National Club Golfer December 2013 Issue

NCG Cover December 13 17/10/2013 12:50 Page 3

ALSO INSIDE STUNNING SICILY n SEVE TROPHY FALL-OUT n CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS

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NCG pp 6 Ed Comm 18/10/2013 14:46 Page 6

ALSO INSIDE STUNNING SICILY n SEVE TROPHY FALL-OUT n CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS

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EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Dan Murphy DEPUTY EDITOR Mark Townsend STAFF WRITERS James Tompkinson Joe Whitley CONTRIBUTORS Chris Bertram Colin Callander PHOTOGRAPHY Getty Images Thinkstock Joe Whitley CHIEF DESIGNER Andrew Kenworthy DESIGNER & WEBMASTER Daniel Cooper PUBLISHER Tom Irwin SALES EXECUTIVES Neil Braddish Tom Lenton Jamie Miles DIGITAL MARKETING EXECUTIVE Eve Burton FINANCE & OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Will Shucksmith (ACA) ACCOUNTS Emma Abbott CHAIRMAN Peter Burgess SUBSCRIPTIONS Tel: 0113 289 3979 12 issues including P&P: UK £38; Europe £48; World £58 Online from £19.99 available at www.nationalclubgolfer.com SPORTS PUBLICATIONS LTD Unit 2, Arena Park, Tarn Lane, Scarcroft, West Yorkshire LS17 9BF, United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0) 113 289 3979 e-mail: editorial@sportspub.co.uk ISSN 1354 2532 Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, but the publishers cannot accept responsibility for omissions and errors. Readers are advised to check pricing and details of availability before making any journeys. All material in this publication is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. The views expressed in National Club Golfer do not necessarily represent the views of the company or the editor. Every care is taken in compiling the contents but the publishers assume no responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from participation in any offer, competition or advertising contained within National Club Golfer.

Editor’s comment ELCOME to our latest rankings feature: Britain’s Top 100 Courses for Under £100. We have spent much of the past few months putting this together and arguing about the respective merits of our finest layouts. Which is not exactly a hardship, let me be the first to admit.

In fact, it’s been great fun. We know that you won’t agree with us in every regard but then the ranking of golf courses is a subjective business.

There are some profound differences of opinion within the confines of our office, let alone the length and depth of Great Britain.

What I can say is that we are proud of our list and believe it stands up to scrutiny. There is certainly nothing approaching a mediocre course in the Top 100 and we feel that every one that incontestably deserves to be in there has made the final cut.

I thoroughly look forward to hearing your opinions and debating them with you – so please do get in touch, whether via email or social media.

In setting the price limit at £100 we obviously lost some exceptional courses, the whole of the current Open rota for a start.

What we wanted to do was create the Affordable Top 100. We believe readers of NCG are serious golfers and members of clubs and we thought you would appreciate a list full of courses that you might realistically be able to go and play next year.

To me, the single greatest thing about the game of golf is the courses we play on, and there are few things I enjoy more than tackling a course for the first time.

There is also great pleasure to be taken from returning to somewhere you have been before and making a par at a hole that ruined your card the first time around.

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I trust you will enjoy the list and thank you for reading this far into my NCG is a month ly magazine distri column before buted to the go lf clubs of Grea flicking through to t Britain.

Written specific the Top 100 itself to ally for you, the serious golfe r, we aim to see where your provide an insigh tful favourites have been and trustworthy guide to all ranked, start counting aspects of the game how many you’ve played and begin working out which ones you can realistically hope to tick off on your next trip away.

That is what it is all about.

OWEVER underwhelming last month’s Seve Trophy was – and let’s be honest even on this side of the Atlantic it seemed there was more interest in the Presidents Cup that was taking place concurrently – it still made for more entertaining viewing than your average, regulation strokeplay event.

I realise that Luiten and Bourdy taking on Wood and Jamieson is not quite as juicy as Mickelson/Bradley against Donald/Garcia but it still beats watching yet another 72-hole event and a procession of birdies.

There has to be a break from the incessant diet of strokeplay.

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TWO HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS ISSUE...

P31 THE TOP 100 STARTS HERE What will be No 1? Will it be a grizzled old Scottish links or a timeless Surrey heathland. The countdown begins here so find out where your favourites have been positioned in our 40-page extravaganza

TOP 100 UNDER £100 in association with

TOP 100 UNDER £100

BRITA IN’S BEST

100

DEVON v CORNWALL

WELCOME How we

why we did it... put the list together – and

EDINBURGH v CUMBRIA

ER £100 UND courses lavish green fees, just top-class

KENT v ABERDEEN

No

in association with

LONDON v EAST LOTHIAN

Norfolk poser Where will Hunstanton be in our list?

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HE likes of Turnberry, Royal Birkdale, Sunningdale and Loch Lomond are

– which We hope our Top 100 follow we intend next month to with 50 more genuine contenders lively for inclusion – provokes land. debate up and down the that it But most of all, we hope play inspires you to go and the weather somewhere new when so, improves and, in doing course or discover a new favourite part of the country. agree And whether or not you let’s face with our final order (and we hope it, you probably won’t), pages you agree the following of provide a worthy showpiece that are some of the best courses like you. ready to welcome golfers We We are proud of this list. and believe it is robust, considered been informed because we have that are out and played the courses

True romance The par-4 3rd hole at Machrihanish

the 1) For a course to be eligible, during the price for a single round to be week in high season had under £100.

That is before special offers, or packages, group discounts into twilight offers were taken armed account. In other words,

featured. it too.

Hopefully you will enjoy THE £100 CEILING on We based the £100 limit 2013. summer green fees for

HOW WE RATED THEM

as SINCE there is no such thing one golf course being categorically better than another, that we neither pretend nor claim this was a scientific process.

– it is Quite the opposite in fact of an intensely personal appraisal to offer. the best Great Britain has of In a bid to capture the spirit this enterprise, the deliberately intangible criterion was as of charge in were you follows: If taking a group of like-minded you golfers away on a trip, are have a confident that they would right memorable day for all the reasons here?

YORKSHIRE v NORTH WALES

you would with £100, a golfer like in peak be able to play 18 holes change. season – and get some

ST ANDREWS v SUFFOLK

made to 2) Every attempt has been in mind check prices. But do bear well be rates at some clubs may and increased for next summer, the £100. that may take them over threshold

STAFFORDSHIRE v SWANSEA & SW WALES SOUTH WALES v

rates 3) We did not class twilight as being or afternoon discounts weekday applicable. The standard had to be single-round green fee under £100.

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE WIRRAL v NORTHUMBERLAND

clearly 4) The rates had to be to advertised and widely available public. In members of the golfing have to other words, you did not of be a member of any type for under discount scheme to play

AROUND DORNOCH v MID WALES SURREY v DORSET

£100. to include 5) We have strived only rather clubs that actively welcome, than merely tolerate, visitors.

.com | DECEMBER 2013 www.nationalclubgolfer

AROUND INVERNESS v ANGUS 33

Winner CORNWALL

v Tie of the round. Norfolk go out in a thriller – a great loss to the tournament

The Belfry is Birmingham’s star attraction and there’s much more besides. Unlucky

PERTHSHIRE v AYRSHIRE

in association with

The two Sauntons gave it their all but their local rivals had slightly more depth

NORFOLK v REST OF FIFE BIRMINGHAM v SUSSEX

SOUTHPORT v WESTERN ISLES

COURSES

all world-class courses. reach, But they are also out of of through varying degrees for the exclusivity and expense, vast majority of us.

As a magazine aimed squarely we wanted at club golfers like you, to create a list that more budget. realistically reflected your is a It isn’t that we think £100 on a trifling amount to spend it, or single green free, far from that this is the cut-off point affordable between the game being and not.

But we had to draw a line that, think do we somewhere and treat for most people, as a special golf trip, or the centrepiece of a to pay. And £100 is a realistic price feature also, most courses in this are priced well below £100. create What we have sought to is the Affordable Top 100.

6 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

P58 BRITAIN’S BEST GOLF TRIP We’ve created a World Cup of golf trips – drawing the best 32 out of a hat and playing them off against one another. Which region came out on top and who got knocked out in the first round?

Very close – Fife takes it on atmosphere. Cornwall boasts championship tests like St Enodoc and Trevose and lots of holiday golf

v

Winner SUSSEX

v Went to extra time – there’s more golf in Edinburgh than you might realise

THE WORLD

Winner REST OF FIFE

Winner REST OF FIFE

Led by Silloth, Cumbria looked strong but Sussex had the edge – with Ashdown Forest and Mannings Heath lesser-known delights

CUP OF GOLF

A great run but it comes to an end here. Rye and Pulborough are the star attractions but what took Sussex this far was the supporting cast, which also includes Goodwood and East Sussex National.

WEEKENDS

Winner REST OF FIFE

Where is the best destination for a break in Great Britain? Our knockout has the answer...

Winner SUSSEX

Winner CUMBRIA

A romantic outsider, with The Machrie and Askernish, but a catchweight contest

v

Winner SOUTHPORT

v With Blairgowrie and Gleneagles leading the way, this was certainly no walkover

Would have been a worthy final. Southport’s courses are closer together but Ayrshire simply has a greater amount of top-class courses.

Winner AYRSHIRE

Winner AYRSHIRE v

Wow – something had to give and it’s Sandwich, Deal, Prince’s, Littlestone et al

Winner ABERDEEN

v The English capital offers a great trip but is swatted aside by a golfing giant

Another big game. With Royal Aberdeen, Cruden Bay, Trump and Murcar, the Granite City is blessed. But does not have quite enough.

It’s a hard school when you have two Open venues (Turnberry and Troon) not to mention the likes of Prestwick and the two Gailes and you still can’t reach the last four. This is a reluctant farewell.

Even shorn of St Andrews, Fife has so much to offer – and that’s why we split them up here. Kingsbarns catches the eye and then there is Ladybank, Scotscraig, Leven, Lundin, the Dukes, Elie, Crail... the list goes on. But we still didn’t think there was quite enough to take down East Lothian.

Winner EAST LOTHIAN

Winner EAST LOTHIAN

Winner EAST LOTHIAN

Winner EAST LOTHIAN

Two great-value trips here – North Wales is very unlucky to go out

Winner YORKSHIRE

v Suffolk got the tie no one wanted this early. It’s sadly goodbye to Aldeburgh

v Don’t underestimate Yorkshire, which has three Ryder Cup venues in Ganton, Moortown and Lindrick. Yet this still wasn’t close.

Winner ST ANDREWS

Winner ST ANDREWS v

A mismatch on paper but Beau Desert and Little Aston make this a thriller

Winner SW WALES

v Sherwood/Hollinwell/Coxmoor are top class and close together, but are just edged out Winner

It’s a shock exit for Royal Porthcawl, Celtic Manor & Co as the variety in the SW of the Principality swings this very tight local derby.

Sea views, great value, lots of choice and Swansea and Tenby are both great bases for a trip. Pennard, Ashburnham and Tenby are three real gems. Yet St Andrews still wins with something to spare.

Winner ST ANDREWS

Winner SW WALES

S WALES

A big shock. The Wirral’s stars – Royal Liverpool, Caldy and Wallasey – exit

v

Separated by the Firth of Tay, they form the cradle of the game. How could we vote against the Auld Grey Toun, with The Old, plus the New, Jubilee and Eden which flank it, not to mention the Castle Course perched on the cliffs. We dismissed this quality with great reluctance – but Angus has amazing depth.

v Aberdovey and Royal St David’s are must-visits but so are the riches around Dornoch

Credit to scenic and affordable Northumberland – Goswick is superb and Bamburgh Castle is pretty – but was never in this clash.

Winner DORNOCH

Winner DORNOCH v

Winner SURREY

v Moray, Nairn and Castle Stuart made Inverness a dark horse – but Angus has real depth

Winner ANGUS

Winner EAST LOTHIAN

Winner ANGUS

Winner NORTHUMB.

Dorset has some great courses so was unlucky to draw one of the big guns

We have had some great trips to Angus over the years. The headline act is Carnoustie (all three courses are worth playing after extensive work on the Buddon). Along the coast are fantastic Montrose, Monifieth and Panmure. Go inland to find Downfield, Edzell, Forfar and Letham Grange.

Angus is great value and friendly.

For all that, how could we look past East Lothian? Head east from Edinburgh and the coastline is simply solid golf for miles and miles.

The star attractions are Muirfield and North Berwick but there is also Luffness, Gullane (x3) and Dunbar – not to mention three Musselburghs.

Worthy winner.

The biggest shock of the Cup. Surrey loses out because it doesn’t quite have that golf-trip vibe and it’s comparatively expensive.

Winner ANGUS

The heart says the Dornoch area but the head says Angus. There’s something ethereal about Dornoch, then you have Golspie, Brora and Tain – plus Skibo Castle if the budget stretches.

But Angus prevails.

Winner ANGUS

ITH so much choice in Great Britain, there are brilliant short golfing trips to be found in all corners of the land. So how do you choose?

Well, we split the country up into 32 great trips then drew the names out of a hat at random and started arguing – sorry, discussing.

As you would expect, there were some

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surprise early casualties and a couple of giant-killing acts.

Controversially, we decided to split St Andrews from the remainder of Fife (there is certainly enough top-class golf to have trips to both) – and that might well have made all the difference to the final result.

We hope you enjoy looking at the results – and giving us your feedback.

MAKING AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT. NEW IRONS FROM PING.

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THE S55 IRONS CAN HAVE THE SAME IMPACT ON YOU. SEE A PING FITTING SPECIALIST TODAY OR VISIT PING.COM

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13/09/2013 11:10

NCG pp 8-9 MOTM 17/10/2013 10:13 Page 8

ON THE TEE Your essential guide to the world of golf – including competitions, quick tips, interviews and new gear

8 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

NCG pp 8-9 MOTM 17/10/2013 10:13 Page 9

MOMENT OF THE MONTH HE 2013 Seve Trophy began with a whimper. It lacked a sponsor, eight of the world’s 20 players opted not to play and it was organised so late you had visions of team members scrambling over a box of various-sized uniforms ahead of the practice rounds like schoolboys before a rugby match.

In its favour, the matches had a super venue, a grand old course in the western suburbs of Paris which for many years staged the Lancome Trophy. It was a fine host, both in the challenge it set for a matchplay contest and in the homely backdrop – the beautiful putting green – it provided for Sky Sports’ broadcast. Indeed, everything about the Seve Trophy was a welcome contrast to the brash modern-day Ryder Cup. Of course, the big names would have added something to the week but we must accept their explanation of scheduling issues (please, though, let’s not have them holding aloft portraits of Seve or dedicating victory to the great man at the next Ryder Cup).

Jose Maria Olazabal’s disappointment in this respect was palpable. “This has been a great week and I’m so happy after six defeats in a row we’ve finally won,” said the Spaniard. “It would be a shame if the Seve Trophy didn’t carry on for many years as this has been such a wonderful match. We need as many big names as possible.”

Maybe so, but although the weekend in Paris began in low-key manner, there was much to take pleasure in: the captaincy of both Olazabal and Sam Torrance; the further good form of Paul Casey (how good is his driving?); the glittering potential of Matteo Manassero; the promise of Scott Jamieson; and the fact it was team matchplay. Because if these men had been on the leaderboard of a routine European Tour event, it simply would not have been as interesting. Team matchplay is to be cherished, and those absent would do well to remember that.

Hopefully the tour can find a sponsor for 2015 in good time so that no-one has an excuse to miss this worthy event, which again surpassed the Presidents Cup.

T

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 9

NCG pp 10-11 WRBP Falsterbo 17/10/2013 10:15 Page 10

ON THE TEE

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WE’D RATHER BE PLAYING...

FALSTERBO One of the few genuine links in Continental Europe

The 18th is a 484-yard par 5, giving the chance of a fine finish.

10 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

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NCG pp 10-11 WRBP Falsterbo 17/10/2013 10:15 Page 11

S our cover reveals, we have lots of pages of superb British courses this month – so we thought we would take flight from this shores in these pages.

But even though we landed in continental Europe, we still managed to find a genuine links course – we’re sure regular readers would expect no less.

And in Falsterbo, we’re bringing you a course of real pedigree; enough, indeed, to make you want to abandon your usual long weekend in the Algarve...

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THE LOCATION Falsterbo is located in an eponymous town at the southwestern tip of Sweden in the Vellinge Municipality within Skåne County. Malmo is half an hour’s drive to the north and another fine course, Ljunghusens, can be found five miles along the south coast of the Falsterbo peninsula.

Copenhagen airport is also only half an hour away, reached by the bridge between the Oresund and the Baltic Sea. THE HISTORY Falsterbo Golfklubb was founded in 1909, making it the third-oldest golf club in Sweden. The first ninehole course was laid out in 1910

by Robert Turnbull, the pro at Copenhagen GC, close to the course’s current location. In 1912 a new nine-hole course was set down around the lighthouse. The current 18 holes was designed by the local doctor Gunnar Bauer and opened in 1930. Two holes remain from the 1912 course – the 7th and 14th. All the green complexes were redesigned between 1996 and 2001 by Peter Nordwall and Peter Chamberlain.

WANT TO PLAY IT?

Green fees range from £40 to £80 depend ing on the time of year. Visit falsterbog k.se or call +46 4 0 47 00 78 for more details .

THE COURSE Falsterbo is 6,688 yards of classic links, the likes of which you don’t expect to find outside of our islands. Sand dunes, gorgeous fine turf, proper bunkers and undulating fairways have ensured this is regarded as one of the top three courses in Sweden.

After a tight front nine, there are thre par 5s to attack coming home. The backdrop is pretty too, being surrounded by a nature reserve which is a haven for birds migrating in the autumn.

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 11

NCG pp 12-13 Change Your Game 17/10/2013 10:19 Page 12

ON THE TEE

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| GEAR |

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THIS WILL CHANGE YOUR GAME

MIZUNO JPX EZ WOODS The iconic brand’s latest wood range offers mass appeal and performance Stock shaft An Orochi Black Eye shaft comes as standard

W ALL-NE O

MIZUNE

RANG

Rebound crown

A softer edge on the crown offers better ball speeds

New profile The head is optimised to offer minimal spin levels

DEEP-FACED FAIRWAY WOOD

Hot stuff A ‘Hot Metal’ face offers an incredibly fast ball speed

12 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

Mizuno have also brought out a JPX EZ fairway wood, and the design brief was to offer a wide range of players something so powerful it can be used as a driver alternative. With a deep, substantial face, the JPX EZ fairway wood, complete with a 'Hot Metal' face for maximum ball speeds, is forgiving and extremely long. Its head is stretched from front to back to help position weight low and allow the centre of gravity to be placed low and back. Coupled with the deep face, this generates the ideal combination of a high flight with low spin. A 'Flex Crown' design helps maintain high ball speeds and consistent distance from strikes high or low on the clubface.

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NCG pp 12-13 Change Your Game 17/10/2013 10:19 Page 13

Key facts and figures JPX EZ DRIVER LOFTS: 9.5, 10.5 & 12˚ LENGTH: 45.5” HEAD SIZE: 450cc SHAFT: Orochi Black Eye SRP: £249

Large hybrid Big and forgiving for maximum confidence

COMBINATION OF LOOKS AND PERFORMANCE Joe Whitley on the mass appeal of the new Mizuno kit

JPX EZ FAIRWAY WOODS LOFTS: 15, 18 & 21˚ LENGTH: 42.75, 42.25, 41.75” HEAD SIZE: 192, 188, 184cc SHAFT: Orochi Black Eye SRP: £159 JPX EZ HYBRIDS LOFTS: 16, 19, 22 & 25˚ SHAFT: Orochi Black Eye GRIP: Golf Pride M-31 Mizuno SRP: £129 Available from February. Go to mizuno.com for more information

Sound tuning Mizuno have perfected acoustics for great feel

A LETHAL

It is quite rare to see equipment aimed at average golfers in use on professional tours.

That’s because clubs rarely offer both the looks a better player demands and the forgiveness that beginners need.

Mizuno are among the best in the market for making clubs that fit this demanding bill.

And their new JPX EZ range is a prime example. James Whitaker, head professional at West Yorkshire club Moor Allerton, told me that the irons, which are out now, ‘are flying off the shelves,’ yet European Tour star Chris Wood put the driver in his bag ahead of the Seve Trophy.

It’s not hard to see why. It’s a traditional and striking head with a gorgeous finish and hidden offset.

The face is quite deep and you have an adjustable hosel that lets you fine-tune your flight. In short, it really looks like something aimed at a low handicapper. Get it on the range, though, and you will notice serious levels of forgiveness and lots of distance.

The same applies to the fairway wood. The head is a traditionalist’s dream – perfectly rounded and nice and deep.

It doesn’t spin a lot and is a great option off the tee. Again, though, it allows you to get away with some genuine mis-hits.

The hybrid is arguably the least appealing to look at due to its large size but is far from ugly and launches the ball into the stratosphere, landing very softly.

The JPX EZ’s standard shaft – the Orochi Black Eye – is relatively soft and will work very well with this head for lots of golfers.

Mizuno offer a good range of custom options, too, including the Grafalloy Blue and Project X Black that will suit those looking for more stability.

Overall, this is a range that is going to offer so much to so many different players when it comes out early next year.

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 13

NCG pp 14-15 Captured On Film 17/10/2013 10:21 Page 14

ON THE TEE

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CAPTURED ON FILM

JULY 21, 1991 Ian Baker-Finch strolls to victory at Birkdale

14 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

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NCG pp 14-15 Captured On Film 17/10/2013 10:21 Page 15

THE BACKGROUND Since Peter Thomson dominated the Open in the 1950s and early ‘60s, Australia had suffered a barren run in the championship spanning nearly three decades.

Jack Newton came close in 1975 but was edged out in a play-off to a rookie, Tom Watson. So it was another 14 years before Greg Norman broke the spell. It is an oft-overlooked fact that while Norman was clearly the star Australian of this era, this was an extremely strong generation of golfers from Down Under. David Graham had already won two Majors, Wayne Grady won his PGA the year after Norman’s first Open while Ian Baker-Finch and Steve Elkington were viewed as very capable of following suit.

THE ACTION Seve led after round one, his 66 one better than Chip Beck, Santiago Luna and unknown Englishman Martin Gates. Aussie Mike Harwood was another stroke back, and took the second-round lead alongside Andrew Oldcorn and Gary Hallberg. Grady and Graham were one back. BakerFinch then made his move with a Saturday 64, taking the lead with Mark O’Meara (champion here seven years later). Yet another Aussie, Craig Parry, entered the top 10. Seve was lurking two back, but slumped to a closing 71 to finish 9th – his last Major top 10 – as the other contenders went low. Jodie Mudd with a 63 and Fred Couples with a 64 threatened Baker-Finch but he began imperiously with five birdies in seven holes. Our picture shows him strolling casually to the 18th tee to hit the most important tee shot of his life. His closing 66 secured a two-shot win over Harwood while even Norman got on the leaderboard with a 66; in total, six different Aussies had featured in the top 10 that week.

THE QUOTE “I would try my hardest, but when I came out to play, I managed to find a way to miss the cut time and time again.” – Baker-Finch on why he retired just six years later, an acute loss of confidence meaning he played beautifully on the range but woefully in events.

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 15

NCG pp 16 OTT Watson 17/10/2013 12:34 Page 16

ON THE TEE

INTERVIEW |

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“TIGER KNOWS HOW TO NEEDLE PEOPLE” A year out from Gleneagles , Ryder Cup skipper Tom Watson on why he needs Woods to be a leader THE PARTISANSHIP I remember my very first Ryder Cup match, it was at Royal Lytham and I remember Hubert Green and I had their team six down after 10 holes. I got on to the 11th green and I three-putted and when I missed my five-foot putt, there was a big cheer, and I had not heard that before.

I had not heard somebody cheer me when I missed a putt.

I knew that was going to happen but I was still taken aback by it just a little bit.

But the more you play in the Ryder Cup, you understand; you understand the partisanship of it and that’s the beauty of it.

MEDINAH Even though it left a pit in my stomach I have to say that if you look at it objectively, that Ryder Cup was sensational theatre. I know for a fact that our players,

through my conversations with Davis Love, were absolutely depressed over the fact that they lost and it kept with them for a while. Actually I hope that feeling remains for some of those players and they will be able to use that as a motivator.

public, I hear he’s quite a funny person when he’s in private.

That type of humour is what I would like to inspire and actually encourage the players to have because there is a tremendous amount of pressure.

TIGER THE JOKER I think the infamous Jason Dufner with his wry wit. I think he has a way even though he’s pretty silent around you people and the

He knows how to needle people the right way. He became very much a part of the team at Medinah. In talking to Davis, he was very much a leader (in those

THE PGA OF AMERICA’S VIEW Peter Bevacqua, CEO, looks ahead to Gleneagles I’m certainly biased but we think it’s the most exciting event in golf and certainly one of the most exciting events in all of sport. There’s a lot of anticipation, especially being new to the PGA of America as CEO; one of the most exciting things to think about is being part of the Ryder Cup. One of my first jobs when I became involved was being part of the interview process with Watson. I think he’s such a terrific choice, obviously with the amount of success Tom has had in Scotland and being the last US captain to win on European soil, it’s shaping up to be a terrific tournament as always. Do I like our chances? Yeah I do. It’s good for our side and it’s good for team Europe, it’s really just a wonderful tournament.

16 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

matches) and we need him to be a leader. If you don’t look up to Tiger Woods, what he’s accomplished and say, I want to play like Tiger Woods, you don’t know what you’re talking about. He’s had the most remarkable career probably of almost any professional golfer in the history of your game.

THE PICKS The purest form of Ryder Cup would be no picks, 12 players who qualify. That’s the way I qualified my first two or three Ryder Cups. Maybe that’s the way it should go back to.

I reduced my picks from four to three, and was thinking actually two, because I wanted the players who are playing to get on the Ryder Cup team, to have that as a goal. If they got there, then they have earned something very, very special.

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NCG pp 18 Ryder Cup Countdown 17/10/2013 10:23 Page 18

ON THE TEE

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RYDER CUP

COUNTDOWN Gleneagles, Scotland September 26 to 28

EUROPE European Points List 1 David Howell 633,000 2 Joost Luiten 453,000 3 Gregory Bourdy 384,000 4 Thomas Bjorn 378,000 5 Julian Quesne 374,000 6 David Lynn 333,000 7 MA Jimenez 291,000 8 Craig Lee 260,000 9 Tom Lewis 245,000 10 Soren Kjeldsen 226,000 World Points List 1 Henrik Stenson 137 2 David Howell 37 3 David Lynn 36 4 Joost Luiten 32 5 Julien Quesne 31 6 Sergio Garcia 30 7 Thomas Bjorn 30 8 Gregory Bourdy 24 9 Daan Huizing 24 10 Luke Donald 24

USA Points List 1 Phil Mickelson 2,172 2 Jason Dufner 1,883 3 Jim Furyk 921 4 Jimmy Walker 900 5 Tiger Woods 677 6 Brandt Snedeker 552 7 Zach Johnson 497 8 Hunter Mahan 483 9 Matt Kuchar 462 10 Steve Stricker 433 n Players in bold occupy qualifying positions

RYDER CUP COUNTDOWN

HOW THE TEAMS ARE SELECTED

MUIRFIELD, 1973 A familiar tale of US dominance in the only previous match in Scotland IT is, frankly, odd that Scotland will stage only its second Ryder Cup next year. The only previous occasion the country which has held 93 Opens hosted the biennial matches was 40 years ago, in East Lothian.

This was the era of American dominance, with Palmer, Nicklaus and Trevino the superstars on teams which were never anything other than formidable. Yet it was GB&I who slept most soundly after day

one, securing a 5.5-2.5 lead thanks in the main to two wins from Brian Barnes and future captain Bernard Gallacher.

Most felt Bernard Hunt’s team was unlikely to maintain their lead and so it proved, the Americans fighting back with three victories and a half in day two’s fourballs to level things at 8-8. Still, there was hope for the final day, during which two rounds of eight singles were played. But that hope was swiftly

18 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

extinguished in the morning session, Tony Jacklin’s win over Tommy Aaron being GB&I’s only clear point. Maurice Bembridge did, though, battle to a half against Nicklaus. The afternoon also went in the Americans’ favour by three points to result in a final score of 19-13. It was sweet revenge for visiting skipper Jack Burke, who had been playing captain in 1957 as his side suffered a shock reverse at Lindrick.

EUROPE n Qualification period is now underway and ends on August 31 2014 n Top four on European Points List qualify n Top five on World Points list (not otherwise qualified) qualify n Paul McGinley selects three wild cards USA n Qualification period includes 2013 Majors and begins in proper on January 1, ending after the PGA in August n Top 9 on list qualify n Tom Watson selects three wild MONTHS cards

10

TO GO

NCG pp 20 OTT Quick Tip 17/10/2013 10:25 Page 20

ON THE TEE

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Analysis by Gary Alliss, pro at Ladbrook Park. The ‘King of the Swing’ has twice captained the PGA Cup side. w: ladbrookparkgolf.co.uk

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HOW JORDAN SPIETH

COMBATS HIS INTERLOCKING GRIP Learn from the PGA Tour’s newly crowned Rookie of the Year

WATCH THE GRIP This position is unlike almost every other top player, bar Lee Westwood. It looks like a position adopted in order to hit out of a divot while keeping the flight low with some left-toright curvature. Spieth has always followed through in this way. It may have developed because he has a slight but unusual mis-match in his grip.

ORDINARY AT IMPACT Here his position is similar to many other top players; his left ankle is a bit more rolled over but then he sets up with his feet more at right angles to his play line rather than splayed out. His left elbow is a tad softer than most but he favours a slight elbow flex at the ‘top’. All quite orthodox.

20 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

HOW TO STOP THE LEFT His left hand is positioned a little more to the left and his right a touch to the right; a fractional slice position for the left and a hook for the right. This is due to his interlocking grip, probably from a time before his hands had fully grown. The result should be a lot of left shots but to counter this Jordan has developed a very strong left forearm and an ability to hold off the tendency for the strong right hand to roll over the weaker left and close the face.

WHY I DO N’T INTERLOC LIKE THE K GRIP In m

y experien ce, the inte rlock grip is not genera lly the most suitable fo children to r adopt beca use it is so easy to bu ry the little finger on th right hand e and the fore finger on th left deep in e to each oth er, rather th gently inte an rtwine the tips of the fingers toge ther.

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NCG pp 22 OTT Barham 17/10/2013 10:26 Page 22

ON THE TEE

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WHAT I USE

BY JORDAN SPIETH

When I decided to turn pro late last year, I was fortunate to have a number of companies approach me.

I’ve always been a huge fan of Under Armour’s products and their mission to ‘make all athletes better’ was something I wanted to be a part of.

They have a history of backing upand-coming athletes. Their support was a huge part of my decision to turn pro and I’ll never forget that. I think it’s really cool how UA chooses to support younger athletes like Bryce Harper and Sloane Stephens and I definitely would contribute some of my early success to the support they gave me.

I particularly love that the brand is like one big family. I don’t think there are too many companies out there with its size and growth that can say that. Also, they are on the cutting edge of technology and performance.

Ask me what my favourite colour ranges are and I’ll tell you it goes back to me days as a Texas Longhorn. I love it when I see a burnt orange shirt show up in my UA shipment! But the Under Armour team always knows how to fit colours to my particular style and I know I can count on having the latest innovations in whatever I’m wearing on and off the golf course.

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

WHEN GOLF IS PUT IN PERSPECTIVE James Tompkinson talks to former Tour star Benn Barham about recovering from kidney cancer You’ve had a tough last few years, so it must be nice to be back out on the course again?

It was a bit of a shock when I was given the diagnosis, so from that point on I had to make a plan to get back on the golf course as soon as I could. There was no guarantee that I was going to be able to so it’s nice to play, and I try to keep that in mind when I’m not playing well.

How do you see your career developing in the next couple of years?

My priority first and foremost is to spend more time with my family and watch my children grow up.

That was the main reason for not chasing around Europe playing the Challenge Tour. I’m not going for my card this year. I’ve not ruled out trying to get my card again from Tour School though.

Where is your golf now and how close do you feel to getting it back to the level you were at on tour?

You never know how you’re going to come back but I don’t feel like I’m too far away from where I was.

It would be quite a big step for me to get back to the ranking that I was on the main tour. It wouldn’t be miles apart from how I’m playing at the moment but to go to Tour School and get my card would take a lot.

Are events such as the PGA Cup a welcome release after what you’ve been through?

For me to get into that zone now,

22 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

GB&I RALLY IN PGA CUP Benn Barham starred for GB&I against the USA in the PGA Cup at De Vere Slaley Hall. He won two points as GB&I overturned a fivepoint deficit on the final day to draw the match 13-13. The US had won 12 of the previous 13 matches.

an event really has to mean something. I guess considering everything I’ve been through, I just can’t get into that zone very easily.

But in my PGA Cup singles match, I was in the zone and nobody was going to beat me.

You’ve played many events on the European Tour, so where did the PGA Cup rank in terms of your golfing highlights?

It was definitely one of the highlights of my career so far. As a professional you don’t get too opportunity to play team golf and the camaraderie during the week was fantastic.

Has your recovery from cancer impacted on your life in a more general sense?

There are two people I know who’ve had similar health issues and I think they’ve found it nice to speak to someone who went through what they are feeling.

NCG pp 23 Fantasy Golf 17/10/2013 10:34 Page 23

WINTER FANTASY GOLF 2013/14

Registration is still open – and it’s FREE to play in association with HE best fantasy golf game in the business is back underway – with its best-ever prizes. You can still enter, and use your golf knowledge to win a fantastic holiday to America – provided

by Golfbreaks.com – and prove you know more than your friends in your own Mini League.

Pick one player from each of 10 pools – and hope your players pick up points for you!

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Fantasy Golf is underway – but you can still enter your team allocation of three transfers for each week of the season and transfers will be allocated every Tuesday. They can be made up until midnight on Thursday so

you will have the benefit of seeing the first-round scores and reacting accordingly. You can also nominate a captain who will score double points.

The season started with the BMW Masters and there are counting events every week throughout the winter until the WGC Match Play in February.

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NCG pp 24 OTT Di Meets…Charlotte Jackson 17/10/2013 10:36 Page 24

ON THE TEE

INTERVIEW |

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Where do you play?

I am not a member of any particular course, but I’m lucky enough to play on lots of different courses due to golf days and my friends being members of different ones. I go to the driving range at Dukes Meadow in Chiswick, and if I haven’t got long, I play on the par 3 course, which is great for your short game.

The course I probably know the best is Stoke Park, as I played 100 holes there on a charity day this year. We teed off at 4.30am and finished at 9pm – that was a lot of golf on one day!

What is the toughest thing about the sport?

That it can be frustrating. One day you may have an amazing round, and next time you play you seem to be hacking around the course, and nothing seems to be going right for you!

What are the strengths to your game?

I would say driving. In contrast, I do find it difficult to read the greens – but I’m learning.

Do you prefer inland or seaside courses and which is your favourite course?

I think I would say seaside – as long as it’s not a really windy day. I have been lucky enough to play Port Royal in Bermuda and the Green Monkey in Barbados, both stunning courses with absolutely magnificent views.

What was your best round of golf to date?

I played at Langland Bay recently – another course I would recommend – and it was one of those days when everything was going right! Days like that are rare but you certainly enjoy them.

How is your golf at the moment and what is your handicap?

It’s 20 although my fiancé thinks that’s my ‘bandit’ handicap!

Who is your favourite player?

Well, I like Adam Scott, but I’ll say Justin Rose, as we use the same TaylorMade clubs, I’ve played golf with him before and he’s such 8th at Sunningdale Old lovely guy, as is his family. I was so

DI MEETS... CHARLOTTE JACKSON

“I PLAY OFF 20 AT THE MOMENT BUT MY FIANCE THINKS THAT’S MY BANDIT HANDICAP” TV presenter and Lynx ambassador Di Dougherty chats to fellow presenter Charlotte Jackson pleased for them when he won the US Open. It was a long time coming and amazing that it had been 43 years since the last Englishman to win.

difficult one as now there’s so much choice. Most people look good and there are some that have fun with it too – like John Daly’s trousers!

Do you ever get nervous playing golf?

I get nervous on the 1st tee of a golf day with everyone watching!

But once you have hit that 1st tee shot, as long as it’s ok I relax a bit.

Finally will Europe win the next Ryder Cup at Gleneagles?

I think so. Although the US did well recently in the Presidents Cup with some new pairings and rookies I am backing Europe. After that amazing comeback in America I think that Europe will continue with that fighting spirit and I have confidence in the captain Paul McGinley. He’s a great people person and does seem as if he has an uncannily ability to win as part of a team.

Why is golf such a great game?

Because you can play with all ages and abilities – it’s a sociable game and gets you out in the fresh air.

Who is the most well-dressed golfer in your opinion?

I think it’s always good to make a bit of an effort on the golf course and develop your own style. It’s a

24 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

Follow Charlotte on Twitter @CharLouJackson

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NCG pp 26 Columnist CC 17/10/2013 12:35 Page 26

COLIN CALLANDER The Seve Trophy will never be of suitable stature to honour the great man AST month Paul Lawrie expressed his major disappointment when he learned that seven of his 2012 Ryder Cup colleagues had elected not to play in the Seve Trophy in France.

He argued that the decision made by Donald, Garcia, McDowell, McIlroy, Poulter, Rose and Westwood to snub the team event was an insult to the memory of the man who did more than anyone else to pave the way for the lucrative lives lived by today’s elite European players.

It could also be said their absence was also indicative of a more widespread malaise which is currently damaging the health of the tour.

Ballesteros, who died in 2011, was the bedrock on which today’s European Tour is built. He played a major role in attracting sponsors and led a European revival that has been manifested in multiple Major victories and a run of Ryder Cup successes which continued last year at Medinah.

The Spaniard’s contribution cannot be exaggerated but the simple fact is the trophy that bears his name has never shared such eminence and never will. It might be a decent breeding ground for future European Ryder Cup players and captains but that is about all it is. It is entirely possible the decision made by McIlroy et al not to play in France will have hastened the demise of the Seve Trophy but, in all likelihood, it would have disappeared sooner rather than later in any case, simply because it was forever condemned to live in the shadow of a bigger, more valued team event, one which Ballesteros himself did so much to re-invent.

It is somewhat ironic that in playing such a massive role in transforming the Ryder Cup into one of the most eagerly-awaited sporting events, Ballesteros also, unwittingly, doomed all other similar events to secondary status. The (admittedly hopelessly one-sided) Presidents Cup is just one other case in point.

The Seve Trophy was always destined to be nothing more than a biennial warm-up event in the years between Ryder Cups and, for that reason, was never a fitting memorial.

Maybe, just maybe, the anticipated demise of the tournament will inspire some bright tour official to invent a more appropriate means of honouring the Spaniard’s memory. With a bit of luck, it might also cause at least some our

L

26 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

Fitting tribute?

Paul Lawrie in the Seve Trophy

‘Ballesteros was the bedrock on which the Tour is built’ current crop of top players to reflect on the damage their lack of support is having, not just on individual events, but on the reputation of the European Tour as a whole.

In recent times several leading players have illustrated a profound lack of understanding of the current economic reality by berating European Tour officials for failing to attract sufficient new sponsors. Then, in almost in the same breath, they have proceeded to compound the problem by announcing they would be playing most of their golf on the PGA Tour.

The sad fact is that a large proportion of the top European stars play little more than the bare minimum of events needed to maintain their European Tour membership and, as that quota can include the three American Majors and the WGC events, it effectively means they are seldom seen on this side of the Atlantic.

This is clearly an unsatisfactory situation and one which tour officials need to address lest

more sponsors are lost and the pitiful coverage regular tour events now receive in most of our newspapers diminishes even further.

One idea which is said to be currently under discussion at Tour HQ is to increase the minimum quota of tournaments all tour members must play by insisting they appear either in their home Open (where applicable), or else in two other events from a shortlist of selected tournaments.

That, I suggest, should be a minimum additional requirement and suspect it is a view shared by veteran European Tour Tournament Committee member Colin Montgomerie, who understands the problem officials now face.

With uncharacteristic brevity, the Scot put the current problem facing the Tour in a nutshell when he said: “It’s very difficult and we have to try to sit down and address this.

“Sponsorship is getting harder and the first thing a sponsor asks is ‘who’s playing’. They want as many Ryder Cup players as possible.

It’s important for the European Tour.”

• Colin Callander is a former editor of Golf Monthly and this year celebrates his 30th anniversary working as a golf writer

NCG pp 27 Display Ads 18/10/2013 12:05 Page 27

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NCG pp 31 Top 100 Lead 17/10/2013 11:44 Page 31

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32 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

NCG pp 33 Top 100 Intro 17/10/2013 11:33 Page 33

TOP 100 UNDER £100

in association with

WELCOME How we put the list together – and why we did it...

Norfolk poser Where will Hunstanton be in our list?

HE likes of Turnberry, Royal Birkdale, Sunningdale and Loch Lomond are all world-class courses.

But they are also out of reach, through varying degrees of exclusivity and expense, for the vast majority of us.

As a magazine aimed squarely at club golfers like you, we wanted to create a list that more realistically reflected your budget.

It isn’t that we think £100 is a trifling amount to spend on a single green free, far from it, or that this is the cut-off point between the game being affordable and not.

But we had to draw a line somewhere and we do think that, for most people, as a special treat or the centrepiece of a golf trip, £100 is a realistic price to pay. And also, most courses in this feature are priced well below £100.

What we have sought to create is the Affordable Top 100.

T

We hope our Top 100 – which we intend next month to follow with 50 more genuine contenders for inclusion – provokes lively debate up and down the land.

But most of all, we hope that it inspires you to go and play somewhere new when the weather improves and, in doing so, discover a new favourite course or part of the country.

And whether or not you agree with our final order (and let’s face it, you probably won’t), we hope you agree the following pages provide a worthy showpiece of some of the best courses that are ready to welcome golfers like you.

We are proud of this list. We believe it is robust, considered and informed because we have been out and played the courses that are featured.

Hopefully you will enjoy it too.

THE £100 CEILING We based the £100 limit on summer green fees for 2013.

1) For a course to be eligible, the price for a single round during the week in high season had to be under £100.

That is before special offers, packages, group discounts or twilight offers were taken into account. In other words, armed

HOW WE RATED THEM SINCE there is no such thing as one golf course being categorically better than another, we neither pretend nor claim that this was a scientific process.

Quite the opposite in fact – it is an intensely personal appraisal of the best Great Britain has to offer.

In a bid to capture the spirit of this enterprise, the deliberately intangible criterion was as follows: If you were in charge of taking a group of like-minded golfers away on a trip, are you confident that they would have a memorable day for all the right reasons here?

with £100, a golfer like you would be able to play 18 holes in peak season – and get some change.

2) Every attempt has been made to check prices. But do bear in mind rates at some clubs may well be increased for next summer, and that may take them over the £100. threshold 3) We did not class twilight rates or afternoon discounts as being applicable. The standard weekday single-round green fee had to be under £100.

4) The rates had to be clearly advertised and widely available to members of the golfing public. In other words, you did not have to be a member of any type of discount scheme to play for under £100.

5) We have strived only to include clubs that actively welcome, rather than merely tolerate, visitors.

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 33

NCG pp 34 Display Ads 17/10/2013 14:28 Page 34

34 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

NCG pp 35 Top 100-89 17/10/2013 12:11 Page 35

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KILMARNOCK BARASSIE

Ayrshire 2013 green fee: £60 Recently extended, Barassie now has 27 holes, with the newest of them reaching all the way to Dundonald. Expect high-quality surfaces to hit and putt on and the kind of bunkering that must be respected.

Why it’s special: A quintessential west-coast Scottish links

BUDE & NORTH CORNWALL

Cornwall 2013 green fee: £33 The South West seems to do holiday golf as well as anywhere else in Britain and Bude fits very much into that category. A seaside course of little more than 6,000 yards, there is a testing finish almost in the very centre of town.

Why it’s special: The views from the putting green are sensational

DOWNFIELD

Angus 2013 green fee: £69 Classy Downfield is a verdant, parkland treat in a region much better known for its flinty links courses. Get this Open qualifier in the summer months and you will love the conditioning but don’t be deceived – it is a substantial test from the back tees.

Why it’s special: There are some wonderful risk-and-reward par 5s

SEASCALE

Cumbria 2013 green fee: £35 The funny thing about Seascale is that in one direction are the hills of the Lake District and in another the Irish Sea. The industrial backdrop to the south unfairly dominates conversations about this honest links at the most remote outpost of Cumbria.

Why it’s special: Incredible value and an experience few get to enjoy

DALMAHOY

Edinburgh 2013 green fee: £65 To the west of Edinburgh going towards Livingston, Dalmahoy was good enough to host the Solheim Cup in the 1990s. It was designed

by James Braid and finishes in some style with a closing hole that crosses a gorge.

Why it’s special: The fabulous 18th-century manor house provides the backdrop

ISLE OF PURBECK

Dorset 2013 green fee: £48 This is an unusual course – it is near the sea yet actually more heathland in nature than anything else, with outbreaks of gorse and heather. It was touched by the hands of the great Harry Colt in the 1900s.

Why it’s special: The views here are amazing and in all directions

KING’S LYNN

Norfolk 2013 green fee: £50 Tight, tree-lined and featuring several doglegs, King’s Lynn is the gateway to any trip to Norfolk. By all means contine to Hunstanton and Brancaster but a round here is much more than a warm up – it’s a treat in its own right. Not the longest but demands respect.

Why it’s special: You could be playing at one of Surrey’s finest

NORTH HANTS

Hampshire 2013 green fee: £ This is where the reigning US Open champion Justin Rose grew up and by mastering his home course’s tree-lined fairways and tight heathland turf he honed his ball striking and accuracy. One of Hampshire’s finest.

Why it’s special: This is one of those courses where you rarely see any other holes

BLACKMOOR

Hampshire 2013 green fee: £60 What is commonly known as the Surrey sand belt in fact extends into Berkshire and Hampshire, with Blackmoor perhaps the most westerly course to benefit from its ideal golfing characteristics. It’s a gorgeous place to play.

Why it’s special: The purple heather gives Blackmoor a special look all of its own

SHERINGHAM

Norfolk 2013 green fee: £65 Sitting on the cliffs just to the north of this pleasant coastal town, get Sheringham on a clear day and you will be glad to be alive.

Natural and rugged, the toughest holes are usually those beside the railway and specifically the tremendous closing stretch.

Why it’s special: The views of the sea and the sound of the old trains

HAYLING

Hampshire 2013 green fee: £60 This south-coast links is over 100 years old but the design owes much to the work of Tom Simpson in the 1930s. It’s rugged and natural with plenty of gorse to avoid. Oh, and a magnificent art deco-style clubhouse.

Why it’s special: Arguably the only true links to the west of Rye on the south coast

FULFORD

Yorkshire 2013 green fee: £55 Once a European Tour stop and still a delight to members and visitors – who included Europe’s best female amateurs last summer – Fulford is bisected by the A64.

On the near side it’s parkland, across the road more heathland.

Why it’s special: The holes are evocatively named after tour players who competed here

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WALLASEY

Cheshire 2013 green fee: £80 Separated from Liverpool by the width of the Mersey, Wallasey enjoys a stunning location with views in the opposite direction of the North Wales coast. This is a links course that begins and ends in the dunes.

Why it’s special: The best holes here would not be out of place at nearby Royal Liverpool.

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LUFFENHAM HEATH

Rutland 2013 green fee: £55 Just off the A1 not far from Stamford is an oasis of golfing sophistication. Luffenham is in places delightfully old-fashioned, although the course has recently been extended and improved.

Why it’s special: The finishing stretch is stunning, with the highlight being the short 17th

PERRANPORTH

Cornwall 2013 green fee: £36 At the risk of damning unassuming Perranporth with faint praise, this is the kind of holiday golf you dream of – impossibly pretty, great fun, quirky in places and genuinely welcoming. It’s what summer evenings were made for.

Why it’s special: Only a golfing heathen would fail to be charmed

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PYLE & KENFIG

South Wales 2013 green fee: £55 If the first nine was even half as good as the second then P&K would be a contender for the title of best course in Wales. Such is the drama of the famed inward stretch, which ploughs joyously between an expanse of dunes and hillocks.

Why it’s special: The way the second nine is sprung upon you

IPSWICH (PURDIS HEATH)

Suffolk 2013 green fee: £55 Suffolk can be an under-rated golfing region because with gems like Purdis Heath there is plenty to recommend it. It’s a course that keeps itself to itself – maybe a few more should be let into the secret.

Why it’s special: The journey from wooded beginnings to classic heathland in the middle

ST ANNES OLD LINKS

Lancashire 2013 green fee: £75 Whisper it quietly, but the word is that St Annes has one of the best greenkeepers in the business and it it has never been in better condition. Spectacular it is not and hemmed in it may be, but what a thorough test of your game.

Why it’s special: Because it is so consistently good

LINDRICK

Yorkshire 2013 green fee: £65 A geographical curiosity in that it spans Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, Lindrick hosted the Ryder Cup back in the 1950s.

Another grand old course bisected by a major road, it’s a combination of parkland and heathland on the outskirts of Worksop.

Why it’s special: The Ryder Cup memorabilia is worth the trip alone

BLAIRGOWRIE (LANSDOWNE)

Perthshire 2013 green fee: £60 There is a myth that the Lansdowne is very much a second course to the Rosemount – we encourage you to play both and find out the truth for yourself. It was considered good enough to host this year’s Scottish Amateur.

Why it’s special: This is stunning Gleneagles country

HINDHEAD

Surrey 2013 green fee: £70 Famed for the contrast between its two nines, initially the fairways wind through narrow valleys. It is a different story later on, with a heathland plateau providing flatter terrain. Arthur Conan Doyle was among the founders.

Why it’s special: The view from the 2nd tee is worth the journey to this corner of Surrey alone

ASHRIDGE

Hertfordshire 2013 green fee: £67 Henry Cotton and Alex Hay are two of the former club professionals at what is – after WGC venue The Grove – surely the finest course in Hertfordshire.

Ashridge enjoys a special setting and its unusual routing means there are several starting points.

Why it’s special: Wild deer roam the fairways

GULLANE (No 2)

East Lothian 2013 green fee: £48 Just like Blairgowrie’s Rosemount and Lansdowne (see left) we think there is less between Gullane 1 and 2 than is usually assumed. In fact, the layouts have much in common – and the locals says No 2 is often in even better condition.

Why it’s special: The romantic views towards Edinburgh and the Forth Road Bridge

CHART HILLS

Kent 2013 green fee: £70 Sir Nick Faldo’s very modern design is golf on a grand scale with some audacious bunkering and green complexes. There is subtlety though, too, on what is a typically strategic and demanding Faldo parkland course.

Why it’s special: This looks and feels like real championship golf and is quite a test

IRVINE BOGSIDE

Ayrshire 2013 green fee: £50 What a misnomer – Irvine’s turf is springy to the point of being linkslike and this is another of those Scottish courses that should form part of your golfing eduction.

Score well here and you can definitely play the game.

Why it’s special: We love the blend of testing and quirky

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NCG pp 38-39 Aberdovey, Top 75-64 18/10/2013 11:24 Page 38

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A TRUE ROMANCE OR once there is no need for Sat Navs and the seemingly endless reversing up and down country lanes. A game at Royal St David’s should begin, bizarrely, at Aberdovey just under an hour away.

This is where you will catch the train from within 100 yards of Aberdovey’s 1st tee before winding your way through the beautiful Mawddach estuary. To drive from one club to the other would take an extra half an hour.

The only downside is that you are departing, for a short while at least, a club that is as special and as friendly as anywhere in these isles.

Legendary golf writer Bernard Darwin, who visited just about every course in the world, wrote that Aberdovey was the one his ‘soul loved best’ and ‘about this

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one course in the world, I am a hopeless and shameful sentimentalist and I glory in my shame’.

These days, well-appointed (less than a minute’s amble to the same 1st tee) dormy bungalows sit beside the final fairway.

The course, though, remains a natural beauty with particularly brilliant greens.

After a daunting start, if the wind is in your face, it then eases as you head towards the far end before building up steam again as you head for home on the lengthier back nine.

The 16th hole, a drivable twoshotter, will likely linger longest in the memory.

Darwin said of it: “No man is a medal winner until he has played that shot and sees the ball lying safely on the turf” while the 18th is

38 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

Mark Townsend on a little piece of heaven in west Wales

“A game at Royal St David’s should begin, bizarrely, at Aberdovey” one of the best finishing holes in the UK. But we are off to Harlech where, like Aberdovey, the sea is often heard but rarely seen and, also like its nearby neighbour, it finishes with a flourish.

Arriving under the famous grey fortress castle on the hill you are soon thrust into some brutish but brilliant holes. A few shortish 4s and 5s offer welcome respite but the talk of this being the ‘toughest par 69 in the world’ is not unfounded as you tackle the back nine. Three hundred yards shorter than the front, it immediately

smacks you in the face, as you turn towards the sea, with a 458-yard par 4 that has ditches running seemingly here, there and everywhere before the first hint of any dunes at the next.

By the ‘short’ 14th, a 221-yard par 3 which is blind and generally into the wind – the perfect recipe for an array of appalling shots – and you are right in among them.

The 15th is probably the pick, a stadium hole sculpted between the sand hills. Majestic is a fair adjective for this.

Well over 100 bunkers decorate this great links, although you won’t find any on either of these two – there’s no need.

And then back to the station, via the fish and chip shop, and hopefully another day set aside for one final outing at Aberdovey.

Wales should be proud of both.

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BROADSTONE

Dorset 2013 green fee: £68 Beginning in the town and rising gradually to higher moorland wth expansive views, Broadstone is not an easy course to categorise. Never less than varied, there is something for everyone here and it is a real challenge when the wind blows.

Why it’s special: The stretches of heathland take Broadstone to a level of real excellence

BRORA

Highlands 2013 green fee: £49 An achingly romantic place to be, especially during those endless late spring and summer days that you get this far north. The greens are roped off to keep the sheep away and the holes blend seamlessly into the landscape.

Why it’s special: This James Braid links is simply as natural as they come

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MONIFIETH

Angus 2013 green fee: £55 Monifieth backs on to Panmure which in turn runs into Carnoustie – so this is prime linksland. This was the first links course Tom Watson ever played back in 1975 and he would surely still recognise it today; a classy links with echoes of Ganton.

Why it’s special: Monifieth has classic humps and hollows

LUNDIN LINKS

Fife 2013 green fee: £58 One of Fife’s classic old courses, Lundin begins and ends in genuine linksland, briefly climbing in the middle to higher ground. There is real subtlety in some of the shorter par-4 holes here, which are cunningly protected.

Why it’s special: This is golf as it was meant to be – and it’s virtually unchanged over the years

LEVEN LINKS

Fife 2013 green fee: £55 Separated from Lundin by just a stone wall, Leven nevertheless has a slightly different feel. All the holes are at sea level and in the summer it gets hard and fast, just as it should be.

Why it’s special: This would be a great place to start if you’d never played links golf before and wanted to know what it’s all about

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CASTLETOWN

Isle of Man 2013 green fee: £42 The off-course experience here is still sadly lacking but there can be no denying the excitement and drama of the links itself. At times, it feels more clifftop in style and there are some wonderful views of the Irish Sea. Why it’s special: Rugged and natural, you won’t forget the experience of playing here

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CONWY

Durham 2013 green fee: £44 You might not come to this part of the world for the views – which are mainly industrial – but what a course awaits, and a true links at that. Worthy of greater recognition and praise.

Why it’s special: The design genius of Dr Alister MacKenzie is evident throughout

North Wales 2013 green fee: £55 Conwy has hosted plenty of professional golf over the years, most recently the ladies and seniors. You can see why – it’s a genuine championship links with a increasingly enclosed closing stretch that can be claustrophic as gorse lines the fairways.

Why it’s special: Several changes of direction make for great variety

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GOLSPIE

Highlands 2013 green fee: £45 Beautifully presented and with as much variety as you could ever wish for. Golspie alternates between links, heathland, woodland and even parkland. The consecutive short holes at the 16th and 17th are a highlight.

Why it’s special: You will get as warm and as genuine a welcome here as anywhere in the land

SCOTSCRAIG

Fife 2013 green fee: £56 Many golfers will visit St Andrews several times without realising Scotscraig is just a short drive away. They are missing out on a course re-designed by James Braid in the 1920s that is inland but with seaside tendencies at times.

Why it’s special: Scotscraig is preparing to celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2017

ST MELLION (NICKLAUS)

Devon 2013 green fee: From £85 Jack Nicklaus’s first course design in Europe is spectacular and never less than demanding. There is plenty of water and some seriously quick greens. It is maintained to a high level and has a super hotel (and the Kernow course) on site.

Why it’s special: As strategic an inland test as you will find

LITTLESTONE

Kent 2013 green fee: £70 While the likes of Sandwich and Deal steal the limelight in Kent, the locals know that Littlestone is a fine links in its own right.

Relatively flat for the most part, it builds to quite a finish with the highlight being the 16th.

Why it’s special: Littlestone is brilliant in the winter – this is the driest corner of the country

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 39

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NCG pp 40 Top 100 Green Fee Investigation 17/10/2013 14:43 Page 40

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HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH? James Tompkinson talks to industry experts about the tricky business of setting green fees rying to offer value for money is one of the trickiest aspects of running a golf club.

Every year, every golf club has to decide how much to charge visitors in an attempt to entice them with a value-for-money rate which still provides enough income to finance the normal functioning of the club.

“Value and price are two very different things,” says England’s Golf Coast manager Geoff Harris.

“There will be golf courses at £100 that I think are far better value than some are at £30.”

That makes perfect sense, even though the two are still inextricably linked. So how do they sit together in practice?

For Alan Oliver, secretary at Silloth on Solway in Cumbria, there is a simple equation.

“Value is experience minus cost,” he said. “It’s difficult to set an amount where we say that to

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keep the best value, the fee needs to be this price.”

For the individual clubs, there are many factors to account for.

“I think one of the biggest areas that comes into green fee pricing is the health of your club from a membership standpoint and therefore the additional revenue that you need and how many tee times you have available beyond that,” said Southport-based Harris.

But how does that transpire at two different golf clubs?

Located 335 miles away from the remote Cumbrian links of Silloth is traditional heathland West Hill in Surrey – a club in the heart of one of England’s most well-heeled areas and one with an embarrassment of golfing riches.

For club secretary Gina Rivett, local competition and course quality are crucial when setting her green fee rates.

“Normally you would bear in mind your competition and try and

40 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

“The standard of the golf course is extremely important – that’s what it’s all about” assess what you think the going rate is,” she said. “The standard of the course is extremely important, that’s what it’s all about. Golfers are not going to come and play your course if the course itself is not good.”

Yet for Oliver, the considerations are very different.

“I don’t really look at the local clubs to be honest,” he said.

“We’re a different golf course and we don’t feel like we have to fight the other clubs around us.

“We feel that we’ve got a very good golf course but we appreciate that we’re not centrally located so we can’t really set fees that a course of this standard should

because of where we’re located. I think there’s a bit of a magic barrier at £50 that we’ve tried to keep under for as long as we can because there’s a real mental barrier between paying £49 and £50,” he said.

Which begs the question, is there a price point where a green fee rate becomes too expensive?

“There are certain clubs that are iconic which I think people would pay anything to play, so you have to be very careful about your own club,” said Rivett.

“I’m sure if you asked any golfer, if you offered up the chance to play at Augusta National, they’d probably start paying into the thousands and not think anything of it,” said Harris.

“It’s not as simple as when you’re at the supermarket and you’re choosing between Daz, Bold and Fairy, which are all much of a muchness. Golf courses are completely different entities.”

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PENNARD

Swansea, South Wales 2013 green fee: £50 This is an extraordinary course – perhaps the only one of its type – that combines being perched at the top of some almighty cliffs with genuine links turf and features.

That gives you the twin pleasures of outstanding golf and views to die for, generally of the Bristol Channel. You will also enjoy real variety with some short 4s and sporty 5s mixed up with others where par is a good score indeed.

Why it’s special: It would be easier to say why it isn’t. The talking point of any trip to South Wales.

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BERWICKUPON-TWEED

Northumberland 2013 green fee: £42 This is pure linksland – by which we mean straw-coloured, bouncy, fast-running fairways, uneven ground and some sensational green sites. It is occasionally quirky and elsewhere simply impressive without need for showstopping splendour. The short holes are impressively varied. It is a crime not to call in here if you are on your way to or from the east coast of Scotland on a golfing trip – it’s just off the A1.

Why it’s special: The dune formations are exceptional

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PRINCE’S

Sandwich, Kent 2013 green fee: £80 Much has changed at Prince’s over the last five years and a course that was looking a little tired (especially when compared to its neighbour, Royal St George’s) has been rejuvenated.

The conditioning is now sensational, as is the bunkering.

With three loops of nine, each of which brings you back to the clubhouse, it is the perfect venue for a day out – and you can now stay here in style at the brand-new on-site Lodge.

Why it’s special: You don’t get to play an Open venue every day

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SPEY VALLEY

Aviemore, Highlands 2013 green fee: £60 Getting to the 1st tee from the clubhouse is a journey in itself but that is soon forgotten when a new world opens in front of you once you reach the 2nd green. Truly, this is golf on a grand scale. It feels like you can see half of Scotland from this high ground and the blend of moorland and parkland golf is both unusual and captivating. Is there an inland course in Britain that occupies a grander setting?

Why it’s special: Secluded to the point of isolation, Spey Valley is a treat to the senses

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TENBY

South Wales 2013 green fee: £25 The oldest course in the Principality is also one of the very best, especially the opening 14 holes. At 6,500 yards it is a little longer than you might imagine, because Tenby does seem to get bracketed as a holiday course.

Although the town of Tenby is a popular tourist destination, the course is rather more than that, as will become apparent from the very first hole, where the drive is blind and the green is protected by a gigantic dune.

Why it’s special: You simply can’t play here and not enjoy yourself

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LUFFNESS

Gullane, East Lothian 2013 green fee: £85 Luffness New, to give it its full title, is anything but and sits comfortably alongside the three Gullane courses just as it has done for almost 150 years. Classy and impeccably presented throughout, Luffness has a certain status about it. It may not be the longest anymore but a stingy par of 70 ensures good scoring is a rarity.

Until recently, Luffness was a regular host for final qualifying when the Open came to Muirfield.

Why it’s special: The turf is sensationally good here – and at any time of the year

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ASHBURNHAM

Llanelli, South Wales 2013 green fee: £39 Perhaps it is the modest, homely nature of the clubhouse and the locals here but it is a travesty that Ashburnham does not receive more widespread acclaim. If honest links courses are your thing then you will not be disappointed here – in fact a stretch of nine or 10 holes in the middle could fairly be described as great. Do not miss out on the chance to play here the next time you come to South Wales.

Why it’s special: It is ridiculously good value – a game here is worth twice the price

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MURCAR

Aberdeen 2013 green fee: £80 Murcar shares a border with Royal Aberdeen but the contrast between the two clubs is obvious. The latter is for the establishment while the former is where the locals play.

This is a club where plenty of competitive golf is played and it is a real treat of a links, especially the stretch along the coast that begins with the 4th. A couple of inland holes are not quite of the same standard but the finish is tight and testing.

Why it’s special: The thrilling stretch with the North Sea to your right on the front nine

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ROYAL NORTH DEVON

Westward Ho!, Devon 2013 green fee: £55 You could come here just to spend an hour in the clubhouse and soak in the atmosphere and history of England’s oldest club. Played over common land, you need to get into the spirit of things and accept it is a little confusing for the first-time visitor as the course veers through the marshlands towards the sea.

Play here a few times and you start to learn its secrets.

Why it’s special: You can almost feel the presence of JH Taylor, the five-time Open champion who grew up here

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PARKSTONE

Dorset 2013 green fee: £75 Parkstone is close to the coast yet in terms of character you could be 100 miles inland. This is a predominantly heathland course, albeit one with fine views of Poole Harbour. Originally laid out by Willie Park Jr, it was redesigned by James Braid in the 1920s.

Why it’s special: The closing hole is a spectacular par 3

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MACHRIHANISH DUNES

Argyll & Bute 2013 green fee: £70 The new (McLay) Kidd in town is Mach Dunes, just a few years old and next to the original Machrihanish. It’s fantastic, and is getting better with every year.

Why it’s special: This is completely natural seaside golf, dictated by the often wild pitches and rolls of the land

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PANMURE

Angus 2013 green fee: £75 Panmure is classy, well-presented and packed with fine holes. Work is currently underway to move a couple of fairways further away from a caravan park and this will only add to the experience.

Why it’s special: Taking aim at the raised, well-protected green on the 6th, named after Ben Hogan, is quite a challenge

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ROYAL ASHDOWN FOREST (OLD) Sussex 2013 green fee: £65 Famously without a single bunker, Ashdown Forest is certainly not lacking in protection with grassy hollows particularly effective in costing you half a shot without you realising it. The second course here is almost every bit as good.

Why it’s special: The highlight is surely the view from the 11th tee

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TREVOSE

Cornwall 2013 green fee: £69 Trevose has so much to offer the visiting golfer but while the on-site accommodation is superb, it is the championship course that really counts. Heading immediately towards the ocean at Booby Bay, this is a big course that enjoys a sensational location.

Why it’s special: The location of the 4th green (above) says it all

MORAY OLD

Moray 2013 green fee: £70 A glorious links course in the best traditions that begins and ends in the lovely seaside town of Lossiemouth. On the front nine the fairways are lined by gorse while there is more space on the way home.

Why it’s special: Playing up the last fairway towards the grand old clubhouse is so memorable

SEACROFT

Lincolnshire 2013 green fee: £40 Not too many golfers would think immediately of Skegness when it came to an east-coast golfing trip but those who make it here love Seacroft. It’s a links course of real substance that quickly opens out as you play away from the town over the opening holes.

Why it’s special: The quartet of par 3s offers a bit of everything

44 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

DELAMERE FOREST

Cheshire 2013 green fee: £55 You may well not have heard much about this Herbert Fowler gem built on sandy Cheshire soil, but he made exemplary use of a rolling site that a lesser designer might not have put to such good use.

Why it’s special: It is not a club that seeks the limelight so what a treat it is to play here

BEAU DESERT

Staffordshire 2013 green fee: £70 There is a special – if unlikely to those who don’t know better – golf trip to be enjoyed in Staffordshire and the highlight may well be Beau Desert. Herbert Fowler’s pine-clad heathland masterpiece lies in glorious seclusion.

Why it’s special: Firm, sloping fairways demand a cunning gameplan

MONTROSE

Angus 2013 green fee: £55 Golf has been played over this quintessential links since the 16th century. There are opportunities to score early on during the fine shore-side holes but what a finish – culminating in the 17th, a long par 4 with its green a shelf cut into the gorse-filled hillside.

Why it’s special: Golf and town life are indistinguishable here

GLASGOW GAILES LINKS

Ayrshire 2013 green fee: £95 Gailes will be Scotland’s host of final Open qualifying for the next few years and it is nice to see this august links emerge from the shadows and take its deserved share of the attention that the classic Ayrshire courses receive.

Why it’s special: You don’t often see heather on a links course

DUNBAR

East Lothian 2013 green fee: £65 The first of the great East Lothian courses you encounter if approaching from the south-east, Dunbar does not begin in great style but quickly picks up the pace.

It’s a course that occupies a long, narrow piece of land – there’s just enough room for a vintage links.

Why it’s special: You get very, very close to the sea here

Hayling GC 17/10/2013 14:26 Page 1

HAYLING

GOLF CLUB HAMPSHIRE

No Winter Greens No Tee Mats No Preferred Lies No Mud

Hayling Golf Club offers a classic 130 year old Links course with tight fairway lies and pot hole bunkers protecting lightning fast Greens.

Located on the picturesque Hampshire shoreline, surface water drains rapidly into the old shingle banks below; which means that in the depths of Winter the course is playable – even if you wear white shoes!

Over 100 years of collective experience resides with the highly qualified Greenstaff who passionately deliver a great course throughout the year.

Whilst the adjacent Solent Water acts a huge storage radiator it sometimes gets chilly. That’s why the legendary warmth of the clubhouse is so welcoming. Designed in the Art Deco style of a 1930’s ocean liner, the clubhouse is amazingly only 11 years old and offers all the modern facilities – along with hot food at modest prices and served with a smile.

When your course is closed or not playing well, just check the website diary on www.haylinggolf.co.uk then call Mark and David, the PGA Professionals, in the ProShop to find a good time to play.

Call 02392 464491 or email haylinggcteebookings@hotmail.co.uk

HAYLING GOLF CLUB | LINKS LANE | HAYLING ISLAND | HAMPSHIRE | PO11 0BX

NCG pp 46-47 Top 42-32 17/10/2013 12:03 Page 46

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BLAIRGOWRIE (ROSEMOUNT)

Perthshire 2013 green fee: £60 There are suprisingly few top-class inland courses in Scotland but Blairgowrie assuredly has two of them. The better known is the Rosemount, where many of the fairways are lined by trees and heather is a recurring hazard.

Why it’s special: The turf is delightfully springy here

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FERNDOWN (OLD)

Dorset 2013 green fee: £75 Ferndown occupies a delightful swathe of heathland just outside Bournemouth and is the kind of course that you just want to play again and again. It’s a very classy layout and a lovely place to be.

Why it’s special: Peter Alliss’s father, Percy, was the professional here for more than 25 years

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LITTLE ASTON

West Midlands 2013 green fee: £90 Most people think of The Belfry when asked about parkland golf in Sutton Coldfield but Little Aston is certainly prettier. It’s also a championship course with the occasional water hazard that demands your respect.

Why it’s special: It’s in suburbia but you really wouldn’t know it.

An extremely friendly club, too

46 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

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SAUNTON (WEST)

Devon 2013 green fee: £79 This is another of those second courses that tends to be patronised by the occasional visitor. In this case, it’s the West that suffers but it really shouldn’t – it is a fine course in its own right.

Why it’s special: A burn crosses several holes and must inform your strategy accordingly

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DUNDONALD

Ayrshire 2013 green fee: £95 The sister course of Loch Lomond is a modern links that gets better with every passing season. It is not exceptionally pretty but more than makes up for it by the sheer quality of the holes. The 16th hole is one of the hardest you will ever play.

Why it’s special: It is superbly designed by Kyle Phillips and of high technical merit

NCG pp 46-47 Top 42-32 17/10/2013 12:04 Page 47

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NEW ZEALAND

Surrey 2013 green fee: £85 Perhaps the least known of Surrey’s great heathlands, and one senses that is just the way the club and its members like it. At around 6,000 yards and entirely flat, it is as easy-walking and relaxing an experience as golf can provide.

Why it’s special: Playing here feels like discovering a secret course nobody else that has visited

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SOUTHERNESS

Dumfries & Galloway 2013 green fee: £50 So many otherwise well-travelled golfers never seem to make it to Southerness, which is just across the Solway Firth from Silloth.

Those who do are rewarded with an exceptional links experience including a stellar last five holes.

Why it’s special: That end-ofthe-world feeling you get when discovering a golfing outpost

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ST ANDREWS (JUBILEE)

Fife 2013 green fee: £70 Criminally under-rated, since Donald Steel’s redesign the Jubilee is categorically a top-quality links, with the possible exception of the uninspiring opening hole. So many golfers come to St Andrews and don’t play here – that is a shame.

Why it’s special: It’s the same piece of linksland as the Old

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BOAT OF GARTEN

Near Aviemore, Highlands 2013 green fee: £41 If you’ve never played Boat, then it’s something you need to change.

It’s a unique experience and all who visit seem to fall in love with this short, strategic and simply beautiful tree-lined course.

Why it’s special: It’s the prettiest course in our list – bar none

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THE MACHRIE

Isle of Islay, Argyll & Bute 2013 green fee: £72 There is remote and then there is the Machrie, on the Hebridean island of Islay, which is famed for its peaty whiskies. You will never play a course with more blind appoach shots.

Why it’s special: How can you fail to enjoy this improbable and often outrageous links?

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ROYAL ST DAVID’S

Harlech, West Wales 2013 green fee: £55 A tough and rugged links that sits in the shadow of Harlech Castle, Royal St David’s is the scene of many of Welsh golf’s most important moments. Outstanding value for money.

Why it’s special: You can’t fail to be inspired by the location. The 15th is one of the best in the land

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 47

NCG pp 48 Display Ads 18/10/2013 15:03 Page 48

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48 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

NCG pp 49 English Favourites 17/10/2013 12:05 Page 49

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OUR FAVOURITE AREAS: ENGLAND Three of NCG’s well-travelled writers explain their enduring fondness for a particular region NORFOLK

SOUTHPORT

CORNWALL

By Dan Murphy Some think that Norfolk is awkward to get to – I disagree. In fact, there is no part of the country I would rather visit because it offers the rare chance to leave the motorways and dual carriageways and pootle along to King’s Lynn on lesser-used A roads.

You should always make time for a game at King’s Lynn, which I suspect often surprises its first-time visitors. Sheringham is also excellent.

Nevertheless, and with all due respect, all golfing trips to the county revolve around Hunstanton and Royal West Norfolk. Both are special. Personally, I marginally prefer the former, but that may just be a reflection of all the enjoyable social rounds I have had there, especially in the winter months when other parts of the country are under water.

Norfolk being Norfolk, you will never have to travel far to find a good place to stay and eat. Try the Lodge in Hunstanton, which has a lively bar, or its sister pub, Briarfields, near Brancaster, for exceptional evening dining.

By Mark Townsend On a recent two-day trip here we were lucky enough to play Royal Birkdale (above), Southport & Ainsdale, Hesketh and West Lancs. From a base of Southport, the longest drive, by some considerable distance, was West Lancs – which was 25 minutes away.

Despite its glittering CV and staging of various Open Championships, many might not yet know all about England’s Golf Coast and its array of brilliant courses. Visit this area and you will be guaranteed championship golf at a variety of venues and 18 holes in the morning can be very easily complemented by something equally as brilliant in the afternoon.

Every time I visit Southport I always tend to ask myself the same two questions. Firstly when/how I can somehow retire to this stretch of coastline and where would I dream of joining? Given part one will never happen my mind then drifts off to either Hillside or Formby (and Formby Ladies) before then debating the merits of S&A and West Lancs.

By Chris Bertram If it wasn’t going to be Cornwall, it might well have been Devon; because having finally made the trip to the South West of England, I fell in love with the area.

Devon has classy Saunton (the East as well as the West) as well as Royal North Devon – but Cornwall just edges it for me.

St Enodoc, pictured on the cover, is a significant reason for that preference. It encapsulates pretty much everything I love in a golf course. St Enodoc is a proper challenge and, most importantly, with bags of variety among its holes. And it is also very pretty, too.

Perranporth down the coast is great fun and occasionally bonkers while Bude & North Cornwall is delightfully simple links fare. St Mellion awaits as an inland alternative.

The backdrop to this top-quality golf is what really elevates it above other areas though; quiet roads (and courses), cosy pubs, proper pasties bursting with beef and a generally less frenetic pace of life. www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 49

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ROYAL WORLINGTON & NEWMARKET

Suffolk 2013 green fee: £50 This is Britain’s finest 9-hole course. Much loved by the purists, it can be slightly underwhelming on first impressions, when you are faced with what appears to be a flat, tree-less expanse of land. On closer inspection, the holes are wonderfully subtle, with the greens often defended more by the contours of the land than by bunkers. The prime example is the short 5th, pictured, which has a raised green you simply don’t ever want to miss.

Why it’s special: The clubhouse – order your drinks through a hatch and sit by an open fire.

50 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

NCG pp 50-51 Top 31-23 17/10/2013 12:11 Page 51

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LADYBANK

Fife 2013 green fee: £54 You know before you have even opened the car door that Ladybank is going to be special.

This is a blend of parkland and heathland where the smooth fairways are often lined by pine trees and the greens are delightfully and naturally situated.

Given its location 10 miles west of St Andrews, it is the perfect course to play on either your way in or out of the Auld Grey Toun.

Peaceful, fair and receptive to good shots, there is something inspiring about playing here.

Why it’s special: Positioning from the tee is all-important here so that you can navigate doglegs without being blocked by trees

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GULLANE (No 1)

East Lothian 2013 green fee: £96 Virtually as good in the winter as it is in the summer, golfing turf does not really get much better than at Gullane. There are two significant climbs here, and both are among the best uphill holes you will ever play. On the 2nd the fairway narrows to almost single-file at driving distance and the green is the shape of the coffin. Meanwhile the stroke-1 5th hole is as strong a par 4 as any at nearby Muirfield, doglegging left and climbing all the while to a green set in the hill.

Gullane No 1 is classy throughout.

Why it’s special: The vista from the 7th tee was described by Bernard Darwin as the best view in golf – and he certainly had a point.

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WEST HILL

Surrey 2013 green fee: £75 The Surrey heathlands provide a form of escapism from the rigours of modern life and nowhere more so than West Hill with its entrance next to the intersection of a busy road and main railway line. Enter the property and everything slows down, allowing you to derive full enjoyment from what is a supremely classy heathland layout that specialises in tricky par 4s with streams, heather, towering pines and sand to catch you out.

You can score well here in places but more often than not it is the course that comes out on top.

Why it’s special: It is an oasis of timeless calm just outside busy Woking

WOKING

Surrey 2013 green fee: £75 Woking might just be the most subtly designed of Surrey’s famous Three Ws, which all lie within a couple of miles in and around Woking. Certainly, its architect Tom Dunn is credited both with laying out the first heathland course and also inventing the concept of a bunker in the middle of the fairway to influence strategy.

So it is that at the 4th you must choose between a drive to the right, close to the ubiquitous railway line and giving an advantageous route to the green, and playing safely left from where you must carry a greenside bunker.

Why it’s special: It is the first heathland course

LIPHOOK

Hampshire 2013 green fee: £64 The famous Surrey sandbelt extends as far as Hampshire and Sussex and if you travel a little further away from London you can find stunning Liphook, with its charming old clubhouse and birchand pine-lined heathland fairways.

Not long, and with a par of 70, it is certainly the equal of its more famous peers. Most agree the best stretch is from the 2nd to the 14th, after which you cross the road to play the last four. The greens here are renowned for being pure, quick and not without undulation so be sure to pay attention.

Why it’s special: Liphook has a wonderful collection of short holes that look perfect from the tee

MOORTOWN

Yorkshire 2013 green fee: £80 A recent tree-clearing and bunker renovation project is helping Moortown to restore heathland characteristics that were in danger of being lost. In fact, those who have not visited for a few years will be amazed by the transformation.

A great driving course, you can once more see across several fairways from various vantage points. Moortown stretches to 7,000 yards from the back tees and is not only a classy members’ course but also a genuine championship test.

Why it’s special: Moortown hosted the Ryder Cup in 1929 and was also a European Tour venue as recently as the 1980s

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THE ADDINGTON

Surrey 2013 green fee: £65 Even some very fine courses can begin to blend into each other but The Addington comes with a guarantee that it will live long in the memory. As quirky as a remote links course in places, JF Abercromby’s design is often bordering on genius. The Addington occupies high ground just outside Croydon and sporadically the views open up towards central London. It is heathland in style, but with more changes in elevation and uneven ground than most of its peers.

Why it’s special: The par-5 12th and short 13th simply must be played to be believed. Sensational

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ALDEBURGH

Suffolk 2013 green fee: £75 Inland but with definite links characteristics, Aldebugh is a traditional club and its course is blessed with fast-running, gorselined fairways, some steep-faced, sleepered bunkers and outstandingly good greens. Its par of 68 is certainly a contender for the stingiest in the country – it has no par 5s but plenty of testing par 4s and very few obvious birdie chances. Designed by John Thompson and Willie Fernie, it has been modified since by JH Taylor and Willie Park Jr. Foursomes and twoballs are still the order of the day here.

Why it’s special: This is a classy layout and a timeless experience

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 51

NCG pp 52 Display Ads 18/10/2013 15:04 Page 52

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52 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

NCG pp 53 Top 22-15 17/10/2013 12:12 Page 53

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SHERWOOD FOREST

Nottinghamshire 2013 green fee: £60 Often inexplicably absent from lists such as this one, Sherwood Forest assuredly belongs in the highest company. It scores well on so many levels, whether that be the quality of the playing surfaces (firm and springy with fast greens), the ambience of this friendly club or the general merit of the holes themselves. The back nine is intimidatingly strong – remarkably, all seven par 4s are over 400 yards – so you must do your scoring on the way out.

Why it’s special: It begins in the style of open heathland, but later on the holes are lined by pines, silver birches and oak tees.

NOTTS (HOLLINWELL)

Nottinghamshire 2013 green fee: £75 Hollinwell must rank as one of the finest courses in this list at which to arrive: the clubhouse is set in the basin of a valley with holes extending all around it. It is a varied mixture of parkland, heathland, woodland and even moorland sections. All are impressive, and Hollinwell also enjoys several changes in elevation.

There is a real sense of grandeur about the setting which lifts this first-class course even higher.

Why it’s special: So many of our great courses are now lacking in room to expand but Hollinwell enjoys a location that is both highly attractive and spacious

WORPLESDON

Surrey 2013 green fee: £90 There will never be a unanimous verdict on the relative merits of the Three Ws but it can surely be agreed that the work of JF Abercromby and Willie Park Jr at Worplesdon was among their very best. It begins in real style with an inviting downhill par 4 that feels like the perfect way to start a round. It is just one of so many outstanding holes, which certainly include a quintet of par 3s. Across the road on the back nine, recent tree clearance has restored the heathland feel and back to back par 5s give you the chance to set up a strong finish.

Why it’s special: It enjoys a delightful, sheltered setting

ABERDOVEY

West Wales 2013 green fee: £52.50 The romantic’s choice for the title of the finest course in Wales, Aberdovey is gloriously oldfashioned and quirky, from the train station in its car park to the outrageously blind short 3rd. This links sweeps round the coast between the dunes and the Cambrian mountains. Touched by the likes of Braid, Fowler and Colt, it is hardly any wonder it is so special.

Why it’s special: On the face of it, this is an out-and back links but although you play away from the clubhouse for most of the front nine, thanks to the curve of the shore you actually play in a slightly different direction on each hole

BURNHAM & BERROW

Somerset 2013 green fee: £75 A vintage and first-class links. The opening hole is a thrilling way to begin and the closing stretch is up there with the very best. It is broadly accepted that the stretch in the middle of the round is less inspiring but perhaps only because there are so many striking holes on either side of it. Presumably, the only reason it has not achieved wider renown is because there is no natural trip to the area as the nearest courses of comparable quality are some distance away.

Why it’s special: Just look at the architects who have touched B&B: Fowler, Alison, Hilton, MacKenzie and Colt

MACHRIHANISH

Argyll & Bute 2013 green fee: £65 To play here is to make a golfing pilgrimage, and now that Mach Dunes has opened next door, bringing with it some welcome new accommodation, it is so much easier to justify your trip to this remote corner of Argyll & Bute.

The Kintyre Peninsula forms the south-western tip of a ‘leg’ of Scottish mainland and this is certainly a course that feels like it is at the end of the earth. There are some extraordinary dunes and contours and the front nine is up there with the best if you like holes to be completely individual.

Why it’s special: Take in the view as you approach the 3rd green and you will know exactly why

ST ANDREWS (NEW)

Fife 2013 green fee: £70 Just like the neighbouring Jubilee, the New is too often eschewed by visiting golfers who think the Old Course is the be-all and end-all in St Andrews. It really isn’t, and indeed many locals and good players prefer the New (which is anything but) as a test of golf. It is lacking many of the quirks of the Old – double greens for a start – and is much more clearly defined from the tee. The fairways are often lined by gorse, especially on the way out, so accurate driving is essential.

Why it’s special: The par-3 9th is arguably the best (not-so) short hole in the town

WEST LANCASHIRE

Lancashire 2013 green fee: £95 Finally emerging from the shadows of esteemed neighbours such as Formby and Royal Birkdale, West Lancs is very much a peer when it comes to the layout.

This is a huge course, a big sprawling links, where the front nine is largely flat and the inward half takes a brief detour inland round the back of a copse of trees.

It is not quite as pristine as the better-known names above – it feels a little bit more lived in somehow – but in terms of individual holes and shot values it ranks with the very best.

Why it’s special: There is a barely a weak hole here

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 53

NCG pp 54 Display Ads 18/10/2013 15:05 Page 54

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Commencing on Monday 24th March, the event sees competitors battle it out over Gullane 1, Gullane 2, Longniddry and the spectacular North Berwick West Links, Number 1 in NCG’s Top 100!

For more information & to enter visit www.linksgolfcup.co.uk Alternatively email admin@linksgolfcup.co.uk or call 07598 596 259 54 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

NCG pp 55 Scottish Favourites 17/10/2013 12:14 Page 55

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OUR FAVOURITE AREAS: SCOTLAND Where would our writers choose to play in the Home of Golf, given the choice? This is where...

EAST LOTHIAN

HIGHLANDS

ANGUS

By Dan Murphy The obvious answer to this question is St Andrews but I’ve long harboured the suspicion that there is even more fun to be had in a smaller area to the east of Edinburgh.

Specifically, this region begins in Musselburgh, which has three fine courses itself, and from then on you are looking at maybe 20 miles of almost uninterrupted golfing coastline all the way to Dunbar – it’s heaven on earth.

To those of us coming up from England, it’s also the most accessible place to play. In fact, you can be standing on the 1st tee at Dunbar within an hour of crossing the border.

Base yourself in Gullane or Aberlady (Duck’s is a great shout, where you can also eat very well) and you could play for at least three days without even getting in your car.

There’s Luffness, Kilspindie, Gullane 1, 2 and 3, Craigielaw and, of course, Muirfield.

Alternatively, just down the coast is North Berwick. Truly, you could not wish for more.

By Mark Townsend I’m not sure you could fail to enjoy a round of golf in this part of the world. Some of my happiest memories are at Royal Dornoch but my most recent venture north included Boat of Garten, always a firm fixture in our Top 100s, and Kingussie – which you might never have heard of before. Both are well under 6,000 yards, make no grand claims (although easily could) about their courses or magnificent surrounds in the foothills of the Cairngorms and are, whenever you visit, sensational value.

There is a wonderful air of calm over golf in the Highlands. At the ‘Boat’ often the only background noise is that of a passing steam train or perhaps your playing partner’s ball gently ricocheting off a nearby birch tree. At Kingussie maybe the gentle trickle of the River Gynack. You will be stimulated and tested throughout, you will even get the chance to score well and, if this shouldn’t be the case, there are few places better to rack up a poor return for your efforts.

By Chris Bertram I bore at least one person about Angus most weeks of the year. Sometimes two days don’t pass without me extolling its virtues.

Part of this passion for this region north of the Tay is its brilliant golf; part of it is driven by the fact it seems to me that no-one ever gives it any credit. It’s just not fair.

Fife gets all the attention in this part of the world but I’d rather play here. There is great variety among the courses, the green fees are remarkably reasonable and you won’t always be queuing up behind convoys of fourballs.

Carnoustie is the star attraction but don’t think the rest just make up the numbers.

Montrose oozes as much history as St Andrews, Panmure is a mini Carnoustie and Monifieth is a lovely Scottish version of Ganton. Away from the coast, Downfield is the archetypal pretty parkland as well as being the friendliest club you will ever visit.

And for a stylish B&B as a base, head for Brucefields in the fishing village of Arbroath. www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 55

NCG pp 56 Display Ads 18/10/2013 13:08 Page 56

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56 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

NCG pp 57 Top 14-13 17/10/2013 12:14 Page 57

TOP 100 UNDER £100

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SOUTHPORT & AINSDALE

Lancashire 2013 green fee: £95 Recent work to rebuild the 2nd and 16th greens, as well as dramatically change the contours around the short 10th, show that S&A is serious about improving its status in the golfing paradise around Southport. Like many fine but unspectacular links it can be taken for granted – it is a folly to do so. Make no mistake, S&A is the real deal.

Why it’s special: It has a lovely blend of pure links holes and others featuring trees and even patches of heather

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HUNSTANTON

Norfolk 2013 green fee: £90 Just a perfect place to play. And that’s at any time of the year – Hunstanton is fantastic in the winter. A few years ago they say the greens here were below what we had all come to expect but that’s certainly not the case now.

Recent work to the par-5 2nd, in particular, proves this is a club looking to the future – yet Hunstanton’s greatest charm is still the feeling that little has changed out on this championship links over the past century.

Why it’s special: Beach huts, sleepered bunkers and the sea

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 57

NCG pp 58-59 Top 100 County v County 17/10/2013 12:16 Page 58

TOP 100 UNDER £100 DEVON v CORNWALL

The two Sauntons gave it their all but their local rivals had slightly more depth Winner CORNWALL

v NORFOLK v REST OF FIFE

Tie of the round. Norfolk go out in a thriller – a great loss to the tournament Winner REST OF FIFE

Very close – Fife takes it on atmosphere. Cornwall boasts championship tests like St Enodoc and Trevose and lots of holiday golf Winner REST OF FIFE

v BIRMINGHAM v SUSSEX

The Belfry is Birmingham’s star attraction and there’s much more besides. Unlucky Winner SUSSEX

v EDINBURGH v CUMBRIA

Went to extra time – there’s more golf in Edinburgh than you might realise Winner CUMBRIA

SOUTHPORT v WESTERN ISLES

A romantic outsider, with The Machrie and Askernish, but a catchweight contest Winner SOUTHPORT

v PERTHSHIRE v AYRSHIRE

With Blairgowrie and Gleneagles leading the way, this was certainly no walkover Winner AYRSHIRE

Led by Silloth, Cumbria looked strong but Sussex had the edge – with Ashdown Forest and Mannings Heath lesser-known delights Winner SUSSEX

Would have been a worthy final. Southport’s courses are closer together but Ayrshire simply has a greater amount of top-class courses. Winner AYRSHIRE

v KENT v ABERDEEN

Wow – something had to give and it’s Sandwich, Deal, Prince’s, Littlestone et al Winner ABERDEEN

v LONDON v EAST LOTHIAN

The English capital offers a great trip but is swatted aside by a golfing giant Winner EAST LOTHIAN

YORKSHIRE v NORTH WALES

Two great-value trips here – North Wales is very unlucky to go out Winner YORKSHIRE

v ST ANDREWS v SUFFOLK

Suffolk got the tie no one wanted this early. It’s sadly goodbye to Aldeburgh Winner ST ANDREWS

Another big game. With Royal Aberdeen, Cruden Bay, Trump and Murcar, the Granite City is blessed. But does not have quite enough. Winner EAST LOTHIAN

Don’t underestimate Yorkshire, which has three Ryder Cup venues in Ganton, Moortown and Lindrick. Yet this still wasn’t close.

Winner ST ANDREWS

v STAFFORDSHIRE v SWANSEA & SW WALES

A mismatch on paper but Beau Desert and Little Aston make this a thriller Winner SW WALES

v SOUTH WALES v NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

Sherwood/Hollinwell/Coxmoor are top class and close together, but are just edged out Winner S WALES

WIRRAL v NORTHUMBERLAND

A big shock. The Wirral’s stars – Royal Liverpool, Caldy and Wallasey – exit Winner NORTHUMB.

v AROUND DORNOCH v MID WALES

Aberdovey and Royal St David’s are must-visits but so are the riches around Dornoch Winner DORNOCH

It’s a shock exit for Royal Porthcawl, Celtic Manor & Co as the variety in the SW of the Principality swings this very tight local derby.

Winner SW WALES

Credit to scenic and affordable Northumberland – Goswick is superb and Bamburgh Castle is pretty – but was never in this clash.

Winner DORNOCH

v SURREY v DORSET

Dorset has some great courses so was unlucky to draw one of the big guns Winner SURREY

v AROUND INVERNESS v ANGUS

Moray, Nairn and Castle Stuart made Inverness a dark horse – but Angus has real depth Winner ANGUS

The biggest shock of the Cup. Surrey loses out because it doesn’t quite have that golf-trip vibe and it’s comparatively expensive.

Winner ANGUS

NCG pp 58-59 Top 100 County v County 17/10/2013 12:16 Page 59

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THE WORLD

A great run but it comes to an end here. Rye and Pulborough are the star attractions but what took Sussex this far was the supporting cast, which also includes Goodwood and East Sussex National.

Winner REST OF FIFE

CUP OF GOLF

WEEKENDS

Where is the best destination for a break in Great Britain? Our knockout has the answer...

v

It’s a hard school when you have two Open venues (Turnberry and Troon) not to mention the likes of Prestwick and the two Gailes and you still can’t reach the last four. This is a reluctant farewell. Winner EAST LOTHIAN

Even shorn of St Andrews, Fife has so much to offer – and that’s why we split them up here. Kingsbarns catches the eye and then there is Ladybank, Scotscraig, Leven, Lundin, the Dukes, Elie, Crail... the list goes on. But we still didn’t think there was quite enough to take down East Lothian.

Winner EAST LOTHIAN

v

Sea views, great value, lots of choice and Swansea and Tenby are both great bases for a trip. Pennard, Ashburnham and Tenby are three real gems. Yet St Andrews still wins with something to spare. Winner ST ANDREWS

We have had some great trips to Angus over the years. The headline act is Carnoustie (all three courses are worth playing after extensive work on the Buddon). Along the coast are fantastic Montrose, Monifieth and Panmure. Go inland to find Downfield, Edzell, Forfar and Letham Grange.

Angus is great value and friendly.

For all that, how could we look past East Lothian? Head east from Edinburgh and the coastline is simply solid golf for miles and miles. The star attractions are Muirfield and North Berwick but there is also Luffness, Gullane (x3) and Dunbar – not to mention three Musselburghs. Worthy winner.

Winner EAST LOTHIAN

Separated by the Firth of Tay, they form the cradle of the game. How could we vote against the Auld Grey Toun, with The Old, plus the New, Jubilee and Eden which flank it, not to mention the Castle Course perched on the cliffs. We dismissed this quality with great reluctance – but Angus has amazing depth.

Winner ANGUS

v

The heart says the Dornoch area but the head says Angus. There’s something ethereal about Dornoch, then you have Golspie, Brora and Tain – plus Skibo Castle if the budget stretches.

But Angus prevails.

Winner ANGUS

ITH so much choice in Great Britain, there are brilliant short golfing trips to be found in all corners of the land. So how do you choose? Well, we split the country up into 32 great trips then drew the names out of a hat at random and started arguing – sorry, discussing.

As you would expect, there were some

W

surprise early casualties and a couple of giant-killing acts.

Controversially, we decided to split St Andrews from the remainder of Fife (there is certainly enough top-class golf to have trips to both) – and that might well have made all the difference to the final result.

We hope you enjoy looking at the results – and giving us your feedback.

NCG pp 60-61 Top 12-9 17/10/2013 12:18 Page 60

TOP 100 UNDER £100

12

SILLOTH ON SOLWAY

Cumbria 2013 green fee: £47 Silloth represents arguably the best value to be found on our list.

Its sheer remoteness (you can’t go any further north and west in England) keeps the crowds away but you will never hear a bad word about the course. No wonder.

With views across the Solway Firth to Scotland on a clear day and a links that is entirely natural, a day out here is simply a joy.

Why it’s special: Some greens are in sunken dells, others are on tabletops – it offers a truly wonderful variety

60 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

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11

ROYAL WEST NORFOLK

Norfolk 2013 green fee: £85 This extraordinary links will probably have you scratching your head at times on your first visit – expect cris-crossing fairways, blind shots and the occasional drive where you will simply have no idea where to aim. Simply brilliant.

Why it’s special: Brancaster is packed with architectural features

10

HANKLEY COMMON

Surrey 2013 green fee: £90 Many of the great Surrey courses are surrounded by houses but Hankley is set within an astonishing 850 acres, and this confers a sense of space and peace.

It’s a magnificent heathland – now extended to over 6,700 yards.

Why it’s special: It’s so quiet you could be in the Cairngorms

9

CRUDEN BAY

Aberdeenshire 2013 green fee: £90 You might find the occasional curmudgeon who will tell you that Cruden is just too quirky but the other 99 per cent of the golfing population absolutely love it.

There are several unforgettable holes here.

Why it’s special: Your first, elevated view of the links on arrival always stirs the soul

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 61

NCG pp 62 Display Ads 18/10/2013 15:04 Page 62

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62 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

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NCG pp 63 Welsh Favourites 17/10/2013 12:20 Page 63

TOP 100 UNDER £100

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OUR FAVOURITE AREAS: WALES Contrasting experiences in the Principality await if you follow in the footsteps of NCG’s trio...

SOUTH WALES

MID WALES

NORTH WALES

By Dan Murphy I have such fond memories of my visits to Tenby in the south-west corner of the country that they are practically sepia-tinged.

In my mind’s eye it is always warm and sunny down here and the charming seaside town is ideal for the apres-golf. As for the course itself it’s a classic of its type, especially the breathtaking opening stretch. There are courses that charge hundreds of pounds for such high-octane drama and have nothing on Tenby’s 3rd and 4th.

My ideal trip to the area would also involve a stay in Swansea and its surrounding area. I love Ashburnham, with its outstanding run of holes around the turn, and then there is Pennard, which can never fail to charm.

The real highlight of a trip to South Wales, though, remains Royal Porthcawl, which has recently undergone significant work to prepare it for next summer’s Senior Open Championship. A night in the dormy house there either side of 18 holes is a rare treat.

By Mark Townsend There are approximately 200 clubs in Wales with just 60,000 male and female golfers so you don’t get to hear anywhere near as much about the merits of golf in the Principality.

Golf in Mid Wales has long hung its hat on Ian Woosnam with the former Masters winner having grown up at Llanymynech, which has 15 holes in Wales and three in England, while the real big guns reside on the coast at Aberdovey and Royal St David’s (see p36).

Otherwise there is Llandrindod Wells or Borth & Ynyslas on the coast.

My personal favourite though would be the nine holes at St Idloes, up the hill from Llanidloes where my dad grew up, and where I had my first round of golf. Further north, at Nefyn, the ritual is to stop after 15 holes and go for a pint at the Ty Coch Inn by the beach.

On Captain’s Day at St Idloes you hit your tee shot at the 8th, preferably as close to the clubhouse as possible, park your bag wherever your ball is and head to the comfort of the bar.

By Chris Bertram Expectations shape our views of golf courses.

You sometimes hear so much about a course that it can never live up to what you imagined.

On the other hand, I always feel I must qualify my affection for North Wales – because I wasn’t expecting something amazing. But even if my pre-trip anticipation was relatively low, I have no hesitation in stating that if I had to send a group of friends on a golf trip, this where I would point them. The north of the Principality doesn’t have the best courses in GB&I, but it does offer the best value.

You will not be disappointed by the courses at Porthmadog, Pwllheli or Conwy and you will be amazed by how little they cost.

You will be thrilled (and probably a bit bemused) by Nefyn and you will love the course and club at Abersoch (a fantastic little town in which to base your trip). And even if my colleague (dubiously) steals Royal St David’s for ‘Mid Wales’, make no mistake, there’s plenty enough other good stuff around. www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 63

NCG pp 65 Top 8-4 17/10/2013 12:21 Page 65

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8

ALWOODLEY

Yorkshire 2013 green fee: £80 This is the first course Dr Alister MacKenzie ever designed in an architectural career that also included Royal Melbourne, Cypress Point and, most famously, Augusta National. At Alwoodley he created a heathland layout of rare subtlety and sophistication.

Partially concealed fairways; eyecatching and irregularly shaped bunkers; strategic choices; and large, often undulating greens are all trademarks of his design genius.

A recent bunker renovation project also included increasing the length of the course to 6,900 yards.

Why it’s special: Reach the 3rd tee and the expansive beauty of Wigton Moor is revealed

7

WEST SUSSEX

Sussex 2013 green fee: £75 This might just be the prettiest heathland course in Britain after Sunningdale and a round here is a blissful experience indeed. It is a surprisingly young course, dating back only to 1930, and measures less than 6,400 yards.

Championship golf it is probably not quite, but you should also be aware that there is only one par 5 (the 1st) against a sensational quintet of varied short holes, making for a miserly par of just 68.

The closing stretch is especially strong here.

Why it’s special: The blend of heather, gorse, silver birches and beautifully-shaped bunkers all lend Pulborough a touch of class

6

ST ENODOC

Cornwall 2013 green fee: £75 St Enodoc has charm. In fact, it has an abundance of it. Being picky, it could be argued there are a few weaker holes, but then again elsewhere it reaches heights few rivals can match. Curiously, certain parts of the course have a parkland feel (the 4th springs to mind) and others are moorland (following the loop around the church) but the best bits occupy sensationally crumpled and natural linksland. Is it exaggerating the point to say that the last three holes (a par 5, a 3 and a long 4) are the best in the land? The start is pretty good too.

Why it’s special: It’s worth coming just to see the cavernous Himalaya bunker on the 6th

5

GANTON

Yorkshire 2013 green fee: £75 We can blame Ganton, indirectly, for the oxymoronic term ‘inland links’. In this case, and in this case alone, the description is accurate.

Some nine miles west of the seaside town of Scarborough, Ganton is surrounded by farmland yet its firm, sandy soil, true greens, gorse-lined fairways and deep bunkers are the real deal. A fantastic course in the winter, length is never really the biggest issue here, even though it stretches to over 6,900 yards from the championship tees installed ahead of hosting the 2003 Walker Cup. The real key is avoiding sand.

Why it’s special: Positioning and strategy count for so much here

4

SAUNTON (EAST)

Devon 2013 green fee: £79 Arguably Herbert Fowler’s finest creation (along with Walton Heath), what sets Saunton apart is that, much like at Royal Birkdale, the holes tend to run through corridors between the dunes rather than through them. This means the fairways are largely flat and stances are even.

Aside from an unremarkable stretch after the turn, the standard is maintained throughout and Saunton certainly finishes in some style with the par-3 17th and its elevated tee especially eyecatching. This is the real deal.

Why it’s special: The view across the links from the 1st tee is one of the best in golf

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 65

The Mackenzie Collection 18/10/2013 16:46 Page 1

The MacKenzie Collection Famous as the designer of Augusta National & Cypress Point, 3 of Mackenzie’s masterpieces are much closer to home

Alwoodley Dr Alister MacKenzie’s first design and one of his finest is set to host the 2015 English Amateur

Ganton Hosted the 1949 Ryder Cup, The Curtis Cup in 2000 and The Walker Cup in 2003

Moortown One of Dr Alister MacKenzie’s finest designs and a former Ryder Cup venue

&

The MacKenzie Collection Bookings t: +44 (0) 1943 609888 e: peter@whiterosegolfbreaks.co.uk | online www.whiterosegolfbreaks.co.uk

NCG pp 67 Top 3 17/10/2013 12:22 Page 67

TOP 100 UNDER £100

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3

WOODHALL SPA

Lincolnshire 2013 green fee: £88 Woodhall Spa is perhaps not the most exciting course you will ever play but it is surely one of the best.

Understated compared to, say, Sunningdale (then again where isn’t?) it nevertheless stands comparison with allcomers when discussions of the nation’s finest inland courses arise. It’s heathland in style, and brutally bunkered, so much so that many require steps to access them. This is a course of few weaknesses in terms of design and it is impeccably presented.

Why it’s special: Woodhall is classy, stringent and technically excellent throughout

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 67

NCG pp 68-69 Personal Fav's, Top 2 17/10/2013 12:23 Page 68

TOP 100 UNDER £100

PERRANPORTH

By Mark Townsend WHEN it was mentioned that I was heading to Perranporth one local likened it to playing on the moon – which might explain why American astronaut Alan Shepard took his clubs all those years ago.

This is eccentric and charming in equal measure and is precisely what you are after for a fun day on the links.

Uneven lies, blind shots and perfect views for miles around, it really gets the juices flowing. A personal favourite is the par-5 2nd ‘Whym Wham (This Way and That)’ which, as it suggests, doglegs twice.

Cornwall’s answer to Cruden Bay or Pennard. Magic.

PERSONAL FAVOURITES

WHY WE’RE IN LOVE WITH...

We’ve got a real soft spot for these low-profile courses. Dan Murphy starts with Golspie WAS saddened to hear news last winter of the storm that had laid waste to several fairways and greens at Golspie, which is the northernmost of Scotland’s great seaside courses, a few miles to the north even of Dornoch. This is a modest, community-based club with few of the resources that others of a similar standard might be able to call upon.

And yet I also knew that while Golspie might not be materially rich, it is a club with great togetherness and spirit. We reported last month on how all at the club (and indeed in the town, which is in some ways the same thing) pulled together to repair the damage and, incredibly, the course already looks as good as ever, to judge by the pictures I have seen.

I

TWO MORE SECRETS In among Ayrshire’s classics is Irvine, which is easy to bypass given the riches of the area. You really should make time, though, because there are some wonderful holes and the feel of a proper club.

Similarly, don’t visit Norfolk without calling in at King’s Lynn. Golfers rightly travel to Norfolk to play seaside golf but this is an inland course that never fails to delight and is always well presented.

You would not wish the fate that befell them on anyone but I would back Golspie more than almost anywhere else I can think of to deal with it.

Regrettably, I have not made it up to the Highlands myself this year to look at the repairs for myself but I can assure you I will be

68 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

back before long. Apart from the genuineness of the locals, I absolutely love the course, which manages to combine links with parkland with heathland with woodland at various stages. It isn’t the longest or hardest or most spectacular layout I have ever played but it is one I look forward to tackling again more than many more famous names.

When visiting here, I suggest you stay in Brora’s fantastic and modern apartments, which are perfect for a travelling golfer’s needs. Together with Brora, Tain and, of course, Royal Dornoch itself – not to mention the Struie course there – you have the basis of a trip that not only offers seaside golf of the highest calibre, but also incredible value and an indefinable sense of having nourished your golfing soul.

BLAIRGOWRIE

By Chris Bertram IS nominating Blairgowrie as my own little secret really a surprise? Yes – because I’m not referring to the Rosemount. Its sister course the Lansdowne is, in my opinion, equally as good.

It is certainly more exacting and those who put more emphasis on the strategic than the aesthetic will undoubtedly enjoy it. The pretty Rosemount offers wide fairways and flat greens; here there is less of an onus on the picturesque and more of an insistence on ball-striking.

For final proof of their equality? The courses now share the same green fee.

NCG pp 68-69 Personal Fav's, Top 2 17/10/2013 12:23 Page 69

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2

NAIRN

Highlands 2013 green fee: £95 Nairn is one of the prettiest links you will ever play, with sea views across to the Black Isle and the Highlands beyond.

Most of the front nine plays adjacent to the beach and close enough to see and smell the ocean. Then comes something different as you turn briefly uphill and inland before returning to the shore. The constant throughout is incredible playing surfaces. Nairn was a worthy host of last summer’s Curtis Cup, when GB&I’s ladies defeated the Americans.

Why it’s special: The greens here are the purest you will ever putt on

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 69

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1

NORTH BERWICK

East Lothian 2013 green fee: £90 North Berwick, to the east of Edinburgh, is one of the original Scottish links and it is fair to say it is as fine a specimen as you will find. Simultaneously quirky and honest, it is simply a delight to play.

Why it’s special: It exemplifies all that is joyous and yet unpretentious about seaside golf

70 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

NCG pp 70-71 Top 1 17/10/2013 12:24 Page 71

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A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE Why we chose East Lothian links North Berwick to be our No 1

ORTH Berwick was founded in 1832 and little has changed since the 1930s when the local clubmaker Ben Sayers refined the existing layout. So if you are looking to visit a links that exemplifies this form of the game and is rooted in the game’s history then North Berwick would be a good place to start. From the clubhouse that bears more than a passing resemblance to that of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews to an expanse of uneven and rippling linksland, it is simply a classic.

N

North Berwick is quite a test of your skill, as anyone who has tackled it when the wind is blowing – which is more often than not – will be able to testify.

But it is not quite as fearsome a prospect as, say, Muirfield just down the road and one of its great appeals is that you can play here as a golfer of average ability and not be humiliated. At least not until you get to the infamous 16th green, at any rate.

All of the essential links elements have aligned themselves here.

There are romantic views of Bass Rock, Fife and the Firth of Forth – maybe even from the beach if you should slice your tee shot at the 2nd to find a rather natural and expansive bunker.

There is a sense of the quirky and the unique, where the land demands the occasional hole that simply could not (and should not) be imitated elsewhere. For example, on the 12th hole here a stone wall divides the green from the fairway and means you can be 10 feet or so from the hole and have to play backwards.

There are features of architectural genius, the fundamentals of which have been re-created all around the world.

The famous par-3 15th is called Redan and derives its name from a Russian fort that British forces captured in the Crimean War. The raised green is set diagonally across the line of play. The further to the left you go, the longer the carry over a pair of fearsome bunkers. The

temptation is to aim over these hazards at the flag but a better idea is to play slightly to the right, ideally with a draw, and allow the contours to gather your shot back towards the hole.

Finally, there are also several great holes – by anyone’s standards. Take the risk-andreward nature of the long 9th, where two centrally positioned bunkers split a wide fairway in two. Drive to the left near the out-of-bounds fence and the green might just be within range in two. The safer, but longer, route is to head right.

“There are views of Bass Rock and the Firth of Forth” In short, so much of North Berwick is memorable, and for all the right reasons.

All the while, the turf is perfect – firm, pale and a joy to strike iron shots from. The greens are true, even-paced and mainly flat, with a couple of egregious exceptions.

You play the first nine away from the clubhouse and then the 10th, called Eastward Ho!, marks the beginning of the homeward stretch. By the time you reach the 17th green, much like at St Andrews, you can feel yourself returning into the town.

North Berwick is thought to be the 13th-oldest golf club in the world. Not many are older, and not many are superior.

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 71

NCG pp 72 Top 100 Map 17/10/2013 12:26 Page 72

TOP 100 UNDER £100

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THE TOP 100 LIST IN FULL – AND WHERE TO FIND THEM 1 North Berwick, East Lothian

10 Hankley Common, Surrey

19 St Andrews (New), Fife

52 Delamere Forest, Cheshire

2 Nairn, Highlands

11 Royal West Norfolk, Norfolk

20 Burnham & Berrow, Somerset

53 Trevose, Cornwall

3 Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire

12 Silloth On Solway, Cumbria

21 Worplesdon, Surrey

54 Parkstone, Dorset

4 Saunton (East), Devon

13 Hunstanton, Norfolk

22 Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire

55 Royal North Devon, Devon

5 Ganton, Yorkshire

14 Southport & Ainsdale, Lancashire

23 Aldeburgh, Suffolk

56 Murcar, Aberdeen

6 St Enodoc, Cornwall

15 West Lancashire, Lancashire

24 Moortown, Yorkshire

57 Ashburnham, South Wales

7 West Sussex, Sussex

16 Machrihanish, Argyll & Bute

25 Woking, Surrey

58 Luffness, East Lothian

8 Alwoodley, Yorkshire

17 Aberdovey, West Wales

26 Gullane No.1, East Lothian

59 Tenby, South Wales

9 Cruden Bay, Aberdeen

18 Notts (Hollinwell), Nottinghamshire

27 The Addington, Surrey

60 Spey Valley, Highlands

28 Liphook, Hampshire

61 Prince’s, Kent

29 West Hill, Surrey

62 Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northum

30 Ladybank, Fife

63 Pennard, South Wales

31 Royal Worlington & N, Suffolk

64 Littlestone, Kent

32 Royal St David’s, West Wales

65 Scotscraig, Fife

33 The Machrie, Argyll & Bute

66 Castletown, Isle of Man

34 Boat of Garten, Highlands

67 Monifieth, Angus

35 St Andrews (Jubilee), Fife

68 St Mellion (Nicklaus), Devon

36 Dundonald, Ayrshire

69 Golspie, Highlands

37 Saunton (West), Devon

70 Leven Links, Fife

38 Little Aston, Staffordshire

71 Brora, Highlands

39 Ferndown Old, Dorset

72 Conwy, North Wales

40 Southerness, Dumfries & Galloway

73 Seaton Carew, Durham

41 Blairgowrie (Rosemount), Perthshire

74 Lundin Links, Fife

42 New Zealand, Surrey

75 Broadstone, Dorset

43 Dunbar, East Lothian

76 Irvine Bogside, Ayrshire

44 Beau Desert, Staffordshire

77 Ashridge, Hertfordshire

45 Seacroft, Lincolnshire

78 Lindrick, Nottinghamshire

46 Panmure, Angus

79 Pyle & Kenfig, South Wales

47 Glasgow Gailes Links, Ayrshire

80 Chart Hills, Kent

48 Royal Ashdown Forest (Old), Sussex

81 Hindhead, Surrey

49 Moray Old, Moray

82 St Annes Old Links, Lancashire

50 Machrihanish Dunes, Argyll & Bute

83 Perranporth, Cornwall

51 Montrose, Angus

84 Gullane (No 2), East Lothian

69 71 49 2 9 56

34 60

46 51 67 41 85

19 30 35

92

65 70 74 1 26 43 58 84 95 33 50 16

62

36 47 76 100 40 12

73

99 5 66

89

82

14 15

85 Blairgowrie (Lansdowne), Perthshire

8 24

86 Ipswich (Purdis Heath), Suffolk

88 72

87 Luffenham Heath, Rutland 52

88 Wallasey, Cheshire

78 18 22 44 38

32 17

3

45

89 Fulford, Yorkshire

13 11 87

98 31

97

90 Blackmoor, Hampshire 91 Isle of Purbeck, Dorset 92 Downfield, Angus

86 23

93 Hayling, Hampshire 94 North Hants, Hampshire

57 63

59 10 21 25

77 79

4 37

90

55

39 75 54 91

96 53 83

96 Bude & North Cornwall, Cornwall

94

27 29 42 81

6

68

95 Dalmahoy, Lothian

20 28

93

48 7

61 80 64

97 Sheringham, Norfolk 98 King’s Lynn, Norfolk 99 Seascale, Cumbria 100 Kilmarnock Barassie, Ayrshire

Masters Promo Open 17/10/2013 14:32 Page 2

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2014 MASTERS Enjoy a week at Augusta that you will never forget

Ever fancied going to the Masters at Augusta but didn't think it was possible?

Well, think again. We can arrange the whole trip for you – from flights and accommodation to those all-important entry badges.

This trip of a lifetime could be the perfect way to celebrate everything from a 50th birthday to your wedding anniversary. It could even be the stag do to end all stag dos, and all you have to do is make your way to the airport.

We have devised a selection of superb Masters hospitality packages for 2014 that are brilliant value for money.

With prices starting at just £2,295 per person, you could watch Adam Scott defend his Green Jacket for less money than five nights in a posh London hotel.

Where will I stay?

Columbia – a town an hour away from Augusta. At the event, your base will be the 1018 Club, 400 yards from Magnolia Lane.

Are flights included?

No, due to the diverse needs of our guests. We can book your flights if you need us to.

Which airports can I fly from?

The two most popular are Manchester and Heathrow.

How long is the flight?

From Manchester, the flight to Philadelphia is eight hours. Then there is a 70-minute hop to Columbia.

How much golf can I watch?

The decision is yours - our packages range from one day at the course to four but we can accommodate any request.

Can I play golf when I'm there?

Of course - let us know at the time of booking and we’ll organise it for you.

How much is it going to cost me?

Prices start from £2,295 per person. We require half of the money up front.

How much spending money will I need?

Once you are out there, drinks and food are free in the hospitality area so, in theory, you don’t have to spend a penny more.

Call 01132 893 979 email masters@sportspub.co.uk or visit

www.nationalclubgolfer.com/masters 2 AUGUST 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

Masters Promo Open 17/10/2013 14:33 Page 3

THE JUNIPER TOUR £2,295per person*

Arriving on Friday this tour includes viewing of the alwaysexciting final round, transport to and from the course, three nights' accommodation in the Marriott Hotel, and full hospitality at our exclusive venue at Northwood.

What the price includes: • A pass to see the final round of the 2014 Masters • Transport to and from Augusta • Three nights four-star hotel accommodation • Hospitality at the 1018 Club • Golf on Saturday can be arranged • Full itinerary and event documentation *based on twin sharing, flights not included

THE MAGNOLIA TOUR £3,695per person*

You will arrive on Thursday for the first of your four nights' accommodation at the Marriott Hotel, Columbia. The Magnolia package includes viewing of the tournament on Friday and Sunday with the option of playing golf on the Saturday. What the price includes: • Live action Friday and Sunday at the Masters • Transport to and from Augusta • Four nights four-star hotel accommodation • Hospitality at the 1018 Club • Golf on Saturday can be arranged • Full itinerary and event documentation *based on twin sharing, flights not included

THE REDBUD TOUR £4,995per person*

THE HOLLY TOUR £6,695per person*

You will arrive on the Tuesday April for six nights' accommodation and three days at Augusta.

Golf on Thursday and Saturday at top quality local courses is included. What the price includes: • Live golf on Wednesday, Friday & Sunday at the Masters • Transport to and from Augusta • Six nights of four-star hotel accommodation • Hospitality at the 1018 Club • Golf on Thursday at Woodcreek GC with transfers • Golf on Saturday at Hounds Lake with transfers • Full itinerary and event documentation *based on twin sharing, flights not included

The golf enthusiast's dream package. You will arrive on the Monday and stay at the Sheraton Hotel for seven nights, viewing the golf on four days and playing on Tuesday where many of the players live and practice during Masters week.

What the price includes: • Live golf on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday • Transport to and from Augusta • Seven nights of four-star hotel accommodation • Hospitality at the 1018 Club • Golf on Tuesday and Thursday, with transfers • Full itinerary and event documentation *based on twin sharing, flights not included www.nationalclubgolfer.com | AUGUST 2013 3

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NCG pp 77 Instruction Lead 17/10/2013 14:02 Page 77

Instruction section in association with

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YOUR GAME Hit it further and straighter | Hole more putts | Sharpen your short game | Golf psychology | Fitness tips

EVER THINK OF

LAYING UP? AKE a look at this 248-yard par 3 with a Stroke Index of 3! A good driver for most with some players not even able to reach. This means that at least 90 per cent of you receive a stroke.

T

Option A If you can hit the green then are you confident that in the event you miss the green you can still tackle the bunker shot or greenside chip to save your score.

Option B If not, play a club that not only makes the target and landing area bigger and easier to hit but also leaves a less dangerous approach.

Option C There is nothing wrong with playing it like a short par 4. This gives you the chance to hit a club you are a lot more confident and accurate with, but it allows you to take all the trouble and risk away from the tee shot.

If you play your tee shot into position, leaving a shot of well under 100 yards, you are there for zero and have now made the hole a 70-yard par 3. How is your confidence now to make par from there with no hint of a six or seven?

Stuart Wilson is the professional at Eastwood GC near Glasgow. He is one of over 1,000 Foremost pros from all over the UK to give tuition.www.stuartwilsonpro.co.uk

Shot on location at Las Colinas Golf & Country Club

THE UK’S LARGEST GOLF RETAIL GROUP WWW.FOREMOSTGOLF.COM

THE UK’S LARGEST GOLF RETAIL GROUP WWW.FOREMOSTGOLF.COM

SAND

THE UK’S LARGEST GOLF RETAIL GROUP WWW.FOREMOSTGOLF.COM

How your hips can help to produce a better coil

DESIGNS Just because you are in a fairway bunker doesn’t mean you can’t hit the green

OR most golfers this shot doesn’t impose too many troubles about getting out, however most amateurs struggle to control

F

their distances due to incorrect ball contact and club selection.

If you follow these simple steps, you will not only get out but will have greater control over your distances and ball flight.

Shot on location at Hacienda Del Alamo in Murcia. Visit www.clubdegolfhda.com

DON’T BE GREEDY The closer you are to the lip the more loft is needed. The further you are away from the lip, the more aggressive you can be with

your club selection. It is therefore important that you have a general knowledge about your launch angles for each club.

ALL IN THE

OME people in golf can coil but the majority of club golfers haven’t got the flexibility to achieve this and must turn instead. There is a major difference.

A coil is created on the backswing by turning the upper half against the lower half, in other words we are trying to rotate our shoulders against a resistance in the legs and hips. The club golfer, however, needs to create a full turn of the torso by allowing the hips to turn freely instead of resisting.

S

HANDS How to adopt a good putting grip

BALL IS FORWARD Once the club is chosen, we are aiming to make a clean contact on the ball to optimise maximum distance and start finding greens.

Grip half an inch down the shaft

with a slight increase in pressure.

You ball position should be slightly forward to encourage an upward strike and clipping the ball as clean as possible.

Shot on location at Las Colinas Golf & Country Club

Guy Wills is head professional at Fulford. He is one of over 1,000 Foremost pros from all over the UK to give tuition. For more www.willsgolf.co.uk

78 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

ALSO INSIDE n ESCAPE ARTIST P78 Deal with fairway bunkers n IN HAND P80 Tips on your putting grip n COILED UP P82 How to create power more efficiently

Here I am resisting with the lower half of my body as I try to create a 90˚ shoulder turn. But I have created so much tension in the lower half of the body that I have just stunted all movement.

ONE GOOD TURN

Shot on location at Las Colinas Golf & Country Club

Neil Darnell is the head pro at Mannings Heath which is home to two championship courses in Sussex. He is one of over 1,000 Foremost pros from all over the UK. Visit www.manningsheath.com

SHALLOW ATTACK Settle your feet into the sand being careful not to go too deep as this will cause the swing arc to bottom out under the ball and cause too

much sand contact. Swing with a shallower angle of attack and swing smoothly at about 90 per cent of your full power.

80 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

Stuart Dowsett is head professional at Sundridge Park in Kent. He is one of over 1,000 Foremost professionals from all over the UK to give tuition. Contact Stuart on 02084 605 540 or visit www.stuartdowsett.co.uk

82 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

Now I have produced a free turn of the hips which has allowed the torso to create a full turn.

If you are really inflexible why don’t you try to lift your left heel off the ground too?

Getting your big muscles

involved in the swing is a very important part of creating consistency for all golfers.

It starts in the set-up, which then allows us to create the full movements of the trunk in the backswing.

The way you set your feet at address will directly affect how you turn – so I probably don’t need to emphasise how important it is to set-up with them in a position that will help you.

If you feel that you have too

much lower body movement, try setting up with your feet pointing straight ahead. But if like the vast majority you have difficulty turning try to set up with your feet flared out (above); this will really help you to create a full turn.

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 83

NCG pp 78-79 Wills Instruction 17/10/2013 10:39 Page 78

THE UK’S LARGEST GOLF RETAIL GROUP WWW.FOREMOSTGOLF.COM

SAND

DESIGNS Just because you are in a fairway bunker doesn’t mean you can’t hit the green

OR most golfers this shot doesn’t impose too many troubles about getting out, however most amateurs struggle to control

F

their distances due to incorrect ball contact and club selection.

If you follow these simple steps, you will not only get out but will have greater control over your distances and ball flight.

Shot on location at Las Colinas Golf & Country Club

Guy Wills is head professional at Fulford. He is one of over 1,000 Foremost pros from all over the UK to give tuition. For more www.willsgolf.co.uk

78 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

NCG pp 78-79 Wills Instruction 17/10/2013 10:40 Page 79

DON’T BE GREEDY The closer you are to the lip the more loft is needed. The further you are away from the lip, the more aggressive you can be with

your club selection. It is therefore important that you have a general knowledge about your launch angles for each club.

BALL IS FORWARD Once the club is chosen, we are aiming to make a clean contact on the ball to optimise maximum distance and start finding greens.

Grip half an inch down the shaft

with a slight increase in pressure.

You ball position should be slightly forward to encourage an upward strike and clipping the ball as clean as possible.

SHALLOW ATTACK Settle your feet into the sand being careful not to go too deep as this will cause the swing arc to bottom out under the ball and cause too

much sand contact. Swing with a shallower angle of attack and swing smoothly at about 90 per cent of your full power.

NCG pp 80-81 Darnell Foremost 17/10/2013 12:40 Page 80

THE UK’S LARGEST GOLF RETAIL GROUP WWW.FOREMOSTGOLF.COM

ALL IN THE

HANDS How to adopt a good putting grip

Shot on location at Las Colinas Golf & Country Club

Neil Darnell is the head pro at Mannings Heath which is home to two championship courses in Sussex. He is one of over 1,000 Foremost pros from all over the UK. Visit www.manningsheath.com

80 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

NCG pp 80-81 Darnell Foremost 17/10/2013 12:40 Page 81

A grip must give feel. If you’re unsure which one to use I’ve described the most common, neutral, right-below-left grip. Let your arms hang loose and face the palms to each other.

The back of your left hand and the palm of your right should face each other and the putter must be aligned. Keep your forearms level – the right forearm can get too high.

Watch that the club doesn’t get too low in the left hand; it can promote too much hand action. It can also set the shaft at too low an angle and too much curvature in the path.

The grip should run along the lifeline of the palm. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ in terms of pressure, but what is adopted must remain consistent through the stroke.

NCG pp 82-83 Dowsett Foremost 17/10/2013 12:41 Page 82

ONE GOOD TURN How your hips can help to produce a better coil

OME people in golf can coil but the majority of club golfers haven’t got the flexibility to achieve this and must turn instead. There is a major difference.

A coil is created on the backswing by turning the upper half against the lower half, in other words we are trying to rotate our shoulders against a resistance in the legs and hips. The club golfer, however, needs to create a full turn of the torso by allowing the hips to turn freely instead of resisting.

S

Stuart Dowsett is head professional at Sundridge Park in Kent. He is one of over 1,000 Foremost professionals from all over the UK to give tuition. Contact Stuart on 02084 605 540 or visit www.stuartdowsett.co.uk

82 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

NCG pp 82-83 Dowsett Foremost 17/10/2013 12:42 Page 83

THE UK’S LARGEST GOLF RETAIL GROUP WWW.FOREMOSTGOLF.COM

Here I am resisting with the lower half of my body as I try to create a 90˚ shoulder turn. But I have created so much tension in the lower half of the body that I have just stunted all movement.

Shot on location at Hacienda Del Alamo in Murcia. Visit www.clubdegolfhda.com

Now I have produced a free turn of the hips which has allowed the torso to create a full turn.

If you are really inflexible why don’t you try to lift your left heel off the ground too?

Getting your big muscles

involved in the swing is a very important part of creating consistency for all golfers.

It starts in the set-up, which then allows us to create the full movements of the trunk in the backswing.

The way you set your feet at address will directly affect how you turn – so I probably don’t need to emphasise how important it is to set-up with them in a position that will help you.

If you feel that you have too

much lower body movement, try setting up with your feet pointing straight ahead. But if like the vast majority you have difficulty turning try to set up with your feet flared out (above); this will really help you to create a full turn.

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 83

NCG Academies 17/10/2013 14:34 Page 2

PLAY | LEARN | ENJOY

WINTER GOLF ACADEMIES Golfer NATIONAL

By

CLUB

T R A V E L

Escape the cold this winter and join us for a week of playing and teaching at fabulous 5-star Penina in the Algarve.

transform your game; for the social golfer they are great fun weeks, with the added benefit that you leave a better golfer.

Our teaching weeks have something for everyone: for the better player it is the ideal way to get your game in shape for the new season; for the higher handicapper it could be the week you make the changes to

We organise informal competitions with great prizes – and our unique handicap system ensures everyone has a chance of winning. Think a ski trip for golf, in better weather – 10 hours of tuition, five rounds, a 5-star

resort and a great climate when winter is gripping the UK! Our head teaching professional Richard Ellis leads the weeks, and is supported by a team of top PGA professionals. Richard is one of the top teaching pros in the UK. He has gained hands-on experience from working with some of the best-known coaches and players in the game.

Call +44(0) 1753 754355 or Email golfpro@golfbreaks.com or visit www.golfbreaks.com/pga-pro for more information

NCG Academies 17/10/2013 14:34 Page 3

TRIP DATES

“

I was nervous about coming but we had a great fun, learned a lot and I can't wait to come back!

– Olivia Brown, Novice with no handicap

”

“

I would highly recommend these trips. It is individually tailored and you get lots of attention from the three pros – Nigel Hall, 17 Handicap

November: Saturday 15th - Thursday 21st December: Saturday 14th - Thursday 19th January: Saturday 18th - Thursday 24th February: Saturday 15th - Thursday 21st March: Saturday 15th - Thursday 21st

”

“

I am hitting it great! Highly recommended as an intensive week to get your game in shape – Johnny Marsh, 6 Handicap

”

WHAT’S INCLUDED 5 nights’ B&B at 5* Penina 4 rounds of golf 2 hours’ coaching per day Complimentary transfers Complimentary range balls

From

per person without coaching

£649 per person £749 with coaching From

* Based on twin or double sharing & exclusive of flights

Golfer NATIONAL

CLUB

& We’ve partnered with Golfbreaks.com to deliver these weeks. Golfbreaks.com are the largest golf travel company in Europe and as a member of ABTA & IAGTO, you can be safe in the knowledge that you are travelling with a recognised and respected industry leader.

Golfbreaks.com are also ATOL bonded and can book flights for these trips.

T R A V E L

NCG Newsletters 17/10/2013 14:31 Page 1

Get more out of

nationalclubgolfer.com Want the latest news, tips and hot topics straight into your inbox? Our award-winning newsletters have a great new look so you can choose what you want to read about. Whether you want to keep up to date with

what happened in the golf at the weekend, weigh in on controversial topics, access great tips in time for the weekend medal or receive all three, you can update your preferences accordingly.

CHOOSE THE CONTENT THAT REALLY INTERESTS YOU

THE INSIDER When does it go out? Every Monday at 10am What’s in it? Our team of writers analyse the weekend’s golf and provide you with the five main talking points from the professional game. Excellent insight and exclusive imagery.

WEDNESDAY ROLL-UP When does it go out? Every Wednesday at noon What’s in it? Two of our journalists debate the most pressing topic of the week and our readers get to have their say, with the best commenters getting published in the magazine.

FRIDAY FIX When does it go out? Every Friday at 11am What’s in it? A mix of highly respected PGA pros and tour players offer exclusive instruction absolutely free. Get ready for your weekend medal round with our help.

Head to nationalclubgolfer.com today and sign up. It’s absolutely free!

NCG pp 87 Equipment Lead 17/10/2013 14:05 Page 87

EQUIPMENT Comprehensive and objective gear tests | The latest releases | Competitions | Fashion | Accessories

THE APEX

Powerful face Carpenter steel increases ball speed for more distance

Fine forging Soft carbon steel offers gorgeous feel and feedback

Weight plugs Tungsten ports on the long irons increase launch angle

FACTOR

Clean lines The Apex iron has a classic appearance and finish

Callaway’s latest iron is designed to offer a potent mix of serious ball speed and silky soft feel.

The Apex is forged from fine carbon steel and as such is soft yet responsive at impact and delivers lots of feedback. Callaway say this labour-intensive process also improves distance consistency.

To bring the power, Callaway added a carpenter steel face that generates additional ball speed for more distance from the same swing.

Other features include tungsten sole inserts in the long irons for a higher launch and more forgiveness, and a new, wide groove that delivers more consistent spin from any lie.

A price is yet to be released.

Expect sets to be available in 3SW including AW and in shops before Christmas.

Groovy, baby An exciting new pattern offers consistency from all lies

Gossip about who’s using what on the world’s tours

PING ADD TO SCOTTSDALE PUTTER RANGE

NEW BRIDGESTONE BALL? It looks like Bridgestone are about to launch a new four-piece tour ball.

Both Brandt Snedeker and Matt Kuchar used one at the Presidents Cup. Snedeker claims it spins more and is ‘a little longer’.

Ping have added three new putter models to their popular Scottsdale TR family, including an updated version of the famous Craz-E. The trio of models all feature the same variable-depth grooves (that boost forgiveness on mis-hits) and adjustable-length shafts.

COVERT 2.0 COMING Images of a new Nike VR_S Covert driver have been spotted. It will be named the Covert 2.0, keeps its distinctive red crown and cavity and looks like it will be adjustable.

They are the blade-style Anser T (£129), a Senita B with counterbalanced weights in the grip (£195 adjustable) and the Craz-E, which is now 10 years old and has the same striking alignment aid and shape with the new insert for forgiveness (£165 adjustable).

MATTEO’S FORGIVING IRON

FITTING AND ADJUSTABILITY

Matteo Manassero is using a Titleist AP2 714 4-iron. The rest of his set is the new MB 714 blade. It shows even some tour players value the ability to hit the ball higher in their long irons.

How a new company is making fully customisable brass putters which offer ultimate feel

ALDILA GO GREEN AND BLUE

Burton Putters are a new company dedicated to developing customisable and fully adjustable putters. Two PGA pros have founded the company: putting specialist Stuart Burley, author of ‘The 5 Fundamentals of Good Putting’, and David Poulton, a renowned clubmaker.

“It took two years to work out how to make a putter which could work with interchangeable parts,” said Burley (pictured right).

“There was no reference for such a putter and it took a lot of trial and error. The end result was unique.

It performed extremely well and was very popular amongst very serious golfers who could justify spending over £600 for a putter.”

Last year Burley set up his own workshop and production facility to make the new prototypes at a more appealing price point. This involved a totally new design and a decision to use brass in the head.

“Brass is perfect; soft, very responsive and denser than steel

Shaft experts Aldila have revealed two new models that are proving a real hit on tour.

The Tour Green and Tour Blue are designed to maximise power and improve feel and feature the brand's new Micro Laminate Technology (MLT) which improves consistency.

The Tour Green and Tour Blue offer contrasting launches and spin rates.

PHIL’S KBS SHAFT There’s a strong chance the iron shaft designed by Phil Mickelson and KBS is to be released to the public. It’s the one the left-hander used to win the Open and has lots of stability with a tight dispersion.

Perfect.

BUBBA SWITCHES It’s taken nine years but Bubba Watson has finally made an iron switch. The big-hitter is now the owner of a set of Ping S55 irons, which he helped to design, after a long relationship with the S59s.

CARL’S SWITCH US-based Swede Carl Pettersson is joining TaylorMade after a long spell with Nike Golf. He used his new clubs in a tournament for the first time last month.

ON A NEW LEVEL

88 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

SEE AND TRY THE PUTTERS Burton Putters will be exhibiting at the London Golf Show, which takes place at Earls Court, November 8-10. There will also be a programme of 2014 demo days across the UK. Burton will sell their putters directly online next year, with full fitting instructions provided. A free fitting session post-purchase will be included.

SRP: £325 burtonputters.com

making the weight distribution effect more effective. Even the softest stainless steel cannot compete with its performance.

The finished product is quite different to anything else. It is heavier than expected but feels very stable. The difference in strike and feel is remarkable.

“Ten years ago the standard weight of a putter was 330g. Now it is more like 360g. Heavier putters promote a better tempo and my mantra is you should work with gravity and not against it.

“With the adjustability of our putters, the weight varies from between 350 and 400g with the average choice around 370g.”

Burley has also invented a new hosel system, bringing Poulton’s ‘Retro Fitting’ system into the equation, where experts across Europe help customers fine-tune their Burton Putter as an aftersales service. The Burton Custom model has been nominated for the IF international design awards.

The Tour Blue has a moderately-stiff tip, low torque and a low kick point, which offers a high launch with lots of stability and moderate spin.

Conversely, the Tour Green has a stiffer tip with a bit more torque and a high kick point. This adds up to a low launch and low spin, ideal for stronger players.

Both are expected to be stock shafts in many new releases.

NIKE’S NEW MOD IS NO CON Nike’s latest putters combine innovation with tradition to offer timeless shapes and unbeatable performance.

The Method MOD family again utilises the brand’s famous polymetal groove technology to lift the ball at impact and get it rolling quicker with less chance of skidding and sliding.

It is milled for consistency and feel, and comes in four shapes that are all designed with low, deep centres of gravity for a better roll. SRP: £180

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 89

ROUND-UP OF ALL THE LATEST EQUIPMENT RELEASES

91 CAN A WATERPROOF SUIT REALLY

HELP YOU HIT IT FURTHER? According to Nike, their new HyperAdapt will do just that. So we put their claims to the test

CAN NIKE’S HYPERADAPT SUIT REALLY GAIN YOU DISTANCE?

CAN JOHN

LETTERS

GIVE YOU 47 EXTRA

MPROVING the distance you hit the ball makes golf much easier – there’s no getting away from it. Your second shots are shorter, as are the clubs you will be hitting, which improves your chances of finding the middle of the face.

A couple of extra yards would be welcomed with open arms by the majority of club players, but John Letters are promising even more.

Indeed, the historic brand are running a challenge in which you have a custom fitting with their new TR-47 clubs and measure the

I

results against your current set.

They believe the clubs, which have extremely thin and fast faces, can give all types of player a minimum of 47 extra yards throughout their set. A bold claim indeed.

We heard that higher handicappers were getting the best results, so sent off two singlefigure handicappers with customfitted equipment to see if better players with tailored gear could also benefit from the scheme.

Our findings were very interesting.

To find out more about the TR-47 range and book a fitting, visit johnletters.com

YARDS? We dispatched two of our team to Huddersfield to find out more about the brand’s TR-47 challenge...

WILL SHUCKSMITH | Club: Alwoodley n H’cap: +3 About his game: Extremely hard on himself but without doubt a superb ball striker and strong in every area. Has a tendency to lose it to the left but has Seve-like recovery powers.

CURRENT CLUBS Driver: 10.5˚, extra stiff Hybrid: 20˚, extra stiff Irons: 2-PW, Project X non-flighted 6.5 shafts Wedges: 52, 56 & 60˚, Project X non-flighted 6.5 shafts

BIGGEST GAINS (CARRY) Before After 8 iron (16): 163 yards 179 yards 3 wood (14): 265 yards 279 yards 6 iron (12): 185 yards 197 yards 7 iron (9): 179 yards 188 yards Hybrid (8): 252 yards 260 yards Driver (7): 285 yards 292 yards 9 iron (6): 158 yards 164 yards

TR47 SPECS TESTED

FITTER JAMES’ ANALYSIS

Driver: 9˚, extra stiff Fujikura Rombax shaft; Fairway wood: 15˚, extra stiff Aldila NV shaft; Hybrid: 20˚, stiff UST ProForce V2 shaft; Irons: Project X 6.0 non-flighted shafts; Wedges: Project X 6.0

Will hits his current clubs extremely well but seems to have some large distance gaps that needed filling.

With TR-47 his irons had 10-yard gaps, which was a massive improvement these stats don’t show.

WILL’S VERDICT ON THE CHALLENGE

Photography by Joe Whitley

88

EQUIPMENT

INSIDER

I genuinely didn’t expect to get such an increase in distance.

The irons felt like rockets even when I

didn’t catch them. It would have been nice to try a stiffer shaft, though, as I wasn’t sure if that was to

thank. Overall this proves you can gain whatever your ability.

TOTAL DISTANCE GAIN: 79 yards

JOE WHITLEY | Club: Cleckheaton n H’cap: 7 About his game: On his day he can strike it well but is susceptible to the odd unmentionable and plays much less often than he would like. In a word, inconsistent.

CURRENT CLUBS Driver: 12˚, extra stiff Fairway wood: 18˚, stiff Hybrid: 23˚, extra stiff Irons: 4-PW, Project X 6.5 shafts Wedges: 52, 56 & 60˚, Project X 6.5 shafts

TR47 SPECS TESTED Driver: 12˚, stiff UST ProForce V2 shaft; Fairway wood: 16.5˚, stiff UST ProForce V2 shaft; Hybrid: 23˚, stiff UST ProForce V2 shaft; Irons: Project X 6.0 non-flighted shafts; Wedges: Project X 6.0

BIGGEST GAINS (CARRY) Before After 8 iron (16): 155 yards 171 yards 9 iron (15): 144 yards 159 yards PW (12): 136 yards 148 yards 7 iron (13): 168 yards 181 yards 6 iron (13): 177 yards 190 yards SW (10): 108 yards 118 yards 5 iron (7): 190 yards 197 yards

FITTER JAMES’ ANALYSIS Joe got a much more powerful flight from the TR-47 irons – the ball was going forwards, not upwards like in his current set. Gapping was very consistent, too. His woods are well suited so we lost a bit there.

JOE’S VERDICT ON THE CHALLENGE At one point it looked as though I would be busting through the 100-yard barrier, such was the difference in

the irons. The faces felt really fast and I got some ridiculous numbers. We couldn’t get a shaft to match

my swing in the woods and I ended up losing distance in that area.

TOTAL DISTANCE GAIN: 68 yards

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 95

94

OUR VERDICT ON JOHN LETTERS’ TR47 RANGE

NCG pp 88-89 Equipment 17/10/2013 12:38 Page 88

EQUIPMENT

INSIDER Gossip about who’s using what on the world’s tours

NEW BRIDGESTONE BALL? It looks like Bridgestone are about to launch a new four-piece tour ball.

Both Brandt Snedeker and Matt Kuchar used one at the Presidents Cup. Snedeker claims it spins more and is ‘a little longer’.

COVERT 2.0 COMING Images of a new Nike VR_S Covert driver have been spotted. It will be named the Covert 2.0, keeps its distinctive red crown and cavity and looks like it will be adjustable.

MATTEO’S FORGIVING IRON

FITTING AND ADJUSTABILITY

Matteo Manassero is using a Titleist AP2 714 4-iron. The rest of his set is the new MB 714 blade. It shows even some tour players value the ability to hit the ball higher in their long irons.

How a new company is making fully customisable brass putters which offer ultimate feel

PHIL’S KBS SHAFT There’s a strong chance the iron shaft designed by Phil Mickelson and KBS is to be released to the public. It’s the one the left-hander used to win the Open and has lots of stability with a tight dispersion.

Perfect.

BUBBA SWITCHES It’s taken nine years but Bubba Watson has finally made an iron switch. The big-hitter is now the owner of a set of Ping S55 irons, which he helped to design, after a long relationship with the S59s.

CARL’S SWITCH US-based Swede Carl Pettersson is joining TaylorMade after a long spell with Nike Golf. He used his new clubs in a tournament for the first time last month.

ON A NEW LEVEL Burton Putters are a new company dedicated to developing customisable and fully adjustable putters. Two PGA pros have founded the company: putting specialist Stuart Burley, author of ‘The 5 Fundamentals of Good Putting’, and David Poulton, a renowned clubmaker.

“It took two years to work out how to make a putter which could work with interchangeable parts,” said Burley (pictured right).

“There was no reference for such a putter and it took a lot of trial and error. The end result was unique.

It performed extremely well and was very popular amongst very serious golfers who could justify spending over £600 for a putter.”

Last year Burley set up his own workshop and production facility to make the new prototypes at a more appealing price point. This involved a totally new design and a decision to use brass in the head.

“Brass is perfect; soft, very responsive and denser than steel

88 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

SEE AND TRY THE PUTTERS Burton Putters will be exhibiting at the London Golf Show, which takes place at Earls Court, November 8-10. There will also be a programme of 2014 demo days across the UK. Burton will sell their putters directly online next year, with full fitting instructions provided. A free fitting session post-purchase will be included.

SRP: £325 burtonputters.com

making the weight distribution effect more effective. Even the softest stainless steel cannot compete with its performance.

The finished product is quite different to anything else. It is heavier than expected but feels very stable. The difference in strike and feel is remarkable.

“Ten years ago the standard weight of a putter was 330g. Now it is more like 360g. Heavier putters promote a better tempo and my mantra is you should work with gravity and not against it.

“With the adjustability of our putters, the weight varies from between 350 and 400g with the average choice around 370g.”

Burley has also invented a new hosel system, bringing Poulton’s ‘Retro Fitting’ system into the equation, where experts across Europe help customers fine-tune their Burton Putter as an aftersales service. The Burton Custom model has been nominated for the IF international design awards.

NCG pp 88-89 Equipment 17/10/2013 12:38 Page 89

PING ADD TO SCOTTSDALE PUTTER RANGE Ping have added three new putter models to their popular Scottsdale TR family, including an updated version of the famous Craz-E. The trio of models all feature the same variable-depth grooves (that boost forgiveness on mis-hits) and adjustable-length shafts.

They are the blade-style Anser T (£129), a Senita B with counterbalanced weights in the grip (£195 adjustable) and the Craz-E, which is now 10 years old and has the same striking alignment aid and shape with the new insert for forgiveness (£165 adjustable).

ALDILA GO GREEN AND BLUE Shaft experts Aldila have revealed two new models that are proving a real hit on tour.

The Tour Green and Tour Blue are designed to maximise power and improve feel and feature the brand's new Micro Laminate Technology (MLT) which improves consistency.

The Tour Green and Tour Blue offer contrasting launches and spin rates.

The Tour Blue has a moderately-stiff tip, low torque and a low kick point, which offers a high launch with lots of stability and moderate spin.

Conversely, the Tour Green has a stiffer tip with a bit more torque and a high kick point. This adds up to a low launch and low spin, ideal for stronger players.

Both are expected to be stock shafts in many new releases.

NIKE’S NEW MOD IS NO CON Nike’s latest putters combine innovation with tradition to offer timeless shapes and unbeatable performance.

The Method MOD family again utilises the brand’s famous polymetal groove technology to lift the ball at impact and get it rolling quicker with less chance of skidding and sliding.

It is milled for consistency and feel, and comes in four shapes that are all designed with low, deep centres of gravity for a better roll. SRP: £180

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 89

NCG.com 17/10/2013 14:35 Page 1

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Follow us @NCGmagazine Become a fan facebook.com/ nationalclubgolfermagazine

S

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NCG pp 91-93 Nike HyperAdapt Test 17/10/2013 12:19 Page 91

CAN A WATERPROOF SUIT REALLY

HELP YOU HIT IT FURTHER? According to Nike, their new HyperAdapt will do just that. So we put their claims to the test

NCG pp 91-93 Nike HyperAdapt Test 17/10/2013 12:19 Page 92

THE HYPERADAPT STORY OMBINING flexibility and waterproof protection, the HyperAdapt is the only golf performance rain jacket of its kind.

With sweater-like stretch and an impenetrable outer layer, this jacket combines the benefits of both without sacrificing performance.

With no-sew technology throughout the inner layer, designers minimised chaffing and added a new stretch component to the garment. A four-way stretch system added to the shoulders and arms maximises range of motion and eliminates restrictions during the swing. This woven, stretch knit laminate combination provides a quiet garment during the swing and a sweater-like feel for comfort and protection at every angle.

Along with a comfortable fit and increased breathability, the HyperAdapt jacket is seam sealed for 100 per cent waterproof

C

protection. Adjustable cuffs and hems offer a custom fit for increased protection and even less distraction giving athletes an advantage with every detail.

Nike athletes give their verdict on the HyperAdapt jacket...

“Hyperadapt gave me the edge in my Irish Open win. The freedom of motion & protection it offers takes away any distractions.”

– Paul Casey

“In the past waterproofs restricted my swing. HyperAdapt is the best jacket I have ever worn and the first one I have used in tournament play. I love it.

– Tommy Fleetwood “I always felt too restricted wearing a jacket in tournament play and that it affected my performance. Now there is HyperAdapt.

– Francesco Molinari

HOW WE ASSESSED THE HYPERADAPT JACKET...

We asked two very low handicappers and one high handicapper to hit a series of drives with the data monitored by a Trackman launch monitor.

First they warmed up thoroughly.

Then they hit shots wearing their existing waterproof suits and we calculated the average swing speed.

After a quick change into Nike’s new HyperAdapt suit, they hit some more drives and we calculated the average swing speed. What we were interested in was whether there was any difference.

92 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

NCG pp 91-93 Nike HyperAdapt Test 17/10/2013 12:20 Page 93

TESTER 1

TESTER 2

NIGEL COLBECK

WILL SHUCKSMITH

HANDICAP +1

HANDICAP +3

CLUB Cleckheaton

CLUB Alwoodley

SWING SPEEDS IN OLD SUIT

SWING SPEEDS IN OLD SUIT

107.8, 108.7, 108.1mph

113.3, 113.1, 112.2

AVERAGE 108.2mph

AVERAGE 112.9mph

SWING SPEEDS IN HYPERADAPT

SWING SPEEDS IN HYPERADAPT

109.3, 110.4, 110.7mph

113.8, 114.0, 112.9

AVERAGE 110.13mph

AVERAGE Average: 113.6mph

DIFFERENCE HyperAdapt was 1.9mph faster

DIFFERENCE HyperAdapt was 0.7 mph faster

NIGEL’S OVERALL VERDICT It’s definitely lighter. In fact it’s very light. It’s miles better than a more traditional jacket – and certainly not as heavy.

It was also very comfortable. There wasn’t very much loose material flapping about and getting in the way. This is definitely a really nice suit. I could tell it was easier to swing in from looking at it and then from slipping it on – but I didn’t think it would make that much difference. I was also much warmer in my old suit and not in a good way – no doubt about it!

WILL’S OVERALL VERDICT It feels waterproof, as if I am coated in rubber; what it is like, I imagine, to wear a wet suit.

It feels a quality product, in terms of the material and its construction. The adjustable cuffs are a big plus; they can be nice and tight around my wrists. The cut of the jacket is good, even if it is a little long in the body for me; I like to see my jacket just sit over my belt line. I might go down a size but that's just the way I like to wear a suit. The zip appears very waterproof. Overall, I like the suit.

TESTER 3

THE VERDICT

JAMES TOMPKINSON

DIFFERENCE Swing speed virtually the same

On the basis of the evidence we collected, the HyperAdapt really does work.

One of our testers gained almost 2mph, another gained close to 1mph and the third experienced no significant change.

Nike reckon that 1mph of swing speed with the driver can equate to three yards of total distance – so it’s well worth trying out a HyperAdapt suit.

Just as importantly, all three of our testers loved the feel and fit of the suit, which is undoubtedly a very smart-looking garment.

JAMES’ OVERALL VERDICT

FULL DETAILS

I thought it was really nice – I felt

The HyperAdapt suit is

really smart in this. It fits properly and it’s great through the swing. It didn’t feel like it was hindering me. It’s more like wearing a light, long-sleeve top rather than a waterproof suit. You can categorically file it under ‘really comfortable’. I’d definitely wear one of these – and it looks smart enough to wear off the course too. No-one would look at you strangely if you wore it to the pub or a football match – that’s how stylish it is.

in the shops now

HANDICAP 28 CLUB Moor Allerton SWING SPEEDS IN OLD SUIT 98.1, 97.5, 98.4mph AVERAGE 98mph SWING SPEEDS IN HYPERADAPT 98.0, 98.1, 97.8mph AVERAGE 98.0mph

HALF-ZIP JACKET Colourways: Black; Cool Grey/Black/Volt SRP: £199.99 FULL ZIP JACKET Colourways: Black; Cool Grey/Black/Volt; Game Royal SRP: £210 PANTS Colourway: Black SRP: £169.99

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 93

Photography by Joe Whitley

NCG pp 94-95 TR47 Test 17/10/2013 10:47 Page 94

NCG pp 94-95 TR47 Test 17/10/2013 10:47 Page 95

CAN JOHN

LETTERS

GIVE YOU 47 EXTRA

MPROVING the distance you hit the ball makes golf much easier – there’s no getting away from it. Your second shots are shorter, as are the clubs you will be hitting, which improves your chances of finding the middle of the face.

A couple of extra yards would be welcomed with open arms by the majority of club players, but John Letters are promising even more.

Indeed, the historic brand are running a challenge in which you have a custom fitting with their new TR-47 clubs and measure the

I

results against your current set.

They believe the clubs, which have extremely thin and fast faces, can give all types of player a minimum of 47 extra yards throughout their set. A bold claim indeed.

We heard that higher handicappers were getting the best results, so sent off two singlefigure handicappers with customfitted equipment to see if better players with tailored gear could also benefit from the scheme.

Our findings were very interesting.

To find out more about the TR-47 range and book a fitting, visit johnletters.com

YARDS? We dispatched two of our team to Huddersfield to find out more about the brand’s TR-47 challenge...

WILL SHUCKSMITH | Club: Alwoodley n H’cap: +3

JOE WHITLEY | Club: Cleckheaton n H’cap: 7

About his game: Extremely hard on himself but without doubt a superb ball striker and strong in every area. Has a tendency to lose it to the left but has Seve-like recovery powers.

CURRENT CLUBS Driver: 10.5˚, extra stiff Hybrid: 20˚, extra stiff Irons: 2-PW, Project X non-flighted 6.5 shafts Wedges: 52, 56 & 60˚, Project X non-flighted 6.5 shafts

About his game: On his day he can strike it well but is susceptible to the odd unmentionable and plays much less often than he would like. In a word, inconsistent.

BIGGEST GAINS (CARRY) 8 iron (16): 3 wood (14): 6 iron (12): 7 iron (9): Hybrid (8): Driver (7): 9 iron (6):

Before 163 yards 265 yards 185 yards 179 yards 252 yards 285 yards 158 yards

After 179 yards 279 yards 197 yards 188 yards 260 yards 292 yards 164 yards

TR47 SPECS TESTED

FITTER JAMES’ ANALYSIS

Driver: 9˚, extra stiff Fujikura Rombax shaft; Fairway wood: 15˚, extra stiff Aldila NV shaft; Hybrid: 20˚, stiff UST ProForce V2 shaft; Irons: Project X 6.0 non-flighted shafts; Wedges: Project X 6.0

Will hits his current clubs extremely well but seems to have some large distance gaps that needed filling.

With TR-47 his irons had 10-yard gaps, which was a massive improvement these stats don’t show.

WILL’S VERDICT ON THE CHALLENGE I genuinely didn’t expect to get such an increase in distance.

The irons felt like rockets even when I

didn’t catch them. It would have been nice to try a stiffer shaft, though, as I wasn’t sure if that was to

thank. Overall this proves you can gain whatever your ability.

TOTAL DISTANCE GAIN: 79 yards

CURRENT CLUBS Driver: 12˚, extra stiff Fairway wood: 18˚, stiff Hybrid: 23˚, extra stiff Irons: 4-PW, Project X 6.5 shafts Wedges: 52, 56 & 60˚, Project X 6.5 shafts

TR47 SPECS TESTED Driver: 12˚, stiff UST ProForce V2 shaft; Fairway wood: 16.5˚, stiff UST ProForce V2 shaft; Hybrid: 23˚, stiff UST ProForce V2 shaft; Irons: Project X 6.0 non-flighted shafts; Wedges: Project X 6.0

BIGGEST GAINS (CARRY) 8 iron (16): 9 iron (15): PW (12): 7 iron (13): 6 iron (13): SW (10): 5 iron (7):

Before 155 yards 144 yards 136 yards 168 yards 177 yards 108 yards 190 yards

After 171 yards 159 yards 148 yards 181 yards 190 yards 118 yards 197 yards

FITTER JAMES’ ANALYSIS Joe got a much more powerful flight from the TR-47 irons – the ball was going forwards, not upwards like in his current set. Gapping was very consistent, too. His woods are well suited so we lost a bit there.

JOE’S VERDICT ON THE CHALLENGE At one point it looked as though I would be busting through the 100-yard barrier, such was the difference in

the irons. The faces felt really fast and I got some ridiculous numbers. We couldn’t get a shaft to match

my swing in the woods and I ended up losing distance in that area.

TOTAL DISTANCE GAIN: 68 yards

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 95

NCG pp 96-99 Christmas Gifts 18/10/2013 12:07 Page 96

CHRISTMAS

GIFTS Find a present the golfer in your life will really want this year‌

p GOLF BUDDY

p SABONA

What they do: Golf Buddy specialise in producing GPS devices. Their range is substantial and contains both wearable and hand-held devices.

What it does: Sabona has been manufacturing copper and magnetic bracelets for over 50 years.

Description: GPS devices allow players to view exact yardages and pin positions. The brand-new wearable WT3, which has dynamic green view and moveable pin placement features, is the newest addition to the Golf Buddy range. The rechargeable batteries also last for up to 50 days. The hand-held Platinum device features a 40,000-course storage capability, statistics analysis, and is held in a water and shock resistant case.

Description: Sabona’s bracelets allow the skin to have direct exposure to copper, which can help with the relief of aches and pains. This is particularly relevant to golf during the winter, where exposure to cold and wet conditions can exacerbate joint pains. The bracelets are worn by many of the top names in the game, including Ernie Els, Ian Woosnam, John Daly, Chris DiMarco and Miguel Angel Jimenez.

96 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

NCG pp 96-99 Christmas Gifts 18/10/2013 12:07 Page 97

| THE GREENSTICK What it does: The Greenstick is an innovative ball retriever and pitch mark repairer.

Description: The Greenstick is designed to help those players who suffer with back pain or other aches and pains in joints such as the hip or shoulder.

It is also useful for disabled players. The stick has a duel purpose, allowing players to easily retrieve their golf ball and repair pitch marks without having to bend down, whether that be while practising or when out on the course. It is adjustable in length and has the pitch mark repairer on one end and the cup to pick up your golf ball on the other.

PLANESWING } What they do: PlaneSWING produce the world’s number one kinaesthetic golf swing trainer.

Description: The multi-adjustable steel hoop allows players to train a correct swing into their muscle pattern.This also aids in the development of the muscles which are used in golf. The hoop is set to an individual’s ideal swing plan, and using the specially designed PowerSLIDER clubs, you can simulate the perfect swing pattern. This is an excellent product for all those looking to create a well-rehearsed, repetitive swing and will help you to develop confidence and improve your overall golf fitness.

q MISS DESIGNER GOLF What it does: Miss Designer Golf offer top-name ladies’ golf clothing brands at discounted prices.

Description: Formed in 2008, MissDesignerGolf.com are an online retailer offering reduced clothing produced by top golf brands. They stock Tommy Hilfiger, Sunice, Galvin Green, Green Lamb, Cutter & Buck, Fairway and Greene, Lija, Puma, Calvin Klein and Under Armour clothes with up to 70 per cent off the SRPs. The company also offer free delivery across the UK and Ireland, and gift cards are available to purchase.

p SKYPRO What they do: SkyPro is a swing analysis product from SkyGolf, who produce trusted rangefinder SkyCaddie.

Description: This product allows players to gain detailed insights into their swing patterns. The device is around the size of a USB stick and weighs less than 30g. It attaches to the shaft of any golf club and syncs information to the SkyPro app which can be installed on mobile phones.

Thousands of critical data points become available for analysis, including clubhead speed, swing path, face angle, tempo and impact position.

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 97

NCG pp 96-99 Christmas Gifts 18/10/2013 12:08 Page 98

| NORTHCROFT GOLF What they do: Northcroft Golf design products to help players who suffer with bending down.

Description: The range of products from Northcroft Golf help those who suffer with back, knee or hip problems, which can make aspects of golf such as teeing the ball up or marking your ball on the green difficult. Their innovative ball and marker pick-up device clips onto the top of your putter grip and allows players to place markers and pick up their ball without having to bend down. The separate tee-up product aids with both placing and removing tees and teeing the ball up.

GOLFINO } What they do: Golfino produce functional and elegant fashion (www.golfino.com).

Description: The company comprises three distinct ranges. The Green Label collection revolves around on-course elegance and comfort, with the White Label range focusing on performance and highquality technical golf wear. The Black Label incorporates casual wear, not necessarily designed to be worn on the course. Golfino’s Autumn/Winter Collection is now available, showcasing new products in all three ranges including a super-light rain jacket, new fleece wear and a new blazer.

| LYNX JUNIOR RANGE What it does: A junior set of clubs available in three sizes (7-11, 11-14, and 14-16).

Description: These sets feature colour-coded heads and progressive shaft flexes. allowing juniors to work through the age groups with minimum disruption.

The irons come in a 5-SW set (SRP: £199) and feature progressive offset and specific weighting for optimal forgiveness and a good flight. A 4-iron hybrid can be added for £49, as can 3- and 5-woods, which are the same price. A high-lofted, titanium-headed driver, designed to launch the ball straight into the air for maximum carry is available at just £99.

GROOVEFIX } What it does: GrooveFix make precision laser golf products and training aids.

Description: GrooveFix have a variety of excellent products on offer, including groove sharpeners, pitch repairers, ball markers and putting aids. This season they have four different gift packs to choose from, which incorporates various combinations of their 100% British-made items. If you are looking for a unique stocking filler then GrooveFix items can be bought individually ans supplied in a faux suede pouch. GrooveFix are the official accessory supplier to the EuroPro Tour.

98 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

NCG pp 96-99 Christmas Gifts 18/10/2013 12:09 Page 99

| T-STROKE PUTTING What it does: An innovative and effective puttiing training aid.

Description: The T-Stroke putting aid was designed by European Tour putting coach Andy Gorman and is endorsed by 2012 HSBC Abu Dhabi Champion Robert Rock and twotime Solheim Cup captain Alison Nicholas. The device attaches to the top of the putter and rests on the forearms, ensuring that the forearms and shoulders are aligned with the target line. The aid allows for the clubface to stay squarer during the putting stroke.

CHAMP GOLF }

p INFINITY PRO

What they do: Champ Golf specialise in producing high-quality spikes, tees and grips.

What they do: Infinity Pro produce magnetic bracelets and ionic bands.

Description: Champ are the premier company selling spikes and cleats for golf shoes around the world, working with high-profile brands such as Adidas, Nike, Ecco and Puma. The company also produces a range of grips for irons, woods and putters, along with an innovative range of tees which are designed to maximise distance when compared to standard wooden tees. Champ’s range also includes a ball retriever and a club brush.

Description: Many golfers are seen on the course wearing either magnetic or ion bracelets to help improve circulation. Infinity Pro’s Energetix magnetic bracelets are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. The company also produce ionic power bands, which are the most powerful on the market.

The bands contain Tourmaline, a semiprecious gemstone which emits negative irons, alpha waves and far infrared waves.

| THE LITTLE ONE What it does: The Little One is a training aid designed to help improve ball striking.

Description: Available as both a 7-iron and a pitching wedge, this miniature clubhead attached to a full shaft provides an excellent way for players to practise hitting the ball from the sweet spot more consistently. The design draws on inspiration from cricket and baseball, where professionals practise with smaller, narrower bats. By increasing the difficulty in hitting the ball with smaller clubs, it becomes easier to find the sweet spot on full-size clubs.

PERSIMMON GOLF}

p SWINGSMART

What they do: Persimmon Golf produce skillfully crafted wooden-headed clubs.

What it does: SwingSmart is a swing analysis training aid tool (www.swingsmart.com).

Description: If massive titanium heads or complex concept putters are not for you, then these lovingly-crafted wooden clubs are the answer. Based in Carmarthenshire, Persimmon offer a full range of wooden equipment, from stylish putters to classic drivers. Their face-balanced putters come in three models – the P3, the I-Classic and the Luna – each catering for slightly different requirements depending on your preferences.

Description: SwingSmart provides detailed feedback on four key components of your golf swing – tempo, swing speed, face angle and the angle of attack. The small bluetoothenabled sensor clips onto the underside of the club’s shaft, and transmits key information about your swing to the free SwingSmart app on your iPhone, iPad or Android device. The data is also available to send to any instructor who has the app downloaded.

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 99

NCG pp100-103 Equipment Directory Ads 18/10/2013 12:28 Page 100

EQUIPMENT DIRECTORY

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FOR INSIGHT AND OPINION ON THE GAME OF GOLF, THERE'S ONLY ONE PLACE TO LOOK...

nationalclubgolfer.com 100 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

NCG pp100-103 Equipment Directory Ads 18/10/2013 12:28 Page 101

ARS 2 YE RANTY WAR

Shown with optional arm rests The TRIO Golf Cart and the Eventer help you enjoy a full 18 holes of golf a day. Sit back and relax in the sprung seat, as you drive between holes, conserving your energy for when you really need it - playing your shot.

Forward and reverse gears give manoeuvrability. TRIO is stable, virtually maintenance free, and assembled in under two minutes. So, if you need that extra help, and are interested in extending the enjoyment of your golfing life, phone us today!

GET AROUND FOR YEARS TO COME! MAJOR SUPPLIERS TO THE HANDIGOLF FOUNDATION A CHARITABLE TRUST FOR THE HANDICAPPED GOLFER

Write or phone today for colour brochure

PATTERSON PRODUCTS Bring Style to the Course

Unit 6, Fordwater Trading Estate, Ford Road, Chertsey, Surrey KT16 8HG.

Tel: 01932 570016/Fax: 01932 570084 www.patterson.co.uk

T: 01233 666000 F: 01233 666300 E: sales@electrokart.com W: www.electrokart.com

BEST OF BRITISH SINGLE

SEATER GOLF BUGGY NOW POWERED BY 24V 30AH LITHIUM BATTERY

The E ro Kart Voleyct a

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Rugged build quality | Adjustable steering column | Weather proof bucket style seat | Stability Guaranteed | Automatic parking brake Total control with twist speed control 4mph - 8mph | Heavy Duty Model gives 40% more power for the heavy going golf courses 2 year warranty on Lithium battery.

Lithium upgrade kit available for most electric single seater buggies.

Lithium battery weight only 8kg, taking 40kg from your buggy for improved performance & distance.

Also available Lithium batteries for golf trolleys from £199.00

UPGRADE KIT

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www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 101

NCG pp100-103 Equipment Directory Ads 18/10/2013 12:29 Page 102

EQUIPMENT DIRECTORY

The finest training aid in Golf!

Designed to improve your ball striking and increase your distance The Little One is a unique warm up training aid seven-iron with a standard length shaft, and clubhead the size of a golf ball. Making your practice sessions improve your on-centre hits.

ÂŁ89.95

The perfect Xmas present!

For more information on PSP Golf please contact: salespbaltd@gmail.com

www.pbagolfsales.com

www.sabona.co.uk

FOR A FREE CATALOGUE OF ALL SABONA BRACELETS PLEASE CALL FREEPHONE

0800 374 976

Sabona Rheumatic Relief Co Ltd, Unit 12 Carlton Park Industrial Estate, Saxmundham, Suffolk, IP17 2NL

102 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

NCG pp100-103 Equipment Directory Ads 18/10/2013 12:29 Page 103

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 103

Bridlington Golf Passport 17/10/2013 14:36 Page 1

East Coast Golf Passport PRICES FROZEN FOR 2014 AND BOOKINGS ARE BEING TAKEN NOW FOR 2014 Bridlington and the surrounding coastline proudly boasts five of Yorkshire’s finest golf coures all located withina short distance of each other offering golfers of all abilities an excellent test of golf on five very different and contrasting courses The five clubs have come together to create a new and innovative golf pass which enables visitors to Bridlington and the East Yorkshire area the opportunity to play all five fantastic courses and at the same time enjoying incredible savings of up to half the normal Green Fees.

How to apply for this great deal?

Simple, just contact the office at Bridlington Belvedere Golf Club, tel. 01262 606367 between 9am-2pm Monday to Friday or e-mail enquiries@bridlingtongolfclub.co.uk and let us take care of the arrangements for you.**

The Special reduced cost of your passport is; *

£58 for 3 rounds of golf! £70* for 4 rounds of golf! £80* for 5 rounds of golf!

ENJOY EXCELLENT SAVINGS!

BRIDLINGTON GOLF CLUB

FILEY GOLF CLUB

FLAMBOROUGH HEAD

Belvedere Road, Bridlington t: 01262 606367 www.bridlingtongolfclub.co.uk

West Avenue, Filey t: 01723 513293 www.fileygolfclub.com

Lighthouse Road, Flamborough t: 01262 850333 www.flamboroughheadgolfclub.co.uk

HORNSEA GOLF CLUB

THE BRIDLINGTON LINKS

Rolston Road, Hornsea t: 01964 534989 www.hornseagolfclub.co.uk

Flamborough Road, Bridlington t: 01262 401584 www.bridlington-links.co.uk

The Revelstoke Hotel In conjunction with Golf Coast Passport

1-3 Flamborough Road, Bridlington YO15 2HU

Three Day Golf Break Only £160.00 Inc. 3 rounds of golf & 2 nights b&b

Four Day Golf Break Only £219.00 Inc. 4 rounds of golf & 3 nights b&b

Five Day Golf Break Only £274.00 Inc. 5 rounds of golf & 4 nights b&b Play your golf at Bridlington Belvedere, Filey, Flamborough Head, Hornsea & Bridlington Links Offer Includes Weekends

Please contact us on 01262 672362

e: info@revelstokehotel.co.uk www.revelstokehotel.co.uk

www.golfcoastpassport.co.uk *Terms and conditions apply **Dates subject to availability ***Offer is not to be used in conjunction with any other offer.

NCG pp105 Lead to Travel 18/10/2013 09:44 Page 105

PLAY AWAY Exotic destinations | Latest deals & offers | Connoisseur Clive | Travel hints and tips | Competitions

DESTINATION OF THE MONTH

Fife, Scotland IFE is unquestionably one of the most iconic locations in golf. With St Andrews as its centrepiece, a visit to this region is a pilgrimage for golfers all over the world.

Links with History is a unique golf pass which offers top-quality championship golf at great value. Players who book rounds at Scotscraig, Lundin, Ladybank and Crail through the Links with History Golf Pass can receive exceptional discounts and seasonal offers.

For example, this winter, you can play four rounds at Links with History courses for just ÂŁ90, provided you prebook rounds at more than two. This results in an incredible saving on standard green fees. For more details visit linkswithhistory.com or telephone 01592 649660.

image curtesy of Lukas Pelech

F

History boy The 12th at Scotscraig, a Fife classic

NCG pp106-107 Sicily 17/10/2013 10:50 Page 106

GB&I | Sicily

WINTER SUN

IN EUROPE...

Sicily’s location (further south than Tunisia) means it enjoys year-round warm weather – and the Donnafugata Resort offers two superb courses.

106 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

NCG pp106-107 Sicily 17/10/2013 10:50 Page 107

F there is a resort in continental Europe with more of an emphasis on golf than Donnafugata, they must really be trying hard.

Because while this wellappointed complex in the south west of Sicily has beautiful bedrooms, a fabulous spa and myriad stylish restaurants, it is the golf side which really stands out.

As much is obvious at breakfast. Donnafugata may be categorically five star, but if you turn out in the morning in anything other than a polo shirt, tailored shorts and spikeless shoes, you’ll look out of place.

I

It’s clear the guests – the majority are currently Italian – have come to Sicily to play golf, and that means after their cappucinos and pastries (a bewildering array to choose from) they want to head for the 1st tee rather than the swimming pool.

There are two courses, the Parkland and the Links. The former was laid out by Gary Player and is a lovely stroll on rolling land among the olive groves in the Ragusan hills.

But for our money, it is the Links which is the main atraction, designed by the lower-profile Franco Piraeus. It’s not a links as we understand it, but it is true to

THE LOWDOWN Donnafugata Resort, Ragusa +39 0932 914 200 donnafugatagolfresort.com GolfBreaks.com offer greatvalue packages to this fivestar resort, making classy Donnafugata very affordable.

say that the scorched, tightlymown turf requires the same precise ball-striking as our seaside classics. And the late-afternoon

sunshine beautifully highlights the rippling fairways. A splendid practice facility enhances the commitment to golf.

That’s not to say it lacks in other departments. The stylish and spacious bedrooms are set among landscaped gardens in a series of low-rise, villa-style buildings yet are only a minute’s walk from the hotel’s hub (as well as both 1st tees). The restaurants are opulent and airy while the spa offers every treatment you can think of (and lots that you’ve never heard of before).

And best of all, Sicily sits further south than Tunisia so benefits from year-round warmth.

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 107

NCG pp108-111 Connoisseur Clive Ireland 17/10/2013 10:56 Page 108

Connoisseur

Clive

GB&I | Ireland

IRELAND

Our man heads to the Emerald Isle to discover a few new tricks about this now value-for-money part of the world

Clive is our undercover roving reporter, who tells it like it is. NCG’s bon viveur plays off 13, always finds the best places and is an expert in enjoying himself, on and off the course I take the wheel early in the trip so I can hand over the keys for our stop at the Kilbeggan Distillery en route to Glasson.

Here we are transported back in time for a sight, sound and, mercifully, taste of Ireland’s oldest distillery.

The old mash tuns and fermenters remain in their original positions today, as does the magnificent 19thcentury waterwheel which once powered the whole distillery.

The distillery had been closed in 1954 before a handful of locals, who had maintained the distilling licence and preserved almost all of the old equipment, helped bring it back to life in the 70s.

We raise a glass (and then another) to them.

Clive’s Cigarometer Ireland scores...

108 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

NCG pp108-111 Connoisseur Clive Ireland 17/10/2013 10:56 Page 109

HAVE a tendency to overpack. Even popping down to the club for nine holes of a night I will take a change of clothes and three additional balls from the practice bag. So every time I take to the air a compromise is made as regards my golfing wardrobe; a small part of me, physically and metaphorically, is left behind.

But this month we are off to Ireland and I can throw caution to the wind and pack what I like, even the Motocaddy joins me on my genteel drive to Holyhead in North Wales.

Within a few moments of setting sail I have my feet up in the Stena lounge with the day’s papers.

There are no warnings of turbulence or apologies for the delay in departure, and I am in full holiday (sorry, work) mode.

Three hours later I have my spoon in a delicious bowl of seafood chowder in the clubhouse of Charlesland GC and am quietly planning my assault on the course.

Eddie Hackett’s trademark is to design as nature intended, hence this half-links (along the Irish Sea), half-parkland test which is set in the shadow of the Wicklow mountains.

Should you make a par at the 18th (of course I didn’t), 562 metres off the back tees, you will head to Dublin, a 35-minute train ride away, with a certain spring in your step for an obligatory night out. Another very obvious charm is that all of its packages include a round at Druids Glen which should be pencilled into any itinerary. This four-time Irish Open and Seve Trophy venue is magical and will light up any trip.

When my mind drifts to golf in the Emerald Isle it quickly settles on the brilliant links of Ballybunion, Tralee or Portmarnock. And then jolts into the real world at the memory of how much my last trip had cost.

But that was then and this is now. These days you might genuinely be hard pressed to find a better value golfing trip and, the small fortunes you save on the golf, you can put towards the evening’s entertainment and a Guinness or two.

A prime example of this is the four-star Knightsbrook Hotel Spa and Golf Resort, just 26 miles north west of Dublin, in Co

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GB&I | Ireland KNIGHTSBROOK SPA

KNIGHTSBROOK 7TH

KILBEGGAN DISTILLERY CHARLESLAND

KNIGHTSBROOK SUITE

Meath. You might not have heard of it before, in truth I hadn’t.

Think something along the lines of The Grove or, closer to home, the K Club but at a fraction of the price.

The land here was previously a dairy and cereal farm before a local man, John Cusack, had the vision to put a golf resort in Trim.

The course opened in May 2006 with the fabulous hotel following a few months later.

Now a stunning, undulating parkland course, laid out by local hero Christy O’Connor Jr, sits proudly here and it already has the 2011 Junior Solheim Cup on its CV. Those who like layouts of a generous nature off the tee will relish this particular test but then likely see shots dribble away around the quite brilliant greens.

The Knightsbrook river will come into your eye-line but hopefully not into play too often.

A feature here is that you have 10 holes without a par 3 from the 6th

but there is no lack of variety, rather a course that builds nicely into a brilliant five-hole finish where all your skills will be needed to steer the ship safely home.

A personal favourite is the 15th where, the course planner reads ‘one might think they were in Florida rather than Ireland here’.

Two lakes, a cluster of trees and a tiered green should provide enough of a challenge.

We finish with our head (and ball) just above water with a par 3 in front of the hotel and, after a quick drink and bite to eat, we venture a further two-minute walk to the River Spa where an Asian Muscle Melt Back treatment awaits. Invigorated, energised and buoyed by my new-found flexibility I return to my room and fall asleep.

It would be remiss of me not to mention the hotel’s Rococo restaurant, housed in a brilliant and grand dining room, which is full every night with guests and

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FACTFILE Clive was a guest of Club Choice Ireland, a new alliance of over 30 resorts, hotels and golf clubs which ensures you get the most from your trip.

They look after everything from start to finish and have the added ‘on the ground expertise’ when it comes to tailoring a tour to suit you.

All packages are inclusive of golf on at least two courses, dinner, accommodation and return ferry. www.clubchoiceireland.com

locals. This is one of the area’s very best places to eat out.

Finally, in a break with tradition, the final word goes to the guest bathroom where the most enormous of baths sits, from where you can lie back, turn on the jets of water and flick on the flatscreen TV. On to Co Westmeath and

Glasson Country House Hotel & Gold Club just over an hour’s drive west.

Like Knightsbrook golf never used to be part of the scenery here.

This was a working farm until the early 90s but, with quite spectatcular views of Lough Ree and sweeping landscapes, Glasson native Tom Reid was told that the land would be perfect for golf.

So he and his wife Breda set about moulding their farmland, along with O’Connor Jr, into a course which has twice held Challenge Tour events. They have also converted their 1780 period Manor House into a clubhouse which is the envy of many, both for its views, welcome and fine dining. Notably it was voted fifth in Trip Advisor’s Hotel of the Year.

This is THE place to get married.

But I am happily married and am here for the golf, and I am lucky enough to be paired with Glasson member and former history teacher Oliver Fahy.

NCG pp108-111 Connoisseur Clive Ireland 17/10/2013 10:56 Page 111

Stunner The closing holes at Glasson

b Choice Typical Clu B ni e ghts B& deal: Thre k, two oo br ts gh ni at K lf, one rounds of go ferr y tu re rn dinner and pp from £235

For the next three or so hours I am amused and entertained while gently being given a golfing lesson too. Having spent the best part of the previous night’s dinner eyeing up the holes by Killinure Bay we are sent in the opposite direction for the first 12 holes though there is no shame in this.

By the 3rd we are back in sight of the majestic lough and Hare Island, the second of the three major lakes on the River Shannon, and a sense of calm and escape fills the soul.

Unlike the dogleg par-5 6th where I struggle to get my bearings off the tee and heave one into the undergrowth.

The pick of the (former cereal) crop comes at the 8th, a downhill par 4 which climaxes with a narrow green where water lurks left and long.

While these holes, for many, are the best you will most likely spend at least a small part of dinner discussing your efforts on

the closing six holes in front of you.

This begins with a par 4 up the hill which, to the members is named Shivnan’s Drive after a member’s propensity to repeatedly tug one out of bounds before the most dramatic of tee shots (and approaches) at the 14th, a threeshot par 5 which flies right after the tee shot.

Another member by the name of Juud had a hand in the unofficial title of this hole – Juud’s

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Glen – after his ability to all too often see his drive end up with the dairy cattle down the left.

Were I a member it might not be too long before the 15th is renamed Clive’s Corner after my kindly donation of three balls into the water.

This is the standout signature hole, no easy task at Glasson, and the short walk across the bridge to the tee adds nicely to the build up.

A small stone bench by the bridge reads ‘Keep smiling – it makes

people wonder what you’ve been up to!’

To all and sundry it is fairly obvious what I have been up to and as I scuttle about on my hands and knees among the reeds looking for my ProV1, Oliver coolly delivers a birdie two.

From here you can also hire a boat to take you out on the lough or, if you are feeling more adventurous, head to Athlone where you can be dropped off outside Sean’s Bar to pay a brief (or even lengthy) visit to Ireland’s oldest pub, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Unfortunately that will be for another day. For this visit the return to the lough side at the 17th was a less threatening and more profitable one and Oliver and I sign off by both avoiding a host of bunkers at the last for a pair of pars and one last look over the surrounds. Three days, three new courses and Ireland firmly back on my radar. Try it, you’ll like it.

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CLUB GOLF Tackling the issues that matter to you Model professional Foremost Professional of the Year Tim Hall receives his award

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THIS MONTH’S TOP STORY

Award winners Gareth Jones (left) and Simon Harrison (right) get their awards

Ross-on-Wye’s Hall is Foremost No1 Ross-on-Wye professional Tim Hall won the Foremost Professional of the Year prize at the company’s award ceremony in Harrogate. “"It’s been a great year,” Hall said. “It’s a real honour to follow some of the great pros that have won this award. My buying group Foremost have played a crucial role in helping me to build my brand” Sandiway’s Gareth Jones won the Breakthrough Professional of the Year award and Lilley Brook’s Simon Harrison was named the group’s Elite Marketing Professional of the Year.

News | Personalities | Club focus |Greenkeeping | Secret Secretary | Must Plays | Area guides

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Top Hole The back nine has a serene setting with the pretty 378-yard par-4 15th probably the highlight of a run of impressive holes.

Card Wrecker Make sure you are properly warmed up by the 355-yard 4th hole. This tricky par 4 could seriously dent your card early on if you don’t treat it with respect.

EuroPro success at Moor Allerton

Yorkshire women are county champions

Moor Allerton, in Leeds, successfully hosted the Clipper Logistics Championships to mark the end of the EuroPro Tour season. The tournament was won by Teignmouth’s Billy Hemstock, who beat Oulton Hall’s Daniel Gavins in a play-off. The result was enough for local lad Gavins to claim a Challenge Tour card for next season. He also shot a course record-equalling 64 on the final day.

A regeneration and redesign project at Sandmoor in Leeds is set to be expanded after positive early signs.

Golf course designer Andy Watson was brought in by the club to redesign several holes, and following a successful trial on one of the heathland’s holes, the project will now

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be expanded to the entire North Leeds layout. Four more holes will be reworked ahead of the 2014 season, with the rest of the course set to be re-shaped in the coming years.

The main work centres around the moving of several bunkers on the course in an effort to improve playing strategy.

Ennis and Waddle star in Sheffield fundraiser Olympic hero Jess Ennis and former England star Chris Waddle played in a charity golf day to raise money in memory of local boy Richard Hill – a 14 year old boy from Hathersage – who died last year. The event at Sickleholme raised over £5,000 for charity.

Yorkshire are the best women’s county in England following victory in the County Finals at Wilmslow.

The victory is Yorkshire’s 12th since the event began, and their first since 2008.

In a tight final match, they overcame a strong challenge from runnersup Lincolnshire, eventually prevailing by a scoreline of 5-4.

“I am over the moon with my fantastic team,” said Yorkshire captain Carole Waights.

“Lincolnshire played beautifully. They were going straight for the pins and gave me a fright!” she said.

North East: Yorkshire are county champions

Mickleover is the latest Derbyshire club to be awarded the GolfMark award, which recognises clubs who work to improve junior and beginner facilities.

Course improvements made at Rushden Rushden have added an extra nine holes to their existing layout, as well as opening a new nine-hole practice facility.

It is the first major change since the club opened in 1919.

Play-and-stay winter offer at North Shore Skegness club North Shore are currently offering a great winter play-and-stay deal. You can get bed, breakfast, a three course meal and two rounds of golf on the James Braid course from £75pp. Contact 01754763298 for details.

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About Swaffham was established as a ninehole course in 1922 on a Norfolk breckland heath.

The club is situated around two miles from the town with which it shares its name, and expanded into an 18-hole layout in 2001.

Owing to the club’s woodland setting, there is a variety of wildlife present on the course, including deer, pheasant and woodpeckers.

The Course The course at Swaffham occupies a rural setting, with part of the layout occuping a woodland setting and part occupying a more open style.

The holes move seamlessly from one style to the other, making for a varied test across the 18 holes.

There are no water hazards here, but fast, undulating greens provide the sternest examination of your short game.

Top Hole The signature hole is the par-4 17th. The tee shot plays uphill, and the second drops into the green off a sharp decline. The hole is set against the backdrop of mature trees and is visually stunning.

Card wrecker The long par-4 2nd is the toughest on the course, with trees guarding the narrow fairway and green.

Plans for Leicester club to re-open

Lincolnshire miss out on title Lincolnshire narrowly missed out on winning the Women’s County Finals tournament at Wilmslow in Cheshire.

The team, represented by India Clyburn, Sophie Beardsall, Emilee Taylor, Jessica Wilcox, Emma Tipping, Helen Hewlett and Emily Slater finished as runners-up behind Yorkshire. They did have the opportunity to steal victory on the final day, but lost to the eventual winners 5-4 in a tense last game.

National title for Derbyshire youngster Buxton and High Peak’s Charley Mycock has been crowned 2013 boys 15-17 champion at England Golf’s National Skills Challenge.

The Derby College student, who also plays at the Bakewell club, came through local and regional qualifying events against around 1,400 other

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juniors to take the title at the National Golf Centre at Woodhall Spa. Derby College performance director Nigel Furniss said: “I’m really pleased for Charley who has worked hard to win this award. He has represented both Bakewell and Buxton & High Peak with distinction this year.”

Cheap junior programme encourages beginners A new initiative at Royal Norwich is aiming to encourage more youngsters to take up the game. The junior scholarship is available for £130 to 7-15 year olds, and consists of a set of clubs, one year’s coaching and a year’s membership.

The owners of Oadby Golf Course are looking to re-open the course if they are allowed to build a new driving range.

The club was closed down in April last year, following losses of over £500,000 in seven years.

However owners Leicester Racecourse Holdings are looking to salvage the course alongside the new range.

Company director Clive Buckle said: "We have plans for the site but it all hinges on the driving range. We intend to reopen the course and maybe turn our attention to refurbishing the clubhouse.”

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County Champion: Swaffham, Norfolk

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PI The Course Steve Marnoch designed the original layout in the early 1990s and it weaves around existing mature woodland and features snaking streams, long rough and dogleg holes. Renowned architect Simon Gidman has improved the course further of late.

Mickleover wins GolfMark award

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Sand Moor poised for further changes GolfMark high achiever award for Billingham Billingham has been awarded GolfMark’s higher achiever status as a recognition of the club’s work to make it easy for beginners to start playing golf. The club was the first postwar municipal course to be built in Britain.

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Cornwall are the new league champions Cornwall are the new men’s Channel League champions following a final-game victory against Glamorgan at Radyr. The victory resulted in Steve Rickard’s team overtaking Devon at the top of the league and claiming their first Channel League win since 1997.

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Watkins said: “I’ve spent money on bringing the Portishead course up to standard.

“It is an ongoing investment.

“The reaction has been very positive – but because the course has been closed for so long, we need to get the word out it has reopened,” he added.

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A former 9-hole municipal course in Somerset has reopened following investment from its new owner.

Portishead was closed

by North Somerset Council in 2006, but found a new owner in Rodney Watkins, who has invested £40,000 and reopened the course.

About Mid Yorkshire is set in some of the county’s most attractive parkland and its accessibility is also peerless.

Situated yards from the A1, the course is at the heart of the motorway network and can be reached from Leeds, Doncaster, York and Wakefield in under half an hour. However the course is not affected by any noise.

The club also boasts a 23-bay

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Rudding Park duo win Australian Spoons Sandra Taylor and Jean Lamb won the national final of the Australian Spoons competition at Wilmslow. The Yorkshire pair beat five other England Golf regions to the title.

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Successful charity day at Calderfields Celebrities and sports stars – such as Mark Bright (below) – played at Calderfields in the Luke Roper Golf Day and Night to raise funds for the Fashion and Textile Children’s Trust.

Open day success A recent open day at Barlaston was successful in encouraging more people to try golf for the first time. Free coaching was available as part of a day celebrating the club’s new academy.

Witney Lakes reveal new spa facility Oxfordshire club Witney Lakes has unveiled its brand-new spa facility. The club currently has a range of offers on treatments and spa breaks following the redesign. For more information contact the club on 01993 893 016.

County Champion: South Staffordshire, Staffs About Originally founded in 1892, the current layout at South Staffordshire was designed by renowned architect Harry Vardon in 1908. It is one of the oldest club in the Midlands and sits close to Wolverhampton on the A41.

Over the years it has played host to a Ryder Cup skins game between Ian Woosnam, Peter Baker, Paul Broadhurst and David Gilford.

The Course Such luminaries as Colt, Braid and Steel have all had a hand in the design of the course and their efforts are well rewarded at what is one of the finest courses in the area.

Set in 160 acres of rolling parkland, it can play as long as 6,587 yards off the new black tees with a tight par of 71. The middle stretch, holes 7 to 14, provides six par 4s at well over 400 yards.

Card wrecker The 9th is a tough par 4 of over 450 yards with out of bounds down the right. It requires two very good hits to get on in two and there are bunkers to catch anything short.

Reigning champions retain title West Midlands pair Claire Dowling and Tracy Atkin retained the senior women’s Brenda King Foursomes at Gog Magog.

Dowling, from Copt Heath, and Leamington & County’s Atkin secured the title for the second year running despite dropping five shots on the final five holes.

“We thought we’d thrown it away,” said Dowling. “We were talking about packing it in – but now we’ll be back next year!”

New Birmingham inner-city initiatives Family affair at Ludlow A Ludlow member became the first person at the club to win a trophy established in memory of a member of his family. Tris Clare (pictured middle-left) won the Clare Cup, an event created in memory of his father.

Top Hole The par-5 5th has a narrow tee shot and the hole runs from right to left but, if you can get your drive right, the green will be within range.

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Sherdons Golf Centre goes up for sale Gloucestershire golf centre Sherdons has been put up for sale by its current owners, with a guide price of £775,000.

The club has been owned by the same family since 1922, but the directors are now looking to sell up.

Co-owner Richard Chatham explained their reasons for putting it on the market.

He said: “My brother and I have thoroughly enjoyed developing and operating Sherdons Golf Centre over the last 21 years. However, we all reach retirement age and this is our sole reason for selling.”

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Card Wrecker The 435-yard par-4 6th is an exacting hole. It is a tough ask not to drop a shot on it, with two good strikes needed to get to the green.

Special offers at Trethorne Trethorne are offering National Club Golfer readers the chance to get 10 per cent off all 2014 golf breaks.

The club are also currently offering onenight winter golf breaks including dinner, bed, breakfast and unlimited golf from just £69pp from November-March 2014.

The course has been gradually transformed over the last eight years and is a superb venue for winter golf.

South West: Somerset nine-holer reopens

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Top Hole The 205-yard 3rd on the Kigbeare course is a visually stunning and demanding hole. It drops 50ft from the tee, with Hookmoor Brook guarding the green.

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The Course With seven courses to choose from, you won’t be short of options on a visit here, but the Kigbeare layout is Manor House and Ashbury’s premier layout.

It is the longest course here, measuring 6,528 yards and contains some of the best holes on the complex. Constructed largely on the Kigbeare estate, the large trees give the course a mature feel.

Reduced membership rates at Woodhall Hills Woodhall Hills are offering reduced membership rates for the coming 12 months following a strong last year. Full membership costs just £750, contact 0113 256 2857.

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Bowood Park currently have a range of superb golf break offers available on two-, threeand four-night stays at the venue.

The club also has a range of packages available to book for 2014. For further details visit bowood-park.co.uk or call 01840 213017.

About There are not many venues that can accurately claim to have more holes than St Andrews, but the Manor House and Ashbury resort is one such place.

There are a staggering 99 holes to play here, something that no other British venue can rival.

Factor in the other top-class leisure and spa facilities and it is easy to see why this venue is special.

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Duo represent England Kedleston Park’s Will Painter and Niall Quinn Jarvis from Kibworth represented England in a schools’ match against Scotland. The Derby duo played in the event at West Kilbride, which England lost 9.5-8.5.

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New Devon officer Paul Cloke has been appointed as the Devon Golf Partnership’s new County Development Officer. He succeeds Craig Townsend, and will be responsible for growing the game in the South-West county.

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County Champion: Manor House, Devon

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North Wiltshire’s Jack Charman is the new Wiltshire County Matchplay champion, adding to the strokeplay title that he won in March. He beat Kendle McCrossan 2&1 in the 18-hole final.

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Yorkshire pair triumph in Ping Grand Final Willow Valley pair Denise Page and Sarah Dawson won the Ping Fourball Betterball tournament at Gainsborough. The duo scored 43 Stableford points and finished two points clear of the field.

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Padlow’s summer success Dorset club Padlow has just had its most successful summer, with a 15 per cent increase on 2011 and ‘12. “We have invested heavily in the facilities and it appears to be paying off,” said owner Hugh Dampney.

The new golf course contractors charged with the responsibility of improving the game in Birmingham have pledged to take the sport into inner-city areas in a bid to encourage golf in new communities.

Mytime Active recently won a 50-year contract to manage Birmingham City

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Council’s seven courses, and will look to develop pitch-and-putt and tri-golf courses throughout the city’s parks to get more youngsters playing.

Council leisure services official David Wagg said: “We cannot create an 18hole course in the city, but we can increase provision through this route.”

Golf club criticised after geese shootings The Bransford club has been criticised for shooting around eight Canada Geese on their course. A spokesman for the club told the Worcester News they had been given permission to shoot the birds because they are unhygienic and designated as vermin.

Coventry secure best in Britain accolade Coventry GC won the English Club Championship title by five shots at Dudsbury.

The West Midlands team became only the sixth club from the Midlands area to win the event in its 30-year history.

Led by Sam Dodds and backed up by Robert Browning and Andrew Carmen, the Coventry team shot a two-round total of 420, ending five shots clear of runners-up King’s Lynn and Walsall.

“I don’t know what the reaction will be like back at the club but I think they will be thrilled,” said Dodds.

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Wales: Why Porthmadog is a mustplay venue

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Channel Is | Cornwall | Devon | Dorset | Glos | Somerset | Wilts

North Wiltshire’s Jack Charman is the new Wiltshire County Matchplay champion, adding to the strokeplay title that he won in March. He beat Kendle McCrossan 2&1 in the 18-hole final.

New Devon officer Paul Cloke has been appointed as the Devon Golf Partnership’s new County Development Officer. He succeeds Craig Townsend, and will be responsible for growing the game in the South-West county.

Outstanding breaks on offer at Bowood Park Bowood Park currently have a range of superb golf break offers available on two-, threeand four-night stays at the venue.

The club also has a range of packages available to book for 2014. For further details visit bowood-park.co.uk or call 01840 213017.

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Padlow’s summer success Dorset club Padlow has just had its most successful summer, with a 15 per cent increase on 2011 and ‘12. “We have invested heavily in the facilities and it appears to be paying off,” said owner Hugh Dampney.

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County Champion: Manor House, Devon About There are not many venues that can accurately claim to have more holes than St Andrews, but the Manor House and Ashbury resort is one such place.

There are a staggering 99 holes to play here, something that no other British venue can rival.

Factor in the other top-class leisure and spa facilities and it is easy to see why this venue is special.

The Course With seven courses to choose from, you won’t be short of options on a visit here, but the Kigbeare layout is Manor House and Ashbury’s premier layout.

It is the longest course here, measuring 6,528 yards and contains some of the best holes on the complex. Constructed largely on the Kigbeare estate, the large trees give the course a mature feel.

Top Hole The 205-yard 3rd on the Kigbeare course is a visually stunning and demanding hole. It drops 50ft from the tee, with Hookmoor Brook guarding the green.

Card Wrecker The 435-yard par-4 6th is an exacting hole. It is a tough ask not to drop a shot on it, with two good strikes needed to get to the green.

Special offers at Trethorne

Sherdons Golf Centre goes up for sale

Trethorne are offering National Club Golfer readers the chance to get 10 per cent off all 2014 golf breaks.

The club are also currently offering onenight winter golf breaks including dinner, bed, breakfast and unlimited golf from just £69pp from November-March 2014.

The course has been gradually transformed over the last eight years and is a superb venue for winter golf.

New life for Somerset nine-holer A former 9-hole municipal course in Somerset has reopened following investment from its new owner.

Portishead was closed

by North Somerset Council in 2006, but found a new owner in Rodney Watkins, who has invested £40,000 and reopened the course.

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Watkins said: “I’ve spent money on bringing the Portishead course up to standard.

“It is an ongoing investment.

“The reaction has been very positive – but because the course has been closed for so long, we need to get the word out it has reopened,” he added.

Cornwall are the new league champions Cornwall are the new men’s Channel League champions following a final-game victory against Glamorgan at Radyr. The victory resulted in Steve Rickard’s team overtaking Devon at the top of the league and claiming their first Channel League win since 1997.

Gloucestershire golf centre Sherdons has been put up for sale by its current owners, with a guide price of £775,000.

The club has been owned by the same family since 1922, but the directors are now looking to sell up.

Co-owner Richard Chatham explained their reasons for putting it on the market.

He said: “My brother and I have thoroughly enjoyed developing and operating Sherdons Golf Centre over the last 21 years. However, we all reach retirement age and this is our sole reason for selling.”

NCG pp115 Club Golf SE Ads 18/10/2013 12:22 Page 115

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MADE IN THE UK

SOUTH EAST Beds | Berks | Bucks | Essex | Hants | Herts | Kent | Middx | Surrey | Sussex

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County Champion: Hampstead, Middlesex About Founded in 1893, Hampstead is one of the oldest and most interesting 9-hole courses in England. The course occupies a unique position, being the closest golf club to the centre of London, located just over three miles north of Regent’s Park and five underground stops from Kings Cross, close to Hampstead and Golders Green.

The Course The course at Hampstead was laid out by one of Britain’s most prolific designers, Tom Dunn, who worked on the layout at Ganton and was responsible for designing a large proportion of London’s heathland courses during the latter half of the 19th Century.

The layout is very much a classic parkland which contains many elevated tees and greens.

Chelsfield Lakes and Broke Hill have an unbeatable winter membership offer currently available.

Join now and you will pay half-price membership fees for the initial three months.

Top Hole The opening par 4 presents a welcoming start to your round.

Measuring 278 yards from the white tees, this represents a good early chance to register a birdie.

Card Wrecker Hampstead contains many long par 4s, but the 420-yard 7th is the toughest of the lot. Pars are a rare commodity here.

Weston Turville placed on the property market

Old Thorns reach Sevens final Old Thorns finished third in the finals of the Hampshire 7s competition, with the tournament won by Royal Jersey.

The team (pictured right) of Anthony Chicheportiche, Paul Gill, Michael Erlebach, Rich Williams, Matt Bonney, Geoff Creedon, Pete Skidmore, Derek Smyth, Scott Benfield and Paul Martin lost to the eventual winners before beating The Burley in a third-place play-off.

Reynolds is England record breaker Winter memberships at Kent sister clubs

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Bramley secured the Surrey Club Foursomes Championship at their own course. The team of James Johnson and Gareth Wright beat Sutton Green in the final having previously defeated Burhill.

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The Shire London has a great weekday fourball offer available this winter. It gives four players a pre-round hot drink and bacon sandwich, a round on the only Seve Ballesteros course in the UK and a clubhouse meal for just £40 per person.

Kent’s Chris Reynolds made his eighth successive appearance in the Seniors Home Internationals at Royal County Down, helping England to an impressive win over the other home nations.

In a rain-affected tournament, two victories against Ireland and Wales and a draw against

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Scotland proved enough for England to secure the win, with veteran Reynolds grabbing the winning point with a 4&2 victory in the final game.

He made his Senior Home Internationals debut at Dunbar in 2006 and has won the Senior County Championships five times with Kent.

Kent win Senior County Championships Kent regained the Mens’ Senior County Championships with a clean sweep of victories at the RAC Club in Epsom.

“It’s wonderful to be champions again,” said team captain Mark Singfield. “This is the premier team event for senior golfers,” he added.

Buckinghamshire golf club Weston Turville has been put up for sale by its current owners, with a guide price of £1.325million.

The 40-year-old club has around 300 members and was producing turnover in excess of £500,000 per year in 2011 and 2012.

However, a recent downturn has seen that figure drop, with income from subscriptions falling from £211,832 in 2011 to £178,715 this year.

Another reason for the sale is that the club’s current directors wish to retire following 22 years of work in the industry.

NCG pp117 Club Golf SW Ads 17/10/2013 11:03 Page 117

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CLUB GOLF News & Reviews

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MADE IN THE UK

NORTH EAST Cleveland | Durham | North’land | Tyne & Wear | Yorkshire

Yorkshire pair triumph in Ping Grand Final

M Sandra Taylor and Jean Lamb won the national final of the Australian Spoons competition at Wilmslow. The Yorkshire pair beat five other England Golf regions to the title.

County Champion: Mid Yorkshire About Mid Yorkshire is set in some of the county’s most attractive parkland and its accessibility is also peerless.

Situated yards from the A1, the course is at the heart of the motorway network and can be reached from Leeds, Doncaster, York and Wakefield in under half an hour. However the course is not affected by any noise.

The club also boasts a 23-bay

floodlit range and is the perfect venue for society events.

The Course Steve Marnoch designed the original layout in the early 1990s and it weaves around existing mature woodland and features snaking streams, long rough and dogleg holes. Renowned architect Simon Gidman has improved the course further of late.

Billingham has been awarded GolfMark’s higher achiever status as a recognition of the club’s work to make it easy for beginners to start playing golf. The club was the first postwar municipal course to be built in Britain.

Top Hole The back nine has a serene setting with the pretty 378-yard par-4 15th probably the highlight of a run of impressive holes.

Card Wrecker Make sure you are properly warmed up by the 355-yard 4th hole. This tricky par 4 could seriously dent your card early on if you don’t treat it with respect.

EuroPro success at Moor Allerton

Yorkshire women are county champions

Moor Allerton, in Leeds, successfully hosted the Clipper Logistics Championships to mark the end of the EuroPro Tour season. The tournament was won by Teignmouth’s Billy Hemstock, who beat Oulton Hall’s Daniel Gavins in a play-off. The result was enough for local lad Gavins to claim a Challenge Tour card for next season. He also shot a course record-equalling 64 on the final day.

Sand Moor poised for further changes GolfMark high achiever award for Billingham

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CONTACT

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Reduced membership rates at Woodhall Hills Woodhall Hills are offering reduced membership rates for the coming 12 months following a strong last year. Full membership costs just £750, contact 0113 256 2857.

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Willow Valley pair Denise Page and Sarah Dawson won the Ping Fourball Betterball tournament at Gainsborough. The duo scored 43 Stableford points and finished two points clear of the field.

A regeneration and redesign project at Sandmoor in Leeds is set to be expanded after positive early signs.

Golf course designer Andy Watson was brought in by the club to redesign several holes, and following a successful trial on one of the heathland’s holes, the project will now

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be expanded to the entire North Leeds layout. Four more holes will be reworked ahead of the 2014 season, with the rest of the course set to be re-shaped in the coming years.

The main work centres around the moving of several bunkers on the course in an effort to improve playing strategy.

Ennis and Waddle star in Sheffield fundraiser Olympic hero Jess Ennis and former England star Chris Waddle played in a charity golf day to raise money in memory of local boy Richard Hill – a 14 year old boy from Hathersage – who died last year. The event at Sickleholme raised over £5,000 for charity.

Yorkshire are the best women’s county in England following victory in the County Finals at Wilmslow.

The victory is Yorkshire’s 12th since the event began, and their first since 2008.

In a tight final match, they overcame a strong challenge from runnersup Lincolnshire, eventually prevailing by a scoreline of 5-4.

“I am over the moon with my fantastic team,” said Yorkshire captain Carole Waights.

“Lincolnshire played beautifully. They were going straight for the pins and gave me a fright!” she said.

NCG pp119 Club Golf NE Ads 17/10/2013 12:36 Page 119

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0113 266 5209 www.magc.co.uk www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 119

NCG pp120 Club Golf NW 17/10/2013 11:05 Page 120

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MADE IN THE UK

NORTH WEST Cheshire | Cumbria | Lancashire | Merseyside

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County Champion: Lancaster, Lancashire

Two Heysham juniors celebrated success in the England Golf National Skills Challenge.

Bethany Fletcher won the 9 to 11-year-old category, with Megan Cullen winning the 15 to 17-year-old age group.

Over 1,400 youngsters took part in the event from across the UK.

About With the Lakeland Mountains to the north and the rolling hills of the Trough of Bowland to the east, Lancaster is one of the more picturesque courses in England, yet it is easily accessed from the M6.

It also boasts one of the oldest clubhouses in the country. Ashton Hall dates back to medieval times and has hosted a number of English kings in centuries gone by.

Howard represents England in Texas Lancashire’s Paul Howard capped off a great season with a callup to represent England at the Spirit International Amateur Championship in Texas.

Successful charity day at Wirral Ladies The annual captain’s charity day at Wirral Ladies raised £3,000 for two chosen charities. £1,650 was presented to the Clatterbridge cancer charity and Liverpool’s Premature Baby Unit.

The Course Designed by world-renowned course architect James Braid in 1932, the 6,512-yard par-71 parkland layout features trademark Braid bunkering and subtle changes in terrain that are certain to challenge any golfer.

Much of the back nine also looks out towards the open bay, and brings a pleasant seaside feel to your round here.

Top Hole The 17th, Known as “Braid’s Best”, the demanding 437-yard par-four requires two of your best strokes to reach the green, while the putting surface is heavily bunkered.

Card Wrecker The toughest hole is the par-four 9th. Measuring 385 yards, it features a slightly dogleg, tree-lined fairway and a tricky approach shot.

Boost for Liverpool Alliance

Lancashire win county grand slam

The Liverpool Golf Alliance has announced new partnerships with some of the most prestigious brands in golf.

After slipping into decline over the last 12 months, the oldest golf alliance in the county is under new management, and will introduce sponsorship from BMW, Glenmuir and Northern Golf in their events throughout 2014. Shotgun starts will also be used in all LGA tournaments.

Yorkshire dominate on the Wirral

Golf promoted to OAPs

Yorkshire produced winners in both the men’s and women’s categories at the Wirral Golf Classic Held from September 23 to 27, the event attracted over 230 golfers from across Britain, Ireland as well as Continental Europe.

It was played at Caldy, Heswall, Open venue

Age UK Lancashire has teamed up with the England Golf Partnership to promote golf to older generations.

England Golf Disability Officer Jamie Blair said: “This project aims to show that golf can be enjoyed in later life, bringing new friendships and healthy exercise.”

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Royal Liverpool and Wallasey. Willow Valley’s John Freeman scored 160 points to take the men’s title, while Vicky Clarke won the women’s trophy with 139 points.

The tournament also saw two holes-in-one from Chevin’s Paul Anscomb and Charlie Birdsall from Beverley.

Lancashire secured victory in the English County Championship at Minchinhampton.

Paul Williams’ side narrowly overcame Devon, with the result determined by game points and Lancashire winning 15½-14.

The victory is Lancashire’s 11th County Championship victory, and means that the county secured an elusive grand slam this season having already won the Northern Counties League and Northern Championship.

“It has been a fantastic experience,” said Williams.

NCG pp121 Club Golf NW Ads 17/10/2013 11:18 Page 121

CLUB GOLF

T 01524 751247 E secretary@lancastergc.co.uk W www.lancastergc.co.uk TW @golflancaster A few miles from the city centre a million miles away from the office Lancaster Golf Club hosts an 18 hole James Braid designed parkland course with superb catering and dining facilities Residential Dormy Packages are available (2 Nights from £240.00) Visiting Parties Welcome 18 hole packages from £56 27 hole full day packages from £75

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NCG pp122 Club Golf EM 17/10/2013 11:19 Page 122

CLUB GOLF News & Reviews

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MADE IN THE UK

EAST MIDLANDS Derb | N’ants | Notts | Leics | Lincs | Cambs | N’folk | Suffolk

Duo represent England

CONTACT

t: 01760 7 2162 club-noticeb 1 oard .co.uk/swaf fham p: PE37 8A E

M Rushden have added an extra nine holes to their existing layout, as well as opening a new nine-hole practice facility.

It is the first major change since the club opened in 1919.

Play-and-stay winter offer at North Shore Skegness club North Shore are currently offering a great winter play-and-stay deal. You can get bed, breakfast, a three course meal and two rounds of golf on the James Braid course from £75pp. Contact 01754763298 for details.

County Champion: Swaffham, Norfolk About Swaffham was established as a ninehole course in 1922 on a Norfolk breckland heath.

The club is situated around two miles from the town with which it shares its name, and expanded into an 18-hole layout in 2001.

Owing to the club’s woodland setting, there is a variety of wildlife present on the course, including deer, pheasant and woodpeckers.

The Course The course at Swaffham occupies a rural setting, with part of the layout occuping a woodland setting and part occupying a more open style.

The holes move seamlessly from one style to the other, making for a varied test across the 18 holes.

There are no water hazards here, but fast, undulating greens provide the sternest examination of your short game.

Top Hole The signature hole is the par-4 17th. The tee shot plays uphill, and the second drops into the green off a sharp decline. The hole is set against the backdrop of mature trees and is visually stunning.

Card wrecker The long par-4 2nd is the toughest on the course, with trees guarding the narrow fairway and green.

Plans for Leicester club to re-open

Lincolnshire miss out on title Lincolnshire narrowly missed out on winning the Women’s County Finals tournament at Wilmslow in Cheshire.

The team, represented by India Clyburn, Sophie Beardsall, Emilee Taylor, Jessica Wilcox, Emma Tipping, Helen Hewlett and Emily Slater finished as runners-up behind Yorkshire. They did have the opportunity to steal victory on the final day, but lost to the eventual winners 5-4 in a tense last game.

National title for Derbyshire youngster Buxton and High Peak’s Charley Mycock has been crowned 2013 boys 15-17 champion at England Golf’s National Skills Challenge.

The Derby College student, who also plays at the Bakewell club, came through local and regional qualifying events against around 1,400 other

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juniors to take the title at the National Golf Centre at Woodhall Spa. Derby College performance director Nigel Furniss said: “I’m really pleased for Charley who has worked hard to win this award. He has represented both Bakewell and Buxton & High Peak with distinction this year.”

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Course improvements made at Rushden

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Kedleston Park’s Will Painter and Niall Quinn Jarvis from Kibworth represented England in a schools’ match against Scotland. The Derby duo played in the event at West Kilbride, which England lost 9.5-8.5.

Cheap junior programme encourages beginners A new initiative at Royal Norwich is aiming to encourage more youngsters to take up the game. The junior scholarship is available for £130 to 7-15 year olds, and consists of a set of clubs, one year’s coaching and a year’s membership.

The owners of Oadby Golf Course are looking to re-open the course if they are allowed to build a new driving range.

The club was closed down in April last year, following losses of over £500,000 in seven years.

However owners Leicester Racecourse Holdings are looking to salvage the course alongside the new range.

Company director Clive Buckle said: "We have plans for the site but it all hinges on the driving range. We intend to reopen the course and maybe turn our attention to refurbishing the clubhouse.”

NCG pp123 Club Golf EM Ads 18/10/2013 16:22 Page 123

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CLUB GOLF News & Reviews

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MADE IN THE UK

WEST MIDLANDS Staffs | Shrops | Herefords | Worcs | West Mids | Warks | Oxon

Successful charity day at Calderfields

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County Champion: South Staffordshire, Staffs About Originally founded in 1892, the current layout at South Staffordshire was designed by renowned architect Harry Vardon in 1908. It is one of the oldest club in the Midlands and sits close to Wolverhampton on the A41.

Over the years it has played host to a Ryder Cup skins game between Ian Woosnam, Peter Baker, Paul Broadhurst and David Gilford.

The Course Such luminaries as Colt, Braid and Steel have all had a hand in the design of the course and their efforts are well rewarded at what is one of the finest courses in the area.

Set in 160 acres of rolling parkland, it can play as long as 6,587 yards off the new black tees with a tight par of 71. The middle stretch, holes 7 to 14, provides six par 4s at well over 400 yards.

A Ludlow member became the first person at the club to win a trophy established in memory of a member of his family. Tris Clare (pictured middle-left) won the Clare Cup, an event created in memory of his father.

Card wrecker The 9th is a tough par 4 of over 450 yards with out of bounds down the right. It requires two very good hits to get on in two and there are bunkers to catch anything short.

Reigning champions retain title West Midlands pair Claire Dowling and Tracy Atkin retained the senior women’s Brenda King Foursomes at Gog Magog.

Dowling, from Copt Heath, and Leamington & County’s Atkin secured the title for the second year running despite dropping five shots on the final five holes.

“We thought we’d thrown it away,” said Dowling. “We were talking about packing it in – but now we’ll be back next year!”

New Birmingham inner-city initiatives Family affair at Ludlow

Top Hole The par-5 5th has a narrow tee shot and the hole runs from right to left but, if you can get your drive right, the green will be within range.

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Oxfordshire club Witney Lakes has unveiled its brand-new spa facility. The club currently has a range of offers on treatments and spa breaks following the redesign. For more information contact the club on 01993 893 016.

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A recent open day at Barlaston was successful in encouraging more people to try golf for the first time. Free coaching was available as part of a day celebrating the club’s new academy.

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Celebrities and sports stars – such as Mark Bright (below) – played at Calderfields in the Luke Roper Golf Day and Night to raise funds for the Fashion and Textile Children’s Trust.

The new golf course contractors charged with the responsibility of improving the game in Birmingham have pledged to take the sport into inner-city areas in a bid to encourage golf in new communities.

Mytime Active recently won a 50-year contract to manage Birmingham City

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Council’s seven courses, and will look to develop pitch-and-putt and tri-golf courses throughout the city’s parks to get more youngsters playing.

Council leisure services official David Wagg said: “We cannot create an 18hole course in the city, but we can increase provision through this route.”

Golf club criticised after geese shootings The Bransford club has been criticised for shooting around eight Canada Geese on their course. A spokesman for the club told the Worcester News they had been given permission to shoot the birds because they are unhygienic and designated as vermin.

Coventry secure best in Britain accolade Coventry GC won the English Club Championship title by five shots at Dudsbury.

The West Midlands team became only the sixth club from the Midlands area to win the event in its 30-year history.

Led by Sam Dodds and backed up by Robert Browning and Andrew Carmen, the Coventry team shot a two-round total of 420, ending five shots clear of runners-up King’s Lynn and Walsall.

“I don’t know what the reaction will be like back at the club but I think they will be thrilled,” said Dodds.

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CLUB GOLF News & Reviews

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MADE IN THE UK

SCOTLAND News and course reviews from the Home of Golf

Record amateur win

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County Champion: Nairn Dunbar, Highlands About Situated on the shores of the Moray Firth, Nairn Dunbar is a difficult course to define. At intervals, it plays like a traditional Scottish links, but it also offers some wonderful woodland holes.

The club is situated in the coastal town of Nairn, and has a hosted many national tournaments, including the British Seniors and Scottish Boys’ Open.

The Course The charm of Nairn Dunbar is in its ability to offer classic seaside holes alongside those which play between birches and whins and therefore could be in Perthshire.

The course itself is no pushover, and 6,765 yards of honest toil must be covered to defeat this hidden Highlands gem. It is at its best when the gorse is in full bloom in the spring and bursting with colour.

Players from Hilton Park GC reached the grand final of the Volvo Help for Heroes tournament at Turnberry. They got there wearing Glenbrae knitwear won in an NCG competition.

Top Hole The most picturesque holes are those which come at the turn. The 11th is a wonderful short hole and is a highlight of your round.

Card Wrecker The 18th is a tough closing hole.

Measuring 499 yards from the back tees, you need two big hits to threaten the elevated green, which sits in the shadow of the clubhouse.

Historic East Lothian club ceases to exist

Ryder Cup journey begins Ryder Cup captains Tom Watson and Paul McGinley joined a host of golfing dignitaries and celebrities on a speciallycommissioned steam train to mark a year until the start of the 2014 Ryder Cup. The train was built in 1927, the same year the Ryder Cup began, and it took the two captains from Edinburgh to Gleneagles. The day marked the start of a year of events relating to the tournament.

Stirling are European champions NCG competition winners enjoy success

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Scottish amateur Ian Hutcheon has won the Monifieth Club Championship for a record 17th time. The 71 year old has won the event at least once in the last six decades, with his first victory coming in 1962. He was a fourtime Walker Cup player.

The University of Stirling are the new European Universities Strokeplay Team champions following victory at the event in France.

Competing without star player Jack McDonald, who was forced to withdraw with flu, the team of Alexander Culverwell, Mathias

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Eggenberger, Cormac Sharvin and Craig Howie beat 12 universities, including the allprofessional Scandinavian School of Golf to the title.

“It is our finest team performance ever and the toughest competition we’ve been up against,” said Stirling’s head coach Dean Robertson.

Ross wins top Scottish Amateur award Royal Burgess’ James Ross has won the Scottish Amateur Golfer of the Year award after finishing as the leading Scot on the World Amateur Golf Rankings list. The USbased 23 year old has performed strongly in British and European events across the season.

One of Edinburgh’s oldest golf clubs has been forced to close following sharply declining membership numbers.

Lothianburn is still hopeful it can reach a sharing deal with neighbouring club Swanston to keep the James Braid course in use, but the club, which dates back to 1893, will no longer exist.

Club captain Alan Greenshields said: "Membership numbers is the one factor that certainly hit us hard.

“The Lothians is now at saturation point in terms of the number of golf clubs.”

NCG pp127 Club Golf Scotland Ads 18/10/2013 13:32 Page 127

CLUB GOLF

Inverness Golf Club

Winter Specials Weekday Fourball £90 Weekend Fourball £140 Summer Specials Off-peak Weekday Fourball £160 on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 13.00-15.00

GREEN FEE SPECIAL OFFER Nov 13 - Mar 14 £30 all day £45 Weekend

e Welcom Visitors ts available coun Group dis

Round £42 • Day £55 T: 01463 239882 E: manager@invernessgolfclub.co.uk

www.invernessgolfclub.co.uk Torwoodlee Golf Course Edinburgh Road, Galashiels, Scottish Borders TD1 2NE

TO BOOK

01875 852141 secretary@longniddrygolfclub.co.uk QUOTING NCG 11/13

www.longniddrygolfclub.co.uk /Longniddrygolf

@Longniddrygolf

A challenging 18 hole, 6021 yds SSS 69/70 parkland course set adjacent to the River Gala, 2 miles North of Galashiels on the A7 & 30 miles South of Edinburgh.

GREEN FEES £32 round, £42 day - Weekdays & Weekends New GPS Buggies & online booking available Special offer - 4x ball - £80 (£100 inc. buggies)

Phone: 01896 752260 (Option 3) www.torwoodleegolfclub.co.uk Email: torwoodleegolfclub@btconnect.com

Nairn Dunbar Golf Club Championship Links Course

EARLY BIRD OFFER Book for 2014 by 31st Dec 2013 and get this year’s prices NAIRN TICKET SPECIAL Play 2 Championship Links Courses see website for details

01667 452 741

www.nairndunbar.com

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 127

NCG pp128 Club Golf Wales 17/10/2013 11:22 Page 128

CLUB GOLF News & Reviews

in association with Glenbrae Golf

MADE IN THE UK

WALES All the latest news and course reviews from the Principality

Winter membership offer at Prestatyn

M Club makes TV debut Langland Bay was visited by top television impressionist Alistair McGowan as part of a series on regional accents for BBC’s The One Show.

Filming took place on the 16th green.

Lodges to open at Celtic Manor in £4.3m project The Celtic Manor Resort will open 10 new holiday lodges in 2014 as part of a £4.3million development project.

The new Hunter Lodges will be aimed at families and will be situated close to the 2010 Ryder Cup course.

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Darland, a nine-hole pay-and-play course located close to Wrexham, has been put up for sale by its owners.

The course will be placed on the market with a guide price of around £1million.

CONTACT

t: 01766 5 141 porthmadog 24 -golfclub.co.uk p: LL49 9U U

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Welsh club up for sale

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Prestatyn currently have an outstanding winter membership offer.

Join this wonderful championship links course for just £210 and play unlimited golf until the end of March 2014.

Contact 01745854320 for details.

County Champion: Porthmadog, Gwynedd About Porthmadog has everything you could ask for in a course – stunning scenery, a perfect location by the sea, a famous and revered architect in James Braid and plenty of tough and interesting holes.

The course's exposed location also means that the elements play a big part in any round here. It is also excellent in poor weather and is therefore a great winter golf option.

The Course Originally laid out in the early 1900s, the course is a charming mix of heathland and links land.

The front nine is played on typical inland turf, while the back nine, which stretches out to the sea, offers a more classic links test.

Holes 10 to 13 run adjacent to the coastline and undoubtedly form the most scenic part of this beautiful track.

Top Hole The par-3 13th is played with Cardigan Bay at your back, Harlech Castle on the right, and Criccieth Castle to the left. A long iron is needed from the tee to reach the hidden green.

Card Wrecker The par-4 14th is the toughest on the course, with hidden bunkers in play from tee to green.

Senior British Open win for Wales’ Lewis

Boulden impresses on debut Amy Boulden made a good start to her professional career by finishing second in the WPGA International Challenge at Stoke by Nayland.

The 20 year old finished two shots behind eventual winner Hannah Ralph.

Boulden became the first Welsh player to win three Ladies’ Home Internationals following Wales’ win this year, and is the country’s most successful amateur to date.

New scheme encourages juniors An innovative new coaching programme has helped to encourage more juniors to take up golf in South Wales.

The Haverfordwest club has worked in collaboration with Sport Pembrokeshire to deliver a leisure centre golf programme, allowing juniors to develop their

128 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

skills in comfortable surroundings.

Sport Pembrokeshire’s Alan Jones said: “The leisure centre site offers a larger footfall than a golf club and is far more accessible for young people.”

“This takes away the fear factor of entering a golf club ‘cold’,” he said.

Wales announce their 2014 national squads The Golf Union of Wales have named their national squads for 2014.

Eight players were named in the male and female squads, including Youth Olympic winner Chloe Williams, along with many juniors in the regional, academy and nursery squads.

Wales’ Ann Lewis is the new Senior British Ladies Open champion following a one-shot victory at Royal Portrush.

Lewis was in a threeway tie for the lead heading into the final hole, but a birdie proved enough to beat Ireland’s Sheena McElroy and Finland’s Minna Kaarnalahti to the title.

"I'm delighted," said the 57-year-old Royal St David’s member.

"This win has been worth waiting for,” she said. “It's hard to believe. Here I am, suddenly Senior British Champion – I'm in a state of shock!"

NCG pp129 Club Golf Wales Ads 18/10/2013 14:26 Page 129

CLUB GOLF

PORTHMADOG GOLF CLUB Gwynedd, North Wales • 18 hole Par 71 6363 yards

One of the finest Courses in Wales

WINTER 4 BALL FROM £70 1st October - 31st March Quote AMN11 Online booking available

Website: www.porthmadog-golf-club.co.uk E-mail: Secretary@porthmadog-golf-club.co.uk Please phone or Fax 01766 514 124

www.nationalclubgolfer.com | DECEMBER 2013 129

NCG pp130 Columnist MT 17/10/2013 11:23 Page 130

MARK TOWNSEND Busting some tired and hackneyed golfing clichés HEN it’s breezy swing it easy. Or, rather, when you are propping yourself up in a 40mph wind forget all about the merits of reducing the spin, tee it so low that you are mentally beaten before even addressing the ball and then throw yourself at it. And if it’s half decent emit a small, affected grunt.

While Bernhard Langer always seemed to win when his back was at its worst, Gary Player’s short game continues to dazzle even into his 80s and you can rely on Phil Mickelson to give his putts an aggressive roll these are a world away from my weekend jaunts.

Not again Did I mention my shoulder?

W

Beware the injured golfer…

As he’ll almost certainly bore you to tears.

Ordinarily I am rubbish when carrying even the slightest injury and, if I have ever achieved anything, it has not been when paralysed by a tiny niggle.

Generally (or, again, ordinarily) my lower back is my biggest downfall and, ideally, I like to bring it into the conversation before even the opening tee shot. We all do, it’s a rock-solid excuse for whatever drivel we serve up for the next four or so hours and, even better, the problem is invisible.

Invisible other than the affected grimace before, during and after the first practice swing, the triumph of the human spirit to put the ball on the tee, the picking up of the bag at every occasion, the failure to carry out any stretches properly in between shots – something you never usually do but you’re trying to hammer home a point – or whenever you are required to retrieve the ball from the hole. This can then come into its own in matchplay when your opponent takes pity on you from three feet and in while you then avoid his quizzical look at the 16th when he has a tap in for par.

If there is the slightest danger that your playing partners have forgotten that you are in some discomfort then it is still worthwhile dropping in a reminder as to how the Ibuprofen is working.

At some point you will make noises about maybe not being able to finish the round but, with a few shots down the genteel closing stretch, you grin (and then grimace again) and bear it.

130 DECEMBER 2013 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com

The more I practise…

Very little changes. The bulk of my rigorous training routine (once a month, if that) revolves around chipping balls onto and invariably through the back of a deserted green. Here I work on a couple of sound ideas, lose sight of them 10 minutes into the session and come out of my self-styled personal workshop with a new take on how to propel a golf ball five yards in the air without too much or too little forward momentum.

By the end I am dazzling even myself with checked-up little nudges from divots or barely visible balls exploding from sand to a couple of feet. I have a jaunt in my step and, for the umpteenth time this year, I tell myself that I have turned a corner. Repeated voice in head – it’s only your short game that’s holding you back and great things aren’t too far away.

And then, just two days later, you’re back on the 1st tee and, while there is no talk of bad backs, you are telling this new person in your life of your 15-year battle with the demons.

You whistle one down the 1st, smoke a hybrid to within a few yards of the putting surface and, whatever then happens, somehow end up writing down a six on your scorecard.

Putt like a pro…

Who is washed up and can’t break 80. In my last medal I holed two putts of six feet and lipped out once from 10 feet. Otherwise my other 15 putts, the longest being 25 feet at the most, all came up short.

While the greens had just been sanded this is perfectly typical of my timid and shambolic attempts to hole a putt.

Short-game mandarin Dave Pelz likes every putt to travel 17 inches past the hole, at the very most 34, while 35 and beyond is penalised.

I like to see every putt dribble up six inches short so I can momentarily enjoy the short walk to the hole side.

I have lost count of the hilarious exchanges I have had on various putting greens over the years eg ‘does your wife play?’ Or, from the real comedian, ‘you’ve dropped your lipstick’.

I laugh, maybe even say something about some eyeliner or blusher but inside I die a little bit. Despite visualising the perfect putt from eight feet I then can’t stop the final instructions to my hands of ‘two putts is fine from here’.

• Mark Townsend is NCG’s deputy editor. He is now back down to 7 after one good round

Foremost Golf Dolphin 18/10/2013 10:25 Page 1

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