Rob McNicholas

Hello Golfers,

Welcome to this weeks newsletter, finally the sun has come out, the grass is growing and the course is busy.

Competition news

The Slade

Wednesday saw the final meeting of the Slade before next weeks tour to Bristol. I had the pleasure of being middleman with Simon Noakes and Mick Dowling, I'm happy to say despite an iffy start we managed, thanks to a couple of monster putts from Simon, to get home in 38 points a pair and finish in mid table obscurity. Propping up the pack, for the first time was Gary Bonner and not for the first time Eric Fordham.

PPPP Winners Gary and Eric

Wardy and Patrick delighted to be runners up

Not so delighted to have won Wis and Ron

At the other end of the scale there was a tie between the pairings of Martin Ward and Patrick Ray and Wis and Ronaldo with the latter winning on countback, as you can see much to the relief of the others.

It was nice to have Keith Wardley safely back from New Zealand, his wife Sue did send me some photos through of them meeting the locals in Bangkok but my email provider wouldn't let me download them for some reason! Thanks to Batty for his year as captain and I look forward to the tour next week.

The previous Saturday I was also a last minute stand in for the Swigs in the annual Swigs vs Swindle match. Its the second time i've played in this fixture after being harshly dropped a couple of years ago for missing a 3 footer on the last playing with Tony Brown, however after enough whinging I finally got a recall and managed to make up for my error by beating David Boon and Jim Robinson.

It was a very even game and went down to the last. David Boon used his shots well, particularly on 9 and 10 and Jim, as he's renowned for, played very very steady consistent golf. Thanks to John Roberts for partnering me on the day and thanks to Carol Jones for the last minute invite. Unfortunately not all Swigs managed to get over the line and the Swindle won 8 1/2 to 5 1/2.

Pro's news

Sarah Smith - Rotate For Results!

Monday this week I received the next Women & Golf magazine and inside the coaching article I have made on ‘Rotate For Results!’

The article includes showing you how to improve your ball strike and gain more distance.

Keep an eye out in the next couple of months for the next article to improve your game but in the mean time ‘like’ my Facebook page for more swing tips by clicking here.

Shop news

One Week Left To Take Advantage

It's been great seeing so many of you take advantage of our latest promotion. Whether you want to stock up on balls for the season ahead or simply want one dozen FREE, now is the perfect time to get yourself sorted as we're offering you four dozen for the price of three on personalised Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls.

Click here to order yours.

Battery Trade In

If you're not using a Lithium battery with your electric trolley then why not? They charge quicker, last longer and work out far cheaper in the long run than standard Lead Acid alternatives. Right now we're offering you £25 when you trade-in your old battery against a new Lithium one - a fantastic opportunity to save yourself some money.

Click here to learn more.

Fitting day

Titleist Fitting Day

Only a week now till Titleist come to Saffron Walden on Friday, 27 April giving you the chance to try out and get fitted for their fantastic line-up.

Here are the key details:
Friday, 27 April - FREE

Please book your slot with us by clicking here.

Coaching news

Junior Coaching Programme

6 Week Programme At Saffron Walden Golf Club

Saturdays 10, 11 & 12noon
Sundays 11:00am

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

A change in distance

The changes to the Rules of Golf are fast approaching with 2019 now less than nine months away, so we thought we’d take a closer look at one common rule that’s getting a makeover.

Change of procedure when taking relief
When taking a penalty drop from a lateral water hazard, one option available to you is to drop a ball outside the hazard within two club-lengths of and not nearer the hole.

Under the new rule (17.1c), from 2019 you’ll need to use the longest club in your bag (other than a putter) to measure one club-length or two club-lengths depending on the situation.

The other alteration comes when dropping the golf ball. At present, you must drop your ball from shoulder height when taking relief, but this will change to knee height from 2019.

Let us know your thoughts by getting in touch below.

contact the team >

Are you a V or X?

When it comes to golf balls, there are two questions we hear on an almost daily basis, both concerning Titleist’s Pro V1 and Pro V1x. So we thought we’d take this opportunity to let you all know the answers...

What’s the difference between V and X?
Both of the Pro V1 balls are designed to provide long and short game performance, but there are subtle differences from tee-to-green.

While both feel soft, the Pro V1 is a little softer and has a penetrating flight that delivers more roll from the tee, whereas the Pro V1x feels firmer and flies higher.

Which one should I play?
If it’s a straight shootout between the Pro V1 and Pro V1x, then you’re going to benefit from distance, control and feel either way.

Both models are used on tour by players such as Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, but it really comes down to your personal feel preference and which characteristics suit your game, which we can discuss during a ball fitting.

watch our video >

Video of the Week

Improving your short game is a sure-fire way to lowering your handicap, so investing in new wedges that are perfectly suited to your swing is a must. Watch this video as Foremost TV takes a closer look at the new Vokey SM7 wedges that have recently arrived in-store.

I hope you have enjoyed this week's update.
We hope to see you soon
Rob

Saffron Walden Golf Club
Windmill Hill
Saffron Walden
CB10 1BX

Phone: 01799 527728

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