Welcome to this week's newsletter. What a difference a week makes, this time last Friday I was out there in the driving rain playing in the seniors Texas Scramble. That compared to what we look at outside now, even though a touch cold, looks far more appealing.
Last week I had the dream team of Tony Gomes, Brian Ambler and Anthony Gold and we got off to a solid start, one under through five. Then the rain really came down, the wind got up and the temperature dropped. So much so that I had a change of clothes half way round and, even though I can't stand the stuff, a whiskey to warm up. It did the trick as we played steady from there on, with some interesting drive choices to ensure we got them all in. We got it round in 75 which was a good achievement.
I don't quite know where we finished after Eric Grant's algorithm of shots received for the day which I believe was to combine handicaps, minus 2 per none Scot, multiply by his favourite number then minus the square root of the weight of his dogs left ear. What this meant was the winning team was made up of people’s champion, Mike Price, Hugh Jenkins, Hugh Paton and Tony Collett.
Thanks Nick Rouse for invitation to lunch, Peter Taylor for looking at the forecast, pulling out so I could play then taking my place at the dinner table, Eric Grant for the invite and running the competition and all those who helped out throughout the day especially for cakes and refreshments at the halfway house.
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Hole In One
The peoples champion Mike Price has just had his first hole in one and the bar tab has just opened. After having the quickest of fix lessons, 2 shots in the net, following a torrid run of form he has turned the corner and topped it off by holding a 7 wood on the 7th.
Congratulations, I hope the bill isn't as much as Tom's! |
Seniors Texas Scramble - 7/12/18
On a cold and wet winters morning sixteen teams turned up to play in the Seniors’ Christmas Texas Scramble competition on 7th December. Participation was capped by the need to clear the course before the start of the shoot.
The Halfway House was run by Tricia Moss, Sue Rouse and Linda Walker and was appreciated by both the golfers and the ground staff.
First place went to the team of Mike Price, Hugh Jenkins, Hugh Paton and Tony Collett with a nett score of 65.4. In second place were Tony Brown, Bill Hall, Roger Smout and Bernard Clark with a nett score of 66.5, and third place went to Derek Green, David Wiseman, Charles Raikes and Malcolm Thorne with a nett score of 67.5.
Nearest to the pin on the 5th went to Lennart Ekner and on the 18th to Colin Bailey.
The festive lunch was much enjoyed by the Seniors and guests including Delia Roberts, Jonathan Dove, Rob McNicholas and Ian Cambridge. The day raised £540 for this year’s charity.
Here are the winners: |
Sarah Smith - Thetford Pro Am Report Thursday this week I played my first event at the Thetford Pro Am Winter Series, it was safe to say, I much prefer summer golf to winter! I had an enjoyable round and my partner Roger Stevens and I played steady but didn’t make enough birdies to be in the prizes. I was happy with my tee to green shots but around the green needs a bit more practice before the season starts - also the first thing to go wrong when I’m not playing so much! The course played really well for this time of year and the greens were in great condition too. Looking forward to playing the course again in February.
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Women & Golf Magazine The next article of the Women & Golf magazine has been released this week, if you’re struggling with your chipping, have a read of this!
Click here to enlarge article. |
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Whilst Thinking About Your Short Game The final week of the Winter Short Game Clinic was Tuesday this week, it was great to see 10 people take part over the 4 week programme with 7 regulars! The final week was based on an ‘up & down’ challenge where all participants finished under par for the skills game.. It was great to see improvements from week 1. There will be a ‘Round 2’ of the short game clinic starting end of January:
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Dates are Tuesday 22nd, 29th January, 5th February and please note the final session will be on Monday 11th February each from 12:30 to 1:30pm. - Open to all handicaps, both men and women
- 6 people minimum in the group to go ahead ONLY £35 for the 4 week programme. To Book:
Please contact Sarah Smith (PGA Professional)
07766 727491 | sarah@smithperformancegolf.co.uk |
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New Year, New Initiative - Junior Sunday Coaching The new Junior Programme initiative is to guide more Juniors through the levels of golf, improve their swing and knowledge of the sport, enough to continue their progress to the course and become a full Junior member. We are very proud to have over 50 keen Junior members at Saffron Walden Golf Club, playing in competitions, representing our club in matches and joining in with the coaching working their way into the Main Squad Team, backed up by the Development Squad Team.
As well as the members, we work in schools and the community where we have seen a positive leap in our weekend coaching & camps with over 60 attending! Our new programme will start to divide the class into different levels, this gives each Junior a chance to work their way up through the ladder in their own time, to reach the chance to introduce them to the Golf Course itself. Each level is coached by a PGA Professional and gives each Junior a chance to learn about their swing, improve their game as well as learning about the different rules and etiquette. At the end of each level rewards and certificates will be achieved. Par:
- Video analysis during coaching sessions & 6 week reports back to parents.
- Life skills such as learning the etiquette of golf.
- Skills challenges and games during the session to improve team bonding. Birdie:
- Video analysis used during sessions & 6 week reports back to parents.
- Par 3 course access at Great Chesterford to practice April-September (weather dependant) for £5pp.
- Coaching on all parts of the game. Eagle:
- Junior competitions held monthly at SWGC which you can now take part in to gain a handicap.
- Half price range balls to practice.
- Coaching on all parts of the game, including advance coaching on slopes/hills etc. |
Junior Academy & Membership:
- Half price range balls, discount in the bar & restaurant.
- A chance to play for the Main Squad & Development Squad to represent the Golf Club.
- Crash courses during the Junior Squads on keeping fit for golf & nutrition.
- Away trips to other Golf Clubs and coaching days out. 6 Week Programme Dates, Set During Term Time, Sunday Class...
6th, 13th, 20th & 27th January - 3rd, 10th February 2019
Time: 11:00-12:00pm, (Depending on numbers and additional class will be held, 12:00-1pm) - The programme will run over 6 weeks of term time for the price of £48.00
- There will be just 8 spaces in the group, spaces must be booked in advance.
- During Summer months, there will be options of an evening class.
- During school holidays, Junior camps, competitions and crash courses will be run for all levels and we will encourage you to play in as many competitions as you can make! |
New Class Open! The 11am-12 noon class on a Sunday for the new junior programme is now fully booked, but as it has been so popular, Sarah is also holding another class on Sundays from 10-11am. There are only 3 spaces left! If you're interested, please click here to email Sarah. |
Don't Miss Out - Motocaddy FREE Bag You have until the 31st December 2018 to enjoy this brilliant offer. When you purchase a new Motocaddy S-Series Lithium trolley, you'll be able to claim a FREE Motocaddy cart bag worth up to £199.99.
But that's not all! In addition, we'll slash £50 OFF the price of S5 CONNECT models during the promotion. What's not to like?
Click here to find out more. |
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We all want to enjoy playing golf, and a big part of this is lowering our handicap. Yes, there will be times when your game isn't up to scratch and you go up .1 a few times in a row, but there'll also be times when all of the puzzle pieces fit and your handicap tumbles. |
What does your graph look like? As the year comes to an end, it's important to take stock and examine where you can improve your game going into the new year. There might be several areas that you want/need to work on, or maybe just two or three finer details that will take your game to the next level. |
Whatever those areas are, we're here to help. We can identify the key reasons you're not shooting the scores you want, as well as devise a personalised winter coaching plan to help iron out those faults and get you paying your best golf. So, if you want to see your handicap tumble in 2019, come down to the shop for a chat - you've got nothing to lose and everything to gain. |
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