beck in 1991 in Las Vegas. It is interesting for me from the perspective of the mind that in golf we didn’t really get the Roger Bannister effect which occurred with the four-minute mile whereby once the ‘impossible’ had been achieved numerous other athletes broke the iconic sub four barrier. I am not sure of the answer to that puzzle other than the fact a golfer does have a lot of time during a round to consider the possibility of shooting very low and you now have a situation with modern technology and camerawork that if a player looks like he is going to possibly break 60 the whole world will know about it long before the final putt drops. It takes an extraordinary strength of mind to stay ‘on task’ with the whole world metaphorically breathing down your neck. One of the things that Geiberger was famed for was the tempo in his swing. He had a wonderfully graceful motion which spawned a coaching programme called ‘Sybervision’ whereby you, as the golfer, were instructed to watch the beautiful flowing American swing on
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One shy Lefty smiles ruefully after lipping out
‘Every golfer can benefit from being aware of the tempo in their swing’ a series of videos from all angles. The swing sequence played alongside some soothing music to allow your brain to soak up the flowing grace he possessed. This was well before the scientific community reinforced the notion that ‘mental rehearsal’ could be a powerful adjunct to training yourself to improve movement skills in sport. I think every golfer can benefit from being aware of the tempo in his or her swing. It is a non-technical frame of reference that doesn’t have you thinking about the individual pieces of your swing but has you much more focused on the whole movement. A great exercise I have used over the years for players is to get them to ‘trap’ their own ideal tempo.
In effect what you do on the range is hit a couple of balls as hard as you possibly can. Literally hit the thing so hard you fall of your feet. On a scale this is now your reference of 10 on a 1 to 10 scale. Now do a super super slow swing that seems to take forever which will be your marker of 1 on that scale. Now hit some shots and ‘call out’ where you think your tempo is within those two extremes. Your brain now has a comparative to work with and you will find very quickly you start to find your tempo. It may be a 6 or it may be an 8, it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you have something to work with other than ‘slow down’. You may not end up with a swing as silky as Al Geiberger but, as the great Arnold Palmer used to say, ‘good tempo can cover up a lot of swing flaws’. It is a way of getting the best out of your own personal swing. n Experience an extraordinary three days at the Mind Factor Certification course - for coaches and players with Karl Morris will be held in Manchester in November. Details at www.themindfactor.com
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 14 – Ladies’ Champion of Champions event* April 21 – Men’s Champion of Champions event* June 15 – Golf in Scotland Tournament July 28 – Shepherd’s Cross Tournament† June 29 – Summer Open Sept 27 & 28 – Hickory Golf event‡ October 7-10 – International Pairs Competition October 12 – Autumn Open
ave A Do We H Your ith Trophy W It? Name On
To reserve your spot in any event, or make a booking for a golf break, please phone us at +44 (0)1586 810000.
www.MachDunes.com
*Open to all Scottish Club Champions plus one (1) guest †9 holes on Mach Dunes and 9 holes on Machrihanish GC ‡Hickory club rentals available
NCG.com 22/02/2013 13:50 Page 1
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NCG pp115 Fitness 21/02/2013 12:04 Page 115
HERE are very few tour golfers who don’t pay at least a little attention to their body shape and fitness these days. Some guys, such as Carl Petterson, still do very well for themselves despite not doing any fitness work and will continue to do so as very talented golfers. But there are many more like Tiger Woods and Camillo Villegas, who take their physiques seriously. I like to preach something in between; I’d encourage you to do more than Carl but maybe not quite so much as Camillo – I think he trains harder than I do! Tiger is thought to be the one who kicked off golfers’ interest in fitness but in fact Sir Nick Faldo was into it before him – and Gary Player remains super-fit today. But certainly Tiger helped popularise fitness for golfers, and indeed Nike insist on calling their players athletes.
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NUTRITION TIP #1 Physical energy and mental function are negatively affected by dehydration so keeping yourself topped up with fresh water is the easiest nutritional strategy to improve your golf – at whatever level you play. Sip as you go round and your energy will sustain for much longer.
John Sheehy is a personal trainer based at David Lloyd gym in Leeds. He is also a golf professional. Call 07988 449936 or visit davidlloyd.co.uk
In association with
GET FIT
FOR GOLF
If you’re looking to shave shots off your handicap the answer may lie away from your technique and in our new regular series on fitness...
It’s maybe pushing it a bit far to suggest Stewart Cink is a match for Jess Ennis, but the sentiment is correct; being fitter helps you play better golf. Just a little bit of effort could reap big rewards – and not just on the course either, because all the things we will look at will benefit you in general life as well. This month we will start with some cardiovascular work, which can get you feeling fitter in just four weeks... with just moderate effort. Turn over for your plan to start the season feeling fitter and more energetic.
NCG pp116 Fitness 21/02/2013 12:06 Page 116
YOUR QUICK
FITNESS PLAN Four weeks + four exercises = a lot of improvement WEEK ONE Steady pace cardio – three days of the week • 15 minutes on the bike (aim to burn a minimum of 100 calories) • 15 minutes on the x-trainer (aim to burn a minimum of 100 calories) Target: The aim of steady pace cardio is to increase heart rate and increase fitness levels
WEEK TWO
GET FIT IN FOUR WEEKS Here’s your no-pain guide to stepping on the 1st tee of the April Medal with more energy
Interval training three days of the week • 10 minutes on the rower (30 seconds at high pace x 6, 60 seconds rest x 6) • 10 minutes on the treadmill (30 seconds at high pace x 6, 60 seconds rest x 6) • 10 minutes on the bike (30 seconds at high pace x 6, 60 seconds rest x 6) Target: The benefits of cardio interval training is to speed up your metabolic rate which in turn burns lots of calories
WEEK THREE Interval training three days of the week • 16 minutes on the x-trainer (60 seconds at high pace x 8, 60 seconds rest x 8) • 16 minutes on the bike (60 seconds at high pace x 8, 60 seconds rest x 8) Target: We have now increased your cardio interval training which will help to speed that metabolic rate further
WEEK FOUR Steady pace cardio three days of the week Target: The aim of week four is to repeat week one. This will allow you to see how much you have progressed in four weeks. Given you are now fitter, following week one’s schedule of steady cardio will now seem easier – which means we have increased your fitness levels. So you know you have achieved something to help your golf game and your overall health.
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Menara Travel Hassan II 19/02/2013 13:47 Page 1
HASSAN II GOLF TROPHY EUROPEAN TOUR 25 to 31 March 2013
Golf du Palais Royal AGADIR – MOROCCO
For further information please log on to the official event website
www.hassan2golftrophy.com
Or contact Menara Travel Ltd (UK) t: 0207 371 2030 Spectators Programme available on request
e: info@morocco4golf.com
Matchplay Nike 19/02/2013 13:50 Page 1
Matchplay Nike 19/02/2013 13:50 Page 2
My Golf Trip 22/02/2013 09:42 Page 1
NCG pp121 Lead to Travel 20/02/2013 10:21 Page 121
PLAY AWAY Exciting destinations | Latest deals & offers | Connoisseur Clive | Travel hints and tips | Competitions
Follow Tiger to
TURKEY
iger Woods and Rory McIlroy are golf’s two superstars – as well as being two of the biggest names in sport – and last October they both enjoyed the delights of Turkey. They were part of the eight-man Turkish Airlines World Golf Finals played at Antalya Golf Club, which has two of the finest courses in the stunning golf paradise that is Belek. When you are playing at Antalya, the obvious place to stay is Sirene Hotel. It boasts four restaurants, six bars, a cafe and a nightclub as well as comprehensive leisure facilities including a wonderful spa. And of course Belek benefits from a year-round climate, making it a terrific winter destination for British golfers. n Visit www.turkishgolf.com or call 0207 923 3230.
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NCG pp122-123 Connoisseur Clive Hardelot 2/21/13 10:39 AM Page 122
Connoisseur
Clive
SHORT HAUL | Northern France
JOIE DE VIVRE Our intrepid bon viveur crossed the channel recently and discovered that Hardelot has a certain je ne sais pas
Clive is our undercover roving reporter, who tells it like it is. NCG’s bon viveur plays off 13, always finds the best places to go and is an expert in enjoying himself, on and off the course “In a survey, conducted by a French market research company, 6% of those spoken to said they understood and spoke English well, 48% said they ‘more or less’ understood English but did not speak it fluently. Which leaves 34% who don't speak English. Thankfully my recent dealings across La Manche fell into the top two categories. I tend to come into my own when ordering from a menu – le croque monsieur s’il vous plait (delivered with a hint of Gallic flair) – and I always like to get in ‘le weekend’ when given half a chance but my efforts tend to hit the buffers when the reply goes beyond ‘oui’ or ‘non’. Thankfully our friends across the way are a little more savvy.”
Clive’s Cigarometer Hardelot scores...
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NCG pp122-123 Connoisseur Clive Hardelot 2/21/13 10:39 AM Page 123
DON’T know about you but the one thing that takes my mind off the depressingly large number of Frenchmen to be found in France is the fact there are so many splendid golf courses to play. I had a few days to myself the other week and decided to pop across the Channel with some chums and play a few of the excellent courses in the Nord pas de Calais region – an area a lot like the Kent coast but with far more decent places to eat. We took the ferry rather than jump on Le Shuttle as we were being picked up the other side which allowed the chaps and I to have rather a good lunch in the Brasserie that P&O Ferries provides on the crossing. Our first stop was to check into Les Jardins hotel in Hardelot, a new establishment and one I can warmly recommend. It is spotlessly clean, there are charming girls on reception and it’s within a chip and a putt of a couple of rather jolly Irish pubs if you can tear yourself away from the bar in the hotel. And should you fancy a wander down onto the beach to work up an appetite for dinner that’s only a long par 4’s step away too. After a good night’s sleep and a fine hot bath – golfers of my years need a bath rather than a shower, but that is by the by – I was well ready to seize the day so kicked off at the splendid Hardelot (Les Pins) course which is 10 minutes’ drive from the hotel. I started early as a couple of the chaps had rather overdone the Calvados the night before and I wanted to get 18 under my belt before I hooked up with the crew in the bar of the sister course in Hardelot (Les Dunes). At 8.30am I was the first soul out on this wonderful Tom Simpson track, designed in the 1930s for when the English used to come over here in their droves to dance, gamble and generally have fun in Le Touquet. On the long par-5 1st the smell of the pines was almost intoxicating and certainly cleared the old brainbox of the previous night’s cigars. The crack of my driver echoing across the misty woodland after hitting a beauty off the tee box convinced me that my early start had been well worth it. ➤
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Double joy Hardelot has two top-rank courses
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Bilyana Golf 19/02/2013 13:51 Page 1
NCG pp125 Connoisseur Clive Hardelot 2/21/13 10:36 AM Page 125
SHORT HAUL | Northern France
There was a time, when the Euro was worth 60 pence, when the fairways of Les Pins were choked with golfers, mostly British, many of whom had left whatever golfing etiquette they may have possessed on the other side of the Channel. Thankfully their numbers have dwindled and the course has benefited from it immeasurably. This is good springy turf, with many a raised green surrounded by dark, mature trees creating little theatres on every hole. And the finishing holes are crackers, from the big right-hand dogleg on 15 that used to be the stroke one through to the terrific 440-yard par-4 18th up to the clubhouse. Each and every one a challenge – and a challenge not to be missed. My driver was waiting to ferry me to Les Dunes so I had no time to poke my head into the most inviting first-floor bar and restaurant as I was due on the tee.
A lot of work has taken place on Les Dunes, and I would argue it was needed; it is altogether now a better track than the one I first played some 10 years ago. Now look at it as you would Formby Ladies course when compared to Formby. Both are top rate although the latter is a tougher nut to crack. Over a glass of champagne on the clubhouse terrace with Hardelot’s urbane director of golf, Ken Strachan, I was told that the plan is to bring the par down on Les Dunes to 69 by converting a couple of the short par 5s into 4s. This will make for a more severe test as well as a visually pleasing one among the trees and sandhills. That night we ate at La Matelote in Boulogne, the restaurant of a first-class hotel hard by the docks and opposite the enjoyable Nausicaa aquarium. The chef, Tony Lestienne, puts on a gastronomic feast each night save for Monday. So make sure you
FACTFILE GOLF COURSES Golf d’Hardelot W: opengolfclub.com GF: From €45 Aa Salnt-Omer www.golfsaintomer.co.uk GF: From €45 Golf on the Cote D’Opale www.golfencotedopale.com GETTING THERE Book Channel Tunnel crossings at www.eurotunnel.com and ferry crossings from Dover to Calais at www.poferries.com ACCOMMODATION Hotel de la Matelote www.la-matelote.com Regina Hotel www.lereginahotel.fr L’Atlantic www.atlantic-delpierre.com OFF THE COURSE www.uk.pas-de-calais.com cotedopalegourmande.com
make the effort to sample his superb seafood and locally sourced ingredients when in the area. The following morning we headed inland for the Aa valley, an area much loved by French crossword compilers, to take on the precipitous Aa St Omer. Unless you are very fit make sure you hire an electric trolley as a bare minimum; the climbs up 12 and 18 would finish many. I find the 1st uninspiring, but after that the course warms up and throws up some unorthodox, even bizarre challenges. The 12th is a 330-yard hill climb with the green tucked away, almost invisibly, on a plateau on the right. It can easily make a horrible mess of a card. My advice is to try to play the course after a long dry spell when it is very much at its best and most benign. But enjoy the clubhouse terrace and its delightful views and do sample the delicious bottled Duvel beer from Belgium, but only if you are not driving. ◆
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NCG pp126-127 Verdura 22/02/2013 09:38 Page 126
SHORT HAUL | Sicily YOU MIGHT ENJOY...
VERDURA RESORT
Two Kyle Phillips-designed courses and a Rocce Forte hotel
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NCG pp126-127 Verdura 22/02/2013 09:38 Page 127
HE Mediterranean is home to several renowned courses and a collection of terrific resorts. From Sperone in Corsica to Son Gual in Majorca and Pevero in Sardinia, the sea is not without its ‘Top 100’ venues. And now a new name has been added to the equation: Verdura Resort. Located in Sicily, it has all the ingredients required to be very special; when you combine legendary hotelier Rocce Forte and feted designer Kyle Phillips, you are likely to get something very impressive. And so it has proved. Headlined by not one but two 18-hole championship clifftop courses and a nine-holer, Verdura is every inch the five-star golf resort for the 21st century.
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It has already hosted the Italian Open, using a composite of the East and West courses. Incorporating undulating fairways, deep bunkers and wonderful seaside views, the venue proved exceptionally popular with the field. Phillips designed the courses in harmony with the existing Sicilian landscape of olive and orange groves and there are no villas spoiling the aesthetics or the stunning views of the Med. In addition to the golf, it also boasts six tennis courts; a full-size football pitch; a 60m infinity swimming pool; a fully-equipped gym and running trails which meander through the olive and lemon groves. For those seeking deep relaxation the 4,000sq metre Verdura Spa was recently
recognised as Best Hotel Spa 2012: Europe, Asia Minor and The Russian Federation by the readers of Conde Nast Traveller. It has four thalassotherapy pools and an extensive treatment menu, as well as personalised well-being and exercise programmes. The resort’s restaurants and bars, led by Michelin-starred chef Fulvio Pierangelini, celebrate Sicilian cuisine with menus created from fresh organic ingredients complemented by a superb wine list. The largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily boasts a terrific climate and is accessible via low-cost airlines from a variety of UK airports. Visit verduraresort.com for further details.
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L OFFE
A DI E S S P
Guests are granted exclusive access to the renowned San Lorenzo Golf Course, designed by leading golf architects Joseph Lee and Rocky Roquemore. The course is a combination of natural beauty, pristine presentation and hole after hole of challenging golf. Having received numerous awards and acreditations, San Lorenzo is considered one of the best golf courses in Europe and the world. Dona Filipa Hotel & San Lorenzo Golf Course are currently offering a great range of 3 & 7 night packages.
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Located a short drive from Faro International Airport in the heart of the Algarve, the 5-star Dona Filipa Hotel is famed for its breath taking views, gourmet cuisine and outstanding customer service. Surrounded by lush golf courses, pinewoods, and nestled into the golden sands of Vale do Lobo, the hotel is frequently nominated as one of the top golfing destinations in the world.
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Golf breaks in the Algarve
IAL OFFE
IA EC
EC
A DI E S S P •L R FREE DE A UPGR ELUXE TO A D & VIP ROOMTMENT TREA
7 night stays from
€158 per night
Package includes: • Daily buffet breakfast • Four dinners per person • For Golfers: five rounds of golf, including token & trolley at San Lorenzo Golf Course • For non-golfers: three days access to the Vale do Lobo Royal Spa • Dona Filipa surprise gift • Taxes & service charge
3 night stays from
€152 per night
Package includes: • Daily buffet breakfast • Two dinners per person • For Golfers: two rounds of golf, including token & trolley at San Lorenzo Golf Course • For non-golfers: one day access to the Vale do Lobo Royal Spa • Taxes & service charge
Reservations
Telephone: +351 289 357 223 Fax: +351 289 357 201 Email: donafilipahotel@jjwhotels.com donafilipahotel.com
Terms & Conditions: Minimum of 3-night stays are required. All taxes and service charges included. Golf rounds are not transferable or refundable, always subject to course availability. Handicap Certificate (28/Men – 36/Ladies) is required to play. Child policy and inclusions are only valid and applicable to children from 0 to 12 years of age, unless specified otherwise. Free accommodation for children is only valid when sharing room with parents (according to maximum room capacity). Free meals for children are only valid when chosen from the children’s menu and when joining parents during their meals (maximum of 2 children per booking), at the Hotel´s restaurants. Free meals for children are not valid for meals taken at the Kangaroo Club and /or room service. Free entrance for Kangaroo Club (open during Christmas, Easter and summer) is only valid for children from 3 to 12 years of age. Children under the age of 3, the fee of 65€ per day/child will apply. Free use of Dona Filipa Beach Club (until 30 September 2012). Car rental in package includes: (limited mileage, collision damage waiver, theft protection, tax). Airport Service charge and other extras not included.
NCG pp129 Chateau des Vigiers 20/02/2013 10:21 Page 129
SHORT HAUL | South-West France SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND OLFERS from all over Europe can play on one of the most beautiful courses in the south west of France in a novel ProAm format over two days of competition. Château des Vigiers, near Bergerac, will host the first Saint-Emilion Crus Classés Trophy from May 31 to June 2. It is a unique chance to see close up what only professional golfers and wine experts are usually admitted to. The highlight will be the prize-giving ceremony and cocktail dinner held in the beautiful courtyard at Château des Vigiers. The Association of Saint-Emilion Grands Crus Classés will be awarding the winner a custom-made leather case that will hold 18 bottles of their famous wines. The trip costs €845pp (€645 for non golfers) and includes accommodation for three nights, breakfast and evening meals, green fees, prizes and much more. Visit www.vigiers.com to learn more.
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NCG pp130-132 CC Skibo Castle 20/02/2013 10:27 Page 130
GB&I | Classic Courses CLASSIC COURSE: No. 109
SKIBO CASTLE A huge overhaul has turned this course into a venue worthy of its world-famous name, says Dan Murphy
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Tough finish The long 16th kicks off the run for home
N exceedingly private courses that few have manged to play, reliable assessments are hard to come by. On the one hand, there is exaggeration and oneupmanship. On the other, there is a desire to be dismissive, score some cheap points or just talk from a position of ignorance. Either way, it is difficult for the wider golfing world to make an objective judgment. With the possible exceptions of Queenwood, in Surrey, and Loch Lomond, the Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle is probably the most private course in Britain. When you add to that level of exclusivity a remote Highlands setting just outside Dornoch, you have the perfect recipe for mystery and misinformation. Complicating matters further is that much has changed on this course, largely behind closed doors, since it opened in 1992, the work of a collaboration between Donald Steel and Tom Mackenzie. So even for those relatively few who have played at Skibo, unless it was within the last couple of years, their experience is probably out of date. Since then most of the holes have been redesigned, some are effectively new and the presentation has been transformed. Early visitors talk of a course almost parkland in feel and with narrow fairways lined by long grass. “I remember playing Skibo probably 10 years ago and it was very tight, with some tremendously long grass,” says former Open champion Sandy Lyle, an ambassador for the club.
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True links The 2nd at Skibo is a sharp dogleg
Factfile The Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle Dornoch Sutherland IV25 3RQ w: carnegieclub.co.uk Tel: 01862 894 660
Green fees £300 (including lunch)
“I was playing with some American friends and we played as a seven-ball and I think the lowest handicap was about an 18 so it was a very, very long day of looking for balls all day long. “And I thought ‘this is not the right way to go about entertaining your guests at Skibo’. “So David Thomson has done an excellent job – he’s obviously seen what was happening. It’s a lovely course, a very, very good course and there’s no reason they couldn’t have a tournament there of some kind. “The course is strong. It doesn’t get used that much either. It has a wonderful atmosphere and it’s in excellent condition.” The man largely responsible for what stands today is, as Lyle says, Skibo’s director of golf, David Thomson. He has worked closely with Ellis Short since the chairman and owner of Sunderland AFC acquired Skibo for £23m in 2003 from Peter de Savary. “Prior to our new owner buying the club we would talk about the changes we would make if he did
buy Skibo,” said Thomson. “When the purchase went through we went ahead with most of the changes pretty quickly; this is the benefit of not having a committee to deal with. “Firstly we consulted with Tom Mackenzie who used to work with Donald Steel, the original designer; he knew the land and could help with the drawings. Myself and our course manager Gary Gruber had a good idea of what we wanted but having the drawings helped us envisage the changes,” said Thomson. What has not changed is the shape of the land, which has been strictly defined – and blessed – by Mother Nature. The Dornoch Firth is the border to the south and west, while the River Evelix wraps around the northern boundary and soon turns into Loch Evelix. This means that you are almost surrounded by water, which is on three sides. Perhaps uniquely, one side of Skibo is parallel to the sea and the other faces a loch and so has an inland feel. Much of Thomson’s recent work has surrounded the conditioning of the links, and ensuring that fescue grows throughout. It looks stunning. This might just be the best-presented links course in the land. “We completely redesigned the 7th, 10th, 12th, and 13th holes,” says Thomson. “Along with these changes we also have done other major work on the rest – including removing all the gorse, which has made a huge difference to the whole look. “We now have fescue growing ➤
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NCG pp130-132 CC Skibo Castle 20/02/2013 10:27 Page 132
GB&I| Classic Courses throughout the course; it looks great when the wind blows – something I would recommend to anyone making changes. One of the main ideas we had was to open all our external views and hide all the internal ones so you get the feeling of being the only person on the course.” You might say that so it should do. A busy day for Skibo might see 15 rounds being played; at other times you will probably be the only golfer on the course. The members can play in any size of group and over any routing they choose. Presuming a conventional round, Skibo begins with a gently climbing par 4 to a green that oozes links pedigree and has you practically jogging to the next tee in excitement. And what a hole awaits, arguably the best on the property now, following the moving of 250,000 tonnes of earth to create dunes on both sides of the fairway, which is now a channel. At driving distance it turns right, and unless you are in position you will have no view of the target, a large and flat green. It is a hole you desperately want to play well – partly because it is so satisfying to do so, but mainly because the alternative is likely to be some undignified hacking and the probability of a lost ball if you miscalculate the blind approach. The routing now changes, with a three-hole loop originally part of the back nine bringing us back to another of Skibo’s
show-stoppers. This is a par 3 that would not be out of place at Rye. Played across a rough-filled valley to a small target, it is another reminder that the best short holes are often the most modest in yardage. The next has been completely redesigned and now offers a split fairway – take the high road here and you can drive to the mouth of the green, alternatively go right to set up an uphill short iron.
HOW TO PLAY IT Skibo used to be the preserve of members and guests. Not any more. Two fourballs are being made available for non-residents this season from Monday to Friday, until December. You need a letter of introduction from your home course, proof of handicap and a request date. It costs £300 a head. Call 01862 894 660 for more details.
The 10th is undoubtedly the hardest tee shot, especially from the back tee, where only the longest of carries will take you beyond the saddle and tumbling down the far side. It begins an inward half that is strikingly longer – by almost 500 yards. Then come the holes that make Skibo hard to categorise: can a links really have a body of inland water flanking its fairways?
The 15th returns to the clubhouse, a sublime – and bunkerless – par 3 where the natural contours will turn anything right of the flag towards the water. After the long and austere 16th – every great course has a par 4 like this in its closing stretch – Skibo finishes with two teasers. The 17th is a short, downhill par 4 where all is in view from the tee and the temptation is to pull your driver out and take on the bunkers short of the green. The 18th is a classic cape hole, turning left sharply at driving distance around the loch. It looks like you should be able to cut plenty of the corner off, and playing safely to the right feels like you are hitting further away from the flag. But for most of us, caution is advised. The green itself is tight to the water, or at least seems that way from the fairway. Five here is a satisfying score before returning to a clubhouse of rare splendour and comfort. Taken as a whole, it is impossible not to treasure the Skibo experience. But even when you separate the golf from what surrounds it you are left with a fabulous layout, probably worthy of a place inside the top 25 courses in the British Isles. “So far the feedback has been fantastic,” says Thomson. “A few people at the beginning couldn’t see what we were trying to do. Now they all agree what we’ve achieved is quite exceptional.” ◆
Decision time The par 4 17th – take on the green or lay up
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Menara Travel Morocco 19/02/2013 13:53 Page 1
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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
NCG pp134-135 ATOC Luffness New 20/02/2013 10:29 Page 134
HISPER it quietly, but there is a school of thought that East Lothian has even more to offer than St Andrews for a golf trip. You could play somewhere different every morning for a month, never have to drive more than a couple of miles and never encounter a course less than excellent. Luffness New, to give it its full title, is in the very heart of this blessed region. On the edge of Gullane, Luffness borders No 1 and Craigielaw is on the other side. What it is not, by any standards, is new. It was founded in 1894, laid out by Old Tom Morris and is played over simply perfect links turf. As you can see, the clubhouse has more than a touch of Muirfield – just a mile down the A198 – about it and so too does a course that is rarely spectacular yet never less than excellent. Apart from an absence for the most part of sea views, it is the epitome of Scottish seaside golf that the purists among us love. Relatively short by modern standards, the par is a stingy 70. There are several long par 4s, not least the last, which stretches to 455 yards. With only one hill to climb, at the short par-4 7th, this is a gorgeous place to play, with the long 14th arguably the moment when Luffness can be seen at its very finest. Here you must decide from the slightly elevated tee whether to play safely left and aim to pitch on with your third, or take on the corner of the dogleg, protected by a nest of bunkers, and bring the green into range. Having conquered the final hole, or at least finished it, a formal lunch in the clubhouse is a treat. Or for the more energetic, wander off to try a lighter spot of lunch at the lively Old Clubhouse pub then tackle one of the three Gullane courses for your afternoon round without even having to get back in your car. Or perhaps you will have lunch at Luffness and head out for 18 more – it is only £15 extra to do so and for £100, you are receiving a links experience which few venues in GB& can better.
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GB&I | East Lothian A TOUCH OF CLASS
LUFFNESS NEW
A quintessential links experience at an Open qualifier
NCG pp134-135 ATOC Luffness New 20/02/2013 10:29 Page 135
PLAY FOR YO IT URSELF Wh
ere: Aberl ady, East Lothian, EH32 0Q A Green fe es: Sunday to Friday (£100 a d : £85 ay). 10 pe r ce nt reduct for partie ion s of more than 14 g olfers. Contact: 01620 84 3 336 luffnessgo lf.com
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Bridlington Golf Passport 21/02/2013 15:49 Page 1
East Coast Golf Passport Bridlington and the surrounding coastline proudly boasts five of Yorkshire’s finest golf coures all located withina short distance of each other offering golfers of all abilities an excellent test of golf on five very different and contrasting courses The five clubs have come together to create a new and innovative golf pass which enables visitors to Bridlington and the East Yorkshire area the opportunity to play all five fantastic courses and at the same time enjoying incredible savings of up to half the normal Green Fees.
How to apply for this great deal? Simple, just contact the office at Bridlington Belvedere Golf Club, tel. 01262 606367 between 9am-2pm Monday to Friday or e-mail enquiries@bridlingtongolfclub.co.uk and let us take care of the arrangements for you.**
The Special reduced cost of your passport is; *
£58 for 3 rounds of golf! £70* for 4 rounds of golf! £80* for 5 rounds of golf! ENJOY EXCELLENT SAVINGS!
BRIDLINGTON GOLF CLUB
FILEY GOLF CLUB
FLAMBOROUGH HEAD
Belvedere Road, Bridlington t: 01262 606367 www.bridlingtongolfclub.co.uk
West Avenue, Filey t: 01723 513293 www.fileygolfclub.com
Lighthouse Road, Flamborough t: 01262 850333 www.flamboroughheadgolfclub.co.uk
HORNSEA GOLF CLUB
THE BRIDLINGTON LINKS
Rolston Road, Hornsea t: 01964 534989 www.hornseagolfclub.co.uk
Flamborough Road, Bridlington t: 01262 401584 www.bridlington-links.co.uk
The Revelstoke Hotel In conjunction with Golf Coast Passport
1-3 Flamborough Road, Bridlington YO15 2HU
Three Day Golf Break Only £158.00 Inc. 3 rounds of golf & 2 nights b&b
Four Day Golf Break Only £216.00 Inc. 4 rounds of golf & 3 nights b&b
Five Day Golf Break Only £270.00 Inc. 5 rounds of golf & 4 nights b&b Play your golf at Bridlington Belvedere, Filey, Flamborough Head, Hornsea & Bridlington Links Offer Includes Weekends
Please contact us on 01262 672362
e: info@revelstokehotel.co.uk www.revelstokehotel.co.uk
www.golfcoastpassport.co.uk *Terms and conditions apply **Dates subject to availability ***Offer is not to be used in conjunction with any other offer.
NCG pp137 Lead to Club Golf 22/02/2013 09:47 Page 137
CLUB GOLF section in association with
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THIS MONTH’S TOP STORY Search on for Scotland’s champion Scotland’s champion club golfer of the year will be crowned in a new event at Machrihanish Dunes. Only reigning club champions will be eligible to compete in the event, which takes place from April 19 to 21 at the terrific links on the Kintyre Peninsula. A limited field of 35 will compete over two rounds for the title. Players will also compete in the Dune Cup, a better-ball Stableford event offering the chance to tune up for the main event and play alongside a friend. Entry costs £150 per person and includes two rounds, trophies and prizes, a threecourse meal and the award ceremony. Various luxury accommodation packages are available. Visit www.machrihanishdunes.com
Classic links Mach Dunes is a modern masterpiece
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Obituary
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FIRST met Charlie in 1967. It was then that I started to play in the bigger amateur tournaments and won my first Scottish cap. Charlie was already a big player on the scene, so I knew all about him – he had, after all, won the Silver Medal at the 1962 Open at Royal Troon. The first exact recollection I have of him was at the first Scottish Strokeplay at Muirfield that year. Bernard Gallacher won it, Ronnie Shade was second, Charlie was third and I was fourth; a daunting leaderboard to a relative youngster (I was 10 years younger than him) such as myself. So I never thought we would later become such close friends.
before, so the numbers of ‘holes up’ was tallied up at the end. I was in the last match out against Brian Chapman. I was seven up when Charlie came marching down the fairway and asked what the score was. When I told him he urged me to win two more holes so we could win overall - despite me protesting that the poor guy was demoralised! I finished nine up – you didn’t argue with Charlie.
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We didn’t play one another that often as it happens. It might well have been the case that we were team-mates more often than opponents – because all the time I played for Scottish and GB&I – from 1967-76 – Charlie was there. I did manage to beat him a couple of times. Just after I won the Scottish Amateur in 1972, I played Charlie at Glasgow GC in 36-hole event. We went to a playoff and I won it. I can remember him saying to me afterwards: “I didn’t know you could chip and putt like that”. I enjoyed that win, just as Charlie had enjoyed beating me in the 1970 Scottish Amateur final, at Royal Aberdeen. His was a friendly face when I made my Walker Cup debut in 1971. I was living in Ayr at the time so our wives had also become friendly too. But we didn’t play together often. Usually, the captain paired Charlie with a younger player to impart all his experience, and it wasn’t until my last Walker Cup in 1975 I got the chance to play with him for GB&I. It was at St Andrews and we were up against Curtis Strange and Jay Haas. The next day we took on Craig Stadler. Playing for GB&I with Charlie Green at the Old Course – it really doesn’t get much better than that... even if we lost
His finest moment? Some might suggest the 1983 Scottish Amateur win as a 50-year-old or the Silver Medal at Troon, but I would say the 1971 Walker Cup. It was the start of an era he really enjoyed. George Macgregor was in that team and he said at Charlie’s funeral that his passing was the first of ‘our team’ gone. He would have turned pro if he was 21 today. The game is totally different and a player of Charlie’s calibre would be crazy not to. Even the Senior Tour wasn’t what it is now when he turned 50.
CHARLIE GREEN 1933-2013 Hugh Stuart, a friend and team-mate of the legendary Scottish amateur for nearly 50 years, pays tribute to this gentle giant of golf both matches at the last. Against Stadler, we were one up with three to play but then three putted 16 to go all square and then Craig made a three at the last to defeat us. They were great moments looking back now, even though it was terribly disappointing at the time. Charlie was a good all-round player. Driving may have been his weakest aspect but that was only relative. His short game was superb, especially at holing out. Crucial putts were meat and drink to Charlie. Most of all he was a competitor. He would never be beaten, no matter what the score or who he was playing. So he was a wonderful matchplayer, intimidating in the nicest sense. He was a lovely man but one who put fear into his opponents because of stature.
After his playing days, he relished being GB&I captain. He used to talk about the one at Pine Valley in 1985, always lamenting how Scott Verplank won that match for America. Both that match and the one two years previously were very close, in an era of American dominance; Charlie had proved to be as good a captain as he was a player. He was well liked you see; I don’t think we ever had a cross word and few others did either. That’s not to say he wasn’t competitive – he was a ferocious competitor. In 2002, Scotland played England in the Centenary Match at Hoylake. He captained Scotland and Sir Michael Bonallack England. I was fortunate enough to be picked. The format was the same as it was 100 years
He still played golf regularly at Cardross until fairly recently – as well as following his beloved Dumbarton FC – and he loved coming up to stay with me in 2011 to watch GB&I beat America at ‘Balgownie’ in the Walker Cup. Charlie’s funeral was full of poignancy. His wife Dorothy said there were enough players to have formed two international teams, so many former Scotland golfers were present. Pierre Bechmann, captain of the R&A who lives in Paris, was there as was former R&A Director of Championships David Hills. People came from far and wide to say goodbye to one of British golf’s greats. n Hugh Bannerman Stuart played in the Walker Cup matches of 1971, 1973 and 1975. He reached three Scottish Amateur finals, winning once, and claimed the Scottish Boys’ title in 1959.
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139 Charlie Green – a tribute to a true legend
CLUB GOLF
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In-depth feature
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SPECIAL FEATURE
We go inside the Glenbrae jumper factory
RIPPING YARN: HOW YOUR JUMPER IS MADE
Turn over to discover how a barrel of wool turns into a stylish and warm jumper
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Ripping yarn: How a sweater is produced
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Secret Secretary
in association with glenbraegolf.com
I
s there any place for a joining fee these days? I believe that this is regionally led, or at least it should be. If all clubs in a region have a joining fee, then it is something which you clearly would not want to lose. However this is all too rare nowadays and, though I do not like it, there will come a time for most (not all) average size clubs where, in order to recruit the levels of new members needed, the joining fee will have to go because the majority of the local market will already have dropped theirs. Other clubs removing joining fees will also make it more likely that you will lose a few members to other clubs.
database of email addresses that the size of the Twitter following the club rose to within six months. With it being totally free in most cases as well, I’m amazed we don’t utilise this tool more effectively as an industry. I expect to see a real explosion of the use of social media in the next five years.
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hen did you last have a waiting list? It was four years ago in the club I currently work for, and six years ago where I worked before.
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hat is the best way of attracting new members? This should be viewed in phases. Firstly a "Member Gets Member" approach where you maybe incentivise current members for introducing new members. No rule changes or alterations to the normal operating systems are required. The next step is looking at going outside the club using advertising etc to generate interest and possibly the reduction or temporary removal of the joining fee for a limited period or number of new members. The last phase is new, more flexible types of membership and the total removal of the joining fee.
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ow do you integrate new members into meeting existing members? This is something that we are only now really focusing on, but there are now a number of events during the year where new members will be integrated. Only now are clubs in our region genuinely looking at retention as something that can be influenced and encouraged.
SECRET
SECRETARY Our sec’s anonymity gives him (or her) the licence to say what they really think
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ow much encouragment is there for juniors? We have a huge junior section here at a very cheap price. Our juniors get a lot more tee times reserved than 90 per cent of other local clubs and we have some fabulous volunteers working with the professionals to run what is a very vibrant section.
D
o you offer any free coaching to attract new members? We do not run any promotions such as this I am afraid. I have been involved in such a scheme at my previous club though, but until we get the 'product' of a private
members' club right in that such new members would be welcomed and easily integrated this sort of thing is a while off.
C
an they play in all competitions? Sadly, as is the norm regionally, juniors can only play in club competitions once they reach a handicap of 20 or lower. This is a battle we will keep fighting!
H
ow important is social media these days? This is the single most powerful tool at our disposal in promoting the club. It took me three years at my previous club to build a
ow much do you work alongside other local clubs as opposed to competing against them? Our region is not yet at the point where we are viewing each other as competition. However, with membership trends the way that they are, we are not far away at all. I have already become aware of some changes being made to membership costs for certain age categories at other clubs this year which will probably force the hand of many others to follow suit, or lose members in these age brackets to the 'better deal'.
D
oes golf take too long and, if so, what can you/we do about it? I am all for change in many areas of the game – I believe we’re often too reluctant to change for the better. But the nature of how a round operates is not something I’d be in favour of trying to change. Our region is not losing golfers, it is losing members as the cost of being a nomad lowers.
H
ow do balance attracting society income and keeping members happy? We have set days where I can book societies and I work hard to get at least one group onto those days each week in the season. The other days I protect it at all costs. This may need to be reviewed if we require extra visitor income. n WOULD you like to be our Secret Secretary for a month? Total anonymity guaranteed – simply send an email to editorial@sportspub.co.uk and we will send you some questions to answer...
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 145
145
Secret secretary: What really annoys him
CLUB GOLF
The finest British knitwear
www.glenbraegolf.com
Braid favourites
in association with glenbraegolf.com
Our Braid favourites
We highlight some of the finest courses shaped (or re-shaped) by the Great Revisionist ENGLAND PETERBOROUGH MILTON When Braid was commissioned to extend the existing nine-hole course at Peterborough Milton in the late 1930s, he was given land rumoured to contain every tree species in Europe. What awaits today is a testing 6,560-yard course with a par-5 opener featuring a lake and treelined fairways. The club celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. Nearest town: Peterborough HEREFORDSHIRE Dating back to the late 19th century, Herefordshire has been at its current site since the 1930s. Many of the holes on this
Pure class Highlands beauty Boat of Garten
parkland feature dramatic changes in elevation. This is evident as early as the 2nd, where a hill blocks your view of the green. The front nine is the more exacting half. Nearest town: Hereford NORTHCLIFFE Overlooking the Aire Valley, Northcliffe is one of Yorkshire’s hidden gems. Originally founded in 1921 as a nine-holer, Braid and Harry Vardon were commissioned to extend it a year later. The 1st on the par-71, 6,113yard course features a right-angle dogleg and a steel footbridge spanning the ravine between the 1st tee and the fairway. Nearest town: Bradford
HULL Founded in 1904 as the first golf club in the area, Hull has remained virtually unchanged since Braid’s design was opened in 1925. The layout is extremely varied and features sloping fairways as well as trademark Braid bunkers and doglegs. The signature hole is the par-4 10th. It is downhill and drivable, but features a pond on the front-right of the green that makes it a classic risk-reward test. Nearest town: Hull SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE Originally founded in 1892, South Staffs showcases the work of some of the most renowned designers. Braid followed the likes of Vardon and Harry Colt when he
worked there, helping to create a formidable 6,587-yard layout. The 9th hole is vintage Braid with its tree-lined fairway, out-ofbounds and well-bunkered green. Nearest town: Wolverhampton DUNSTANBURGH CASTLE Set on the north-east coast of Northumberland’s Heritage Coastline, Dunstanburgh is a traditional Braid links. The 6,298-yard layout was founded in 1900, while Braid’s design opened in 1922. The course is close to a freshwater nature reserve to the north while the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle form the backdrop to the 13th green. Nearest town: Newcastle
149 Special focus on the genius of Braid
NCG pp138 Club Golf Ads 21/02/2013 15:52 Page 138
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138 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
NCG pp139 Charlie Green 2/21/13 2:00 PM Page 139
CLUB GOLF
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Obituary
in association with glenbraegolf.com
FIRST met Charlie in 1967. It was then that I started to play in the bigger amateur tournaments and won my first Scottish cap. Charlie was already a big player on the scene, so I knew all about him – he had, after all, won the Silver Medal at the 1962 Open at Royal Troon. The first exact recollection I have of him was at the first Scottish Strokeplay at Muirfield that year. Bernard Gallacher won it, Ronnie Shade was second, Charlie was third and I was fourth; a daunting leaderboard to a relative youngster (I was 10 years younger than him) such as myself. So I never thought we would later become such close friends.
before, so the numbers of ‘holes up’ was tallied up at the end. I was in the last match out against Brian Chapman. I was seven up when Charlie came marching down the fairway and asked what the score was. When I told him he urged me to win two more holes so we could win overall - despite me protesting that the poor guy was demoralised! I finished nine up – you didn’t argue with Charlie.
I
We didn’t play one another that often as it happens. It might well have been the case that we were team-mates more often than opponents – because all the time I played for Scottish and GB&I – from 1967-76 – Charlie was there. I did manage to beat him a couple of times. Just after I won the Scottish Amateur in 1972, I played Charlie at Glasgow GC in 36-hole event. We went to a playoff and I won it. I can remember him saying to me afterwards: “I didn’t know you could chip and putt like that”. I enjoyed that win, just as Charlie had enjoyed beating me in the 1970 Scottish Amateur final, at Royal Aberdeen. His was a friendly face when I made my Walker Cup debut in 1971. I was living in Ayr at the time so our wives had also become friendly too. But we didn’t play together often. Usually, the captain paired Charlie with a younger player to impart all his experience, and it wasn’t until my last Walker Cup in 1975 I got the chance to play with him for GB&I. It was at St Andrews and we were up against Curtis Strange and Jay Haas. The next day we took on Craig Stadler. Playing for GB&I with Charlie Green at the Old Course – it really doesn’t get much better than that... even if we lost
His finest moment? Some might suggest the 1983 Scottish Amateur win as a 50-year-old or the Silver Medal at Troon, but I would say the 1971 Walker Cup. It was the start of an era he really enjoyed. George Macgregor was in that team and he said at Charlie’s funeral that his passing was the first of ‘our team’ gone. He would have turned pro if he was 21 today. The game is totally different and a player of Charlie’s calibre would be crazy not to. Even the Senior Tour wasn’t what it is now when he turned 50.
CHARLIE GREEN 1933-2013 Hugh Stuart, a friend and team-mate of the legendary Scottish amateur for nearly 50 years, pays tribute to this gentle giant of golf both matches at the last. Against Stadler, we were one up with three to play but then three putted 16 to go all square and then Craig made a three at the last to defeat us. They were great moments looking back now, even though it was terribly disappointing at the time. Charlie was a good all-round player. Driving may have been his weakest aspect but that was only relative. His short game was superb, especially at holing out. Crucial putts were meat and drink to Charlie. Most of all he was a competitor. He would never be beaten, no matter what the score or who he was playing. So he was a wonderful matchplayer, intimidating in the nicest sense. He was a lovely man but one who put fear into his opponents because of stature.
After his playing days, he relished being GB&I captain. He used to talk about the one at Pine Valley in 1985, always lamenting how Scott Verplank won that match for America. Both that match and the one two years previously were very close, in an era of American dominance; Charlie had proved to be as good a captain as he was a player. He was well liked you see; I don’t think we ever had a cross word and few others did either. That’s not to say he wasn’t competitive – he was a ferocious competitor. In 2002, Scotland played England in the Centenary Match at Hoylake. He captained Scotland and Sir Michael Bonallack England. I was fortunate enough to be picked. The format was the same as it was 100 years
He still played golf regularly at Cardross until fairly recently – as well as following his beloved Dumbarton FC – and he loved coming up to stay with me in 2011 to watch GB&I beat America at ‘Balgownie’ in the Walker Cup. Charlie’s funeral was full of poignancy. His wife Dorothy said there were enough players to have formed two international teams, so many former Scotland golfers were present. Pierre Bechmann, captain of the R&A who lives in Paris, was there as was former R&A Director of Championships David Hills. People came from far and wide to say goodbye to one of British golf’s greats. n Hugh Bannerman Stuart played in the Walker Cup matches of 1971, 1973 and 1975. He reached three Scottish Amateur finals, winning once, and claimed the Scottish Boys’ title in 1959.
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 139
NCG pp140 Club Golf Ads 21/02/2013 15:54 Page 140
CLUB GOLF
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140 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
NCG pp141 Glenbrae Feature 22/02/2013 09:41 Page 141
CLUB GOLF
The finest British knitwear
www.glenbraegolf.com
In-depth feature
in association with glenbraegolf.com
SPECIAL FEATURE We go in sid
e the Glenbrae jumper factory
RIPPING YARN: HOW YOUR JUMPER IS MADE
Turn over to discover how a barrel of wool turns into a stylish and warm jumper
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 141
NCG pp142 Club Golf Ads 21/02/2013 15:58 Page 142
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27 GLORIOUS HOLES STATE OF THE ART PERFORMANCE CENTRE 142 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
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NCG pp143 Glenbrae Feature 22/02/2013 09:42 Page 143
CLUB GOLF
The finest British knitwear
www.glenbraegolf.com
In-depth feature
in association with glenbraegolf.com
STAGE 2: SPINNING THE YARN The cleaned and processed wool is then spun into yarn. Glenbrae utilise advanced techniques to produce a range of blends of the highest quality.
INNOVATIONS BY GLENBRAE THE SPIROL YARNSPINNING PROCESS
Spirol is a hightechnology yarn spinning process blending 100 per cent Merino lambswool with Spirol. The result is a multi-component, finer, stronger yarn with increased elasticity for outstanding shape recovery, improved durability, very low pilling and total comfort.
STAGE 1: PROCESSING THE WOOL Wool is soft, lightweight, durable and easy to care for. Glenbrae use only the highest quality wools direct from the growers. Before being spun into yarn it goes through a process of cleaning and preparation to ensure consistency.
SEAMLESS TECHNOLOGY
Typically, a knitted garment consists of the front and back body panels and the sleeves, which are sewn together afterwards. Seamless Technology knitwear is produced in one entire piece, threedimensionally, directly on the knitting machine. This eliminates bulky and annoying seams, offering superior fit and comfort and allowing you to swing more freely. The entire garment boasts the structural integrity of a single piece of fabric.
STAGES 4 AND 5: DYEING AND FINISHING To produce the wide range of colours available in Glenbrae’s range, garments are dyed or wet processed. This applies the final colour, handle and fabric performance characteristics that are synonymous with quality knitwear.
STAGE 3: KNITTING THE JUMPER Knitting is done via two processes: the conventional process produces front and back body panels plus sleeves, which are sewn together; the advanced Seamless process produces the garment in one 3D piece on the knitting machine.
EMBROIDERY
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STAGE 6: EMBROIDERY For the final finishing touch all Glenbrae garments are embroidered with the brand logo and for further individualism your own choice of logo – whether it be golf club, society or workplace – can be added.
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 143
NCG pp144 Club Golf Ads 21/02/2013 16:04 Page 144
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www.rutlandwatergolfcourse.co.uk 144 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
NCG pp145 Secret Secretary 2/21/13 2:00 PM Page 145
CLUB GOLF
The finest British knitwear
www.glenbraegolf.com
Secret Secretary
in association with glenbraegolf.com
I
s there any place for a joining fee these days? I believe that this is regionally led, or at least it should be. If all clubs in a region have a joining fee, then it is something which you clearly would not want to lose. However this is all too rare nowadays and, though I do not like it, there will come a time for most (not all) average size clubs where, in order to recruit the levels of new members needed, the joining fee will have to go because the majority of the local market will already have dropped theirs. Other clubs removing joining fees will also make it more likely that you will lose a few members to other clubs.
database of email addresses that the size of the Twitter following the club rose to within six months. With it being totally free in most cases as well, I’m amazed we don’t utilise this tool more effectively as an industry. I expect to see a real explosion of the use of social media in the next five years.
H
W
hen did you last have a waiting list? It was four years ago in the club I currently work for, and six years ago where I worked before.
W
hat is the best way of attracting new members? This should be viewed in phases. Firstly a "Member Gets Member" approach where you maybe incentivise current members for introducing new members. No rule changes or alterations to the normal operating systems are required. The next step is looking at going outside the club using advertising etc to generate interest and possibly the reduction or temporary removal of the joining fee for a limited period or number of new members. The last phase is new, more flexible types of membership and the total removal of the joining fee.
H
ow do you integrate new members into meeting existing members? This is something that we are only now really focusing on, but there are now a number of events during the year where new members will be integrated. Only now are clubs in our region genuinely looking at retention as something that can be influenced and encouraged.
SECRET SECRETA RY
Our sec’s anonymity gi ves him (or her) the licence to say what they really think
H
ow much encouragment is there for juniors? We have a huge junior section here at a very cheap price. Our juniors get a lot more tee times reserved than 90 per cent of other local clubs and we have some fabulous volunteers working with the professionals to run what is a very vibrant section.
D
o you offer any free coaching to attract new members? We do not run any promotions such as this I am afraid. I have been involved in such a scheme at my previous club though, but until we get the 'product' of a private
members' club right in that such new members would be welcomed and easily integrated this sort of thing is a while off.
C
an they play in all competitions? Sadly, as is the norm regionally, juniors can only play in club competitions once they reach a handicap of 20 or lower. This is a battle we will keep fighting!
H
ow important is social media these days? This is the single most powerful tool at our disposal in promoting the club. It took me three years at my previous club to build a
ow much do you work alongside other local clubs as opposed to competing against them? Our region is not yet at the point where we are viewing each other as competition. However, with membership trends the way that they are, we are not far away at all. I have already become aware of some changes being made to membership costs for certain age categories at other clubs this year which will probably force the hand of many others to follow suit, or lose members in these age brackets to the 'better deal'.
D
oes golf take too long and, if so, what can you/we do about it? I am all for change in many areas of the game – I believe we’re often too reluctant to change for the better. But the nature of how a round operates is not something I’d be in favour of trying to change. Our region is not losing golfers, it is losing members as the cost of being a nomad lowers.
H
ow do balance attracting society income and keeping members happy? We have set days where I can book societies and I work hard to get at least one group onto those days each week in the season. The other days I protect it at all costs. This may need to be reviewed if we require extra visitor income. n WOULD you like to be our Secret Secretary for a month? Total anonymity guaranteed – simply send an email to editorial@sportspub.co.uk and we will send you some questions to answer...
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 145
NCG pp146-147 Braid Profile 2/21/13 2:06 PM Page 146
CLUB GOLF Focus on Braid
in association with glenbraegolf.com
THE GREAT
revisionist 146 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
We chart the story of James Braid – the former carpenter who won five Opens and is still a legend of course design today
NCG pp146-147 Braid Profile 2/21/13 2:06 PM Page 147
The finest British knitwear
T
HE legacy of James Braid permeates throughout
British golf. Very few have matched his standing as a player, course designer or club professional – let alone all three together. As a member of the Great Triumvirate, Braid carved out a reputation alongside Harry Vardon and JH Taylor as one of the most prolific Open champions of all time, becoming the first to win the title on five separate occasions. As an architect he can be credited with classics such as Gleneagles, Carnoustie and Blairgowrie. He is also responsible for creating or redesigning more than 200 courses across the length and breadth of Great Britain, leading to his unofficial title: the Great Revisionist. Braid was also instrumental in forming the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA), and as a club professional he dedicated his time to the famous Walton Heath club in Surrey, where he served for almost 50 years. For the majority of Braid’s working life he was based in the south of England, but his early years were spent in Earlsferry, Fife. It was here that he developed the skills that shaped the course of his life. Learning the game at the Golf House Club, Elie, the rugged links helped to develop a swing that was described as a ‘divine fury’. Coming from a family of modest means, Braid’s father, himself a farmer, insisted that his son learn a trade and so the young James became a carpenter. However golf was already in his blood – he won his first competition at the age of eight. After transferring his skills as a joiner to that of a clubmaker, Braid was
offered a job at the Army and Navy in London. After turning professional in 1896, he embarked upon a career that would change the face of the game forever. Despite finishing 10th in his first Open in 1894, and never finishing lower than this position in the five years leading up to his first victory in 1901, Braid was playing catch-up to his great rivals Taylor and Vardon. Both had won three Opens before the Scot could get his name engraved on the Claret Jug. One of the best ball
BRAID FACTFILE Born: February 6, 1870, Earlsferry, Fife Died: November 27, 1950, London Open Victories: 1901 – Muirfield (309) 1905 – St Andrews (318) 1906 – Muirfield (300) 1908 – Prestwick (291) 1910 – St Andrews (299)
strikers of his day, Braid possessed great length, a deft touch around the greens and the ability to mix caution with a calculated gamble. He also pioneered the explosion recovery shot from sand. If he had a weakness it was on the greens and it was not until he swapped his wooden-headed putter for an aluminium one that the results began to turn. Muirfield was the scene of his maiden victory when Braid finished three shots ahead of Vardon. With two runners-up spots in the time between this and his second victory in 1905, there seemed little doubt that he would add to his collection. Between 1905 and 1910, Braid dominated the Open and carved out four victories, another second and a 5th in a spell that would define his career. At St Andrews in the final round the tall Scot twice hit recovery shots from the railway tracks that ran alongside the course to scramble home for his
www.glenbraegolf.com
second Open victory. He then successfully defended his title the following year at Muirfield, the first time the tournament was held over three days. To set the magnitude of his achievements into context, Braid remained the only European to secure back-to-back Open victories for over 100 years and not until Padraig Harrington’s victory at Royal Birkdale in 2008 was his achievement was replicated. He lifted the Claret Jug once more in 1908 at Prestwick when he romped to an eight-shot victory with a recordbreaking total of 291. The following year, his great rival Taylor drew level on four victories at Deal. But Braid would soon make history again at the Home of Golf, just a few miles north of his birthplace, by becoming the first man to win five Opens. Braid also claimed four Professional Match Play titles as well as a French Open. His tally would surely have been much greater, especially overseas, had he not suffered from motion sickness and a fear of flying. Upon retiring from competitive golf, his attentions turned to course design. With the same vision and passion that defined his playing career, Braid left a legacy that has reached into every corner of Britain. He has helped to remodel Open venues and classic links courses, but much of his best work involved redesigning inland tracks with new layouts and better drainage. It has even been said he invented the dogleg. It is inconceivable any keen British golfer could fail to have played on a Braid course, nor fail to appreciate a man whose name and legacy lives on. n Over the page, we highlight some of our favourite Braid courses.
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | APRIL 2013 147
NCG pp148 Club Golf Ads 22/02/2013 12:37 Page 148
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148 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
NCG pp149 Braid Courses 22/02/2013 09:25 Page 149
CLUB GOLF
The finest British knitwear
www.glenbraegolf.com
Braid favourites
in association with glenbraegolf.com
Our Braid favourites
We highlight some of the finest courses shaped (or re-shaped) by the Great Revisionist ENGLAND PETERBOROUGH MILTON When Braid was commissioned to extend the existing nine-hole course at Peterborough Milton in the late 1930s, he was given land rumoured to contain every tree species in Europe. What awaits today is a testing 6,560-yard course with a par-5 opener featuring a lake and treelined fairways. The club celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. Nearest town: Peterborough HEREFORDSHIRE Dating back to the late 19th century, Herefordshire has been at its current site since the 1930s. Many of the holes on this
Pure class Highlands beauty Boat of Garten
parkland feature dramatic changes in elevation. This is evident as early as the 2nd, where a hill blocks your view of the green. The front nine is the more exacting half. Nearest town: Hereford NORTHCLIFFE Overlooking the Aire Valley, Northcliffe is one of Yorkshire’s hidden gems. Originally founded in 1921 as a nine-holer, Braid and Harry Vardon were commissioned to extend it a year later. The 1st on the par-71, 6,113yard course features a right-angle dogleg and a steel footbridge spanning the ravine between the 1st tee and the fairway. Nearest town: Bradford
HULL Founded in 1904 as the first golf club in the area, Hull has remained virtually unchanged since Braid’s design was opened in 1925. The layout is extremely varied and features sloping fairways as well as trademark Braid bunkers and doglegs. The signature hole is the par-4 10th. It is downhill and drivable, but features a pond on the front-right of the green that makes it a classic risk-reward test. Nearest town: Hull SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE Originally founded in 1892, South Staffs showcases the work of some of the most renowned designers. Braid followed the likes of Vardon and Harry Colt when he
worked there, helping to create a formidable 6,587-yard layout. The 9th hole is vintage Braid with its tree-lined fairway, out-ofbounds and well-bunkered green. Nearest town: Wolverhampton DUNSTANBURGH CASTLE Set on the north-east coast of Northumberland’s Heritage Coastline, Dunstanburgh is a traditional Braid links. The 6,298-yard layout was founded in 1900, while Braid’s design opened in 1922. The course is close to a freshwater nature reserve to the north while the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle form the backdrop to the 13th green. Nearest town: Newcastle
NCG pp150 James Braid Ads 22/02/2013 10:17 Page 150
JAMES BRAID COURSES
TENBY GOLF CLUB WINTER OFFERS Society Golf from £23.00 Play and Stay in our Dormy House from £65.00 inc b+b and 2 rounds of golf! Enjoy a superb winter golf break on a Rolex World Ranked Course. No trolley bans, no temporary greens. 5 minutes from Tenby town centre
Tel 01834 844447/842978 www.tenbygolf.co.uk
150 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
NCG pp151 Braid Courses 22/02/2013 09:26 Page 151
CLUB GOLF
The finest British knitwear
www.glenbraegolf.com
Braid favourites
in association with glenbraegolf.com
Kent classic Littlestone is a links of great charm
ROYAL NORWICH Royal Norwich dates back to 1893 when a nine-hole layout was originally opened. It stayed that way until Braid extended the course to the full 18 holes some 40 years later. He did a typically thorough job. Strategy and accuracy are more important skills than raw power on his 6,314-yard, par-72 design, which features changes of elevation and hazards aplenty. Nearest town: Norwich CREWE Originally founded in 1911, the course at Crewe takes in 150 acres of rolling Cheshire countryside. Braid’s 6,469-yard, par-71 design features fairways lined by tall oak trees that make for difficult obstacles when driving. In true Braid style, many of the greens are heavily protected by bunkers and a pond that impacts on several holes on the course. Nearest town: Crewe KINGSWOOD Kingswood is a venue that was
close to Braid in more ways than one. While working at Walton Heath – where he remains a legendary figure to this day – he lived less than a mile away from the course and could therefore give it extensive attention throughout the design and building process in the 1920s. The course has since experienced re-design and construction under the guidance of Howard Swan, who is recognised as being sympathetic to James Braid-designed courses. Nearest town: London CIRENCESTER Situated in the delightful Cotswold countryside, much of Cirencester has remained unchanged from Braid’s original design. The final three holes were reshaped in the 1990s to make for a tougher finish and this year will also see the opening of a brand new clubhouse in time for the summer season. Built on free-draining limestone, Cirencester boasts excellent playing conditions
throughout the year so is a terrific bet during the winter. Nearest town: Cirencester CROHAM HURST Croham Hurst occupies a special corner of Surrey, boasting outstanding natural beauty and a course that remains playable in the most extreme conditions. The course winds through a valley in a series of always interesting and undulating loops. While the first two holes represent a testing start, the rest of the front nine does provide scoring opportunities. Watch out for the Stroke Index 1 15th, the signature hole, which is a championshipdifficulty par 4. Nearest town: South Croydon HAYDOCK PARK Founded in 1877, Haydock Park is a well-established course situated near the famous racecourse. It is a mature parkland measuring just over 6,000 yards, but players should not be fooled by the apparent lack of length. The fairways are tight and tree-lined,
while the vast majority of the greens are guarded by strategically placed bunkers. The signature hole is undoubtedly the quirky dogleg par-4 13th. Nearest town: St. Helens LITTLESTONE A final qualifying course for the 2011 Open Championship, Littlestone is laid out on the south-east coastline near Kent. The area enjoys a unique micro-climate making it one of the driest places in Britain. This means that temporary greens are unheard of and allows you to enjoy the tight lies, pot bunkers and slick greens at any time of the year. Indeed, a report by an STRI Agronomist and advisor to the R&A, stated the greens are 'magnificent and are some of the best examples of firm, true and well-paced greens in the UK. What’s more, the course’s rippling fairways are a delight to strike the ball from. Nearest town: Ashford
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NCG pp152 James Braid Ads 22/02/2013 10:20 Page 152
JAMES BRAID COURSES
PETERBOROUGH MILTON GOLF CLUB
Join us during our 75th Anniversary year for that challenging, relaxing & enjoyable experience Green fee offers Open event programme Discount on group packages For more information and to book tee times or opens online visit our website www.pmgc.org.uk or contact us on 01733 380489 quoting ‘PMJB’
Peterborough Milton Golf Club Milton Ferry | Peterborough | Cambs | PE6 7AG
Littlestone Golf Club CHAMPIONSHIP QUALITY ALL YEAR ROUND
& LINKS
GOLF AT ITS VERY BEST
Looking for a great value and flexible membership at a traditional high quality golf venue?
Look no further! www.littlestonegolfclub.org.uk Tel: 01797 363355 New Romney | Kent | TN28 8RB
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NCG pp153-154 Braid Courses 22/02/2013 09:34 Page 153
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Highlands thing The short 16th at pretty Golspie
BUDOCK VEAN This nine-hole Braid is nestled in 65 acres of sub-tropical gardens and attached to one of the finest country houses in Cornwall. The hotel offers James Braid Golf Tours which include unlimited play at Budock Vean and rounds of golf on some of Braid’s other Cornish designs, such as St Enodoc and Perranporth. Guests can also make us of an indoor pool, health spa and tennis courts. Nearest town: Falmouth
BRAMPTON Founded in 1909, Brampton overlooks the Lake District and is known as the ‘Jewel of Cumbria’. This Braid design measures 6,407 yards from the competition tees and boasts superb drainage which means the course is rarely unplayable. The signature hole on the par72 heathland layout is the par-4 11th. Measuring 462 yards, the hole features a sharp dogleg and an undulating tree-lined fairway. Nearest town: Penrith
KEDLESTON PARK This Braid design was opened for play in 1947 after relocating from what is now the site of the University of Derby. The 6,920-yard course features a lake and greens that were updated to USGA specifications in the late 1990s. While the par-3 7th certainly catches the eye – you must fly your ball the full length of a pond to a green further protected by two traps – the signature hole is actually the 527-yard par-5 5th, whose green is also protected by the lake and a large copper beech. Nearest town: Derby
IRELAND KIRKISTOWN CASTLE Situated on the east-coast of Northern Ireland, the par-69 course at Kirkistown is Braid’s only Irish links design. There are many impressive holes on the 6,167-yard course, but the jewel in the crown is the 10th. One of many lengthy par 4s, it features an out-of-bounds all the way down the left side as well as some trademark Braid bunkering that has earned it a reputation as one of the toughest holes in Ireland. Nearest town: Belfast
HOWTH The quaint little village of Howth in north-east County Dublin is known by many as a fishing port, but is also home to one of Braid’s more rugged Irish layouts. The 5,742-yard course here features many signature Braid doglegs, with the most challenging found at the par-4 5th. Many of the best views can be seen from the 16th tee, which overlooks Dublin Bay. Nearest town: Dublin
SCOTLAND GOLSPIE Set within a couple of miles of magical Dornoch, this par-70 course offers a unique blend of seaside links, heathland and even a bit of parkland – so it suits all tastes. Braid’s design stretches little over 6,000 yards and begins with an inland feel, although the sea is soon in play... on the 3rd tee. Many adore the stretch along the coast but others will revel in the heathland section, which would stand comparison with many famous Surrey tracks. Nearest town: Dornoch
ISLE OF MAN PEEL Famous for more than just its Manx Kippers, the Isle of Man’s west coast is also home to a Braid course. Founded in 1895, the 5,874-yard layout boasts a range of natural hazards and pine tree clusters. The toughest hole is probably the 11th. Featuring a typical Braid dogleg, the hole calls for a long tee shot to clear the gorse bushes and set up a mid-iron approach. Nearest town: Peel LOCKERBIE At 5,463 yards the layout at Lockerbie is a lot shorter than some of Braid’s other designs. However, a par of just 67 changes the dynamic and makes this a true test. A great number of trees combine with water hazards and natural contours to create a challenging layout. The club is conveniently situated just a mile away from the north and south exits of the M74. Nearest town: Lockerbie
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BOAT OF GARTEN Set alongside the River Spey with the Cairngorm mountains forming the backdrop, Braid sympathetically cut through a birch forest to create not only a magnificent setting but a demanding test too, where the 6th, The Avenue, is often regarded as the signature hole. Undeniably one of the most scenic courses in the British Isles Nearest town: Aviemore MUIR OF ORD Cut into three distinct parts by the Inverness-to-Wick railway line, Muir of Ord is one of the finest surviving examples of James Braid’s work in the north of Scotland. This heathland course in the heart of Ross-shire has been improved immeasurably over recent years with the addition of new holes. The course contains one of the toughest par 3s in Highlands golf, with the 12th measuring almost 220 yards. Nearest town: Inverness CATHCART CASTLE Established in 1895, Cathcart Castle is conveniently situated just
outside Glasgow. The par-69 Braid design has undergone several developments since it opened in the 1920s but still features much of the original design. Two winding burns and trademark Braid bunkers impact on several holes and ensure that scoring remains tough despite the course featuring six par-3s. A new tree-planting program is set to make the course even more challenging. Nearest town: Glasgow GLENCRUITTEN Nestled among the hills of the Glencruitten Estate in Oban, this mature design is one of Braid’s hidden gems. The layout was designed early in the 20th century on difficult terrain that demonstrates Braid’s admirable architectural skill. Trees feature heavily on the course, but the most impressive site is the Roman fort that sits on top of the hill on the 4th hole. It is listed as an ancient monument. Nearest town: Oban WINDYHILL Windyhill sits to the north of Glasgow and is recognised as one of the best golf courses in the area. The course is a 6,154-yard par71 layout. Four testing par 3s combine with three par 5s while a series of daunting par 4s makes Windyhill a challenging test
despite an apparent lack of length. The venue boasts magnificent views across Glasgow to the south and the Campsies and Kilpatrick Hills to the north. Nearest town: Glasgow
BRORA Home to the James Braid Golfing Society, this championship course is a classic links layout. The 6,156-yard seaside course is the most northerly of Braid’s Scottish designs and brilliantly
Aberdovey Turn over to discover this Welsh star
SHOTTS Shotts was founded in 1895 and is a mere half-hour drive from both Edinburgh and Glasgow. Braid designed the current parkland layout in 1936 and while the course has been updated several times since then, his influence can still be felt on the 6,125-yard track. The 4th hole on the par-70 design is known as ‘Devil’s Elbow’ and has been voted one of the top holes in Scottish golf. Nearest town: Edinburgh On the water The green at Brora’s short 9th hole
showcases his work, with the 9th a real highlight. The front nine follows the contours of the Kintradwell Bay while the inward nine snake back towards the clubhouse. The stroke-index-one 3rd is terrific. Nearest town: Dornoch CRIEFF Just an hour’s drive from Edinburgh and Glasgow, Crieff is situated at the Gateway to the Highlands and Gleneagles is just 10 minutes away. Crieff’s courses benefit from the same gorgeous scenery as the 2014 Ryder Cup host. The championship Ferntower course has played host to many top amateur events, while the ninehole Dornock course is the perfect accompaniment for visiting parties eager to play 27 holes. Nearest town: Perth IRVINE Established in 1887, Irvine is regularly used as an Open Qualifying Course and has hosted several top amateur events. The 6,415-yard layout is not quite a seaside course, but lies close enough for the turf to boast that sandy texture that is such a delight to strike the ball from. Slippery, bunkered greens are also a feature. Easily accessible from both Glasgow and Glasgow Prestwick airports. Nearest town: Kilmarnock
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NCG pp155 James Braid Ads 22/02/2013 10:26 Page 155
JAMES BRAID COURSES KIRKISTOWN CASTLE GOLF CLUB 142 Main Road | Cloughey | Co Down | NI | BT22 1JA
Exceptional value at this traditional 'true ' links golf course Green Fees £27.50 Weekdays • £33 Weekends Visitors and Societies very welcome 7 days
CIRENCESTER GOLF CLUB A wonderful James Braid designed course set in stunning Cotswold countryside. Member of the Association of James Braid courses, discounted rates to other members. Societies & visitors always welcome. Cheltenham Road, Cirencester GL7 7BH
E: kirkistowngc@btconnect.com • T: 028 42771233 W: www.linksgolfkirkistown.com
Tel. 01285 652465 www.cirencestergolfclub.co.uk ‘Croham Hurst is one of the nicest courses in the South East’
Clwb Golff Pwllheli
COLIN MONTGOMERIE
(Pwllheli Golf Club)
Course designed by James Braid & Tom Morris. Attractive rates for societies. Twighlight and earlybird offers. Golf from £20 per round Golf Road, Pwllheli, Gwynedd LL53 5PS Office: 01758 701 644 Pro: 01758 701 644 Email: admin@pwllheligolfclub.co.uk Web: www.clwbgolffpwllheli.com
SOCIETY & CORPORATE GOLF DAY INFORMATION - 2013
MAESDU GOLF CLUB LLANDUDNO NORTH WALES
PACKAGE E £48.00 Full English Breakfast, Coffee/Tea 18 holes
All images © Crown copyright (2011) Visit Wales
PACKAGE A PACKAGE B PACKAGE C PACKAGE D £74.00 £69.00 £54.00 £62.00 Coffee & Bacon Rolls, Coffee & Bacon Rolls, Coffee & Bacon Rolls, Coffee & Bacon Rolls, 36 holes, Light Lunch 28 holes, Light Lunch 18 holes, 2 course 18 holes, & 3 Course Dinner & 3 Course Dinner Light Meal 3 Course Dinner
South Croydon Surrey CR2 7HJ t 020 8657 5581 office@chgc.co.uk chgc.co.uk
A WARM WELCOME IS GUARANTEED AT MAESDU GOLF CLUB Designed by James Braid in 1915 and situated just 1 mile from the victorian seaside resort of Llandudno. We are an 18 hole championship course offering a mixture of parkland with links. Panoramic views of the North Wales coastline and the Snowdonia mountain range. Visitors & societies always welcome.
Haydock Park Golf Club SOCIETY PACKAGES
Tailored to suit your requirements; Weekdays excluding Tuesdays.
FOR INFORMATION ON GREEN FEES AND ALL TYPES OF MEMBERSHIP Tel: 01492 876450 • Email: enquiries@maesdugolfclub.co.uk Or book online at www.maesdugolfclub.co.uk @MaesduGolfClub
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Like us - Maesdu Golf Club
Book your tee time online via our website Golborne Park, Newton Lane, Newton-Le-Willows, Merseyside WA12 0HX 01925 228 525 www.haydockparkgc.co.uk
NCG pp156 Braid Courses 22/02/2013 09:33 Page 156
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WALES PWLLHELI Pwllheli is associated with two greats of the game. The course was first designed as a nine-holer by Tom Morris in 1900 then extended under Braid’s guidance in 1909. The course has a hybrid feel as Braid added nine links holes to the original parkland section. The course is short in terms of yardage but contains no par 5s, making scoring tough. Nearest town: Criccieth ABERDOVEY A classic, romantic links set within Snowdonia National Park at the mouth of the Dovey estuary, Aberdovey boasts many delightful features including wooden railway sleepers courtesy of the line which skirts the course’s inland section. In the modern clubhouse, items of bygone eras can be discovered, including a set of clubs from 1882. Nearest town: Porthmadog TENBY Established in 1875, this links runs alongside Tenby South Beach and claims to be Wales’ oldest club.
The course made notable changes ahead of hosting the 2010 Welsh Amateur, including the redevelopment of the 8th and 9th holes as well as new bunkering. That said, there is still an original feel to this classic design, with Braid hallmarks still evident. Nearest town: Tenby LLANDUDNO MAESDU This course was founded in 1915 as the first municipally-owned course in Wales and was developed to bring more sport-based tourism to the region. In the 1950s and 60s the venue was the annual host of the Penfold Swallow tournament and attracted the likes of Peter Alliss and Henry Cotton. The course provides a blend of parkland and links and is in the North West James Braid Trail. Nearest town: Llandudno HOLYHEAD Tucked away on the Isle of Anglesey in north-west Wales, this is a heathland challenge with a spectacular mountain backdrop. Braid initially designed a ninehole course which opened 10 days before the First World War. It was
High links Welsh gem Pennard is special
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eventually extended to an 18-hole layout measuring 6,090 yards, but much of Braid’s work remains. The course features undulating fairways flanked by patches of bracken and tricky Braid bunkers on almost every hole. Nearest town: Holyhead ST DEINIOL Situated on high ground overlooking the historic city of Bangor, St. Deiniol is a mature 18hole parkland. The Braid design opened in 1906 and requires course management rather than brute force. Gorse and woodland present trouble on most of its tight fairways while many holes feature either a blind tee shot or approach. Nearest town: Bangor PENNARD Situated eight miles west of Swansea, Pennard has been voted one of Wales’ top five courses. The ‘links in the sky’ sits 200 feet above sea level and has awesome holes such as the par-4 7th, which offers views of a 13thcentury church and the remains of a castle from the elevated tee. Nearest town: Swansea
THE JAMES BRAID TRAIL IN NORTH WALES TEN James Braid clubs in North Wales have joined forces to create a JB Trail. The founder members are: Aberdovey, Pwllheli, Porthmadog, Nefyn, Holyhead, Bangor St Deiniol, Maesdu, Old Colwyn, Rhyl and Wrexham. Golfers who play at each course can apply for a certificate that confirms their achievement, and also entry into a prize draw. The JB Trail has been actively supported by a number of influential bodies including Gwynedd County Council, Tourism Partnership North Wales and Visit Wales. All of the JB Trail clubs except Porthmadog and Nefyn are members of the Association of James Braid Courses. Members of any club within the AOJBC can enjoy golf at member’s guest rates when visiting. Bookings can be made for all 10 clubs through Mandy Evans of Golf North Wales by calling 0845 450 5995. For more details go to www.jamesbraidnorthwales.co.uk
NCG pp157-159 James Braid Ads 22/02/2013 15:11 Page 157
JAMES BRAID COURSES
Holyhead Golf Club Located on the stunningly beautiful Isle of Anglesey, Holyhead Golf Club offers some of the best golf to be had in Wales.
Muir of Ord golf course was established in 1875 and is part of the James Braid trail. Visitors are welcome. Visitor Fees: Weekdays & Sun - £25 per round • £32 day ticket • Sat - £35 a round Twilight Golf: Mon to Sat - £10 after 5pm • Sun - £10 after 3pm
SPECIAL OFFER Dormy house for up to 14 people including Dinner, B&B and two rounds of Golf. From just £67.50
Club Hire, Trolley Hire, Buggy Hire and Electric Trolley Hire available
Tel: 01463 870825 • www.muirofordgolfclub.com
Tel: 01407 763279 • www.holyheadgolfclub.co.uk
Clwb Golff St. Deiniol Bangor Golf Club
NORTHCLIFFE G O LF C LU B Enjoy this beautiful parkland course with famous opening and closing holes
Pen y Bryn • Bangor • Gwynedd
SOCIETY PACKAGES AVAILABLE ALL YEAR ROUND
GREEN FEES
Please call for details
(1st Nov to 30th Apr)
Mon – Fri £20 Weekend/B/H £20
2013 SUMMER GREEN FEES DEAL:
We now offer Golf Break Packages 2, 3 or 4 days inc. unlimited golf. Staying at the superb Mercure Hotel, bed, breakfast and 3 course evening meal. Packages start from only £75. To book please ring the professional or secretary and quote ref: Honsec123, when booking.
Book before March 31st 2013 and secure your tee time at todays price of £20
High Bank Lane, Shipley, West Yorkshire, BD18 4LJ
t: 01248 353 098 e: secretary@bangorgolf.co.uk www.st-deiniol.co.uk
GLENCRUITTEN GOLF CLUB |
James Braid designed
01274 596731
www.northcliffegolfclub.co.uk
Boat of Garten Golf Club James Braid’s masterpiece in the magnificent setting of the Cairngorms National Park
Glencruitten Golf Course is James Braid's hidden gem nestling among the hills of Glencruitten Estate on the outskirts of Oban, Argyll, Scotland. With over 100 years of history, this really is one of the most beautiful spots in the world...
‘Rated 4th in Britain’s Top 100 courses under £50’ – NCG
GREEN FEES Day Ticket - Weekdays £20 | Weekends £25 | U18’s £10 Weekly Ticket - £80
Visitors Welcome
GLENCRUITTEN GOLF CLUB Glencruitten Road | Oban | Argyll | Scotland | PA34 4PU Tel: 01631 562 868 | Email: enquiries@obangolf.com www.obangolf.com
Tel 01479 831 282 www.boatgolf.com office@boatgolf.com
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NCG pp157-159 James Braid Ads 22/02/2013 15:12 Page 158
JAMES BRAID COURSES
BRAMPTON GOLF CLUB
‘The Jewel of Cumbria’ (Peter Alliss)
Visit our new website www.bramptongolfclub.com T: 0169 77 2255/2000 E: sec@bramptongolfclub.com
Windyhill Golf Club A James Braid Course
Memberships available, Visitors and Golf Socities welcome. GREEN FEES £25 round • £35 day ticket Visitor Packages available, 1 in every 12 goes free. CONTACT secretary@windyhill.co.uk or call 0141 942 2349 www.windyhillgolfclub.co.uk
SHOTTS GOLF CLUB Ideally situated halfway between Edinburgh and Glasgow this 18 hole moorland course provides a challenge for all standards of golfers. Visitors should beware the notorious 4th hole “The Devils Elbow” which has ruined many a card of aspiring hopefuls. A refurbished clubhouse provides a warm and friendly welcome with catering and bar facilities
5,738 yards Par 70 Memberships available. Terms available. No entry fee. 10 monthly D/D payments of £55.50 per month For bookings Tel:
01501 822658
Kedleston Park Golf Club GREEN FEES
SUBSCRIBE
TODAY AND GET
6 FREE SRIXON BALLS
18 Holes £60 Four Ball £200 Winter Packages from £35pp including food £120 for a Four Ball From Nov 12 - Mar 13 £10 reduction on the 4 ball rate Valid until 1st June 2013* on presentation of advert or code NCG 12 *Terms & Conditions apply
Pro Shop: 01332841685 • Club: 01332840035
FOR ONLY £42 PER YEAR n Never miss an issue of your favourite magazine n We will deliver direct to your door every month
n Great value and FREE postage and packaging n And you get £12.50 worth of balls!
CALL OUR SUBSCRIPTION HOTLINE ON
0113 289 3979 TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS GREAT OFFER!
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www.kedlestonparkgolfclub.co.uk
Howth Golf Club “A true James Braid Classic” in a beautifully unique setting...
JOIN THE GATHERING IN 2013 WITH E A 50% GREEN FE H DISCOUNT WIT THIS AD Valid for all of 2013
Societies and Visitors welcome For all enquiry’s and bookings email: secretary@howthgolfclub.ie or call + 353 (0) 1 832 3055 www.howthgolfclub.ie
NCG pp157-159 James Braid Ads 22/02/2013 15:13 Page 159
Hull Golf Club A picturesque parkland course set out by the legendary James Braid over 90 years ago which will test golfers of all abilities.
DUNSTANBURGH CASTLE GOLF CLUB
Embleton, Northumberland NE66 3XQ Established in 1900 18 holes 6039 yds SSS 69 Par 70 Challenging seaside links course designed by James Braid. Set splendidly adjacent to Embleton Bay and historic Dunstanburgh Castle
Visitors/Societies welcome every day £26 round • £32 day - weekdays £30 round • £38 day - weekends Full bar and catering facilities available For bookings and enquiries
After your round, enjoy our excellent catering facilities in our magnificent clubhouse. For details of our society packages contact David Crossley General Manager on 01482 660970 secretary@hullgolfclub1921.karoo.co.uk www.hullgolfclub.co.uk
Tel. 01665 576562 www.dunstanburgh.com enquiries@dunstanburgh.com
FOR INSIGHT AND OPINION ON THE GAME OF GOLF, THERE'S ONLY ONE PLACE TO LOOK...
Golfer CLUB
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NATIONAL
Peel Golf Club
Peel Golf Club, formed in 1895, is a picturesque course designed by James Braid situated on the West Coast of the beautiful Isle of Man. T: 01624 843456 E: peelgc@manx.net
www.peelgolfclub.com
PENNARD GOLF CLUB “The links in the sky” Situated on the beautiful Gower Peninsula, Pennard has a reputation as a visitor friendly club for all to enjoy whilst maintaining its natural appeal - something James Braid would be proud of today.
GREEN FEES Weekdays £50pp • Weekends £60pp Please ring Secretary on 01792 233131 or Professional on 01792 233451 Visit our website
www.pennardgolfclub.com
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CLUB GOLF News & Reviews
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NORTH WEST Cheshire | Cumbria | Lancashire | Merseyside
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County Champion: Formby Hall, Merseyside Jones visits Mossock Members at Lancashire club Mossock Hall got their hands on the Ryder Cup in January. PGA chief Sandy Jones visited the club to talk about heading the team which selects the captain and took along the cup.
Milner foundation day The James Milner Foundation is hosting a charity golf day in Cheshire. The Manchester City and England midfielder has announced the event will be held at Mottram Hall on April 15.
New Cheshire clubhouse Cheshire club Mottram Hall has opened its newly-renovated clubhouse. £24,000 was spent on improving the Claret Jug, a favourite of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
About Situated eight miles outside Southport, Formby Hall is a great parkland alternative on England’s links-dominated Golf Coast. The resort has hosted Challenge Tour and European Senior events since it was opened back in 1996. A £15m refurbishment in 2008 resulted in a 62-bedroom hotel and luxury Spa, so it’s ideal venue for any corporate or leisure retreat.
The Course Formby Hall’s main attraction is the 7,081-yard, par-72 Old Course. The tree-lined, American-style layout makes for a pleasant change from all the nearby seaside courses, although hazards on 16 of the 18 holes mean water is still a threat. The venue also boasts a new nine-hole, par-3 course complete with rivetted links-style bunkers and a superb driving range.
Top Hole The 461-yard par-4 15th is a real treat. A 200-yard stretch of water lies between you and a wellbunkered green. Card Wrecker With a lake and six bunkers that will swallow up any wayward tee shots, you’ll want to make sure of a proper warm up before heading to the 177-yard par-3 2nd.
Bronte hails new scheme
Students meet stars
Stockport girl Bronte Law is leading the drive to get more girls playing golf. The 17-year-old Curtis Cup winner is supporting the Get Into Golf sessions being run around Cheshire. “With the help of the Get Into Golf schemes, the coaches at clubs across Cheshire will help you to improve and get the most out of the sport,” said Law, who was part of GB&I win at Nairn last spring.
Former Carden Park pro is honoured
Taylor joins paid ranks
A popular former Cheshire professional has been named Welsh PGA Professional of the year. Anthony Middleton worked at Vicars Cross and Carden Park near Chester before becoming head professional at Rhyl Golf Club. The 30-year-old is known as the ‘Pied Piper
A Lancashire teenager has joined the Ladies’ European Tour. Emily Taylor secured her professional card at Q School in Morocco and played her first event in Queensland at the end of January. “It was a big relief to get my card,” said the former member at Charnock Richard.
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of North Wales golf’ for his ability to get youngsters playing the Royal & Ancient game. “I just love being involved with golf,” said Middleton. “I want to introduce this great game to as many people as possible,” added Middleton after receiving his award.
Three north-west college graduates worked at a top European Tour event last month. Former Myerscough College students Simon Borle, Steven Hewitt and Scott Wood helped prepare the course for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship. The trio of golf management students secured six-month internships through a college-run scheme. “Being able to offer graduates the experience of working at one of the world’s best modern golf resorts is what makes Myerscough unique,” said course leader Rick Daniels.
NCG pp161 NW Club Golf Ads 2/22/13 1:51 PM Page 161
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CLUB GOLF
NORTH WEST
News & Reviews
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Cheshire | Cumbria | Lancashire | Merseyside
Carlisle Golf Club, Cumbria Play one of the county’s finest and oldest layouts
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because of the range of split About fairways that leave you in two De Vere Carden Park boasts two minds off the tee. championship golf courses and The Cheshire Course is a nearly 200 luxury rooms and lovely heathland layout that more suites. than complements the main The historic 17th-century design. It offers views of the Welsh estate takes in 750 acres of prime mountains and an array of natural Cheshire countryside and is well hazards to ensure a tough worth a visit if you fancy HA M C round. moving inland from P TY the North West’s Top Hole renowned Golf T CONTAC 0 0 Most would agree Coast. 0 1 3 7 t: 01829 .co.uk that this is the 17th The club is easy rk a p en rd ca Q on the Nicklaus to find from the M6 p: CH3 9D Course. The 378and is within 15 yard par-4 features a miles of the centre of testing dogleg and a large historic Chester. greenside lake. The Course Card Wrecker The main attraction at Carden There are lots of tough holes on Park is the 7,045-yard Nicklaus the Nicklaus course but the par-4 Course, designed by Jack Nicklaus 15th stands out. You must avoid and his son, Steve. out of bounds and a stream to Jack refers to it as ‘a thinking reach the undulating green. man’s golf course’, not least
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About trees and is renowned for always Founded in 1908, Carlisle Golf being in excellent condition. Club is located within half a mile of Extensive practice facilities are the M6 and is one of the region’s available close by, including an finest courses. outstanding short-game area. The parkland layout was the first in Cumbria to be selected as an Top Hole Open qualifying venue, an honour The jewel in the crown at Carlisle is the club has enjoyed on six surely the par-3 13th. C H Y occasions since 1996. Measuring just 137 A M NT Members have access yards, this hole U to a well-stocked pro features a narrow, CONTACT shop and state-oft: 01228 5 tiered green that 13 029 carlislegol the-art teaching makes putting fclub.org p: CA4 8A facilities, while especially difficult. G visitors are very To make matters welcome midweek. trickier, the green is also well protected by sand. The Course Mackenzie Ross was commissioned Card Wrecker to design the original 18-hole Watch out for the par-4 14th. layout. The result was a 6,273-yard, While the tee shot is relatively par-71 course that presents a tough straightforward, any approach that challenge. is less than precise and well struck The course is situated among will land you in trouble in the form undulating parkland and mature of greenside bunkers.
NCG pp163 NW County Champions Ads 2/22/13 2:31 PM Page 163
COUNTY CHAMPIONS
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MIDWEEK SPRING OFFER - £20.00 March 18th - April 18th 2013 Tea or Coffee, Bacon Rolls &18 Holes of Golf Visitors Welcome Societies by arrangement Excellent Package Deals for 2013 Contact the Secretary for more information Quoting reference SP2013
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NORTH EAST Cleveland | Durham | North’land | Tyne & Wear | Yorkshire
Public courses saved
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Two municipal courses in Leeds have avoided closure despite making a loss last year. Middleton Park and Gotts Park – where NCG’s editor played his first round of golf – were due to be axed but have been given 12 months to become less reliant on public funding.
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County Champion: Mid Yorkshire, Yorkshire Fulford plays host Fulford will host a top amateur ladies’ event later this year. The European Ladies’ Amateur Team Championship will be held at the York course – host of Tour events in the 80s – from July 6-13.
Council controversy The local council has passed plans to build on the grounds of a Durham golf course. Members at Mount Oswald fear that the scheme will lead to a loss of green space.
Bamburgh’s top deal Take advantage of the great offers at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland. Coffee, lunch and 36 holes of golf on the scenic 5,700-yard course – one of England’s gems – can be had for just £50pp.
About Mid Yorkshire is set in some of the county’s most attractive parkland and its accessibility is also peerless. Situated yards from the A1, the course is at the heart of the motorway network and can be reached from Leeds, Doncaster, York and Wakefield in under half an hour. However the course is not affected by any noise. The club also boasts a 23-bay
floodlit range and is the perfect venue for society events. The Course Steve Marnoch designed the original layout in the early 1990s and it weaves around existing mature woodland and features snaking streams, long rough and dogleg holes. Renowned architect Simon Gidman has improved the course further of late.
Top Hole The back nine has a serene setting with the pretty 378-yard par-4 15th probably the highlight of a run of impressive holes. Card Wrecker Make sure you are properly warmed up by the 355-yard 4th hole. This tricky par 4 has a stroke index of 1 and could seriously dent your card early on.
Bedale’s cunning plan
EuroPro heads for Leeds The PGA Europro Tour will return to Yorkshire later this year. Moor Allerton, which is just north of Leeds and has previously hosted the main European Tour, has been selected as a tournament venue for the September leg. “We are extremely proud to be selected as a host venue for this prestigious tour and are anticipating a week packed full of excitement,” said club pro James Whitaker.
Club lambasts ‘poll tax on golf clubs’
Lottery funds upgrades
A Northumberland club has called for changes in affiliation fees – because the current system is effectively a golfing equivalent of the poll tax. The Allendale club relies on volunteers in order to stay open but pays the same amount as some of the richest resorts in the world.
Two Northumberland clubs have received over £80,000 of lottery funding. Alnmouth Village and Allendale will put the money – awarded as part of the Olympic legacy and both clubs will carry the ‘London 2012 Inspire’ mark – towards new facilities
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“We intentionally keep junior membership low at £40 to try to make it as affordable as possible and encourage local children to take up the sport,” said Robin Down, club treasurer. “More than 25 per cent of this membership fee is grabbed by the golf authorities.”
A Yorkshire club is offering pay-and-play memberships to attract new members during this difficult economy. A small annual fee at Bedale entitles players to a set number of rounds and discounted green fees if this allowance is exceeded. “Our flexible membership scheme is available for those golfers who prefer the flexibility of playing golf at any time of the day but cannot justify a full membership,” said a Bedale spokesman. “The scheme is also attractive to those who may wish to take up the game on a low-cost, trial basis.”
NCG pp165 NE Club Golf Ads 22/02/2013 12:28 Page 165
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WEST MIDLANDS Staffs | Shrops | Herefords | Worcs | West Mids | Warks | Oxon
Tamworth goes under
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A Midlands golf course has gone into liquidation after 38 years of existence. Thirty staff members at Tamworth Golf Course near Amington – located between the M42 and town itself – were informed five minutes before liquidators walked in.
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County Champion: Gay Hill, West Midlands Draycote’s top deal Draycote Hotel are offering B&B plus two rounds of golf on their fine Whitefields course for the terrific price of £59. The deal ends on March 30.
Midlands golf week Local residents will have the chance to sample golf sessions during Midlands Golf Week. The event runs from April 15-21 and was endorsed by NCG’s Staffordshire-born columnist Robert Rock last year.
Stars of the future? Youngsters in Droitwich Spa are being encouraged to take up golf with the offer of top-class coaching. The Russell Adams Junior Golf Academy are offering budding players places on their new golf courses.
About Founded in 1913, Gay Hill is located just south of Birmingham off the M42. The club has been at its present site for 93 years and will mark its centenary year by hosting the Midland Amateur Open. Several innovative memberships and visitor packages are available to take advantage of and the club is renowned for its friendly welcome.
The Course The 6,406-yard parkland is laid out in a valley with gently sloping sides and boasts a stream that impacts on several holes. Tight fairways and fast greens are a feature and make Gay Hill one of the more challenging layouts in the region. To make matters more difficult, the fairways are also tree-lined and test more than length off the tee.
Top Hole The jewel in the crown at Gay Hill is the 12th, a par 3 of 120 yards which is played from an elevated tee through a dell ringed by hawthorn bush. Card wrecker The 17th is an old-school test. Watch out for the ridge-and-furrow fairways which make approach shots difficult.
Stanton recognised
OBE for Chairman of the PGA PGA Chairman Phil Weaver has been awarded an OBE for services to golf. The popular pro at the Coventry club has been in the role since 1989 and has also been heavily involved with the Ryder Cup Committee. “Never in a million years would I have thought about something like this happening to me when I started in my first post at Beau Desert,” said Weaver.
Worcs club helps transplant patients
Range may make splash
The generous members of a Worcestershire club have raised thousands of pounds for patients of a transplant unit. The Droitwich club raised £6,570 overall for patients at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth and Children’s hospitals. “We’re thrilled to have raised so much money to
Worcester Golf Range may resort to drastic measures to combat a persistent flooding issue. Owners plan to turn the driving range into a lake to solve the problem of flood-related closure. “If we had an aqua range, we wouldn’t have these problems,” said owner Gary Kibblewhite.
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help patients,” said Droitwich club captain John Whitehead. “Our fundraising was devoted specifically to the transplant teams because within the club we have a strong desire to help people with the care and support they receive before, during and after transplant surgery.”
A Staffordshire volunteer has been honoured for her contribution to local golf. Charlotte Stanton was named one of England’s Golf Volunteers of the Year for her contribution to community projects and university schemes. “It’s great to be recognised for what I’ve done,” said Stanton. “I don’t do it for the recognition but it does give you that bit more motivation to carry on.” Stanton is currently studying Applied Golf Management at Birmingham University and has gained her Level 2 coaching qualification.
NCG pp167 WM Club Golf Ads 21/02/2013 15:32 Page 167
CLUB GOLF
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EAST MIDLANDS Derb | N’ants | Notts | Leics | Lincs | Cambs | N’folk | Suffolk
Kimsey secures second
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Lincolnshire's Nathan Kimsey secured three second-place finishes in Australia. Having finished runner-up in the Lake Macquarie International and the New South Wales medal, he was also denied the title in the Avondale Medal in Sydney.
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County Champion: Woodbridge, Suffolk Turner’s Olympic joy Lincolnshire teenager Ashton Turner won silver for Team GB at the Australian Youth Olympics in the men's event. Georgia Hall secured two golds.
Ullesthorpe win award Ullesthorpe Court Hotel & Golf Club has claimed the the title of Large Hotel of the Year at the recent Best Western Hotel of the Year Awards. The hotel excelled in all key areas of assessment to scoop the top prize.
About Woodbridge is situated in a coastal area of outstanding natural beauty that bursts into colour throughout the year. The club boasts 27 holes set in spectacular surroundings on classic heathland.
has fairways fringed with heather, gorse, oak and pine. The nine-hole Forest layout, opened in 1972 and then extended in 1996, is one of the finest facilities of its kind in the area and is much more than a pitch and putt.
The Course Designed in 1893 by Davie Grant, and subsequently updated by James Braid, the 6,229-yard Heath course
Top Hole The 18th is a fine finishing hole where many good rounds have come to grief.
The expanded 2013 Midlands Golf Week will include clubs from eight counties. It will involve activities from free coaching sessions to golf roadshows, and is designed to encourage more people to get into the sport.
Card wrecker The 16th is a tough par 4 with hazards on both sides. Aim your tee shot to the left of the fairway to allow for the left-to-right slope, and then be sure to take enough club on the approach to clear the bunkers guarding the green.
Wensum ready for EuroPro
Volunteers honoured
Wensum Valley is preparing to welcome top amateurs and professionals in May for the Motocaddy Masters – a PGA EuroPro Tour event. The Norfolk venue will host the tournament on May 1 to 3. Situated in the Norfolk countryside, Wensum Valley has two courses. The Motocaddy Masters will be played on the Wensum Course, but equally worthy is the Valley course.
Derbyshire chief set for England Golf Midlands Golf Week
Play your tee shot short of the bunkers to leave yourself a short iron into the green.
The director of Derbyshire Sport has been named the new chief executive of England Golf. David Joy takes up the post in April. Joy said: “This is a really exciting time for amateur golf following the merger of the men’s and women’s game. I am delighted to be given the
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opportunity to join England Golf and to work with the board, the staff team and our volunteers as we seek to take advantage of the many opportunities for golf development throughout England.” Like his predecessor, Joy comes from a nongolfing background.
Micklem Award for MGU chairman Brian Purse, current chairman of the Midland Golf Union, has been presented with the Gerald Micklem Award for 2013. The award is presented annually to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to further the interest of amateur golf in England.
Two women from East Anglia have been named England's Golf Volunteers of the Year. Wendy Wootton of Suffolk and Norfolk's Nickie Clarke joined four other volunteers from around the country to claim the awards at an annual conference at Loughborough University. Phil Beard, the EGP’s volunteer manager, said: “These volunteers are wonderful people who give up their time to inspire others to take up and enjoy golf. They play a crucial part in growing the game and these awards recognise their importance.”
NCG pp169 EM Club Golf Ads 21/02/2013 15:26 Page 169
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SOUTH EAST Beds | Berks | Bucks | Essex | Hants | Herts | Kent | Middx | Surrey | Sussex
South African success
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A Worthing youngster has successfully defended his Gauteng North Open title for the second successive year. England international Toby Tree, 19, carded a final-round 71 to secure victory by a single shot over home-nation hopeful Zander Lombard.
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County Champion: The Shire, Hertfordshire Wade aids fundraising Top darts player James Wade helped Puttenham raise over £460 for charity. Yhey raised cash for the Leonard Cheshire Home and the Perthes Association.
Shinkwin secures South American success A local teenager has won the South American Amateur Championship after a five-month layoff. Callum Shinkwin, 19, prevailed by a single shot at Bogata, Columbia and said that the win was "totally unexpected".
Wanstead’s charity haul Generous Wanstead have presented a local charity with £25,000. The Wanstead-based charity ‘Dial a Dream’, which grants wishes to sick children, was chosen by the club's captains as their annual charity.
About Simply mention the name Seve Ballesteros in relation to any golf course in the world and you know that course will be something special. As the only course in the UK designed by the great man, The Shire holds an unrivalled position in UK golf. The Course The 18-hole Masters course is The
Shire’s main attraction and is set up like no other. Six par 5s, six par 4s and six par 3s lay in wait, with no two consecutive holes having the same par. Top Hole The signature hole comes at the 18th, which has an S-shaped lake built around the green in honour of Seve. The lake is blind on the approach so take caution, although
it is fun to sit in the clubhouse after a round and watch others suffer the misfortune of unexpectedly finding water instead of the green. Card Wrecker The 180-yard par-3 1st is played to a green surrounded by water on all sides and requires pinpoint accuracy from the opening shot. It is easy to score heavily here and start with a setback.
Kingswood’s golf and poker challenge
Chislehurst present bumper charity cheque Chislehurst have presented a children's charity with a cheque for £23,000. The club's captain and lady captain opted to make Variety the official beneficiary of the Chislehurst’s 2012 fundraising activity. The money raised will go towards Variety’s wheelchairs programme to provide mobility aids for children across the UK.
Centurion ready to open in St Albans
Nikon’s PGA link-up
A new club is ready to open in St Albans later this year, aiming to set a new benchmark for premium golf facilities in the UK. The Centurion Club will open in early July and has been designed by acclaimed course architect Simon Gidman with the help of Troon Golf.
Nikon are the latest company to announce a deal with the south of England's Professional Golf Association. The move will see the company provide continued support to PGA professionals in the region through the use of their new Coolshot laser rangefinder.
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"When we began this project, we were determined to build a private golf club of unrivalled quality that would appeal to discerning golfers,” said managing director Scott Evans. “The feedback we have been receiving suggests we are on track to achieve that goal."
Kingswood will host a combined golf and poker day on April 12. It will begin with nine holes at the Surrey venue, followed by a poker evening in the clubhouse. Players will earn chips by scoring stableford points secured during the golf, which can then be used in the poker competition. Commenting on the event, Kingswood PGA professional Mark Stewart said: "This is a fun way to bring golf into the 21st century." Tickets are priced at £25 for club members and £40 for nonmembers.
NCG pp171 SE Club Golf Ads 21/02/2013 15:23 Page 171
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SOUTH WEST Channel Is | Cornwall | Devon | Dorset | Glos | Somerset | Wilts
Greenway wins WGS Bowood Park's Josh Greenway has secured the Cornwall Golf Union Winter Order of Merit after emerging victorious in the Winter Golf Series. Greenway took victory from West Cornwall's Matthew Richards by the narrowest margin just 0.17 points.
Watson’s life membership at Royal North Devon New Wiltshire website Wiltshire County Golf Union have launched a junior website, featuring information on events, squads and Order of Merit standings. Go to wiltsjuniorgolf.org.uk
President passes away Ken Newman, the Gloucestershire Golf Union junior president, has died aged 90. He was an honorary life member of the Gloucestershire Golf Union, granted in 2010, for his tireless work with the juniors at all levels for his club and county.
Tom Watson has been awarded life membership at Royal North Devon, England's oldest links course. It marks the introduction of a limited number of such packages, which will be restricted to 20 overseas golfers. The club, which dates back to 1864, is offering international membership for $5,000 (£3,250) and successful applicants will have the opportunity
to be a part of the club’s 150th anniversary celebrations in 2014, when Westward Ho! will stage the World Hickory Championships as well as the English County Finals. “It would be an honour and a privilege to accept your invitation to become a life member of your historic links,” said Watson. “150 years supporting the grandest game of all is quite a record. Congratulations.”
Hall to play in first Major...
Dorset Golf and Country Club are offering deals on summer breaks. Stays are available from just £76.95pppn, with threenight stays £225.50. Early booking is recommended. Go to dorsetgolfresort.com
Mendip Springs fined for food poisoning
Dorset’s Georgia Hall will join the world’s top women players in the first Major of the season, the Kraft Nabisco Championship, at Mission Hills Country Club in California (right), from April 4-7. She is one of nine leading amateurs to receive an invitation to play in the championship and she commented: “It’s a great honour and I can’t wait – I’m over the moon.”
...after winning gold for Britain Early birds at Dorset
One of the many attractions of Royal North Devon is that it has hardly changed in nearly 150 years, so playing here gives golfers a unique insight into how the game was played in Victorian England. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the north Atlantic coast, the ancient links is laid out on common land where livestock still graze freely and the clubhouse is a museum in itself.
Georgia Hall recently became Team GB’s first gold medallist in an Olympic golf event for over a hundred years after winning both the individual women’s competition and team gold at the Youth Olympics Festival in Sydney. The 16-year-old from Remedy Oak said:
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“It feels amazing to have made history. I think the Rio 2016 Olympic Games is definitely closer for me now, having come to Australia. It gives me a hint of the style of competition and what to expect from everything that comes with it and hopefully I can make it in three years’ time.”
South West ready for junior challenge Over 6,000 young golfers from almost 800 clubs in England are already registered for the 2013 National Skills Challenge – including many youngsters from the South West Region. The Challenge aims to make practice fun for young golfers.
The owners of Mendip Springs have been fined nearly £33,000 after wedding guests at the club suffered food poisoning. Yeo Finance, which owns the Somerset club, were punished after more than half of the 86 guests at a reception last April were poisoned by a duck liver pate starter. Other local clubs have been told to ensure food hygiene standards are maintained to avoid similar sanctions. A council spokesperson warned: “We will not hesitate to take legal action when there are serious breaches of food safety".
NCG pp173 SW Club Golf Ads 21/02/2013 15:21 Page 173
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SCOTLAND News and course reviews from the Home of Golf
Award for Prestwick
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Prestwick were presented with the Pro Shop of the Year award by the TGI Golf Partnership at a recent awards ceremony in Manchester. The venue, run by PGA professional David Fleming, beat off competition from over 450 UK clubs.
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County Champion: Moray, Highlands Junior shortlist Four clubs have been shortlisted for the Scottish Junior Club of the Year award worth £3,000 – Durness, Falkirk, Strathendrick and The Whitecraigs.
About If you want to know what links golf is all about then you will not find a more quintessentially traditional seaside layout than Moray. The club will host a EuroPro event in July, in the same week as the Scottish Open is at nearby Castle Stuart.
New SLGA chairman Eastwood member Beth Paterson has been appointed as the chairman of the Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association. Paterson has already served the SLGA as both chairman of training and performance director.
The Course Expect fast, firm fairways, uneven
stances, the occasional blind shot and at the very least a sporting breeze. The real test comes from the greens, which make use of devilishly deceptive natural contours and thoroughly examine your touch and imagination. Top Hole The 18th provides a fitting finish to a superb course. A par 4 measuring over 400 yards, it plays up to a large
Ryder Cup Europe aims to find 1,800 volunteers to help out at the 2014 event at Gleneagles. A total of 15 different roles are available, and applications can be made now by visiting the website rydercupvolunteers.com.
Card Wrecker Towards the end of the front nine, the holes become gorse-lined on both sides, demanding pinpoint accuracy. Get through 7 and 8 unscathed and a good score becomes a possibility.
Hickory Open back in Angus
Stay at Duck’s when visiting East Lothian
The World Hickory Open will return to Carnoustie Country this year. The tournament sees players compete using traditional hickory clubs and attire and will be played at the 450-year-old Montrose links in October. "Playing magnificent, historic links courses like Montrose Medal definitely attracts hickory golfers," said tournament organiser Lionel Freedman.
Lawrie poised to redesign Whitekirk Ryder Cup volunteers
elevated green which sits in front of the magnificent clubhouse. It is a great hole visually and a worthy way of settling a close match.
Former Open champion Paul Lawrie has been appointed to redesign East Lothian course Whitekirk. Lawrie will work alongside renowned Scottish architect Graeme Webster to reshape the existing course. Lawrie said: “I have been fortunate enough to visit and play the best
174 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
courses all over the world, and I have gained a vast knowledge of what golfers want in a championship course. “I am confident that together with Graeme Webster, we will shape Whitekirk into a leading course that golfers worldwide will want to play,” he said.
Skull uncovered at Musselburgh Greenkeepers at Musselburgh Old Links uncovered a skull believed to be over 2,000 years old. The team were working on a 4th hole bunker when the skull was found. Archaeologists will conduct a further search, but no major excavation is planned.
Duck's at Kilpsindie House are offering great value packages for those wanting a stay-and-play break in East Lothian. The Aberlady hotel offers golf passes for two, three and five rounds, with prices starting from £39. The passes are available across a wide range of courses, including Royal Musselburgh, Craigielaw and Longniddry, and provide considerable discounts. Duck's also offer tailor-made packages to suit your needs and have excellent links with all 21 local courses. Visit www.ducks.co.uk or call 01875 870 682.
NCG pp175 Scotland Club Golf Ads 2/22/13 1:59 PM Page 175
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Craigielaw Golf Club
A challenging 18 hole, 6021 yds SSS 69/70 parkland course set adjacent to the River Gala, 2 miles North of Galashiels on the A7 & 30 miles South of Edinburgh.
GREEN FEES £32 round, £42 day - Weekdays & Weekends New GPS Buggies & online booking available Special offer - 4x ball - £80 (£100 inc. buggies) Phone: 01896 752260 (Option 3)
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Opening soon our 25 bedroom golf lodge… Great play and stay packages available More details from our site www.craigielawlodge.com
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One of the driest climates in the UK. Two classic 18 hole Scottish links courses at one venue. Old Moray Championship links designed by Old Tom Morris in 1889. New Moray (over 30 years old) enhanced by Henry Cotton. Heart of the north circuit of world-class links, including Dornoch, Castle Stuart, Nairn, Royal Aberdeen, Cruden Bay and Trump. Best value in golf. Coastal capital to the Malt Whisky Trail.
Two Classic Links. One Perfect Venue.
Moray Golf Club LOSSIEMOUTH SCOTLAND
www.moraygolf.co.uk 01343 812 018
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NCG pp176 Club Golf Wales 2/21/13 1:50 PM Page 176
CLUB GOLF News & Reviews
in association with glenbraegolf.com
WALES All the latest news and course reviews from the Principality
GC2 is a game changer
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Members at Cardiff club Whitchurch can improve their games this year thanks to a new piece of technology. The new GC2 launch monitor is a brilliant custom-fitting device that calculates the key data from all your shots so that the pros can improve performance.
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County Champion: Newport Links Glamorganshire’s deal One of Wales' oldest clubs is offering a great summer package. You can enjoy 27 holes and a meal at Glamorganshire for under ¡Œ50 per person.
Scheme boosts numbers A new scheme has increased membership at Welsh clubs. New2Golf offers 50 per cent off lessons as well as six-for-the-price-offive packages. Radyr gained 51 new members last year through the partnership.
Dinsdale eyes Lombard A Newport club pro hopes to line up at Gleneagles later this year. Parc Golf Academy player Richard Dinsdale is bidding to qualify for the Pro-Am Lombard Trophy, an event he won in 2006.
About Founded in 1925, Newport Links is tucked away on the attractive Pembrokeshire coastline a mere two-minute drive from the historic town of Newport. The current owners acquired the resort in 1998 and set about transforming the little club into a major venue, updating the clubhouse and installing four-star accommodation. The club also
boasts good practice facilities and two resident PGA professionals. The Course The course originally opened as a nine-hole layout designed by the legendary James Braid. In 2008 the course was extended to the current par-71, 6,053-yard layout. Top Hole The 6th is a spectacular sight.
However, do not let the views of the mountains and the Irish Sea distract you from the stroke index 1 par 3. Card Wrecker Watch out for the par-5 4th hole. At over 550 yards, the hole features out of bounds down the left and heavy gorse along the right side. It takes two long shots to reach the green.
Award for Welshpool
Stars of the future
A Welsh club has been recognised for the way it promotes disabled golf. Welshpool received the award from Disability Sport Wales following a change in facilities that has seen senior and disabled golf flourish. “We are really pleased to get this award and especially to be the first club in Wales to receive it,” said club spokeswoman Ellen Jones.
Golden girl Chloe strikes bronze
Prestatyn up for sale
A Wrexham junior was among the medallists at the Youth Olympics in Sydney. New Broughton native Chloe Williams carded a final round of 68 to secure an individual bronze medal. She finished four shots behind eventual champion and Team GB colleague
One of the oldest clubs in Wales has been put up for sale. Prestatyn GC, on the north coast, dates back to 1905 and is a championship links. It will now be run by a commercial body after its members decided to put the club on the market for ¡Œ1 million.
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Georgia Hall. Williams also won gold as part of the British squad that easily beat Australia and New Zealand to the team title. The talented teenager is the reigning Welsh girls' champion and has also represented Great Britain & Ireland at youth level.
Wales' best young golfer will be crowned at Celtic Manor later this year. The final of the Junior Wales Open will be held in July on the Twenty Ten Ryder Cup course and five regional qualifying events will take place over Easter. “In 2011, we had Amy Boulden as the girls' champion and this year she was part of the Great Britain and Ireland team which won the Curtis Cup,” said Graeme Yorston of tournament sponsors Principality Building Society. “The example is there for these young players to aspire to.”
NCG pp177 Wales Club Golf Ads 22/02/2013 12:00 Page 177
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NEWPORT GOLF CLUB (GWENT)
Newport Golf Club was founded in 1903 and extends over 6500 yards. It is situated in the spectacular setting of Llynwi wood, an ancient oak woodland and has played host to many top amateur events, such as the British Ladies Championships, the Mens Welsh Senior Championships and the British Girls Championships. The club is 1 mile from J 27 of the M4 and is 6 miles West of the Celtic Manor resort.
50% OFF MEMBERSHIP FEES FOR EACH OF THE FIRST TWO YEARS. ONLY £475 PER YEAR FOR FULL MEMBERSHIP (JOINING FEE APPLIES) Tel 01633 892643 | Email secretary@newportgolfclub.org.uk | www.newportgolfclub.org.uk
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NCG pp178 Columnist MT 2/21/13 1:49 PM Page 178
MARK TOWNSEND Why can I never complete my takeaway in my sleep? VERY morning it follows the same pattern; I wake up, a general confusion follows as to what day it is, I contemplate (and afford myself) a 10-minute snooze and then wonder what I have just done for the past seven hours? Around two hours later it comes to me that it has happened again. For the past 30-odd years I have spent what feels like the best part of the night torturing myself with various scenarios on a golf course. So, not only can I manage to fill vast chunks of my daylight thinking time with visions of knifed chips and a general unease ahead of anything to do with picking up a golf club, I am also able to take things a few steps further when the shutters come down at night. Most of my golfing brethren are likeminded ne'er do wells and, if anyone could be trusted to share the same hobby, it is them. To a man we all think (or dream) the same and so I sought out an expert in the field, Michael, from Dream Moods in the United States to explain our (and most likely your) inner-most cogitations.
E
Scenario 1 I have a bench or a wall or a person behind me and I cannot take the club back. I repeatedly try to make a swing but am never able to do so. This always takes place on the 15th tee at Wimbledon Park which is strange as, of all the holes I regularly messed up as a junior, this generally wasn’t one of them. More often than not I am playing with Seve and/or Greg Norman which only makes things worse. One friend has the same dream but takes things on a level by suddenly finding himself in a straitjacket. Dream Moods says Not being able to swing your club back is similar to not being able to hit a baseball or not being able to throw a punch. Your limited movement can reflect your actual paralysis while in the dream state. Symbolically, the dream may be rooted in your frustration or helplessness in a situation. Something or someone is holding you back. Action plan Will file for divorce. And have another series of chipping lessons. Scenario 2 I can't get the tee in the ground
178 APRIL 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
Tee party Now, if I can just get this round under way
because the ground is too hard for my small plastic tee. If it does go in at the required height then the ground is then too uneven. It becomes more frustrating as I have to wave various groups behind through. As in the first one I never get to hit the actual shot. Dream Moods says Not being able to get the tee in is analogous to not being able to get some project off the ground. The uneven ground points to a weak foothold on a goal.
Action plan Mrs Allen said the same of me when I was eight. Thirty four years on I still need to shape up and, furthermore, grow up. Scenario 4 Not so much golfing but while I’ve got you. I all too often have the one where I haven't prepared for an exam.
Action plan This could represent any aspect of my life but I suspect we are still talking about my short game.
Dream Moods says Not being prepared for some task is a common recurring dream because many of us feel we are being put to some sort of test or challenge. We are always being scrutinised in some way, either perceived or actual. These feelings bring about anxieties that often manifest themselves in dreams.
Scenario 3 I never finish a hole, constantly hockeying the ball around the hole. Quite often a strip of cellophane is covering the hole.
Action plan I had always put this down to my lethargic A level efforts. Will now put it down to general paranoia.
Dream Moods says Never finishing a hole is analogous to not being able to complete your goals because your are 'messing around'. In general, golfing refers to your drive to succeed, where the holes symbolise goals.
For more visit www.dreammoods.com
• Mark Townsend is NCG’s deputy editor. He plays off 7 and has a quite appalling short game
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