Good morning everyone.
Well the sun has really been cracking the flags this week, with record temperatures and our traditional links land becoming fast and white. It really is amazing how in just 4 months, we have gone from one of the worst winters on record and then into the driest May on record. We do all wait with bated breath for glimpses of the sun during our summers, but then as soon as we get an elongated spell of good weather, we pray for rain. I am afraid it is time for me to do one of my fabled rain dances, summoning the spirit of the rain god catndoguss.
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 | Our new watering rig in action
| Our parched ground is in real need of some of the old wet stuff !! |
 | Don't forget to sanitise your hands.
| Please ensure you are keeping the reccomended 2 metres apart. Also, please do not be offended if you are asked to adhere to these new rules we have in place regrding social distancing. |
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I am sure you will all agree, how wonderful the courses are playing at the moment and in particular how great the definition Malcolm and his team are creating in cutting. Malcolm has raised a small issue though to draw your attention to. During lockdown there wasn’t the chance for us to do the normal treatments of the greens and fairways to keep certain species of weeds away from our playing surfaces. What has happened on a few of the greens is that some deep-rooted weeds are growing into the green’s surfaces. It is essential that you do not try and dig them out with a pitchfork. With the dryness of the ground attempting to dig them out breaks the root and they grow back stronger and spread quicker. On every green one of the greenkeepers is spot treating such weeds and we will see them disappear in no time. We know people are only trying to help but it is actually making the problem worse. |
All in all, the courses are beginning to return to the conditions we are used to seeing down here on the links. We have a few projects we are still trying to get to though. Two such projects are the adjusted height hole inserts which will replace the overturned cups on the championship and the foam insert on the Warren, as well as the bunkering.
For us to return to any sort of Competition golf, which quite a few of you are asking about, we need to have a fair course and a legal one for competition. The hole cups are an issue we are aware of and we are awaiting delivery of our cup inserts to solve this problem. Secondly is the tidying up of the bunkering. Going in bunkers at the moment is certainly an issue, as you often find yourself in a footprint. This is not such an issue at the moment, with just social golf, but with competition golf on the horizon, we will need to solve this issue before we head to competitive golf. Watch this space as Handicap and Competition committees are to meet to discuss where we go from here with regards to competitive golf. So, for now, just enjoy the social golf and competitive golf won’t be far away.
On a separate note can all match managers contact me with regards any matches they have in the diary for this year, to discuss what to do with their fixture as we are recommending cancelling fixtures.
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We're here for your golfing needs With lots of you taking this opportunity to dust off the cobwebs and play golf again, we wanted to remind you of our simple Order and Collect service. If there's anything you're after, let us know and we'll happily get it ready for you to collect before you next play. Just to let you know, we're following the government's guidelines and best practices from shops across the country to ensure everyone's safety is prioritised.
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We are now heading directly towards the prospective re opening of the retail business of the club I would like to take the opportunity of making a call to arms. As you all know the club owns the proshop and retains 100% of its profits. When we re open, I would like you all to try and support the proshop by maybe spending a little of your hard earned, cash with us. We will have plenty of special offers for you to look at and I have some very special Member ONLY goods arriving this week which are really quite special. We will of course give you our Price Match Promise and I will always try and find you the very best deal.
This last week Foremost golf launched its all new singles service for its members and we will be using this whenever we can to ensure we get the sale. So, if there is any product we maybe don’t stock, come and give us a chance to match the price, you won’t be disappointed. Ecco shoes have always been a favourite of mine and with this new service it will allow us to purchase single units without the commitment of £3k of stock that certain suppliers expect us to pre book.
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It starts with a UK Swing Since our last newsletter, Rory McIlroy – the number one ranked golfer in the world – has said he “had a hunch” that September’s Ryder Cup will be postponed. Whilst no decision has been made, the European Tour has confirmed it'll be returning 'behind closed doors' in July. The first event will be the British Masters at Close House; the first of six consecutive tournaments on British soil. Who knows, maybe by the time the second UK Swing comes around in October – Dunhill Links, Scottish Open and BMW PGA Championship – things may look a little different. Let us know what you think by sending us a message here.
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 | | WHS November 2020 | There have been a few questions about the submitting of scores with regards to the WHS and hopefully this small video will help answer some of these questions. Click here to view.
You can submit supplementary scores (unless your category 1) so just come to the proshop and say your’e doing a supplementary score and sign the book. Do your round and drop it in after you round. We will be back to competitive golf at some point in the near future and when we do, we need you all to play as many of these competitive rounds as possible to give you an accurate handicap index. Any questions just pop in and we will try our best to answer your questions. We will be having a zoom WHS get together very soon, so watch this space get your questions ready for our panel.
In the meantime, take a look at what its all about in this from the R&A. The key features of WHS
The materials explain the system’s key features, including:
? Flexibility in formats of play, allowing both competitive and recreational rounds to count for handicap purposes and ensuring that a Handicap Index reflects demonstrated ability
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A minimal number of scores needed to obtain a new handicap; with the number of scores needed to obtain a new handicap being 54 holes from any combination of 18-hole and 9-hole rounds (with some discretion available for national or regional associations)
? An average-based calculation of a handicap, taken from the best eight out of the last 20 scores and factoring in memory of demonstrated ability for better responsiveness/control
? A calculation that considers the impact that abnormal course and weather conditions might have on a player’s performance each day
? Timely handicap revisions
? A limit of Net Double Bogey on the maximum hole score (for handicapping purposes only)
? A maximum handicap limit of 54.0, regardless of gender, to encourage more golfers to measure and track their performance to increase their enjoyment of the game
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Vokey Fitting Day 6th June 2020
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 | Bob Vokey, Master craftsman
| As detailed in last week’s newsletter we are taking bookings for our specialist wedge fitting day this Saturday. Vokey wedges will be our premier brand and we have a great system for fittings on the day. Bob makes some of the world’s best wedges and if you look in many tour players bags, you’ll find a vokey wedge. Both Mark and I can certainly call ourselves tech heads when it comes to equipment. We both have the vokey equipment as standard in our bags which says an awful lot about the quality of their equipment. On the 6th June from 12-3pm we will be holding our very first Vokey trial and fitting day on the short game area. We will of course be strictly socially distancing and you will have to book a slot to have the trial or a fitting. Wedges are arguably the most important part of a player’s golf equipment and are often overlooked. I will have some very special offers available to all participants with internet busting deals on wedges all afternoon. Please get in touch to book your half hour slot. |
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The response to the coaching offers has been very positive, so thankyou to you all for buying into the deals we all have in place. Anyone thinking of having a session to maybe help and improve their game please get in touch and I will endeavor to put you in touch with the appropriate coach for your needs.
Group coaching will begin in July depending on how the rules and regulations change around the delivery of the sessions. The guidelines do state that it is possible to do these group sessions but we are currently not going to do them until July to ensure all safety precautions can be adhered to. Safety for both the Professional and the participants is paramount. I will let you know in future newsletters about when these sessions will begin again.
In this week’s coaching titbit, I talk about opening the shoulders up with the Driver and how to set yourself up for a big drive. Click here to view.
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 | Super deal.
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For all of you looking for a laser distance finder, I have two left of the Volvik finder priced at the astonishingly good value £199.99. The Bushnell equivalent is £329 and the Volvik unit is every bit as good if not a wee bit better. I have a demo unit for people to have a look at and you would be very surprised how good these are. Just get in touch with me if you would like a trial or if you would like to reserve one of the units I have. |
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Important News regarding tee time group sizes
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 | Teetime group sizes.
| Visitors/Guests/Fourballs: Following the recent changes in the Government guidance, Fourball golf is now permitted. We will be re-introducing Fourballs from Sunday June 7th. In summary, we will be allowing fourball golf daily (subject to time restrictions), with the exception of Tuesdays which will remain 2 ball only. This decision reflects the need to increase green fee revenue as outlined in my previous update, but to allow sufficient 2 ball tee times availability for members. We will review the situation later in the year. We are requesting you show the club off to your friends and family and bring as many guests as you can over the next few months. The availability for different formats of golf are as follows:- Championship.
7 am – 11am – Two balls . MEMBERS ONLY
11am – 12pm – Members & guest available in 2 ball
12pm - 1pm - Members / guests 4 ball times
1pm – close - Free to any players Members, guests and visitors. Tuesdays will remain a two balls teetimes throughout the day. Peak times is till 12pm, 3 times only per week pre booked, if there are spaces on the day you can call shop on the day for the time that is free.
Warren
7am – 9am – Members only 4 balls
9am – close- Available for members, guests and visitors..
No booking restrictions.
We will keep it to 7 days in advance booking at the moment on both courses.
As the Captains letter went through, there are difficult times ahead for the club and we need to maximise the revenue we can create through visitor booking. I am tasked with making this happen and where possible, it will not interfere with members golf. Please bear with us in the proshop as we administer these changes. You may not agree with some of what we are having to do, but rest assured we will monitor and alter tee changes periodically and keep you up to date with any decisions we make as a consequence. Thankyou.
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 | Have a great week !!
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Well that is just about all for this week. It just leaves me to wish you all a great weeks golfing. The courses are in fine fettle and with everything that is going on around the world, you couldnt find a better place to spend a bit of socailly distanced time.
Thanks for reading, James. |
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Golf's greatest comebacks Everyone loves a comeback. Europe's remarkable victory in last year's Solheim Cup immediately springs to mind. But, as much as we love watching it happen at the time, can you remember the details? Our monthly quiz for June will test your knowledge in this department. If anything, it's a great excuse to relive some of golf's most memorable moments. Good luck!
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