Hello and welcome to this week's newsletter.
Lombard Qualifier
Last week saw the second men's medal of the year and our Lombard qualifier. Despite the greens recovering and the course playing to its full yardage there was some exceptional scoring out there. In particular three of the scratch team had very good rounds. Olly Tuck shot 71, Spencer Burlingham shot 74 despite dropping a few late on but the best round of the day by far was Callum Brookes with a 67. I know from working with him the effort that he's put into over winter, this combined with his natural ability should bode well for the rest of the season.
That said it wasn't enough to win the Lombard as Jeremy Taylor came in with a nett 66 to steal the honours and book his place with me at Sandy Lodge golf club for the regional qualifier. I've take some tips from Jim Ludden on his music choice to get the mix tape ready for the car journey down there.
Lemons Spring Meeting
On Thursday I was kindly asked by Tony Clarke to play with the Lemons in their Spring meeting. There were six groups that played and I dropped back three holes at a time to play with them.
After making a solid start I was told that my score wouldn't count and I wasn't allowed to win the guest prize, not that I would have done as Bill Sandford romped home with 42 points. I did manage to collect a nice bottle of wine by hitting the green on 18 and winning nearest the pin.
The Lemons winner was Peter Hornby who, playing with his new Mizuno JPX Hot Metal irons won with 39 points. Had he putted better on the opening holes he should and could have had 40+. Thanks again to Tony for the invite, hospitality and the jokes afterwards. The one regarding Malcom and peanuts will unfortunately live long in the memory.
Blinded Brilliance from Budlingham
Gog Magog 2.5 Saffron Walden 1.5
Last Sunday the scratch team had their penultimate friendly before the season starts. Graham Goodman fiddled the team about again to give different pairings a go before the season starts. In glorious spring sunshine they set out against the Gog Magog first team.
Out first, the iconic pairing of Mark Reeve and Olly Tuck took on Steve Jarvis and new boy Ed Dimambro in what proved to be a titanic battle. With his new found power Reeve was out driving his opponents by at least 100 yards. Birdies were a plenty and they halved the match.
In the second match the irresistible pairing of Callum Brookes and Spencer Budlingham ,who on previous outings were found fiddling around in the woods turned on the display of the season so far. They took on CAGU vice-captain Quinney and Vince. Budlingham was purely epic in his booming 300 yard drives with his new driver that can be obtained from the pro shop. The Walden boys birded 8,9,10 and the Gogs pairings fought back to be all square through 15. However the extreme power that Brookes and Budlingham demonstrated over their opponents produced wins on 16, 17 and 18 and they won 2 up. It was an amazing weekend for them both with Callum shooting a 67 on Saturday and then a magical 71 on Sunday early to reduce his handicap to scratch. Budlingham also got slashed on Saturday as well.
In the middle match Richard Southall and Louis Martin took on Nicholas Smits and Olly Rusted. In a narrowly fought game Southall was at his iron play best and Martin showed what potential he has .They unfortunately lost 1 down.
In the final game Graham Goodman and James Sandford had a birdie infested game against Hughes and Speith. Goodman demonstrated his best pin seeking iron play and Sandford his long driving. They reached the turn 2 up with a plethera of birdies. However The Gogs pairing fought back with their birdies and some short putts missed by Walden gave Gogs a 1 up victory on the 18th hole. In all Gogs won 2.5 to 1.5.
Graham Goodman Captain said "This was a great test of a friendly against a strong Gogs team. The golf was of a high quality and this was just what the team needed before the start of the league season in order to be focused for the challenges ahead."
What was he Thinking?
We want you to caption what Ian was thinking here when he saw this scene on the golf course.
Click here to let us know your answers.
Mizuno Demo Day
Throughout the year we will be holding many demo events from various manufacturers. The upcoming Demo Days are as follows:
- Mizuno Demo Day is Thursday, 20 April 12pm-5pm
Click here if you would like to book your slot to this event.
Junior Easter Camp with PGA Pro Aaron Howard
Only 2 Spaces Remaining!
- 2-day course covering the swing, driving, irons, pitching, chipping, putting and on-course skills.
- Tuesday, 11 & Wednesday, 12 April 2017 10am-3pm (including lunch)
- £50 per person or £55 with lunch included.
Please contact the pro-shop staff for further information (Limited spaces available on a first come first come basis, please book now to avoid disappointment).
Battery Trade In
Trade in your old electric trolley battery for £25 OFF a new Motocaddy or LitePower Lithium battery. Lithium batteries are the way forward. They charge quicker, are lighter, retain charge better and last longer.
Pop in and one of the team will be more than happy to help you out.
The Latest And Greatest From ECCO
This Friday sees the start of the ECCO shoe promotion. Anyone purchasing a pair of ECCO shoes will receive a FREE ECCO shoe bag worth £22.99.
ECCO shoes are renowned throughout the world for their comfort and quality. The offer is on from Friday until the end of April.
FootJoy Shoe Size Challenge
Throughout the month of April I challenge you to come in and get your foot professionally measured by our team using our fitting brannock. Seven out of ten of you are wearing the wrong sized shoes and this can affect your performance on the golf course.
If your shoes are already the correct size I will give you a FREE pair of FootJoy ProDry Crew socks.
Titleist Pro V1 & Pro V1x 4 For 3
Starting this week we will be offering 4 dozen Titleist Pro V1 or Pro V1x for the price of 3, this includes FREE personalisation as well as the option to customise your play number for a small fee. Our online ordering page can be found by clicking here, and orders will finish Sunday, 23 April, so you'll want to get in quick.
If you have any questions or queries then please come in-store or click here and we will be happy to help.