Welcome to this week’s newsletter. |
Sarah Smith – Latest Update Over the last week I've been pretty busy, two tournaments, normal coaching work and volunteering at the BMW Championships! Here’s a little update on how I've been getting on…
Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th, BMW Championship This is my 3rd year now volunteering for The Golf Foundation at The BMW Championships at Wentworth Golf Club.
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Each weekend involves encouraging all children who come through the gates to have a go at Tri-Golf in the Golf Foundation stand in the tented village. Tri-Golf involves plastic clubs and foam balls, aiming at velcro targets and playing games to try to score points and inspire children to continue the golf back home at a local Golf Club. This is also what we deliver out in local schools in Saffron Walden & The Golf Foundation grant us our funding to do so! As well as seeing over a thousand children have a go at golf over the weekend, I got to get out onto the course and watch some proper golf too!
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Friday 1st June, FootJoy & Titliest Championship On Friday last week I played in the Ladies FootJoy & Titliest Championship at Trentham Golf Club. |
It's a 36 hole tournament all on one day, with an early start! The weather was kind to us and although the first round stayed cloudy but no wind, the sun came out for the afternoon and the wind picked up. The course was in great condition and not a fault to be said, each hole was tree lined and the greens were running quick. Although feeling there was room for improvement on my putting, I scored +4 and +6 to finish +10 in 12th position (in the prizes!).
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Tuesday 6th June, One Day Series On Tuesday this week I played my third WPGA One Day Series at Three Rivers Golf Club. The course was in good condition and the weather was very overcast all day. I played a steady round and was very happy with my game from tee to green, still feeling there's room for improvement with my putting! (I've now had a putting lesson from Rob!) I scored +5, finishing in 10th place, missing out of the prizes by 2 shots. On a very positive note, after Tuesdays round, I am now 8th out of 42 ladies in the UK for the LETAS Qualifying Order of Merit! I've got 3 weeks until my next tournament at South Herts Golf Club, so lots of putting practice is going ahead between now and then. For anyone who would like to come and support it’s on Wednesday 27th June. My tee time will be released nearer the date, keep an eye out on social media by clicking here for this to be posted.
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Aaron Howard - The Hertfordshire Pro Am This past Wednesday I took part in the Hertfordshire Pro Am with Saffron Walden members Olly Jones, Jonathan Jenkins and Jamie Price. In this format the best two nett scores on each hole count for the team. The weather was beautiful and the golf course was set up to play hard with slick greens and tough pin positions. We started on the third hole as the shotgun start refreshingly allowed all teams to finish at the same time. Our team played really well finishing on ten under par. We were undone on the par five 17th hole when we all made a bogey. To drop two shots at that point instead of picking up two was a severe error. Birdies there would have moved us closer to the top three. Twenty one under was the winning team score and we ended up in the top ten teams. |
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In the individual tournament I played some great shots to score 73 and really should have been two or three shots better if I had played more conservatively at times. The tournament was won by former European Tour player Raymond Russell who scored a fabulous 66. |
Message to all Seniors Please put your names up in the clubhouse to play in the June matches.
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Seniors v The Ladies Match report from our Captain on the match v the Ladies on Thursday, 24 May. With hefty bragging rights and a silver trophy at stake, the annual Ladies versus Seniors match is serious business. This year the gauntlet was well and truly thrown down by the Lady Captain who declared that, to avoid complaints of foul play from the Seniors, the Ladies wanted to ditch their usual match format and play the Seniors at their own game of 16-a-side. Game on! Early sparring in the clubhouse centred on the Seniors trying to stop the Ladies receiving their entitlement of “equalisation shots’. No chance. Just as it looked like the debate might get too heated, one of the Ladies was helped into the clubhouse with a broken wrist sustained in the car park. In the heap of sympathy that followed, the issue of equalisation shots was forgotten and the Ladies adjusted their handicaps accordingly. On the course, competition was no less fierce. With the Lady Captain playing off an impressive 4 handicap, Simon Hawkins declared gleefully that for once it was great to receive shots. It didn't do him any good as he and his partner Nick Rouse crashed 3&2. After that it was nip and tuck for the next 5 matches, until Helen Porter produced two moments of sheer bravado. Firstly, with her partner by now getting plastered in A&E, she negotiated a ridiculous number of extra shots from her unsuspecting Senior opponents and then went on to beat them by 4&3, the biggest margin of the day. The two Seniors involved claimed anonymity under the new GDPR law. Like many of the previous matches, the decisive last match went down to the final hole. David Hunt and Tony Jones hung on for a half to give the Seniors team a win by the slenderest of margins.
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Seniors v John O'Gaunt Next the home match v John O'Gaunt on Wednesday 30th of May.
We arrived for an overcast start with a safety warning for a possible storm. No worry - it didn't appear! There were two outstanding results - Colin Brown and Geoff Woollerson won their match 5&4, but Colin Murrant and Chris Martin won theirs 7&6 giving the Seniors another win of 6&2. PLEASE SIGN UP - THESE MATCHES ARE FUN.
Thanks Malcolm Thorne
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Struggling with your Shots from 50 Yards?
Here I show you how to control the distance of your pitches using this simple clock-face drill. You could save many shots with this tip.
Click here to watch video. |
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Refreshers Afternoon Practice Session
Great Chesterford Science Park Par 3 Course Saturday, 23 June 1:30-2:30pm & Monday, 25 June 6:30pm-7:30pm
1 SPACE LEFT IN EACH GROUP |
This hour will be a coached short game session ran by PGA Professional Sarah Smith, followed by a few holes supervised on the par 3 course at Great Chesterford. After the hour is complete, you will be allowed to continue around the par 3 course on your own! It’s a fun afternoon, meeting new people, improving your game and you will be refreshed on the skills of improving your golf game. Only £15 For An Hour, optional free play after the coaching.
Book Now To Secure Your Place, Maximum Of 8 In A Group: Sarah Smith, PGA Professional Email- sarah@smithperformancegolf.co.uk | Telephone- 01799 52278 |
Junior Coaching Programme 6 Week Programme At Saffron Walden Golf Club
Saturdays 10, 11 & 12noon Sundays 11:00am
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The first 5 weeks will involve learning, long game, short game, putting & skills based challenges. The final week includes an exciting competition! Only £40 for 6 Weeks! £8 per session for 'roll up' on the day. MUST book now to secure your place, maximum of 8 in a group: Rob McNicholas, Aaron Howard & Sarah Smith, PGA Professional’s Email- rob@swgc.com | sarah@smithperformancegolf.co.uk | Telephone- 01799 522786
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We’re sure the majority of you will agree that having a distance device on the course is a huge benefit, going hand-in-hand with knowing how far you hit each club. For those of you in the market for a laser rangefinder or GPS device, here are a few options within Garmin’s range to suit different preferences. |
Pinpoint laser accuracy There's one standout feature to Garmin's Z80 laser rangefinder that sets it apart from all others on the market. As well as giving precise distances up to 350 yards away, the Z80 also includes hole maps that are integrated into the viewfinder, which display the shape of the hole and provide front and back distances when you lock on to the flag. |
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Information at a glance If you prefer wearable technology, Garmin has both GPS watches and bands to suit all styles. The Approach S60 watch, seen here on the left, boasts colour hole maps, hazard information and offers front, middle and back yardages. The other, the Approach X40 band, is a slim, lightweight and waterproof wristband that gives you distances to the green and to hazards, as well as heart rate and activity tracking. |
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