Rob McNicholas

Hello Golfers,

Welcome to another exciting edition of our weekly newsletter from Saffron Walden, it's the last week of the newsletter for me, Rob’s back at the weekend... hope you enjoy reading!

Have a great Easter Weekend too, don’t forget to look out for the bunny round the club...

Pro's news

Ben Moving To Royal Worlington & Newmarket GC

Although it is a shame to be losing Ben, we are pleased to be able to inform our members that he has very recently accepted an offer to become the club professional at Royal Worlington & Newmarket GC. He will be finishing at Saffron Walden on Sunday 19th May and starting in his new position on 1st June.

We have supported Ben fully through the selection process and wish him all the very best for the future.

Competition news

Junior Masters Competition

Each year the Junior Masters Competition is held on the final day of the famous Masters Tournament. Junior scores get added to their drawn players score from the second to final day of the tournament.

Here are the results:

Ollie Latham (69) + L Oosthuizen 71 = 140
Toby Izod (79) + T Woods 67 = 146
Leo Bonser (80) + I Poulter 68 = 148
James Hamilton (78) + J Rahm 71 = 149

Well done to Ollie Latham for winning!

Junior Friendly Match

The Juniors kicked off the Easter Holiday by playing the Junior Friendly Cup against Newmarket Golf Club on Monday this week.

As a decider the match that was all square at the end, Ollie Latham and Keith Flaxman, headed up the first hole and they won!

Well done team, great start to the season.

The Derek Burridge Trophy

SWGC travelled to Ramsey GC on Sunday 14th April in the second round (last 16) of The Derek Burridge Trophy, a team Greensomes competition for handicaps six and above. SWGC put out a strong team of Chris Davey & Tom Price, Colin McDonald & Tony Brown, Mark Harvey & Mike Price, Dave Monk & Ben Gill and Mathew Fagan & Paul Wisbey. It proved to be a close fought encounter in all five matches, played in a great spirit, with not much in it for most of the afternoon.

First out Davey & Price, giving seven shots, played really well to close out their match with a winning birdie three on the tricky 18th hole! Next in were McDonald & Brown narrowly losing their match, due in the main to some super short game play by past Captain Mark and his partner Andy.

Harvey & Price fell behind early to some inspired play by a strong Ramsey pair and never really got back into contention, so with two matches out on the course Walden were down two matches to one. The Cavalry of Monk & Gill and Fagan & Wisbey came good and secured a fine win for Walden who progress now to the Quarter Finals.

A huge thanks to Ramsey for their hospitality and warm welcome, Mark Harvey for organising the match and Paul Wisbey (Holly) who played as a last minute call up on the day. Onto the next round!

Junior golf

Easter Camps

We had 15 children attend Junior Camps last week and this week which was great to see over the Easter Holidays.

Junior Camps were ran by Professionals Aaron & Ben and it was good to see so many juniors involved and improving their game. Some had never played golf before to the other half attending regular Junior lessons. From putting, to driving to playing a few holes on the course, all parts of the golf game were covered!

The next Camps will be in the May Half Term, please let us know if you’re interested in signing up your child/children.

Coaching news

Friday’s FREE Swing Advice (Thursdays!)

You may have seen the post this week asking you what you wanted to see in Friday’s FREE Swing Advice. I had a lot of responses but the biggest problem you face during your golf swing is swinging too fast!

If you’re taking the club back too quickly, most golfers get excited about hitting it so far that the club doesn't even have chance to pause at the top before you’re on your downswing and losing control. Tempo is hard to coach as it's all about the pace you swing at, but here's a couple of drills to have a go at to improve your speed...

1 - Make your emotions clear to your brain!
One of the main faults for swinging too quickly is when you are tense (perhaps after a missed putt on the last hole?) You may feel nervous about hitting the next shot, therefore the chances of you having a relaxed tempo for the next shot are quite unlikely! Try giving yourself some positive thoughts before you hit the ball, visualise the shot by standing behind and drawing a picture in your mind, take a few deep breaths before swinging.

2 - Counting?
Try counting in your head 1, 2 (for your backswing) and on 3 you should be on your downswing! I used to get told to say, 'Ernieee Els' in my head, 'Ernie' for the backswing and 'Els' for the downswing!

This pattern will keep your shots more consistent, take your mind off snatching the club away and improve your tempo.

Ladies Get Into Golf Programme - LIMITED SPACES AVAILABLE!

Do you know someone who wants to try golf?

7 week programme

First Date: Tuesday 30th April
12-1pm & 7-8pm
(No Golf May 27th Week Due To May Half Term)

Whether you’re new to the game, wanting to get back into it or had a go before, all levels are welcome and we will provide equipment. The initiative is designed to grow the game within the community and give people the opportunity to play it. We are very excited to have ran the programme for 6 years now and great to see some of the ladies who have taken part now members of our ladies section.

So if you fancy giving golf a try, you’ve played before, take part in this programme before and want to get back into it or you know someone who does, now is the time to start…

ONLY £75 for 7 weeks (equipment and balls provided)

Book now to survive your place:
Email – rob@swgc.com or sarah@smithperformancegolf.co.uk
Telephone – 01799 522786

Upcoming events

Mizuno Demo Day

We're delighted to announce that Mizuno will be coming to Saffron Walden on Thursday 24th May giving you the chance to try out and get fitted for their fantastic ST190 drivers and the rest of their line-up.

Here are the key details:
Thursday 24th May - 9:30am-1:15pm - FREE

Book in the pro shop now, limited spaces available!

PING Demo Day

We also have PING coming on Friday 31st May giving you a chance to try out their G400 drivers.

Here are the key details:
Friday 31st May - 11am-3pm - FREE

Once again book in the pro shop to secure your space.

Tour news

Woods You Believe It?

It would take a heart of stone not to have been moved by Tiger’s Masters victory on Sunday night. Sure, the American divides opinion when it comes to his off-course antics, but that should take nothing away from the magnitude of his victory at the most famous of tournaments.

Two-years ago, Woods required a nerve-blocker just to attend the Champions' Dinner and all but admitted his game was done. A spinal fusion surgery later and Tiger has completed arguably the greatest comeback of all time.

Tiger's triumph was matched by Molinari's misfortune, with the Italian squandering a two-shot lead on the back nine as he found the water twice in the space of four holes.

With the next two majors taking place at courses where the great man has won before - Bethpage Black and Pebble Beach - could we be in-store for something special in 2019?

Courtesy of TaylorMade Golf

Mind the gap

Do you often find yourself stuck between clubs? One club will launch too far beyond your target whilst the other will leave you short. If so, you're either very unlucky or you need to come and see us for a gapping session.

Example of poor distance gapping

Distance gapping is the art of putting your set together whilst ensuring each gap between one club and the next is equal.

Take your wedges as an example. Say you have a PW with around 46 degrees of loft and sand wedge at 56 degrees; this 10-degree gap could leave you with a distance gap of around 30 yards or more! What do you do if you need to play a shot right in the middle of those distances?

The same can be said at the other end of your set, but usually this will involve two clubs going the same distance. If you have a 3-iron in the bag as well as a hybrid and a 5-wood, chances are you'll be hitting them similar distances - so it's time for one to go!

If any of this is resonating with you, then let’s get you booked in before you head out for your next round.

get in touch >

Let the battle commence

Classic or sporty? Colourful or traditional? Style is a personal choice and with brands offering up any number of designs, we have never had so much choice when it comes to your footwear options. With this in mind, we pit two styles up against one another in the ultimate battle of the shoes.

Which will you choose?

The battle between athletic and bold purely comes down to taste but one thing is undeniable, both the Under Armour HOVR Drive and Fade RST 2 shoes will have you oozing confidence at address whichever one your taste swings towards.

In the blue corner we have the HOVR Drive that takes its inspiration from UA's running department. HOVR foam provides total comfort whilst the red detailing on the midsole adds a touch of class and contrasts perfectly with the white design.

In the red corner we have the Fade RST 2 that gives the wearer the choice of black or white colour styling. It features a moulded rotational resistance spikeless & spiked hybrid outsole for performance on the tee and the green.

Both shoes are worthy winners but which is your favourite?

We have a great footwear offering in-store so be sure to pop in and try some on to ensure you get the perfect fit.

explore the range >

Galvin Green - Experience the ultimate golf jacket

Video of the Week

22 years on from his first Green Jacket, Tiger answered questions surrounding his ability to win another major title in emphatic fashion on Sunday afternoon. Now there's just one question remaining: will he reach Jack's record of 18 major triumphs?

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