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Issue 210 | May 2012

Inside Karen Stupples John Jacobs Ladies Golf Cup pull-out Win a Nikon Rangefinder Travel & Breaks Ewen Murray Help for Heroes Golf Day

The future’s bright, the future’s

Orange Rickie Fowler Interview pages 44-45

INTRODUCING

IRON

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PROGRESSIVE DESIGN The progressive set design of the i20 Iron allows for high-launching long irons and penetrating short irons. This enables the golfer to execute even the most demanding shots and ultimately get the most from their game.

The multi-metal composition aids overall performance, helping golfers to hit precise yardages.

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May 2012 / Issue 210

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INSIDE

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

Karen Stupples John Jacobs Ladies Golf Cup pull-out Win a Nikon Rangefinder

Managing Director Matt Nicholson matt@golfnews.co.uk

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Editor Nick Bayly editor@golfnews.co.uk

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Advertising Production Kath Perry ads@golfnews.co.uk

Photography Kevin Murray (kevinmurraygolfphotography.com) Action Images, James Cheadle

Travel & Breaks

Published by BlueGreen Media Contributors Paul Mahoney, Clive Agran, Ewen Murray, Denis Pugh, Alistair Tait

Ewen Murray Help for Heroes Golf Day

The future’s bright, the future’s

ORANGE Rickie Fowler Interview pages 44-45

INTRODUCING

Follow us on: Twitter@golfnewsmag

IRON

PROGRESSIVE DESIGN

MIXED OPEN

The progressive set design of the i20 Iron allows for high-launching long irons and penetrating short irons. This enables the golfer to execute even the most demanding shots and ultimately get the most from their game.

The multi-metal composition aids overall performance, helping golfers to hit precise yardages.

For more information visit PING.com

© Copyright Golf News 2012. No part of this publication may be copied, photocopied or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in anyway or means, either by recording or otherwise, without permission of the publishers in writing.

ELITE ACADEMY UNVEILED P16-17 | STORY BEHIND THE PICTURE P39 | TOUR NEWS P48 | PRO SHOP P52-53 | ME & MY TRAVELS P61

Editor’sview email: editor@golfnews.co.uk

18 hole mixed texas scramble n Teams to consist 2 Gentlemen and 2 Ladies n Stableford 10% handicap allowance

I can’t stand the rain climate, is tantamount to being no sort of golfer at all.

But I have never subscribed to the ‘there’s no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing’ school of thought when it comes to golf. Playing in persistent, heavy rain is just not fun – and golf should be all about fun. Well, it should be, unless it also happens to be work, as it is for me.

To be honest, I often don’t have the choice of whether I play or not, as most of my sorties onto the course these days are for ‘work reasons’, and aren’t subject to the same decision-making processes that go through every golfer’s mind before

working out if they should brave the elements or face the weekly shop in Tescos.

Let’s be honest, most golfers would rather drag their golf trolley through the eye of a hurricane than fight a shopping trolley through aisles of a supermarket on a Saturday. “It’s only a shower, love,” you say, as you dash out the door into the maelstrom, safe in the knowledge that you won’t have to worry about remembering to get the right sort of cereal.

But things are looking up.

The sun is out as I write these words, and I’m playing golf with a mate on Sunday.

But I’m taking my umbrella, just in case.

There’s Links at the end of the tunnel

n Gentlemen to take minimum 4 drives each n Ladies to take minimum of 3 drives each n Played over the west course n Shotgun start 11.00am

Entry fee: £45 per person to include golf, catering & prize fund or £99 per person to include all the above plus overnight accommodation & breakfast (assuming 2 people sharing double or twin bedded room) Entries close Sunday 22nd July 2012 (entries accepted on 1st come 1st served basis)

To book simply call: 01825 880228 or email: collette.wiltshire@eastsussexnational.co.uk www.eastsussexnational.co.uk shire-ad-130x180-v13-GN:Layout 1 14/5/12 14:37 Page 1

EN NO T W ER !

The stuttering start to the season, brought on by the deluge that we have endured for the last six weeks or so, has really clarified in my mind what sort of golfer I am.

Despite being lucky enough to own several sets of waterproofs, the very latest water-repelling footwear, umpteen pairs of rain gloves, and even a waterproof bucket hat – when the wet stuff is coming down, I prefer to be sat inside watching a bit of golf on the telly, rather than sloshing my way through the puddles, fighting the twin perils of a misbehaving umbrella and a massive slice.

I guess that makes me, it hurts to type it, a Fair Weather Golfer. In all truth, being an FWG in this country, with its unpredictable

Sunday 5th August 2012

The SHIRE SERIES 2012 IN SUPPOR T OF THE SEVE BALLESTEROS FOUNDATION

Six golf events, open to all, on Seve’s only UK golf course – the Ballesteros Masters Course.

At least £20 per competitor donated to the Seve Ballesteros Foundation.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Hayling Golf Links Limited Country Membership - Be a country member of one the truly great links courses in the South East.

Hayling Golf Club is even more accessible to country membership with the opening of the new Hindhead tunnel on the A3.

The journey from Surrey, Berkshire and South London will only take a short while.

Just think, being a member of a great links course is now a real possibility.

With the 50 mile restriction anywhere North of Guildford allows you to join Hayling Golf Club.

Fri 31st August The Shire Series Family Cup Thurs 6th Sept The Shire Series Men’s Scratch Open Thurs 6th Sept The Shire Series Ladies’ Scratch Open Tues 11th Sept The Shire Series Handicap Classic Weds 26th September The Shire Series Corporate Challenge Fri 12th October The Shire Series Grand Final

For further information call: 02392 464491 or email: Ian.Walton@haylinggolf.co.uk www.haylinggolf.co.uk

CALL THE SHIRE LONDON ON 020 8441 7649 OR VISIT WWW.THESHIRESERIES.COM

H ayl ing Golf Clu b, Links Lane, H ayling Isl and, Hants, PO11 OBX

The Seve Ballesteros Foundation is working in partnership with Cancer Research UK to beat brain cancer.

Cancer Research UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1089464) and in Scotland (SC041666).

06 /

May 2012 / Issue 210

LeMesurier defies heavy going at Lingfield Hampshire’s Martin LeMesurier made five birdies and an eagle in his final round to win the BGC British Masters at a rainsoaked Lingfield Park Golf Club in Surrey. The South Winchester professional shot six under par for his third round to complete the 54-hole 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour event in nine under, one shot ahead of second-place Tim Rice (Limerick). Welshman Stuart Manley parred his final round to complete the tournament seven under and take third place, with Steve Uzzell (Hornsea) and Daniel Brooks (Mill Hill) tied for fourth.

“I got off to a good start, chipping in for an eagle on two,” reflected LeMesurier, after collecting his winner’s cheque. “That got me going in the right direction, and I played steadily from there.

It was one of those days where I made putts when I needed to. I birdied nine and ten, but I didn’t really know what the other guys were doing at that point. I saw them changing the leaderboard at the 17th tee just after I had teed off. I saw that Tim [Rice] had finished eight under and that Stuart [Manley] had dropped back to seven under. At that point I knew I needed two pars. “ He added: “I have had some Challenge Tour wins, but I have been playing on the EuroPro Tour on and off for the best part of ten years without success, so this first win has been a long time coming!”

During the presentation ceremony, LeMesurier was quick to praise the work of Lingfield’s greenkeepers. “I thought it would be another case of only being able to play 36 holes,” he admitted.

“When I first got here I thought there was a lake on the driving range, but it was just waterlogged from the rain! Considering how much rain we have had over the last few weeks, it has been an outstanding effort to get the course playable. The greenkeepers worked incredibly hard and did an excellent job.”

Pelz’s Scoring Schools prove a hit at The Grove Amateur golfers looking to seriously sharpen up their short games should consider booking into one of the Dave Pelz Scoring Game Schools being held at The Grove this summer. Pelz, who is one of the leading short game coaches in the world, is bringing his renowned three-day short game tuition courses to the five-star resort in Chandlers Cross.

The Grove, which hosted the Amex WGC Championship in 2006, has already hosted courses in April and May, but there are two further courses being held from June 1-3, June 15-17, and July 6-8, with places being offered on a first come, first served basis.

Pelz has worked with some of the biggest names in the professional game, including wedge wizard Phil Mickelson, and his services are highly sought after the world over.

The intensive courses, which are run by highly-trained coaches picked by Pelz, costs £1,500 per person. They have a student/teacher ratio of just

There’s still time to book a place on one of Dave Pelz’s scoring schools

four to one, and early booking is advisable via the Pelz website, www.pelzgolf.com, or by calling 00 353 1 689 3030.

Each course includes an analysis of each student’s game,

classroom theory sessions and outdoor sessions, with students using a variety of high-tech teaching aids to develop their skills. Those wishing to stay at the resort during the courses

are being offered a £100 discount off the standard single or double room rate.

For more information visit www.thegrove.co.uk or call 01923 296010.

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Be the best you can be

May 2012 / Issue 210

/ 07

BBC golf commentator Peter Alliss was formally inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in the United States on May 7. The 81-year-old broadcaster joined the likes of Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, and fellow Englishmen Nick Faldo and Tony Jacklin in having his name enter the Hall of Fame, which is an honour awarded to those who have made a positive impact on the game of golf. Players, both professional and amateur, architects, journalists, innovators and teachers are among those to have been selected since the Hall of Fame was founded in 1974.

“It’s all come as a bit of a surprise for me,” said Alliss, who has been behind the microphone for over 50 years, following a successful career as a tour pro. “I know people think I am a bit loudmouthed and arrogant, but I don’t take praise very well, I feel embarrassed by it all.”

The veteran broadcaster, who was on commentating duties at the US Masters for the BBC in April, was inducted at a special ceremony held in St Augustine, Florida, home of the World Golf Hall of Fame. He was joined there by Scotland’s dual major winner Sandy Lyle, and four-time major winner Phil Mickleson – both of whom were also honoured.

Society and Corporate Golf Days Start from £39.50 per person At Dale Hill Golf Club in East Sussex

‘Voice of Golf’ joins Hall of Fame As a player, Alliss won 23 tournaments worldwide, including three British PGA Championships and two Spanish Opens. He made eight appearances in the Ryder Cup, the first of which came in 1953, and saw the Alliss family become the first ever to have father and son play in the event, as his father, Percy, represented GB & Ireland in three Ryder Cups during the 1930s.

Alliss added: “I have had five or six careers really. I was a club professional, a

tournament professional, an international player, a golf course designer and constructor, a writer of books, and, of course, I have worked in television with the BBC, ABC in America and Australia, CBC in Canada, and all round the world. I have done a range of TV shows – A Round with Alliss, Pro-Celebrity Golf and Golfer’s Travels, and it’s been amazing really. I haven’t set out to do any of those things, it just happened.

Every episode of my life has been very rewarding.”

Contact the golf office on 01580 201800 Email: golf@dalehill.co.uk Dale Hill Hotel & Golf Club Ticehurst, Wadhurst, East Sussex, TN5 7DQ www.dalehill.co.uk

“I doubt that anyone would

ever tire of playing

at Chart Hills.” Nick Faldo

Admittedly, as Chart Hills’ course designer, Sir Nick Faldo may be a little biased, but the Rolex Golf Guide & Golf World Magazine also rank us amongst the top courses in the UK today. And now with the launch of the Leaderboard Performance Centre, Chart Hills has even more to offer. Professional golfers look at the whole of their game, it is much more than their skill with a club. A good mental attitude is vital as is the importance of protecting & conditioning your body. We have bought together experts in these three areas to offer all golfers, complete beginners to professionals, the opportunity to improve their game. We want to help golfers reach their realistic goals. Ultimately it’s about improving your golf game & that could be down to technique, conquering negative thought or working on flexibility or conditioning. At the Leaderboard Golf Performance Centre we can address it all.

For more information call us or email LGPC@charthills.co.uk www.charthills.co.uk T: 01580 292222 E: info@charthills.co.uk Weeks Lane, Biddenden, Kent, TN27 8JX. 0638_A5PressAd.indd 1

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08 /

May 2012 / Issue 210

News in Brief CALLUM steers England to win England secured a hard-fought 15-9 victory in its international match against France on a dramatic afternoon at Rochester & Cobham Park in Kent.

Hertfordshire’s Callum Shinkwin enjoyed an unbeaten run in the event, while Sussex’s Toby Tree bagged 2.5 points from a possible four to help England to its 28th success in the matches, which date back to 1934.

Carr lifts South East Links Cheshire’s Oliver Carr won the South East of England Links Championship at Royal St George’s and Royal Cinque Ports in Kent. The 19-year-old England A squad member fired a closing round of 73 for a 287, five over par total, and a onestroke winning margin over Bedfordshire’s Blane Brehany Bedfordshire) with Nathan Kimsey (Woodhall Spa) third on 289.

Shinkwin goes the whole Hog Hertfordshire’s Callum Shinkwin boosted his already impressive amateur CV with an comprehensive victory in the Hampshire Hog at North Hants Golf Club. Two rounds of two-under-par 68 earned the 18-year-old from Moor Park a three-stroke winning margin over Martin Young (Brokenhurst Manor) and Jerome Titlow (Knole Park).

Watched by England selectors, Shinkwin, who opted to miss the previous day’s Selborne Salver, said: “It’s great to win this title and to have my name up there with so many famous winners, such as Michael Bonallack, Peter McEvoy, Gary Wolstenholme and Justin Rose.

This win sets up a lot of opportunities for me. My aim is next year’s Walker Cup, so hopefully a full England place is a possibility.”

On the eve of jetting out to Spain for a week’s coaching with the rest of the England A squad, Shinkwin found himself three strokes off the halfway lead, held by Worthing’s Jack Bartlett, after his opening 68. But as the weather deteriorated in the afternoon, so the scores increased – apart from Shinkwin’s. His second 68, the only sub-par return of the round, left him out of touch for the rest of the field, as he signed for four birdies and two bogeys.

While Shinkwin kept his form in the afternoon, the early leaders lost ground. Bartlett followed up his 65 with a 75, while Matt Wallace (Moor Park) and Gavin Samuels (Leighton Buzzard) added 74s to their opening 66s, all three finishing equal fourth. But Bartlett had the consolation of lifting the Hampshire Salver for the best aggregate – 278 – over the Selborne Salver and the Hog.

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A pay-and-play golf course in Berkshire that is under threat from a planned housing development could be saved by the discovery of wildlife living within its grounds. Blue Mountain Golf Centre in Bracknell has been earmarked by the local council as a site for 400 homes in order to help meet a housebuilding target of over 10,000 properties in the area by 2026.

The Crown Golf-managed club sits on land owned

by Luff Investments, which has been campaigning to develop the course. Luff leases the course to the council as part of a 125year deal, which in turn sublets it back. However, the course is popular with local residents, and two local action groups have been fighting to keep it as it is. One of them is chaired

by Nigel Rennie, who last

Golfers battle save Blue Mou month was elected as a councillor onto Binfield Parish Council, having run on a platform of protecting the venue. He has now been given renewed hope with the discovery of great crested newts, adders, grass snakes and badgers, which all have habitat protected under planning law, living near the course.

Blue Mountain Golf Centre

“We’re very excited at the discovery of these rare and protected animals,” said Mr Rennie. “They have been found close to the golf course, and people who know what they’re talking about say it’s extremely likely they live on the course itself. We think it’s a virtual zoo down there, so we’re exploring whether we could apply to have it turned into a Special Protection Area with very strict development rules.”

However, the council says surveys have been carried out on the land and measures to protect important species would be put into any development plans. Max Baker, the council’s head of spatial policy, said: “An ecological

Play in the Garden of England this Summer Three great courses to choose from

The Pentland Society Summer Offer (April - September)

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Also Society play 4 times throughout 2012 at Etchinghill, Boughton or Austin Lodge and play for free on your 4th visit

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May 2012 / Issue 210

e to ountain survey has been carried out at Blue Mountain. This identified the golf course site as largely amenity grassland, which is regularly mown and offers little shelter for wildlife. A number of ponds and wet ditches within the site that could provide habitat were also noted.

The infrastructure delivery plan requires the protection of such habitats on the Blue Mountain site.

“As development proposals are progressed, further ecological surveys will be required, including surveys of all ponds within 500 metres of any development area.

Appropriate protection of any important species will be built into any development proposals.”

/ 09

The Leuka Mini Masters, a glittering showbiz-fuelled charity event, is celebrating its fifth year by moving to the Wentworth Club in Surrey. The Mini Masters, which bills itself, somewhat tongue in cheek, as golf’s ‘unofficial fifth major’, has been held on the nine-hole course at Dukes Meadows Golf Centre in Chiswick since its inception in 2008, but over the last four years it has grown to such an extent that the organiser felt it needed a slightly grander stage on which to strut its stuff.

The tournament, which is hosted by actor Dougray Scott, has raised thousands of pounds for Leuka, the Leukaemia charity based at Hammersmith Hospital, and is now a firm fixture in the golfing calendar.

Mark Emms, from event organiser Three’s A Crowd Events, said: “We’re very excited to be bringing the Leuka Mini Masters to Wentworth, which has hosted some of golf’s most prestigious tournaments over the last 80 years.

We like to make the Mini Masters bigger and better every year, and with the VIP experience that Wentworth provides, this fifth tournament will be very special.”

Mini Masters event moves to Wentworth The par three course at Wentworth

Event host actor Dougray Scott

This year’s renewal, which takes place on July 4, will feature all of the

Mini Masters’ traditions – including bars on every hole, gourmet food and live music. The tournament has traditionally attracted some of the biggest names in celebrity golf, and confirmed captains for 2012 include Sir Terry Wogan, Rob Brydon, Jodie Kidd, Anton Du Beke, Willie Thorne, Charlotte Jackson, Gethin Jones, Phil Glenister, and Rick Edwards.

It being the year of the London Olympics, the organisers are particularly excited to be welcoming three Olympians in Steve Backley, Mark Foster, and Kriss Akabusi.

Although the West Course was a tempting prospect on which to stage the competition, the 18 teams will have the unique opportunity to play Wentworth’s little known par-three Executive Course, which is normally only open to club members.

After playing two rounds of nine holes, with a gourmet barbecue lunch in between, players will return to the clubhouse for a Champagne reception in the Wentworth Club Lounge and a three-course dinner prepared by The Wentworth Grill, sister restaurant to The Ivy and Le Caprice.

VIP Guests will also be able to enjoy the on-course hospitality and watch all the golfing action, with big screens beaming live coverage from all parts of the course, as well as attend the players’ dinner, evening entertainment and charity auction.

VIP tickets, which start from £180, are currently available from www. leukaminimasters.com.

News in Brief Mew gets the cream Hockley scratch player Alan Mew added the Hampshire County Senior Championship to his list of career wins by beating Hayling Island’s Keith Clinnick at the first extra hole after both had tied on 110 for the 27 holes at Blackmoor Golf Club.

Tickets on sale for LADIES’ British Masters Tickets for the ISPS Handa Ladies’ British Masters, which is being hosted at The Buckinghamshire Golf Club from August 16-18, are on sale now. Some of the world’s best women golfers will be playing at the home of the Ladies European Tour, including Laura Davies and her Solheim Cup partner Melissa Reid, as well as a number of leading international players. For tickets, which cost £15 for adults and £10 for concessions, visit www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

10 /

May 2012 / Issue 210

PLANNING A GOLF DAY?

...time to spread your swings!

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onveniently located between Horsham and Guildford, Wildwood provides superior facilities for all societies and groups.

Nestling in panoramic surroundings in the shadow of the Surrey Hills, the stunning 27 hole course along with the high quality catering in the welcoming clubhouse guarantees you a great day.

For more information and available dates contact Louise Harrison on 01403 753255

Wildwood Golf & Country Club Horsham Road, Alfold (Nr Cranleigh), Surrey GU6 8JE Tel. 01403 753255 e.mail louise@wildwoodgolf.co.uk www.wildwoodgolf.co.uk

THE UK’S LARGEST

Hall seeks senior su A Berkshire-based PGA professional will take a welcome break from running his own course to challenge for honours at this month’s Senior PGA Professional Championship.

Andrew Hall, who bought Sand Martins Golf Club seven years ago, will be in action at Northants County Golf Club where Scotland’s Peter Smith will be defending his title. Hall is a huge fan of the £33,500 tournament, which is staged over 54-holes and will return to Northants for a sixth successive year.

“This is my fourth year playing in it, and I think it’s a great event,” Hall said. “The course is particularly difficult though, so it’s always a real test. I’ve never made the cut so my ambition this year will be to play for all three days.”

A top 20 finish will see Hall qualify for the ISPS Handa PGA Seniors Championship at De Vere Slaley Hall from June 7-10. When not playing, however, Hall admits he is living the dream at his Wokingham club. “I actually

Sand Martins’ Andrew Hall

bought this course in 2005 after first coming here in 1994,” he explained. “I was head professional and Edward Fox, who designed and built it, was good enough to sell it to me for £3.2 million.

“It’s like having a very big mortgage on a very big house, but it’s also a dream come true for me to get this opportunity. We have 750

members and that figure holds pretty steady each year.

“Of course with the economic situation the way it is, I do have a few worries every May when the renewals are due in, but most years it seems to work out. People are very supportive of what I’m doing, but the reason why I don’t play a lot is because it takes

Oh I say, it’s the Dan Maskell golf day!

Tennis ace Tim Henman

LADIES GOLF STORE

reader offer

10% off all purchases when you bring the advert/magazine into the store Golf enthusiasts with a penchant for celebrity spotting are in for a treat, as well as supporting a very good cause, if they sign up for the 2012 Dan Maskell Tennis Trust Celebrity Golf Challenge, which is being held over Wentworth’s East Course on June 19.

The charity golf day, which is now in its 13th year, is one of the main fund-raising events of the Dan Maskell Tennis Trust, which raises funds for tennis players with disabilities.

The event is open to teams of three, who will be matched up with a celebrity.

Celebrities who have regularly supported the event include Tim Henman, Peter Fleming, Virginia Wade, Rory Bremner, Glenn Hoddle and Chris Hollins. Prizes will be awarded to the top four teams by the Trust’s president, Elaine Paige.

For an entry form please visit www.danmaskelltennistrust.org.uk.

Free Society Guide out now!

Golf News’ Ultimate Guide to Society & Company Golf 2012 is now available. This has been a must-have publication for every golf society organiser for many a year, and now it’s even bigger and better than before, with a new look, size, and style.

Featuring many of the UK’s finest clubs and courses, predominantly located in the South East, this indispensible, handy, full-colour booklet provides all the information you’ll ever need to make your Society & Company Golf 2012 golf day a success. Among details included are up-to-date prices and packages for societies and visitors, information on tee time restrictions, comprehensive directions and local accommodation tips, as well as detailed descriptions of all the courses, with full colour photographs.

For your free copy of The Ultimate Guide, please email your society or company name to: info@golfnews.co.uk.

Complimentary Copy

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May 2012 / Issue 210

Seymour bags Masters Newbury Golf Centre’s Dan Seymour won a dramatic play-off at Wensum Valley in Norfolk to capture the opening event of this year’s 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour, and become Motocaddy Masters champion for 2012.

In an event cut from 54 to 36 holes due to heavy rain, 24-year-old Seymour shot a final round 72 to tie with Sundridge Park’s Liam Burns, before birdieing the second sudden death play-off hole to claim the £10,000 winners’ prize.

After his first EuroPro victory since joining the Tour in 2010, the new Motocaddy Masters champion said: “When you play in bad weather, it’s more about your attitude than anything else, and when I saw I was one behind walking down the last, I thought I’ve got to go after that score.”

This year marks the seventh consecutive year that Motocaddy has been the official electric trolley of the EuroPro Tour, and previous winners of the Motocaddy Masters title include current European Tour player Daniel Gaunt.

“It was great to see so many talented young players battling it out for the Motocaddy Masters title and our congratulations go to Dan on his victory,” said Chairman David Wells. “Many of the players on the EuroPro Tour use a Motocaddy trolley, and we always value their feedback on its performance when coming up with new innovations.”

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Some of the club members have literally bought into the idea of Hall owning the club, stumping up their own money to support the venture.

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Horton hams it up at the Manor!

Former Ryder Cup player, and legendary European Senior Tour professional, Tommy Horton returned to his golfing roots at Ham Manor Golf Club last month to take part in the West Sussex-based club’s 75th anniversary celebrations.

Horton, now 70, was the

club’s PGA professional from 1959 to 1975, and still holds the course record of 62, which he achieved in 1970.

The winner of 42 pro events, Horton took part in an 18hole competition during a weekend of fun events at the Angmering club, and proposed a toast during the

evening’s festivities, which included a gala dinner.

To mark the anniversary, an extensive exhibition of memorabilia charting the club’s history was set up inside the clubhouse, which itself is currently undergoing some external refurbishment in readiness for the new season.

Windmill Hill homes plan rejected A Buckinghamshire golf club has had plans to build a residential housing estate on its land rejected by planning officials following local opposition to the development. Windmill Hill Golf Centre in Bletchley put in an application last year to build 89 properties on the club’s grounds in a bid to claw back lost revenue as a

consequence of dwindling income from membership and visitor green fees.

The club has seen its membership drop from 600 in 2000, to just 131 in 2011, and rounds of golf at the venue have halved in that time. Windmill Hill‘s future was dealt a further blow in 2007, when the clubhouse burnt down, causing

18 months of business interruption, and the club has argued that the 1,150-sqm2 building that replaced it is too expensive to maintain for the existing membership numbers. The club applied to West Bletchley Parish Council to build the homes on an area of land currently occupied by clubhouse, a car park and a small part of the golf course. If approved, the club would also have had the opportunity to build a new clubhouse, a new driving range and a car park, as well as carry out significant landscaping alterations to ensure the club still has an 18-hole course, as well as a new academy area.

May 2012 / Issue 210

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Chislehurst Golf Club’s compact 18-hole course and stunning Georgian clubhouse provide the perfect all-round package for a great day’s golf

HOME FROM HOME If being a member of a golf club is about experiencing ‘the whole package’, then Chislehurst ticks all the boxes. Many clubs are let down by having an imbalance in the quality of their facilities, be it a dull course or a poor excuse for a clubhouse,, but Chislehurst can rightly lay claim to offering the complete package, where the enjoyment to be had on the excellent par-66 layout is perfectly matched by the magnificence of the clubhouse, which provides a true ‘home from home’ for its loyal membership.

There can be few more impressive frontages to a golf club in England than that which greets the visitor to Chislehurst. The imposing proportions are rarely found in a world where prefab bungalows dominate the golfing landscape. Camden Place, to give the clubhouse its official title, was built in 1717, and is a site of such cultural significance that some first-time visitors might think that they have been misdirected to a National Trust property, until they catch sight of the golf course beyond the imposing entrance. Suffice to say, that the magnificent building makes for a refreshing change, with statelyproportioned rooms, 30-foot high ceilings, vast oak panels, and sweeping staircases making for a memorable beginning or end to any round.

Not surprisingly, the club attracts non-golfers and golfers in equal measure, with weddings and private functions finding the historic backdrop an attractive alternative to modern

The 492-yard 14th is one of two par fives on the card

hotels. In fact, ever since the club was first established in 1894, little distinction has been made between playing and non-playing members, with many local residents joining for the social side alone.

Such a memorable clubhouse could be in danger of overshadowing its golf course, but that’s far from being the case at Chislehurst, where both James Braid and Harry Colt are believed to have had a hand in creating one of the most compact 18-hole layouts in the country.

With just 65 acres of prime suburban land to work with, the pair clearly used all of their artistry to fashion a course that although not long – it measures just 5,119 yards – is thrilling and challenging in equal measure.

A quick glance at the scorecard explains the reason for the difficulty; a standard scratch score of 65, and

The par-three 13th requires a semi-blind tee shot over a deep pit to a heavily-sloping green. Easy!

the fact that eight of the 18 holes are par threes – the hardest holes to par for most club golfers. That the course record is only five-under speaks volumes for the test, while the severity of the par fours, and the finesse required to score well on the threes, makes it hard for any golfer to bully their way around the course with a driver.

Despite its small acreage, there are opportunities to open the shoulders – although a precisely struck hybrid will often leave you with the best shot into the longer holes, many of which have sloping fairways, or are protected by well-placed bunkers and some devilishly-sculpted greens that are characteristic of Colt courses.

Although some of the tees and greens are in close proximity to each other, most of the holes enjoy a degree of seclusion, with definition provided by tree-lined fairways and sheltered tees and greens.

There are plenty of highlights, with the approach to the downhill opening par five placing an immediate requirement for precise shot execution.

The par threes each offer a different challenge, with sizeable changes in length – from 106 to 237 yards – and elevation, testing every element of your game. It’s no wonder that league matches are often won by the home side, with correct club selection being the key to good scoring.

The most memorable short hole is the 141-yard seventh, which requires an uphill carry over a vast pit, and is believed to have existed on the site long before it became a golf course.

Anything short of the green will be swallowed up in this grassy gorge, and some big numbers have been recorded trying to get up the almost vertical bank that fronts the putting surface.

Another refreshing element of a

round at Chislehurst is that four-balls can whizz around in just over three hours, while pairs have been known to manage it in under two-and-a-half, which makes it ideal for a quick round after work in the summer, as well as ensuring that anyone can enjoy a game without it taking up the whole day.

The course, which is always kept in tip-top condition by the experienced course manager and his dedicated team, is not surprisingly popular with seniors and ladies alike, with the emphasis on short game skills much more to their liking, while the course has proved a suitable venue for Kent Junior and Senior team championships over the years.

With the club located just 11 miles from the centre of London and 10 minutes from the M25, it’s well placed for visitors from all over the South East, so if you fancy a great day out – or are looking for somewhere fun and friendly to join – then Chislehurst could be just the ticket.

Chislehurst Golf Club, Camden Park Road, Chislehurst, Kent, BR7 5HJ. Tel: 020 8467 2782. Website: www.chislehurstgolfclub.co.uk

Visitor & Society Packages Memberships in all categories are available on application to the General Manager.

Visitors and societies are welcome on weekdays by prior arrangement.

Green fee offer for Golf News readers - 25% discount to £30 for 18 holes - reference GN0512 when booking.

Society rates start from £30 for 18 holes, with tailor-made packages available.

For all enquiries call: 020 8467 2782 or email: thesecretary@ chislehurstgolfclub.co.uk

14 /

May 2012 / Issue 210

Forty years after the first European Tour event, the Tour’s visionary foundin trials involved with dragging the professional game into a brave new comme This article is the first of a series of interviews with John Jacobs celebrating the 40th anniversary of the European Tour. A longer version first appeared on the European Tour’s website. For this, and other special features and interviews, visit www.europeantour.com.

It was the inimitable 19th-century playwright Oscar Wilde who once said, “Ambition is the germ from which all growth of nobleness proceeds”, and it seems certain that the face of European golf would be inherently different were it not for the vision and foresight of one extraordinary man four decades ago. Now 87 years old, and having lost nothing of the captivating character that has made him such a legendary figure within almost every facet of the game, John Jacobs is that man.

Few within golf have had as farreaching an impact on the sport as Jacobs, yet he remains as humble a man as you could wish to meet, often suffixing fluid and engaging tales of his golfing life with unnecessary apologies for ‘rambling on’ and concerns that he comes across as ‘boasting awfully’. But for a man who was made an OBE in the New Year Honours list in 1997, before three years later being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, Jacobs’s worries of self-glorification are wholly unwarranted.

A former professional player of note himself, Jacobs played in the 1955 Ryder Cup, and was Ryder Cup captain in 1979 and 1981 – the first two events to feature a continental European team. Furthermore, he established himself as one of the most highlyregarded teachers of all time, and was the founding father of what would later become The European Tour.

The seeds of the Tour were first laid over half a century ago in Harrogate, when, in 1954, the 29-year-old Jacobs led the opening charge in what was set to be a 20-year battle to revolutionise the sport’s tournament scene. Jacobs, a sharp-minded Yorkshireman of pure golfing stock, gathered the signatures of 29 players backing a requisition expressing discontent with the way tournaments were being organised. His petition was presented to the 28-man PGA Executive Committee that governed the game in Britain at this time.

The content of this memorandum proved, at that time, ineffective, but would later provide the blueprint upon which The European Tour would develop. In short, it demanded a modernisation of the distribution and size of prize funds; a new vibrancy to attract sponsors and increase awareness; and, crucially, a tournament scene that expanded far beyond the realms of the British Isles.

Along with a supporting cast of fellow players also backing the call for change in the face of the antiquated ways of the Executive Committee,

Jacobs was Ryder Captain in 1979 and 1981

The Gatekeeper: Jacobs at his home in the New Forest

A man for all seasons Words by Will Pearson

Jacobs was not to be easily dissuaded from his chosen path.

“In the 50s and early 60s, myself, Bernard Hunt, Peter Alliss and Harry Weetman were desperately trying to get some life into the tournament scene,” Jacobs recalls. “But we were up against this group of people, none of whom were of our generation, and they were automatically against the younger guys. I might be overstating it somewhat, but we couldn’t get anything done.”

By the early 1960s, the quartet, led by Jacobs, had finally secured themselves four places on the Executive Committee, an election which, as he puts it, ‘Didn’t do us scant good as it turned out’, thanks to the continuing imbalance of the board in favour of the ‘old guard’.

It was almost a decade later before Jacobs’ s plans progressed. He had retired from tournament golf and was managing director of Athlon Sports.

Then David Talbot, captain of the PGA at the time, and Geoffrey Cotton, chairman of the PGA, came to Jacobs asking him to take on the Tour. Jacobs initially responded: “Not on your life, I wasted far too much of my time on that years ago.”

Nevertheless, the much respected John Bywaters, then secretary of the PGA, convinced Jacobs that he must take on the role. Jacobs recalls: “It was

only a while later that John came to see me and said, ‘John, you’re the one person that can bring this whole thing together’, and he was right. He told me he thought we should go to Europe, and he really got me thinking in the right direction.”

So it came to pass that after agreeing to take on the job on a part-time basis, he took up the role of Tournament Director-General on October 1, 1971. Jacobs, along with a team of Bywaters, George Simms as head of PR, and Marina Bray as his secretary, would over the next five years mastermind and mould what became The European Tour. This started with an examination of the prize money structure, which at that time offered a sliding scale for the top-10 places, but the same money to those finishing 11th to 40th. He also completely reassessed the role of sponsorship in the game.

“The first three months were fantastic,” says Jacobs. “In the first two weeks I was in the job, I actually lost two tournaments, because I wrote to all the sponsors thanking them for their efforts, but enthusing that things couldn’t possibly stay the same, because as it was three players made money, five broke even, and the rest lost money. It just wasn’t a runner. So I insisted on a minimum tournament prize fund – it sounds stupid now – of £5,000.”

His bold move lost two sponsors, but gained five. He flipped the position of power between the tournament and sponsor, and by the end of 1971, had secured £443,450 in prize money, almost double that of the previous year. He also secured, through a European Committee he had established, a ‘Continental Swing’, embracing the French, German, and Spanish Opens. Indeed, the Spanish Open would become the first official European Tour event at Pals Golf Club in Girona on April 12, 1972.

The Jacobs blueprint was being noted not only in the boardrooms of leading companies, but also by the media. Expanding column inches in the newspapers, encouraged by increasing interest in the game, gave the sport fresh momentum, further fuelled by the decision of ITV to broadcast four UK tournaments.

It’s clear the time was one of tension for Jacobs, resulting in the loss of friends who were club pros in these tumultuous years. The most turbulent of these passed between 1973 and 1975, as Colin Snape took over as Secretary of the PGA after the sudden death of Bywaters. The new secretary produced a sensational paper in August 1973, which sought to remove power from Jacobs and the Tournament Committee back into the jurisdiction of the PGA, and a statement of intent that would lead to two years of conflict between the two parties. “He was hell-bent on becoming the main man, and wanted to get the tour players completely subservient to his rule,” Jacobs frowns, shaking his head. “This, after we had been so successful in those two years!”

Jacobs, however, was a shrewd operator. Supported by the indefatigable Bray and a new recruit, the 20-something Scottish banking prodigy Ken Schofield, and around 80 tour pros, he guided the situation to a zenith at York University in August 1975. On the cusp of being fired by the PGA for talking to the press, Jacobs unveiled a knockout blow to ensure his

May 2012 / Issue 210

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ng father, John Jacobs, recalls the ercial world dream of a burgeoning European Tour would come to fruition. “We had 80 signatures from the players and the PGA had to agree to it. We had won the day,” beams Jacobs. “That meeting was key to our future.”

But in a manner indicative of the man’s magnanimous character, Jacobs never held the whole unpleasant mess against the PGA, convincing the players not to break away completely. “I’m so glad I did,” he says. “I assured them I would get us complete autonomy and that was that.

I’m hugely proud of the PGA now. It leads the world. If you go to The Belfry now, the practice facilities, and the people who teach there, are the best in the world.”

Perhaps because Jacobs accomplished so much in the formative years of the Tour, it is often forgotten that his tenure as Tournament Director was relatively shortlived. By the start of the 1975 season he had handed the reins to Schofield, with a structure in place whereby tournament players and club pros ran their own affairs.

Under Schofield’s stewardship, the organisation would flourish over the next 30 years, before George O’Grady, as chief executive, demonstrated from 2005 his determination and dedication to use the global experience to provide the best for the players and the fans by further enhancing interest in the game and growing The European Tour brand.

“I moved aside because I wanted to get on with my own career, but Ken was a natural, and I knew the whole business was in safe hands,” says Jacobs. “If you look at where the Tour started when Ken took over, and where it was when he left, it is almost unbelievable, and George has

followed that on by moving things even further forward. Great credit must go to both of them.”

Having started with just a handful of tournaments in 1972 and a total prize fund for that season of just under half a million pounds, The European Tour now traverses every continent on the globe.

The 2011 season hosted 52 tournaments across the world with a tournament purse that totalled almost €150 million.

In Schofield, and now O’Grady, Jacobs clearly believes the Tour has always had the right men for the job at the helm, characters of a kindred spirit to him, with vision and skill matching, and even surpassing, his own.

“I couldn’t have ever imagined that it would go on to be played so far afield as it is now,” he admits. “When Ken went initially to Africa (for the Tunisian Open in 1982), at first I couldn’t go with that. I was out of it and I trusted Ken anyway, but Europe was Europe to me, and there aren’t many people of my generation that wouldn’t have said that. But thank God he did! We’ve now got a lovely situation whereby the PGA Tour has the USA, and The European Tour has the rest of the world. It’s still The European Tour whether you’re playing in the Middle East, Australia, or wherever, and that is only continuing apace now under George’s guidance and vision.”

Having spoken at length about the first 40 years, I ask him where he sees The European Tour in another four decades, to which he replies: “Well, we’ll probably have a couple of courses on Mars by then, won’t we?” before adding, with a mischievous smile, “Anyway, I’ll be a divot by then. I’ll send you a message.”

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Designs for Life As well as being a great player, a world-class coach, and a superb administrator, John Jacobs is also a highly respected golf course architect, with his designs destined to leave their mark for many years to come With his experiences of playing all over the world, and his eye for what makes for a memorable and challenging hole, John Jacobs has been responsible for creating some of the finest courses in the country. Among his many completed projects, standout designs include the Edinburgh Course at Wentworth, The Buckinghamshire, Chartridge Park, Patshull Park, Fairleigh and Fairlop Waters, to name but a few.

One of his most recent projects was the stunning course at Remedy Oak in Dorset, which opened in 2005 – the year Jacobs turned 80. Almost immediately rated as one of the top inland courses in the country, the superb woodland layout typifies Jacobs’ ability to make courses appear mature beyond their years. “When I first saw the location for Remedy Oak, I knew it had the potential to be one of the best courses in the UK,” says Jacobs. “And to see it now, I believe that potential has been realised.”

Jacobs hasn’t purely focused on exclusive venues such as Wentworth and indeed, Remedy Oak, and his work at venues such as Chartridge Park in Buckinghamshire, superbly showcases his over-riding design philosophy, that a golf course should be challenging and capable of testing the game’s best players, but at the same time be playable and able to give immense pleasure to the handicap golfer.

Jacobs has always been careful not to impose his designs on the land, preferring instead to create courses that are sympathetic to their surroundings, embracing the natural features and contours, and leaving a ‘soft’ footprint on the environment. This can be clearly seen at Patshull Park in Shropshire, where Jacobs has created a peaceful parkland masterpiece that sits at one with the stunning Capability Brown-designed grounds at this popular hotel resort, while both entertaining and challenging every level of golfer. There can be no greater compliment to an architect than that, and it’s the reason why Jacobs’s courses will be cherished and played long after the man himself has gone to the 19th hole in the sky.

www.cpgc.co.uk Chartridge Park Golf Club, Chartridge, Chesham, HP5 2TF

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May 2012 / Issue 210

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The London Golf Club’s bid to become a venue fit to stage more Tour events, as well as become a centre of excellence for all elite golfers, has taken a step forward following the announcement of plans to build the UK’s first ever European Tour Performance Institute (ETPI) at the Kent-based facility.

The club, together with its joint venture partner, The European Tour, has submitted plans to local authorities for the construction of the ETPI, which will comprises a new 9-hole academy course and a completely new driving range.

Alongside the existing 36-holes of championship golf and 130-bedroom luxury 5-star hotel and spa, for which planning permission has already been granted, the management is confident that this latest development will turn the London Golf Club into a world class destination primed for hosting further major tournaments.

The European Tour Performance Institute, which

London Gol plans for ne will feature a fully-covered driving range and a shortgame facility, will be the first of its kind in the UK, and promises to raise the bar in term of both coaching and sports science.

Using the very latest technological and biomechanical tools developed by elite professionals and medical specialists on the European Tour, golfers of all abilities will be able to take advantage of the facilities, and reap the benefits of over 25 years of analysis of some of the game’s greatest players.

Commenting on the plans, the London Golf Club’s general manger, Austen Gravestock, told Golfnews: “This is a very exciting time

0208 768 3116 or 0208 768 3113 www.principal-hayley.com Selsdon Park Hotel & golf club, Addington Road, Sanderstead, Surrey, CR2 8YA

for all of us involved with the London Golf Club. We have always been a very forward-thinking club, and I firmly believe the new ETPI, Academy and nine-hole golf course will elevate our status in the international golfing arena. Along with our stunning five-star hotel and spa, and close proximity to the capital, and the major road networks, The London Golf Club is set to become an important destination for The European Tour, as well as golfers from all over Europe and the UK.” Although the Ash-based venue successfully staged

Worthing captains Rider to ho prepare to reap what they sow!

Worthing Golf Club launched the new season with a traditional driving in ceremony for the new Club Captain and Ladies’ Captain.

The duo, farmer Alan Harris and journalist Caroline Nicholls, arrived on the first tee carried in the back of a farm tractor, cheered on by hundreds of members. At the same event outgoing captain Ian Potter presented a cheque for more than £9,000 to the charity Whizz Kidz to buy mobility equipment

to help keep disabled youngsters active. The club’s lady members, led by Christa Harris, also raised more than £3,000 last year for Worthing’s Ashdown Centre, a club for children with special needs.

This year, the club’s members will support Worthing’s Young Carers, raising money at a range of special events to give the children a break from their caring duties, with trips out and a chance to learn new skills.

Worthing captains Alan Harris and Caroline Nicholls

Mum’s the wo Surrey’s Christine Griffith recovered from a cancer operation to partner her daughter, Charlotte, to a special victory in the annual Mothers and Daughters Tournament at Royal Mid Surrey Golf Club in Richmond. Christine, a former professional, had made it her goal to compete again in the 27-hole medal foursomes, after she had surgery last December. Last year, she and Charlotte, 18, missed out on the title by just one shot.

With very little practice, Christine played inspirational golf with her daughter, and the Walton Heath pairing returned

May 2012 / Issue 210

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lf Club unveils ew elite academy

the European Open in 2008 and 2009, a lack of any on-site accommodation has been a sticking point when it came to securing future events, so the granting of permission to build the hotel has opened the door on discussions with the European Tour to bring back top flight golf to the club, while the development of the ETPI marks a further strengthening in the relationship with the European Tour.

David MacLaren, Director of Venue Development at The European Tour, said: “Our partnership with London Golf Club goes from strength

to strength, and we again applaud the foresight of the club and its owners.

We recently opened the world’s first European Tour Performance Institute at Terre Blanche in Provence, and I am confident that the creation of a state-of-the-art practice and teaching facility at London Golf Club will be of great benefit to club members, visitors and the wider community.”

Designed to complement the club’s Heritage and International courses, the new ETPI and 9-hole academy course will be located on the eastern side of South Ash

Road. Designed by architects European Golf Design, the course will provide a much more player-friendly layout, ideal for those starting out in the game, hotel guests, and junior golfers.

Jeremy Slessor, European Golf Design’s Managing Director, said: “It’s been a fascinating start to the project - combining the evolutionary approach to performance and training of the ETPI with an academy facility that will support the two existing courses.

“Trying to marry the requirements of the European Tour, with the need to provide a bespoke training course, concentrating on game improvement, has been challenging – but we feel confident that this is what we’ve achieved. Added to this has been the desire to restore the terrain from an open agricultural field to one with a diverse environment, supporting diverse habitats, resulting in a richer ecological landscape.”

The timing of both developments is dependent on the granting of planning permission, but once that is given, the facility could be open within two years.

ost Richmond charity day Former BBC TV sports presenter Steve Rider is to host a golf day on behalf of the national disability charity United Response at Richmond Golf Club in Surrey on June 18. The day, which costs £600 for a team of four, or £150 per person, includes breakfast, 18 holes of golf, and a three-course lunch, followed by an auction and a Q&A session with the former BBC golf presenter.

Speaking about the event, Rider, who is vice president of United Response, said: “Last year’s event was great fun, with Steve Burridge, the pro at Richmond, taking on all comers in the ‘beat the pro’ competition, and this year’s event is set to be equally exciting, with prizes on offer for the leading teams, and for the longest drive and nearest the pin. I hope as many golfers as possible will join me for what is set to be a fantastic day.”

To book a team, visit www.unitedresponse.org.uk/golfevent, or call 020 8246 5200.

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May 2012 / Issue 210

Five years after it was acquired by The Altonwood Group, The Addington has firmly re-established itself as one of Surrey’s finest heathland courses, and is now embarking on a new and exciting phase in its glorious history When it comes to lists, there are few sports more obsessed with them than golf. Money lists, Ryder Cup points tables, fairways in regulation rankings, and sand save statistics – you name it, there’s a list with someone’s name at the top of it.

Numbers, it seems, speak louder than words in the wonderful world of golf.

But of all the golf rankings out there, none is more hotly debated than the annual ‘Top 100 golf courses’ list issued by Golf World (other rankings are available, but this is the oldest and most established). Scored on such technicalities as ‘variation and flow of holes’, ‘consistency of the speed of the greens’, ‘warmth of the steward’s welcome’, ‘fluffiness of towels’ and ‘frothiness of the beer’, this ranking aims to provide an honest assessment of the complete golfing experience offered by a particular venue. Having been on the judging panel for another magazine’s top 100 list in a previous life, I know that the clubs in the reckoning await the results with bated breath, while at the same time pretending that they are meaningless, should they fail to make the grade, or – heaven forbid – be pipped by a rival club to a higher spot.

Given the small amount you can do to improve a golf course on a yearto-year basis, it’s not surprising that these rankings remain fairly static, bar the odd newcomer that occasionally barges its way into proceedings without a ‘mind out’ or ‘excuse me’.

So it’s perhaps something of a coup that a club such as The Addington – which has been quietly going about its business in the backwoods of Croydon for a small matter of 99 years – has seen its ranking rise from a perfectly presentable 88th on Golf World’s 2012 list (which is published this month), to an extremely healthy 71st, which is a clear reflection of the tremendous amount of improvements that have been made over the past two years.

If you ignore Donald Trump’s white elephant of an enterprise in Aberdeen (straight in at No.8), only Hankley Common’s rocket up the pop charts (74th to 44th) surpasses the improvement made by The Addington.

If Rome, as I have been reliably informed, wasn’t built in a day, then it’s safe to assume that this Surrey gem has yet more room for improvement.

The signature par-three 13th

The testing par-five 12th

Bridge over troubled heather: The Addington’s trademark bridges add to the charm of this delightful layout

Going up IN the World Having been under the same one-woman stewardship for almost 40 years, it is only since 2006 that the club has been managed on a more commercial basis. After decades of muddling on and making do, it has taken the last three or four years just to get the course back to somewhere close to acceptable playing conditions, and perhaps it will take a similar time to get it to where the management would like it to be. That’s not to say it’s not up to scratch as we speak, but merely to highlight the lofty, and quite realistic, ambitions that the owner, Ron Noades, and his management team, have for The Addington’s future.

While the 6,282-yard course is clearly too short for top level tournament play, its quirky design is such that it’s an ideal venue for amateur events – the Surrey Mid Amateur is being staged here next year – and is a real test of golf for the club golfer. First opened in 1913, The Addington was designed by JF Abercromby, who not only built the course, but was its founding member

and club president for many years.

Although he only ever built four courses in his life – among them Worplesdon, Knowle Park and The Old Course at what is now Bovey Castle – it is at The Addington that ‘Aber’, as he was affectionately known, produced his finest work. Having had the good fortune to know a member of the club a few years ago, I have had the privilege to play this wonderful course on numerous occasions. On each return visit I learnt a little bit more about the subtle nuances of its design, and each time the course revealed a few more ways of being played – if rarely tamed.

Located just 13 miles from the centre of London, you only have to lift your head up from the tee shot on the 14th to see practically the entire London skyline laid out before you. Crystal Palace’s towering mast looms in the foreground, while the tops of the The Gherkin and the recently-completed Shard provide a stunning contrast to the lush green acres at your feet.

Abercromby had a fondness for short holes and there are six par threes here, beginning with the uphill opening hole, whose front bunker always catches out the stiff swings resulting from being the first shot of the day. The heart of the course begins on the par four sixth, where a downhill drive to the right side of the fairway leaves you a testing short-iron over a yawning pit, which can be crossed by one of the course’s trademark wooden bridges.

The seventh is another superb short hole, while the dog-leg 9th requires both the tee shot and the approach to clear plunging, gorse-filled ravines, which are both traversed by wooden bridges. The 12th is a strong par five – one of three on the card – which will leave a mark on your memory and your card if

you’re not careful. Although not massively long, its difficulty comes out of the fact that a drive of around 230-260 yards could well see your ball end up in the gorse bushes that cling to the side of a steep slope.

The safe shot is a 3-wood to around 220, leaving you on a plateau, but with a second shot of over 250 yards to the green, which sits on top of a hill. The only safe shot is to hit a long iron to the bottom of the valley, and then chip up with your third and hope for a one-putt birdie.

The next hole, the par 230-yard 13th, is the feature hole, due in most part to its difficulty, although it’s also a beauty. Henry Longhurst, who knew a thing or two about good design, once described it as ‘with the exception of the 5th hole at Pine Valley, the greatest one-shot hole in inland golf.’ It’s hard to argue with that description, but with heather all around, bunkers on both sides, and trees behind the green, it is perhaps one of the few holes in golf where the player who comes up short actually breathes a sigh of relief.

There’s no let up in the quality from here on in, from the difficult 515-yard 16th, with its narrow fairway and plunging hollows, to the lengthy par-3 17th, whose tee shot fires over the 16th green to clear yet another hollow, and another bunker some 30 yards short of the putting surface. The closing hole is a fearsome uphill twoshotter, with a bunker jutting into the fairway at the ideal landing spot, and an avenue of tall firs to contend with.

It’s taken months, if not years, of hard work from The Addington’s dedicated greenstaff to restore this masterpiece to its former glory, and although the job is by no means finished yet, the fruits of their labours can be seen everywhere, including the improved conditions of the fairways, the complete renovation

of the bunkers – which have been not only re-laid, but re-shaped – and a huge amount of tidying up, from clearing undergrowth, managing the heather, and improving the cosmetics of the course, to creating new pathways, stairs to tees and greens, and the building of several new tees.

With architects busy drawing up plans to build a completely new clubhouse to replace the homely, but somewhat ramshackle collection of buildings that currently greet you on arrival, the annual membership fee will seem like a bargain when the work is finally complete. In the meantime, this work in progress remains a constant delight.

One of the many benefits of being a member at The Addington is that membership also comes with complimentary golf at The Altonwood Group’s four other clubs - Godstone, Surrey National, Woldingham, and Westerham.

All four venues are within close proximity of each other, and make for an interesting change and a great day out, while members of those clubs are also able to play The Addington on a slightly more restricted basis as part of their membership package.

So whether you play this course as a member, a visiting green fee player, or part of a society or corporate day, the message to all golfers is loud and clear – The Addington is going up in the world.

MEMBERSHIP NOW AVAILABLE A restricted number of memberships are still available.

Please contact Oliver Peel on 0208 777 1055 or email oliver.peel@addingtongolf.com For more information visit www.addingtongolf.com

Upcoming Events

MEMBERSHIP OPEN WEEKEND SATURDAY 9TH & SUNDAY 10TH JUNE

PRO-AM

FRIDAY 6TH JULY For more information on either of these events please contact Oliver Peel on 0208 777 1055 or email oliver.peel@addingtongolf.com

May 2012 / Issue 210

/ 19

Woosie on course for Par 3 Champs

Price in charge at Ashdown

August’s Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship at Nailcote Hall promises to be the biggest and best yet, with a host of today’s tour stars and legends from yesteryear lined up to take part in this unmissable festival of golf.

The short course tournament, which is taking place on August 7-10 this year, always attracts an eclectic mix of players, including stars off the European and Senior Tour, leading

Former Kent Junior champion Freddie Price celebrated victory in the second Faldo Series UK Championship of the 2012 season with a level-par 72 at Royal Ashdown Forest in Sussex.

The 18-year-old from Sidcup, who is a member at Royal Blackheath, beat Steven Gibbs (Sedlescombe) on count back, after the event was reduced to 18 holes due to flooding. “I missed out by one shot a couple of years ago, which makes winning now feel extra special,” said a delighted Price, who qualifies for the 16th Faldo Series Europe Grand Final, to be hosted by six-time Major Champion Sir Nick Faldo at Lough Erne Resort in Northern Ireland in September.

Other age-group winners heading to the finals included England squad members Sophie Keech (Girls’ U16) and Samantha Giles (Girls’ U21). They will be joined by Langley Park’s Max Jordan (Boys’ U16) and Matthew Waters from Purley Downs (Boys’ U21).

PGA professionals, as well as a smattering of celebrities drawn from the world of stage, screen and sport.

The latest addition to the all-star cast list is 1991 Masters champion Ian Woosnam, who will be joining fellow former Ryder Cup captain Tony Jacklin in creating a line up of Major stars for golf fans to come see in action over Nailcote Hall’s thrilling Cromwell Course, as they bid to win the coveted 2012 Farmfoods

British Par 3 Championship.

A stalwart of Jacklin’s successful Ryder Cup teams of the 1980s, and with more than 48 titles to his name, Woosnam is sure to prove a big draw for spectators, who have the rare chance to see the players of his calibre in action on UK soil.

For tickets and further information on the 2012 Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship, visit www.britishpar3championship.co.uk

Introducing the Pro1M™ with Vivid Display Technology, by Bushnell® Vivid Display Technology for all Light Conditions

Graham takes the reins at East Sussex Following the retirement of East Sussex National’s longserving manager, Derek Howe, the Uckfield-based resort has appointed Steve Graham as new golf operations manager. Graham, who was previously the manager at Littlehampton Golf Club, begins the new role next month.

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After surviving the 36-hole qualifying strokeplay event, Russell progressed to the last 16 of the match play stages, where she beat Slinfold’s junior captain, Amber Cockram, 3&2 in an exciting final.

Russell also won the Langridge Salver for the best 36-hole qualifying score for an over 50s player, after finishing seven shots clear of West Sussex’s Daisy Kane.

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20 /

May 2012 / Issue 210

Rain fails to dampen high spirits at ce Where there are always NEW ways to enjoy golf...

Spring is coming - so time to plan that extra golf day. At Epsom we have some excellent society golf packages and we are very flexible to create a package just for you.

ORGANISER Simply call us to discuss your requirements. PLAYS FOR

GOLF SOCIETY PACKAGES: PAR PACKAGE: Coffee and bacon rolls plus 18 holes of golf: £28.

BIRDIE PACKAGE: Full English breakfast plus 18 holes of golf £31.50.

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For any society of 12 or more the organiser plays for free.

SPECIAL RATES FOR GROUPS OF 20 PLUS:

EAGLE PACKAGE: Light lunch plus 18 holes of golf: £32.50.

Simply call us to discuss your group.

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Nell McAndrew with a group of ‘Battle Back; golfers

Please call to ask about availability.

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LOOKING FOR A GAME? 18 Holes of Golf + Pie ‘n’ a Pint

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Sam Torrance and Kevin Keegan give their support to auctioneer Jeffery Archer

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A GOOD REID: Solheim Cup star Melis knocked it round in 77 to help her tea

The par-three 7th proved a tough target

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HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES: Football pundit Alan Hansen managed to retain his match day focus amid the downpours

Although the weather was more suited for swimming ducks than shooting birdies, stars from the world of sport and television proved that they are made of the right stuff, when they took part in last month’s Help for Heroes Celebrity Golf day held at a rain-sodden Stoke Park Golf Club in Buckinghamshire.

Although the heavy downpours left many of the fairways resembling water hazards, and some standing puddles on the greens, the greenkeepers at the club worked tirelessly to ensure that the course remained playable for the 100plus players – including a group of ‘Battle Back’ golfers – who took part in the day, which was dedicated to raising funds for injured servicemen and women.

Not surprisingly, there was a strong military theme to the day, which featured military bands, military hardware – including an armoured tank parked right outside the clubhouse, and a helicopter offering a tempting target to the right of the first fairway – along with an impressive aerial display from a Chinook.

Glamour model Nell McAndrew greeted guests on arrival, while the stars from professional golf on show included former Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance, European Tour player Simon Khan – who gave a pre-match clinic – and Solheim Cup star Melissa Reid. Sporting stars included Kevin Keegan, David Seaman, Ian Wright and Jason Leonard, who were joined by popular TV and radio presenters including Chris Evans, Max Rushden, and Steve Rider.

Despite the inclement conditions, the scores were still respectable, with former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan, who plays off seven, chalking up a respectable 36 points to win the

STARS TO TURN OUT

HELP THE HEROES individual honours, beating Ian Wright on a countback on the last three holes.

His tally helped his team, the Black Heart Foundation, chalk up an impressive 12-under par total and 84 points (best two scores from four) to take the team title from Wright’s Team Aspect, who finished on 82 points.

Sky Sports presenter Charlotte Jackson scored an impressive 29 points, but saw her Virtrix IT team finish last with 52, after two of her playing partners failed to break into double figures on what was a very difficult scoring day. In the battle of the Strictly Come Dancers, Anton du Beke’s 26 points easily put paid to the challenge of Brendan Cole’s 11 – although if judge Len Goodman had been around it could have easily been a ‘seven’!

The tension at the event was heightened by the use of VPAR hand held scoring systems, which allowed players

to input their scores on a hole-by-hole basis, so that everyone knew where they stood in the standings, and had a clear idea of what they needed to do over the closing holes. An Audi TTS Roadster was up for grabs for anyone lucky enough to bag a hole-in-one on the difficult 180yard seventh, but sadly went back to the showroom unclaimed.

The golf was followed by a gala dinner, and an auction of outstanding lots and prizes. One of the most hotly-bid lots to go under Jeffrey Archer’s hammer was a collection of 70 four-ball rounds, all of which were at venues inside the UK’s Top 100 rankings, including a round at the soon-to-be-opened Trump International in Aberdeen.

The winning bid came from former England footballer and manager Kevin Keegan, who paid an incredible £22,000 for the lot, and will be using the rounds as

May 2012 / Issue 210

/ 21

elebrity-fuelled Stoke Park charity day

great golf, great value...this summer

ssa Reid am finish

TANKS FOR THE MEMORIES: An army Jackal patrol vehicle was stationed outside Stoke Park’s clubhouse to stop bandits from approaching from the car park

IT’S A STEP TO THE LEFT: Strictly Come Dancing star Anton du Beke displays some nifty footwork on Stoke Park’s fairways

£20 £30 £35 midweek

weekend

18 Hole Green Fee, available 7 days after 2pm 18 Hole Green Fee, available 7 days before 2pm (£99 for a 4 ball, Midweek) Pre Paid (£120 for a 4 ball, Weekend) Pre Paid

£149 Golf & Racing Midweek Package, 4 ball Pre Paid £199 Golf & Racing Package, Music Nights, 4 Ball Pre Paid

AUDI LIKE TO WIN THIS? A £40,000 Audi TTS Roadster went unclaimed as the prize for a hole-in-one at the 7th hole

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Golf Society Packages, Tailor Made Packages, (min 12 people) Call Jill Fisher – Sales & Events Manager 01342 830 931

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All offers are subject to availability/race tickets can be purchased from £14. Valid 1/4/12 – 31/10/12

t: 01342 830 917 e: golf-shop@lingfieldpark.co.uk w: www.LingfieldPark.co.uk Follow us on twitter @MarriottGolfUK LINGFIELD PARK MARRIOTT HOTEL & COUNTRY CLUB Racecourse Road, Lingfield, Surrey, RH7 6PQ.

Play went ahead despite the heavy rain

UT TO

THE HEROES

prizes for future charity auctions.

Another keenly-contested lot was the chance to play 18 holes with world No.3 three Lee Westwood at Close House Golf Club in Newcastle – which was snapped up for an impressive £15,000. The total amount raised from the day is yet to be added up, but it is estimated to be well in excess of £100,000.

Event Director, Stacey Jeffries, said: “The Heroes National Celebrity Golf Day brought together many of the nation’s favourite celebrities on the golf course to create a special camaraderie in terrible weather conditions. Hopefully the spirit shown on the day, and the money raised, will help inspire golfers across the nation to do their bit in June by participating in The Volvo National Golf Club Challenge.

Your chance to Help the Heroes

New Lane, Sutton Green, Nr Guildford, Surrey, GU4 7QF Tel: 01483 747898 email: admin@suttongreengc.co.uk

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Golf clubs can do their bit for Help the Heroes by taking part in the National Golf Club Challenge Now in its third year, the Volvo National Golf Club Challenge is the UK’s biggest national charity golf event for the amateur golfer, and has already raised over £500,000 for this worthwhile cause.

With help from golf clubs the length and bredth of Britain, the challenge competition has raised nearly half a million pounds for charity. Golf clubs can register for free to take part at www.volvongcc.co.uk, with participating clubs committing to holding a Help for Heroes charity golf day any day in June 2012, which will also act as a qualifier. Clubs compete against each other by reporting the top 10 men’s scores and top five ladies’ scores together with their course SSS and Par. The Volvo NGCC golf day can be incorporated into an existing golf event – with the scores being converted in accordance with competition rules.

The top three scoring clubs, as well as the club which raises the most money, will then be invited to Turnberry to play in the 2012 Volvo NGCC final.

The winners are awarded ‘The Lee Westwood Cup’ – a stunning trophy commissioned and donated by Wedgwood.

Prizes for the finalists range from golfing holidays to equipment from some of the top brands in golf.

For more details, and to register your club, visit www.volvongcc.co.uk or email info@ nationalgolfclubchallenge.com

The perfect venue for Society & Company Golf Days Bacon Roll & Coffee, 18 holes, Golfers Special (One course meal) - £37.50 Bacon Roll & Coffee, 18 holes & 3 Course Meal - £49.50 Bacon Roll & Coffee, 18 or 36 holes, 2 Course Lunch & High Tea - £59.50 Bacon Roll & Coffee, 36 holes, Light Lunch & 3 Course Meal - £69.50

22 /

May 2012 / Issue 210

Chipping Sodbury is a taxation test case

Y T OM A EN R W R – F LA FE N AL IF O C S D W O IT 20 BE S T UN ER O ET PS V T G O ES ICK O IZ N T -PR PR SO U A SE

Diamond Jubilee Tombola

To celebrate the Diamond Jubilee we’re staging a very British tombola throughout June EVERY golfer picks a ticket EVERY time they play, and EVERY ticket wins a prize guaranteed

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A Gloucestershire golf club is taking the government to court over the definition of membership of a golf club. If it wins, the tax that golf clubs pay and the funds they can reclaim will change, and the price of playing golf could even fall dramatically in the country. The case is so potentially far-reaching that a group of separate golf clubs is trying to raise £72,000 to pay for a barrister to make sure they are represented at the same tribunal.

On May 28, Chipping Sodbury Golf Club will argue at a VAT final hearing that club membership is made up of a ‘package of services’, of which one is the provision of a facility for the ‘playing of sport’. Under EU law, this would mean that that aspect of membership is exempt from VAT. However, at the same hearing, which is set to last five days, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs is set to argue that club membership consists only of one ‘single service supply’, which would mean that the relevant European legislation does not apply to it.

Chipping Sodbury, which effectively represents more than 1,700 sports’ clubs that are waiting to have similar tribunal cases heard, as well as four golf clubs named in its case, has appointed a VAT consultant, Fred Cowgill, who will argue that a significant portion of a golf club membership fee, believed to be between 30 and 52 per cent, relates to the playing of sport, and it is that amount that should be VAT exempt.

This would mean that, if Chipping Sodbury is successful, the price a golfer pays to be a member of a proprietary golf club could drop by more than 10 per cent without affecting the income generated, and that proprietary clubs could recover some of the VAT paid on all their membership subscriptions since 1990, which is when private members’ clubs were first allowed to offer VAT-exempt subscriptions.

If the Gloucestershire club wins the case, the club could all recover some of the VAT paid on membership subscriptions between 1973 and 1990, potentially worth thousands of pounds each. The club has been supported by England Golf, the body that runs amateur golf in England, which has called for a lower flat VAT rate for playing golf, and is believed to have contributed about £100,000 to the professional and legal costs of the action over the last two years. Several clubs have also made donations.

Next month sees Woodcote Park Golf Club host the Surrey Amateur Championship, as part of a series of events to celebrate the Croydon-based club’s centenary. The club will host the county’s top players over two days of match play golf on the weekend of June 9-10.

As part of the year’s celebrations, the club, which first opened during the year that Titanic sank, is holding a gala ‘Titanic Ball’ at nearby Selsdon Park Hotel later this summer. The event, which is a sell-out, had to be moved from its originally planned location due to the high demand for tickets.

“This shows the terrific family-friendly spirit that exists within this club,” said Adrian Dowson, Woodcote’s club secretary for the past 10 years. “I think virtually all the centenary celebrations are fully booked.”

But while the Titanic sadly sank to the bottom of the

An exhibition match was held in 1912 to

Thames Water exempts clubs from ban

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ed e t an ze KW r O a i RO Gu Pr D

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Terms & conditions apply - see our website for details

Cost of golf to be challenged in court

Wood ‘sell-o

Book your game online at www.rookwoodgolf.co.uk or call 01403 252123 Robin Hood Lane, Warnham, West Sussex RH12 3RR

Britain’s largest water authority has made golf clubs under its jurisdiction exempt from two major aspects of its hosepipe ban. Golf clubs that have water supplied by Thames Water can now use permanent sprinkler systems underneath their greens.

The water authority, which

covers hundred of golf clubs in the south-east, is one of seven in southern and eastern England that brought in a ban on the use of hosepipes on April 5. Initially, the ban, which is still in force despite huge amounts of rainfall in the seven areas throughout April, affected

all golf course and sports’ ground irrigation, including automatic sprinkler systems, in the Thames Water area.

However, Thames Water has now changed the advice it provides to golf clubs, stating that they can use sprinkler systems, but should act responsibly.

May 2012 / Issue 210

/ 23

dcote celebrates out’ centenary

‘Played Broke Hill Yet?’

Complimentary round for Society Organiser & Guest on production of this ad

Atlantic on April 12, 1912, Woodcote Park has remained remarkably buoyant over the last 100 years, with the club enjoying a healthy membership growth – currently numbering 500 – and a buoyant competition and social scene.

The original layout for the club was designed on the 137-acre site by the club’s first professional, Tom Winton, under the expert guidance of Harry Vardon. He was joined by fellow multiple

mark the club’s opening

“The use of fixed, permanent sprinkler systems underneath greens plumbed into a potable water supply with timers is now permitted, even if supplied from a storage tank,” said Connie Nattrass, a technical analyst at Thames Water. “We ask though, that clubs act conscientiously and only use these systems for the minimum time necessary and in the evening to minimise loss due to evaporation.”

Thames Water has not stated whether the change in policy is due to the recent rainfall, but did add that ‘two discretionary exemptions to the temporary use ban legislation apply to golf courses’. “They are permitted to use drip or trickle irrigation watering systems, fitted with a pressure reducing valve and a timer, that are not handheld, that place water drip by drip directly onto the soil surface or beneath the soil surface, without any surface run off or dispersion of water through the air using a jet or mist,” said the spokeswoman.

Open winner James Braid, who helped open the course by taking part in a special exhibition match.

Like many other Surrey courses, Woodcote Park also had to survive the traumas of the First and Second World Wars, during which many members were killed or wounded. In 1943, three holes were commandeered for agricultural production, while 2,186 high explosive bombs and 160 flying bombs fell within just a four-mile radius of the club. But remarkably the course itself escaped a direct hit.

The club was again threatened in 1966, when the proposed routing of the M23 took the super highway across the corner of the course around the 12th and 13th holes. But underfunding meant the motorway eventually finished at Hooley, some miles to the south.

A major landmark in the club’s history, and one that helped its survival, came in 1950, when the members were given the chance to buy the freehold for £15,000 – a snip at the time, but equivalent to more than £1million at today’s values.

In more recent years the club’s banner has been proudly waved by a trio of leading young golfers, including former Walker Cup player Stephen Keppler, and tour players Kieran Staunton and Zane Scotland, with the latter becoming the youngest player to compete in the Open Championship at Carnoustie in 1999.

The club will once again host some of the game’s aspiring top pros when it stages the penultimate event on the 2012 Jamega Tour on September 17-18. Last year’s event saw Oxfordshire’s Tyrell Hatton claim his first professional win.

Great driving holes

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Why not try our unique Society Package we can include: Putting Competition n Nearest The Pins/Longest Drives n Straightest Drive Contest n First Tee Videoing n Group Golf Lesson Before Play n Free Group 1st Tee Photos n Free Pull Trolleys n Beat The Pro Competition n Halfway House Refreshments n Superb Food Options n

Jack Bartlett bags Berkhamsted Trophy Sussex amateur Jack Bartlett’s ambitions of representing England were enhanced when he bagged the Berkhamsted Trophy at the second hole after a play-off with veteran John Kemp from Woburn. The two were both locked at 140 – Bartlett with rounds of 68 and 72 and Kemp 70 and 70. Fours players shared fourth place, Tom Fox, Ben Westgate, Callum Shinkwin and Michael Saunders.

Bartlett, from Worthing, also added the Hampshire Salver, awarded to the best combined score from the Selborne Salver and the Hampshire Hog over 72 holes with a score of 278, beating Matthew Fitzpatrick on countback.

Bartlett, back competing on the English amateur circuit after four years at Nova South Eastern University in the United States, knew he needed a good performance at the Hampshire Hog, as he trailed Fitzpatrick by five after the Selborne Salver at Blackmoor the previous day, and delivered in style by making birdies at the opening five holes at North Hants.

“I wanted to make a fast start because of the world amateur ranking points at stake, and it was a very, very nice start,” said Bartlett. “I’ve now got two wins under my belt and that’s a good way to get the season going.”

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May 2012 / Issue 210

/ 25

Raising the bar at Mid Sussex Members at Mid Sussex Golf Club are enjoying the benefits of a series of significant improvements to the club and its facilities, following the purchase of the popular Ditchlingbased venue 12 months ago. The new owners, a consortium led by Mike Henning, the former head professional at Haywards Heath Golf Club, have invested considerable sums in raising the standards at the club, which was bought for just over £1.5 million from the previous owner, The Country Club Group.

Henning and his team have wasted no time in making changes, with the spacious lounge, bar and dining area already having been redecorated, while the size of the pro shop has been doubled to almost 1,500 sqaure feet, to create one of the largest club-based retail operations in the region.

Henning brought a team of seven professionals with him from Haywards Heath, making Mid Sussex one of the

Mid Sussex has seen major improvements since its change of ownership

best-staffed clubs in the country. The custom-fitting and coaching facilities have also enjoyed a considerable boost, following the opening of two state-ofthe-art custom-fitting suites, which are kitted out with the latest Flightscope technology. This provides the club’s PGA professionals with the tools to help fit the correct equipment, and is also useful as a teaching aid, working in combination with video swing analysis powered by Gasp and C-Swing software.

In addition, there are four further covered bays for practice, members are now entitled to unlimited free range balls.

The club has also opened up a three-hole academy course next to the range, in

addition to a 2,500 square foot practice putting green, which has proved a real boost to the club now that it has been officially recognised as The Mid Sussex Junior Centre of Excellence.

Speaking about the exciting changes, Mike Henning said: “The course and the club as a whole had suffered from a serious lack of investment in the last few years, so we are trying to get the course back into the shape that members came to expect from the beginning, while at the same time taking the whole club forward. And with all the new facilities up and running, I’m confident we’ll be having to close several categories of membership before too long.”

S P E CI A L R E A D E R c o m pe t i t i o n

win

NIKON’S NEW COOLSHOT LASER RANGEFINDER!

We’ve teamed up with Nikon, manufacturer of top-of-the-range digital cameras, to offer one lucky reader the chance to win the latest addition to Nikon’s stable of award-winning laser rangefinders, the Nikon Coolshot.

The Nikon Coolshot is a compact and lightweight laser rangefinder that benefits from an ergonomic design, which gives golfers a comfortable grip, while its functionality ensures straightforward and instant measurement. Nikon, which is the official rangefinder of The Open Championship, has developed a high-speed ranging system that, together with the Target Priority Mode of the Coolshot, allows the user to get the distance to any flag or object on the course with one push of the button thanks to the unique 8-second continuous scanning function.

The Coolshot also has an automatic light sensitive LED illuminated display, and immediate flag or object recognition is ensured with the combination of 6x magnification multicoated lenses, and a large ocular diotrope which offer a wider field of view.

The Coolshot has a measurement

entry to info@golfnews.co.uk, with ‘Nikon Competition’ in the subject line, and including your name, address and telephone number. The closing date for entries is June 15, 2012.

Society Packages 2012 Package prices from £29.00 per person

Bespoke packages on request Ideal for corporate & large society/charity days

Question: What level of magnification does the Nikon Coolshot offer? a) x4 b) x5 c) x6

range of 10-500m, is accurate to +/- 1 yard, and offers measurement in 0.5 yard increments up to 100 yards. It weighs in at just 180g, is fully waterproof and the rubberised styling of all impact zones make it extremely durable.

To win this superb prize, worth £299, simply answer the question below correctly, and email your

For more details on Nikon’s range of laser rangefinders, please visit www.nikongolfrangefinders.com

To book please call Debbie or Lizzie on:

01959 522944 www.dvgc.co.uk Darenth Valley Golf Course, Shoreham, Kent

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May 2012 / Issue 210

Boasting an entertaining parkland layout and superb off-course facilities, Silvermere Golf & Leisure offers great value golf and a warm welcome

If the sun is out – which, sadly, is one thing you can’t guarantee in this country – you could be forgiven for thinking you had been transported to a golf resort in Florida or some other far-flung holiday destination, as you sit on the balcony of Silvermere’s Inn on the Lake, sipping a cold drink and watching a procession of golfers attempting – and often failing – to hit the semi-island green that provides the thrilling finale to all rounds here.

Instead, you’re in Cobham, just a mile off the A3, one of the main arteries into South West London, and two miles from the M25.

Most days at Silvermere, you can enjoy a ringside seat to watch four-ball after four-ball attempt to negotiate the club’s renowned final two holes, where water plays more than a passing role. And, time after time, the tension of the moment transfers from the brain to the hands, sending the ball flitting all too briefly across the water, before plunging into the murky depths. It’s a diver’s dream.

And with another golfing season now in full swing, after a somewhat stuttering, rain-filled start, I dare say that number will be added to considerably over the coming months, as one of the South East’s most popular golf facilities gears up to welcome thousands of golfers through its doors.

Silvermere is part of the furniture of golf in this corner of England – a favourite and much-loved friend that many a golfer has grown up playing.

Some never leave, while others make

Silver Service the transition to the numerous private clubs to be found all over Surrey and South West London. Regardless of where you’re from, and what kind of golfer you are, you can always be assured of a warm welcome at Silvermere, which prides itself on being one of the most accessible and value-for-money facilities in this part of the country.

Set in prime countryside between Cobham and Byfleet, Silvermere offers a green swathe of tranquility. The par71 course is set among both woodland and parkland, and is one of the bestmaintained and most challenging public golf courses in the region.

With visitor green fees set at a competitive £28 during the week, and £40 at weekends, it’s not hard to see why the course is popular – but price aside, it’s the quality of the course, the practice facilities, personal service and attention to detail that make Silvermere such an attractive destination to golfers of all standards.

If it’s been a while since you’ve played at Silvermere, you’ll be surprised at how quickly this challenging layout has matured, since Neil Coles and Brian Hugget first designed it over 30 years ago. Only ten years ago, it could have been argued that the middle section

of the course (otherwise known as ‘over the road’) lacked definition.

However, the trees that were little more than a nuisance back then, are now extremely mature, and make for an altogether more testing, and above all, entertaining challenge.

High handicappers often find the first six holes quite tough, as distance and accuracy off the tee are crucial, and although the fairways are quite generous, the rough and the rhododendrons are not quite so forgiving. As you cross the road, the holes open out a bit, with the run offs a little more forgiving, but you still require a good long game to score well here, especially on the par fours, such as the eighth (444 yards off the back tees) and the 10th (456 yards) The two finishing holes at Silvermere are legendary. Both feature water, and both have the potential to make or break a round. The par-three 17th, at 175 yards off the whites, looks further than it is, but with the 18th behind it, you won’t be penalised too heavily for going long. The notorious 18th requires little more than a mid-to-long iron for placement, but it’s your approach shot that has to carry the water to the famous island green. Once the lake has been safely negotiated, you can

breathe a sigh of relief, and hope to two-putt for a well-deserved drink and a bite to eat in the equally legendary pub/clubhouse/golfers’ retreat that is the Inn on the Lake.

Make no mistake, playing to your handicap is a real achievement at Silvermere, and not many manage it.

Away from the course, the practice facilities have always been top notch, with the floodlit range benefitting from shaped target greens, while bunkers, trees and fairways serve to provide range users with the feeling of being out on the course, rather than hitting balls aimlessly into no-man’s land. A new all-weather practice putting green has also recently been opened.

No mention of Silvermere can be complete without word of Doug McClelland’s Golf Superstore, which offers an incredible range of clothing, equipment, and accessories at extremely competitive prices. While Doug’s shop has never been short on quantity, it is the quality of the service and the unrivalled levels of expert advice on offer to customers from the numerous staff, that makes the buying experience such an enjoyable one.

If you want to make Silvermere your home (in a golfing sense – although there are 60-odd retirement

May 2012 / Issue 210

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flats currently being built close to the 17th green), the current range of membership packages remains extremely competitive.

Seven-day membership, costing £1,295, offers unlimited golf, while there is a choice of memberships available to suit how often and when you’d like to play, including new memberships for those below 25 (£695) and under 30 (£995), right down to the £99 Associate membership, which provides an official handicap and offers access to competitions, and advanced bookings.

Societies and corporate days are equally well catered for, with tee times for groups of 12 or more available seven days a week. Summer packages start from just £32pp for coffee and bacon baguettes and 18 holes, while for an extra £15, you can add on a twocourse post-match lunch or dinner.

Equally enticing is the afternoon society package, for those who might need to pop into the office in the morning, which costs from just £37 for groups that tee off between 1pm and 3pm, and also includes a post-round three-course meal.

The club also operates a very popular Privilege Card scheme, which offers discounts on a wide range of goods and services, including range balls, exclusive offers for the Inn on the Lake, and points on purchases

that build towards loyalty vouchers.

Communication is the key to good customer relations, and the club produces a regular e-newsletter to keep golfers up-to-date with the latest offers and events, while an active Twitter feed ensures members and visitors always know what’s going on, especially when bad weather might interrupt play, or there is a special offer available.

While Silvermere has always been easy to get to, the club’s management is clearly working hard to ensure that it is always worth a visit, whether to play the famously challenging course, browse around the shop, practise, or have a lesson on the driving range,

take part in a demo day, or simply meet up with friends at the Inn on the Lake. Whatever your reasons for visiting, you’re sure to keep coming back for more!

Silvermere Golf & Leisure, Redhill Road, Cobham, Surrey KT11 1EF. For tee bookings and membership enquiries, call 01932 584300 or for online bookings, and further details on the latest offers, society packages and other news, visit www.silvermere-golf.co.uk Follow on Twitter @silvermeregc

The middle section of the course has now matured into an exacting test

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May 2012 / Issue 210

WINTER sale Now on!

Midweek Green Fees - £22 Book on 01732 842121 Golf shop - Special offers Memberships available - 01732 875040 Kings Hill Golf Club, Fortune Way, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4GF. Tel: 01732 875040

website: www.kingshillgolf.co.uk

Just gets better & better

Virgin Atlantic’s online golf league, Flying Club Swingers, got its ‘summer’ off to a flying start with their first society day of the season at North Hants Golf Club. All the available spaces were snapped up weeks in advnce, in the hope that a good round would help towards a place in the coveted end-ofseason final in Florida.

Despite the torrential early morning rain, which saw many courses closed through flooding, the greens staff at North Hants made a tremendous effort to ensure the day started without delay.

And with rounds ending in sunshine, it was hard to believe how much rain the course had taken overnight.

Flying Club Swingers prides itself on being a global competition, and it was great to see Swingers from as far afield as South Africa and Australia taking part. In fact, Australian Bill Austin raised a smile in the early morning gloom by turning up wearing shorts.

Guests were treated to a bumper-filled goody bag, containing Flying Club Srixon balls, Glenmuir socks, together with gifts from Marriott and Golfbidder, and a copy of the latest edition of Golf News.

Swingers dodge the downpours at North Hants

The improving conditions over the morning contributed to some great scores, with four players breaking net par.

The winner, however, was one of last year’s Swingers finalists, Garett Endenburg, who shot 39 points off his 10 handicap.

Garett now qualifies for one of Virgin Atlantic’s exclusive Gold Members’ day at Mannings Heath Golf Club,

where he will get the chance to make it onto this year’s European team for the final in Miami. But Garett wasn’t the only player to win, with prizes including Cleveland clubs and bags, and Glenmuir and Sunderland clothing up for grabs for the top performers on the day.

For more information on Flying Club Swingers, visit www.flyingclubgolfleague.com.

Summer Society Packages from £26 Green Fees from £15 Membership from £64

Lovell joins Goodwood Golf Societies direct sales: 07961 428965 The Ridge Golf Club, Chartway Street, Sutton Valence, Maidstone, ME17 3JB. Tel: 01622 844382. Web: www.theridgegolfclub.co.uk

Kirk Lovell, the former head of golf services at The Belfry, has been appointed to the post of golf operations manager at Golf At Goodwood in West Sussex. The 38-year-old is one the most experienced executives in the golf and leisure industry, with his career having taken him from the Montgomerie Links in Vietnam to the Bonville International Resort

Lullingstone Park Golf Course Play 18 holes on the Castle Course Monday, Wednesday & Friday For just £16.95 per person!

2 – 4 – 1 Tuesdays and Thursdays Play 18 holes on the Castle Course For only £19.50 per pair.

Add a buggy for just £16.00 (if booked in advance) Enjoy a Full English Breakfast before your round For just £5.00 per person.

www.lullingstonegolfcourse.co.uk

Park Gate, Chelsfield, Orpington, Kent, BR6 7PX, 01959 533 793 Subject to availability terms and conditions apply, excludes bank holidays.

in Australia, and most recently to The Belfry, where he led a team of 40 staff at the former Ryder Cup venue. Kirk, who has a six handicap, said: “My travel to many countries has been an incredible learning experience. My objective in golf is to never stop learning and developing within the golf industry, and to provide impeccable customer service at all times.”

May 2012 / Issue 210

Father and son record a home win at West Hill Nigel O’Hagan and his son Max became the first pairing from the host club since 1996 to win West Hill Golf Club Father & Son’s Tournament. Max, who is a member of the England U14 Elite Squad and plays off seven, joined forces with his 11-handicap father to record a famous win over Chas and John Stapleton (Gerrards Cross and Thetford), who had won this tournament 30 years previously, having triumphed in 1982.

The tournament attracted a full field of 64 pairs, with the O’Hagans coming through seven rounds of foursomes over four days, before winning the final match two-up.

The losing semi-finalists included another West Hill pairing, Robert Guilfoyle and his son Thomas, while the other team to be knocked out in the penultimate round was the pairing of Neil Waite and his son Thomas, both of whom are members at Vicars Cross Golf Club in Chester.

Max and Nigel O’Hagan

Hall leaves her mark at Roehampton Sixteen-year-old Georgia Hall left the field standing on at the 85th Roehampton Gold Cup played over the south west London course, becoming the youngest ever winner of this wellestablished event in the ladies’ amateur fixture list.

The teenager from Remedy Oak in Dorset fired two level par rounds of 72 to beat a strong field by three shots, with professionals Holly Aitchison and Charlotte Ellis leading the chasing pack.

Hall tamed the 5,966 yard parkland course without using her driver, instead opting for fairway woods and irons to find fairways and greens with almost military precision, as she parred every hole.

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Red-hot Pepperell triumphs in Brittany Oxfordshire’s Eddie Pepperell bagged his first win as a professional at the Allianz Open Côtes d’Armor Bretagne, following a nerve-wracking play-off. The 21-year-old from Frilford Heath, who joined the paid ranks in April last year, achieved his debut win after beating Denmark’s Jeppe Huldahl at the first extra hole at Pléneuf Val André.

Pepperell fired a final round 68, which included four birdies on the back nine, to take the match into overtime, and then only had to par the extra hole to take the title – and the €25,600 first prize – after his rival found trouble off the tee and could only manage a bogey. Pepperell’s maiden victory now enables him to play a full season on the Challenge Tour, having come to the Brittany event with limited playing opportunities due to his low ranking.

The winner’s cheque moves Pepperell up to eighth place in the Challenge Tour order of merit, and gives him a golden opportunity of gaining a European Tour card, just one year after joining the professional ranks.

Speaking after his win, Pepperell said: “This win will open up so many doors for me. Being able to plan my schedule is priceless, because before this week I didn’t know where I’d be playing next. So to be able to pick and choose which tournaments I play in is a huge bonus..”

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May 2012 / Issue 210

NickBayly Although I touched on the subject of tour players, as freelance workers, having the right to pick and choose which tournaments they play in on this page last month, I find myself compelled to return to the topic following the news that Paul Lawrie – the unsung winner of The Open at Carnoustie in 1999 – has decided not to play in next month’s US Open on the grounds that he doesn’t get on with the way the USGA sets up courses for this particular Major, and instead wants to prepare for the following week’s BMW International in Germany.

As I said last month, Paul has every right to stay at home and keep his powder dry for a tournament that might be better suited to his game, but I am somewhat surprised that a man who already has a Major to his name should be so unwilling to try and add another, no matter how slim that chance might be.

Plenty of players have missed Majors because of the imminent arrival of a first-born child, the death of a close relative, or a failure to get a passport in time, but few have given up the opportunity to play in one simply because they don’t fancy their chances. American Scott Hoch

GNeditor reveals what has caught his eye in the golfing headlines in recent weeks

Say no to homes on the range

Lawrie closes the Open door was one of the rare examples, having dodged our Open on many occasions, but they didn’t call him ‘The Choke’ for nothing.

I would be delighted if a few more senior players adopted this policy when it comes to the US Masters, as they are taking up spots that could be filled by genuine contenders (take note, Sandy), but when you’re in the kind of form Paul is in right now – he’s currently ranked 44th in the world – it seems a shame to give up the opportunity of joining the list of dual Major winners,

and leaving behind the one-time Charlies. Admittedly, Paul’s US Open record isn’t great, with three missed cuts, but having only played four times, and not since 2004, it’s not a lot of recent statistical evidence to go on.

But if his heart’s not in it, it’s not in it, and I’m glad that he had the guts to admit that fact, and to free up a space for a player who really wants to be there. Whoever that lucky person is, I hope they win. And I also hope, for Paul’s sake, that the sacrifice proves worthwhile.

We Brits have an uneasy relationship when it comes to locating houses on golf courses.

Almost every other golfing nation in the world builds properties all over its fairways, yet we Little Englanders, with the odd exception, insist on never the twain meeting.

I don’t know whether it’s the weather, the sky-high window-replacement insurance premiums, or the fact that we like to keep our home life separated from our golf life, that has disposed us against being a nation of fairway dwellers, but it’s a strange anomaly nevertheless.

However, all that looks set to change. And not in a good way, as I’ve noticed a worrying trend in recent months of golf courses being targetted by house builders as sites for potential redevelopment. And I don’t mean locating a few semis neatly behind the green and adjacent to the pretty lakes – I mean concreting over the entire course and replacing it with Brookside.

It’s a fact that a lot of golf

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courses – and I’m mainly talking about publicly-owned facilities – are built on prime sites on the edge of towns and cities that were once considered greenfield sites, but now seem to be more ‘green light’ sites, as the pressure piles on local authorities to build more houses for the UK’s everincreasing population.

Something has to give, and it seems like publicly-funded golf courses are being singled out as easy targets. With large swathes of lovely green acres occasionally populated

by a few people dressed in diamond-patterned sweaters, its easy to see why developers and councillors see building on golf courses as causing the least amount of upheaval to the local community. But they’re wrong on all counts, and we’ve got to act now before we lose many of our most cherished – and affordable – places for golfers young and old to learn and carry on playing. There’s no turning back, so it’s time to use them or lose them forever.

More birdies, less Barratt!

Moor Park Golf Club Rickmansworth Hertfordshire WD3 1QN

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A DV E R T I S I N G

F E AT U R E

May 2012 / Issue 211

The 2012 Ladies Golf Cup looks like being the biggest and be exceptional venues providing the backdrop for some fun, yet

WELCOME The Ladies Golf Cup (LGC) represents one of the fastest growing ladies’ amateur golf tournaments in the world. In the space of three years, the LGC has grown to have a brand presence, and currently hosts tournaments in seven countries.

Lady golfers who compete do so for the chance to be invited to represent their country in the World Final against other participating countries.

In 2010 the Ladies Golf Cup launched for the first time in England.

Each event is designed and delivered in a quintessentially English gardenparty style, giving each lady golfer an opportunity to enjoy a memorable day out at a prestigious venue and to interact with a variety of our luxury brand partners, who showcase and exhibit products at each event.

The emphasis is very much about having fun! This event has proven success over the last three years, and I have no doubt it will continue to grow in future years, both in England and globally. Come and be part of the Ladies Golf Cup family – guaranteed to be a great day out for any level of lady golfer! Best wishes,

Ben Lambourne Tournament Director

Sponsorship role of honour:

TITLE SPONSOR

OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNERS

OFFICIAL PARTNERS

OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS

OFFICIAL CLOTHING

An amateur ladies tournament which offers the tempting prospect of an all expenses-paid trip to Europe to represent Team England in a World Final looks like proving a hit with the ladies this summer. Following on from its successful launch in the UK in 2010, The Pandora Ladies Golf Cup offers the chance for four Ladies to represent England and take on teams from Spain, Portugal, Malaysia, Germany, Thailand and South Africa in a World Final that has been contested at two of Spain’s top golf resorts over the last two years.

In February this year, six Ladies represented Team England in the Ladies Golf Cup 2011 World Final and won the World title in impressive fashion over La Manga’s South and North Courses, beating teams from Spain and Portugal following two days of fierce, but fun-filled competition.

Speaking after the event, Jenny Lewis-Puttick, from Brocket Hall, who was part of the winning

Up for the Cup! English team, said: “To take part in the Ladies Golf Cup in England was great, but to then win and represent my country at the World Final at La Manga Resort has been incredible. The last few days have been amazing.

The whole team have had so much fun meeting the Ladies from Portugal and Spain, and we have all made new friends.”

Golfers looking to play a part in the 2012 World Final need to register for one of four qualifying events that are taking place in the UK this summer, at Moor Park Golf Club on June 27, Burhill Golf Club on July 16-17, and Brocket Hall on September 6.

The format for the event is a full handicap individual stableford competition. There are two categories available to play in: 0-18 handicap and the 19-30 handicap.

Prizes will be awarded to the top three finishers in both categories. In addition a trophy and invitation to represent Team England in the World Final will be awarded for the individual with the best stableford points score.

“The event was a huge success last year, and exceeded all expectations,” said Peter Andersen, president of bespoke jeweller Pandora, which is the event’s title sponsor.

“We are really looking forward to enjoying another successful year.”

Entry fees for the qualifying events are £85 per player, which includes green fees, all food and drink, a luxury goody bag, and a complimentary annual subscription to Women & Golf.

HOW TO ENTER: To register, simply log onto www.ladiesgolfcup.com and click ‘register’.

For more information call 01491 412967.

May 2012 / Issue 211

est yet, with a trio of et competitive golf

testimonials

A DV E R T I S I N G

Lynn Thornton, Bath

“I would just like to say what a fantastic day I had at Moor Park, from the moment we arrived, to the moment we left, was faultless. Great welcome breakfast, superb lunch and wine afterwards, snacks provided on the course, wonderful golf course and a perfect location.

The greens were the best I have played on and I had a great putting lesson from the delightful Head twins, which I shall put into practice next time I’m at my club.

I can’t wait to meet ‘Team England’ at the World Final!”

Julia Barham (Moor Park winner, 19-30 Handicap)

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THE VENUES OF THE LADIES CUP

Moor Park Golf Club

Burhill Golf Club

Burhill Golf Club

Hertfordshire

SURREY

SURREY

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012 Cost: £85 per player. Tel: 01923 773146 www.moorparkgc.co.uk

Monday, July 16th, 2012 Cost: £85 per player. Tel: 01932 227345 www.burhillgolf-club.co.uk

Tuesday, July 17th, 2012 Cost: £85 per player. Tel: 01932 227345 www.burhillgolf-club.co.uk

High Course, 5,709 yards, par 73 Moor Park is as impressive a club as you’d hope to find in the Home Counties, boasting a stunning 17th century Grade II-listed clubhouse and two quality championship courses, the High and the West. The tournament is being hosted over the Harry Colt-designed High. Opening up with a friendly 300-yard par four, the course soon steps up a gear or two, with a procession of challenging holes. The 372-yard eighth could give competitors some trouble, with its sweeping elevations making it a tough two-shotter, as could the 12th, a par three played over a valley to a two-tiered green. The final hole is just 123 yards long, but with bunkers guarding both sides of the putting surface, most players are happy to end their round with a par.

New Course, 5,647 yards, par 72 Burhill’s South Course, which has hosted a EuroPro Tour event for the last three years, is a complete contrast to the Old Course and incorporates the River Mole and other dramatic water features. A key feature of the layout is the many well-positioned bunkers, which create a demanding test of golf. The course has wellmanicured fairways and exceptional greens built to USGA specification. Like Moor Park, the 18th is a par three. Although it measures just 114 yards off the forward tees, it still requires a brave tee shot over the River Mole towards the clubhouse to a two-tier green where, with an audience of golfers on the terrace, even a tap-in for par can be daunting – but imagine if it was to win a place in the final of the Ladies Golf Cup!

Old Course, 5,719 yards, par 73 Good course management skills are required to beat this tree-lined parkland course, which places a premium on accurate driving to ensure you have a clear shot to some traditionally tight pin positions. The par-four fourth is a good example of the challenge, where a poorly-placed drive on this seemingly innocuous 260-yard hole will leave you no shot to the green.

On the back nine, the par-five 15th looks likely to throw up its fair share of birdies, with its yardage of just 383 yards making it reachable in two for longer hitters, while the par-five 18th offers a similar chance for someone to make a late charge for glory from the pack.

Itinerary 8.30am: Registration (bring handicaps) and rolling breakfast.

9.30am: Two-tee start on the 1st & 10th holes on the High Course.

2.00pm: Rolling cold buffet lunch

(including a glass of wine).

4.30pm: Prize presentation.

Itinerary 8.30am: Registration (bring handicaps) and rolling breakfast.

9.30am: Two-tee start on the 1st & 10th holes on the New Course.

2.00pm: Rolling cold buffet lunch

(including a glass of wine).

4.30pm: Prize presentation.

Itinerary 8.30am: Registration (bring handicaps) and rolling breakfast.

9.30am: Two-tee start on the 1st & 10th holes on the Old Course.

2.00pm: Rolling cold buffet lunch

(including a glass of wine).

4.30pm: Prize presentation.

Thursday, September 6th, 2012 Cost: £85 per player. Tel: 01707 335241 www.brocket-hall.co.uk

fourth and the 344-yard 16th, before golfers are carried across the Broadwater in majestic fashion by a cable-operated ferry to complete the memorable par-five 18th hole. Whether you lay up or go for it in two, you can guarantee that you will have her heart you mouth until your ball hits dry land on the other side!

Here’s what the players have said about the Ladies Golf Cup “I have just arrived home, but thought I would immediately drop a note to thank you and the team for a really great day. Everything was so well planned and executed – it was a fun day for all.

I will definitely be there again!’

F E AT U R E

Brocket Hall Golf Club Hertfordshire

Melbourne Course, 5,521 yards, par 73 Brocket Hall’s Melbourne Course follows the natural undulations of the 18th century estate, with the par 73 layout providing competitors with a most enjoyable challenge in stunning surroundings. The course opens up with an exceptionally tricky par four, which hugs the side of the Broadwater, placing an early emphasis on accuracy with your approach shot.

The course crosses the River Lea several times, including the par-three 2nd, the superb dog-leg

Itinerary: 8.30am: Registration (bring handicaps) and rolling breakfast.

9.30am: Two-tee start on Melbourne Course.

2.00pm: Rolling cold buffet lunch (including one glass of wine).

4.30pm: Prize presentation.

PANDORA PAR 3 CHALLENGE To mark this exciting collaboration for the Ladies Golf Cup, the winner of the ‘Nearest the PANDORA Pin’ at each of the four tournament days will receive three stunning rings from the PANDORA Ring concept, worth up to £1,500. The collection embodies PANDORA’s mantra, as each piece can be worn alone or stacked to create a unique combination, celebrating your own personal style. The ring combination pictured is for demonstration purposes only. A PANDORA representative will be present at the tournament on the day to arrange appropriate ring sizes.

Be inspired at www.pandora.net

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A DV E R T I S I N G

Luco Sport Head Cover Set RRP: £44.95 Contact: www.golfqueen.co.uk Made of a durable, washable material, these stretchy head covers are guaranteed to fit all drivers, and come with a unique LucoLeash to stop you ever losing one again! Matching towels and accessory bags are also available.

Bonjoc Crystal Cupcake Ball Marker RRP: £19.95 Contact: www.golfqueen.co.uk Dazzle on the green with this beautifully handcrafted Swarovski ball marker. Supplied with a magnetic hat clip, and packaged in a velveteen pouch, Bonjoc markers are available in many unique designs, making them ideal treats and gifts.

Pandora Jewellery Contact: www.pandora.net Women golfers looking to sparkle on and off the golf course should take a look at the stunning range of jewellery from Pandora, the Danish brand with an international following. Worn by celebrities such as Davina McCall, Christine Bleakley and Emma Bunton, Pandora is sold throughout the world, and is available from 96 concept stores in the UK. With over 3,000 designs to choose from, including hundreds of intricately hand-finished gold and sterling silver charms, Pandora offers endless possibilities to create your own style. And with collections in 18-carat gold, diamond, precious stones to sterling silver, and with an array of rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets and watches, there are pieces to suit every fashionable woman.

F E AT U R E

Clipper Teas

May 2012 / Issue 211

Inkerman Glassware

Contact: www.clipper-teas.com

Contact: www.inkerman.co.uk

Clipper Teas provide a refreshing start or relaxing end to any round of golf. Sourced from the very best tea estates in Africa, India and Sri Lanka, Clipper products are made with pure ingredients, adding nothing artificial, to ensure a delicious cup every time. Choose from a wide variety of conventional, herbal and fruit teas, from the best-selling Fairtade Every Day, to specialist organic and caffeine-free teas, including Rosehip & Ginger Infusion, and Chamomile with Lemon and Manuka honey.

Inkerman’s stylish range of colourful and plain crytal glassware would add a stylish touch to any home. Handmade in the UK by master craftsmen using traditional techniques from the 1800s, the new Coloured Crystal Collection and the London Skyline Collection have been designed exclusively for the Olympics and Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in mind. All pieces in the range can be customised with personal messages, initials, a corporate logo, or a golf competition’s name.

Ladies’ Boutique

Treats for for a touch

Roamer Ladies Watch Collection

Callaway Golf Solaire ball

Contact: www.roamer.ch

RRP: £14.99 for 12 Contact: www.callawaygolf.com

Swiss-made Roamer watches are renowned for their expert craftsmanship and classic styling that blends tradition and technology, resulting in beautiful timepieces that will last a lifetime. The Roamer Ladies Collection (£285-£325) boasts a range of classic, yet fashionable watches, perfect for those who love understated elegance. The stylish Ceraline Saphira range has been created with sapphire crystal and an anti-reflective coating, and is available in white with rose gold, gold and silver edging, and black ceramic bracelet, with either rose gold or silver edging.

Designed to perform ideally at slower swing speeds, the Solaire features a soft, resilient core that has been specifically formulated to provide increased carry and distance. The low compression core produces soft feel off the clubface, for control around the greens, while HEX Aerodynamics produces a long and powerful ball flight off the tee. The Solaire is offered in two colour options: pure white or high visibility pink. Both have a luminous finish that will add a distinctive flair to any woman’s game.

May 2012 / Issue 211

A DV E R T I S I N G

F E AT U R E

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Jayne Copperwaite Flowers

Paul Wayne Gregory Chocolates

Women & Golf Price: £17 for six issues

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With a reputation as one of London’s finest floral designers, Jayne Copperwaite Flowers is known for creating innovative floral designs. With a team of diversely talented florists, who share a wealth of experience with a creative eye for the new and interesting, they can help add a flourishing finish to any occasion, including spectacular arrangements for weddings, corporate events, parties and private homes.

Made for eating, rather than hitting, these luxurious handmade chocolate golf balls were first launched at St Andrews for the Open Championship in 2010. Comprising a smooth praline base made from slow-roasted caramelised almonds and hazelnuts enhanced with a hint of spice, vanilla and a touch of rock salt, they are finished with the nostalgic magic of popping candy, and make the perfect gift for any golf-enthusiast or chocolate lover.

Established in 1991, Women & Golf is the leading bi-monthly title for the woman golfer and includes all the latest news, features, instruction, cutting edge fashion, hot products, travel, and exclusive competitions and giveaways.

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Tommy Hilfiger

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Step onto the first tee in Tommy Hilfiger’s Spring 2012 collection, which offers a preppy look with a twist. While the clothes are clearly designed for golfers, with longer lengths to the back, the look, finish and style takes its influence from the main fashion brand. The Abby polo (£55) comes in numerous eye-catching colour options, while the Abigail skort (£80), with its cute faux belt, is sure to make a statement on the fairways.

Pamper yourself after a tiring round of golf, with Rituals’ range of luxurious skin care products, which includes sensual scrubs, relaxing massage oils, face and hand creams, moisturisers, eye lotions, and scented shower gels and creams. Inspired by authentic Eastern rituals, which stem from a long line of beautiful traditions, all the products use natural ingredients, as seen in the energizing Fujiyama Shower Sensation, which combines 100% pure green tea with jasmine to soothe body and soul.

Ditch the bacon roll, and opt for a healthy bowl of goodness from Dorset Cereals’ award-winning range of mueslis, porridges, granolas, flakes, and cereal bars, all of which are high in fibre and low in fat, providing long-lasting energy. Using the best possible ethically-sourced ingredients, all the cereals are made at the company’s HQ in Poundbury, Dorset. The range is available at all major supermarkets and many independent retailers.

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A DV E R T I S I N G

F E AT U R E

May 2012 / Issue 211

Former Ladies European Tour professionals – and twin sisters – Sam Head and Jo Mundy offer some short game tips to help you save vital strokes around the green

TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE! About Jo Jo started playing golf when she was 13. She turned professional at the age of 22, playing on the European Tour before graduating to the US-based LPGA tour. Jo won the Malaysian Open in 1999, and the Hassan Trophy in 2002 and 2003.

1: Use a hybrid for stress-free chipping

About Sam Jo’s twin sister Sam also started playing at 13 years old. She turned professional at the age of 22, playing the European Tour and winning the Italian Open in 1999 and South African Open in 2001. Sam graduated to the Japanese Ladies Tour in 2003, returning to the European Tour in 2005.

in association with

Credits: Sam Head and Jo Mundy (www.headtwinsgolf.co.uk) are ambassadors of Callaway Golf and host their own Tour Experience clinics around the UK. With thanks to Callaway Golf (www.callawaygolf.com) for providing the equipment.

Shot on location at Ham Manor Golf Club in Angmering, West Sussex (www.hammanor.co.uk, 01903 783732).

Photographs by Paul Severn (www.severnimages.com).

If you’ve have problems with thinning or chunking your chips when using a wedge from the edge of the green, then it’s time to replace it with a lofted hybrid.

The smooth, wide sole of the club will help lift the ball out of the longer grass,

without fear of catching it heavy, while the lower launch angle will reduce the amount of backspin for a smooth roll out towards the pin.

A hybrid will have a livelier feel off face, so you need to practise to get a feel for

power of strike required.

As far as technique goes, grip like you would with a putter, and rock the shoulders, rather than striking at the ball, remembering to keep your wrists firm and unhinged.

2: Keep the ball low when conditions allow If you’re struggling to find a consistent strike with your more lofted wedges from 100 yards and in, it’s a good idea to consider switching to a mid-iron, say a seven or an eight. By keeping the back swing short, and by going down the shaft slightly with your hands, you can avoid inconsistent strikes, and really control your swing.

Providing there are no hazards between your ball and the putting surface, and conditions are dry, you can keep the ball low and running at the flag, avoiding the duffs and thins commonly achieved with fuller-length swings.

Keeping your legs close together, with your hands slightly down the shaft, position the ball slightly back in the stance, with your hands in front, to help strike down on the ball and get it moving forward. Pick a target where you want the ball to land, and be sure to stay down on the shot to avoid thinning it through the back of the green!

May 2012 / Issue 211

A DV E R T I S I N G

F E AT U R E

3: Avoid costly three-putts by aiming long

No-one likes three-putting, no matter how far you are from the cup. One way to avoid it is to learn to control your distance on those longer putts from 30-40 feet. With most amateurs leaving putts short from this range, which obviously have no chance

of going in, you need to incentivise yourself to think beyond the hole.

When practising, I use a points-based strategy that gives more points to balls that go past the cup. Give yourself five points for every putt that goes in; three points for putts within

one club length past the hole, and one point for putts within one club length of the hole (i.e. short or level).

Practise this drill with a friend, or on your own, and you’ll be amazed how many more putts start rolling past, and even in, the hole.

4: Hole more mid-range putts by widening the target For many players, the cup can seem an awfully small target from 20-25 feet away, so to help create a more realistic target, improve confidence and give yourself more two-putt tap-ins, mark out a circle of tees around the cup, say inside the leather.

It’s small enough a target to focus the mind, but will boost confidence. It’s worth noting that tour professionals hole less than 10 per cent of their putts from this distance.

Another putting distance control tip is to try practise putting from long range by looking at the cup and not the ball. It heightens feel and takes your focus off the mechanics.

5: Control the head to hole more short putts

/ 37

LEARN HOW TO MASTER THE GAME

THROUGH THE EYES OF WORLD-CLASS PROFESSIONALS Aimed at club players already in possession of a grounding in the fundamentals of golf, Callaway Golf’s Ladies Game Improvement Days will show you how to improve your game with practice techniques and increase your understanding of course management.

Two of the most successful professional golfers England has ever produced, Jo Mundy (neé Head) and Sam Head, offer expert coaching and pass on their combined knowledge from competing for many years at the highest level on the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour in America. The Pandora Ladies Golf Cup Callaway Experience is coming to three UK clubs this summer, all of which coincide with the staging of the Ladies Golf Cup tournaments.

Each day, which starts at 8.30am with breakfast and registration, includes a full program of golf tuition, focusing on all aspects of the game, from mastering the long game, to the use of hybrids, wedge play, and putting skills.

With breakfast, lunch, tea and drinks included, as well as a prizegiving ceremony, it’s the ideal way to sharpen up all elements of your game at three of the South East’s finest venues. Entry fees are £85pp, which also includes a goody bag and a free subscription to Women & Golf magazine.

Dates and Venues June 27th - Moor Park Golf Club, Hertfordshire.

June 16th & 17th - Burhill Golf Club, Surrey.

September 6th - Brocket Hall Golf Club, Hertfordshire.

Places are limited, so register now by calling 01491 412967, quoting ‘Pandora Ladies Golf Cup Callaway Experience’.

6: No such thing as a gimme!

If you find your putter head is a bit twitchy on short putts, or pulling and pushing little tiddlers, try this simple one-handed putting drill from two to five feet to control the head direction on short putts.

Set up as normal, and when you’re ready to hit the putt, take off your left hand (if you’re right-handed), and focus on keeping the putter head moving squarely and solidly through the ball, with a smooth tempo.

You can increase your focus by placing a tee either side of the ball and imagining you’re pushing the clubhead through a gate, avoiding touching either side.

Amateur golfers rarely have to hole out really short putts in friendly matches, so consequently, when it comes to finishing the hole under tournament conditions, the stroke can go to pieces.

Starting from 18 inches, try and hole five putts in a row, before moving the ball a further away from the hole in small 12-inch increments.

Each time, focus on a smooth backswing and followthrough, hitting through the ball rather than stabbing at it.

Focus purely on the ball, without looking at the hole, to improve your control of the putter head.

May 2012 / Issue 210

/ 39

Storybehindthepic Sponsored by

James Braid, Henley Golf Club,16th May 1908

J

ames Braid must have been a busy man. In the days before helicopters and executive jets, the five-time Open Champion must have possessed the powers of dematerialisation in order to travel the length and bredth of the county, not only playing golf, but also having a hand in the design, construction, and re-development of close to 300 golf courses during his life.

The fact that he lived until the impressive age of 80 – dying in London in 1950 – helped his cause somewhat, but it still almost defies belief that he was able to play such a pivotal role in the development of modern golf course design in the days before of motorways, let alone the internet age.

The clubs that are fortunate to bear the hallmarks of Braid’s work formed an association three years ago that has already attracted over 200 members, including clubs from

the north of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, all corners of England, and even one in New York.

The membership includes many of Braid’s famous designs – St Enodoc, Brora, Dalmahoy,

Gleneagles, Littlestone, Goodwood, as well as many of his ‘hidden gems’, village courses like Ilkley, Lundin Ladies, Goswick, Broadway and Stover, to name but a few.

In addition to his life as an architect, Braid was also a club pro – although I doubt he was around much to give lessons – enjoying eight years at Romford Golf Club

and from 1904 till his death in 1950, at Walton Heath in Surrey. And besides bagging just the five Claret Jugs, and numerous other tournament victories, he also helped form the Professional Golfers’ Association, and is credited with inventing the ‘dogleg’ hole. Not a bad life’s work by anyone’s standards.

Braid was often called upon to officially unveil the courses he worked on, and here we see the great man in action at the opening match at Henley Golf Club in Oxfordshire in 1908.

Mr D Stephenson, the then Professional at Princes Golf Club, prepared the original plans for Henley, but Braid is credited with its design, as yardages of the course that opened bore no resemblance to the originals. Braid was paid the handsome sum of £15 6s 6d for his efforts.

The match to celebrate the opening of the course took place on May 16, 1908, between Braid and Rowland Jones, who was a late

replacement for Harry Vardon – who reportedly cried off with the flu – and was refereed

by Harold Hilton, twice Open Champion as an amateur.

Records show that Braid scored a 77 in the morning round and 74 in the afternoon, to win the match, with both rounds taking just two hours to play.

Over the years the course at Henley has changed somewhat, mainly due to technology and safety reasons, but Braid’s legacy very much lives on, with all course works, such as recent bunker reshaping, done in the trademark Braid style.

It is somewhat apposite that one of Henley’s members, Michael Herriot, should run The Association of James Braid Courses, and together with the other 200 clubs, and the good work of the James Braid Golfing Society, be playing an important role in ensuring that the skills of this most multi-talented of men should be cherished for years to come.

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40 /

May 2012 / Issue 210

Kevin Redsull catches up with Kent-born LPGA Tour star Karen Stupples as she embarks on her 14th season on the American circuit In pure monetary terms, Karen Stupples knows she can have no regrets about her decision back in 1999 to play full-time in America rather than plying her trade on the European circuit.

In her 14th season on the LPGA Tour, Stupples stands in 50th place on the all-time money list with career earnings of $3,826.284. It leaves her as the third highest-earning British player behind Laura Davies and Catriona Matthew, and when you add in the half-a-million pounds that Stupples has won on her limited appearances on the Ladies’ European Tour since she turned pro, it means she has banked around £3 million in prize money alone - not a bad return for the former waitress at Etchinghill Golf Club who, in 1998, couldn’t afford the £600 she required to join the European Tour.

Asked whether she has any lingering personal regrets about deciding to base herself in the States, she quickly replies: “How can I? It was the best decision I have ever made. Yes, my mum and dad were pretty stressed about the idea of me going out there.

They were worried whether I would make enough money to live on, but I think I’ve dispelled those fears now!

Of course, there are things that I still miss about not living in England, but I have never been someone who is prepared to stay in their comfort zone, and for me the decision was all about being able to compete against the best women golfers in the world week in, week out. And I have had a wonderful 13 years out there. I have started a family, I have got a lovely home in Florida, and now I am looking forward to the next 10 years.”

But, as Stupples looks back over her career during one her regular trips back home to Kent, the 38-yearold admits that her total of three victories thus far, including winning the Women’s British Open in 2004, certainly isn’t enough to satisfy her craving for success.

“I know my career’s been pretty good so far,” she says, “I have had three wins, but I don’t want to quit at that.

I want more, and I feel I have still got another 10 years or so left in me in which to achieve that. I’m obviously now one of the senior members of the tour, and it’s funny to see all the young girls coming out, and thinking that I could be their mum! But, to be honest, I don’t feel that much different from when I was first starting out.”

And her solid performances in 2011 back up that belief. She finished 29th on the LPGA money list with $397,081, her best year money-wise since 2008, and says: “In terms of consistency, I think I played better last year than I have ever done. I only missed a couple of cuts, and I had a lot of finishes in the 20-30 region, but my goal this year is to get more top-10s, and hopefully one or two wins.”

Stupples believes the fact her son, Logan who has just had his fifth birthday is one reason for her improvement, saying with a smile: “With Logan getting a little older I am

Big in Deal definitely getting more sleep now than I was a couple of years ago!”

But she also points to two other factors. Her American husband Bobby is acting as her caddie again, after taking two years out from his bagcarrying duties to look after Logan at their Orlando home, and Stupples also changed coaches last year. She is now working with South African Gary Gilchrist, whose stable includes world number one Yani Tseng. “Gary is a great coach, and he’s really simplified things for me, “ Stupples says. “And that makes it a lot easier for me to get it right out on the course. I feel less pressure to be perfect because of the way he teaches, he just makes things more fun. I am also enjoying having Bobby back as my caddie. Although it was hard leaving them [Bobby and Logan] behind, I think it was a good idea, because air travel is not easy with a very young child, and I also think it helped to make us more like a normal family – whatever normal is!”

Returning to the subject of the state of her game, Stupples points out that her putting, previously not one of the strongest parts of her armoury, has become a lot more reliable. “I think my

“I think I played better last year than I have ever done”

putting was pretty solid last year,” she says, “but where I do want to improve this year is in my short game. I would like to become deadly with my wedges, and you only have to look at Luke Donald to know what you can achieve with a brilliant short game.”

Stupples had a rare opportunity to watch Donald in action when she did some commentary work for BBC Five Live during last year’s Open at Royal St George’s.

With the championship taking place only a few miles from her hometown of Deal, Stupples took the chance to catch up with family and friends during a mid-season mini-break, and says: “I would love to do some more commentary work because I love it. I could talk about golf all day long, and I thought the Open at Sandwich was terrific. Admittedly, the weather on the Saturday afternoon was absolutely shocking, but Darren Clarke controlled his ball incredibly well, and he was also helped by people like Phil Mickleson and Dustin

Johnson falling away because they were pushing too hard.”

Two months after the Open, Stupples was in Ireland as a wildcard member of the European Solheim Cup team at Killeen Castle. Her only previous Solheim appearance was in 2005, when Europe lost to the USA at Crooked Stick, and Stupples lost both her matches. And, although she was on the winning side this time, Stupples admitted immediately afterwards to having ‘mixed emotions’.

After again losing two pairs matches, she was denied the chance of winning her final-day singles when her opponent, Cristie Kerr, withdrew just before the start of their game because of a wrist injury. “No one wants to win a point like that,” Stupples says. “Although Cristie was obviously injured, I think that if the situation had been reversed I would have done everything I could to have played the match. But I still felt that I was very much part of a winning team.

We all got on really well and it was a very different experience from my first Solheim Cup appearance, when I hardly knew any of the European players because

of playing in America. But this time I really felt I was part of (European captain) Alison Nicholas’s decisionmaking, she consulted with me a little bit, and I would definitely like to play in a few more.”

Her immediate target is to win another LPGA title and, with the US Tour now expanding globally, Stupples who began her campaign in Thailand and Singapore at the HSBC Women’s Champions tournament. “Travelling is not so much fun for me as it used to be,” she says. “We have tournaments all round the world now. But it’s something you have got to do if you want to remain at the top level, and that’s where I intend to stay for a few more years yet.”

And Stupples is keen to encourage talented young British women players to try to emulate her success in the States. “Getting on the US Tour is a very realistic goal for a lot of young girl golfers over here. They can go to college in America like I did, get a degree, perhaps in something like sports management, and then make a very good career for themselves in the States, either as a player, or within the golf industry generally.

I didn’t realise how massive the LPGA Tour is until I went to America, and I would recommend the whole experience to anyone.”

May 2012 / Issue 210

/ 41

Women well served at

ladiesgolf.co.uk

Fully authorised online stockists of the following major brands

Women golfers who enjoy a bit of online golf shopping, and feel let down by the range of equipment and clothing available at their local pro shop, should bookmark a new retail website designed to meet the needs of this often over-looked section of the golfing community.

The easy-toremember and simple to navigate site – www.ladiesgolf.co.uk – does exactly what it says on tin, offering only quality, fullybranded clubs, clothing and accessories from all of the top manufacturers.

The equipment brands on offer include the very latest clubs from all the best-selling companies, including Ping, TaylorMade, Callaway, Titleist, Yonex, Wilson, Cobra, Mizuno, Nike and many more besides.

The recently-launched site has formed partnerships with the brands to ensure the very best prices on the very best kit, all of which has been specifically designed for female golfers of all ages and skill levels, from absolute beginners to aspiring tour professionals.

The range of apparel on offer is growing all the time, with ladies being able to choose from a vast collection of top-name specialist golf clothing brands, including Lija, Under Armour, Galvin

Green, Sunderland, Green Lamb and Nike, while trolleys, bags, shoes, balls, and all the latest accessories, are available to buy at what is effectively a one-stop online shop for the lady golfer.

With no worries about opening hours, parking, the weather and, most importantly, the amount of stock on offer, golfers can also shop in privacy, confident that they will be able to find

what they’re looking for.

And, on the rare chance that you can’t find what you’re after, the website has a specialist ladies’ telephone technical support team on standby, who will be happy to sort out any questions or enquiries, as well as advise on styles and sizes.

So start Windows shopping now, and find out what’s in store for your game at www.ladiesgolf.co.uk.

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Your chance to win £1,000 worth of golfing goodies!

Customers registering their email address at www.ladiesgolf.co.uk before September 20, 2012 will be entered into a prize draw to win golf products of their choice up to the value of £1,000.

No purchase is necessary to be entered into the draw.

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May 2012 / Issue 210

Dorset kids tee up for The B Golf’s enduring appeal for young people was underlined when a total of 1,100 primary schoolchildren from Dorset took part in ‘The Big Swing’ – breaking all known UK records in the process. Supported by leading golf charity the Golf Foundation, The Big Swing was the brainchild of Darren Stratman, an energetic PGA

professional who has a passion for introducing golf to children of all backgrounds and abilities. Utlilising Golf Foundation funding, Darren worked with a network of volunteers and teachers to welcome 1,100 children from 36 Dorset schools to this year’s big event at Canford Park in Wimborne.

Facing a massive logistical challenge, 200 young leaders

were trained to help stage the event and Darren was also assisted by a team of students from Bournemouth University’s Golf Management Studies degree course, to ensure the hectic team games all ran smoothly.

Speaking after the last kids had gone home, Stratman said: “This has been an amazing day. We have been thrilled to build up the profile

Ladies flo

Swing into golf this summer Urban Golf unveils new simulators

Four Ball Membership

Tel: 01732 844785 www.westmallingolf.com

West Malling golf club Trottiscliffe Rd, Addington, West Malling, Kent, ME19 5AR

Golfers visiting Urban Golf’s three London-based indoor golf studios can now take advantage of the latest golf swing analysis technology, following the installation of a range of aboutGolf simulators.

Urban Golf, which has venues in Kensington, Smithfield and Soho, has just taken delivery of the world’s James Day most accurate golf simulatory, which not only records every detail of the swing, but also instantly provides a visual guide to the flight of the ball on the screen.

The aboutgolf system creates the ultimate golf simulator experience, so much so that world No.1 Luke Donald has installed in his own house in Chicago, as it’s often too cold in the winter to go outside. “I use it in the winter as a way to practise, simulate real golf, and play some golf courses that we play on tour,” said Donald. “You can work the ball left to right and right to left, and it’s very accurate.”

Urban Golf’s managing director, James Day, is confident that golfers of all levels will appreciate the benefits of a more realistic indoor golfing experience. “The technology has got to the level where I doubt even the very best golfers could discern any differences between indoor and outdoor practice,” said Day. “With this greater accuracy and realism of graphics, the golf simulator experience continues to evolve. There’s an ever expanding library of digitally-scanned courses to play, while serious golfers now use the facility as a driving range, confident that the visual flight and the accompanying data is providing them with highly-accurate feedback.”

Day added: “There are still new challenges in making the concept more interactive, allowing golfers to play each other online, and letting them compete in a digital version of a real tour event, complete with leaderboards, sights and sounds.”

The Nevada Bob’s Ladies Golf Centre in Eastleigh has proved a massive hit with the female golfing population following its opening just over two years ago. With its easy access from the M27 and M3, shoppers have been coming from all over the south of England to grab bargains, as well as hunt down items that are hard to find in regular golf stores, where the product ranges are often more tailored towards men.

The specialist Ladies’ Store occupies the whole of the first floor, and provides a superb shopping environment for women, with separate changing rooms and well-trained staff who are knowledgeable about the needs of the female golfer. Clothing brands include Calvin Klein, Abacus, Galvin Green, Lobster, Oscar Jacobson and Cutter and

Lytham bec

May 2012 / Issue 210

/ 43 Complimentary Copy

The Ultimate Guide

Blake takes up Littlestone post n

Stephen Blake has been appointed as the new general manager of Littlestone Golf Club in Kent. Stephen has vast experience in the golf industry, having previously been the general manager at Windlesham Golf Club in Surrey, and head of the golf division at MyTime Active in Bromley, which operates 17 golf courses throughout the UK. He was also operations

director at Ensign Leisure for 13 years, which subsequently became part of The Country Club Group, owner of Mill Ride, Cranleigh and Slinfold golf clubs. One of Stephen’s first duties was to oversee the staging of the Kent Mid Age Championships, after which he was presented with a county shield by the Kent Golf Union’s vice president Chris Reynolds (pictured).

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Big Swing of golf like this in the Dorset area. All the children enjoyed themselves by taking part in an enormous competition, which was all about fun and teamwork – and helping to break a world record in the process. The combined efforts of our local partnership and the Golf Foundation on the wider scale are all serving to create more opportunities to enjoy the game.”

ock to Eastleigh superstore

Buck, Green Lamb and Glenmuir, to name but a few.

The superstore has a range of over 20,000 products from some of the most famous brands in the game, representing over 100 suppliers. There are full ranges of equipment from each major equipment manufacturer, so that the

highly-experienced staff are able to match each player with the best equipment on the market, whether within a specified brand or across a selection of brands. There are also state-of-the-art custom fitting facilities, including an indoor studio using Flightscope radar technology, to ensure that any purchases

are designed to improve the customer’s individual game.

Store owner Giles Downer told Golf News: “We’ve been overwhelmed with the response we’ve had from the golfing public,” he said. “The breadth and depth of our stock, with all the latest ranges from all the main brands, has proved a big draw for consumers.

We stock over 60 types of ladies’ shoes, and a wide range of ladies’ golf bags, waterproofs and accessories, from hats to head covers.

It’s the choice and the keen pricing that is proving a winning combination.

“With our price match guarantee, customers can purchase equipment safe in the knowledge that they are getting the best products at the best possible prices.”

For more details visit www. nevadabobseastleigh.co.uk or call 02380 629595.

eckons for four-ball finalists Amateur golfers are being offered the carrot of playing at the venue for this year’s Open Championship, following the launch of a new nationwide 4-ball better ball competition.

The 4bbb.co.uk Challenge will see pairs of golfers competing locally throughout the country at 100 open events, before progressing to 10 regional finals at some of the UK’s best courses – including The Belfry Brabazon, Woodhall Spa, The Carrick, Saunton, and The London Club.

The top four teams from each local open event will progress to the regional finals, with the top four pairs again making it through to the final, which will be played at 2012 Open venue Royal Lytham & St Anne’s in October, with event sponsor Glenmuir providing a free shirt to all the finalists, who are competing for the overall main prize of a golf holiday at La Manga. A full list of Open events and regional finals, together with entry rules and prices, can be found at www.4bbb.co.uk.

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44 /

May 2012 / Issue 210

With a first PGA Tour victory finally and firmly tucked into his shiny orange Puma belt, the future looks a whole lot brighter for Rickie Yutaka Fowler

“Winning’s kind of

fun” What was your overriding emotion following your win in the Wells Fargo Championship?

Relief or elation? There was definitely some relief, and a good deal of satisfaction. I’m definitely happy.

It’s not a bad thing, winning. It’s kind of fun. It’ll take a bit of time for it to sink in.

Was there ever any moment of doubt as to whether this was going to happen? Not really. It was always more of a case of ‘when’, not ‘if’. I definitely knew I was good enough to win, and it was just a question of getting everything to come together and staying patient.

In the past, I felt like I pushed a little bit too hard, got frustrated, and ended up with a poor score. I’ve felt like I’ve got more comfortable every time I’ve been in contention. This time, I knew how well I was swinging, which made it a lot easier for me to relax and have some fun.

Is it fair to say that you played to win the play-off, rather than wait for the others to make a mistake? Definitely.

I didn’t want to play safe in the play-off.

I had a good number, and I was aiming right of the hole with the wind coming out of the right, and I knew if I hit a perfect shot, it would come down right on the stick, and I think we came down just left of it. But no, I hit a perfect shot at the right time, and I was going for it.

You’ve been compared to Rory McIlroy a lot in your career. How did it feel to beat him in the play-off?

We’ve always had a great camaraderie, and been good buddies. I respect him as a player, and I feel like he respects me, as well. But I’ve had a lot of fun playing against him. We first played against each other at the Walker Cup in 2007, and I look forward to playing against him, and hopefully having plenty more tournaments where we’re battling back and forth.

There’s going to be times where he’s going to come out on top, and times where I come out on top. I look forward to doing that for a long time. But there are a lot of really good young players out here right now, and to count any one of them as rivals, or not rivals, would be somewhat unfair. We all want to beat each other.

Do you think credibility is the most important thing that will come out of your win? A lot of people have doubted my ability, or said I’ll never win and all kinds of stuff, so it’s nice to hopefully shut them up a little bit.

When you came out of college, did you think it would be this hard to win? I knew it was going to be tough.

I got into a play-off at Fry’s on my second event, so I knew I could be in contention, and I knew that I could win out here, it was just a case of putting it together for four rounds.

Taking the step from junior golf to college golf, to amateur golf and then from there to the PGA Tour, it’s the biggest leap you take, and these are the best players in the world. It’s not easy to win out here, so it’s nice to have the first one out of the way.

Given your friendship with Bubba Watson, did his Masters performance rub off on you at all, or was it just a coincidence? Well, it was definitely nice for me to be there on Sunday when he did win the Masters.

It kind of motivated me a little bit more

to want to be in that situation, whether it be at a major or a regular tour event.

I can definitely give some credit to Bubba for giving me kind of a kick in the butt to go out and get it done.

What’s been the reaction from the other guys on tour? Well, it’s been a lot of fun throughout the locker room and on the range, hand shakes, congrats from all the guys. It comes with the win, and I’ll take whatever comes with it. There’s been a lot of attention given to me, which has been cool. I’m definitely honoured to be in the situation I am.

How pleased were you to come out again and turn in a good performance at The Players’ Championship? It was a very successful week for me, coming off the win, and then being in contention over the weekend. I’d not made the cut at The Players before, so just to make it past Friday felt like a mini triumph, and then to get it going over the weekend was a lot of fun. I feel like I’ve missed too many cuts in previous years by not being patient and sticking it out, so I’m

May 2012 / Issue 210

/ 45

pleased that I was able to stay focused and get the most out of every round.

Next stop is the US Open. How familiar are you with The Olympic Club, being a Californian kid?

I’ve been to the Olympic Club a couple of times. I played the US Junior and the US Amateur there. It’s a little way from my home. It’s probably about a 10 or 12-hour drive. It’s a very tough course, and I’m sure they are just going to make it tougher for the Open. If it’s playing cool and wet with the air, it’s going to be a tough test, and it’s going to be a mentally challenging week, but I’m really looking forward to it. I’m playing the Crowne Plaza at Colonial, the Memorial, then having a week off before the US Open, so I should be rested and good to go.

The way you’ve been marketed so successfully, has it ever felt like a burden? No, because this is who I am.

I don’t want to be anyone who I’m not,

and I don’t want to be marketed in any way that doesn’t represent me. You know, it’s been a lot of fun. Obviously I have some great sponsors and a good partnership with Puma, who have helped me show who I am on the course. Now we’ve got the win, so we’re good to go.

Does it make you laugh to see all the fans wearing the Puma kit and all that orange around the course?

Yeah, I love seeing it, especially the little kids running around with my hat on that is kind of flopping around, slightly too large for them. I get a laugh out of it and feel honored when there’s 40 or 50-year-old guys that are cruising around in all orange. It shows you that they’re having fun. They don’t care what other people think. They’re just out supporting and rocking the orange. It’s cool in my perspective to have an impact like that, especially with the young kids. If I can keep having a positive impact, then that’s half my goal as a Tour player.

What are your goals for the rest?

Winning another would be a good start!

I feel like I can continue to play well and continue to have a good season. My other goals that I had for the year were making it to the Tour Championship, and giving myself a chance to play on my second Ryder Cup team.

Would you like to explain the moustache? Have you got a bet going with Geoff Ogilvy? Well, it all kind of just started for fun. Geoff and I began growing them in Australia during the Presidents Cup. I had it the week after for the PGA, and for Movember, and just kind of kept it going for fun. A lot of my friends don’t like it, and have told me to shave it off.

It’s kind of showing I’m not too worried about what other people think. It’s just me being me, and maybe that can be a lesson to some kids, just not trying to fit in, just be themselves.

It’s nothing to do with superstition, that’s for sure. I’ve had some rough weekends with it, and I’ve had a few good weekends lately with it. But as far as looks go, mine is not as healthy as Ogilvy’s. We’ve got our own little brotherhood going, I guess, Mo‑Bros!

46 /

May 2012 / Issue 210

EwenMurray

Sky Sport’s voice of golf speaks out on issues of the month

Birdies, bogeys and a bit of banter G

Forty years young One of the greatest golfing success stories of my lifetime has been that of the European Tour, which this month celebrates its 40th anniversary. I have been a member of the Tour since the very first day, having turned pro in 1971, and its evolution has been steady, as well as impressive. Back in the early 70s, there was a real doubt whether it could, or would, survive. But its timing was ideal, with the mood in Europe on a upswing following Tony Jacklin’s stunning Open and US Open victories.

In those early years, the tour lasted barely six months, so it was important to play well in the summer, as there was not much golf available in the winter. Today, the European Tour schedule comprises more than 50 tournaments in over 20 countries around the world, with only a few weeks pause for breath at Christmas. With the foundations built by John Jacobs, along with the help of his associates, the Tour’s first real step forward was to go to a bank in Creiff and persuade the bank’s manager to up sticks and come to London to run the European Tour. The day Ken Schofield said he would, was one of the most important days in the Tour’s history.

Ken pressed sponsors to become more involved, and in doing that edged up prize money, fighting every corner for his players. The huge bonus came shortly afterwards, with the arrival on the world stage of Seve Ballesteros. As Ken worked behind the scenes, Seve played the showman. For years, the golfing world has been dominated by ‘The Big Three’ of Palmer, Player and Nicklaus, but now we had our own superstar, our own magician, a player the world fell in love with.

That, of course, helped the financial side of the Tour, and by 1979 the PGA Championship

carried a first prize of just under £10,000. That doesn’t sound much, but I bought my first flat in London two years earlier for £12,500. I also received £3,300 for finishing third, and felt like a millionaire.

After surviving the 70s, the following decade provide a real surge forward. Once again, Tony Jacklin was involved. His appointment as Ryder Cup Captain heralded a new era, and with Europe having joined forces with GB&I, Samuel’s legacy, which was drawing its final breath, was given a new lease of life. After a decade of consolidation and steady growth, the Tour gained some considerable momentum.

Schofield smashed down doors that were previously closed, notably in America. He fought for exemptions and invitations for his players.

The golden era of great European golfers was soon upon us, with Seve leading the way, followed closely in his wake by Berhard Langer, Sandy Lyle, Nick Faldo, José Maria Olazabal and Ian Woosnam. The successful careers of pro golfers no longer lay in the hands of a few. The Swedes had arrived after the Spaniards, and they were quickly followed by the Danes, the French, and the Germans. The European Tour finally lived up to its name, and in golf, Europe became united.

They say that large oaks grow from little acorns, and that’s certainly been true for the European Tour. John Jacobs had a vision, but surely not in his wildest dreams could he have foreseen where the Tour now finds itself today. The current crop of players owe a huge debt of gratitude to John, and all his like-minded pioneers, who laid the foundations for future generations to enjoy the careers that they do.

olf is a great game for many reasons, but it doesn’t get any better than simply playing an impromptu round with a few friends on a nice course, on a nice day. A few weeks ago, my fellow Sky Sports commentators Robert Lee, Jamie Spence, and Simon Holmes and I, met up at Liphook, one of Hampshire’s most revered courses.

It is one of these heathland layouts, framed by heather, pines and silver birch, which has continually been in the country’s top 100 courses. I had played there during my assistant professional days at Walton Heath, and it had always stuck in my mind as being a bit special.

Returning after a gap of more than 30 years confirmed what a stunning course it is. At 6,300 yards, it’s not long, but its defence is the narrow, tight fairways, along with the run-off areas that leave hugely difficult pitches and chips. Accuracy and touch are key requirements here, and distance means little.

My great friend, the late Alex Hay, whom I worked with for a year at the European Sports Network a couple of decades ago, asked me one day how I was playing. I said I hadn’t played for a few months, as I was learning this new trade in television. He looked serious, and after a moment of thought, said: “Then you should be playing, because one day you will want to play, and you won’t be able to through age.” At that time I was in my mid-30s and hadn’t thought of

getting too old to play golf, but as the years tick by, I now fully understand his wise words.

I recalled these words to Rob, Simon and Jamie, as one of us always finds a lame excuse not to play. It had the desired effect, and we duly made Liphook’s first tee. Three-and-a-half hours later, we looked back on one of the most enjoyable rounds you could ever hope to have.

We did what we all do at our own clubs, and threw the balls up for partners. Jamie and myself would take on the other two. Having opened with a double bogey at the par-three first, I doubted my wisdom of thinking I could still play to a reasonable level. I suspect Jamie was thinking the same thing, but having made his three to keep us all square, on we went.

Because the course is about 1,000 yards shorter than the ones built in

modern times, losing a few yards off the tee through advancing years and lack of play mattered little.

The standard was on the right side of decent, and I was thinking it was because we were actually enjoying just playing golf – which maybe was not always the case when we were playing for a living. The result didn’t matter. What did, was that we enjoyed a game like you do every week with your golfing mates. A cup of tea in the clubhouse ended our visit, with a promise that we would do it again in the near future.

Jamie left to attend a dinner at a nine-hole course he began playing at, Rob and Simon made their way to the Sky studios, and, after a short struggle getting out of the car on my return home, I had a very hot bath and two anti-inflammatory tablets. Life doesn’t get any better than that!

Liphook Golf Club

The year of the naturals I was pleased to see Jason Dufner break his duck on the PGA Tour.

Having won twice on the Nationwide Tour, he’s had to be patient and wait for his chance to come along. He had a glorious opportunity to secure last year’s US PGA Championship in Atlanta, only to find the water at the 15th, and come up against an inspired Keegan Bradley.

With this win, and Bubba Watson’s triumph at Augusta, a new trend has begun that may offer encouragement Jason Dufner is among a new generation of natural swingers

to many existing golfers, as well as inspire newcomers, for they play the way nature intended. I cannot see Jason banging on Sean Folley’s door in a quest to change his swing, and I would fully expect Bubba to carry on playing just the way he is.

What they have done is give the average golfer hope. For too many years there has been the search for the perfect swing. That, I’m sure, has turned people away from the game.

There is little enough time in today’s

fast-moving world, and certainly not enough time to waste searching for perfection. After all, it’s a hobby for the majority, and hobbies should be enjoyed.

Along come Jason and Bubba, and all the theory and technique preached and practised by many coaches takes a back seat. Here are two players with reasonably sound basics, an immense amount of imagination, nice tempo, and decent eye and hand co-ordination.

With that in place, they make the most of their natural ability.

The lesson is clear for all of us. Get your fundamentals as correct as you can, and let your own swing develop.

The occasional check-up is, of course, advisable, just to make sure you don’t get too far off track, but being bogged down with theory will only send you backwards and lessen your enjoyment of the game.

The perfect swing won nothing on its own. It’s a combination of many factors – physical and mental – which combine to create a successful golfer.

May 2012 / Issue 210

/ 47

PIC OF THE MONTH

uick questions

c o mpet i t i o n

SPOT THE BALL

IN ASSOCIATION WITH SRIXON GOLF

with

Strictly Come Dancing star Brendan Cole What do you like most about golf?

The pleasure of the pain!

There is something quite incredible when you do something and it looks so nice, it feels so nice and as a result at the end of it that’s what keeps people coming back. Most of us know how to play a really bad shot and after some of these shots you wonder why you come back at all, but something keeps you coming back.

How did you get into the game?

I’ve had a little flutter for the game since I was a boy growing up in New Zealand. My granddad put a club in my hand and I hit a ball, and that was that.

Are there similarities between golf and dancing?

A lot of similarities in terms of timing, rhythm, and movement. They are also both extremely difficult!

I wish I was as good at one as I am the other.

Whose the best Strictly golfer?

I play with Anton du Beke and James Jordan every now and then. They both beat me, because they play more than I do. Anton, in particular, has a much better swing than me, although I’m obviously a much better dancer!

Do you play any other sports?

In the summer I play cricket for my local club, which I really enjoy.

On a wing with a player: PR Shot of the Month goes to the rarely shy and retiring chairman of Virgin Atlantic, Sir Richard Branson, who enjoyed a short putting lesson from eight-time Order of Merit winner Colin of Montgomerie on the wing of 747 that was thankfully not in mid-air.

The eye-catching stunt was in aid of Virgin’s support of Golf Live 2012, which took place at The London Golf Club earlier this month.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Give us your idea of where the ball is in this shot hit by US PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley, and the lucky reader drawn at random from the correct entries will be sent a dozen Srixon Z Star Tour Yellow balls – the Tourperformance ball that you just can’t miss.

Tests have shown that at distances of 275 yards, the yellow ball is spotted over 60% of the time, compared to just 21% with the white ball. In addition to its enhanced optics, the Z Star’s three-piece construction ensure maximum low-spinning distance off the driver, consistent control and spin from the short irons, and superb feel off the putter face. To enter, simply email info@golfnews.co.uk, with ‘Spot the Ball’ in the subject line, including the grid reference of where you think the ball is (i.e. D4, H7 etc.), and your name, address and daytime telephone number. Good luck and happy ball spotting!

For more information visit: www.srixon.co.uk

48 /

News in Brief

May 2012 / Issue 210

Olazábal set for Wales Open debut October date for BMW Masters

Dufner seals maiden win American Jason Dufner clinched his first PGA Tour title with a playoff victory over Ernie Els at the New Orleans Classic in Louisiana.

The 35-year-old, previously a runner-up three times on the US circuit, sealed his first win since joining the Tour in 2005 with a two-putt birdie on the second extra hole. Luke Donald finished third with a closing 67.

Westwood coasts home Lee Westwood won his first title of the year, and the 38th of his career, with a successful defence of the Indonesian Masters.

The world No.3 completed 32 holes on the last day, following earlier weather delays, closing with a final round 74 for a twostroke margin of victory over Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club.

Wiseberger WINS IN KOREA

Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger grabbed a surprise win at the Ballantine’s Championship, after finishing five shots clear of Richie Ramsay at Blackstone Golf Club in Korea. The 26-yearold bagged his debut win with a final round of 68. Twice a runner up in 2011, Wiesberger played himself into contention with consecutive 65s in the second and third rounds.

Curtis stars in Texas Former Open champion Ben Curtis secured his first PGA Tour victory in six years after winning the Texas Open by two strokes.

The hero of Royal St Georges made a 22-foot par-saving putt at the 17th hole and then sank a birdie putt to finish on nineunder par in San Antonio.

Ryder Cup captain José María Olazábal will make his debut in the ISPS Handa Wales Open from 31 May-3 June.

It will give the Spaniard a chance to monitor contenders for his 2012 Europe team, ahead of the event against the USA in Illinois in September.

Olazábal is relishing a return to the scene of Europe’s triumph in 2010.

“I am looking forward to going back to Celtic Manor, where I have many fond memories from the last Ryder Cup,” Olazábal said. “It was an honour to be called into the team room as a vice-captain, when Colin felt he needed another set of eyes with additional matches out on the golf course. The fact that it turned out to be such a dramatic and emotional

victory made it all the more special.” He added: “I am now looking forward to playing the challenging Twenty Ten Course myself in the Wales Open. It will be a good chance to see how some of the players vying for a place in this year’s Ryder Cup are performing just three months before the team is selected.”

The two-time Masters champion is no stranger to winning in Wales, and counts the 1991 Epson Grand Prix of Europe, held at nearby St Pierre, among his 23 European Tour titles.

While Olazábal prepares for his first appearance in the Wales Open, Montgomerie will be teeing up for the 10th year running.

Some of his Ryder Cup players will also be making a welcome return to the scene of their triumph, including

Ross Fisher and the Molinari brothers, Edoardo and Francesco. A revitalized Paul Lawrie, and hot Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, currently fifth and sixth respectively on the European points list, are two more contenders for this year’s Ryder Cup team and have entered the Wales Open.

Lawrie was a winner at Celtic Manor in 2002, his last European Tour victory before claiming two titles within a year – at the 2011 Open de Andalucia and March’s Qatar Masters. Past winners of the tournament have included Ryder Cup stars Graeme McDowell, Robert Karlsson, Miguel Angel Jiménez, Ian Poulter, and Paul McGinley.

Last year, Alexander Noren triumphed by two strokes, before going on to claim the Nordea Masters in his native Sweden.

The European Tour has unveiled a new tournament on this year’s schedule, the BMW Masters, which is to be held at the Jack Nicklausdesigned Lake Malaren Golf Club in Shanghai from October 25-28. The BMW Masters brings the total number of tournaments on The 2012 Race to Dubai to 47 and represents the third on mainland China this year, with the WGCHSBC Champions being at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen the week before.

With a prize find of $7 million, the BMW Masters is the most lucrative event on the European Tour outside

Amazing Grace bags treble South Africa’s Branden Grace became only the second player in European Tour history to win three times in a season after graduating through Qualifying School, after he took victory at the Volvo China Open. Three shots clear of last year’s winner Nicolas Colsaerts overnight, Grace’s lead on the final day was never fewer than two shots and a closing 69 saw him finish on 21 under par at Binhai Lake.

As well as matching Johan Edfors’ 2006 accomplishment of winning three times after coming through Qualifying School in the winter, the 23-year-old joins some illustrious company in The European Tour record books. Only two players have won three European Tour titles in a single season at a younger age – Seve Ballesteros did it three times between 1977 and 1980, and Sandy Lyle did it in 1979. Grace also becomes only the third South African to win three times in a single season, following in the footsteps of Ernie Els and Retief Goosen.

Fowler bags first win at Wells Fargo Rickie Fowler claimed a long overdue first victory on the PGA Tour when he won the Wells Fargo Championship with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff against Rory McIlroy and fellow American DA Points at Quail Hollow.

The 23-year-old American finally justified his billing as one of the game’s top young players, when he sank a four-footer for birdie at the 18th hole to claim victory at the North Carolina course.

Fowler fired a final round 69 to join US Open champion McIlroy and Points in the sudden-death playoff after the trio tied at 14-under-par.

Fowler, who had made the last US Ryder Cup team despite lacking a tour victory, saw the pressure lift off his shoulders when both Points and McIlroy missed their long birdie putts, leaving him a four-foot putt for victory.

Despite losing out in the playoff, the high finish ensured McIlroy reclaimed the number one world ranking from Luke Donald. Webb Simpson, the third-round leader, finished one stroke out of the playoff after posting a 73 for fourth place, two shots better than Lee Westwood, who closed with a best-of-the-day 66.

Gleneagles’ Ryder Cup course re-opens for play The PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles in Scotland, host venue of the 2014 Ryder Cup, officially reopened for play last month, following a six-month major renovation programme.

The PGA Centenary, which will see the golfing great of the US and Europe do battle over the threeday tournament, has been under maintenance since October 2011 to allow for extensive course modifications, devised in

of the Majors, WGC events, and the end-of-season DP World Tour Championship.

The tournament is limited to a field of just 78 players, the majority of whom will be drawn from the top 100 of the official world rankings, although 14 Chinese players will also be invited to play.

The tournament is a direct replacement for the Lake Malaren Shanghai Masters, which was won last year

by Rory McIlroy. As well as this new event, BMW also sponsors the European Tour’s flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, and the BMW International Open in Germany.

consultation with course designer Jack Nicklaus.

It re-opened to the public on April 28, allowing amateur golfers the chance to experience the final Ryder Cup course for themselves in the two-year run-up to the tournament. Over 50,000 tonnes of earth have been moved at the course over the past six months, with 30,000 square metres of turf laid, and 1,000 tonnes of new sand used in bunkers.

The improvements

include the installation of an aeration and moisture removal system on all 18 greens. Substantial changes have been made to the layout of several holes – with the most dramatic alterations apparent on the ninth and 18th. Drainage in all bunkers has been improved using the ‘Better Billy Bunker Method’ developed at Augusta National Golf Club.

Stuart McEwen, Gleneagles’ Director of Golf, said: “It’s been a challenging, but hugely rewarding six months for all involved in the redesign of the PGA Centenary Course. We are thrilled with how the golf course is shaping up, and the recent changes made will certainly make a big difference, particularly the 18th. By successfully completing the redesign changes now, thousands of golfers will be able to enjoy playing the golf course prior to the 2014 Ryder Cup.”

LEAD With StaSof

®

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And the latest StaSof® has evolved materials and designs - like Taction2™ APL premium cabretta leather for better grip in all climate conditions, re-vamped closure angles, flex inserts and other advances - to complement that explosive swing dynamic.

Now, when you lead with StaSof®, you’re leading with the glove built for today’s power game: The #1 cabretta glove, providing ultimate feel and tour-proven performance, worn by more Tour Professionals and winners worldwide.

Explore footjoy.co.uk and sign up to The Comfort Zone, our free e-newsletter

50 /

A DV E R T I S I N G

2-PIECE GOLF BALL*

2

PIECE

*Sources: SPORTS MARKETING SURVEYS INC & GOLF DATATECH RETAIL AUDITS

THE UK’S BEST SELLING JUST GOT BETTER

F E AT U R E

Cleveland Golf/Srixon has launched its own short game app in association with its Short Game Ambassador Ben Clayton.

Split into six sections, the app kicks of with an introduction, which gives expert advice on the wedge and ball choices that are so important for every golfer to get right.

Ben reveals the keys to selecting the ideal bounce and loft options for your wedge game, and also explains why your choice of ball could unlock the door to lower scores.

A key factor to this, according to Ben, is wedge gapping. Tour players do this to aid in distance control.

Many club golfers believe that while their pitching wedge carries 45 degrees loft, a sand wedge should have between 54 and 60 degrees.

With most clubs in the bag being separated by just four degrees, a large gap at the business end of the bag could be costing you shots, as wedge play is where distance ntrol is the most critical.

To help solve this problem, Tour players ensure that their wedges and short irons are gapped evenly in

May 2012 / Issue 210

Apps the w to do

EXPLOSIVE POWER EXCEPTIONAL CONTROL

CUSTOM FIT YOUR BALL

BY VISITING

www.srixon.co.uk The new App is packed with video-based swing tips and drills 7482-Srixon-GolfNewsAD333AdvertArt.indd 1

10/02/2012 09:51

May 2012 / Issue 210

s way o it!

loft. By spacing the lofts out evenly, golfers can make the same swing with each wedge, knowing that they will travel the comparable distance, so the same swing with a 9-iron will go around ten yards farther than a pitching wedge.

By combining this with a solid technique, which can be achieved through performing the drills found on the app, scores will start to tumble.

The other sections contain a variety of videos to help improve the short game. Filmed on location at the Greg Norman-designed Lumine Golf Club near Tarragona in Spain, Ben also offers advice on bunker play, pitching, chipping, and escaping unexpected trouble out on the course.

Each section contains three videos, taking users through the

A DV E R T I S I N G

Cleveland Golf/ Srixon’s coaching app brings short game skills to your fingertips!

fundamentals of each different shot, from the initial setup, to technique and advice on club selection for varying scenarios around the greens.

There are also videos showing different drills that can be practised and perfected. The app is available for download now on iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackberry via the Apple Store, Blackberry App World and Google Play.

To celebrate the launch of the app, Ben Clayton is offering half-price lessons to anyone who purchases the app via the Apple store, Blackberry App World or Google Play, provided they show their tablet or smartphone when they arrive for their lesson.

To book a lesson, visit www. benclaytongolf.co.uk

For more information on Cleveland Golf and Srixon, please visit www.clevelandgolf.com or www.srixon.co.uk

F E AT U R E

/ 51

IT’S BACK. AND IT’S BETTER THAN EVER.

“The Cleveland 588s were always the best wedges ever made.

And with this next generation, they still are!”

Graeme McDowell

Experience the legend, re-born at your Cleveland golf retail stockist.

www.clevelandgolf.com

52 /

May 2012 / Issue 210

QUAD-Fit Stockists QUAD-Fit Stockists

OUTLET OUTLETSTORE STORE

Poult Wood Golf Centre Poult Wood Golf Centre Tonbridge, Kent Tonbridge, Kent 01732 364 039 01732 364 039

Sunwise sunglasses RRP: £30-£80 Contact: www.sunwise.co.uk Oxford-based Sunwise has added 11 new styles of sunglasses to its existing range of 50-plus models in time for the summer golfing season. With such a huge choice of frames, they will appeal to a wide range of golfers, while the availability of interchangeable lenses gives golfers plenty of options to suit the prevalent playing conditions.

Last year’s best-seller, the turquoise blue twist in the Waterloo Chrome, spearheads the innovative Chromafusion range and is complemented by Waterloo GS Green, available in metallic Shamrock green and Greenwich GS Grey with matching deep purple components in the Polafusion range.

Both are finished with a gold coating on their advanced technology lenses. With no bottom rim to the frames, Sunwise says its sunglasses provide a clear view of the ball at address, while the wrap-around grip arms, and an adjustable rubber nose pad, keep them stable and secure throughout the golf swing.

Titleist DT Solo RRP: £21 per dozen Contact: www.titleist.co.uk The new DT Solo is the softest ball Titleist has ever produced in the DT range, and comprises a soft, blended Surlyn cover and a high velocity core to provide a soft compression feel on all shots, while still offering the DT’s renowned distance capabilities. A new icosahedral dimple design provides a penetrating, straight ball-flight, with low driver spin, and a long roll out on landing. It is offered in a choice of white or optic yellow.

Cleveland Golf CG Black wedges RRP: £119/£139 (st/gr)

FootJoy Icons

Contact: www.clevelandgolf.com

RRP: £219.95

The new CG Black wedges feature a multi-material construction that incorporates a thin, high-strength Ti face, which helps generate maximum COR for increased ball speed and added distance. The large face area offers an increased sweet spot for more forgiveness on off-centre hits, while a deep undercut cavity positions the centre of gravity lower and deeper in the clubhead to optimise launch angle and playability. Cleveland’s laser-milled Tour Zip Grooves help maximise spin.

Contact: www.footjoy.co.uk

FootJoy has added two more styles to its popular Icon collection. The new Pyramid utilises white tumbled waterproof leather and iguana print, alongside antique brown marbleised calfskin inlay, and is available in a four separate colour options, while the Wave includes a caiman print calfskin design that features on the top and along the side of the shoe. The Wave is available in white, with black caiman print calfskin, or black with black caiman print calfskin. Crafted from the finest leathers, the Icon is packed with in-built comfort and performance, including memory foam inserts, Icon Torque Bar, and Dual OptiFlex technology. Both new styles are available with FootJoy’s exclusive BOA lace-free system.

May 2012 / Issue 210

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Serengeti sunglasses RRP: £225 Contact: www.serengeti-eyewear.com Serengeti has launched the titanium-framed Volterra sunglasses, featuring optically superior ultra-light glass lenses to provide unsurpassed visual acuity. The lenses combine photochromic technology, polarisation and a unique spectral control filter to fine-tune colour wavelengths. The ‘driving’ colours – red, green and yellow – are enhanced, making brake lights, traffic lights and road signs easier to see. On the road, or on the golf course, colours will look clearer and brighter, and vision will be crisper and sharper.

Nike 20X1 ball

Brubeck Prestige Polos

RRP: £48 per dozen

RRP: £40-£55

Contact: www.nikegolfeurope.com

Contact: www.brubeck.co.uk

Nike’s 20X1 ball is so radical that even Tiger has found it hard to make the switch from his beloved One Tour D ball. The reason for his reticence is that unlike every other ball in play in the professional ranks, the core of the 20IX is made not of rubber, but of a polymer resin. The injection-moulded resin core has a compact molecular structure that makes it much bouncier than rubber – a power ball compared with a tennis ball, if you like. The smaller, lightweight core has allowed engineers to position more mass in the outer three layers, two of which are urethane, which creates a higher MOI than found in any previous model, resulting in less deviation during ball flight, longer distance, and more control around the greens.

There are two versions of the 20X1 ball: the X (tour-level distance) and S (tour-level spin), both of which feature a four-piece construction. While both deliver faster speeds, higher MOI and steeper spin slope, the X is optimised to reduce excess driver spin, while the S incorporates a softer cover for enhanced greenside control.

Brubeck, one of the largest European base layer manufacturers, has recently launched in the UK, and the company’s innovative range clothing is now available to golfers for the first time across Britain. Suppliers of outerwear to the Polish Olympic cycling team, Brubeck specialises in manufacturing seamless clothing, which is designed to keep the skin feeling fresh and dry.

Each item is created by revolutionary 3D knitting equipment, with two separate polypropylene layers actively reducing sweating and increasing comfort. The stretch-fit Prestige Polo is available to order online in a choice of white, black, light blue and light green in M, L, XL and XXL sizes.

Cobra Baffler T-Rail fairway woods Cobra AMP irons Rating: RRP: £549/£649 (st/gr) 4-PW Contact: www.cobragolf.co.uk

Nikon Coolshot rangefinder RRP: £299 Contact: www.nikongolf.co.uk A successor to Nikon’s popular 350G model, the new Coolshot is a lightweight, compact rangefinder featuring an ergonomic design that helps it sit neatly and securely in the hand. The high-speed ranging system, coupled with Nikon’s First Target Priority Mode, enables quick measurement of distances from between 11 and 600 yards, thanks to a unique eight-second continuous scanning function, which is operated at the push of a single button. New features include automatic light-sensitive LED illumination for clear viewing of the display in gloomy conditions, while the 6x magnification lenses and large eyepiece offer a wider field of view. The handset is fully waterproof and is rubberised to protect it should it be dropped.

It comes with a two-year warranty and, uniquely, a 30-day money-back trial.

Replacing the S3 irons, Cobra’s new Advanced Material Placement (AMP) irons feature a progressive face and cavity design and are aimed at ‘any level of golfer looking for improved distance and accuracy’, which, in reality, means the vast majority of us.

Tinged with orange in the cavity, hosel, shaft and on the grip – in a nod to its Tour ambassador, Rickie Fowler – the AMP irons have improved upon the performance of Cobra’s E9 Face Technology by plasma welding a thin, high strength steel face to a stainless steel body. This head design, which gets progressively smaller from long irons to the wedge, creates faster ball speeds off the long and mid irons, while offering exceptional feel off the shorter irons.

A V-Skid triple sole, which can be bent for custom fitting purposes, relieves heel-toe sections to reduce turf drag and add to the sole’s versatility. The higher bounce front section provides forgiving interaction, a lower bounce middle section keeps the leading edge at a proper height, and the rear sole relief has the weight benefits of a wider sole, but offers cleaner contact with the ground.

Whether you love or hate the ‘fun’ cosmetics, there’s no getting away from the fact that this is a serious set of irons, which delivers a consistently high ball flight, with more than respectable distance. Where it excels is on those lessthan-perfect shots, whether it be slightly off the toe, or whether you get a little steep on the downswing. Its skid sole makes it ideal for playing in typically soft playing conditions, and while it offers limited shot-shaping ability, the clubhead provides excellent feel, which is not something you always get in a game improvement iron – so a big thumbs up for that.

RRP: £169 Contact: www.cobragolf.co.uk Designed for golfers seeking maximum ease of hitting from the tee or off the fairway, the new T-Rail fairway wood features a shallow face and an oversize head to improve forgiveness and promote a higher-launching ball flight. Forgiveness is further enhanced, and ball speeds significantly increased, by a high-strength Maraging steel clubface that allows for 10 per cent of the weight to be repositioned back and low. A new tungsten rail sole is designed to improve turf interaction, as well as moving the centre of gravity low and deep, producing a high, penetrating flight. Yellow scoring lines on the black anti-glare crown help with alignment. They are available in 13, 16*, 18*, and 20-degree lofts (*LH & RH).

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May 2012 / Issue 210

1. Mizuno JPX 800

2. Adams A12

3. Callaway RAZR X

RRP: £119 Contact: www.mizunogolfeurope.com

RRP: £199.99 Contact: www.adamsgolf.com

RRP: £149 Contact: www.callawaygolf.com

The JPX800 hybrids are larger than most hybrids, offering the feel of a lofted fairway wood, while the use of a shorter shaft in the more lofted models adds the control needed for long, accurate approaches. Mizuno’s hot metal face technology delivers high ball speeds across a wide area of the stainless steel clubface, for exceptional distance and forgiveness, while lightweight Exsar HS5 graphite shaft ensure fast swings with minimal effort. Loft options are 17°, 19°, 22° and 25°, while lie angles can be adjusted by two degrees in either direction to match iron sets.

The a12 hybrid, which is also available in Oversize and Tour versions, features Velocity Slot Technology, which creates a spring-like effect across the entire face of the club to increase forgiveness and improve launch conditions. It produces a higher launch and more ball speed than the Idea a7, while not increasing spin, leading to longer overall distance. Improved keel sole shaping helps the clubhead move smoothly through the turf without the twisting or digging for greater accuracy. They are available in 17°, 19°, 22° and 25° lofts, and come with UST Mamiya ProForce VTS Silver hybrid shafts as standard.

The RAZR X hybrid range was inspired by prototypes developed with and for Phil Mickelson. The standard model features a large sweet spot, and the clubface features a Zero Roll Design, producing higher launch angles on shots hit low on the face for greater distance and soft landings. Loft options are 21°, 24°, 27° and 30°.

The Tour model (18°, 21°, 24°) has less offset to enhance workability, while higher handicappers will benefit from the extra built-in forgiveness offered by the RAZR X HL hybrid.

Replace hard-to-hit long irons with labour-saving hybrids

HYBRIDS 1

2

3

4

5

4. Wilson Staff FYbrid RS 5. Yonex EZone SD

to the rescue 6

7

8

9

6. Cleveland Mashie Plus

RRP: £109 Contact: www.wilsonstaff.com

RRP: £129 Contact: www.yonex.co.uk

RRP: £129.99 Contact: www.clevelandgolf.com

Designed to offer a seamless transition from fairway woods by offering seven progressive head shapes from 15 to 30 degrees, the RS series gets its name comes from Rocker Sole technology, which features a rounded sole profile that creates a symmetrical look at address.

Material has also been removed from the heel and toe to make it easier for the club to glide over turf, particularly on sloping lies. The RS series is available in 15, 18, 19.5, 21, 24, 27 and 30-degree lofts, with UST Mamiya Proforce VTS shafts as standard.

The EZone SD hybrid features a 15% lighter carbon graphite crown than used in the previous model, allowing designers to redistribute weight lower and deeper inside the clubhead. A stainless steel sole design reduces the amount of material that comes into contact with the turf by 30%, maintaining head speeds and reducing drag. The result is consistently high, long shots from a greater variety of lies. It is available in 19, 22, 25-degree loft options, with a Nanospeed 200 shaft that reduces shaft deformation and increases clubhead speed courtesy of its Elastic Ti kick-point.

The new Mashie Plus is designed for distance and versatility, and features previously-utilised Gliderail technology, which decreases turf drag from all lies and provides more lift and speed at impact. It also incorporates Ultralite technology, with a shaft and grip combination that reduces total club weight by over 20g.

A premium Miyazaki C. Kua 59 graphite shaft, engineered specifically for hybrids, maximises swing speed while maintaining accuracy. It is available in four lofts options – 18.5, 20.5, 23 and 26 degrees.

7. John Letters T9+

8. Cobra Amp Utility

9. Ping i20

RRP: £99 Contact: www.direct-golf.co.uk

RRP: £159 Contact: www.cobragolf.co.uk

RRP: £160 Contact: www.ping.com

The T9+ hybrids feature John Letters’ s unique weighted ‘Feel Cell’ technology to provide optimum feedback and great feel, even on off-centre hits. The faces are made from Maraging steel to provide a higher elasticity and strength, and optimise distance control. The compact heads offer high levels of playablity, even from the most difficult lie. Featuring mid-size Winn DSI gips as standard, the T9 comes in 16°, 19°, 22° and 25° lofts, with Aldila’s Tour Gold shaft as standard, although Grafalloy ProLaunch Red and Blue, and the new Project X graphite shaft, are also available as custom options.

Offering orange detail and a black PVD face, the eyecatching AMP hybrid features Cobra’s Adjustable Flight Technology, which gives golfers the ability to change the face-angle to three different settings (Open, Neutral or Closed) to optimise ball flight for increased accuracy and improved distance. It’s small, more workable pear-shaped head features E9 face technology for greater forgiveness on slight miss-hits, while a bulge and roll design ensures shots stay on line. It is available in 17°, 19° and 22° lofts, and comes with a premium Aldila RIP Hybrid shaft to improve tip stability and control.

Geared towards better players looking for more control over ball flight, trajectory and spin, the three i20 hybrids sit neatly alongside the i20 woods, and provide a smooth transition through to the i20 irons. The compact head has a matt black crown, while the face features white scoring lines. A low and deep centre of gravity produces a high, yet powerful ball flight, while the high MOI, which is enhanced by tungsten sole plates, builds in an extra element of forgiveness. They are available in 17°, 20° or 23° lofts, with either Ping TFC 707F graphite shafts or Project X Black shafts.

May 2012 / Issue 210

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Phil Mickelson with his uDesign Callaway Golf RAZR Fit driver

Callaway gets personal with RAZR Fit Drivers If you’re looking for a driver to match your football team, or just to go with a favourite jumper, then Callaway Golf’s new online customisation programme for its new driver, the RAZR Fit, might be just what you’ve been waiting for.

Called uDesign, Callaway’s first foray into the personalisation of its products will allow golfers to go online and choose their own colour flashes on the head, as well as customise the grip, shaft models, lengths, lofts, and a several others

configurations that add up to a dizzying 70,000 combinations.

“Golf is already the most personalised sport there is in terms of custom equipment options, and our new udesign

by Callaway platform brings personalisation to a new and exciting place,” said Jeff Colton, Callaway Golf’s vice president for Global Brand and Product.

“The opportunity to design your very own driver in the colours of your favorite team, or whatever you happen to feel looks best, has never been offered on a mass scale. Our research and instincts show that this level of customisation is what golfers want, and we’re excited to be the first brand in golf to offer it.”

Callaway staff professional Phil Mickelson was among the first tour pros to try out the service.

He ordered up a blue and gold version of the RAZR Fit driver (see picture) as a show of support for his favourite American Football team, the San Diego Chargers.

The uDesign process begins with the selection of a righthanded or left-handed head, and a range of loft and colour choices. With each selection, the image on screen modifies in real time to represent the latest design choice.

When finished, users can view multiple angles of the driver and also send their design to friends and contacts via social networking sites. The cost of the service is £40, which is added on top of the standard retail price for the RAZR Fit driver when ordering. Standard shafts, including the RIP NV, come at no extra charge, although other specialist shafts may cost more.

Most orders will take no more than seven days to process.

The uDesign site went live in the UK earlier this month. UK orders can be designed at www. callawaygolf.com/udesign, but purchasers must print off their order and place it in person via a Callaway Approved Retailer.

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May 2012 / Issue 210

Activities Ireland The Perfect Golfing Experience in Wicklow!

Rathsallagh Golf Resort, Wicklow 4* 2 Nights + 3 Days UNLIMITED Golf - only £160.00 pps The 4* Rathsallagh hotel is located in the picturesque town of Dunlavin in Co Wicklow. Wicklow is renowned for it’s natural beauty, otherwise known at “The Garden of Ireland”. Immerse yourself in true Irish Culture and enjoy a memorable golfing experience on one of Ireland’s Top 30 Golf Courses

2 Nights Accommodation sharing Twin Rooms Full Irish Breakfast Daily n Rathsallagh Golf Course x 3 days UNLIMITED Golf n 24/7 emergency assistance n Services & Taxes n n

Druids Glen Golf Resort, Wicklow 5* 3 Nights B&B + 3 Golf + 1 FREE Dinner - only £260.00 pps The 5* Druids Glen Resort is located in Newtown-Mount-Kennedy, Co Wicklow. This is a golfers dream come true - Championship Golf over 2 courses and 5* treatment, what more can you ask for!

Marriott Golf has launched a superb deal offering visiting groups the chance to play its European Tour course at Marriot Hanbury Manor Hotel & Country Club this summer for under £100.

Under the terms of the special ‘Jolly July Golf’ deal, groups visiting to the fivestar Hertfordshire resort will be able to enjoy coffee and a bacon roll, 18 holes over the former English Open venue, plus a two-course buffet lunch for £95 per person.

The offer is available on Mondays to Thursdays throughout July for groups of between 12 and 48 golfers.

“The new Jolly July Golf deal gives visiting groups the chance to spend a great day out at a Tour venue for the sort of price you’d normally only come across during the winter months,” said Charlotte Quantick, the sales and marketing co-ordinator at Hanbury Manor. “We launched the deal at the start of April, and it has already

Jolly good summer rates at Hanbury

proved popular with visiting groups from Hertfordshire and beyond,” she added.

Hanbury’s Jack Nicklausdesigned golf course is famously a game of two halves. The front nine has a very American feel to it, with open, sprawling meadowland allowing room to open the shoulders and forgive the

odd errant tee shot, although things get much tighter around the greens, with bunkers aplenty to snaffle up anything offline.

The toughest test on the way out is unarguably the 425-yard eighth, which has out of bounds all the way down the right of the tee and a lake protecting the

3 nights Accommodation sharing Twin Rooms (Fri, Sat & Sun Night) Full Irish Breakfast Daily n FREE Dinner on Sunday Night n Druids Heath x 2 Rounds n Druids Glen x 1 Round n 24/7 emergency assistance n Services & Taxes n n

For Further Information please contact Nessa on +353 1 505 6794 or activitiesireland@eircom.net and quote Golf News/Wicklow Offers Activities Ireland, 36 Canonbrook Park, Lucan, Co Dublin, Ireland

green front left. The doubledogleg par-five ninth provides a suitably strong finish to front nine.

After totting up your half-time score, a short walk takes you back across the hotel and onto a completely different course, which has a real parkland feel.

With trees framing the fairways, accuracy off the tee becomes essential for good scoring, with little room for error with the driver in hand.

The resort is situated on rolling land close to Ware, and within about 40 minutes’ drive from the centre of London.

To book, or to obtain further information, please call 01920 885024.

300 years in the making!

Play Heythrop Park Resort from £85.00 with dinner, breakfast and 36 holes included Heythrop Park Resort is set in 440 acres of stunning Oxfordshire countryside.

The Resort boasts one of the UK’s best parkland courses, measuring 7088 yards.

Designed by renowned golf course architect Mackenzie & Egbert to championship standard, the course twists its way through the undulating terrain of the estate, and features numerous lakes, streams and strategically placed bunkers to add to the challenge.

Why wait come and test your game!

The perfect playground for every golfer:

Book directly and receive VIP Treatment with complimentary upgrades – call 01608 673 333 for more information.

Groups in excess of 16 receive additional discounts.

u 2 individual hotels – Crowne Plaza Hotel with 197 stylish bedrooms and Heythrop Park Hotel with 154 bedrooms u 4 bars and 4 restaurants

u 18 hole championship golf course, with extensive practice facilities on site u Health club with luxury spa, gym and heated infinity pool

N.B Terms and conditions apply to all bookings

www.heythroppark.co.uk Heythrop Park Resort, Enstone, Oxford, OX7 5UE

May 2012 / Issue 210

/ 57

Belton Woods promises family fun!

The British Father and Son Golf championships will be taking place this year at the DeVere Belton Woods Golf Resort, 3-4 August.

The event is open to any father and son team with no age limit, and a maximum handicap of 24. Grandfathers, stepfathers and professionals are all eligible to enter.

The championship format is two-ball better ball Stableford, played over two days (36 holes) for the coveted title of best Scratch and Handicap champions.

Contestants arrive on August 3, and compete in the official charity practice day, before the start of the championship on Saturday.

In the afternoon is a fun par-three competition on the excellent short course.

Sunday concludes the final day, where the leading teams will go out last and be awarded their trophies on the 18th green at the official prize giving.

Tournament Director

Awarded 5 Star Gold Award by British Tourist Board

Please visit our new website

27 holes of fantastic golf

www.dorsetgolfresort.com The Dorset Golf Hotel and Luxury Log homes for rent FREE GOLF Air-conditioned clubhouse facilities l Restaurant offering an extensive menu l On site accommodation in the Dorset Golf Hotel 16 twin rooms l From £64.25 pppn including Dinner, B&B and FREE GOLF l l

PGA Pro Toby Marsden said: “The event is an amazing and memorable experience.

It’s a really fun, friendly atmosphere. We have dads and lads of all ages and abilities. Many of them bring along there families to make a short break. We try to give the competitors the

experience of playing in a real golf event, with first tee announcers and a giant scoreboards. The prizes are sensational, with the winners offered a free holiday to compete in the Sky Sports European Grand Final in Spain.”

The event organiser,

Party on at Portmarnock

Red Golf, is offering an inclusive package of two nights’ accommodation in the resort’s four-star hotel, breakfast, and dinner. The package costs £249 for juniors and £299 for adults.

For further information visit www.BritishFatherSonGolf. co.uk or call 01702 680180.

SPRING SOCIETY OFFEr

Coffee & Bacon Baguettes on arrival 18 Holes of Championship Golf l One Course Lunch l l

£38.00pp (min 8 players)

Dorset’s premier golfing venue not to be missed!

Telephone no: 01929 472244

FREE golf GUIDE See page 10

FREE GOLF At The Ashbury Golf Hotel The UK’s Largest Golf Resort

Set in the foothills of Dartmoor National Park, Devon.

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

Oakwood 16th 172 yards, Par 3

Golfers are spoilt for choice when it comes to finding stunning links golf in Ireland, but you don’t have to stray too far from the capital city of Dublin if you want to combine a golfing break with a weekend in one of Europe’s party capitals.

Activities Ireland is currently offering a stunning three-night, four-round package – including one free night’s accommodation – at the four-star Hilton Hotel, which is located just 15 minutes from the airport, and five minutes from the delightful village of Malahide – home to the famous Portmarnock Links.

Designed by former Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Langer, each hole on the links is played along narrow undulating fairways to magnificent greens for a classic test of golf.

The package also includes rounds at Malahide, Howth and St Magarets, all of which are gems in their own right, and add up to a challenging, yet entertaining quartet of tracks to create a memorable

short break. With free return transfers to and from the golf courses to the hotel, and a €50 discount on offer for groups of more than eight people booked before May 31, it’s too good a trip to miss.

Prices start from €350 per person, based on two people sharing a twin room.

For more information visit www.activitiesireland.ie or call 00 353 1 5056794, quoting ‘Hilton Offer’.

Ashbury 6th 410 yards, Par 4

Day 1

Par 72 Par 72 Par 71 Par 69 Par 69 Par 68 Par 54

6528 6400 6140 5804 5765 5502 1939

Kigbeare 15th 382 yards, Par 4

24/9/12 - 01/5/13 • FREE UNLIMITED GOLF • FREE BUGGIES • DRIVING RANGE TOKENS

Golf breaks with tuition Swing Health Check with Pro (1hr) l 18 Holes of Golf l Full Unlimited use of Golf Facilities l Full Use of our Luxury Spa l 2-Course Dinner l Accommodation

KIGBEARE PINES FOREST ASHBURY BEECHES OAKWOOD WILLOWS

Forest 8th 442 yards, Par 4

Autumn to Spring Specials

Tenterden

l

7 x 18 hole course options all on one site!

Day 2

Breakfast l 9 Hole Playing Lesson with the Pro l 18 Holes of Golf l Full Use of Golf Facilities l Full Use of our Luxury Spa (up to 5pm) l

Bargain Breaks from: 3 Night Weekend £220pp ~ 4 Night Midweek £272pp

Sports Bowls Table Tennis 5-A-Side Basketball

Additional Facilities FREE to residents of our hotels Racket Sports Leisure Family Swimming Tennis Funhouse Badminton Spa & Sauna Gamezone Squash Snooker Waterslides Short Tennis Ten-Pin Play Area

Ranges Archery Air Pistols Air Rifles Laser Clays

PLUS unique Craft Centre featuring 17 tutored crafts, including Pottery & Woodwork

Variety of Spa Treatments available on request

Price £195 per person (based on 2 sharing) London Beach GOLF HOTEL

Ashford Road, Tenterden, Kent. TN30 6HX. T: 01580 766279 F: 01580 763884 E: enquiries@londonbeach.com

www.londonbeach.com

0800 389 9892

ashburygolfresort.com

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

58 /

May 2012 / Issue 210

Viva Verdura!

Golf’s best 2 for 1 membership

Huge savings on over 200 golf clubs www.golfnews.co.uk/greensaver

Golf Holidays in the from only

£260pp!

USA

MYRTLE BEACH from £320pp!

ORLANDO from £275pp!

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Combine Sir Rocco Forte’s experience as a hotelier with Kyle Phillips’ skill as a course designer, and you have a winning formula. Nick Bayly reports The staging of the Sicilian Open on the European Tour schedule over the last two seasons has not only opened up the eyes of the game’s elite to the delights of golf in this Italian principality, but also looks set to introduce a whole new generation of holiday golfers to what the majestic Mediterranean island has to offer.

The first two hosts of the tournament have been Donnafugata and, just last month, Verdura, both of which proved hugely popular venues with the players, many of whom raved about the golf courses and the luxurious on-site facilities.

Verdura is located on a magical stretch of coast in the rugged south-west corner of Sicily, where not one, but three Kyle Phillipsdesigned courses – the West, the East, and a nine-hole par 3 course – occupy the lion’s share of a 580-acre beachfronted property that also boasts a 200-bedroom fivestar hotel and spa.

With a maximum number of 400 people allowed to stay at any one time, Verdura, which is owned by legendary hotelier Sir Rocco Forte, claims to offer a new kind of holiday experience, where wellheeled guests are reminded of the resort’s mantra for living – ‘the art of simple luxury’ – at almost every turn.

Verdura has added a touch of luxury to the rugged Sicilian coastline

The pampered few are accommodated in 203 stylishly-designed and wellproportioned rooms, each of which enjoys uninterrupted views of both the sea and the golf courses from private terraces. Sir Rocco’s daughter, interior designer Olga Polizzi, was responsible for all the bedrooms, delving into Sicily’s roots to source bold colours, mosaics, local ceramics, furniture and artefacts, to create a look that is both luxurious and authentic.

Outside, the two 18-hole championship courses are no less considered, and offer the chance to see Phillips’s renowned skills at their creative best, with the Canadian architect combining natural and man-made landforms to design a truly world-class golf experience that challenges

the golfer at every turn.

The 18 holes used for the Sicilian Open were a composite of the two main courses, although the West made up the substantive part. A couple of holes on the West skirt an old railway line before the sea is reached at the 8th and 9th holes, a pair of par fours that conclude a stretch of five consecutive two-shotters on the outward nine. Turning for home, par fives at 11 and 14 help steer the routing towards the final four holes, where the round finishes with a flourish along the seashore. The 16th and 18th are tough par fours, while the 15th and 17th are stunning par threes set against the sparkling Mediterranean Sea. With coastal breezes adding to the complexity of club selection, either course offers a serious challenge for holiday golfers, while a course record of 64 set by Bristol’s Chris Wood, who finished runner-up last month, proves that good scores are out there when the conditions are right.

Sir Rocco, a keen amateur golfer, was very much the host at last month’s Sicilian Open, and is justifiably proud of what has been achieved at what must have looked like a barren, if very beautiful, piece of land before the builders moved in. “It is a testament

to the whole team, and the work they have done in such a short time, that only two years after its opening, Verdura was chosen by the European Tour to host the Sicilian Open,” he says.

“The tournament looks set to further cement the island’s reputation as the ideal place for golf holidays.”

In addition to the golf offering, other facilities include a 4,000-square foot spa, fitness and beauty centre, six tennis courts, four swimming pools, nine restaurants and bars, and 1.8km of private beach.

Children are well catered for, with a complimentary kids club offering a varied activity programme for all ages, while in the evening, babysitting services are available for parents who wish to eat without their little darlings. sample package: Five nights’ bed & breakfast at Verdura Golf & Spa Resort and five rounds of golf (Short Course, West Course or East Course) from £999 (not including flights) Package includes unilimited range balls and access to the spa. For bookings, visit Golfbreaks.com.

For more information on the resort, visit www.verduraresort.com.

May 2012 / Issue 210

/ 59

Korineum Resort offers festival fun Located in a lush green oasis on the way to Esentepe, Korineum Golf and Country Club is tucked away in the foothills of the Five Finger Mountain Range and enjoys the prestige of being north Cyprus’s first championshipstandard golf facility.

The entire landscape has been shaped and sculpted to perfection and features an 18-hole, 6,232-metre championship layout, a three-hole academy course and a 34-bay driving range.

The golf course has been laid with a special type of genetically-engineered grass called Seashore Paspalum, which has been imported from America and is designed to withstand the hot Cypriot climate.

Golfers looking to experience this delightful

Opened last year, the luxury Greek resort of Costa Navarino is a new golfing destination that promises to put this stunning part of the Mediterranean firmly on the golfing map. Located in the region of Messinia in the southwest of the country, the resort is 40km from Kalamata Airport or a three-hour drive from Athens. The centerpiece is the five-star Westin Resort, a luxury beach-front property that offers stunning views over the sea. The rooms in the hotel have been inspired by old Messinian mansions, and have a traditional Greek feel to them.

Golfers can choose between two championship courses, the Dunes and the Bay. The Dunes was designed

by Bernhard Langer in association with European Golf Design, and is under the management of Troon

addition to the island’s attractiveness as a leisure destination should think about taking part in a professionally-organised festival of golf, which is being staged at the resort from September 23-30, 2012.

Costing just £669 per person, the competition package includes seven nights’ half-board accommodation, four rounds of golf, flights

from Stansted, transfers and free golf club carriage.

Starting off with a day for practice, there will be a variety of competitive formats over the next four days for both men and women, and a mixed open, finishing off with a rest day before flying back to the UK. Facilities at Korineum’s superb hotel include a swimming pool, private sandy beach and beach bar, Turkish bath and fitness room, buffet and a la carte restaurants, sea front terrace bar, tennis court, beach volleyball and free shuttle service to the delighful seaside town of Famagusta.

For more details and bookings, visit www. premierworldchoice.com or call 020 3150 8888.

Navarino puts Greece on the golfing map Golf. Greece’s first signature course offers spectacular sea and river views, with dunes dividing some of the holes that run alongside the beach, and steep-faced pot bunkers around the greens and bordering the fairways.

The greens are large and undulating, making accurate putting an interesting test.

The Bay Course, which opened in October, is an 18-hole seaside layout that was designed by Robert Trent Jones II. With two of the holes

playing directly alongside the Navarino Bay, the course has been split up into three sections: Seaside, Canyon, and Grove. All three have striking contrasts and will make for a memorable round for golfers of all skill levels.

Other facilities at the hotel include a private beach, two indoor pools, three outdoor pools, tennis courts, and a choice of 14 restaurants.

To book, visit www. elegantgolfresorts.com or call 0208 421 7019.

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60 /

May 2012 / Issue 210

Stay & play brought to you by

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You, the golf traveller consumer, are fortunate, presented with a menu that is overflowing with exciting destinations, impressive new courses, and any number of messages competing for your attention. But which to choose? You could order from the daily specials, but that’s risky – stick to the classics and you won’t be disappointed…

Quinta do Lago – The strong, silent type Like the kid in the playground with shiny new trainers, the football club suddenly spending billions courtesy of a dubious foreign owner, or the pop-up restaurant deconstructing your carbonara beyond the point of recognition, golf is susceptible to fads and gimmicks. They come and they go, and what we’re always left with is quality and longevity; where night golf, multiple greens and teeing areas and acres of water leave us a little unsatisfied, courses that are well routed, balanced, fair and nicely presented still engender that warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

Enter Quinta do Lago, the Algarve’s grand old golfing dame, whose CV reads as follows: iconic location amid 2000 acres of nature reserve between Faro and Vilamoura, three championship courses – none of which fall into the traps outlined above – eight Portuguese Opens, Paul McGinley Academy and more. Now you’d think with a roll call of that ilk that the good people at QdoL would be on the rooftops telling us all about it, but they are not, because they don’t need to. The place sells itself.

A quiet confidence in the product is the hallmark of Quinta do Lago, as any golfer fortunate enough to visit will appreciate. You book your golf holiday at Quinta do Lago then you relax with a cup of tea, with little on the preparation check list but looking forward to the trip. The inevitable trepidation of travelling to a new locale is of no concern here, nor is letting down your fellow golfers, no doubt a tonic to all group leaders out there.

So what should you expect from this sophisticated and decorated Portuguese legend? Golfers will unpack the clubs at one of Quinta

do Lago’s trio of courses – the South, North and Laranjal. The addition of the third course has only served to cement the notion that you can achieve your entire golfing fix right here, onsite, given their diverse characters.

We’ll start with the South Course, arguably the best known and loved of the triumvirate; it is here that those eight national opens were played out, punctuated with moments of brilliance from the likes of Ballesteros, Langer and Montgomerie. Compared favourably with Augusta National by more than a few, the South winds through mature umbrella pines and down towards the Ria Formosa – surely, the classic Algarve experience.

Skip across the road that dissects the Quinta do Lago estate and you’ll shortly be belting one off the first tee of the North Course. Bearing many of the hallmarks of its illustrious big brother, the North cuts through the

trees, is immaculately presented and strikes just the right note for almost any golf holiday maker. It’s down the road at Laranjal, that Quinta do Lago has taken a step forward.

Named for the groves of orange trees that demarcate the course’s borders, the Laranjal is a striking championship test that has in its short existence crafted an impressive reputation – being named Portugal’s best course in 2011 is just one accolade. More open than its stable mates, this is a modern design splashed quite liberally with water hazards and a few really memorable holes.

No doubt exhausted from all that golf, you’ll need a comfortable and spacious place to retreat and recuperate, before heading out for drinks and dinner. Ideal here is Monte da Quinta Club, which actually borders the closing holes of Quinta do Lago’s South Course; here, you will be welcomed to a terrific complex whose collection of one and two-bedroom suites is kitted out with everything you could hope for. Facilities include plenty of spa and leisure, so no excuses for achy bones on the first tee.

It stands above all the rest, looking down with an air of distinction earned through a stream of happy golfers that continues to flow today. Planning a golf holiday? Then Quinta do Lago is the assuring pat on the back that will guarantee a trip to remember for all the right reasons.

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May 2012 / Issue 210

/ 61

Me&MyTravels

In association with...

with Michael Lynagh – The former Wallabies fly-half and Sky Sports rugby presenter is

a sucker for Scottish links and surfing My first holiday was… to the Gold Coast in Australia. It was in the early ‘70s, I was about six years old and spent pretty well the whole time on a surfboard. And even on the rare occasions I wasn’t surfing, I would still be on the beach. I just loved the beach. Well, I am Australian!

My ideal travelling golf partners are… guys who enjoy a decent glass of wine and some banter. There are three groups I’ve been on holiday with and while all three are competitive, they recognise that golf is not a matter of life and death. I’ve been on a few golf trips and just love them.

Turnberry’s Ailsa Course

My best ever round was at…

St Andrews at the Dunhill Links. My partner was Sam Torrance and I shot a gross 74 when I was off eight. It was a pretty good round on a great course and we won!

I always travel with… my glasses.

I’ve only needed them these past couple of years, but now I can’t read a thing without them.

My most recent holiday was to…

Brisbane. That was immediately after the last Rugby World Cup. No matter where I am… I always keep in touch with the family. I carry a laptop with me wherever I go, and email and Skype them. And phone them from time to time.

Ellerman House in Cape Town

My favourite golf course in the world is… Sunningdale. It’s magnificent. If I’m allowed two favourites, I’d also go for the Ailsa Course at Turnberry, which is simply stunning.

My favourite golf resort is… the Hyatt at Coolum in Queensland.

My most memorable meal abroad was… in Rome at the Cavalieri Hilton.

The fish we ate had just been caught, and you can’t beat that. And the views over Rome were spectacular.

I’m planning a trip to… Biarritz with the family. I’ve a house down there about 10 miles outside town, and have been going there since 1997. It’s pretty quiet, and I really enjoy being there and, of course, there’s surfing!

The thing I hate about travel is... queuing, security, and airports in general. I don’t mind flying, it’s the hanging about that bugs me. So what I do now is get there early, sit in the lounge, and read the paper.

My top travel tip is… don’t sit by the pool, but instead become a local when you travel. Walking around is the best way to see a place. Even getting lost can be a good thing.

The best hotel I’ve ever stayed at was…

Ellerman House in Cape Town. It’s not big, but it’s extremely elegant and overlooks the ocean.

My favourite city in the world is… Paris. It’s simply a wonderful city.

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62 /

May 2012 / Issue 210

With its wonderful year-round Mediterranean climate, stunning courses and luxurious accommodation, the Spanish region of Murcia has all the ingredients needed to ensure a truly special golfing experience Nowhere is the appeal of Murcia better exemplified than in the popular La Torre Resort, which is conveniently located in the heart of the region. The five-star luxury hotel and comfortable fourstar self-catering apartments offer an ideal place to stay when playing the superb Jack Nicklaus golf courses.

La Torre Golf is part of the Nicklaus Golf Trail, along with El Valle and Hacienda Riquelme, and is the largest resort in the Polaris World collection.

With three other courses in the region bearing the name of the 18-time Major-winner, the Nicklaus Golf Trail offers visiting golfers a fantastic array of golfing options.

La Torre is a par-68 parkland layout that bears the stamp of many of the American courses upon which Nicklaus’ stellar playing career was Golf Trail, El Valle is a medium length made. There are very few trees, plenty par-71 course that flows through of sand and occasional water hazards a beautiful desert valley. Designed to negotiate, so although the shorter to offer an open and natural length of La Torre makes it very golfing experience, this is another playable for the higher handicapper, course that relies less on length the course demands strong strategic and more on strategic defences to play, especially from the back tees. challenge golfers. With more than Away from the course, there are five hectares of bunkering, this is plenty of nightlife options near to La a course that will challenge every Torre, but if you don’t feel like venturing facet of a visiting golfer’s game. too far, then the resort offers multiple Hacienda Riquelme, meanwhile, dining and drinking options. For offers a different challenge to the groups wanting more variety, the town other courses on the Nicklaus golf of Roldan is just five minutes away.

Golf News member half page_Layout 1 14/05/2012trail.

16:50 1 BuiltPage to championship standards Another of the Nicklaus

Follow the Trail to La Torre Resort

The golf is of a very high standard, the resorts and accommodation topclass and with 340 days of sunshine a year, the climate is perfect for yearround golfing. If you like to play with the sun on your back, Murcia is the perfect golfing destination.

Golfbreaks.com is offering golfers an exclusive opportunity to stay and play at the InterContinental La Torre Golf Resort from just £165 per person.

This offer is available from now until 31st October 2012, and includes three nights’ bed and breakfast accommodation, rounds of golf on three of the complex’s five courses and the use of shared buggies.

To book this break, please call Golfbreaks.com on 0800 279 7988 or visit www.golfbreaks.com for further information.

- and playing to more than 7,000 yards from the tips – the course constantly challenges players, while wild flowers and grasses, olive trees and lakes, make it a visually enjoyable setting for a round of golf.

If you’re a fan of the great man’s work and want to sample some of Jack’s best, a golf break in Murcia won’t disappoint. With a flight time of just 2 hours and 15 minutes from the UK, getting there couldn’t be easier, and Murcia airport is just 15 minutes away from La Torre, while Alicante airport is only 45 minutes.

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Swing your way to Miami.

Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club is giving you the chance to test your drive against like-minded golfers in our Swingers Golf League. Climb the leader board by logging your scores and you could find yourself teeing off in our grand final in Miami. Think you’ve got what it takes?

Go to flyingclubgolfleague.com to register.

Your airline’s either got it or it hasn’t.

In order to qualify for the end of the season final, Flying Club Swingers must have completed a minimum of one Virgin Atlantic return flight earning activity within 12 months of the prize being awarded.

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