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Issue 239 | Dec 2014/Jan 2015

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PLUS: JOHN DALY TOMMY FLEETWOOD STACY LEWIS TOM LEWIS WIN A GOLF BREAK

RORY MCILROY

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Issue 239 | Dec 2014/Jan 2015

Golf News, The Studio, 14 Deanway, Hove, East Sussex BN3 6DG. Tel: 01273 556377. email: info@golfnews.co.uk. Website: www.golfnews.co.uk Managing Director Matt Nicholson matt@golfnews.co.uk

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PLUS: JOHN DALY TOMMY FLEETWOOD STACY LEWIS TOM LEWIS WIN A GOLF BREAK

RORY MCILROY

“I believe I can walk away with the trophy at any tournament when I’m on my game” P20-21

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A golden age to be a golfer

W

ithout wishing to sound like an extract from the Monty Python sketch where they sit around complaining about how hard life was in the old days (you know, the ‘cardboard box on the M1’ sketch – look it up on YouTube), we golfers have never had it so good.

With green fees remaining pretty much the same as they were 20 years ago, and golf clubs literally falling over each other to offer membership packages to suit every which way you want to play the game, we’re definitely living in a golden era in which to be a golfer.

With few clubs charging joining fees, and many throwing in 15 months for the price of 12 for new members, as well a host other enticements, the traditional barriers to entry have all but disappeared.

While some of us may feel that we don’t have quite the time that we once did to indulge in our favourite pastime, all the evidence points to people living longer, having more leisure time and more disposable income than at any point in history. All of which gives me reason to believe that despite its current woes, golf will continue to thrive and survive in the years ahead.

Of course, golf clubs will, and most have, adapted to the way our lifestyles have changed, but whether you want to play every day of the week, or just once a month, there is a membership package out there that will allow you the benefits that being a member offers – competitions, handicaps, social activities and, dare I say it, fun – without having to break the bank.

The other reason that golfers have never had it so easy is down to technology. The advancements made in equipment over the last few years have been simply breathtaking, and as

someone who gets to try out all these new shiny objects, it is quite hard to keep up with the pace of improvement. From the humble trolley, which can pretty much find its own way to the club these days, to the amazing array of forgiving and distance-enhancing woods and irons, high-spinning wedges and counter-balanced putters, it’s small wonder that we’re not all playing off scratch.

That is, until you factor in the all-important element of talent that is required to use them.

Even the not insignificant skill of judging distances has been taken out of our hands following the arrival of GPS technology into the game.

And if you turn to pages 32-33 of this issue, you’ll discover a dizzying array of devices that can help remove the guesswork from working out how far it is to the pin. Not only that, they will offer club selection advice, show you where those hidden bunkers are, track your calorie count, tell all your mates on Facebook how badly you’re playing the front nine, and order you a bacon sandwich from the half-way hut (OK, I made the last one up, but it’ll be the next thing on their list of enhancements for 2016.)

Throw in golf balls that never scuff up, no matter how hard you knife them; golf shoes that feel like your favourite ever pair of trainers straight from the box; lithium batteries that weigh nothing and make your trolley last for days; and compression layers that boost your distance off the tee and give you the body of an Olympic gymnast (yes,

it’s true, read about it on page 17), and the list of innovations goes on and on.

While the constant search for the ‘next best thing’ can sometimes wear a bit thin on us poor consumers, I don’t think anyone would want the equipment manufacturers to hold up their hands and say, ‘That’s it folks, we’ve done all we can, the rest of it is up to you now. We’ve given you the best ever clubs that money can buy, and it’s all down to you and your swing’. The simple truth is that we all like to believe we can buy a better a game, and for those who haven’t bought new clubs in the last five years or so, take it from me, you really can. And for those that have invested in new kit, you can also buy yourself some lessons, and then that single figure handicap can really start to become a reality rather than a dream. Here’s to playing some great golf on some great courses in 2015.

END OF AN ERA Having watched Tiger Woods’s lacklustre comeback at the Hero World Challenge, I can’t be the only one who thinks that they might have just witnessed the closing chapter of the Woods era.

To be honest, the end began a long time ago – about the time his now ex-wife attacked his car as he fled from the family home back in 2009.

Since then, he’s been battling a losing PR game, and a body that has consistently failed him through over training.

As he enters his 40th year, Woods has been a towering figure at the top of the game for almost two decades, but his time is now over, and we are entering the era of Rory McIlroy and new kid on the block Jordan Spieth – two players that will excite crowds for many years to come. Tiger can never be replaced, or perhaps even bettered, but life moves on, and so must we. It was good while it lasted.

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Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

News in Brief

Postman Matt delivers at Q School

SOUTHERN GIRLS DOMINATE ENGLAND ORDER OF MERIT

Kent-based professional Matt Ford has had to withdraw his application to work for the Royal Mail this winter, after winning a place on next season’s European Tour.

The Swindon-born 36 year old, who lives in Bearsted, finished fourth in the final stage of the European Tour’s qualifying school in Spain last month, and can now look forward to playing for some very big prize funds on golf’s top tier, rather than walking up icy paths to deliver Christmas cards for close

Seven of the top 10 places in this year’s England Golf Girls’ Order of Merit went to girls from the South of England. Although the overall title was won by India Clyburn from Lincolnshire, the next seven places in the rankings went to southern-based players: Annabel Dimmock (Wentworth), Sophie Keech (Parkstone), Alice Hewson (Berkhamsted), Gabriella Cowley (Hanbury Manor), Inci Mehmet (Wentworth), Lizzie Prior (Burhill) and Lauren Horsford (Wimbledon Park).

BARHAM MASTERS VALDERRAMA Recently-crowned PGA South Order of Merit champion Benn Barham maintained his winning form when capturing the Golf Escapes PGA South Andalusian Overseas Pro-Am with a sevenunder-par total for three rounds over La Reserva, Valderrama and Finca Cortesin in Spain. Barham took home £800 and added a further £150 to his haul by helping his amateur partners from C+K Group – Ian Pether, Simon Robertson and Neil Grey – win the team event by eight shots.

to the minimum wage.

Ford applied for a winter job with the Post Office after struggling for form on the Challenge Tour this year, but he rediscovered it just at the right time at PGA Catalunya.

Although he didn’t get off to the best of starts, with an opening 74, Ford followed that up with a blistering run of 64, 65 and 68 to go to the top of the leaderboard after four rounds.

With a healthy cushion over most of his rivals in the six-round marathon, he was able to coast home with rounds of 70 and 72, to finish on 15 under par for the week, and take fourth place behind overall winner Mikko Korhonen from Finland.

“The Christmas job with the Royal Mail was a back-up plan, as I haven’t earned much money on the Challenge Tour this year,” said Ford, who won €7,700 for his efforts in Spain. “I’ve got a young family at home, and I needed to keep the money

coming in. It’s quite strange, because soon after I put in the application, I started playing better. The fear factor of not wanting to be a postman really motivated me to up my game, as I’d much rather be out here playing golf for a living.”

He added: “I have only made it to the final stage once before, and I was just trying to make the cut after four rounds, so to get through all six rounds and come away with a European Tour card is beyond my wildest dreams. I was barely able to speak after signing my card for the final round.

I’ve been trying to achieve this for 10 or 11 years, and it was all a bit emotionally overwhelming.

“Everything has changed overnight. I’ve gone from the prospect of a parttime Royal Mail job to playing for millionpound prize funds.

I should get to play in up to 25 events next season, which gives me a good opportunity to secure my card again – so we’ll have to see what happens.”

FIGHTING FIFTH FOR TREE Sussex amateur Toby Tree finished fifth in this year’s England Golf men’s order of merit points list.

Double European champion Ashley Chesters from Shropshire took the title by a wide margin, amassing over 136,000 points.

HIGH ELMS SENIORS DIG DEEP FOR CHARITY The senior captain of High Elms Golf Club in Kent handed over a cheque for £3,000 to local charity Sebastian’s Action Trust last month following a year-long series of fund-raising events by seniors at the club. Mike Holmes passed on the funds to officials for the Hampshire-based charity, which runs a respite care home for sick children from all over the South East. The money was raised through numerous competitions, challenges, raffles, while a £1 fine for finding the captain’s bunker on High Elms’ 16th green also proved very profitable.

Swan to rescue Barton from slipping into sea Barton-on-Sea Golf Club in Hampshire has taken on the services of a course architect to create a new layout that will ensure golf can continue at its stunning clifftop setting despite the effects of coastal erosion.

The 18-hole course overlooks the Channel and the Isle of Wight, but such has been the speed of the south coast’s erosion in recent years, that large parts of the course are in danger of enjoying too good a view of the sea.

Howard Swan, whose company, Swan Golf Designs, is taking on the rescue mission, said: “The original course, which dates back to 1897, was extended to 27 holes in the early 1990s, and takes full advantage of the cliff-top setting in creating some wonderfully spectacular holes. But now the power of the

sea and the UK’s highly-changeable climate is taking its toll, with the club now finding a number of holes under threat from the receding coastline.

“We are working alongside the membership to redesign those holes which are under threat, and at the same time identify other areas for improvement. It is likely that five holes will be altered, with the construction of new tees, new bunkers and one new fairway, plus modifications to two greens. The second phase of work is anticipated to require two or three more holes to be renovated, with the redesign and reconstruction of tees and bunkering.”

Other proposed improvements consist of revisions to the overall bunkering throughout the course, and further development of the large practice ground.

Davies backs end to male-only clubs Dame Laura Davies, Britain’s most successful female golfer in the modern age, has expressed her delight at the Royal & Ancient Golf Club’s decision to allow women members to join its ranks.

The 52 year old from Ascot told Golf News: “Women’s golf is so big now that it’s only right that women should be allowed to become members at what is widely regarded as the home of golf. Times move on, and I think all of the R&A’s members probably realised that it was a bit ridiculous in this day and age to continue to be a male-only club.”

She added: “This is a big moment for women’s golf.

Girls will hopefully now see golf as a viable sport to play.

I spoke to someone from the Ladies’ Golf Union recently, and they said the numbers of women are down in UK golf clubs. Maybe the vote will raise awareness and women will start thinking, ‘Oh, I thought that was a male-orientated sport’. You’ve got to remember that some people haven’t even played the game, and this might just give them the encouragement to try it.”

Despite being one of the most prodigious talents the game has ever seen, Davies says she suffered sexual discrimination during the early stages of her career.

“I remember when I was about 15, I was brought in front of the secretary at a club because I had walked in front of the men’s members’ lounge,” she said. “I wasn’t a member there, but we were in a junior competition. I was absolutely panic-stricken about the rules. We weren’t allowed in certain parts of the clubhouse, and yet we were playing in one of the biggest amateur women’s tournaments you could possibly play in. Thankfully those days seem to be long gone, but it was an every day occurrence back then.”

Sprinting Scott wins SpeedGolf title Britain’s first ever national Speedgolf Championship was won by PGA Professional George Scott after he completed 18 holes at Boars Head Golf Centre in East Sussex Scott sprints to the next tee in 76 shots and in a time of 57 minutes and 28 seconds, to give him a Speedgolf score of 133.28.

A total of 21 competitors took part in Britain’s inaugural national event, and organisers are hopeful that this new take on golf will continue to grow this side of the Atlantic, after proving so successful in the USA. Tournament organiser Dominic Warne said: “Your score is your combination of time and the amount of shots it takes to go round, and that’s where the joy of this concept of golf comes into its own. It’s all about the balance – are you going to take on a tricky shot around the trees, or are you going to go for the par five in two?”

Scott, who is the head professional at Boars Head, said: “I didn’t expect to win it. I just turned up thinking I’d give it a go and see what happened. The run was just adrenalinfuelled, with support from club members shouting ‘Run fatboy run’, which was very funny. I am not the slightest guy, and had to really push myself, but I thought it was great fun.”

Two competitors travelled from Canada to take part, while the youngest player was 16-year-old Ollie Hyland, who said: “Putting was like a lottery out there, as you’re shaking so much because your blood’s trying to pump around your body as fast as it can. But it was a great day, and I hope they put on more fun events like this.”

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Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

News in Brief CROWN APPOINTS NEW MANAGER AT SOUTH ESSEX South Essex Golf Centre in Brentwood has appointed Barry Careford as its new manager.

Formerly at Chesfield Downs Golf Club, which is also owned

by Crown Golf, Careford plans to make the centre more familyorientated, and has recently introduced FootGolf to broaden the venue’s appeal to youngsters.

SWEETWOODS WIN LONGEST DAY CHALLENGE A team from Sweetwoods Golf Club in Kent has won the Macmillan Cancer Support Longest Day Golf Challenge, after taking part in a grand final held at Boavista Golf Resort in Portugal. Simon Miller, Matthew Aston, Nigel Oliver and Matthew Bradley won the title following a qualifying event earlier in the year, which saw over 900 teams across the country raise over £700,000 for the charity after playing four rounds in a single day.

Golfers flock to shop at London Golf Show The decision to move the London Golf Show to Bluewater retail park in Kent proved a success, after organisers reported increased visitor numbers from previous years, as well as record retail spend.

Official visitor numbers were 12,931 over the three days of the show, which was up almost 10 per cent on the previous year’s show at Earls Court. Many visitors were attracted by the ease

Silvermere’s pop-up shop proved a big hit with visitors

of transport, free parking and the wide array of exhibitors.

Golf Show Group’s managing director Damian Benstead said: “This year’s London Golf Show has been

a great success for us and for our exhibitors, who have reported great feedback about their experiences.

Retail spend with show partner Silvermere Golf Store was up, with takings

Hatton hails rookie year Oxfordshire-based tour player Tyrrell Hatton says his first season on the European Tour has exceeded all expectations.

The Harleyford Golf Club star finished sixth at the endof-season showpiece DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, just a couple of shots behind winner Henrik Stenson, which left him 36th on the order of merit for the year.

Hatton also narrowly missed out on the prestigious rookie of the year title, which went to America’s Brooks

Koepka, who came eighth in the Race to Dubai standings and won the Turkish Open last month.

“It was a fantastic way to finish, and topped off a great rookie year for me,” said the 23 year old from Marlow. “I was playing against many of the best players in the world, but it just goes to show that I can be competitive with some of the best names in golf.

“I haven’t really thought much about being a rookie this year; I just took every week as it came, and did

over the three days totalling £127,000, which is a record for them at the London Golf Show. Coaching partner Playgolf delivered over 850 individual golf lessons to visitors, which again is a record number for the show.

Bluewater was a great hit with visitors too, with free parking, and all of the other facilities on offer, proving very attractive..”

Prostate Cancer UK, the show’s official charity partner, also benefitted

from the visitor upturn, raising more than £4,500 in donations from putting and driving competitions held throughout the show.

This year’s event also featured the Golf Tourism Show, which saw exhibitors from all over the world come to meet golfers from the UK. This proved to be a great addition and is expected to form an increasingly important part of the exhibition in the future.

Hatton enjoyed a stellar rookie season on tour

a top 30 finish would have got me a place in next year’s Open at St Andrews.”

He added: “Hopefully this is just the start for me, but time will tell. I feel that my game is good enough to win out on tour, so we’ll just have to see. My family is really proud of me. They came to watch in Dubai, as did my girlfriend, so it was a nice way to finish the season with everyone together. I don’t know why, but whenever my girlfriend comes to watch me, I do well. I finished second in Johannesburg, fourth in Scotland, third in Switzerland, and now sixth in Dubai.”

my best to finish as high as I could.”

Just 18 months ago Hatton was ranked 995th in the world rankings, but his form this season has seen him leap to 132nd, and his aim is to continue that meteoric rise when he picks up his clubs again at the start of the new season.

“At the start of the year the goal was to retain my tour card, but to finish 36th in the Race for Dubai is amazing, and I’ve certainly exceeded all my expectations. But it’s also a little disappointing, because

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Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

Channels capture Golfplan title Channels Golf Club PGA Pro Jason Levermore teamed up with his club’s captain Neil Hutchinson to win the Golfplan Insurance PGA Pro Captain Challenge trophy held at Antalya Golf Club in Turkey.

Having established a three-shot first round lead, the Essex pair scorched the greens and fairways of the PGA Sultan Course with an impressive display, carding a seven-under-par 64 in the second round. It eased them to 12 under par for the tournament with a five-shot winning margin over Ashburnham’s duo of Martin Stimson and Martin Hale, who did their utmost to pile on the pressure with a closing round 66.

After picking up a cheque for £5,000, Levermore said: “This is a massive boost for the club, as we aren’t often represented in these kinds of event.

This is the first year we’ve played the Pro-Captain, and all the members have been behind us, with lots of messages of support. Hutch played really well and we seem to work nicely together.”

Hutchinson, whose reign of captain is coming to a close, said: “I feel incredibly privileged, as this has been fantastic.

I can actually say I’m a PGA winner, and that’s a bit special. It also makes a statement for the club and puts us on the map a little. What a perfect way to finish off my year as captain.”

Richmond Park launches race to the Algarve Richmond Park Golf Course in West London is hosting a series of open competitions on Fridays throughout the winter which offers the temping prize of a week’s holiday in Portugal to the overall winner.

The popular pay-and-play facility, which has recently opened a brand new clubhouse, is staging the ‘Race to the Algarve’, which will comprise ninehole competitions on 10 consecutive Fridays from December 5, culminating in a grand final at the end of February.

The league champion will win a week’s stay in a

three-bedroom luxury villa in Vale de Lobo, courtesy of Owners Direct. Runner-up prizes include a Motocaddy S1 digital trolley and a Golfbuddy GPS watch.

Richmond Park sales manager Nick McArthur said: “The Race to the Algarve is about having fun and making the most of golf this winter. Everyone is welcome, and it only costs £15 to enter each game, which includes green fees. The nine-hole format makes it perfect for a quick round and bite to eat afterwards in our new clubhouse.”

To enter the Race to the Algarve, visit www. glendalegolf.co.uk or call 0208 876 3205.

Trick shot artist launches junior golf book

Dean Davis at the book launch

Professional golfer and trick shot artist Dean Davis has always had a passion for teaching and introducing juniors into the game of golf, teaching to date over 5,000 children.

While performing his trick shots at the 10th London Golf Show held at Bluewater recently, Davis launched the second edition of his popular book, ‘The A-Z of Junior Golf’.

This entertaining and informative book provides children with tips and helpful hints about the game through the use of four exciting characters. Ideally

suited for children aged between three and 11, it makes a perfect stocking filler for potential golfers, as well as those already keen on the game. It costs £6 plus P&P, and can be ordered online at www.golfprodeandavis.co.uk.

Davis is also is offering a free trickshot show to five golf clubs holding junior opens in 2015. To qualify for this great prize, simply email your details to info@ golftrickshotshow.com, where your club will be entered into a draw. The closing date for entries is January 31, 2015.

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News in Brief ACES HIGH AT ST AUSTELL Four golfers from Cornwall are heading into the record books after they each scored a hole-inone in the same competition.

Alan Wiltshire, John Brook, Tony Saunders and Dave Evans were all playing in a seniors’ betterball competition at St Austell Golf Club when they made very short work of the par threes.

First to make his mark was Wiltshire, a 20-handicapper who used a 7-iron to ace the 171-yard second hole. He was followed in by Brook, who also aced the second, in his case with an 8-iron.

Third up was Saunders, a 24-handicapper, who used a pitching wedge on the 104-yard 16th. Last but not least was Evans, who at 89 is the oldest member of the club. He was playing in the same fourball as Saunders and followed him into the hole on the 16th using a rescue club.

The feat was celebrated with free drinks for all in the clubhouse, paid for by the seniors’ hole-in-one fund.

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Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

Poulter Masters

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Ian Poulter has a long association with Woburn

The British Masters is to return to the European Tour’s schedule next year for the first time since 2008, with Ryder Cup star Ian Poulter playing the tournament host at his home club, Woburn.

The much-missed tournament is likely to be staged at the prestigious Buckinghamshire venue from October 8-11, a week that currently lies empty in the European Tour’s published schedule for 2015. It would follow the Alfred Dunhill Links and take place a fortnight before the start of the four-event Final Series in China.

Ian Poulter is Woburn’s attached tour professional, and he is delighted at the prospect of playing the role of official host for the tournament, which was last played at Woburn in 2002, when he lost a play-off for the title against great friend Justin Rose on the club’s Marquess Course.

“It has been far too long since Woburn hosted a regular European Tour event,” said Poulter. “When you think of the history there, with wins for the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam, it deserves to have a European Tour event again. It has been in fantastic condition for the last few years. It will be a great week and

www.haywardsheathgolfclub.co.uk

Winning professional Andy Raitt (second from left) with his team

Raitt romps home in Arizona St George’s Hill professional Andy Raitt bagged his second American Golf Holiday Pro-Am title of the year, after beating a strong field at the Arizona Classic in Scottsdale.

The 19th staging of this popular event saw professionals and amateurs take on a stunning line up of venues, including Troon North, Desert Highlands, Las Sendas, Grayhawk and We-Ko-Pa, along with an optional challenge day at TPC Scottsdale.

Former winner Simon Lilly (Wellingborough) took the first round lead at the exclusive Desert Highlands with a superb round of 68. However, Raitt, Jason Kelly and Craig Cowper were also in fine form, shooting under-par opening rounds.

On day two, at Las Sendas, Bearwood Lake’s Martin Woodbridge moved into contention with an excellent 67, which was matched

by Rob McGuirk (Prince’s) in the third round at Grayhawk. But it was Raitt’s closing 67 at We-Ko-PA that sealed the deal, and gave the St George’s Hill man his second Pro-Am Tour win of the year, with McGuirk and Kelly tied for second place.

McGuirk combined with Stephen Parkhouse, Malcolm Wager and Alan Kennedy to win the team event, with Kelly’s team in second, and Woodbridge’s team third. Craig Cowper won the Troon North challenge day, while Sam Jarman won at TPC Scottsdale.

For information on next year’s schedule of Pro-Am tournaments, visit www.pro-amtour. com or call 023 8046 5885.

Winning team: Alan Kennedy, Malcolm Wager, Rob McGuirk and Stephen Parkhouse

Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

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set to host British at Woburn obviously a very proud one for me.”

In what is becoming something of a trend on tour, after the 2015 staging of the British Masters at Woburn, the European Tour is planning to ask Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Justin Rose to play host to the tournament at venues of their choosing.

Rory McIlroy is hosting the Irish Open at Royal County Down next year; Paul Lawrie is launching his own Match Woburn’s Marquess course hosted the British Masters in 2002 Play tournament in his hometown of Aberdeen in July, and Thomas Bjorn is the man behind over the years. It’s now one of the best the Made in Denmark tournament in his events we play, and I’m sure the fans would native country. flock to a good tournament in October.

Donald is equally enthusiastic about It seems like a perfect fit. I’ve not got a the prospect of getting involved with the specific venue in mind, and I think I’ll have British Masters. “We’ve been going on to get back to the UK and play a few of the about England having another event for courses like Walton Heath and Woburn, and long enough, and it’s great that it looks see which one would suit me.” like it is finally going to happen,” he said.

Woburn’s Duke’s Course has staged the “Let’s hope we can find the right date in the European Senior Tour’s Travis Perkins Senior calendar. We’ve all seen how the BMW PGA Masters in recent years, where the last two Championship at Wentworth has grown renewals were won by Colin Montgomerie.

QHotels snaps up De Vere resorts De Vere Hotels has sold six of its golf hotels to QHotels, which is seeking to strengthen its nationwide presence and complement its existing portfolio of 21 hotels with premium golf, spa and leisure facilities.

The six hotels are Cameron House, Scotland; Dunston Hall, Norfolk; Oulton Hall, Yorkshire; Mottram Hall, Cheshire; Slaley Hall, Northumberland; and Belton Woods, Lincolnshire.

All six venues will be managed alongside the existing QHotels portfolio of hotels, with investment earmarked for each of them over the coming months.

QHotel’s managing director Michael Purtill, said: “This is a really positive move that will help drive long-term, sustained growth for the QHotels brand. The six hotels are an excellent fit, as they are renowned for their first-rate facilities, catering and service. This aligns with our guest-first ethos and enables us to effectively expand our UK reach.”

He added: “We will be working with each hotel on an individual basis to ensure we build

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Following the sell off of De Vere Venues earlier this year, De Vere’s only holding is Village Urban Resorts. Made up of 25 mid-market hotels with a strong leisure element, this is also to be sold, with an announcement regarding a buyer expected soon.

Miller loses out at long drive final Joe Miller’s spectacular winning streak in long driving events came to an end in the semi-final of the $250,000 Re/Max World Long Drive Championship at Las Vegas’ Paiute Golf Resort last month.

The 29-year-old from North London, who is attached to Brocket Hall Golf Club, won the world title in 2010 and was runner-up last year. He remains unbeaten in Europe during 2013 and 2014, but lost in the sem-finals in Las Vegas to the eventual runner-up Jeff Crittenden.

A disappointed Miller,

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who had enjoyed a run of 13 consecutive victories before succumbing to Crittenden by one yard, said: “It was very frustrating to not get another world title, but I’ll regroup, learn and strive forwards again positively. I didn’t hit it like I normally do on the night, and I was punished. It was for me to lose, and unfortunately I did.

I will, however, turn it into a positive and come back stronger.”

The champion was American Jeff Flagg, whose winning drive was just over 365 yards, which he achieved with a Callaway X2 Hot driver.

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10 /

Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

MY TAME NIGHT OUT WITH

THE WILD THING Why on earth, I wondered, as I pulled into the crowded car park at Pedham Place Golf Centre by junction three of the M25, would a two-time major champion come to this curious corner of Kent on a Thursday night in November?

The explanation came more or less immediately I spotted John Daly, resplendent in dazzling jacket and bright white hair, dutifully posing for photos with his adoring fans. For £30 you could be the proud owner of a framed montage containing photos of Daly winning the US PGA at Crooked Stick in 1991, the Open at St Andrews in 1995, and a signed one of you and him at Pedham Place Golf Centre in 2014. There was no shortage of takers, and Daly happily chatted to each in turn, before wrapping his arms around them and dutifully smiling at the camera.

With four broken marriages and consequent alimony obligations, a penchant for having a punt, and a highmaintenance lifestyle, Daly clearly needs to supplement his now-modest earnings on the golf course. Acting as his agent, former European tour pro Simon Hurd had put together a four-night UK tour, of which Pedham Place was the final stop.

Photo opportunities over, the audience, each of whom had forked out £49.50, settled into their seats and awaited wise words from the Wild Thing. Former England and Manchester United forward Lee Sharpe, who has also led a colourful life, hosted proceedings, arranged another glass of Jack Daniels for his guest, and kicked off the session by asking Daly why had he

Daly wowed the crowds w ith some big hitting on Pedham’s dr iving range

Daly was inte rviewed by Le e Sharpe in front of a full house at Pedh am Place

Clive Agran recounts a bizarrely entertaining evening spent at Pedham Place Golf Centre in Kent in the company of two-time major winner John Daly

chosen golf.

Speaking with refreshing candour, Daly didn’t deny The man from Arkansas revealed he was pretty good gambling away $50m, and confessed he might have at most sports, including baseball, American football and been at least partially responsible for his marriage basketball. “Where I grew up golf wasn’t the game to failures. “I might not have been the best husband of all play, but it’s much more challenging than any other, and time, but I think I’m one of the best fathers in the world. I you can play golf for ever. You never get good enough. I take good care of my kids.” believe golf is the ultimate sport,” he said.

Continuing the family theme, he said his mother was In the early days, he knocked it round a nearby ninean angel, while his father was an ‘a***-hole’. On a brighter hole course and practised on a baseball ground, lobbing note, he revealed that he and his present partner had wedges onto the pitcher’s mound and smashing balls been happily together for eight years, “And if we don’t get into left and right field. The seeds of both his later success married, we should be fine.” He has since got engaged!!! and possible downfall were sown when he got caught On the subject of sex, Daly claimed, “Tiger will never up in big money matches, the proceeds of which helped have more women than me.” And, with a nice touch finance him through college. of self-deprecating humour, added it only seemed He reminisced about his extraordinary US PGA as if Woods had had more because women proudly triumph, and Sharpe reminded confessed to having had sex with him the audience of the extraordinary while, “those who have had sex with generosity Daly had displayed me don’t say anything because they in donating $30,000 out of his don’t want to embarrass themselves.”

“I don’t think the winnings towards the education The audience lapped it up every of the children of a young father bit as enthusiastically as did Daly the R&A were terribly tragically killed by lightning in the Jack Daniels. The Ryder Cup? “All the keen on some redcar park.

Americans are so serious. I wouldn’t neck, blue-collar Dismissive of the latest swing want to be part of that. I’m going to analysis technology, Daly still adopt Irish citizenship and play for worker winning adheres to his famous ‘grip it Europe.” their tournament” and rip it’ philosophy, although The best ever golfer? “Tiger was a nowadays focuses more on the lot better than Nicklaus.” The most short game. “I hit balls from 100 important major? “The British Open is yards in. And just because the the greatest tournament in the world, shaft’s longer, doesn’t mean you have to hit it any harder.” because it’s the hardest to win.” Rory? “He shouldn’t bulk Ironically, for the man who made his name smacking up too much or he’ll lose his flexibility.” Regrets? “Hell, drives out of sight, he complained: “Kids just want to no!” Favourite course? “St Andrews. Augusta’s okay. I love get on the range and bomb it these days. Chipping and Turnberry.” Favourite English course? “Gleneagles. Oops, putting – now that’s what’s important.” sorry. How about Wentworth?” Royal St George’s? “I don’t In answer to a question from the audience about the like it. You can hit it right down the middle of the fairway R&A’s reaction to his Open success in 1995, he said: and not be on the fairway.” The future? “Good things are “They wouldn’t give me the time of day until I going to happen.” Seniors Tour? “All my buddies are there won the British Open. To be honest, I don’t think – Ray Floyd, Craig Stadler, Fuzzy Zoeller, Jack Nicklaus, they were terribly keen on some redneck, blueBen Crenshaw, Kenny Perry, Tom Watson.” collar worker winning their tournament.”

Because there has been so much drama in his life, at And so he had declined to have a drink with the start of the evening I wondered if Mr Daly might have the blazers, and instead filled the claret jug felt more at home in Peyton Place. But, no, he looked with ice cream and shared it with a few friends. entirely comfortable in the modest surroundings of a A staunch Republican, he also refused to take driving range. Hats off the to him and the hidden gem a congratulatory call from President Clinton, a Pedham Place for a considerable coup.

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News in Brief PYRFORD RAISES £13K FOR CHARITY Generous golfers at Pyrford Golf Club in Surrey have raised a recordbreaking £13,000 for Shooting Star Chase, the club’s official charity for 2014. The funds were raised in a variety of imaginative ways, including at an auction during June’s captains’ day, which raised over £3,000, while the seniors’ section donated over £2,000.

SOUTHERN STARS EARN BMW SPOTS Jason Levermore, Benn Barham and Chris Gane can look forward to teeing it up alongside the cream of the European Tour next season, after the trio of South East professionals earned places in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth courtesy of top-10 finishes in the Titleist PGA Play-Offs in Turkey. Levermore finished second, Barham sixth and Gane eighth in the 54-hole tournament held at the PGA Sultan Course, which was won by Dublin’s Niall Kearney with a 14 under par total.

Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

ROYAL BOOST FOR SOUTHERN STARS’ OLYMPIC AMBITIONS Two of the brightest golfing talents in the South East received a royal boost for their Olympic ambitions last month when they met the Duchess of Cambridge at a training camp in London.

England teenage internationals Marco Penge and Emma Allen were among 30 young athletes who were invited by the charity SportsAid to attend a workshop designed to help them on their journey to the Olympic Games.

The Duchess, who is patron of SportsAid, joined them at its cutting-edge Human Performance Laboratory in London, where she watched on as they took part in a series of scientific fitness assessments, and spoke to both England golfers.

Allen, 17, from Meon Valley in Hampshire, was pedalling on a bike and wearing a mask when the Duchess started chatting with her. “She was asking if I was ok, because I’d been pedalling for a long time and someone had told her

Emma Allen talked to the Duchess through an oxygen mask

I was going in the humidity chamber next,” said Emma.

“She wished me good luck – and I mumbled through my mask!”

Allen, who was a member of the England team which won the Girls’ Home Internationals and was also in Hampshire’s winning team at the county finals, added: “The Duchess was brilliant. She engaged with everybody and was genuinely very interested in what we were all doing.

It was an amazing day and a great experience, which will really help me with my golf.”

The Duchess had a more audiable conversation with Penge, who plays at

Marco Penge

Goodwood in West Sussex.

They met as the 16 year old ran on a treadmill in an environmental chamber set to the heat and humidity of Tokyo, which will host the Games in 2020.

“We had a good chat about my golf, and I explained that you don’t

really run in golf, but that fitness and stamina is very important at the end of a tournament,” said Penge, who helped England win the Boys’ Home Internationals this year, and was the England U15 and U16 champion in 2013. “We had a bit of a laugh, because she said she was being cruel talking to me while I was trying to run! Everyone had said beforehand that she was very sporty and really relaxed, and that was what she was like. It was a really good day, and I enjoyed meeting the other athletes and hearing about their goals.”

Both golfers are members of the England U18 training squads, and both receive awards from SportsAid, which helps young disabled and nondisabled athletes to achieve their ambitions. The athletes at the workshop also had the chance to join a mentoring session with Olympic swimmer KeriAnne Payne and to meet Paralympic wheelchair athlete David Weir.

Jon Woodroffe (right) with Callum Elliott ahead of his 50,000th lesson

World of Golf pro gives 50,000th lesson World of Golf Master Professional Jon Woodroffe hit a special milestone last month, when he conducted his 50,000th golf lesson in a career spanning more than 30 years.

The official 50,000th lesson saw the popular Surrey-based professional fine-tuning the game of promising 16-year-old Callum Elliott at the World of Golf’s newly-opened Performance Centre at New Malden, south-west London.

To mark the occasion, Woodroffe – who specialises in teaching beginners and has won a Golf Foundation award for coaching disabled children – was also greeted by 61-year-old Bob Dove, his very first student from 1981.

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/ 13

Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

News in Brief

Bland hails ‘best ever’ year

Buddy up for cut-price golf at Haywards Heath Haywards Heath Golf Club in West Sussex has launched a new membership category that will significantly reduce the cost of golf for those who introduce new members to the club or join as a pair.

The Buddy Membership, which goes live on January 1, will see existing members and new members pay half the club’s annual subscription, providing they introduce at least one new member.

And Buddy members can continue to enjoy the half-price deal every year thereafter by introducing a succession of new ‘buddies’.

Those who manage to find other players to join the club, or who join as a new pair, will find their annual fees drop to £650 for seven-day membership, £537.50 for five-day members, and £487.50 for those aged under 35.

From January, new members will also be given 15 months’ membership for the price of 12, so the first subscription renewal for all early adopters will not be until April 1, 2016.

Hayward Heath’s club secretary, Graham White, said: “Subscriptions in the South East are so high that many golfers cannot afford to join a club. And even for those who can afford a full subscription, it can be an unjustifiable sum when their lifestyles leave little time for golf. At Haywards Heath, it is friends that count – and they will halve one’s subscription. Your buddy will also be there to help find out how the club works, discover what there is to do, and to become involved in everyday activities. The extra members attracted by the Buddy membership, will ultimately reduce subs for everyone – so it’s a win-win.”

Hampshire golfer Richard Bland says his success on this year’s European Tour has been a ‘big step forward’ for him.

The 41 year old from Stoneham earned over £368,000 this season his best-ever haul – but just missed out on qualifying for the lucrative Race To Dubai season finale.

Reflecting on the past 12 month’s, Bland, who enjoyed three top-five finishes, said: “It’s been a really positive year, although I was a little disappointed I didn’t qualify for the Race for Dubai finale, because it is the showcase tournament and to have it snatched away is tough to take. But the positives outweigh the negatives.

He added: “A year ago, I was lying on an operating table having a knee operation and missing the first part of the season, so to get to where I am now is quite an achievement. I’ve probably played more consistently this year. I’ve had more top fives, so it was a big step forward.”

Bland, who turns 42 in February, is targeting his first win on the European Tour and qualifying for DP World Championship as his two main aims for next season.

“I’m really looking forward to next year, more

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He added: “You want to test yourself against the best in the game, so to make the top 60 in the money list, and play in the season’s final event his a clear target to aim at. My stats are better this year in every department, and that’s all you can look for. I didn’t shoot that many poor scores, but I need to turn the 68s into 65s and 64s, which get you into contention.”

COACHING AWARD FOR HENLEY PRO Henley Golf Club’s PGA Professional Mark Howell has won the coach of the year award at the annual Oxfordshire Sports Awards. Howell has been at Henley for 25 years, and has developed a flourishing academy, as well developing a scholarship programme which offers free coaching to a select group of local girls and boys aged between 6-15.

RETIREMENT FOR REEVES

After 22 years of service to the Sussex County Golf Union, Nicky Reeves has decided to take early retirement at the end of the year. Her replacement is Kathy May, who is currently the assistant secretary at Haywards Heath Golf Club.

BIONIC PLATE The Bionic Plate, a competition for golfers with an artificial body part, was won by Jill Pardey with 36 points at Piltdown Golf Club in West Sussex.

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Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

/ 15

COMPETITION

WIN

A GOLF BREAK FOR TWO TO KINGSWOOD GOLF CLUB!

Kingswood Golf Club in Surrey has generously offered to give one lucky Golf News reader a free golf break for two people to celebrate the opening of its new luxury accommodation. The prize includes an overnight stay and two rounds of golf on Kingswood’s superb 18-hole Championship course.

STAY AND PLAY AT A SURREY GEM The Lodge at Kingswood Golf Club, which opened earlier this year, is already proving a real hit with golfers visiting the popular Tadworth-based club. The attractive new facility offers 18 stylish guest rooms, which are ideal for visiting groups and societies, as well as for golfers travelling to take part in the numerous high profile events that the club stages on a regular basis.

Featuring en suite facilities, and a chic and contemporary design, the luxury lodge offers four-star-equivalent boutique hotel accommodation located in the peaceful surroundings of the Surrey countryside. The twin and double rooms, which are available in Standard and Premier finishes, feature everything you’d expect to find in a topclass hotel, including Sky TV, Wi-Fi, mini bar and espresso machine, as well as 24-hour room service.

After a restful night’s sleep and a full English breakfast in the clubhouse, guests can head to the first tee of the championship golf course. Built in 1927, and designed by legendary architect James Braid, Kingswood has recently completed a major renovation programme that has seen the course updated to maintain its status as being one of the finest courses in the

region. The result is a 6,916-yard layout that is now punctuated with exciting risk-andreward tee shots and daunting approaches, making the course both memorable and challenging.

Since the changes, it has proved a fitting venue for British Senior Open Championship regional qualifier, while a significant number of charity golf days, including the Household Cavalry, Variety Club and Shooting Stars, have all discovered what a superb venue it is for hosting events large and small.

Located just three miles from junction 8 of the M25, Kingswood is easily accessible from all parts of South and West London and the Home Counties, and makes for a wonderful venue whatever the occasion.

THE PRIZE The prize includes one night’s bed and breakfast for two people sharing a standard twin room, and two rounds of golf. The break can be taken on any night of the week, but must be booked in advance to ensure accommodation and tee time availability.

TO ENTER To enter, simply answer the question below correctly, and email it to info@ golfnews.co.uk, with ‘Kingswood Competition’ in the subject line, including your name, address and contact telephone number in the email. The closing date for entries is January 31, 2015, and the winner will be notified shortly after that date.

QUESTION: How many guest rooms does Kingswood Golf Club’s lodge have?

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16 /

News in Brief BANKS PITCHES IN AT NORTH OXFORD World Cup-winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks was the guest speaker at North Oxford Golf Club last month for a charity evening to raise funds for the club captain’s charity SeeSaw. The 76-year-old entertained the 120-strong audience with tales of England’s 1966 triumph. Over £800 was raised from the evening for the Oxfordshire charity, which provides support to children who have suffered a family bereavement.

BROCKENHURST MANOR CELEBRATES CENTENARY

Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

Europe triumphs at Flying Club Swingers Final The Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Swingers’ Season 11 Final saw Europe’s brilliant team mirror the exploits of its namesake at Gleneagles earlier this year, by beating the Rest of the World team by an impressive 15-9 margin, following three exciting days of intense competition in Barbados.

With 12 players representing each team, following the season-long qualification process, Europe took an early lead, winning the first day’s foursomes matches 4-2 at the spectacular Apes Hill Golf Club.

European captain Alan Horn laid the foundations for his team’s good start with a strong performance alongside two-handicapper

Anne Lowe to win their match 3&2, as did the rookies Jackie Halstead and Pat Vickers, both from St Anne’s Old Links, playing with experienced Swingers’ finalists Martin Derrick and James Gear.

The only 100 per cent winning record in all finals – that of Peter Parker – remained intact for one more round, with the help of Felixstowe Ferry member Paul Marsh. In fact, if it hadn’t been for ROW captain Steve du Preez from South Africa, along with Brian O’Connor, Andrew Lyth and local Barbados resident Gary Jones, it could have been a whitewash.

The second day saw the finalists move to Royal Westmoreland for the fourballs, and it was a reversal

Brockenhurst Manor Golf Club in Hampshire is celebtating its centenary in 2015. The club has drawn up a packed schedule of events to mark the milestone, which the official raising of the centenary flag taking place on March 1. The main event, the Centenary Trophy, is on July 4, while a centenary ball is be held on July 11.

A triangular Invitation match against Llandudno and Lowes Park, which were also established in 1915, is held on April 18.

Historic trophy returns to Royal Ascot

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Members at Royal Ascot Golf Club are celebrating following the return of a trophy that was presented to the winner of a club competition over 100 years ago.

An eagled-eyed member of the public spotted a small silver cup with the club’s inscription on it being sold on internet auction site eBay, and quickly contacted the club.

The small silver cup was originally presented to Mr H.S. Ferguson, winner of Royal Ascot’s Bogey Competition in 1908.

Keen to have the trophy back in the hands of the club, some 20 members, led by Andy Davidson, pooled their resources to purchase the trophy, and following restoration, presented it back to club.

Receiving the cup on behalf of the members, club captain Roger Wing has pledged that the trophy will be awarded to the player scoring the best single round in Royal Ascot’s Haig Cup, a bogey competition run over four days each Easter.

One of the highlights of the PGA in England (South) season is back on the schedule for 2015, with Royal St George’s and Prince’s hosting the PGA Sandwich Links Championship Pro-Am from October 12-13. Richard Wallis claimed the inaugural title and next year’s event will carry a £12,500 prize fund, including £2,000 to the winner. The £1,200 Pro-Am team entry fee covers three rounds of golf, a drinks reception, free range balls, and a three-course lunch after each round. For bookings, call the PGA office on 01483 224200.

BRACKLEY GOES LOW AT LITTLESTONE Manston Golf Centre assistant professional Max Brackley shot a two-under-par 69 at Littlestone to win the third PGA South Winter Series event by two strokes. The only player to break par on a day when a three-club wind made Littlestone more of a challenge, Brackley cruised past the even par rounds of Callum Haughey (Orpington) and Scott Stevens (Staplehurst Golf), who tied for second. In addition to £333 prize money, Brackley won a Titleist & FootJoy ball, glove and shoe contract for the leading trainee.

of fortunes, as Team ROW, under the guidance of du Preez, battled back to level the scores at 6-6. The final match of the day was a nail biter, as Marsh and Halstead came back from three down with four to play to level the match on the 17th. The remaining finalists and Royal Westmoreland members gathered around the 18th in expectation of a final

hole to remember, and they weren’t disappointed. Dennis Gyde from Australia and PK Dhawaan from India grasped victory to ensure a crucial point for Team ROW. The final day saw the singles matches back at Apes Hill, and despite the trophy being up for grabs at the turn, everything went right for captain Horn and his team on the back nine,

as Europe rounded off an impressive 15-9 victory to ensure they retained the Swingers’ trophy for another season.

A mixture of great courses, perfect weather and friendly, yet close competition ensured that the 11th Swingers Final would go down as one of the best yet. Aside from the golf, the finalists also took part in a sunset catamaran cruise and experienced one of the finest restaurants in the world, The Cliff, at a dinner hosted by the Barbados Tourist Authority.

All thoughts now turn to Season 12, which will once again culminate in a magnificent final. Those not already registered can join now at www. flyingclubgolfleague.com.

Cottesmore to open ‘90-minute course’

In a bid to attract time-pressured golfers, Cottesmore Golf & Country Club in West Sussex is to turn its 18-hole Phoenix Course into a full size nine-hole course that can be played in just 90 minutes.

“A change in people’s lifestyles has led us to rethink our golf offerings,” said Cottesmore’s Director of Golf, Matthew Hazelden. “The outcome is ‘Fast Golf’ on a new Phoenix 9-hole course, which fits in perfectly with these pressures.”

He added: “The introduction the 9-hole alternative started in November, although it will not take on its entire new layout until June next year. The new-look course, which starts and finishes at the clubhouse, will include three holes from the Griffin Course, and will be playable in just 90 minutes. It will be ideal for those who want a quick game before or after work, as well as for youngsters

and those who don’t want to be out for half the day. Reducing our 36-hole site to 27 holes enables us to offer a credible alternative to 18 holes for our existing customers, as well as offer something different for new ones.”

While undertaking these changes, the club is taking the opportunity to strengthen the Griffin course, using three longer holes from the Phoenix to give the course more distance.

“At 6,556 yards off the white tees, it will remain a fair course, but it will also ensure it keeps pace with technological advances,” added Hazelden. “As a result of these changes we believe the Griffin will sit very comfortably alongside some of the best parkland courses in the country, as well as adding real value to our membership product.”

Cottesmore is currently offering unlimited use of the 9-hole course as part of its GolfLite membership, which costs £299 per year.

Groves bags first pro win Drive your business forward with Fore Business Londoner Luke Groves bagged the first win of his fledgling professional career after shooting a four-under par 68 to take the spoils at a TP Series event held at The Buckinghamshire last month.

Groves, who won the West of England Amateur Championship in September, battled against wet conditions to take the Groves’s first pay day spoils from a field that included European Tour winners Mike McLean and Gary Emerson. He carded five birdies during the round to win by two shots from Adam Gee and Tom Wade.

After turning pro in October, the 23-year-old Groves is hoping to gain playing rights for the Middle East & North Africa Tour and EuroPro Tour next season. He said: “I’m hungry for success and know that I have a lot to learn, but to win my first event so early in my pro career is beyond my wildest dreams.”

Golf has long been and co-founder Mix business and pleasure with Fore Business seen as an ideal of FORE Business, sport for growing said: “The secret your network of behind any effective business contacts, networking is down with a corporate to the quality of golf day allowing events and networks, plenty of time to but also how actively get to know your involved you become. clients, and now there’s a which are now hosting A FORE business member can hub to make this happen monthly networking events put their business on course following the launch of in conjunction with a round for a monthly subscription of FORE Business in the UK. of golf. Individuals from small £45 at any one of our venues.

The aim of the innovative to large businesses, as well The fee enables members to company is to bring as sole traders, are signing attend a monthly networking likeminded local businesses up as members in a bid to breakfast event followed by together to network and make valuable contacts and a round of golf with three play golf. The concept has cement relationships with clients, prospects or friends.” already been welcomed potential clients.

For further information, by 15 clubs across the UK, Sean Fergusson, director visit www.fore-business.com.

Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

PERFECT YOUR POSTURE AND BOOST POWER WITH PELHAM & STRUTT SPORT Hit longer, straighter shots and improve your posture with a hi-tech compression top from Pelham and Strutt

/ 17

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

When Pelham and Strutt first launched its innovative range of sports compression wear last year, it knew it would improve posture for golfers and considered the possibility that it might improve their game, but after a series of field tests with a variety of players, its patented designs are being heralded as the golfer’s new secret weapon.

The biomechanical effects of the tops were put to the test on a driving range, where a mixture of single-figure handicappers and club professionals hit shots with and without wearing the top. The results were little short of phenomenal, with both sets of players seeing an average dispersal reduction of 5.7 yards using a 7-iron when wearing the tops compared to not wearing one. Even more impressively, all the single figure handicap golfers involved in the study saw an average of 14 yards added to their drives when wearing the top.

The only product of its kind on the golf market today, Pelham and Strutt’s long sleeve compression sport top has integrated physiotherapy taping woven into key areas of the garment, which provides improved posture, enhanced core stability, and temperature control regulation.

It took the experts at Pelham and Strutt 12 months to perfect the physiotherapy taping design to ensure optimum support and comfort.

The key to the top’s success in

VISIT CALL

The Y-shaped taping in the shirt works in complete harmony with the swing

supporting posture is the distinctive taping that crosses the muscles at the back of the shoulders through to the muscles between the shoulder blade and upper spine.

The second core element of the unique design is the mapping across the abdominal muscles; these muscles are all important in helping to brace the shoulders back, thus maintaining a good upper spinal posture.

Improving upper back posture also influences the positioning and posture lower down in the spine, while the unique taping in each product is designed to take the strain off the muscles that connect the neck to the point of the shoulders which so often become tense, especially during the latter stages of a round.

Some golfers are put off wearing traditional compression wear as they can

sometimes be restrictive and prevent full motion through the swing – but this is not the case with these garments, as they are like a second skin, offering support in all the right areas, while allowing complete freedom of movement throughout all phases of the swing. In fact, within a few minutes of slipping one on, you’ll forget you’re even wearing it.

This is further enhanced by the clever use of the distinctive Y-shape taping fabric mix in Pelham and Strutt’s Sport range – ThermoCool from lnvista. This sport fabric is designed to keep wearers in their comfort zone, as the fabric interacts with the body to balance temperature changes and conserve energy levels. The garments evaporate moisture faster than other materials, thanks to the unique fibre mix and evaporative surface, allowing enhanced air circulation to prevent postexercise chill, while still allowing excess heat to dissipate into the air.

Available in long sleeve options this winter and short sleeve from spring 2015, the Compression Sport top comes in a choice of green, charcoal and white, all with distinctive Pelham and Strutt branding on the forearm.

For more information, call 0115 9778 376 or visit pelhamandstrutt.com/sport

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Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

KEEPING UP WITH

TARVER-JONES Who got you into golf?

It was a mixture of my dad and my friends. Worthing Golf Club had a really big junior section, so I used to go up there at the weekends and play in competitions.

When did you realise golf could be your career?

I got into the Sussex County U14 side, but I was a late developer. I won the Sussex U18s title when I was 17, which obviously isn’t a huge national one, but it’s big in the South. Then I slowly got better and better, and probably improved the most between 20 and 25 years old. I was pretty good as a junior, but not the best and I wasn’t playing national competitions. Then I decided to go to America when I was 18.

What prompted your decision to go to college in America?

I knew my golf would get better over there., because I’d have the weather, facilities and competition. And I knew I had the work ethic to do it. I also wanted the experience and to get a degree at the same time. I worked really hard and my confidence grew and grew, and I improved steadily every year. I learnt how to score as best as I could, even if I didn’t have my ‘A game’. The tournaments are very competitive out there, week in and week out, and you can’t afford to get in a rut and start thinking too much about technique – you just have to score well. I learnt more about my technique as well, and developed more shots so I could

Golf News catches up with Sussex-based tour pro Peter Tarver-Jones, the EuroPro Tour’s Rookie of the Year, as he prepares to continue his meteoric rise on the Challenge Tour in 2015.

Interview by Kit Alexander

still fairly confident, even when I missed those cuts. My training had been really good in Florida, and I’d won the First Stage of EuroPro Qualifying School and shot a course record in that. It just took a little while to get used to playing on the EuroPro Tour, but as soon as I made a cut, my confidence grew.

Peter won the twice on the EuroPro Tour in 2014

hit it higher and lower, and shape it both ways better. I learnt to chip and putt a lot more consistently too.

What were your expectations when you turned pro?

My big goal was to get on the European Tour by 2016 – and that’s still the aim. I’ve eased myself into the pro game. In my first year, in 2013, I played mini tour events in the South to get some confidence and get used to playing for money. I did well and won three events, which was good for my confidence. This year was my first on the EuroPro Tour, and I’m gradually improving and moving up step by step.

Were you worried when you missed your first three cuts on the EuroPro Tour this season?

I’d had such a good January to April that I was

www.go

You got back-to-back wins at Prince’s and The Oxfordshire. How important was it to win in your first year on the EuroPro? It’s really important for self-belief and feeling like you belong there. It was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders when I turned up at The Oxfordshire, and before you know it you’re in contention again. Everyone’s got to win for the first time, but you’ve got to take yourself out of your comfort zone to do it.

How important was it for you to take on a caddie this year?

It was a risk. Nigel used to caddie on the Ladies European Tour and he had a free month, so I asked him if we could work together. I couldn’t afford to pay his way, because I was struggling to cover my own expenses. but he said we could do a month and go from there. You’ve just got to look at my results to see what a difference it made - it was definately worth the investment.

Who are the other key people in your support team?

My coach, Steven Orr, is brilliant. He helps me with my mental game, as well as my technique and swing drills. We’ve worked a lot on the way I practise and how I plan my weeks. I’ve got a small, family-based management team and they can organise things for me. Worthing Golf Club has been great, and they’re always very supportive. The members have been to watch me at a lot of tournaments.

What are you working on this winter ahead of making the step up to the Challenge Tour?

I’m going to Spain in January, so I’ll have two months to work on everything over there. I want to stay competitive and I like playing tournaments and cash games, so I’m focused on my scoring. I don’t like to get too bogged down with swing changes and thoughts. I want to get more powerful and flexible in the gym, so I’ll be working on that too.

Are you expecting to make a splash and get a win in your rookie Challenge Tour season?

Definitely. My goal is to win at least once on the Challenge Tour next year, and in doing so get a top 15 spot that would earn me a place on the European Tour. Another big goal for me next year is to qualify for The Open Champiosnhip at St Andrews – which is such a special venue.

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Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

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Storybehindthepic Gene Sarazen The Masters Tournament, Augusta 1935

A

s Rory McIlroy bids to become only the sixth man ever to win a career slam of majors at next April’s Masters, it is timely to reflect on just how hard this achievement is in the modern era of the game.

While Bobby Jones remains the only player to have won the grand slam, by winning all four majors in the same calendar year, only Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have achieved the career slam more than once (each having won all four majors at least three times), while Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazen and Gary Player have bagged all four just once.

Jones won all four majors in 1930, in the pre-Masters era, when the US Amateur was considered one of the four majors, alongside the US Open, Open Championship

and the US PGA Championship.

At the time, there was no word or phrase to describe such an achievement, as no-one though it possible – but a golf writer from the Atlanta Journal borrowed the term ‘grand slam’ from the game of bridge, which went on to become the accepted term. Another journalist, George Trevor of the New York Sun, wrote that Jones had ‘stormed the impregnable quadrilateral of golf’.

The Augusta National Invitational, which was later renamed the Masters Tournament, began in 1934, and replaced the US Amateur as the fourth major. The tournament initially attracted a limited field composed mainly of Bobby Jones’s close associates, and 80 years later it remains an invitational event, although most players in the field qualify through the world rankings.

No-one has managed a

grand slam in the Masters era, although Tiger Woods won all four majors consecutively during a 10-month period between 2000-2001, to achieve what became known as the ‘Tiger Slam’.

Gene Sarazen had to wait 13 years between winning his first major, the US Open in 1922, and completing the career slam at the Masters in 1935. In the

period in between, he won the PGA twice more (’23, ’33), the US Open (’32), and the British Open (’32).

The momentum behind Sarazen’s Masters’ victory was created by an albatross on the par-five 15th at Augusta, where he holed his second shot with a fairway wood during the final round to tie the lead with Craig Wood. With their scores

tied after 72 holes, the pair returned the following day for a 36-hole play off, which Sarazen went on to win by five shots. The albatross was later described as the ‘shot heard around the world’, and Sarazen’s shot is marked by the bridge that bears his name and that players use to reach the 15th green.

A number of players with multiple majors to their name have come agonisingly close to the career grand slam, but fell one major short. Sam Snead failed to win the US Open; Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson never managed to win a US PGA Championship, Lee Trevino failed to win The Masters; while Byron Nelson and Ray Floyd both failed to lift the Claret Jug. Of those currently playing, Phil Mickelson is still seeking a US Open trophy to complete the major haul, having filled the runner-up no fewer than six times.

McIlroy will be hoping he won’t have to go through such agony as he searches for the slam in what will only be his seventh year as a professional.

His record at the Masters reads 20th, missed cut, 15th, 40th, 25th and eighth, which doesn’t immediately point to a man who is ready to win at Augusta. But such has been his dominance over the last 18 months that he will arrives at the Georgia venue as the overwhelming favourite to bag a coveted green jacket.

The 25-year-old McIlroy is clearly a very different golfer from the one that shot 80 and threw away a four-shot lead in the final round in 2011, and with his long – and now straight – driving, towering irons, and excellent longrange putting, he stands a solid chance of joining Hogan et al in the hallowed hall of career grand slammers in what would be record time.

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Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

AUGUSTA AWAITS After an extraordinary year on and off the golf course, world No.1 Rory McIlroy will have Georgia firmly on his mind at Christmas, as he focuses his attentions on nailing a career major grand slam at Augusta in April Words by Nick Bayly Rory McIlroy must be in two minds about 2014. On the one hand, it’s been a trophy-laden year that has seen him bag two majors, another Race to Dubai title, and a return to the top of the world rankings. But on the other, he must be glad it’s almost over, so that he can rest up for a few weeks before turning his attentions to the career grand slam that awaits should he win next April’s US Masters.

It may be almost four months away, but in the absence of any other world-shattering golf stories, McIlroy’s impending date with destiny at Augusta is all that the golfing world can talk about right now.

With the eagerness of youth, and secure in the knowledge that he currently has the game to beat anyone and everyone on his day, the 25 year old from Northern Ireland is desperately counting down the days until he can get on the first tee at the iconic Georgia venue and take another sure-footed step towards golfing immortality.

Before that, however, McIlroy faces the prospect of a few days in a Dublin courtroom, as he continues his drawn-out legal battle with his former management company, Horizon Sports, which has been rumbling on for almost 18 months. With both parties refusing to settle out of court, it’s a distraction the young man could do without as he prepares for the new season, but surely comes with the territory when you’re protecting your status as the most marketable golfer in the world.

Despite his tender years, McIlroy has already cemented his name in the record books, with only Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods having banked the same number of majors at such an early age. And in the form he’s in right now, it’s a fair bet that McIlroy wishes every tournament could be a major.

It’s not overstating it to say that he has enjoyed the kind of season that most golfers would never want to end. The severely-edited highlights comprise a stunning come-from-behind win in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in May; a two-shot win at The Open at Hoylake in July; his first World Golf Championship victory at the Bridgestone Invitational just a week later; and a thrilling victory in the US PGA Championship, where he battled hard over the back nine on Sunday to become the first player since Padraig Harrington to win consecutive majors.

Victory at Valhalla catapulted McIlroy out of the large group of golfers with two majors to their name, and into the rarified atmosphere of those with four – and such is his confidence that he is already eyeing up Sir Nick Faldo’s record haul for a British golfer of six.

With more money already in the bank than he

“I’ve now got the belief that I can turn up at any tournament in the world and, if I play my game, I can walk away with the trophy”

Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

could possibly ever need – thanks in large part to Nike’s reported $100m 10-year deal – and a long list of blue-chip sponsors falling over themselves to be associated with a clean-cut young golfer, McIlroy’s goals have now switched to a higher plain. Nicklaus – he of 18 majors – is already talking up the chances of his record being reeled in by the hotshot from Holywood. “I think he has the opportunity to win 15 or 20 majors if he wants to keep on playing,” the 74 year old ventured following Rory’s stunning win at Valhalla, before adding: “He’s even got a little swagger – it’s a bit cocky, but not offensive.”

Cocky or not, McIlroy is strutting the fairways with the look of a man who knows he’s at the very top of his game – in complete control of his swing and just as importantly, in this game played between the ears, his emotions. As he said after his PGA triumph: “I’ve now got the belief that I can turn up at any tournament, anywhere in the world, and know that if I play my game, I can walk away with a trophy.”

It’s a scary thought for his rivals, most of whom must wonder why they even bother practicing whenever they tee it up against him in this kind of form.

But it wasn’t always this way. Just 18 months ago, a forlorn-looking Mcllroy exited the Irish Open at the halfway stage, saying that he felt ‘brain-dead’ and ‘unconscious’, and that when he stood on the tee, he didn’t know whether he was going to miss the fairway left or right. At that moment in time, he looked like a little boy lost.

Roundly criticised for having switched equipment sponsors and for having taken his eye off the golf ball – and exchanged it for a tennis ball being hit by his then girlfriend, Caroline Wozniacki – McIlroy was written off in some quarters as being a star who was in danger of letting all those euros and dollars go to his head.

But despite all the mud slinging, the man himself knew he had the talent that he and so many others had seen within him – after all, he had won two majors before his 23rd birthday – and it was just a matter of time before it all clicked back into place. And while it took a little longer than he had hoped, just six months later it had, and the world was about to be hit by a newand-improved Mcllroy that few could have predicted or dared imagine.

The first signs of a recovery came in the dying days of December last year, when he travelled to Sydney to play in the Australia Open in the hope that he could sign off what had been a winless year on a more positive note. With world No.1 Adam Scott chasing down Australia’s triple crown, and in the form of his life, things didn’t look promising when McIlroy set out on the final round at Royal Sydney four shots behind the reigning US Masters champion.

But following a titanic tussle down the stretch, it was the Northern Irishman who prevailed, with a birdie at the final hole sealing a memorable one-shot victory over the home favourite.

Beating the year’s form player on foreign soil gave

/ 21

Champagne moment: McIlroy’s stunning win at Wentworth kickstarted a memorable summer

McIlroy just the boost he needed going into the New Year, and in January he came out of the traps like a greyhound who hadn’t been fed for a week. He had opportunities to win in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, but threw in one bad round to ruin his chances. He then lost a play-off for the Honda Classic in March, after starting the last round with a two-shot lead, and questions once again began to surface about whether he’d lost his mojo.

However, if a big neon sign was needed to show that ‘The Rory Roadshow’ was properly back on the rails, it came at the BMW PGA Championship in May. The European Tour’s flagship tournament is one title that all domestic players want to have on their CV, but things didn’t bode well for McIlroy on the eve of the tournament, when he revealed that he had called off his engagement to Wozniacki just days after the wedding invitations had been sent out. Wearing his heart on his sleeve, he came close to tears at times during a press conference, but clearly felt it was better to tackle the story head on, rather than let the inevitable rumour mill rumble on.

Bottling up all that emotional turmoil, he took to Wentworth’s West Course more in hope than expectation that he could focus on what he does best. Entering the final round seven shots behind runaway leader Thomas Bjorn, McIlroy’s chances of victory looked unlikely at best – but what followed over the next five hours showed why he is considered to be Britain’s most exciting talent since Faldo. After reaching the turn in 35, he turned on the afterburners over Wentworth’s back nine, shooting five birdies to close with a 66 to bag his first ever professional win on European soil.

That win, and it all it entailed, succeeded in lifting the lid off the bottle, and with the pressure relieved, McIlroy was back to playing as only he knows how – on full throttle with the choke pulled out.

The rest of the summer passed in something of a blur, which can only be described as ‘Rorymania’. He blew away the field at the Open with three days of thrilling shot-making, followed by a measured final round to foil poor Sergio Garcia’s major ambitions; while his follow up win at Valhalla was achieved with the same gung-ho approach, tempered by some conservative, strategic play when the situation required. Here we saw the fully matured McIlroy reign supreme, and perhaps finally pick

RORY MCILROY’S 2014 EUROPEAN TOUR SEASON

BY NUMBERS Events: 15 Wins: 4 Runner-up: 3 Top-10 finishes: 2 Race to Dubai ranking: 1st Prize money: €7,149,503 (plus €1.25m R2D bonus) Total rounds: 50 Stroke average: 69.00 Total to par: 112 under Total rounds under par: 38 Rounds in 60s: 29 Driving Distance: 310 yards Greens in regulation: 72% Putts per round: 29.18

up the baton that his idol, Tiger Woods, finally seemed willing to relinquish.

Among the many striking differences between what we might call ‘Rory 2.0’ and what came before, is his driving. Always a prodigiously long hitter of the ball, thanks to his spectacular timing and rhythm, this season has seen him open up a sizeable gap between himself and the rest of the field when it comes to the killer combination of distance and accuracy off the tee. He showed this ability time and time again at Hoylake, reaching the par fives in two with ease, and even the odd par four with a single blow. The same attributes were on show on the rain-softened fairways at Valhalla, where his trademark high ball flight allowed him to pepper the pins with short irons, while others were coming in with hybrids and fairway woods.

Speaking about the improvements he has made to his game over the last 12 months, McIlroy is in no doubt where his fortunes lie. “I’ve driven it a lot better this year, and when I drive it well, I can take advantage of most courses that we play, and give myself shorter irons into greens and more opportunities for birdies,” he says. “My bad tee shots aren’t as bad as they were. Instead of it going ten yards off the fairway, it might be in the semi-rough, rather than the deep stuff. The margins of error have been tightened a little bit, which means I’m hitting more shots from the fairways and shooting better scores because of it.”

Phil Mickelson, the five-time major winner who finished in McIlroy’s wake at Valhalla, is one of many who believe that armed with his technical ability and mental strength, McIlroy has what it takes to become one of the true greats of the game. “His level of play this summer must rank alongside some of the most remarkable golf that I’ve ever seen,” he said. “It must come close to what Tiger achieved with the calendar grand slam in 2000. I wouldn’t be surprised if Rory did it, too – he’s that good.”

McIlroy, who also played a starring role in Europe’s humiliation of Mickelson and his countrymen at Gleneagles, is certainly going to have to get used to being the man all other golfers want to be beat, and there are few willing to bet against the lad from Holywood adding another thrilling few chapters to a book that is already beginning to look like a blockbuster.

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Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

BEAT THOSE BUNKER BLUES

TOM LEWIS

TIPS FROM THE TOUR

Top tour pro Tom Lewis shows how to end your fear of finding the sand

A lot of amateurs are frightened of playing out of greenside bunkers – or any kind of bunker for that matter – but there’s no need to lose sleep over playing out of sand, because it is a relatively simple shot once you have mastered the technique and, just as importantly, are prepared to commit to the shot.

This month I want to offer four basic tips on how to succeed from sand. I suggest you try them, because I think they will help you to make more ‘sand saves’ than you have ever done before.

1 SET UP FOR SUCCESS You will see from the main picture that I am playing a relatively long bunker shot here. My stance is a little bit open, but not as open as it would be for a shorter bunker shot. What I mean by that is that my feet, hips and shoulders are all aiming slightly left of the target. If I was hitting a shot of about 20 yards, rather than 30, I’d be aiming slightly further left, and I’d be even more open if the shot was 10-15 yards.

2 KEEP IT SIMPLE I alternate my set up to compensate for my clubface position. I’m slightly unusual in that my rhythm and the length of my swing never changes, no matter what length of greenside bunker shot I’m playing. I don’t hit it harder if I have got a 30-yard shot rather than 15-yard shot. All I do is alter the angle of my clubface. For a 30-yard shot – like the one here – my clubface will be relatively square to the target, but for a 10-15 yard shot, it will be much more open, so I know that I have to alter my address position accordingly. It takes a bit of practice to work out exactly how far you hit a shot with a square, semiopen, or open clubface position, but it is worth persevering with, as it breeds consistency and confidence.

3 AIM AT THE SPOT A bunker shot is the one stroke where you do not actually look at the ball. Instead, you need to pick a spot in the sand around half an inch or an inch behind the ball – depending on the texture of the sand and the weather conditions – and then concentrate on that spot as you splash down and through that spot. When I’m practising bunker shots, I mentally draw a line in the sand as a visual aid.

4 ACCELERATE THROUGH THE BALL

Tom Lewis is a brand ambassador for Marriott. The photographs were shot at Marriott Hanbury Manor in Hertfordshire.

For details visit www. marriott.co.uk or download the Marriott app from iTunes.

The phrase ‘splashing down and through the spot’ is important, because a lot of amateurs tend to hit at the sand rather than swinging through it. Deceleration will cause problems whatever sort of shot you’re hitting, but in a bunker, 99 times out of 100 you will leave your ball in the sand. To counter that, concentrate on swinging down and through to a full finish, as I have illustrated here.

Be a bit more positive and it will pay dividends.

Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

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MEET THE PRO PGA Master Professional Duncan Woolger offers an insight into the wonderful World of Golf in New Malden, one of the busiest golf complexes in the country How long have you been a PGA professional?

I’ve been a PGA Professional for more than 20 years.

What is your day-to-day role?

I manage and coach at the brand new World of Golf Performance Centre in New Malden, South-West London. It’s widely recognised as the most advanced teaching facility in the UK, and I oversee the eight professionals that work there.

What’s the best thing about your job?

The best thing has to be working at the busiest driving range in Europe, and teaming up with other highly-motivated professionals dedicated to bringing more people into the sport, as well as improving the games of regular golfers. I love the fact that my job allows me to meet a wide range of people and, with the introduction of the Performance Centre, teach everyone from beginners to Tour Pros, using the most sophisticated teaching aids available.

And the worst?

Getting here. The World of Golf facility is brilliantly located, just off the busy A3 in south-west London, but I live in Fleet in Hampshire, so I have to travel a fair bit to get to work. It’s certainly worth it when I get here though!

Tell us something about the facilities…

As coaches at the World of Golf, we are very fortunate to have access to some of the best facilities in Europe – technologies that many of the best players in the world use. Golfers visiting the Performance Centre have the option of using the latest video technology, such as FlightScope, Trackman, SAM putting and SwingCatalyst. But we shouldn’t forget there are 60 floodlit bays too, which are open until midnight. There’s also Protracer technology in 20 of those bays, so golfers can track the flight of their ball on a mobile device or play target golf with friends.

What is the centre doing to attract junior and female golfers?

Thanks mainly to our free-of-charge beginners’ programme, we’ve taught 3,500 juniors in the last year alone. This puts the centre among the world’s biggest junior golf teaching facilities in the world. We’ve also run ladies-only groups that have proved extremely popular.

What do you think would stimulate more people to take up golf?

Bringing down the cost would certainly help – hence why we started the free beginners programme here. If something is free, then at least it encourages people to try it and see if they enjoy it enough to want to carry on and improve.

How much time do you spend teaching?

Up to 35 hours a week. It can vary from absolute novices to Tour pros wanting to sharpen up a particular aspect of their game.

It also includes celebrities, like well-known football stars and other famous sportsmen.

What’s the most common swing fault you have to correct?

Hitting the ground before the ball.

What’s the best swing tip you’ve ever received?

Stop swinging underneath the ball – avoid swinging in-to-out too much or too far to the right of the target.

What has been your career highlight as a player?

Winning the Middlesex Schools’ Championship as an amateur and captaining the Middlesex schools’ team.

If you could change one rule in golf what would it be?

I think it would be fair to let beginners ground the club in a bunker, so they can feel the sand more and gauge where they need to strike behind the ball to get it out.

The two-tier driving range at World of Golf in New Malden

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News in Brief SPEITH RISES TO HERO CHALLENGE Jordan Spieth captured the Hero World Challenge in Florida by a record-breaking 10 shots. The 21-year-old led from round one and carded a final round 66 to finish 26 under par. Tiger Woods, making his return from a back injury, tied last with Hunter Mahan on level par. Spieth, who won the Australian Open by six shots the week before, carded six birdies and an eagle in his final round to win his second title of the year.

POINTS WIN PRIZES FOR NEW-LOOK RACE TO DUBAI The European Tour has announced a new points-based system for the 2015 Race to Dubai, with one euro worth one point throughout the regular season. An enhanced points system will then apply for the BMW Masters, WGC-HSBC Champions, Turkish Airlines Open and DP World Tour Championship, although the points will not reflect the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup play-offs, and will be reset ahead of the Final Series.

Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

TOUR NEWS

Rory repeats Race to Dubai dose Rory McIlroy captured The Race to Dubai for the second time in his career after a superb season in which he took his haul of major titles to four, and won a World Golf Championship and the BMW PGA Championship for the first time.

Such has been the world number one’s dominance this season that he sealed the title before the final event, the DP World Golf Championship in Dubai, where he finished tied second behind Henrik Stenson.

Despite playing five fewer events than Stenson, McIlroy finished 2,200 points clear of his rival, with Justin Rose, Jamie Donaldson and Victor Dubuisson finishing third, fourth and fifth respectively.

Speaking about his sensational year, the 25 year old from Northern Ireland said: “This has obviously been the best season of my career by a long way, and

to win the Race to Dubai for the second time really is something special. That four-week spell over the summer, from the Open to the US PGA Championship, was the best golf of my life, so I feel like I’ve really earned The Race to Dubai.

“Winning it for the first time two years ago was a fantastic feeling, but I feel like I’m now a more complete player, and my allround game has moved to another level. I’ve put in a lot of hard work this season, so it’s nice to get the rewards at the end of it.”

SPAIN BACKS CATALUNYA FOR RYDER CUP The Spanish Golf Federation has put forward PGA Catalunya Resort in Girona as its venue for its bid to stage the Ryder Cup in 2022.

Recently awarded the European Golf Resort of the Year, the 36-hole complex hosted the Spanish Open earlier this season, and is also the venue for the final stage of the European Tour’s Qualifying School.

The other countries also bidding for the Ryder Cup are Austria, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Turkey. Official bids must be made

by April 30 next year, with the host nation and venue named in the autumn.

WILLETT WINS IN SUN CITY Yorkshire’s Danny Willett carded a final round 66 to win the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa by four shots from Ross Fisher. The 27 year old, whose only other European Tour win came in 2012, hit six birdies to finish on 18-under par at the Gary Player Country Club in what the was opening event of the 2015 season. Third round leader Luke Donald slumped to a oneover 73 to finish third.

Steely Stenson doubles up in Dubai Henrik Stenson became the first player to successfully defend the DP World Tour Championship after carding a final round 70 over the Earth Course in Dubai to win by two strokes from a trio of Ryder Cup team-mates.

Twelve months ago the ice-cool Swede sealed both the Race to Dubai and the

Koepka proves he’s no Turkey American Brooks Koepka sealed one of the most successful seasons enjoyed by a rookie on the European after holding off a spirited challenge from Ian Poulter to win the Turkish Airlines Open.

The American carded a flawless closing 65 at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal to finish on 17 under par, one shot ahead of Poulter, who missed a birdie putt from six feet on the 18th to force a play-off.

Koepka’s first European Tour title also ensured he won the tour’s Rookie of the Year award, following the final event of the season in Dubai, which saw him finish eighth in the Race to Dubai.

Marcel Siem, Jamie Donaldson or Sergio Garcia had needed to win in Turkey and the following week’s DP World Tour Championship to have a chance of overtaking Rory McIlroy for the points list title, and although Siem started the final

Q School drama unfolds at Catalunya There were the usual scenes of overwhelming relief and abject disappointment at the conclusion the final stage of the European Tour’s qualifying school in Spain.

At the end of six rounds at PGA Catalunya, 27 players from 12 different countries emerged with an all-important ticket to next season’s European Tour.

Finland’s Mikko Korhonen finished on 20-under par for 108 holes to win the event by two shots from 45-yearold four-time European Tour winner Ricardo Gonzalez from Argentina.

Hearts were in mouths in a tense final hour for those on the bubble as the cutline shifted back and forth several times, from seven to eight under par. When the axe eventually fell on the lower number, Frenchman

Cyril Bouniol emerged as one of the most heartwarming stories of the day as he followed a bogey at the 16th and a doublebogey at the 17th with a nerveless birdie at the last to make it on the mark.

Italy’s Renato Paratore became the third youngest player ever to earn a card and, while he could not hold out for the victory, he was delighted to earn a rookie season in The Race to Dubai, where he will join close friend Matteo Manassero.

Midlander Matthew Fitzpatrick was another young former amateur star to seal his place in the big time on the first time of asking, while India’s Anirban Lahiri will also play his maiden season on The Race to Dubai.

season finale at Jumeirah Golf Estates, and, while Rory McIlroy had already wrapped up the former before the week began, Stenson ensured he finished second to the Northern Irishman with the first tournament title defence of his career.

As Stenson came up the closing hole of the Earth Course, McIlroy was one of the three players in the clubhouse on 14 under par, after his eight-foot birdie putt shaved the cup on the last hole. He was joined on that mark by Justin Rose, who missed a birdie chance of his own at the last for a 69, while Frenchman Victor Dubuisson tapped in for birdie, following a superb bunker shot on the last for a round of 69.

With two holes to play, Stenson was also on 14 under par, but he birdied the testing par-three 17th, and then picked up another shot on the par-five last for a winning total of 16 under.

round just one shot off the lead, the BMW Masters winner could only card a closing 71 to finish joint eighth, with Donaldson 19th and Garcia 25th.

Koepka, who won three times on the Challenge Tour last year, said: “The Final Series is what you prepare for all year, so to win one of them is very special. I’ve been knocking on the door for these last three months, and I feel like I should have won a couple. But I’ve learned something new every time, and I used that to my advantage.”

Monty grabs slice of tour history

Woods signs new coach After sacking Sean Foley, his coach of four years, at the end of August, Tiger Woods has revealed that he has hired Texas-based coach Chris Como as his new swing instructor.

Announcing the new partnership on Twitter, Woods wrote: “Happy to have Chris Como consulting and working with me on my swing. I’m excited to be back competing.”

Woods returned to competitive action for the first time since missing the cut at August’s PGA Championship earlier this month at the Hero World Challenge, an 18-man field of top 50 players at Isleworth, where he finished joint last.

Colin Montgomerie celebrated playing in his 600th European Tour event last month, after teeing it up in the Turkish Open at Maxx Royal, a course that he also helped design. The 51-year old, who has amassed 31 European Tour victories, eight Order of Merit titles, two Senior Major Championships, and played in eight Ryder Cups, celebrated with a host of VIP guests on the eve of the tournament, where he was presented with a specially-made cake to mark the milestone.

“To be able to mark my 600th Tour event at a course I designed is a huge honour for me,” said Montgomerie, who made his debut as an amateur in 1986, and has gone on to amass over €24 million in prize money.

Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

THEY CALL HER

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STACY

Despite not winning a major in 2014, America’s Stacy Lewis has plenty of reasons to look back on the year as being one of her best ever

It’s been quite a year for you. Getting to world number one, winning the Rolex Player of the Year award, the Vare Trophy [lowest scoring average], and the LPGA money list – a feat that hasn’t been done by an American since Betsy King in 1993.

How does it feel to have acheived those honours?

It’s just amazing. I feel like a ton of weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I have previously won the Player of the Year title and the Vare Trophy, but I really wanted to win the money list at some point. I thought it would be pretty cool if I could do all three together. I didn’t think it would be this year, or this quick, with the way Inbee [Park] played last year, so it’s amazing to be part of a little bit of golfing history. Scoring average and Player of the Year are the best indicators of who had the best year, and that’s why I want to win them.

You’ve been trading the world number one spot with Inbee Park this season. What did it mean to you to be the top-ranked female golfer in the world earlier this year, and how important is it for you to regain that spot?

Honestly, being No.1 is just a number to me, it doesn’t change the way I think about myself or the way I prepare, it’s more of just checking a goal off the list. Of course it’s important, but it’s not the ultimate goal. I do think that having an American at the top of the rankings was great for the LPGA, so in that respect I was glad it was me, and I’m pushing myself all the time to regain it. I don’t really understand the whole points system and how it all works in the world rankings. I just pay attention to wins, money lists, and that kind of stuff.

Given the domination of players from the Far East, do you feel that you struck a blow for America?

Not really, but I got tired of being asked the question ‘where are the American players?’ So, I just told myself ‘why not me? Why not get out there and work your butt off and get in that position so you don’t have to answer those questions anymore. I’ve spent the past few years asking myself ‘what are they doing that I’m not? You watch how they practice; you watch what they do in tournaments. Now it’s me in that kind of position, so I know people are watching what I’m doing. Now I have to keep at it and be that role model for everybody else. I think if I can show people that I can do this, and they’ve watched how hard I work, they’ve watched me practise, they’ve seen how I’ve played the past couple years. If they can see that, they can do that too. That’s good for our game.”

Do you know why American players have done so well this season, particularly at the start of the year?

I think a lot of the US resurgence on tour is a reaction to the Solheim Cup. We got spanked in the last two, and it was just down to poor individual play. I think we’ve taken some responsibility for those defeats and the girls are working hard. You’ve got the young ones, like Jessica [Korda] and Lexi [Thompson] getting in contention more and learning how to win, but it takes time. They’re not going to come out at 20 and be worldbeaters every week. Look at Michelle [Wie] – it’s just taking some time.

Have you spoken to the other players about the Solheim Cup and how you might turn it around?

Not really specifically, but we’ve talked about it. I think leading up to the next one we’ve talked to Juli [Inkster] about some things and how to maybe do a few things different. We’ve just got to get out there and play some better golf. We know we can, so I think we’re going to be really motivated over the next eight months or so to show that.

So you won’t be part of any US women’s task force?

No, I would not want to be a part of any task force.

How do you think you handled the pressure of being number one?

There’s a lot of good that comes with being No.1, but the hardest is time management. Everyone wants a piece of your time, and while it’s hard to say no, I’ve learned that I can’t do it all. My practice and preparation time is most important to me, so I make that a priority before anything else. I didn’t get as much downtime as I would like, but that’s the nature of the position.

You’ve been pretty consistent in the majors this season, with three top-six finishes, but no wins. What are your thoughts on those performances?

This year has been pretty good on the whole, but I’ve kind of tailed off towards the second half. I’ve had times where I haven’t played as well as I would have liked, but then had other weeks where

WHAT’S IN STACY LEWIS’S BAG? Driver: TaylorMade R1 (10) Fairway Wood: Mizuno MP650 (15) Hybrid: Mizuno JPX 825 Pro (19) Irons: Mizuno JPX 825 Pro (4-PW) Wedges: Mizuno MP T-11 (52, 56, 60) Putter: TaylorMade Ghost TM 100 Ball: Titleist ProV1x

“I think a lot of the US resurgence on tour is a reaction to the Solheim Cup. We got spanked in the last two, and it was just down to poor individual play”

one part everything has clicked. I’m never really too satisfied with my game, because I think you can always do better. The year has been a little more up and down than I would like, especially these last few months, but I’m looking forward to finishing the year on a good note. The big thing that sticks out to me is that I didn’t win one. But that’s just me. I’m here to win. I’ve given myself chances, which is what you want to do, but the putts haven’t quite dropped this year. If you look at a player’s career, it’s judged on majors and wins, not consistency, so in that respect I’ve had better years.

What happened the latter half of the year?

I felt fine physically, it’s just that my game was a little bit off. One day it was putting, one day it was ball striking. I haven’t had the weeks where everything has come together. We’ve been working on my swing trying to get that back a little bit more consistent. It’s all down to scoring. You can hit all the good shots you want, but if you don’t get the ball in the hole, the scorecard isn’t going to show it. That’s really all it is.

What things are you going to work on to come back a stronger player in 2015?

Everything. I think you can always be a little better at everything, from actually hitting shots, to being stronger mentally and managing rounds better.

One of my goals at the beginning of the year was to be a more patient player. Taking the knocks and bad bounces, and riding the breaks. It’s hard when you start trying to force things, so I’ve really tried to focus on the bigger picture, rather than worrying about the small stuff. I’ve won three times, and I’ve had a bunch of top 10s, and I’m leading a lot of the categories I want to be leading, so it’s just getting back to what’s gotten me to that point. Golf is just a game that the harder you try, the worse you play.

I know if I have an off day, I can still come back and have a chance to win, and I need to keep that in the back of my mind.

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Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

Closing in on a coveted place inside the world’s top 50, Tommy Fleetwood is already a leading light among the next generation of talented young Englishmen on Tour Words by Alistair Tait

ROCK ON, TOMMY One man and his dog: Tommy Fleetwood picked up his first tour title at the Johnnie Walker Championship in 2013

Tommy Fleetwood sometimes has to pinch himself to realise how far he’s come in the Royal & Ancient game. A very long way in a very short space of time is the answer.

Five years ago, Fleetwood was playing in the Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup team that was ‘hammered’ – in his own words – 16½–9½ at Merion. The Southport man ended 2014 playing in the elite field Nedbank Challenge, where he picked up over €77,000 for tied14th. “It’s a bit surreal, but it’s not bad, is it?” Fleetwood says, with a wry smile across his face.

Fleetwood’s place in the 30-man field was well deserved. It was reward for his best season as a professional. The 23 year old did everything but win in 2014, marking himself out as the young golfer to give England’s established stars a run for their money in coming seasons. Three second place finishes, a third, and three other top 10s added up to 19th place on the Race to Dubai rankings, and over £1.25 million banked in prize money.

“It’s been my best season so far,” Fleetwood says. “The only thing I didn’t do was win. Except for a dodgy spell in the summer, I’m pleased with how I performed.”

Fleetwood improved his game in almost every area.

He posted his best stroke average as a professional, averaging 70.37 shots per round. He also improved in the all-important statistics of ‘driving accuracy’ and ‘greens in regulation’.

“My short game was really good too this year, which is important out here,” he adds.

“The good players don’t waste shots and I managed to save myself a lot of times with my short game. My last round scores were better this year than they have been the last two seasons, and that obviously makes a massive difference to where you finish in a tournament.”

Fleetwood averaged 69.66 in final rounds in 2014, as opposed to 71.26 last season. Every

player would love to shave over a stroke and a half off their weekend rounds. No wonder he ended the season 60th on the official world golf ranking and rising fast.

English golf is in rude health at the moment. While household names like Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Luke Donald and Justin Rose continue to impress on the world stage, there is a growing supporting cast of young English players chasing the marquee players hard, and Fleetwood leads the pack.

The Lancashire-born lad spearheads a group of under 30 year olds that includes Danny Willett, Andy Sullivan, Tyrell Hatton and Eddie Pepperell. All five finished inside the top 50 on the European money list in 2014, with Fleetwood out in front.

“It’s great that English golf is really strong at the moment, because it pushes everyone else along,”

“It’s great that English golf is strong at the moment, because it pushes everyone else along. You see guys you played amateur golf with doing well and it forces you to up your own game”

Fleetwood says. “You see guys you played amateur golf with doing well and it forces you to up your own game as well.”

Colin Montgomerie once said his goal starting every season was to improve on the one before. If that’s the key to success, then Fleetwood is following the Monty mantra in no uncertain terms, having upped his game every season since turning professional in 2010. He topped the Challenge Tour in 2011, becoming the youngest player to do so. That feat earned him a card for the European Tour the following year. He showed a lot of heart in finishing top 10 in the last counting event to move from 124th on the money list to 109th, and retain his card for 2013.

Last season proved to be Fleetwood’s breakthrough year. He won the 2013 Johnnie Walker Classic at Gleneagles, after defeating Stephen Gallacher and Ricardo Gonzalez in a play-off. No wonder there was talk of him making his Ryder Cup debut at the same course this year.

“It was nice to be talked about as a potential Ryder Cup player, but I think I was always just a bit too far

away from making the team,” he admits. “When I finished second in China [Volvo China Open] in April, it did cross my mind that I had a chance, but I didn’t think about it for too long. The European team is so strong at the moment; making the team is going to take some doing. Even to be on the fringes of making it proves you’re playing well.”

Fleetwood enjoyed a glittering amateur career that saw him win the English Amateur, finish runner-up in the Amateur Championship and play in that 2009 Walker Cup. Unlike the other nine members of that GB&I team, he has had no problems adapting to the professional game.

Two-time European Tour winner Jim Payne has mentored him since he was nine years old. Now the pro at Southport & Ainsdale, Payne is well qualified to comment on the attributes of his long-term charge.

“Tommy’s always been pretty mature for his age,” Payne says. “I mean, he reached the final of the British Amateur at 17, and not many of us who knew him were surprised. He’s got a good head on him, the sort of head that can handle the European Tour.”

His only blip this year came in the summer, when he missed four cuts in a row from the Spanish Open to the Irish Open. He also missed the cut in the Open Championship and US PGA Championship at Valhalla.

“There’s a fine line between playing well and missing cuts, and for some reason I just was on the wrong side of that line in the summer,” he reveals.

“Any pro hates missing cuts and that’s a side of my game I need to improve on – my consistency.”

A change of caddies helped turn his year around.

He hired Phil ‘Wobbly’ Morbey. The veteran bagman helped Ian Woosnam win the 1991 Masters, and counts Darren Clarke and Ross Fisher among his former employers. “It was a very good move for me, because he’s very experienced and knows the game so well, “ says Fleetwood. “It’s always good to have experience on your side.”

After a five-day off-season, Fleetwood arrived at in South Africa for the Nedbank Challenge full of optimism for 2015. First and foremost on his mind was improving his world status, which he acheived with a top-15 placing to take his ranking to 60th.

“Top fifty in the world is the next natural goal for me,” he says. “That’s where we all want to be, because it means playing in the majors, WGC tournaments, and all the big events. I’m like everyone else, I want to test myself in the best tournaments against the best players.”

He’s done that pretty well up until now, and looks destined to have plenty of opportunities to do so in the future. Rock on, Tommy, rock on.

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Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

EQUIPMENT NEWS

Callaway pins hopes on ‘ground-breaking’ Chrome Soft Callaway believes it has found a ball to challenge the dominance of Titleist’s Pro V1 with the launch of its new Chrome Soft.

It’s a bold claim to make, but the company which introduced the first solid core golf ball back in 2000 – the Rule 35 – believes it has come up with an innovation that will offer Tour-level performance for golfers of all skill levels, but specifically those players who don’t swing hard enough to get the maximum benefit from harder compression balls, like the Pro V1.

The Chrome Soft, which goes on sale in January, claims to offer a combination of ‘soft feel, high ball speeds and low backspin in the long part of the game, and control around the green’.

The ball has already been hit by Phil Mickelson, Callaway’s most eager tester of new equipment, and he is reported to have wanted to use it for the Ryder Cup, but it had not, at that point, been cleared for play by the USGA. Dave Bartels, Callaway’s senior director of golf ball research and development, is confident that all golfers will instantly notice the difference in the feel and performance of the Chrome Soft over rival premium balls. “A softer feel for high performance balls is consistently reported as highly desirable, but to this point, ball manufacturers have been struggling to make significantly softer feeling balls without sacrificing distance and all-round performance of the harder balls. We believe the

Chrome Soft regains the feel element, while providing unique playing characteristics in speed and spin rates that all golfers, including Tour pros, will instantly notice and appreciate.”

He added: “The Chrome Soft features a new core technology, the SoftFast Core, which, when combined with our softest ever urethane cover, delivers the kind of feel and performance that older players will associate with a balata ball.

After trying Chrome Soft, golfers will understand this is a paradigm shift in ball technology and performance.

The Chrome Soft has a compression of 65 – a figure that relates to how much the ball will compress at impact. Typically, a tour-level ball will have a much higher compression of around 90.

Consequently, the forces required to compress the ball have to be that much higher in order to get the distance gains that they offer.

As Bartels explained: “The Chrome Soft allows amateur golfers the chance to compress the ball like

Tour players. The balls also spins less than hard balls, which makes is go further, as high spinning balls create higher drag through their flight. The other benefit of less spin imparted on a ball is less sidespin on mishits.

The result is much straighter shots, with less dispersion, and ultimately more balls kept in the fairway.

Additionally, as the ball is able to compress more, the area of impact on the clubface is larger, and results in more repeatable spin and launch angle. Golfers are able to aggressively control their ball and rely on it to check up consistently every time.”

Bartels concluded: “We believe Chrome Soft is unique because its core is optimised to harness energy, even at high clubhead speeds, while reducing spin to generate massive distance gains. Add HEX aerodynamics and the extremely soft and durable DuraSpin cover for TourLevel control around the greens, and it’s unlike any other ball ever invented.”

The Chrome Soft ball, which goes on sale on January 16, comes in white and yellow models and will retail at £29.99 per dozen.

GPS gives golfers the edge on course Competitive golfers looking to get an advantage over their rivals on the golf course next season are being advised to invest in a distance-measuring device, following evidence from a number of recently-published studies that have highlighted their positive influence.

Internet equipment retailer OnlineGolf.co.uk found that almost 90% of over 400 golfers that it surveyed said that they believed a GPS device would give them an advantage over their fellow golfers.

When asked what a GPS device helps with, 92% said ‘club selection’, while 77% said it helped with yardage. Over half (52%) believed a GPS device would lower their handicap, while other answers regarding benefits included ‘avoiding hazards’ (44%); ‘reducing slow play’ (22%); and ‘keeping track of scores’ (16%).

A second study of amateur golfers undertaken by the National Golf Foundation found that distance-measuring devices, including laser range finders, help improve confidence. Almost 80% of golfers reported increased ‘shot confidence’ while using a DMD. This creates a more committed golf swing, with the naturally positive effect on the shot outcome shown in a related statistic – said 39% of golfers have carded lower scores while using a DMD. Over one third of DMD users in the survey also reported an increase in their enjoyment of golf, directly attributed to the use of a DMD. Mat Dye, trading manager of OnlineGolf, said: “GPS devices in golf have been around for a relatively short amount of time, but their benefits have become obvious very quickly.

Being able to see what’s around the next dogleg, what could be hidden in the dip, and how far away the green is all helps the modern golfer to prepare and plan their next shot, enabling them to make the most of each shot.”

Jacqui Surman, SkyCaddie’s vice president of international sales and marketing, was equally delighted with the results of the surveys. “We welcome these reports, which validate what SkyGolf has been saying for over a decade.

Namely, that a large number of golfers have more fun, and play with more confidence, knowing that they have the right yardage. This is confirmation that DMDs boost golf’s enjoyment factor, which is good news for the sport.” >Check out the latest golf GPS and DMDs on page 32-33.

doomed to a life under the stairs or in the garage.

Novelty golf balls, not surprisingly, top the list of unwanted gifts – although they compete alongside wrong-handed gloves, automatic putt returners, ball monogrammers and tee and ball marker gifts sets for the title of yuletide turkeys.

Even more unfortunate is the survey result showing the

majority of these Christmas presents – particularly the novelty headcovers, balls and socks – never even made it out of the packet, let alone onto the golf course. Books of golfing anecdotes were also likely to remain in the cupboard until the next clear out.

Topping the most wanted gift list for 2014 are top brand golf balls, followed by clothing gift sets, a new driver or a GPS rangefinder.

WINNERS’ BAGS ON TOUR HENRIK STENSON DP World Tour Championship DRIVER: Callaway X2 Hot Pro FAIRWAY WOODS: Callaway Diablo Octane Tour (13) Callaway X Hot Pro (17) IRONS: Callaway Legacy Black (3-9) WEDGES: Callaway Legacy Black (48) Callaway Mack Daddy 2 (52, 58) PUTTER: Odyssey White Ice 2-Ball V-line BALL: Titleist Pro V1x LYDIA KO CME Group Tour Championship DRIVER: Callaway X2 Hot Pro (8.5) FAIRWAY WOODS: Callaway X2 Hot (15), Callaway Big Bertha (18) HYBRIDS: Callaway X2 Hot Pro (20, 23, 25) IRONS: Callaway Apex Pro (6-PW) WEDGES: Callaway Mack Daddy 2 (52, 60) PUTTER: Odyssey Tank Cruiser 330 Mallet BALL: Titleist Pro V1x CHARLEY HOFFMAN OHL Classic DRIVER: Titleist 915D2 (8.5) FAIRWAY WOOD: Titleist 915F (13.5) HYBRID: Adams Idea Pro (18) IRONS: Titleist CB 714 (3), Titleist MB 714 (4-9) WEDGES: Titleist Vokey Design SM5 (46, 50, 56, 60) PUTTER: Titleist Scotty Cameron GoLo 5 BALL: Titleist Pro V1x BROOKS KOEPKA Turkish Airlines Open DRIVER: Titleist 913D2 (8.5) FAIRWAY WOOD: Titleist 915F (13.5) HYBRID: Titleist 915Hd (20.5) IRONS: Titleist CB 714 (4-PW) WEDGES: Titleist Vokey Design SM5 (52, 56), Titleist Vokey TVD (60) PUTTER: Titleist Scotty Cameron GoLo 3 BALL: Titleist Pro V1X NICK TAYLOR Sanderson Farms Championship DRIVER: TaylorMade JetSpeed (10.5) FAIRWAY WOOD: TaylorMade JetSpeed (15) HYBRID: TaylorMade Rescue FCT (18) IRONS: TaylorMade RocketBladez Tour (3-5), TaylorMade TP MB (6-9) WEDGES: TaylorMade TP (47, 54, 60) PUTTER: Taylormade Daytona 12 Ghost Tour BALL: TaylorMade TP X JORDAN SPIETH Australian Open DRIVER: Titleist 915D2 (8.5) FAIRWAY WOOD: Titleist 915F.d (15) HYBRID: Titleist 913H.d (18) IRONS: Titleist AP2 714 (4-9) WEDGES: Titleist Vokey Design SM4 (46, 52) Titleist Vokey Design SM5 (56, 60) PUTTER: Titleist Scotty Cameron 009 BALL: Titleist Pro V1x

Novelty gifts top list of Christmas turkeys for golfers People who receive golf-related gifts from their friends and family at Christmas are often less than chuffed with their presents, a new survey has revealed.

Golf equipment retailer American Golf conducted a survey of golfers into satisfaction with their Christmas gifts, and the results showed that the majority of golfers admitted that loved ones very rarely got it right and that unwanted presents were

THE GEAR EFFECT

DANNY WILLETT Nedbank Golf Challenge

Email a picture of your grim golfing gifts to editor@ golfnews.co.uk by December 31, and we’ll send the winner of the worst present a box of a dozen premium golf balls (with some naked lady tees).

DRIVER: Callaway X2 Hot (9) FAIRWAY WOOD: Callaway X2 Hot Pro (15, 19) HYBRID: Callaway X2 Hot Pro (20) IRONS: Callaway Apex Utility (24), Callaway Apex Pro (5-9) WEDGES: Callaway Mack Daddy 2 (47, 54, 58) PUTTER: Odyssey Versa 330 Rossie BALL: Callaway Speed Regime 3

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

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Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

SOFT CHAM SOFTER LONG THE CHOICE OF

JUST GOT

With the 2015 tour schedule already under way, we take a look back at the success enjoyed by Cleveland Golf and Srixon around the world in 2014

JUST GOT

LONGER

After the 2013 season saw Srixon staff players win three money list titles around the world, 2014 proved to be another exciting year for the brand. A flurry of early season victories and a notable tour presence at the Masters in April also marked the start of a shift in focus for the Cleveland Golf and Srixon brands, with all staff players competing in the year’s first major carrying full Srixon tour bags.

On the PGA Tour, the first victory of the year came as early as February, at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, where Kevin Stadler held off the challenge of Bubba Watson to pick up his maiden US title.

Stadler’s win was followed by Australia’s Steven Bowditch, who beat a strong field at the Valero Texas Open, bagging $1 million in prize money and a much-coveted spot in the Masters, where he would go onto make the cut and finish tied 26th.

The brand’s most promising rising star, Hideki Matsuyama, followed up his incredible breakthrough season in 2013, by winning his first PGA Tour event at the Memorial Tournament hosted by Jack Nicklaus. The

Introducing the ALL-NEW Srixon Soft Feel

Available in white and yellow

Available in white and pink

Tom Murray J00000 Soft Feel 128.5 x360 Ad AW.indd 1

12/09/2014 11:26

22 year old finished off his season in style by picking up the Dunlop Phoenix title at the end of November, holding off the challenge of Jordan Spieth, in what is sure to be the first of many showdowns between the pair.

The feel-good story of the season was reserved for American J.B. Holmes. Making his return to the PGA Tour, having battled back from multiple brain surgeries, ankle surgery and elbow surgery in the past three years, the Kentucky native claimed his first tour victory since 2008, winning the Wells Fargo Championship by one shot.

At the Ryder Cup, the brand was represented by two of its leading staff players in the shape of America’s Keegan Bradley and Europe’s Graeme McDowell. Bradley began the week with the announcement that he had signed a contract extension with the brand, but unfortunately that was as exciting as the week got for the American, as the European team romped to victory, giving McDowell his third Ryder Cup trophy, with the Northern Irishman performing at his best, winning all three of his matches during the week.

The Ryder Cup victory marked the end of a memorable year for McDowell, as he celebrated the birth of his first child and the successful defence of his Alstom Open de France title.

While G-Mac took the spoils in France, Srixon was able to boast a one-two finish for the first time in 2014, with Kevin Stadler finishing second at his first European Tour event of the year.

On the women’s circuit, Inbee Park continued to win tournaments all over the world, with victories in the US, Europe and Asia. Park, who won three of the five majors in the ladies’ game in 2013, added another major trophy to her burgeoning collection by picking up her second successive LPGA Championship and fifth major overall.

This was supplemented with a win in March at the Mission Hills World Ladies Championship, marking the Korean’s first LET title, as well as victories at the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic and the Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship on the LPGA Tour.

Finally, Srixon welcomes new staff player, and tour newcomer, Tom Murray into its ranks for the 2015 season. Murray, who recently earned his European Tour card at qualifying school, will now follow in the footsteps of his father Andrew, and fellow Srixon ambassador, by competing on the European Tour.

For more information about the latest range of Srixon and Cleveland equipment, visit srixon.co.uk or clevelandgolf.com.

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

PIONS

/ 29

WAKE-UP TO THE NEW SRIXON SERIES GRAEME

McDOWELL #JOURNEY TO BETTER

Inbee Park

Graeme McDowell

In a wake-up call to serious golfers, Srixon is announcing the launch of the new Z Series clubs, delivering tour-inuenced performance, genuine innovation and stunning design. Discover why you need to take the Z Series with you on your journey at www.srixon.co.uk

Kevin Stadler J00000 Srixon Clubs 128.5x360 Ad AW.indd 1

12/09/2014 12:32

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Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

Footjoy DNA shoes

Abacus Score Fleece

RRP: £160 Contact: footjoy.co.uk

RRP: £79 Contact: abacussportswear.com

FootJoy has added all-new women’s and junior models to its ground-breaking D.N.A. shoe line up for 2015, along with new colour options for men. With the most comprehensive array of features found in any FJ shoe, female golfers can take their pick of a white/black pair with traditional laces, or a white/silver pair which feature the lace-free BOA closure system. Both the women’s (£145) and junior models (£42.50) feature the same benefits found in the original DNA range for men, including a padded foam collar and a padded tongue, a dual-density fitbed, and an ultra-thin TPU outsole, which features nine Stealth cleats pushed to the outer extremity of the sole to improve balance and stability. The three new colour options in the men’s range are black/red, white/orange and white/ocean blue, which will complement the existing black, white, white/blue and white/grey BOA from last year’s line up.

Worn as an outer layer or paired with a waterproof jacket, Abacus’s Score jacket is the ideal layering item to keep you warm on the links this winter. Made from a stretch reverse fleece material, it is available as both a jacket and a vest in men’s and women’s models, and comes in a range of colours, including red, cobalt, black and white.

SHOP TaylorMade R15 Driver

Wilson Staff FG Tour V4 Irons

RRP: £369 Contact: taylormadegolf.eu

RRP: £549 Contact: wilson-staff.com

The R15 is essentially a second generation SLDR driver, only this time the rail that runs horizontal to the face features not just one sliding weight, but two. Each weighs 12.5g, so the sole track provides 5g more movable mass than the single 20g weight in the SLDR. Shifting weights to the heel and toe increases the club’s overall forgiveness, while moving one of the weights to the heel and positioning the other one in the centre adds draw bias.

The rail is also 12mm closer to the leading edge than in the SLDR, creating a lower, more forward centre of gravity, which produces shots that launch slightly higher, spin less, and have a marginally-higher peak height than with the SLDR. An adjustable hosel enables loft to be increased or decreased by up to two degrees from the stated loft (up from 1.5).

The R15 comes in white or black in 460cc or 430cc heads, with lofts of 9.5°, 10.5°, 12° or 14°.

Matching adjustable fairway woods (£229), which feature a single weight in the rail, and adjustable hybrids (£189) are also available.

Aimed squarely at elite players and low handicappers, the latest version of Wilson’s popular muscleback FG Tour iron sees a new design innovation in the shape of an 18g tungsten weight placed in the sole of the long and midirons (3-7) which lowers the centre of gravity and increases the launch angle without adding spin. This results in greater height on all shots, producing a steeper angle of descent to hold greens and attack difficult pins. The upper portion of the face, where fewer impacts occur, has been thinned by 11% in order to reposition weight into the heel and toe, where it can have most impact on launch conditions and increase forgiveness.

The set can be paired with matching V4 utility irons (2, 3, and 4, £119 each) that are designed to hit long shots into greens and control ball flight in the wind. Featuring similar cosmetics to the V4 irons, they feature a 7g adjustable weight in the centre of the sole to enable golfers to fine-tune ball flight.

Ecco Golf Biom G2 RRP: £210 Contact: ecco.com/golf Despite weighing nearly 20% less than its predecessor, the Biom 2 is packed with tech, including a new visible carbon fibre stability bar that runs from the heel to mid-foot. Also getting a makeover for 2015 is the midsole, which has been slimmed down to not only makes it less weighty, but brings golfer closer to the ground. Cushioning and stability have also been enhanced with the introduction of a new insole, which features silicon pads in the heel and forefoot to prevent unwanted movement inside the shoe. With the uppers made from soft, yet durable yak leather, golfers have the option of a HydroMax weatherproof coating or a slightly more expensive waterproof Gore-Tex material. The colour options are black/lime punch, concrete/royal, white/lime punch, white/pure green, white/fire and camel/fanta.

Srixon Z Series Irons RRP: £699/£600 (gr/st) Contact: srixon.co.uk The three sets of irons in Srixon’s new Z Series range have been built to cater for elite players and low handicap amateurs. The compact shape in the 745s and 945s provide the confidence and workability that better players demand, while good amateurs will appreciate the added forgiveness and distance offered by the slightly larger 545s, which feature a tungsten weight in the toe of the 3-6 irons to move the sweet spot for longer, more forgiving flights. The 545s have distance-enhancing steel faces and soft carbon steel bodies for more responsive feel. All three models feature the newly-developed Tour V.T. sole, which improves turf interaction by increasing leading bounce and decreasing trailing bounce. Shot control is further enhanced by the use of double laser-milled faces, which places two different patterns on the face for stable spin performance and better distance control from every lie.

Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

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Cobra Fly-Z Irons RRP: £549 (4-PW) Contact: cobragolf.co.uk Cobra’s new Fly-Z irons feature a speed channel in the sole and behind the clubface – a technology borrowed from the Fly-Z woods – to create faster ball speeds and increased distance on shots struck across a wide area of the clubface.

Enhanced feel is provided by a urethane cavity insert located behind the face that dampens vibration at impact, while a deep cavity undercuts the heel and toe for greater forgiveness on off-centre hits. They are available in stock black or a choice of four colours (white, blue, orange, red) come with two hybrids and seven irons (3-4h, 5-GW), and can also be ordered with a variety of iron and hybrid combinations.

An oversized Fly-Z XL iron set aimed at players looking for all-out distance and high flight is also going on sale in January. Available as a full iron set or as a combination set with three hybrids and five irons, the Fly-Z XLs feature different cavity designs in the 4-8 irons and the 9-GW to provide enhanced control on scoring shots and improved forgiveness for mid and long irons.

Cobra Golf Fly-Z+ Driver RRP: £329 Contact: cobragolf.co.uk

TRIED &

TESTED Callaway Big Bertha Irons Rating: RRP: ££899/£699 (gr/st) Contact: callwaygolf.com

Nike Golf Vapor RRP: £299, nikegolfeurope.com The Vapor Pro driver, which Rory McIlroy played at the Ryder Cup, has now been joined by two new Vapor models, the Flex and the Speed. Like the Pro, both the Flex and Speed models are built with a cavity-back design that moves the centre of gravity forward for lower spin rates without a loss of MOI or stability. Both drivers also feature a compression channel behind the face for greater flex, as well as supportive fly beams to stiffen the clubhead, the combination of which increases ball speed across the entire clubface. The Flex features an adjustable hosel that allows for loft and face angle to be altered independently of one another, providing 15 different combinations. This new system, called Flex Loft 2.0, is 30% lighter than the previous design, enabling more weight to be repositioned in more useful areas of the head. A secondary tuning technology called Flex-Flight expands the Flex’s options to 30 launch possibilities. The design utilises a variable weighted rod (one end weighs 9g, the other 0.5g) that is placed in a cavity. By adjusting the position of the rod, the clubhead’s centre of gravity can be moved from low and forward to low and back, effectively altering both launch angle and spin rates. The Vapor Speed driver also features Flex Loft 2.0 (but not the Flex-Flight technology) and is aimed at players simply looking for high launch and maximum distance. The deep-face head offers the most forgiveness in the Vapor range and also produces slightly more spin than the other models. They all go on sale in January.

The new Big Bertha iron features a two-piece hollow construction design that combines a stainless steel face and body and a 360-degree face cup. The face cup is welded to the body and wraps around the perimeter to increase the flexibility of the entire face for increased ball speeds even on off-centre hits. To improve forgiveness still further, an internal weight structure called a ‘Standing Wave’ lowers the centre of gravity and produces a higher launch angle. By marrying the Face Cup design with a new Variable Face Thickness pattern, Callaway has increased ball speed from the centre of the face by 3mph and the rest of the face on average is 2.5mph faster, which makes the BB irons up to two clubs longer than Callaway’s other previous distance-orientated iron, the Razr X HL, for certain golfers.

From my own testing, I would definitely say that they were at least one club longer throughout the set, while those with faster swings than mine will no doubt get even more benefit from the spring-like face.

The set is available in 3-iron to pitching wedge, although the type of player these clubs are aimed at will also probably benefit from slotting in a few Big Bertha hybrids (£199 each) at the top end, which will blend seamlessly into the set. They’re certainly not cheap, especially if you opt for graphite shafts, but if you’re looking for distance from your irons at any cost, then it could well be a relatively small price to pay.

Cobra’s new FLY-Z+ driver features a unique moveable weighting system that is engineered to provide two different flight paths from a single club. FlipZone Technology comprises a 15g weight located low on the sole that can be set towards the front or back of the head to alter centre of gravity and create different launch conditions. The front position provides a midlaunch angle with low spin and a penetrating ball flight with more roll, while the back position delivers a mid-launch angle with 400rpm of additional spin, resulting in a higher ball flight, with more carry.

The Fly-Z+ also features Speed Channel Technology, which sees a trench placed around the perimeter of the face that offers increased ball speeds and forgiveness across a wider surface area, while E9 Zone Face technology removes weight from behind the face and hosel to further increase the size and speed of the sweet spot for more distance on off-centre hits.

The 460cc head, which features a titanium body and carbon fibre crown and sole, can be adjusted for loft, with settings from 8.5 to 11.5 degrees courtesy of MyFly8 and SmartPad technology. It goes on sale on February 1.

Pelham & Strutt Compression Top RRP: £66 Contact: pelhamandstrutt.com Pelham and Strutt specialises in compression wear for a wide range of sports and outdoor activities. Its long sleeve sport top has been clinically proven to improve golfers’ performance through the integrated supportive taping material that aids posture, enhances core stability and increases muscle control. The body-mapping design works in harmony with the main muscle groups to support the entire upper body while allowing complete freedom of movement. The top also features a ThermoCool material woven into the fabric which regulates body temperature to ensure a constant environment and reduce muscle fatigue.

Golfers wearing one in tests were shown to hit the ball up to 14 yards farther, and reduce their dispersion rates by up to six yards. Choose from white, charcoal or green in sizes S-XL.

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Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

RANGEFINDERS

Nikon Coolshot AS

Bushnell Z6 Jolt

RRP: £399.99 Contact: nikongolf.co.uk The Coolshot AS takes elevation into account, so that it removes the guesswork out of playing shots from above or below greens. The digital display provides both the actual horizontal and slope-adjusted distance within a range of 10 to 600 yards. Other features include Target Priority Switch, which has two measurement modes: first target and distant target. The former offers a precise measurement to the flag, ignoring backgrounds.

There are two other models in the range, the Coolshot 20 (£179), which doesn’t feature angle compensation technology, but offers x6 magnification, and the standard Coolshot (£239), which has a light sensitive LED display for clear viewing in gloomy conditions and a wider field of vision than the 20.

RRP: £349 Contact: bushnellgolf.com

Golfbuddy LR4 RRP: £219 Contact: gpsgolfbuddy.eu Weighing just 218g, the all-new LR4 has been redesigned from the LR3 to make it more comfortable to hold and more practical to use.

Offering six-time magnification, accuracy to within one metre, a 5,000-scan battery life, eyepiece focusing, and a seven-degree field of vision, the LR4 has three operational modes: ‘Scan’ provides a continuous 10-second display of all objects located; ‘Flag’ homes in on the pin and factors out backgrounds to give precise readings; and ‘Normal’ provides a single distance to any chosen target from flag to dogleg point or hazard edge.

Locking onto a flag with a laser rangefinder has always been something of a challenge for those with less than rock steady hands, but Bushnell overcame that problem with the introduction of JOLT technology, which came with launch of the Tour V3 rangefinder (£279). The result is a simple vibrating pulse that lets you know you’re locked onto your target.

Bushnell has now added this useful bit of tech to the Tour Z6, which offers an improved version of the company’s Extreme Speed Precision technology, and provides yardages five times faster and more accurately than the V3. It also provides half-yard accuracy from five to 125 yards – and can measure a flag from 450 yards – with the distance displayed to 1/10th of a yard.

NEW SEEKERS Dial in your distances – and a whole lot more – with the latest GPS units and rangefinders

Garmin Approach S4 RRP: £289.99 Contact: garmin.com The Approach S4 has a touchscreen display, is subscription-free, and comes preloaded with more than 30,000 courses and free updates. When paired with a compatible Apple iPhone, the watch can wirelessly receive emails and texts from the phone’s notification centre. On the golfing front, it provides distances to the front, back and middle of the green, and incorporates layup, dogleg and shot distances. A ‘green view’ feature shows the true shape of the green, while the pin can be moved to the day’s location with a click and drag. For those that play the same course a lot, it has customisable yardage points, so that water hazards or specific bunkers can also be saved. The lithiumion battery has a 10-hour charge. It is available in black or white.

SkyCaddie AIRE II

Skycaddie Touch

RRP: £129.95 Contact: skycaddie.co.uk

RRP: £329.95 Contact: skygolf.com

The Aire II is SkyCaddie’s newest entry-level GPS handset, with front, centre and back of green distances for over 35,000 courses mapped by SkyCaddie (with quarterly updates). The small handset offers a 1.8inch greyscale screen, which displays large numbers for easy reference.

Features include auto-course and hole recognition, digital scorecard, shot distance measurement, plus fitness stats such as calories burned and distance walked.

Owners can also pay a fee to upgrade to SkyCaddie’s IntelliGreen and TrueGround Target features, which provide actual green shape from the angle of approach, plus adjustable pin targeting and up to 40 hazards per hole.

Membership also enables golfers to join the SkyGolf 360 online community for post-round analysis in the game, plus interaction with other SkyCaddie members.

Pre-loaded with 35,000 courses, including 99% of those in UK, the Touch lives up to its name by offering glove-friendly touch-screen navigation with a high-definition colour display.

Features include IntelliGreen technology, which gives yardages from the angle of attack and highlights major contours on the putting surface; Target List (listing hazards and carries); HoleVue (full hole views); RangeVue (shows yardage arcs); and PinPoint (add pin positions); and digital scoring and stats.

It can also measure club distances, steps, time and scores for multiple players, and can be linked via Bluetooth to the SkyGolf 360 app to instantly download the very latest course maps.

HANDSETS

GolfBuddy PT4 RRP: £299 Contact: golfbuddy.com Ready to use out of the box, with no subscription fees and over 37,000 courses in its memory bank, GolfBuddy’s Platinum 4 features the slimmest design (16mm), highest resolution, and largest screen (four inches) of any product in the handheld golf GPS market.

Boasting a touch screen that works on movement rather than finger pressure, the PT4 offers dynamic green view technology to provide precise distances to the front, middle and back of the green directly from the player’s angle of approach.

Comprehensive target and hazard information is also included, as well as the opportunity to manually highlight fixed lay-up points.

The pin on the green can also be dragged to its exact location.

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WATC H E S

TomTom Golfer RRP: £199.99 Contact: tomtom.com Given the popularity of its in-car navigation systems, it was only a matter of time before TomTom attempted to bag a slice of the GPS golf market. It’s kicked things off with a water-resistant sports watch that has access to over 34,000 automatically-recognised courses and provides distances to the front, centre and back of the green, hazards and layups. It also offers score, distance and time functions, while course updates are delivered wirelessly via a smartphone app, so golfers are always playing with the most up-to-date course information. It is available in white/green or dark grey/green.

Garmin Approach S6 RRP: £349.99 Contact: garmin.com Garmin’s Approach S6 offers a host of game-changing features, including SwingTempo, TempoTrainer and SwingStrength. A built-in accelerometer measures swing consistency and synchronisation giving golfers an accurate insight into their game and the ability to improve their technique. Loaded with over 30,000 courses, the S6 also has GreenView technology, which shows the exact layout of the green, while PinPointer lets you line up a shot, even if you are in the woods or deep in the rough. CourseView enables users to preview hole details like doglegs, bunkers and water hazards on its full-colour touchscreen. A wide range of scoring options and statistical analysis tools can be accessed via Garmin’s Connect app for smartphones, and the watch can also be paired with an iPhone to receive texts, emails and call alerts.

GolfBuddy WT4

SkyCaddie Linx

RRP: £179 Contact: gpsgolfbuddy.eu

RRP: £199 Contact: skycaddie.com

The WT4 offers premium golf GPS functionality on a slim and ergonomically-styled device. Without a raised bezel, the brushed metal face sits flush to the strap, making it just 12.5mm thick. Full target and hazard information is on offer, alongside dynamic green view and moveable pin placement, while the scorecard can be used on any of the 37,000 pre-loaded worldwide courses. Time, date and stopwatch functions mean that WT4 can be worn every day, and the clock display can be shown digitally or as an analogue face with hands. The rechargeable battery that lasts for nine hours in GPS mode and 50 days in watch mode.

SkyCaddie’s Linx GPS watch comes pre-loaded with 34,000 courses around the world. Bluetooth-enabled to connect to the SkyGolf360 app, it provides distances to the front, centre and back of the green straight from the box, while optional extras for subscription members include up to 40 hazards, carries and layups per hole, a true representation of the shape of the green, and pin placement targeting. For those who want to style up their watch, the bezel and strap are interchangeable with a variety of colours.

Bushnell Neo XS

Voice Caddie T1 RRP: £149 Contact: voice-caddie.com

RRP: £159 Contact: bushnellgolf.eu The latest generation of Bushnell’s Neo range dispenses with the traditional square face in favour of a more attractive and streamlined round face. Inside, it comes with over 33,000 preloaded courses around the world, and with no membership fees, the device works straight from the box, and instantly recognises courses and holes as you move through a layout. It also offers distances on up to four hazards per hole – up from two on the previous model – and has a tee time start mode, so you don’t waste any of its 14-hour battery life – which is good for at least three rounds. It also offers the normal functions of a watch, including timer, alarm, and odometer. It’s available in a choice of three colours: black/ yellow, charcoal/ orange, white/cobalt.

Voice Caddie VC300 RRP: £109 Contact: voice-caddie.com Weighing just one ounce, and no bigger than a ball marker, the VC300 provides spoken yardages to the centre, front, and back of the green for over 30,000 pre-loaded and automatically-recognised courses straight from the box. A single click prompts the yardage to the centre of the green, while a simple swipe forwards or backwards prompts the yardage to the front or back. Other features include shot distance and a swing tempo function, both of which are handy training tools for golfers of all skill levels. The VC300 speaks eight languages and has a rechargeable battery which will last for up to eight hours. Available in black and white, the VC300 comes with a USB cable for connecting to the company’s website for course updates and additions.

SPECIAL READER OFFER: Quote GNOFFER for £30 off price

Offering 30,000 pre-loaded courses with no annual fees, the T1 has all the features you’d expect from a GPS watch, plus some you wouldn’t. So you get automatic course and hole recognition, yardages to front, back and centre of greens, shot measurement capability, digital scorecards and the normal time, date and alarm functions of a standard watch. On top of that, you also get a fitness watch, with a speed, distance and calorie counter, while the killer feature is a swing analysis tool that measures your swing tempo.

A gyrograph registers swing speed during the phases of the swing to give you a tempo reading, and it also shows your swing path to reveal whether you’re on plane – or not.

A single charge offers 10-hour battery life in GPS mode.

Choose from black or white.

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V O I C E CO N T R O L L E D

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In addition to yardages from whichever angle the player approaches the green, the VS4 offer dynamic green view with green shape display, shot distance measurement, and automatic course and hole recognition. It is available in white/ gold or black/red.

34 /

Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

BREAKS

Take a fresh look at the all-new Belfry If it’s been a while since you visited The Belfry, the West Midlands home to four past Ryder Cups, then it’s time you went back to see what a £26 million refurbishment project looks like.

The refurbishment took 12 months to complete, and no area of the resort has been has been untouched. The changes are apparent from the moment you walk into the main reception, where a unique golf club chandelier, featuring a mix of irons, wedges and putters, adorns the striking new main entrance.

All 319 rooms have been refurbished and guests will enjoy the new Brabazon Bar – located in the heart of the hotel, the former courtyard garden – and The Ryder Grill restaurant. Sam’s Clubhouse offers a more casual dining experience.

Golfers will also benefit from smarter, more spacious locker rooms and will no doubt be fascinated by the Ryder Cup collection and heritage selection featuring all kinds of artefacts and memorabilia.

The pro shop has also had a complete makeover, with a new bag drop area,

The 10th hole on the Brabazon

Enjoy a beach break near London!

One of the new-look suites

complete with a meet and greet service on arrival, a new indoor putting green, five hardware sections for Titleist, Callaway, Nike, TaylorMade-adidas and Ping, and a dedicated ladies section. For those looking for the full custom-fitting experience, The Belfry’s PGA National Golf Academy is equipped with four state-of-the-art custom-fitting suites.

No visit to The Belfry could be complete without a trip to the resort’s legendary nightclub, Bel-Air, which has also received a major facelift, and offers comfortable surroundings to round off any visit to this much-changed venue.

For details of the latest golf breaks, call 0844 234 7788 or visit www.thebelfry. co.uk.

Whether you are after a relaxing weekend away or want to exercise the mind and the muscles out on the picturesque parkland golf course, London Beach Country Hotel & Golf Course is the perfect place to leave all your troubles behind.

Situated in 97 acres of beautiful Kent countryside, London Beach has been designed to provide the latest facilities whilst making the most of the stunning countryside.

Although the club can’t promise a beach, there is plenty of sand in the numerous bunkers that protect the 6,000-yard, par 70 course. It’s a beautiful, mature parkland design, which offers a good test of skill for the club golfer. Alternatively, if you fancy sharpening up your short game, there is a testing 9-hole, par 3 course, as well as a well-maintained putting course on which to hone your skills.

Once you’ve finished your round there’s no need to rush home, as the 42-bedroom hotel provides the perfect excuse to make a weekend of it. All rooms are equipped with satellite TV and Wi-Fi, and the majority of them have patio doors opening on to large balconies overlooking the golf course.

The hotel currently has a number of winter breaks on offer – available up until March 31 – including a two-course evening meal, one night’s B&B accommodation in a luxury double room, and 18 holes of golf, for £70pp (Sunday-Thursday) or £75 (FriSat). For bookings call 01580 766279 or visit londonbeach.com.

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2 NIGHTS B&B at either: Marriott Portsmouth or Lythe Hill Hotel & Spa, Haslemere

2 NIGHTS B&B at The Metropole Hotel DAY 1 Cradoc G.C 18 holes DAY 2 Llandrindod Wells G.C 18 holes DAY 3 Builth Wells G.C 18 holes

2 NIGHTS B&B at The Royal Sportsman DAY 1 Porthmadog G.C 18 holes DAY 2 Nefyn & District G.C 18 holes DAY 3 Royal St Davids G.C 18 holes

2 NIGHTS B&B at Woodhall Spa Hotel 3 DAYS 1 x Hotchkin Course*

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To discuss your exclusive golf package call 01822 618181

We have over 15 years experience of organising golf breaks throughout the UK and Europe

Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

/ 35

BREAKS

Hunt out Celtic Manor’s Hunter Lodges

seven-night stays for guests, the lodges are primarily aimed at the family and leisure market, which is filling Celtic Manor’s 400-bedroom hotel on weekends and during school holidays. The lodges are also designed to appeal to golf groups playing Celtic Manor’s three championship courses, friends on spa breaks, and corporate incentive trips.

Celtic Manor’s CEO, Ian Edwards, said: “The Hunter Lodges are the first phase in a potential development of 60 luxury lodges. All the lodges are equipped for self-catering, but guests can use the restaurants at the hotel or order a hamper or takeaway delivered direct to their door.”

Prices start from £48 per person, per night. For more information visit www.celticmanor.com or call 01633 410262.

TheManor House

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Ashbury Hotels

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FREE GOLF At The UK’s Largest Golf Resort Set in the foothills of Dartmoor National Park, Devon.

The Ashbury Hotel is the ideal venue for your golf break.

Oakwood 16th 172 yards, Par 3

Ashbury 6th 410 yards, Par 4

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Ranges Archery Air Pistols Air Rifles Lasers

yd FR ro EE Sp a

It’s about this time of year, when many inland courses are suffering the effects of too much rain and not enough sunshine, A room at The Lodge at Prince’s that a trip to the Groups of gollfers looking to seaside to play a make a stay at Celtic Manor free-draining links course Golfers visiting the Kent even more memorable becomes very appealing. coast can take advantage of should consider booking And where better to go in a number of special twoone of the luxury lodges that search of great links golf night, three-round itineraries overlook the Twenty Ten than Kent, the ‘Garden of that take in a mixture of Course at the popular Welsh England’. these courses while staying resort.

The county’s tourist in local hotels. You can play The luxury lodges provide board, Visit Kent, has Littlestone, Prince’s and the best of both worlds – a recently launched a new North Foreland and stay at private home-from-home in website to showcase the The Royal Hotel in Deal for the peace and tranquility of county as one of England’s £322pp (£340 at weekends), the South Wales countryside, top golfing destinations, or Royal Cinque Ports, Royal yet with Celtic Manor’s with its outstanding golf St George’s and Prince’s for five-star amenities on their courses, a wide range of £507 (£540 w/e). Staying doorstep. accommodation, and a The Bell Hotel in Sandwich, The Hunter Lodges enjoy rich variety of off-course golfers can play Cinque views of the Twenty Ten attractions.

Ports, Prince’s and Littlestone Ryder Cup course and the The creation of the new for £407 (£425 w/e), or if you Usk Valley beyond. Sleeping site – www.golfinkent. stay at The Lodge at Prince’s up to 10 people, the large co.uk – is part of Visit Kent’s can pay £299pp (£325 Scandinavian-style log ongoing strategy to build on w/e) to play Prince’s, North lodges all have four double the county’s strong golfing Foreland and Littleston. or twin bedrooms, spacious legacy and capitalise on the For more information on dining and living areas, and successful staging of The golf break itineraries all over fitted kitchens. They also Open at Royal St George’s in Kent, email info@golfinkent. boast outdoor hot tubs and 2011. co.uk, call 01637 879991 or indoor saunas.

Testament to the quality of visit www.golfinkent.co.uk.

Hosting three, four or its courses, Kent has hosted 17 Opens over the years, the first of which – St George’s in 1894 – marked the first time the prestigious major had been held outside Scotland.

Since then The Open has returned to Royal St George’s 13 times, while Royal Cinque Ports staged the global event in 1909 and 1920 and nearby Prince’s hosted it in 1932.

Littlestone and North Foreland have also played their part in Kent’s rich golf history as venues for numerous Open Qualifying tournaments and various notable amateur North Foreland is one many top links on the Kent coast championships.

H

Kent’s coastal tracks are calling

PLUS unique Craft Centre featuring 17 tutored crafts, including Pottery, Woodwork, Glass Engraving and Hot Press Printing.

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All rooms en-suite • Full board • Child rates • Party discounts

36 /

Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

TRAVEL

BULGARIA’S CLIFF HANGERS A collection of stunning cliff-top courses along the Black Sea Coast, including the majestic Thracian Cliffs, make Bulgaria a stunning destination for the travelling golfer

Thracian Thracian Cliffs

It seems that, like buses, great golf courses come along in threes; at least they do in Bulgaria, where a trio of top notch cliff-top resorts ­– Thracian Cliffs, BlackSeaRama and Lighthouse – has turned a section of the Black Sea Coast into as thrilling a stretch of golfing territory to

be found anywhere in Europe.

Located almost in a line along Vanya Bay, about an hour from Varna airport, it’s hard to think of three more stunning championship courses in such close proximity to each other than perhaps the holy triumvirate of Pebble Beach, Cypress Point and Spyglass Hill in California.

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It is the virtuous combination of antique and modern that makes the Chervò Golf Hotel Restaurant Spa & Resort San Vigilio so unique. Our efficient services and features work in partnership with nature, comfort and enhancement of your body and spirit on your quest for wellness and relaxation. Our resort is in Pozzolengo, just south of Lake Garda, between Sirmione and Desenzano, in the center of the most important cities in northern Italy.

At its heart is the ancient Benedictine abbey of San Vigilio built in 1104. New buildings and historic residences have been constructed around the abbey in a harmonious fusion of line and form, providing facilities for the hotel, restaurant, spa, resort and the 36-holes golf course.

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Thracian Cliffs Golf & Beach Resort, which opened in 2011, is the newest of the three, and is arguably the best of the bunch.

Winner of IAGTO’s European Golf Resort of the Year award in 2014, the resort offers a championship layout designed by Gary Player.

This links-style design sets the heart racing right from the off, with its out-and-back design hugging a three-mile stretch along the rocky shores of the Black Sea. With the waves crashing around your ears on several tees and greens, it’s high on drama and provides plenty of thrills and spills for the holiday golfer, with a succession of stunning holes, notably at the par-three 6th, the tee of which is perched 44 yards above the green with a full panorama of the Black Sea beyond. The course provided a challenging setting for the 2013 Volvo World Match Play, which saw former Graeme McDowell emerge triumphant against a strong field.

After golf, guests can relax in a choice of two residential villages – many with panoramic sea views, while a range of gourmet restaurants, a spa, and a beach club are also available for guests to enjoy.

Those golfers with any ammo left can avail themselves of two other top tracks, the Lighthouse Golf Resort, which boasts an Ian Woosnam-designed championship layout, while next door is another Gary Player design, BlackSeaRama, a 7,200yard cliff-top course, which is divided into two loops of nine, and is equally memorable.

THRACIAN CLIFFS UNLIMITED GOLF PACKAGE Thracian Cliffs is offering a five-night golf break package from €549 (£459 approx) per person, including unlimited golf on Thracian Cliff’s Signature Course and the Ian Woosnam-designed course at the nearby Lighthouse Golf & Spa Resort. The package also includes return transfers from Varna airport; free use of the driving range; free wi-fi; and access to the Thracian Spa and beach club. Threenight breaks with unlimited golf start from €395pp. For bookings, call 00 359 570 92222, email reservations@ thraciancliffs.com or visit www.thraciancliffs.com.

Wizz Air offers regular flights to Varna from Luton, with oneway flights costing from £89.

For bookings visit wizzair.com.

Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

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SarahStirk

Sarah Stirk heaps praise on The Astbury and its enthusiastic owner, Judas Priest guitarist KK Downing, who has brought a touch of rock glamour to a traditional country golfing estate in the West Midlands

ASTBURY’S GREAT ASPIRATIONS Ken Downing is my sort of person. He’s passionate, creative and entrepreneurial.

His ambitious project, The Astbury, embodies all of those characteristics. From rock star to property developer, this stunning piece of land in the Severn Valley owned by the former Judas Priest guitarist has already attracted plenty of attention, but the journey has only just begun.

Touring with Judas Priest gave Downing, or ‘KK’ as he is known, the chance to play some of the best courses on the planet, and he brought some of that inspiration back with him. The perfectionist streak and driving ambition, which helped Judas Priest sell over 40 million records, was channelled into designing a spectacular layout in the rolling hills of Shropshire.

It has quickly earned a reputation as one of the elite venues in the West Midlands, has hosted a EuroPro Tour event, and is the venue of choice for countless charity and corporate events through the year. Don’t be at all surprised if there’s a seniors’ or ladies’ tour event hosted here in the not too distant future.

In the last couple of years, Downing has opened a bar and restaurant, with the former tastefully adorned with some striking pop art, along with some eye-catching Judas Priest memorabilia.

The surrounding countryside is breathtaking, and upon entering the gates, the drive meanders amid the golf course to the imposing hall, the centrepiece of the estate. You know you’ve arrived somewhere special. The site oozes quality, the décor is delightful, and attention to detail is second to none.

For all it’s luxurious surroundings, what really stands out is the venue’s inclusivity, and that is down to its owner. There’s no membership, everybody is welcome from kids to women to rock gods. There’s

Astbury Hall doubles up as the clubhouse

“There’s no strict dress code, no stuffiness, no pretension, no silly rules – just a great venue which has designs on being one of the best golfing destinations in the world”

KK Downing with his recent;y-won property awards

Former Open champion Darren Clarke is an ambassador for Astbury

no strict dress code, no stuffiness, no pretension, no silly rules – just a great venue which has designs on being one of the best golfing destinations in the world.

The course itself is a genuine test of course management. Downing’s masterpiece isn’t overly long, and from the tee you really do have to be pretty wayward to find the thick rough. That said, trickery comes in abundance in a more subtle sense, especially around the putting surfaces, where if you short side yourself, you’d better demonstrate some short game mastery to salvage par. The USGA-standard greens feature creeping bent grass surfaces and are outstanding – very fast and cleverly contoured – yet they inspire your best putting efforts, rather than strike fear. The tee boxes are as immaculately conditioned as the rest of the layout, although you will need a good knowledge of music to understand the meanings of each hole name!

Plans for a luxury hotel and spa are well underway, as Downing understands that nowadays a good golf course on its own just doesn’t cut it.

Given his connections, a music and entertainment venue is also on the list of potential attractions, which would further enhance The Astbury’s growing reputation. Arguably the most exciting part of the development, though, is the building of a series of luxury holiday homes on the 320-acre site.

Downing was in London recently to collect four awards for The Astbury at the UK Property Awards, where it won the Best Residential Development in Shropshire and Best UK Golfing Development accolades at the national stage of the International Property Awards. As a result of success in the latter category, The Astbury will now go on to be judged against winners from across the world to be crowned the ‘world’s best’ at a ceremony in Dubai. The 18-hole course was also highly commended in the ‘Best Golf Architecture’ category for its design.

More awards and recognition will surely follow, and it’s easy to see why Darren Clarke was so keen to get involved. The 2011 Open champion is the global ambassador for The Astbury, with long-term plans including the Darren Clarke village. I have also just signed a two-year ambassadorial agreement, which will see me working with the resort on business development, PR and marketing initiatives.

It’s an exciting time to get involved, and along with Downing’s vision, I’m looking forward to seeing how things develop. We are already discussing some celebrity Pro-Am events for 2015, so watch this space!

Everyone involved at The Astbury acknowledges there’s a long way to go, and that there’s a five- to 10-year plan in place. They look at the success of The Belfry and Gleneagles, and want to create their own dream destination amid the spectacular landscape.

Leading the way is an enigmatic owner who has a clear passion for the game, an insatiable appetite for his beloved project, and a definite knack of making things work.

Sarah is working alongside Darren Clarke as an ambassador for The Astbury from January 2015.

Follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahSkySports.

38 /

Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

TRAVEL

Golf ’s Finest Tournament Holidays 2014 - 2015 Tournament Schedule CALIFORNIA

ARIZONA

22nd - 29th November 2014 72-hole Pro-Am

29th November - 6th December 2014 72-hole Pro-Am

SCOTTSDALE

7th - 14th February 2015 72-hole Pro-Am

Troon North Monument Course, Desert Highlands, Las Sendas, Grayhawk Raptor Course & We-Ko-Pa Saguaro Course, plus an optional Challenge Day at TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course

Indian Wells Players & Celebrity Courses, The Classic Club, SilverRock Resort and PGA West TPC Stadium Course, plus an optional day at Stone Eagle Golf Club

Grayhawk, FireRock, We-Ko-Pa, Las Sendas and Kierland, plus an optional Challenge Day at TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course.

Extended stay packages available to the SuperBowl & WM Open

LAS VEGAS

HILTON HEAD

THE MASTERS

31st March - 5th April 2015 54-hole Pro-Am

6th - 12th April 2015 Spectator packages available to watch The Masters at Augusta

14th - 19th (or 21st) February 2015 54-hole Pro-Am

Cascata, TPC Las Vegas and Paiute Resort Wolf Course, plus an optional practice round at Rio Secco 5 night or 7 night stay options available

Harbour Town Golf Links, Sea Pines Ocean Course, and Sea Pines Heron Point Course plus an optional day at Haig Point on Daufuskie Island

Admission to any number of Practice or Tournament Rounds including hotel or private house accommodation

SAWGRASS

PEBBLE BEACH®

GOLF HOLIDAYS

11th - 17th May 2015 (provisional dates) 72-hole Pro-Am

21st - 26th May 2015 54-hole Pro-Am

TPC Sawgrass PLAYERS Stadium Course and Dye’s Valley Course, WGV King & Bear and Ponte Vedra Inn Ocean Course, plus an optional Challenge Day at The PLAYERS Stadium Course

Pebble Beach Golf Links®, Spyglass Hill® Golf Course and The Links at Spanish Bay™, plus an optional Challenge Day at Pebble Beach Golf Links®

Tailor-Made Golf Holidays Featuring the USA’s finest golf destinations

With over 20 years experience in preparing golf itineraries we pride ourselves on our unrivalled reputation for providing personal service, and delivering superb golf holiday experiences.

Hit the links around Lisbon!

Golfers are being invited to take a closer look at Lisbon following the launch of a new range of golf packages set-up by Orizonte–Lisbon Golf, the operator of seven courses close to Portugal’s capital city.

The packages provide visiting golfers with a choice of five hotel and self-catering options in the Costa Azul area and in Lisbon, and includes a combination of golf on six Orizonte courses, with a five-night break at the Hotel Alfoz in Alcochete starting from €283 per person, including rounds at Ribagolfe I, Ribagolfe II and Santo Estevão.

A seven-night stay at the same hotel costs €459 per person, and includes five rounds of golf, with additional play at Quinta do Peru Golf & Country Club and Aroeira I. Groups seeking a self-catering option can enjoy a week at the two-bedroom Aroeira Apartments from €372 per person, including four green fees across Aroiera I and II, and a further one at Quinta do Peru.

The coastal fishing town of Sesimbra is much admired for its authentic Portuguese atmosphere and stunning views, and seven

Ribagolfe

nights at the Sesimbra Hotel & Spa, with two rounds at Aroeira and three at Quinta do Peru, can be had for €548 per person.

The same five-round golf package is also offered to guests of the modern Aldeia dos Capuchos Hotel Golf & SPA, with a week’s stay starting from €493 per person.

And finally, for those seeking to stay in Lisbon itself, and enjoy the trappings of one of Europe’s most intimate cities, one week at the five-star Hotel Turim AV Liberdade is available from €650 per person and, again, includes two green fees at Aroeira and three at Quinta do Peru.

The packages are available for travel until May 31, 2015, and are based on two sharing a twin or double room.

For more details and bookings go to www.orizontegolf.com.

Mijas Golf Club

www.pro-amtour.com

Tel: 023 8046 5885 • sales@pro-amtour.com

we’re the golfing holiday experts. www.chakagolf.com

MAURITIUS

FLORIDA

from £1,785 PP

5* Belle Mare Plage

5* Marriott Marco Island

1 week b&b, $200 resort credit per room

12 nights Half Board from £1,785 PP 12 nights All Inclusive Package from £2,340 PP

unlimited golf, incl. flights & transfers

TENERIFE

from £1,730 PP

4 rounds of golf including buggy Incl. flights & 4 evening meals

THAILAND

from £595 PP

recommended for 2015!

5* Las Madrigueras

5* Thailand Experience

Excl. flights & transfers

Incl. flights & transfers

5 nights b&b 2 evening meals & unlimited golf

MEXICO

5* Moon Palace Resort

3 nights Bangkok, 12 nights Hua Hin 6 rounds of golf on 6 courses

SOUTH AFRICA

from £1,875 PP

DUBAI

from £1,895 PP

12 nights b&b 6 rounds of golf on 6 courses

Incl. flights & transfers

SEYCHELLES

Golfers looking to play some winter golf on the numerous courses to be found on Spain’s Costa del Sol should check out the great range of packages available at the THB Reserva del Higuerón Hotel.

Located just eight miles from Malaga airport, the contemporary 177-room hotel boasts no fewer than 15 golf courses within a 25-minute transfer, including the likes of Torrequebrada, El Chapparal and Mijas, where tee times can be reserved for guests in advance and at preferred rates.

The four-star, adult-only hotel is nestled within the Higuerón estate, and is the home of choice for the city’s glitterati and numerous football stars. Its elevated position affords fantastic coastal views – none more so than from the stylish Infinity bar and rooftop swimming pool.

A three-night, two-round break this winter starts from just €267 per person, sharing a twin or double room with breakfast. Also included is complimentary access to the indoor lap pool and state-of-the-art gym at the Higuerón Sports Club, which offers additional facilities in a choice of tennis, a Nagomi Spa health circuit and a number of beach volleyball courts. For those seeking nightlife, the trappings of the coastal resorts of Fuengirola and Benalmadena are just a 10-minute taxi ride away.

For more information and bookings, visit www.thbhotels.com.

2 weeks Garden Route & Cape Town

2 weeks all inclusive Unlimited golf on 2 courses

MADEIRA

Higueron offers home from home on costa del golf

Incl. flights & car hire SPAIN

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ITALY

IRELAND

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028 9023 2112 The rooftop bar and pool at the Higueron

Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 / Issue 239

/ 39

Me&MyTravels The stand up comedian and novelist Dominic Holland has a longstanding love affair with golf on the Algarve, but finds himself out of his depth at Sunningdale My most recent holiday was to… the Algarve. Sixteen of us go every November and play Palmares and several other courses in the area that don’t require legitimate handicap certificates to get on.

My favourite golf course is…

Sunningdale, which is odd because it is a course that has always beaten the s*** out of me every time I’ve been fortunate enough to play it.

It’s a course on which I find myself asking a question that one never hears a proper golfer ask: ‘Bloody hell – is this a par four?’

My ideal holiday fourball would include…me, Jean Van de Velde, Jesper Parnevik and Thomas Bjorn – at any of the courses on the Open rota, and we could share stories on our careers and what should have been.

and a good job I was there for a gig and not shelling out for it myself. It was so posh ­they even had bellboys in the lift, so the guests didn’t even have to push a button. A lift bellboy ­– what a terrible job! Imagine getting home - ‘How was your day honey?’ ‘Oh you know, up and down.’

The Grove

Grand Hyatt, Hong Kong

day with Steve Coppell’s son Mark (who plays off scratch) with his old man caddying for me, and during the round I managed to score back-toback birdies for the first, and perhaps the only time, in my life.

Palmares

My favourite golf resort is…

Penina in Portugal. I like the courses in Dubai, because they are so decadent, and so utterly wrong on so many levels, but Penina has a special place in my heart. It’s not a great course, but I used to have a house down there in the pre-recession days, and it’s where I taught my boys to play golf, so I

have lots of happy memories of days spent there.

I always travel with…a resolve not to get annoyed by other travellers.

It never works.

My best meal on holiday was… the Christmas Day buffet at the Holiday Inn on Phuket, Thailand. It cost like hundreds and hundreds of pounds, and I was conned into booking it, so I starved my four kids for about a week beforehand until they were absolutely ravenous, like the killer pigs in Hannibal, and then I unleashed them in the direction of the fried prawns. It was carnage.

Shells everywhere. The look on the faces of the rich Germans was worth every single pound and more.

South Carolina

My most memorable ever round was at…The Grove – which is, without question, the most beautiful golf course in Watford. I was playing in a celebrity charity

The best hotel I’ve ever stayed at was…the Hyatt Grand in Hong Kong. It was laughably expensive,

My worst holiday experience was… heading to Ibiza when I was a starry-eyed 18 year old. Within days I came down with salmonella, which was not the infection I was hoping to pick up.

I’m planning a golf trip to…

Portugal this December. I am taking two of my boys for a lads’ weekend.

Three days, three rounds of golf at Boa Vista in Lagos – and, as the saying goes, what goes on tour…

Dominic Holland’s new golfing novel, Open Links, is currently on sale on Amazon for £3.99.

All the profits will go to blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan.

For more details visit at www. anthonynolan. org/openlinks

My favourite city in the world is…

Hong Kong. It’s the vibrancy of the place, and the fact that in Asia I am average height, which is a huge plus for me.

Harbour Town Golf Links #18, Hilton Head Island

It ’s golf season all year long.

SouthCarolinaGolf.co.uk

Fueled by patented Turbulator Technology and a new face material, the G30 adjustable driver is PING’s longest, most forgiving driver ever. In wind tunnel testing, crown turbulators are proven to reduce aerodynamic drag and increase clubhead speed. The T9S titanium face is thinner for higher ball speeds, and it’s lighter to keep the CG low and back for optimal launch and spin. The low/back CG – a proven PING innovation – also increases MOI for unmatched consistency. With 5 loft settings and high-balance-point shaft technology, the G30 is the fastest way to longer, more accurate drives. Visit a PING Fitting Specialist or ping.com. You’ll be better for it. ®

New T9S face material

5 loft adjustments

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