Rob McNicholas

Hello Golfers,

Welcome to the final newsletter of 2018.

This week, we take a look back across the top golfing moments of the year, update you on the Slade Christmas meeting, as well as examine the best wedges in the market for getting your sand save percentage up there with the best.

But before we dive in to our favourite highlights of the year, we'd like to say a massive thank you to all of you who have supported our proshop and golf club over the past year; your support is so important to our success, and for that we are truly grateful.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Enjoy the read!

Club news

Seasonal festivities

This week the festivities are well under way and this was certainly the case on Wednesday as the Slade Christmas meeting took place. The draw was done in such a way that there were no obvious winners or losers so you had to be on your game. I was middle man to Andy Fisher and Terry Wilby. Wondering which of my partners to focus on was tricky, initially I tied to Terry but I needn't have worried as he was the par 3 king on the front 9 and we got on a 3 point roll. In the end it was Andy and myself who had to watch our backs but a birdie on the last made sure we were safe from the dreaded PPPP and with 37 and 38 points we were never in danger of winning which was handy with 36 coming to dinner. Sarah obviously hadn't got this message as her and Wis charged round with 43 points. Luckily for her Patrick Ray and Les Dobson had a better back half and clinched the honour of buying everyone drinks.

Winners Patrick and Les

PPPP Winners Nick and Dave

It's fair to say the rest of the evening went with a swing, so much so that Tony Osbourne congratulated the Slade on getting back to the good old days telling Wis he had cracked it. There was a nice blend of the past with the likes of Ozzy going through the form guides of previous tours, some were still relevant to the members in the room some 25 years on. Then the Karaoke began. As you will see Elvis Wardley was in the building, Mr. Bonner humbled us all with his voice and I miss timed my trip back from the toilet to see the bar staff all with their cameras out filming Ian, Sarah and soon to be me doing the YMCA. She has not been seen since this, maybe it was too much.

Elvis

Sarah and the YMCA

You’re never too old to let a party popper off in someone’s face!

Terry leads us into his favourite number

Thanks to Wis and the curtain puller, the latter turns out to be ambidextrous, for their brilliant organisation of the day, to Rosie and Claire for the spread at the half way and to all those who turned up to play and for the meal. Also Wis says if anyone has an X22 9 iron in their bag from last week, it's his.

Tour news

What a year it has been...

It has been a truly exceptional year of golf, with storylines and big moments aplenty; let's take a look back at the world of golf in 2018.

The birth of Moliwood

Europe's comprehensive win at Le Golf National was held together by the inseparable pair of Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari - the latter became the first European to win all five matches at the event, whilst the pair's good-natured attitude and friendship encapsulated Europe's team spirit.

Oli Fisher breaks 60

Any round under 70 generally means a pro golfer had a good day - but breaking 60 is something truly exceptional. England's Oli Fisher managed it in September at the Portugal Masters, as he became the first player on the European Tour to card a round of 59.

Tiger's return

It was like something out of a movie script - the best golfer the world has arguably ever seen, made his comeback and rounds off the year with his first tournament win in five years. Tiger Woods is truly a remarkable player and having him up there competing with the best again is a great thing for the game of golf.

Rose reaches the summit

Justin Rose is one of the game's most popular figures, so it was fitting that he finally reached one of his goals in becoming the world's best golfer this year. Add to that his FedEx Cup win, and 2018 has been a year to remember for Justin!

US Open course carnage

Sometimes, the pros can make the game look easy - that definitely was not the case at Shinnecock Hills, the venue for this year's US Open. With lightning fast greens and punishing rough, the likes of which some players hadn't seen before, meant the winning score was an incredible +1!

Shop news

Left it until the last minute?

We know shopping isn't for everyone; let alone Christmas shopping when you're going shoulder-to-shoulder with everyone in town for the best presents. Here's our solution: avoid the queues and late deliveries by shopping with us this year. We have a range of gift ideas for both golfers and non-golfers in-store, so come down and take a look!

get in touch>

Choose what you see here in 2019

It's time to take your enjoyment to the next level. Each week we include several articles in our email newsletter aimed at helping you to improve your golf game. Sometimes it'll be on the latest clubs that we have in-store, other times we'll focus on the little white thing you hit around the course, and other times we'll include some tips for you to put in to practice.

But what do you want to read about?

In just 20 seconds....

Receive content relevant to you

All you need to do is click on the button below and fill out a few details on the next page - it literally takes 20 seconds. We can then start sending you bespoke content, such as product info that will take your game to the next level, coaching tips aimed at helping you enjoy better golf, and plenty more. What do you have to lose?

complete your profile >

[* ELSIF data('gender') == 'f' *]

Winter goals

Setting yourself goals during the winter months is vitally important when it comes to improving your golf game. Yes, finding the time to get out and play is one part of the battle, but you also need to head to the range to work on the areas that let you down in 2018.

Whether you're looking to stop yourself from chipping out sideways after a stray drive, become the club's answer to Phil Mickelson by working on your short game, or simply want to know the exact yardages you hit each club, we can help.

Here's what to do: jot down three key areas that you want to improve this winter (like in the image above) and bring this to us in-store. We can then devise a winter coaching plan that'll help make these some of the strongest parts of your game.

book a lesson >

[* ELSE *]

Winter goals

Whether you're looking to stop yourself from chipping out sideways after a stray drive, become the club's answer to Phil Mickelson by working on your flop shots, or simply want to know the exact yardages you hit each club, we can help.

book a lesson >

[* END *]

Sand saviour

When you see your ball roll into a bunker, don't worry if you tend to get nervous about your next shot; it happens to a lot of golfers. It's one of the reasons that hearing TV commentators say "he'll be happy it's finished in the sand" is so frustrating.

Obviously, these players practice day-in and day-out and so their skills are naturally going to be at an extremely high level - Ben Crane led the way in 2018 with a 66% sand saves success rate.

So how do you get better? Well, alongside having a bunker lesson to ensure your technique is correct, using a wedge that is designed to make bunker play easier - such as PING's Glide Stealth 2.0 ES Grind - is key to getting up-and-down more often.

find out more >

Motocaddy M-Series electric trolley range

Video of the Week

The majority of you won't have tried this shot before and there's a very good reason for that, too! But here are the best drivers off the deck from 2018 - don't try this at home.

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

Visit my website
Visit the club website
Contact me
Your profile

This email was sent to you by Rob McNicholas and is provided as a service for the members and guests of Saffron Walden Golf Club and the customers of the Saffron Walden Golf Club Pro Shop and has been supported and sponsored by advertisers in this mail and by our partner suppliers: Foremost Golf, UK's largest golf retail group, delivering value through expertise for the Club Golfer

® The Crest is a registered trademark of The Professional Golfers’ Association Limited