Michael's Return from Stateside - Pretty Perfect Pinehurst
As I'm sure most of you are aware I've recently returned from stateside where I was fortunate enough to play and compete at Pinehurst, one of America's top US Open venues, in PGA of Europe Golfbreaks Pro-Am Competitions. Without rubbing it in too much, the experience and courses were fantastic! Pinehurst itself is actually a village and within the village are the 9 courses (yes 9!!), which are simply named No1, through to No9, with No2 being the most recognised due to it hosting the US Open numerous times. I was fortunate enough to play 5 of the 9 courses (No2, No4, No6, No8 and No9) and each one was slightly different, but what remained the same was the fantastic condition each one was presented in!
My trip lasted 10 days, with 8 straight-days worth of golf! So there was no time to get over jet lag, however don't get me wrong I wasn't complaining! The first 4 days comprised of 4 practice rounds, followed by 4 days of Pro-Am Competitions. My team comprised of club members: Dennis Grady, Bryce Collishaw and Stephen Parish. Myself and the team competed against other UK teams over the 4 days in a best 2 of 4 scores format, whilst I also had a standalone competition against the other Professionals. Generally over the 4 competition days, we found ourselves in some good positions with balls in play, however the undulations, firmness and speed of the greens and surrounding areas was where we came unstuck! So sadly our aim of finishing top of the pile wasn't achieved, however this wasn't through a lack of effort and most importantly, enjoyment! On a personal level, I was very pleased with the way I struck the ball and in particular, my driving! This is generally a strength, however pleasingly I found myself playing from the fairway regularly over the 8 days. Again like the team, my approach play and short game in and around the greens was tested to the max and found wanting at times! Watching your approach shots land on the green and then feed off on an undulating slope really gives you an appreciate of what the Tour Player's have to deal with on a weekly basis!
Although the team and I were unable to achieve victory in the Pro-Am Event, Bryce Collishaw (Team Captain Elect!) managed to capture the Golfbreaks Putting Competition title by taming the infamous 'Thistle Dhu' Putting Green at Pinehurst! This was by far the quickest and most undulating green I've ever putted on, so a great achievement for our Team Captain!
So all in all we had a fantastic trip, and hope from this small report I've been able to do Pinehurst justice! All I can say is if you get the chance to go there, you won't be disappointed! Finally a few snaps to follow.....
Master Sweepstake We have completed the draw for the Master's Sweepstake and this published in the Clubhouse and the Pro Shop, so please pop in or give us a call to see who you have! I think it'll be fantastic tournament and really wouldn't want to try and pick a winner! We'll have to wait and see....
The reaction to our new Swing Centre has been fantastic. Membership to the Swing Centre is still open, with plenty of fitting & practice sessions available.
For more information about our Swing Centre, membership prices, and what it has to offer, please
click here.
Indoor Winter League Our Indoor Winter League on the GC2 Simulator is now in full swing with many of the entrants having completed two nine holes. The leaders in the clubhouse at the moment are
Peter Johns and
Alan Sheridan with 22 points around the back nine at The Belfry and 19 at Kingsbarns. If you would still like to take up the challenge there is still time, remember it is a 4BBB format over three nine holes at The Belfry, Kingsbarns and Celtic Manor. Each nine holes takes about one hour to complete and it is
£50 per pair to enter.
Group Lessons Michael and myself will be running group lessons for both the Vets and Ladies in March and April. The sessions will focus on all areas of the game from driving to the short game and will be an ideal opportunity to sharpen the game before the new season.
The Vets session will run from 9.30-10.30am and Ladies Session will be 11am-12pm on Wednesday mornings. Dates for these sessions are as follows:
- Wednesday, 13 April
- Wednesday, 20 April
- Wednesday, 27 April
Book your place by contacting one of the pro shop team, but hurry because spaces are filling up quickly.
Tuesday Late Night Teaching
Michael, Tom and I are now offering evening teaching slots on a Tuesday so that you are able to get a lesson in after work. We of course now have the Swing Centre indoor facilities at our disposal meaning light is not an issue. These sessions are available from Tuesday, 22 February and are bookable through the pro shop.
Get your Game Assessed
The New Year is the perfect time to assess your game and look at the key areas in your game needing improvement.
This is where I sit down over a cup of coffee with you and run through a series of questions and get you to measure your own game. Once I have done this I will also conduct a swing check.
After going through this process I will then propose a lesson plan that will suit your game as well as assessing whether your equipment is giving you the best opportunity to optimise your game.
Looking at these factors as well as your practice habits and mental game is key in getting the most out of your golf both in terms of performance and of course enjoyment. Throughout January and February Michael and I are offering these assessments FREE so if you would like to make 2016 your best ever golfing year please contact one of the pro shop team to make an appointment.
Junior Academy Coaching
As I'm sure some of you are aware Michael runs Junior Academy Coaching sessions on each Saturday through the school term times. There are two classes, one at 10am - 11am and the other at 1pm - 2pm. These will be starting back up on Saturday, 16 April so if you have a son/daughter who is interested in attending please don't hesitate to speak to Michael or alternatively a member of the pro shop team for more information.
Price Match Policy, Non-stocked Products and Annual Product Survey
As I have stated recently please remember that we can source product we do not stock and will always endeavour to price match where we can. Your business is very important to us and we appreciate every opportunity to secure it.
I would also like to make you aware that as part of Foremost Golf, the UK's largest buying group, we can source products through our central warehousing even if we don't stock the product on the shop floor.
Click here to visit our Click and Collect store.
eBay Shop
We now have an eBay shop, if you have any old clubs post 2005 this is the time to sell them. All you need to do is drop them into the shop, we will assess them, put them straight onto our site at a sensible selling price and if they sell the money goes on your golf shop account.
You will be surprised just how quick we can turn your old clubs into cash. Only this week I have managed to liquidate some clubs for a couple of our members so that they can look at new equipment.
