LG Cover Apr 13 2/22/13 11:50 AM Page 3
April 2013 £3.50
TEENAGE SENSATION
Get to know the hottest player in ladies’ golf – amateur ace Lydia Ko
PAMPER
PACKAGES
Spa and golf treats at Cameron House
SWEDEN’S
SECRET STAR Karin Sjodin on nearly grabbing the Kraft Nabisco PLUS
ONE-HIT WONDER Nanci Bowen on the Kraft Nabisco being her only career title
STATE OF
THE NATION
LPGA Tour launches exciting new tournament
SPRING
COLLECTION Our suggestions on how to freshen up your wardrobe for the new season PLUS
Two pages crammed with the hottest new equipment
ALSO IN S THE TO P COLU IDE MNIST M ICKE S MADELE Y WALKER INE WIN NETT CLAIRE KANE JAYNE STOREY
LOVE GOLF, LOVE FOOTJOY INTRODUCING THE 2013 FJ WOMEN’S RANGE
STACY LEWIS FJ Shoe and Glove ambassador
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15/02/2013 14:25
LG pp 3 Ed Comm 2/22/13 2:25 PM Page 3
Welcome
April 2013 Volume 16 Issue 10 Consulting Editor Mickey Walker Editorial director Dan Murphy
LPGA impress with new country v country tournament
I
T is almost as if the LPGA, the body which organises professional golf in America, was listening. Or rather reading. Last month in this column we praised the Ladies European Tour for their comparatively early release of their schedule, with their American counterparts still to finalise theirs as we moved into the second week of January. Not only has the LPGA commissioner Mike Whan (pictured) now confirmed the schedule for the season ahead, he has also announced an exciting new country v country tournament which will start next year. ‘The Crown’ will feature eight teams playing in a matchplay format over four days with a succession of
Staff Writers Joe Harrison James Tompkinson Joe Whitley Contributors Chris Bertram Madeleine Winnett Photographs Getty Images Chief Designer Andrew Kenworthy Designer & Webmaster Daniel Cooper Publisher Tom Irwin Sales Executives Neil Braddish Luke Kelly Tom Lenton Jamie Miles Carley Warrington
singles matches deciding the outcome on Sunday. It promises to be terrific and we can only tip our hats (even if they are of the bobble variety at this time of year) to the LPGA Tour. ‘The Crown’ promises to be totally different
Why bobble hats are the future! TALKING of bobble hats, it seems like they are making a revival – and rightly so. OK, they might leave your
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
Deputy Editor Mark Townsend
head a bit itchy and your hair hardly beautifully coiffeured, but nothing keeps the heat in as well and they are also surprisingly good at keeping rain out. And there are lots of nicer styles and colours around these days too. The proof?, There are now plenty in evidence on the 1st tee.
and very exciting – assuming of course all the top players turn up. At £80k per woman on the winning side, you expect they might well do. See page 4 for more details. PS England would qualify if it were held tomorrow!
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One of golf’s great stories IF you are only going to win one tournament in your career, why not make it a Major Championship? That’s what Nanci Bowen did – and we speak to her this month as part of our Kraft Nabisco preview. Can a British player follow in her footsteps this year? Let’s hope so...
Sports Publications LTD, Unit 2, Arena Park, Tarn Lane Scarcroft, Leeds LS17 9BF Telephone 01132 893 979 e-mail editorial@sportspub.co.uk ISSN 1369 4790 Published by © Sports Publications LTD 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 reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. The views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of Sports Publications LTD. 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 Lady Golfer.
Lady Golfer 3
LG pp 4-5 Starter MOTM 2/22/13 10:44 AM Page 4
THE STARTER
4 Lady Golfer
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LG pp 4-5 Starter MOTM 2/22/13 10:44 AM Page 5
THE MONTH IN A SNAPSHOT THE LPGA has announced an innovative new tournament which will pit the strongest countries in the world against each other in a biennial matchplay competition. The International Crown will begin next year, featuring teams from eight countries in a four-day format with a total purse of £1.2m – of which £80,000 will go to each of the four members of the winning team. The countries will be divided into two groups and will play three days of fourballs to determine which five countries advance to Sunday’s singles. All points from the fourballs will carry over to Sunday, where each country will play a singles match against every other country. The total cumulative points from the four days will be used to determine the champion. Prior to play on Saturday and Sunday, each team will turn in a sealed envelope with the name of one player who will represent their team if a play-off is necessary to break a tie the following day. “This is the first time we’ll pit country versus country for bragging rights,” said LPGA chief Mike Whan (pictured announcing the event). “The Crown will take women’s golf to the next level. In sport, there is nothing greater than wearing your nation’s flag and fans singing your national anthem.” If teams were selected according to the current rankings, South Korea, the US, Japan, Sweden, Australia, Taiwan, Spain and England would battle for the title. The inaugural tournament will be at Caves Valley in Owings Mills, Maryland. In 2016, it will be played at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Illinois.
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Lady Golfer 5
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LG pp 7 Tweets, 5 Mins With 2/22/13 10:43 AM Page 7
THE STARTER
LYDIA KO The 15-year-old sensation – already a three-time winner – on school, turning pro and handling pressure I don’t go to school much. Most of the time I’m at golf, and like the start of the year from the first eight weeks, I’m out of school. But my school understands, so that’s a good thing, and I have to mainly do all the work when I come back. So there’s lots of catchup work to do. I want to go to college so we’ll have to see about turning professional. But I graduate in 2014, so I’ve still got time to juggle things around. They are my role models but I don’t want to go their path. There are so many people in New Zealand who go to college overseas, and I think that kind of inspired me. My aunt got me started playing golf. She gave me
two clubs and I just went on from there. Now all my family is supporting me, all our relatives and people back at home. They are helping me to become a bigger and better player.
things. The next thing is just playing against the big names, it’s really hard to keep up. Pressure is one of the biggest things I try to handle. But it’s not like I get a lot of pressure.
The most nervous I have been was the 2012 US Open. At the 1st hole I was lining up my putt and my hands were shaking so bad. I couldn’t put the line straight. I knew I was nervous in all the other tournaments as well, but then, I don’t know why, I just couldn’t put the ball straight. I was talking to myself, like, oh, why am I this nervous. But I guess it’s the US Open, that’s why.
Winning the US Amateur would be my biggest win. Winning a professional event is amazing. But to me as an amateur, the US Amateur was much more meaningful. It’s good to win it, and my mom before told me if you win I’ll get you to meet my favorite Korean movie star So Ji Sub the next day.
The biggest pressure is me being World No 1 amateur and people are expecting
And I was like, oh, yeah. So after my round finishes, it was like, okay, I’m going to meet him. So I think that’s the most happiest I am for now.
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TOP TWEETS It’s not her shoes that make everyone follow Natalie Gulbis around the course.Been wearing them for a week now without increased popularity @karin_sjodin My clubs slept in Sydney last night and being sent on the 5th flight of the day to Canberra. What was wrong w the first 4 flights #qantas @Sophie Gustafson Here’s hoping Katie goes into school well, she hated it last week..only another 12 1/2 years of it to go! @Beany25 (Catriona Matthew) Got to love watching a bit of corrie in NZ, might be a bit old but always good to see the street @FlicJohnsonGolf The last thing I wanna do right now is pack...maybe I’ll procrastinate some more and paint my nails @themichellewie Finally in Australia, one more flight to go! It’s my birthday here and I’m 18:)I’m going to have to find a way to celebrate it!! @Lexi (Thompson) Pro am rain delay, which is perfect, I can watch the liverpool game live! I just need 30 mins more delay, then we can go out lol @CarlyBooth92
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Lady Golfer 7
LG pp 9 News, Top 5 2/22/13 10:40 AM Page 9
THE STARTER
NATIONAL
CALLING FOR LADIES
GOLFING GLAMOROUS GOES LIVE THREE lady golfers have launched Golfing Glamorous, an online fashion boutique designed to help you ‘look good on and off the course’. The site offers clothes to suit the busy lifestyle of most lady golfers by matching style with quality workmanship. “We have focused our choices to enable us to offer items which transition off the course so you can feel confident in your golf attire without compromising on functionality,” said a brand spokesperson.
The site will give golfers the chance to update their wardrobes every season, with the first range due to launch in the Spring featuring clothing from four brands. Ping have come aboard with a striking collection of bright skorts, capris and shorts. New brand Pret A Golf have also joined and will offer a range of elegant clothes.
Lija specialise in apparel that can be used for a range of sports, while Golfino bring a hint of glamour to the course with their upmarket range of swarovski and sequin designs. “Each brand has its own personality and crosses the spectrum of age groups and affordability.” For more visit the website www.golfingglamorous.com
SCOTLAND LAUNCHES TOUR
FULFORD HOSTS TEAM EVENT YORKSHIRE will host Europe’s best female amateurs this summer. The European Amateur Team Championship will be held at Fulford in York from July 6 to 13. The woodland layout has staged several top events including the 1981 Benson and Hedges where Bernhard Langer famously played from a tree by the 17th green. It has also hosted a number of prestigious ladies’ tournaments including the inaugural British Ladies Open in 1976. England have won the tournament on eight occasions and were triumphant the last two times the event was held on home soil, the last coming in 1993.
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
ENTRIES are now open for the new ladies’ tour launching in April this year. The Scottish Ladies’ Open Tour is designed as a platform for female players to gain competitive experience before moving to the European Tour. It will feature 14 events open to professionals and amateurs with a
single-figure handicap. Tournament entry will cost ￡50. Events will be divided into pairs and played on consecutive days to lower costs for those travelling from the rest of Britain or the Continent. The first stop is the James Braid-designed East Course at Marriot Dalmahoy on April 18.
EAST Sussex National are offering a range of packages designed to encourage more female golfers to benefit from their facilities. The club boasts two championship courses, a 104-room hotel, a nine-room spa, a 20m pool and 50 station gym, and lives up to its reputation as a superb all-round venue. The club also benefits from a full academy course and 13 acres of land which is designated for practice purposes.
The club offers traditional packages along with more inventive schemes tailor-made to suit the female market. These include combined golf and spa packages along with a ‘stay-andlearn’ option which combines a short break with expert coaching from experienced club pro Sarah MacLennan. MacLennan has worked at the club for 23 years and has coached all over the world. She said: “There is no standard way of coaching and I try to listen to golfers so we can work together on specific issues. We find our practice facilities to be a big advantage as we have so much space.” For more details visit www.eastsussex national.co.uk
Lady Golfer 9
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LG pp 11 Manchester Golf Show 2/22/13 10:39 AM Page 11
THE STARTER
4 REASONS
GOLF SHOW HEADING TO MANCHESTER
TO VISIT RANGE OF BRANDS The Golf Show provides a unique opportunity to get a feel for a wide range of equipment from different brands before making a purchase.
The north west will host its own interactive event next month
CUSTOM FITTING So many players are now benefiting from custom fitted equipment, and the Golf Show is an ideal place to seek advice from the experts.
A new show is set to launch in Manchester offering golf fans the chance to see and test the latest clubs as well as be entertained and educated by the experts. The Golf Show Group will hold the event at EventCity over the weekend of April 5 to 7 and it will follow the same format as the long-running London show, which is now in its eighth year. The show will be the first of its kind in the north west, and aims to provide an interactive experience for all attendees. It welcomes new retail partners
Express Golf and Monarch Airlines along with established brands such as TaylorMade, Callaway, Mizuno, Cleveland, Nike, Wilson, Cobra and Yonex. Visitors will be able to test the latest products on offer and gain insight into state-
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Golf Show Manchester Fri April 5 to Sun April 7 Tickets cost £11 per person. One under-14 is admitted free with every paying adult. To buy tickets visit www.golfshowmanches ter.co.uk
of-the-art equipment innovations throughout the weekend. With 16 driving bays and custom-fitting experts on site, the event provides an ideal base to source a new set of clubs or make key alterations and additions. European Tour accredited putting coach Andy Gorman and other PGA professionals will be on hand and visitors will also be able to view expert interviews, discussions and master classes on all aspects of the game including biomechanics, mind coaching, strength and
conditioning. Trick-shot world champion Geoff Swain will also perform alongside Kevin Carpenter as "The Golf Trick Shot Boys". There will also be a designated 'kids zone' and numerous competitions including nearest the pin, longest putt and longest drive challenges. Prizes include Monarch flights to various destinations around the world. “Manchester has been on our radar for a number of years and now the time is right for us to expand,” said managing director Damian Benstead.
GREAT ENTERTAINMENT The wide range of competitions, exhibitions and shows means that visitors will be thoroughly entertained as well as expertly informed.
IDEAL FOR JUNIORS The interactive, hands on nature of the show makes it a perfect place for juniors, particularly as under14s are admitted free with a paying adult.
Lady Golfer 11
LG pp 12-13 Columnist MW 2/22/13 10:35 AM Page 12
COMMENT
Mickey Walker Augusta’s two female members are a good start – but only that
A
T this time of year it’s a real pleasure to watch golf which comes from sunnier climes. America, South Africa, Australia and the Middle East remind us of things to come, and, as the nights start to draw out and the first snowdrops appear, with magnificent spring flowers not far behind, my mind races ahead to the first two Majors of the year – for the men, the Masters at Augusta, and for the ladies, the Kraft Nabisco Championship at Mission Hills in Palm Springs. While Mission Hills is certainly female friendly, with both male and female members, and has played host to the Kraft Nabisco in its various guises since 1972, Augusta’s membership policy has been strictly “men-only” for its 80year history. At least it was until last year when Darla Moore, a prominent businesswoman and financier from South Carolina, along with Condoleezza Rice became the first two women members. Augusta’s policy has long been attacked by women’s activists, notably Martha Burk, who along with her like-minded friends demonstrated at the gates to Augusta during the Masters in 2003. Burk’s campaigning and heated verbal battles with the then Masters chairman, Hootie Johnson, got so much media attention that it completely overshadowed the build-up that year! So, with the inclusion of two prominent American women, have things really changed at Augusta? I would say that they haven’t. 12 Lady Golfer
Protest voice Martha Burk spoke out for women’s rights at the Masters
As an outsider, I get the feeling that this was a token gesture created by political pressure which most definitely won’t be opening the floodgates to future female membership of one of the most elite golf clubs in the world. Having said that, it is a start, and I am firmly of the opinion that change comes from within, from setting good examples and with the voice of reason. Augusta is such an unusual club – the annual cost of running the club is divided between its membership for a start, so that would eliminate more than 99 per cent of the American population, let alone the female golf playing population! Since the membership determines its own policies, it is highly unlikely that the majority would turn around and vote for equal numbers of men and
women to be the future membership. Like all elite clubs, you can play at Augusta as a guest of a member. Most of the top LPGA players have played it and are happy just to get the opportunity to play there. Laura Davies, Paula Creamer and Juli Inkster all spring to mind. I asked some of my golfing friends whether or not they would accept in the event of being invited to become a member at Augusta. Their reactions were mixed. Some said absolutely not under any circumstances, some said yes, of course, while others still said it would be conditional upon certain criteria being met. Later on this year, the men’s Open will be returning to Muirfield and the Ricoh Women’s British Open to St Andrews, home of the Royal & Ancient.
At both those institutions, membership is restricted to men only. I fully expect that once again, with the spotlight falling on them, certain elements of the media will again raise the issue of their membership policies. Should the situation change at these clubs? I can see the situation from both perspectives. Change only comes about if the majority want it, or when it is forced upon the membership by the government of the day. As long as it is legally permissible for clubs like Muirfield to have a male-only membership policy, then I can’t see that changing in my lifetime. Realistically, the current membership aren’t suddenly going to vote to have women included. www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
LG pp 12-13 Columnist MW 2/22/13 10:35 AM Page 13
Voice of reason Business secretary Vince Cable
WISE WORDS FROM CABLE When I was growing up as a junior member at Faversham, in Kent, when I’d achieved a single-figure handicap, I was allowed to play with the men on Sunday mornings. Going back to the 1970s, women’s membership had restricted access at the weekends. This courtesy was offered to any women achieving single figures but one which only I accepted. I have always maintained that good behaviour on a golf course and the pace at which you play have nothing to do with your sex,handicap or ability. Rather it depends on how you’ve been introduced to the game, have learned to get yourself round the course and whether or not you’re considerate of your fellow players. I’ve known selfish professionals and singlefigure-handicappers and conversely high-handicap players who are aware of everyone else and who always keep up.
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I like a lot of our golf traditions and the fact that our sport still has a lot of integrity and is self-policing. I’m proud to be a professional but do think that some clubs need to modernise with admitting female members as a priority, subject to their golfing status of course! Only recently the UK’s business secretary, Vince Cable, stated: “Every FTSE 100 board should have a significant female presence by 2015. This is not about equality, but about good governance and good business. The international evidence supports this: diverse boards are better boards benefiting from fresh perspectives and new ideas.” Surely these words apply just as much to golf clubs as they do to businesses.
Mickey Walker • Lady Golfer’s consulting editor captained Europe in the first four Solheim Cups. She regularly appears on Sky Sports as an expert summariser
Lady Golfer 13
LG pp 14-15 Sjodin 2/22/13 10:34 AM Page 14
KRAFT NABISCO PREVIEW
“It was the creepiest feeling I have ever felt. There was so much energy around the course then all of a sudden the excitement just turned to horror. It was just awful” - Karin Sjodin on IK Kim’s missed putt at the 72nd hole The Swedish star tells the story of how close she came to winning last year’s Kraft Championship to Mark Townsend
K
ARIN Sjodin arrived at the 2012 Kraft Nabisco ranked 216th in the world and very possibly dislocated a rib halfway through her second round. Come the end of the third round the Swede was in a tie for the lead with the World No 1 Yani Tseng.
We first heard about Sjodin when she was part of the winning Swedish team at the Espirito Santo Trophy, otherwise known as the World Amateur Team Championship, in 2004. She also finished as the leading individual. Runners-up that year were Canada and the United States who had Paula Creamer in their trio.
She then made it onto the LPGA Tour at her first attempt and was quickly known as one of the longest hitters on tour but not the straightest. She recorded just two top 10s in six years but a lot of hard work later she threatened to break her own (and Europe’s seven-year) duck at the year’s opening Major.
LG pp 14-15 Sjodin 2/22/13 10:34 AM Page 15
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
Hair Solved LADY GOLFER OL.indd 1
19/02/2013 16:12
LG pp 17 Sjodin 2/22/13 10:33 AM Page 17
KRAFT NABISCO PREVIEW
Major player Sjodin led the Kraft going into Sunday’s final round
Happy days The winning Swedish team of 2004 and media duties
I had missed all three cuts there before so I don’t know what was different last year. I have always liked the course and I think it suits me pretty well. The first time I played I was still an amateur so everything was new to me, I had never had a caddy before, or seen that kind of rough or played with those kind of players. I just somehow started the year well and played very steady in Phoenix two weeks before the Kraft and felt good about my game. I’m not sure Mission Hills suits big hitters particularly, a lot of big and short hitters have won it and done well there. You definitely have to keep it in the fairway and hit a lot of greens, the up and downs are really tough on pretty much every single hole. I have cut back on how far I hit it, I used to hit it about a club and half further but with a push draw or a pull hook and I realised that I couldn’t control
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the ball on the tighter courses. Now I claim I am hitting it short and straight but I was still in the top 10 of the driving distances last year (Sjodin also topped the Greens in Regulation stats). I work a lot with my coach EJ Pfister and I tended to be very long and across the line at the top which causes me to come from the inside on the downswing. So by controlling the position on the backswing I seem to be able to attack the ball from a better position. On the Friday I don’t know what happened to my rib. There was an indentation on my back where the rib is supposed to attach to the spine and it was out of place. I don’t know if it was dislocated or not but it wasn’t very pleasant. It clicked walking between the 9th green and the 10th tee, I have no idea what I did but, all of a sudden, there was this sharp pain and it was hard to breathe. I hit the tee shot on 10 and called out the trainer
and I got treated on the fairway, luckily we were playing in the last group. After a while the painkillers kicked in. It was very strange but I heard later that it happens to a lot of golfers. We put a lot of torque on the rib cage and some of my friends have had their ribs pop out in their sleep. Playing with Yani in the last round of a Major was a great experience and it helped to take a lot of the pressure off me. She had won pretty much every tournament for the last few years so the pressure was on her.
Final leaderboard -9 *Sun Young Yoo IK Kim -8 Yani Tseng -7 Karin Sjodin Stacy Lewis Amy Yang Hee Kyung Seo * Won at first play-off hole
I talk a lot when I play, mainly to my caddy, but we chatted when it slowed down and we knew each other from playing together over the years. She is easy to play with, she has a good tempo in terms of pace of play. When you play with someone you don’t pay that much attention to what the other players are doing, particularly in that type of situation where you are focusing so hard on your own game. Clearly her results are incredibly impressive but when you are stood on the same tee you try not to be too impressed by it. I had been in the last group of another LPGA event but I can’t even remember where I finished so it can’t have been that successful. When I was with the Swedish team and we won the World Amateur Championship in 2004 that was very nerve-wracking to have your team on your back and you really need to pull through for everyone.
Lady Golfer 17
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LG pp 19 Sjodin 2/22/13 10:32 AM Page 19
KRAFT NABISCO PREVIEW
Going straight Karin has added plenty of accuracy to her game
UNIVERSITY DAYS
“My dive would have been some sort of cannonball” I didn’t exactly picture myself going into Poppie’s Pond if I won but I do know that I thought about not wearing white when I was picking my outfit the night before. I’m not a very gracious diver so I guess it would have been some sort of cannonball and sloppy entry. I eagled the 2nd on the final day but I had no idea where I was. When people watch on TV they think it is hard to believe that players don’t look at the leaderboards but when you are in the middle of it there are so many other things to focus on. I then dropped a
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few shots but I still felt like I was hitting it well. Some of the bounces didn’t go my way but I never thought I was out of it. I don’t have a video of the final day and I’m afraid my memory of my own golf is generally awful! I remember the eagle and the 18th hole but not much of everything in between. We were waiting to hit our approaches to the last when IK Kim missed her putt. It looked like a short putt, she took a bit of a break to look at it but the fact that she hadn’t marked it we assumed it was a very short putt. It was the creepiest feeling I
have ever felt, there was so much energy around the course that afternoon then all of a sudden the excitement just turned to horror. It was just awful. Off the course I definitely smile a lot, on the course it is a little more dependent on how I play. It is a lot easier to smile when you are doing well. I am one of the smilier players out there. I don’t see a sports psychologist, I think it is something that comes quite naturally. The most satisfying thing was that I had worked on certain things and I knew deep inside they were the right things but, on the course, I hadn’t managed to put things together. This was proof that I had made progress and that I could compete against the top players in the world.
There were about 16 or 17 Swedish golfers before me at Oklahoma State so it is a bit of a pipeline and some of my good friends were already there. As an athlete you probably don’t lead the sort of university life that you see in films or on TV but I had some great teammates and made some great friends. Being on a scholarship is an amazing thing as you are being spoilt for a number of years for doing what you love. I still live there now.
MY HEROES I wouldn’t say I watched that much golf, it wasn’t on TV too much. I was more into the soccer and tennis and used to love watching Stefan Edberg and Pete Sampras play. I only got into golf when I was 15 or 16 when I quit soccer. I was a goalie and I was an alternate for the junior national team, at tennis I had a good forehand and that was about it!
SOLHEIM CUP I can’t qualify through the European points as I don’t play the LET much so I would have to get in through the world list or as a captain’s pick. It is definitely something I dream about.
Lady Golfer 19
LG pp 20-21 Bowen 2/22/13 10:31 AM Page 20
KRAFT NABISCO PREVIEW
When Nanci
LG pp 20-21 Bowen 2/22/13 10:31 AM Page 21
beat Nancy Mark Townsend speaks to Nanci Bowen about her dramatic 1995 Kraft Championship win, her first and only victory on the LPGA Tour
O
NLY four players have made the Kraft Nabisco their first LPGA win – Helen Alfredsson (1993), Morgan Pressel (2007) and Stacy Lewis (2011) are the latest, Nanci Bowen was the first. Bowen was 27 when she landed the then-titled Nabisco Dinah Shore, she had been on tour for four years and had already been back to Q School. She had never played Mission Hills before and had LPGA Hall of Famer and everyone’s favourite Nancy Lopez and the current LPGA champion Laura Davies in the leading group behind. Going into Sunday she was four adrift of Tammie Green, a Major winner and part of the previous year’s winning Solheim Cup team. By all accounts this was the most exciting finish in the championship’s history. Lopez had a three-shot lead with five holes to play but bogeyed four of them, the last of which came after a visit to the water at the 72nd hole. Green, needing a birdie, saw her escape from sand plug in the face en route to a seven while Davies, requiring an eagle to tie, carried the water but could
only make a par five. Moments before Bowen, who had dug in relentlessly all week, also made a minor mess of the last. Funny things happen at the 18th at Mission Hills, always have and always will. Finding the right rough and a tree before finally the fairway and green the Georgia native had already done the really hard work. The victory was worth $127,500, about the same amount she had made in three full LPGA seasons.
even practise after the round. I had finished third at a tournament in New York the year before to get into the tournament and my whole goal was to just make the cut and try and stay on the leaderboard. I wasn’t a leaderboard watcher but I knew I wasn’t in the lead when I teed off on the second day. I never fell out of the top five after each round so I hung in there pretty good all week.
What did you make of the course when you first saw it? I loved it, it was my kind of course as it was difficult and you weren’t penalised for hitting a good shot. Everything just fell into place that week, on the greens everything breaks towards the city of Indio and, once you knew where that was, that was OK. That took a bit of getting used to and I just went with it. It was my caddy’s first time there as well so it was new to both of us.
What were your nerves like throughout the week? Of course I was nervous but I didn’t have any trouble sleeping as I was so mentally exhausted at the end of every day. I just went to the course and tried to play my own game and not pay attention to what everyone was doing. I was working with a sports psychologist and that also really helped to put together a plan.
How tough was the opening day – you opened with a 69 when only three players broke 70 in the wind? It was extremely windy and was like a three-club wind, it was so bad that I didn’t
Was it a relief not to be in a final group that included Laura Davies and Nancy Lopez? It was interesting as we heard quite a bit of noise early on the last day so I just assumed they were playing great.
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LG pp 23 Bowen 2/22/13 10:30 AM Page 23
KRAFT NABISCO PREVIEW
Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez never did make it into Poppie’s Pond
Trophy time Getting her hands on the year’s first Major
I was four shots back going into the last round and, as time went on, I made some birdies coming down the stretch and all of a sudden I was leading. I didn’t think I was close after the birdie at the 15th but the 17th is like a stadium par 3 and they didn’t stop clapping and screaming so I knew I was up there. Somebody yelled out that I was leading coming off the 17th, I didn’t want to know that, so it was an interesting position to be in and made slightly easier not being in the last group. So you are now leading a Major with one hole to play, what was that like? At the 18th it kind of changed, I was like ‘oh god, I wish I didn’t know’. Now it had become a kind of outcome way of thinking rather than the process. I didn’t hit a good tee shot, I had to punch out and then hit a 3-iron but I did make a four-foot putt for bogey. I
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knew the group behind had to then birdie to catch me. I watched them come in but it was all so surreal and I didn’t really know what was happening and where everybody stood. Nancy hit it in the water so I knew she was out, Laura Davies needed an eagle and hit the green in two but had an impossible chip shot. When did it actually sink in that you had won a Major? It didn’t hit me for quite a long time, you go through the process and the handing over of the trophy but it didn’t hit me for quite a while. I think I was more nervous at the next tournament two weeks later as I didn’t want people to think it was a fluke and fortunately I finished third. I was on a roll for a while. When did you speak to Lopez? We all had a hug and I actually ran into Nancy at the airport the following morning.
How impressive was your celebratory jump into Poppie’s Pond? The jump wasn’t yet a tradition but they had a robe which was good as the water was pretty gross. I didn’t do a complete dive as it was too shallow but I did go in the pond. How much did it change your life? For the rest of that year I felt like I was under more pressure and there were more eyes looking at me. For me I felt like I had proved myself and that I belonged out there, that is always in the back of your mind and it was a real confidence booster. Nobody can ever take winning a Major away from you. Why do you think you didn’t contend more? In 1996 I didn’t play well, maybe I had more expectations of myself. In 1997 I had two runners-up and four top 10s and that was actually
a more consistent year than in 1995. Do you think you got enough credit for the win in 1995? It was fine, nobody expected me to do anything that week. At that point Annika Sorenstam was coming on the scene and won the US Open that year so she was obviously playing well and the focus really shifted to her and did so for so many years. The competition was fierce and you had to be playing really great golf to get noticed and I wasn’t able to do that as often as I would have liked. Do you still go back? No, I retired in 2005 and am still a member of the LPGA but I don’t keep up with it like I used to and it is definitely a different tour to when I was playing. I am now eligible to play on the Legends Tour which I may do but I spend most of my time teaching. I really enjoy that and I don’t miss all the travelling!
Lady Golfer 23
LG pp 24-25 Columnist Mad Win 2/22/13 10:29 AM Page 24
COMMENT
Madeleine Winnett My unexpected quest for a set of not-so-new irons
New toys But no one had the Pings I wanted
A
STRANGE thing has happened to me. For the last (I can’t remember how many years) while you have been basking in the height of the golf season, I have been dreaming of the snow. For six months in advance, I can’t wait for the skiing season to arrive. I love my golf, but skiing is what I live for. Thus, it has been something of a surprise to learn that while I was atop my beloved mountains this year, sitting in a deckchair in a T-shirt, with my drink chilling nicely in the snow, and my body doing likewise thanks to Gary Moore’s ‘Parisian Walkways’ wafting through my headphones, I found myself thinking about golf. Or, to be more precise, my golf clubs! This had never happened to
24 Lady Golfer
me before, but since trying to buy a new set of clubs had proved to be more problematic than I had ever anticipated, it perhaps wasn’t entirely surprising. It all started when Alison Nicholas hit one of my clubs during my lesson, and promptly declared that she didn’t like it. To be honest, I had never been entirely happy with my clubs because I knew
Your views Do you agree with Madeleine’s opinions? Perhaps you have something to add to the debate yourself? We give away a Cobra Baffler fairway wood or hybrid to the author of our Star Letter. Email and let us know what you think.
the shafts were too soft. I had always had regular shafts in my clubs previously, and these were soft regular, meaning that if I hit the ball hard, it would go left. However, when Alison gave me one of her clubs to try instead – a Ping i15 – I instantly fell in love with it. I hit it at least 10 yards further, if not more, and immediately wanted it. It was one of those magical, rare moments, when golf is suddenly easy and effortless, and the memory wouldn’t go away as I drove home. A few weeks later, I was doing some club testing and spotted an i15 sitting enticingly in a barrel at the driving range. It was almost as if a shaft of light was above it, guiding me towards it. It had to be fate! Unfortunately, it was a steel shaft, not graphite, but I was
curious to know if the same magical feeling I had had the first time I tried it was still there. Joy of joys, it was! I then compared my own 7 iron with the new one. I kept switching between the two, and despite the discrepancy in shafts, the new one still sailed at least 10 yards effortlessly past the old. It was like that moment in the Blues Brothers when Jake finally ‘saw the light’ – but without the swearing and, as the tear in the tendon in my shoulder still hasn’t healed after my last cartwheeling antics, without the gymnastic display as well! These were now the clubs I wanted more than anything else – and that is where the fun started! The i15s had been superseded by the i20s more than 12 months previously, so my normal club procurer
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LG pp 24-25 Columnist Mad Win 2/22/13 10:29 AM Page 25
My Pings A set of the elusive (in my spec) i15s
couldn’t help me. Thus, I had to use my initiative. I had forgotten what it was like to buy a set of clubs like a real person so I firstly visited Ping’s website. Fortunately, I have been fitted at their Gainsborough fitting centre before, so I knew what specifications I wanted. However, for a giggle, I thought I would go through the online fitting process, and was amazed how accurate it was. After I had entered all my relevant measurements – incidentally, if someone can come up with a way to measure the distance from the floor to their fingertips without needing a third party’s assistance, I would love to hear it (and no, standing on the edge of the tape measure just didn’t seem to work!) – my requirements came back exactly right.
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I wasn’t even looking for a new putter, but as I was on a roll, I followed that process through as well. Armed with this knowledge I then did what every other selfrespecting golfer does these days – I trawled the internet! Only when my vision started to go blurred did I concede that this wasn’t going to be as easy as I thought. I could have steel shafts, not graphite, or black dots instead of orange, or oversized grips, but I couldn’t match all my requirements up for anything less than the price of a house. For one, brief joyous moment, I thought I had cracked it, but the website hadn’t been updated recently, and they didn’t have any in stock! I then skipped off to American Discount, (or whatever they call themselves) and trudged disconsolately
back after learning they possibly could get hold of them but only months later. Then I had a brainwave. I rang Gainsborough and asked them to make up a set for me. Technically, you are supposed to go through your own pro to do this, but I managed to bluster my way through that! Miraculously, they had a set sitting in the shop there at a bargain price, so I eagerly awaited their arrival, smug at my own ingenuity. Two days later, my clubs arrived – only they were G15s, not i15s! Talk about an anticlimax! Several phone calls ensued – though I did particularly like the apologetic young man who had only just started work there, who said if it was up to him he would just give me the correct clubs free of charge to make up for the mistake. They agreed to collect the wrong clubs and replace them with the right ones at no extra cost, so anticipation soared again as the next box arrived. This time, they were indeed i15s, with the right lie angles and grip sizes, but they had steel shafts, not graphite! I did wonder if God was trying to send me a message but I persevered and went for the third-time-lucky option. Hence, as I was up an Alp with my drink and my music and my ski boots, I couldn’t help wondering if the hardest clubs in the world to obtain were sitting waiting for me back at home. And yes – they were. All present and correct, but with the final caveat that the course was then closed, so I still couldn’t try them. Perhaps God really is trying to tell me something!
Deer Vijay I will restrain myself from making any ‘Oh Deer’ puns about Vijay Singh’s mistake. I was shocked when I read that Vijay had paid £5,000 for deer antler spray, which contains the growth hormone IGF-1, to try and improve his performance, because when I googled IGF-1, I discovered you can buy it from Amazon for just £40.79! The price he paid for it should have set alarm bells ringing that he was doing something ever so slightly dodgy, but trying to gain an advantage over your competitors is nothing new. I’m now going to wear a set of novelty, felt, Christmas antlers that I’m sure will be worth at least a 2 up start, and as far as I am aware, aren’t yet on the banned list!
Madeleine Winnett • Lady Golfer’s equipment expert is a member at Trentham, a Staffordshire county player and never short of a forthright opinion!
Lady Golfer 25
GO TO MACH DUNES — GO HOME WITH A TROPHY What’s even better than playing golf at Machrihanish Dunes? Playing golf at Machrihanish Dunes and bringing home a trophy! Check out the fun and exciting competitions planned for 2013 and sign up soon – places are going fast!
April 14 – Ladies’ Champion of Champions event* April 21 – Men’s Champion of Champions event* June 15 – Golf in Scotland Tournament July 28 – Shepherd’s Cross Tournament† June 29 – Summer Open Sept 27 & 28 – Hickory Golf event‡ October 7-10 – International Pairs Competition October 12 – Autumn Open
ave A Do We H Your ith Trophy W It? Name On
To reserve your spot in any event, or make a booking for a golf break, please phone us at +44 (0)1586 810000.
www.MachDunes.com
*Open to all Scottish Club Champions plus one (1) guest †9 holes on Mach Dunes and 9 holes on Machrihanish GC ‡Hickory club rentals available
LG pp 27 Lead to Instruction 2/22/13 10:28 AM Page 27
YOUR GAME Hit it further and straighter I Hole more putts I Short game I Golf psychology I Course management
IMPROVE YOUR POWER How to add a few yards this coming season
Sally Hinton is a PGA professional at Close House just outside Newcastle www.closehouse.co.uk
Imagine throwing a ball. To get the most distance you would transfer your weight onto your back leg then through to your front leg as you release the ball. Now apply this to the golf swing. One of the ways I create power is by transferring weight from my right side to my left side through impact. n Address: Start with your weight slightly favouring your right side for driver. n Backswing: Transfer your weight onto your right side as you turn your hips. n Downswing: Start turning your hips and transfer your weight onto your left side. n Follow through: Almost all your weight should be on the left side, your hips will be fully turned to the target.
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Lady Golfer 27
LG pp 28-29 Booth Instruction 2/22/13 10:22 AM Page 28
INSTRUCTION
OUT OF ROUTINE Two-time Tour winner Carly Booth explains her pre-shot routine
Carly is an ambassador for Aberdeen Asset Management, the longterm supporter of Scottish golf. She plays on the Ladies’ European Tour.
28 Lady Golfer
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LG pp 28-29 Booth Instruction 2/22/13 10:23 AM Page 29
L
AST year Carly topped the driving distance stats on the LET, averaging close to 270 yards. Obviously a great swing helps but, what we learnt from
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this tuition article, is that she has the same routine on every shot to achieve as much clarity in her mind. Then, and only then, will she pull the trigger.
Alignment is absolutely crucial to me. The first part of the process is to draw a line with the club and my intended target.
I always have two practice swings and always take them behind the ball while picturing the shot I want to hit.
Picking a taget 18 inches in front of the ball really helps to focus my mind and get the club and my body squared up.
Sometimes it’s tricky to pick out a target 250 yards away and stick to it so this helps me to keep things simple.
Tension plays a big part in a lot of players’ poor shots. I find that by hovering the driver it helps me to produce a fluid
takeaway. This will feel strange at first but can be really worth persevering with to keep the swing working smoothly.
Lady Golfer 29
LG pp 30-31 McBride Instruction 2/22/13 10:17 AM Page 30
INSTRUCTION
Wing Commander How to lose the dreaded chicken wing in your backswing
B
Y getting your right arm in the right position at the top of the backswing you will be able to add power, direction and energy to your swing. If you don't you will look like the proud owner of a chicken wing. Much of this is due to the belief that, to hit the ball straight you must keep the clubface straight and facing the ball on the backswing and through. This, though, is not the case.
Emma McBride is the teaching pro at Chandlers Ford Golf Academy and Avington Park. Emma won both the British and English U18 Strokeplay. For more details call 07730 534 551
30 Lady Golfer
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LG pp 30-31 McBride Instruction 2/22/13 10:18 AM Page 31
4
X
The other causes of the chicken wing are a poor grip, making it difficult to turn
the club out to the correct position, a lack of mobility in turning and using the
strength in your right arm to do the work on the way back, resulting in you picking
it up. So how can we go about adding some control and distance to our swings?
This will get you familiar with where that right arm should be at the top of the swing. Take your normal right-hand
grip and normal address. Swing back only using your right arm and pause at the top (see opposite).
Notice how your right arm is supporting the club and has created the correct shape. After repeating this a few
times attempt to hit the ball. After a few goes you will surprise yourself with how well you can hit the ball.
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Lady Golfer 31
L OFFE
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Guests are granted exclusive access to the renowned San Lorenzo Golf Course, designed by leading golf architects Joseph Lee and Rocky Roquemore. The course is a combination of natural beauty, pristine presentation and hole after hole of challenging golf. Having received numerous awards and acreditations, San Lorenzo is considered one of the best golf courses in Europe and the world. Dona Filipa Hotel & San Lorenzo Golf Course are currently offering a great range of 3 & 7 night packages.
•L
Located a short drive from Faro International Airport in the heart of the Algarve, the 5-star Dona Filipa Hotel is famed for its breath taking views, gourmet cuisine and outstanding customer service. Surrounded by lush golf courses, pinewoods, and nestled into the golden sands of Vale do Lobo, the hotel is frequently nominated as one of the top golfing destinations in the world.
R
Golf breaks in the Algarve
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Package includes: • Daily buffet breakfast • Four dinners per person • For Golfers: five rounds of golf, including token & trolley at San Lorenzo Golf Course • For non-golfers: three days access to the Vale do Lobo Royal Spa • Dona Filipa surprise gift • Taxes & service charge
3 night stays from
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Package includes: • Daily buffet breakfast • Two dinners per person • For Golfers: two rounds of golf, including token & trolley at San Lorenzo Golf Course • For non-golfers: one day access to the Vale do Lobo Royal Spa • Taxes & service charge
Reservations
Telephone: +351 289 357 223 Fax: +351 289 357 201 Email: donafilipahotel@jjwhotels.com donafilipahotel.com
Terms & Conditions: Minimum of 3-night stays are required. All taxes and service charges included. Golf rounds are not transferable or refundable, always subject to course availability. Handicap Certificate (28/Men – 36/Ladies) is required to play. Child policy and inclusions are only valid and applicable to children from 0 to 12 years of age, unless specified otherwise. Free accommodation for children is only valid when sharing room with parents (according to maximum room capacity). Free meals for children are only valid when chosen from the children’s menu and when joining parents during their meals (maximum of 2 children per booking), at the Hotel´s restaurants. Free meals for children are not valid for meals taken at the Kangaroo Club and /or room service. Free entrance for Kangaroo Club (open during Christmas, Easter and summer) is only valid for children from 3 to 12 years of age. Children under the age of 3, the fee of 65€ per day/child will apply. Free use of Dona Filipa Beach Club (until 30 September 2012). Car rental in package includes: (limited mileage, collision damage waiver, theft protection, tax). Airport Service charge and other extras not included.
LG pp 33 CM Alyth 21/02/2013 12:09 Page 33
SHORT IS NOT ALWAYS SWEET
CO MANAGURSE EMENT
Don’t be fooled by modest-length par 4s – they are often the most dangerous type
D
w 5th Alyth, Perthshire ar 4 5 5 2 yards, p
ESPITE the length, this is one of the most challenging holes on the course. Lost ball country abounds up the left, while to the right is out of bounds from tee to green. The fairway is crossed by two ditches, it’s a dogleg and, to cap it all, the green is on a plateau with subtle borrows and a slope from front to back.
20+ handicap With so many hazards to avoid, holes like this can be very intimidating, so a positive mental approach can make all the difference here. Take advantage of the length of this hole and use clubs you are confident with. A clear, precise game plan may even enable you to pick up a shot using your handicap allowance.
8–20 handicap Taking on the stream will require a yardage of 190 yards with supreme accuracy. Your sensible plan here is to play a 120-yard tee shot to the centre of the fairway. Due to the dogleg you will be left with the same yardage. As the green is on a plateau, in order to hold the green, your choice of club needs to be perfect.
Up to 8 handicap OUT OF BOUNDS
Key High Mid Low
This is a risk-reward hole for the longer hitters. Taking on the stream, and thus setting up a small pitch, will give you a great birdie opportunity. Any wayward shot right will be gobbled up by the trees and gorse bushes. The perfect line off the tee is left half of the fairway, leaving you a great angle into the green.
n Sarah Gallagher is a PGA professional at Lightwood Driving Range in Staffordshire 01782 335 812
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Lady Golfer 33
LG pp 34 Columnist JS 2/22/13 10:16 AM Page 34
COMMENT CHI POWER GOLF: ADVANCED PERFORMANCE TECHNIQUES
Jayne Storey Change swing thoughts to swing feelings
I
T seems every mental game coach and sports psychologist has a different view on how many swing thoughts you need and what to think about at address. Yet the Eastern approach proffered by chi-power GOLF presents a simple alternative for improving your game. The mind is naturally restless and scientists aren’t even sure how thoughts occur, only that they are electrical impulses in the brain that seem to fire at random. However, it is possible for every golfer who is serious about improving to reduce the incessant internal dialogue, known in the East as ‘monkey mind’, a primary cause of poor performance. All technical improvements should be made with your coach and/or while practising at the range…and then, rather than focusing on technique while playing, the chi-power GOLF approach suggests you simply centre your mind in your breathing, which in turn encourages deep physical relaxation, This develops a stronger, more balanced posture at address. Swing thoughts instead become swing feelings, as you connect to your body as a whole, focusing on the key elements of good posture of address, while at the same time staying focused on your breathing…which in turn stops your mind indulging in selflimiting thoughts. RELAXING MIND AND BODY AT ADDRESS 1) Empty your chest: hollowing the chest is the first key to unifying mind and body and you’ll find that exhaling deeply is a natural part of this process 34 Lady Golfer
Quiet mind How incessant is your internal dialogue?
which releases tension in the torso, arms and neck. 2) Focus on your chi-core: lowering your centre of awareness, by concentrating your mind at the navel, is a key focus in meditation and extremely useful for your golf. As you gently focus on this you will find that you start to breathe more deeply and slowly and this sends increased oxygen, along with your feelgood chemical signals, to your brain. 3) Fill up your footprints: your final point of focus is your feet. Eastern philosophy tells us that your energy follows your thinking, so if you focus on your feet you will feel more stable and rooted. Often when coaching a client, I ask them to
address the ball and then give them a little nudge in the sternum, only to watch them fall backwards! With just a few moments practising this set-up drill – empty your chest, focus on your chi-core, fill-up your footprints – it becomes impossible for me to budge the client from their stance, which just shows how much more stable they are over the ball. BREATHING AWARENESS DURING YOUR PRE-SHOT ROUTINE The mind works on many levels simultaneously, so while sizing up the shot, picking your target, choosing your club, adjusting your grip, taking your practice swings and so forth, focus on breathing deeply and slowly into your chi-core. This will ensure your brain and nervous-system stay in the
‘relaxation-response’ and will induce a state of calm, no matter what pressure you might be under to deliver a good shot. BREATHING AWARENESS DURING YOUR SWING Focus on breathing in while you take the club away slowly…then exhale fully as you hit down and through the ball, and to your finish position. This principle from Tai Chi delivers 15-20 per cent more energy/chi at impact.
Jayne Storey For more information on personal tuition, group seminars, products and newsletter, please ring Jayne on 07986 447 250 or visit www.chipowergolf.com
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Menara Travel Morocco 2/19/13 1:51 PM Page 1
MOROCCO GOLF
The Magic Awaits You...
TA I L O R M A D E G O L F H O L I D AY S A L L Y E A R R O U N D AGADIR £399 per golfer – including: 7 nights on B&B in the ATLANTIC PALACE HOTEL 5***** + 4 rounds at the OCEAN GOLF CLUB + Airport transfers + Golf shuttle + Free access to SAUNA & HAMMAM (Valid from 01 January – 31 March 2013)
MARRAKECH £389 pp on B&B in PALMERAIE VILLAGE Apartments 4**** £649 pp on B&B in PALMERAIE GOLF PALACE HOTEL 5***** Including: 7 nights on bed & buffet breakfast
+ 4 rounds of golf with your preferred prebooked tee times playing on the PALMERAIE GOLF COURSE + Airport transfers (Valid from 03 Jan – 28 March 2013)
MAZAGAN BEACH & GOLF RESORT 5***** From £589 per Golfer – 4 Nights on B&B + Unlimited Golf From £829 per Golfer – 7 Nights on B&B + Unlimited Golf Including: Return direct flight from London GATWICK with AIR ARABIA inclusive of
taxes & check-in luggage of 20Kg & golf clubs carriage + Accommodation on Bed & Buffet Breakfast in a deluxe room (partial ocean view) + Unlimited Golf on the MAZAGAN GOLF COURSE + Complimentary shared BUGGY per day on the Mazagan Golf Course + 1 round at the ROYAL GOLF EL JADIDA + Airport transfers (shared shuttle - scheduled hours only) from & to CASABLANCA AIRPORT
MOROCCO GOLF FESTIVAL ‘4th edition’ 05 – 12 October 2013 MARRAKECH
For bookings & further details please contact
Menara Travel Ltd Fully bonded Tour Operator ATOL 6662 t: 0207 371 2030 e: info@morocco4golf.com www.morocco4golf.com
LG pp 36 Equipment Directory 22/02/2013 10:55 Page 36
EQUIPMENT DIRECTORY
Sp
N rin 20 EW g/ 13 Su m m er
GOLFWEAR
...For women who like to play a round
SALE
Sizes 6-22 plus 34� leg
www.lovegolfclothes.co.uk t: 07875 612299 36 Lady Golfer
w w w. p r e t a g o l f . c o m
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LG pp 37 Lead to Equipment 2/22/13 10:15 AM Page 37
YOUR GEAR The latest club reviews I New equipment I Fashion I Style tips I Electric trolleys I Pull trolleys
MAKE THE FREEWAY YOUR WAY POWAKADDY have launched three stylish and performance-infused models that herald the dawn of its world-famous Freeway franchise. Renowned as the world’s best-selling trolley for the past decade, the Freeway has been the recipient of a number of design and technology upgrades. The 2013 family comprises: a stylish new Freeway model, an enhanced Freeway
Digital+ and the new Freeway Sport. The latter has seen the criticallyacclaimed PK Sport model rebranded to spearhead the all-encompassing new range. It will continue to spearhead the PowaKaddy range, providing golfers with myriad advanced technologies. With unerring reliability, robust performance and sporty design features resonating throughout, the Freeway Family
offers outstanding value throughout. “Our reputation has been built on delivering quality, functionality, innovative technologies and performance across the board. We now aim to take these core values to the next level with the Freeway Family,” said John deGraft-Johnson, PowaKaddy’s chairman. For further information visit PowaKaddy.com
MODERN LOOKS
Freeway Sport SRP: £479.99 with standard battery & black or white frame; £509 (extended battery); £679 (lithium battery & black, white or graphite frame; £729.99 (Lithium EBS & graphite frame)
PK’s designers have incorporated a new lightweight, oversized central tube and soft-touch ambidextrous T-Bar handle on the Freeway. This delivers a more modern and sporty look. In addition, the innovative new Power on/off LED indicator and pause & resume function provide additional performance benefits.
QUIET MOTORING The 200w whisper quiet motor ensures the Freeway Digital+ is not only visually stunning, but also engineered to the highest possible specifications for outstanding performance on all terrains. It also boasts a lightweight and robust oversize frame. Combined with sporty lowprofile five-spoke wide wheels, it has a modern look.
KEY LOCK SYSTEM Freeway Digital+ SRP: £429.99 with standard lead acid battery; £459.99 with extended range battery; £579.99 with lithium battery
There’s nothing worse than a bag and trolley combination which sees the former coming loose, or worse still, falling off just when you least want it to – generally as you try to navigate a bank to hack out your drive. A cutting-edge key lock system holds cart bags securely without twisting to ensure that will never be the case here.
HIGH-TECH FUNCTIONS Freeway SRP: £369.99 with standard battery; £399.99 with extended range battery
If you like your trolley packed with features, the Sport is for you. It has an innovative but simple to use ergonomic soft-grip handle. This features an ambidextrous nine-speed control roller combined with an integrated LCD display screen and a separate button giving direct access to the Digital Distance Function.
LG pp 38-39 Equipment 2/22/13 10:12 AM Page 38
EQUIPMENT
WILSON STAFF D-100 Irons I know these are forgiving because I went straight from hitting a men’s steel-shafted iron to this graphite ladies’ 6 iron, and consequently ‘chunked’ my first shot. However, it still went dead straight and much further than it deserved! My timing was back for the next shot to get the full benefit – totally effortless, dead straight and at a great height. The styling is dramatically different on this latest range. Mint isn’t necessarily my favourite colour, but it works well integrating into the white shaft. At address, the top line looks quite thick, but this, combined with the undercut cavity, is there to aid forgiveness – and these irons certainly offer great forgiveness. The alignment lines on the grip will be much valued by many ladies and it feels nicely squidgy to hold. They are light and flexible, and I can’t fault the effort Wilson put into producing their ladies’ ranges. SRP: £359 (5–SW)
ED REVIAEDW ELEINE BY M NETT WIN
IEWEEINDE REV MADEL BY
T WINNET
ED IEW REV EINE L E D A M BY
T WINNET
ADIDAS Trophy Belt
FOOTJOY Sciflex glove
This is an incredibly smart belt with the striking two tone, striped chrome buckle that is multi-contoured. The buckle is also interchangeable, making it hugely versatile, and I like the prong going inwards so that nothing distracts from the design. The belt is made from full-grain leather, and is available in black or white. It is quite weighty, but it feels substantial and is a very useful width. I have had a huge number of compliments about how smart and eye catching it looks. SRP: £34.99
This has the feel of a leather glove in all the areas that I want it – across the palm and fingers - but with the all the benefits of an all-weather glove, thanks to the breathable PowerNet mesh across the knuckles and backs of the fingers. The micro perforations also help your hand to remain cooler and drier in unsavoury conditions! The fingers are really well designed to flex as you bend your knuckles, and I love the hybrid performance from what essentially feels like a top class, leather glove. SRP: £14
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LG pp 38-39 Equipment 2/22/13 10:12 AM Page 39
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LADIES WHO LAUNCH PING G25 Irons With strong, fast-swinging lady golfers in mind, Madeleine reviews clubs designed for men
GLENMUIR Tess Shirt I can’t believe how lovely this shirt feels to wear. It is incredibly soft and just feels so comfortable. Made from 95 per cent cotton, 5 per cent elastane, there is enough stretch to give complete freedom of movement throughout the swing – and blissfully, without it ever coming untucked – but it isn’t remotely clingy and doesn’t feel remotely close fitting. The sleeves stay up, once they’ve been pushed up, and the neckline is so neat, it looks great either on its own, or under a jumper. SRP: £34
The ‘G’ range is certainly starting to look less chunky in this latest generation, so they look less like deliberate gameimprover irons. The toplines are still quite thick, but the backs are very neat. It took me a couple of shots to adjust to hitting steel shafts again, rather than graphite, but I quickly adapted. The dispersion is far more accurate with steel, and I liked the effortlessly high ball flight. The clubs do feel quite heavy, but the payoff is that you feel plenty of weight behind the ball and can trust the clubs to do the work for you. The steel shafts may not suit all better lady players, but I’d certainly like to try the same set in graphite to compare. Definitely ones to try if you are looking for more from your ladies’ clubs and want to step up. Also, the grips are superb. SRP: £80 per club steel, £100 graphite
YOUR
VIEW
Julie Wright, who plays off 13, tests out Benross’s Jewel Pearl driver
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THE GOLF SWING SHIRT You need to start with putting and chipping – and I didn’t think even those would be possible – let alone progress to half a swing, working up to a full swing. Raking balls out to hit is highly amusing with your arms welded together! It takes around 20 shots to get used to, but once I was up to a full 7 iron, I was hooked! The strike, the timing, the feel are majestic with arms and body working in unison. Very useful to slip your arms out of the centre sleeve to hit shots normally too, where the feelings of freedom, lightness and effortlessness are fantastic. www.golfswingshirt.com
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
It was short for me as, being 5 feet 10, I use men’s clubs! It’s an attractive looking club but I’d be concerned that the shiny white head could be distracting on a bright day, due to the reflection of the sun. It felt easy to swing. Despite what felt like a good swing, there didn’t seem to be a lot of reaction off the clubhead when making contact with the ball, and consequently the ball didn’t go as far as I would normally hit a drive. In conclusion, it’s probably more suited to those not looking for great distance but a steady straight shot – i.e. mid to high handicaps. SRP: £149.99
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Red Tee Breaks 2/22/13 2:02 PM Page 1
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LG pp 41-42 Fashion 2/22/13 9:39 AM Page 41
EQUIPMENT
SPRING
FASHION
COLLECTIONS PING SUNICE
Isadora Polo Shirt £40
Savannah Skort £64.99
ADIDAS Rangewear Skort £34.99
LYLE & SCOTT
PUMA
NIKE
Fire V-Neck Cardigan £95
Golf Henley Sweater £60
Swoosh Tech Polo £35
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
Lady Golfer 41
LG pp 41-42 Fashion 2/22/13 9:40 AM Page 42
EQUIPMENT FASHION
ABACUS
NIKE
GLENBRAE
Albion Cut Sleeve £59.90
Convert Jacket £70
V Neck Merino £89.99
LYLE & SCOTT
SUNICE
PUMA
Argyle Jumper £95
Shayla Sweater £54.99
Ombre Print Polo £45
NIKE
TOMMY HILFIGER
PING
Novelty Convert Skort £70
Abigail Skort £80 • Laure Polo £50 Luce Jacket £125
Catherine Fashion Crop - £60
42 Lady Golfer
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LG pp 43 Display Ads 22/02/2013 10:09 Page 43
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
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LG pp 44-45 Spa Breaks 2/22/13 11:19 AM Page 44
SPA GUIDE
Mum’s the w
“ALWAYS love your mother, because you’ll never have another” my grandad always used to say to me, usually at a moment when I had chosen to be perfectly revolting towards her, or at least decidedly obnoxious. Of course, he was right, but while we ourselves may only have one mum, those women go through a whole spectrum of roles, from mum-to-be to grandma, with each providing its own challenges. Like most of us, I still have the capacity to undervalue my mother for 364 days of the year, which no doubt is why the fates decided Mother’s Day (it’s early this year,
44 Lady Golfer
on March 10) was a good idea, and this year, whichever stage of motherhood that all-important woman in your life is at, there is a spa day to remind her of just how special you really think she is.
FOR THE MUM-TO-BE The fables tell us that expectant mothers glow as they await the arrival of their bundles of joy, but that is very much a matter of what your baby has decided to have in store for you. The first three months can be very much an adjustment period for both her, and her body; and towards the end it is the
lucky few who remain unaffected by swollen feet, sore backs, and stretch marks. So this is definitely a time to be wrapped up safely in all things cashmere and make a few small but triumphant steps back towards that pre-natal lily pad where we all imagine she belongs, ideally at the spa at Gleneagles. Not only are the surrounding beauty and general calm ideal companions, but their ESPA Maternity treatments also target areas of stress and tension across the body and, in particular, the legs and feet which take so much strain during this time.
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LG pp 44-45 Spa Breaks 2/22/13 11:19 AM Page 45
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FOR THE NEW MUM If pregnancy itself wasn’t enough of a shock to the system, motherhood in all its glory most certainly is. For all the completely glorious things about being a new mum, it is also a seriously hard job with no how-to guide. Even if you can find some time for a break, you still have a little one to think of because there’s every chance you don’t want to be that far away from them. So thanks to its children’s swim times and on-site nursery care, the likes of Celtic Manor provide the answer. As a resort, there are lots of activities available to suit
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
Spa expert Bonnie Friend on how to make Mother’s Day special for the mum in your life
different members of the family, so while dad and diddums are being water babies, it seems as good a time as any to treat mum to her favourite spa treatment.
FOR THE SUPER MUM They all said she couldn’t do it, but the rise of the Super Mum as a whole new species of human being seems set only to increase, as women juggle babies in one hand and iPads in the other – this is a lady who never misses a trick. So however foreign a concept it might be, a day or two of total escapism is in order both in the literal and metaphorical
senses, and a destination along the lines of Bovey Castle is just the ticket. Surrounded by 300 acres of Dartmoor National Park, the building dates back to the 1920s and the spa is housed in the Art Deco-inspired Orangery. The pool is perched above the River Bovey, and to top it all off, the treatments are courtesy of the Ayurvedic-based, Ytsara brand, which was created by another Super Mum (and supermodel), Christy Turlington.
YUMMY MUMMY Possibly the most envied of all the mummy types, for an incomprehensible
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LG pp 46 Display Ads 22/02/2013 11:27 Page 46
OPEN FOR MEMBERSHIP APPLY TO THE CLUB
SPA INDULGENCE DAY - £25.00PP Includes full use of the leisure facilities Indulgence MorningFull use of the swimming pool, jacuzzi, steam room, upright and horizontal sun bed, sauna and fully equipped gymnasium followed by Afternoon Tea, served between 12-1.45pm or 5.30pm Served in one of our lounges.
LADIES GOLF CLINIC - £35.00PP Wednesday May 22nd 2013 Includes coffee on arrival, tutorials with Simon Crompton, Stephen Hamer & Mark Tomlinson, putting, long game & short game in small groups, Lunch Afternoon Tea, Déclor demonstration and use of leisure facilities. Book at reception or call 01257 269221
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LG pp 47 Spa Breaks 2/22/13 11:20 AM Page 47
SPA GUIDE
ability always to appear pristine in an entirely carefree kind of way; the Yummy Mummy started life as a Hollywood myth, and has since become a feature in the world of us mere mortals. Of course, we all like to think that our mummies are the yummy ones, and with that in mind, they all deserve a spa day to make them feel just that. Having included Queen Mary, Edward VII, and Lord Mountbatten amongst its guests, the 18th century manor house that is Luton Hoo Hotel is a pretty perfect place to start.
SLUMMY MUMMY I always think an element of ‘slumminess’ is what makes a mum so incredibly comforting. It’s all very well being pictureperfect all the time, but it is someone who still has a long-forgotten curler in her fringe on the way to Tesco, a Cheerio or two stuck to her skirt as she heads to the office, and a car full of dog hair and muddy shoes even when she is heading to a posh restaurant, that is the person you want a proper cuddle from when everything gets too much. This mum would probably like the offending curler, Cheerio, and dog hair removed for the day in an ideal world, but ultimately wants a little bit of peace and quiet without any pretence, and Donnington Valley will do just that, complete with a good glass of www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
wine thanks to the proprietor’s Californian vineyard, that supplies the cellar with over 300 bins.
CITY MUM Busy, busy, busy … city mums are those awe-inspiring women who seem to defy all odds and have it all. They exist on a negligible amount of sleep (mind you, that is really a general mum thing), and are still out-performing all their colleagues. If we were not in awe of them, we would be truly terrified. Everything happens at speed in this lady’s life, and as organisation is part of the daily grind, you want to make an escape for her as easy as possible – so good transport links are imperative. The Royal Crescent Hotel in Bath therefore, is a pretty perfect spa escape. Just jump on the train, and head to the Georgian townhouse. It’s like stepping into a Jane Austen novel with the added benefit of a sauna and steam Karahafus.
STAY-AT-HOME MUM Much as you love your family, when you have devoted all your time to them, one can’t help but think that on Mother’s Day, you would like a little time to yourself, perhaps with the option of some shopping alongside good food, country views, and a facial. The Mere Golf Resort and Spa, is
sufficiently close to Manchester (a 10minute drive), so any visitor could happily head over for a bit of retail therapy if the mood arises. Alternatively, she can stay within the ample grounds of the hotel, go for a walk, enjoy a spa treatment, and ideally, stay over night – well, they have only recently added the new hotel element, so it would be rude not to sample it!
GRANDMA Grandma is the most revered woman in the family, if our household is anything to go by. Been there, seen it, done it, and now she is all about sugar and spice and all things nice, because she only has to look at her grandchildren sideways to keep them in check. That is the kind of experience that deserves due reverence and classic good taste, making Hoar Cross Hall the spa to treat her to this year. In a 19th century manor house complete with Sienna marble mantelpieces, and growing their own vegetables in the Victorian greenhouses on-site, it has an all-singing, all-dancing spa, and is among spa-goers’ not-so-secret treasures. n Bonnie Friend is the editor of Spabreaks.com
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LG pp 48-50 Cameron House 2/22/13 11:22 AM Page 48
WELLBEING
Boot camp
48 Lady Golfer
Harriet Chubb leaves city life behind to take part in a boot camp followed by a well-deserved trip to Cameron House
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
LG pp 48-50 Cameron House 2/22/13 11:22 AM Page 49
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S a self-confessed Boot Camp lover, and after trialling many daily, weekly and monthly camps in London, I practically squatjumped at the chance to experience my first residential camp. This was no ordinary residential camp however, the new Boot Camp by SOS Fitness at Cameron House teams a luxury five-star resort with the best (currently serving) military and navy physical training instructors to get both body and mind into shape – fast. Combining this military-style fitness with the finest Scottish hospitality, including indulgent spa treatments, they have created the ultimate pleasureand-pain package, all set against the awe-inspiring backdrop of Loch Lomond. After a short flight into Glasgow airport and a 25minute weave through the city suburbs we arrived at the resort and into a tranquil haven of nature. The sudden appearance of baronial Cameron House looming over the brooding Loch was a pleasant surprise considering the short ride. You can almost hear your shoulders clunking into their natural position; the stresses and strains of London and travelling instantly forgotten. The hotel itself has subtly managed to capture the traditional essence of Scotland while remaining contemporary in style; an exposed modern
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ceiling in the Cameron Grill restaurant for instance contrasts perfectly with the traditional furniture and artwork. The sumptuous bedrooms have a similar fusion, with thick, tartan rugs to wrap around you on chilly evenings; it was easy to forget that early next morning heralded the potentially painful aspect of my stay. As dawn breaks, a prebreakfast run around the loch starts the day. Thinking that I could bury my headphones into my ears and shut out the early morning world to get through it, I was mistaken. It was not a straightforward jog but a military-style hourlong class blending running with exercising and bursts of sprinting to create an interval training based lesson. Although I was slightly taken aback at first by the intensity, it was an excellent way to wake up both body and mind. The two instructors were so engaging that by the end of the session they knew everybody’s names and, even more remarkably, so did I. It was far better than a simple trot around the loch. After a healthy and nutritious breakfast – think proteinpacked poached eggs and no bacon butties in sight – the day began in full force. Kicked off by a light-hearted but informative NLP session (Neuro Linguistic Programming) that aimed to inspire confidence in our training, we
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were then guided through an overall fitness test, measuring body fat percentage, visceral fat (fat around your organs), athletic age and hydration levels. Although this is intimidating, it’s a necessary part of beginning and measuring a healthy exercise and eating plan. After completing as much of the bleep test as I could and feeling like I was back at school, I had an excellent idea of my overall health and my realistic, achievable goals. What I was not quite prepared for was the circuit training that followed. A gruelling, intense and painful hour ensued, including weights, core exercises and various military drills. It was difficult and it was supposed to be. However, the instructors were so good at motivating the group that we all got through it in one piece,
50 Lady Golfer
notwithstanding the odd profanity and occasional tear. Lunch was steamed chicken and vegetables or baked organic salmon to fuel us for the afternoon activities. With a collective sigh we were then whisked off across Loch Lomond on an exhilarating rib ride to Inchmurrin island. Small but ruggedly beautiful it was the perfect setting for our military-style orienteering. From building a camp fire in two minutes flat to trekking through the undergrowth (and sometimes straight through the ice-cold loch!) it was all expertly organised and thoroughly enjoyable. It is this part of the camp that sets SOS Fitness apart. The experience brought everybody together in a way I haven’t come across before. It was the promise of an evening spa treatment however, that was at times the
incentive I needed to keeping putting one foot in front of the other during the day and I wasn’t disappointed. After a relaxing massage and thermal experience at the awardwinning Carrick Spa I felt entirely rejuvenated. Taking a dip in the heated, rooftop infinity pool was a particular highlight, with breathtaking views over the Carrick golf course and its majestic backdrop. Continuing the pleasure theme is easy with many
restaurants to choose from, including the Michelin-starred Martin Wishart. However, after the boot camp I would recommend The Boathouse, casual dining at its best. And if are staying on why not experience the UK’s only sea plane high above the loch, perfect for special occasions.
n Harriet Chubb is features editor at www.hipandhealthy.co.uk
Factfile The Boot Camp at Cameron House by SOS Fitness will run day camps on the second Saturday of each month throughout 2013 at £149 per person which includes the full programme with healthy breakfast and lunch. Room rates at Cameron House are available from £169 per room per night. www.devere-hotels.co.uk/hotellodges/locations/cameron-house.html www.sosfitness.co.uk
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Two superb resorts north and south of the Humber
Forest Pines Hotel and Golf Resort north Lincolnshire
Aldwark Manor Golf and Spa Hotel near York
Enjoy a one night relaxing spa break from just £99 per person:
Enjoy a one night relaxing spa break from just £109 per person:
• 2 x 30 minute spa treatments or 1 x 60 minute Spa Ritual • A light lunch • A three-course evening meal • Overnight accommodation at the renowned Forest Pines Hotel and Golf Resort • A delicious breakfast buffet
• 2 x 30 minute spa treatments or 1 x 60 minute Spa Ritual • A light lunch • A three-course evening meal • Overnight accommodation at the gorgeous Yorkshire Manor • A delicious breakfast buffet
To book please call 0845 074 0064 and quote LG13 Terms and conditions apply and offers subject to availability. For full terms and conditions please visit www.QHotels.co.uk/LG13
For more information visit www.QHotels.co.uk
LG pp 52 Chateau des Vigiers 2/22/13 11:24 AM Page 52
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SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND
G
OLFERS from all over Europe can play on one of the most beautiful courses in the south west of France in a novel Pro-Am format over two days of competition. Château des Vigiers, near Bergerac, will host the first Saint-Emilion Crus Classés Trophy from May 31 to June 2. It is a unique chance to see close up what only professional golfers and wine experts are usually admitted to. The highlight will be the prizegiving ceremony and cocktail dinner held in the beautiful courtyard at Château des Vigiers. The Association of Saint-Emilion Grands Crus Classés will be awarding the winner a custom-made leather case that will hold 18 bottles of their famous wines. The trip costs €845pp (€645 for non golfers) and includes accommodation for three nights, breakfast and evening meals, green fees, prizes and much more. Visit www.vigiers.com to learn more.
52 Lady Golfer
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Menara Travel Lalla Meryem 2/19/13 1:51 PM Page 1
LALLA MERYEM GOLF CUP LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR 25 to 31 March 2013
Golf de l’Océan AGADIR – MOROCCO
For further information please log on to the official event website
www.hassan2golftrophy.com
Or contact Menara Travel Ltd (UK) t: 0207 371 2030 Spectators Programme available on request
e: info@morocco4golf.com
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LG pp 55-56 Braid Courses 2/22/13 11:27 AM Page 55
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Aberdovey
The best of Braid
James Braid is one of golf’s greatest ever designers. We select some of our favourite courses from his portfolio of classic layouts
A classic, romantic links set within Snowdonia National Park at the mouth of the Dovey estuary, Aberdovey (left) boasts many delightful features including wooden railway sleepers courtesy of the line which skirts the course’s inland section. In the modern clubhouse, items of bygone eras can be discovered, including a set of clubs from 1882. Nearest town: Aberystwyth
Llandudno Maesdu This course was founded in 1915 as the first municipallyowned course in Wales and was developed to bring more sport-based tourism to the region. In the 1950s and 60s the venue was the annual host of the Penfold Swallow tournament and attracted the likes of Peter Alliss and Henry Cotton. The course provides a blend of parkland and links and is in the North West James Braid Trail. Nearest town: Llandudno
Holyhead Tucked away on the Isle of Anglesey in north-west Wales, this is a heathland challenge with a spectacular mountain backdrop. Braid initially designed a ninehole course which opened 10 days before the First World War. It was eventually extended to an 18-hole layout measuring 6,090 yards, but much of Braid’s work remains. The course features undulating fairways flanked by patches of bracken and tricky Braid bunkers on almost every hole. Nearest town: Holyhead
St Deiniol Situated on high ground overlooking the historic city of Bangor, St. Deiniol is a mature 18-hole parkland. The Braid design opened in 1906 and requires course management rather than brute force. Gorse and woodland present trouble
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on most of its tight fairways while many holes feature either a blind tee shot or approach. Nearest town: Bangor
Pennard Situated eight miles west of Swansea, Pennard (pictured) has been voted one of Wales’ top five courses. The ‘links in the sky’ (below) sits 200ft above sea level and has awesome holes such as the par-4 7th, which offers views of a 13th century church and the remains of a castle from the elevated tee. Nearest town: Swansea
Pwllheli Pwllheli is associated with two
56 Lady Golfer
greats of the game. The course was first designed as a nine-holer by Tom Morris in 1900 then extended under Braid’s guidance in 1909. It course has a hybrid feel as Braid added nine links holes to the original parkland section. The course is short in terms of yardage but contains no par 5s, making scoring tough. Nearest town: Criccieth
Peterborough Milton When Braid was commissioned to extend the existing nine-hole course at Peterborough Milton in the late 1930s, he was given land rumoured to contain every tree species in Europe. What awaits today is a testing 6,560-yard course with a par-5
opener featuring a lake and tree-lined fairways. The club celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. Nearest town: Peterborough
Cathcart Castle Established in 1895, Cathcart Castle is conveniently situated just outside Glasgow. The par69 Braid design has undergone several developments since it opened in the 1920s but still features much of the original design. Two winding burns and trademark Braid bunkers impact on several holes and ensure that scoring remains tough despite the course featuring six par-threes. A new tree-planting program
is set to make the course even more challenging. Nearest town: Glasgow
Windyhill Windyhill sits to the north of Glasgow and is recognised as one of the best golf courses in the area. The course is a 6,154-yard par-71 layout. Four testing par 3s combine with three par 5s while a series of daunting par 4s makes Windyhill a challenging test despite an apparent lack of length. The venue boasts magnificent views across Glasgow to the south and the Campsies and Kilpatrick Hills to the north. Nearest town: Glasgow
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LG pp 57 James Braid Ads 2/22/13 2:20 PM Page 57
Holyhead Golf Club Located on the stunningly beautiful Isle of Anglesey, Holyhead Golf Club offers some of the best golf to be had in Wales.
SPECIAL OFFER Dormy house for up to 14 people including Dinner, B&B and two rounds of Golf. From just £67.50
Windyhill Golf Club Memberships available, Visitors and Golf Socities welcome. GREEN FEES £25 round • £35 day ticket Visitor Packages available, 1 in every 12 goes free. CONTACT secretary@windyhill.co.uk or call 0141 942 2349 www.windyhillgolfclub.co.uk
Tel: 01407 763279 • www.holyheadgolfclub.co.uk
Clwb Golff Pwllheli (Pwllheli Golf Club)
Course designed by James Braid & Tom Morris. Attractive rates for societies. Twighlight and earlybird offers. Golf from £20 per round Golf Road, Pwllheli, Gwynedd LL53 5PS Office: 01758 701 644 Pro: 01758 701 644 Email: admin@pwllheligolfclub.co.uk Web: www.clwbgolffpwllheli.com
PENNARD GOLF CLUB “The links in the sky” Situated on the beautiful Gower Peninsula, Pennard has a reputation as a visitor friendly club for all to enjoy whilst maintaining its natural appeal - something James Braid would be proud of today.
GREEN FEES Weekdays £50pp • Weekends £60pp Please ring Secretary on 01792 233131 or Professional on 01792 233451 Visit our website
www.pennardgolfclub.com
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LG pp 58 County Champions 2/22/13 9:26 AM Page 58
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County Champions Two fabulous courses perfectly set up to make your next ladies’ away day a memorable one
Formby Hall, Lancashire Parkland gem among the links of England’s Golf Coast
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water altogether. About The venue also boasts a new Situated eight miles outside nine-hole par 3 course Southport, Formby Hall is a complete with rivetted linksgreat parkland alternative on style bunkers and one of the England’s links-dominated Golf best driving ranges in the Coast. north-west of England. The resort has hosted various tour events since it was Top Hole opened back in 1996. TY CHAM The 15th is a real A £15m N P U treat and lives refurbishment in CONTACT t: 01704 long in the 2008 resulted in a 87569 formbyhallg 9 memory. A large 62-bedroom olf resort.co.u stretch of water hotel and luxury k p: L37 0A lies between you spa. B and a wellbunkered green. The Course Formby Hall’s main Card Wrecker attraction is the Old Course. With a lake and no fewer than This tree-lined, American-style six bunkers that will swallow up layout makes for a pleasant any wayward tee shots, you will change from all the nearby want to make sure of a proper seaside courses, although warm up before heading to hazards on 16 of the 18 holes the dangerous par-3 2nd hole. mean that you can’t escape
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Huddersfield, Yorkshire Enjoy the facilities at ‘the home of Yorkshire golf’
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weather. On those occasions About members can make use of Home to the Yorkshire Union, the indoor teaching facilities Fixby is one of the most complete with video respected courses in the technology. region, admired in equal proportion for its fine course Top Hole and Grade II listed clubhouse, Known as ‘Panorama’, the the magnificent Fixby Hall. The course is located C H A M 18th hole is a TY spectacular downhill just one mile from N P U par 5 that eases the M62 and is the CONTACT t: 01484 you back to the perfect venue for 426203 huddersfie clubhouse. Be a corporate ld-golf .co.uk careful to avoid golfing event. p: HD2 2E the pair of bunkers P on the front of the The Course putting surface. The Tom Dunn design starts and ends outside the Card Wrecker famous clubhouse. It has Beware of the long and uphill been regularly updated and 5th. This tough hole features now boasts a collection of out of bounds to the right, a greens prepared to USGA slightly doglegging fairway standards and quick-drying and several bunkers. fairways in the event of bad www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
LG pp 59 County Champion Ads 2/22/13 12:22 PM Page 59
Huddersfield Golf Club
The home of Yorkshire golf
Fixby Hall, Lightridge Road, Fixby, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD2 2EP
Twilight Offer – April-September 2013 18 holes of Championship Golf for £30 per person or £100 for a fourball Available: Monday-Friday 3pm-5pm and Sunday after 1.30pm Host of the 2013 Yorkshire Amateur Championship Visit our website for other special offers and to book online www.huddersfield-golf.co.uk or contact reception or the professional shop on 01484 426203
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LG pp 60 County Champions 2/22/13 9:25 AM Page 60
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County Champions Two fabulous courses perfectly set up to make your next ladies’ away day a memorable one
East Sussex National A complete leisure venue with outstanding courses
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worth playing on a visit. The About You need only look at the list of greens are narrow and sloping, and emphasis is placed on names to grace the greens at scoring through the first nine. East Sussex National to get a Consolidation is more than measure for the quality of the acceptable on a tricky closing course – Nick Faldo, Colin stretch. Montgomerie and Ernie Els have all played on the Top Hole European Tour here. TY CHAM Similar in design to The club boasts two N P U the 12th at championship CONTACT t: 01825 Augusta, the 16th courses, a 104880088 eastsussex on the East room hotel, a national.co Course is a nine-room spa, a .uk p: TN22 5 classic. Measuring 20m pool and 50 ES 178 yards from the station gym. back tees, a shot to It also benefits from a the green must clear both full academy course and water and sand. 13 acres of land which is designated for practice Card wrecker purposes. The 15th on the East is an almighty par 4 that involves a The Course drive over water and a huge The showcase course is the second into a large green. East, but the West is also well
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Bowood Park, Cornwall Superb greens make this a classy year-round venue
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excellent drainage system About means the course rarely falls Set in the heart of North foul of even the most extreme Cornwall in a designated area weather conditions. of Special Landscape Value – the Bowood Park Hotel and Top Hole Golf Club once formed part of The signature hole 12th, a 13th-century deer park Azalea, requires two owned by Edward, the Black Prince. Now home to a C H A M excellent shots to TY make the green. luxury 31-room hotel N P U The second has to and 18-hole CONTACT be well struck to parkland course, t: 01840 213017 carry the water this is arguably bowoodpa rk.com and, if in doubt, it the finest of all p: PL32 9 RF is better to lay up Cornish resorts. and pitch on. The Course Card wrecker The par-72 layout measures The par-5 7th will test both your 6,735-yards from the back brawn and brain. Hit your drive sticks and is set up in a way to favour the middle-left half which will maximise enjoyment and direct your second to the for all standards of golfer. right side to open up the It features superb greens, all built to USGA standards, and its green for your approach. www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
LG pp 61 County Champion Ads 22/02/2013 11:21 Page 61
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www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
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@bowoodparkgolf Lady Golfer 61
LG pp 62-65 Club Golf Ads 22/02/2013 15:34 Page 62
COURSE DIRECTORY
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62 Lady Golfer
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LG pp 62-65 Club Golf Ads 22/02/2013 15:34 Page 63
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64 Lady Golfer
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LG pp 62-65 Club Golf Ads 22/02/2013 15:35 Page 65
Craigielaw Golf Club A B E R L A DY | E A S T LOT H I A N | S COT L A N D | E H 3 2 0 P Y
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Lady Golfer 65
LG pp 66 Columnist CK 2/22/13 9:23 AM Page 66
COMMENT
Claire Kane What your golf says about you?
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F you want to understand somebody’s personality then look no further than their approach to golf. During the course of 18 holes character traits are bound to surface. For example I once played a competition with a very pleasant, quiet gentleman. His calm and peaceful persona was soon replaced with a highly competitive nature as he immediately started giving unsolicited tips. By the 17th he was barking commands at me. Luckily I played under my handicap whereas the tension was clearly too much for him and he wound himself up nicely, eventually missing a vital two-footer on the 18th which lost us the game! Do any of the following sound familiar, or maybe a little too close to home? THE COMPETITOR Known to flex rules, what’s more they do it so confidently few dare to challenge them. They can also suffer from temporary amnesia when it comes to their own score. Pack your rule book or be prepared to be ruled over. THE WINGER All the gear but no idea. Doesn’t play often, or not a member, so they usually ‘estimate’ their handicap. Or are bandits. They believe golf is all about power and speed and frequently let ‘rip to the right’, so spend a fair bit of time digging out balls in places most golfers have never trodden before. THE CONTROLLER Arrives in plenty of time, has 66 Lady Golfer
Good walk spoiled? Why let golf get in the way of a good joke
sorted their kit out the night before and spent at least an hour on the range. Immediately takes charge, whether it’s the side bets, the format or the card – they’re likely to know exactly how many strokes everyone has taken. Someone who likes to do it their way or no way. Is that good? One or two might help their score
THE TALKER Chats or tells jokes incessantly. Perfect if you’re just out with mates but distracting in a competition. Usually they’re so nice you can’t say anything. These ‘it’s all about me’ people are only interested in having a laugh. THE PERFECTIONIST As things go wrong they get more and more annoyed with themselves and their head either goes down, or their clubs start bouncing off the ground. Usually a decent golfer but whatever they do they’re not happy. If they produce a superb 150-yard approach, feet away from the flag, they’ll complain they’ve left themselves a downhill putt. MR STINGY Won’t offer a gimme even if inches away. Can be reluctant
to settle bets or be the last to the bar at the 19th. Beware the ‘tight trouser pockets’ may not be limited to golf. MR OBLIVIOUS They’ll amble up to the ball, leisurely select a club and then do time-consuming pre-shot routines. Completely unaware if the field backs up behind them or where anyone’s ball is. Not known for their sensitivity or observancy. Conclusion: If you’re looking for a partner in life or business then offer to play golf with them as you’ll probably learn more after a few holes than any psychometric test.
Claire Kane Claire is a freelance journalist, a keen golfer and someone who doesn’t take herself, or her golf, too seriously. Follow my tales on twitter @golfsnippets
www.ladygolferonline.co.uk
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