Course Backwards

This week we had the first of our fun competitions for the year; the Course Backwards Texas Scramble. Once again this event was well supported with every tee being filled and also requiring 2 double up tees. The usual chaos occurred with this event... directing people to the correct starting position, but once everybody got to their tee the fun in the sun could start!

Once again there was plenty of fun to be had and when Rob was riding around on his buggy, collecting photos, he happened to pass Alan Osenton hitting his shot from the 4th tee onto the practice chipping green, a blind shot from the tee, which may be why it was so close to going in! It was more likely the sheer class and skill Alan possesses that resulted in a tap in birdie. Unfortunately duty called so Rob didn't see whether or not Alan or his team managed to tap it in, I hope so, it was an easy putt after all!

After all the fun in the sun everybody headed back into the clubhouse for the presentation and John certainly looked like the cat that got cream after the staff team, consisting of Jo Marchant, James Murphy, Curtis Ripley and of course 'The Gaffer' John Aughterlony , returned with an impressive 58.6. This was until the aptly named, 'Harwood Hackers' , came in with a great score of 56.5 to nick 1st place and a four-ball voucher at West Kent Golf Club. Well done boys, enjoy your day hacking it round West Kent GC!

John, not one to be bitter about being piped to top spot, decided it was only fair to expose the team which came in last place and that only happened to be Captain Terry Heaver , which is surprising really, because this is how Terry plays the course most of the time anyway!

   

   

 

High Lob Shot

Sometimes we are faced with a near impossible shot and the only way to get the ball close is to play a high lob; a very tricky shot which can make you look silly and needs to be played with confidence. So in order to help you here are a few tips so you can play the effectively.

1. Aim - to get the required elevation on the shot you first need to add loft to your club which can be done by opening the clubface by laying the club flat on the ground. You will notice the clubface will now be pointing right so to make sure your shot finishes on target you will need to open up your stance by aiming your feet, hips & shoulders, left of the target.

2. Grip - once you have got your aim sorted out, make sure you re-grip the club with the clubface open. Opening the clubface by simply turning your hands, whilst gripping the club, will not enable you to return the clubface open at impact and the ball will go too far. Like with all other short game shots, you want to grip down the club to ensure control over the clubhead however this compromises clubhead speed, which is vital for this shot. To get the best of both worlds I would suggest gripping down about an inch from where you would for a full shot.

3. Swing Path - it's often thought that to play a lob shot the swing path needs to be out-to-in (like a bunker shot); however, this isn't the case because we need to get the ball up quickly, we need a shallow angle of attack and so an in-to-in swing path would be preferred, whereas out to in swing path causes the ball's trajectory to be lower.

4. Clubhead Speed - you need to make sure you play this shot with confidence and maintain the clubhead through impact in order to maximise the spin  imparted on the ball, if you don't stay committed through impact you can get a real mixed bag of results from duffing it 10 feet in front of you to thinning it across the green. Try to get yourself into a full finish to help maintain the speed through the impact.

 

High Definition Vision

We have a new addition to the Pro shop in the shape of Oakley sunglasses and just in time for the summer weather! We've got a selection of different styles, so you’re guaranteed to find a pair that will match your wardrobe. There is also a few pairs utilising the Prizm golf lenses , which improves contrast for better separation of colour, making it easier for you to gauge distance and even differentiate between grass types.

Oakley sunglasses are built to a high standard specification with High Definition Optics (HDO) so that they at least meet, but often exceed, the American National Standards Institute for not only optical clarity but also impact resistance. 

We have all tried the Prizm lenses and can feel a massive differene between normal vision and Oakley sunglasses, the best comparison we can use is the difference between a normal TV channel and high definition, they're that good.

 

Junior Coaching

The junior coaching programme starts on Sunday , 24th April , from 11:00am , which will show the juniors the basics, making sure they are ready to take to the golf course. The course is limited to 8 juniors and will cost £75, there are still spaces available so if you are interested please sign up in the Pro shop.


Clinics

There are just 2 of our clinics left and there are still spaces available, if you think your game needs a bit of strengthening. Each session will cost £10 and spaces are limited to 8 members, please find the dates & times below and sign up in the Pro shop. 

Sunday 24th April 10:00am - 11:00am, Putting

Thursday 29th April 5:00pm - 6:00pm, Full Swing 

Pro-Am

Don't forget, the cream of the crop from the PGA South Region will be doing battle at the R&CPGC, in our annual Pro-Am; if you would like to enter, please click here for the entry form. If you haven't played in it before it is certainly worth a try as it is a fun packed day, where you can quiz the PGA Professionals about their approach to shots and you never know, it may hold the key to success for you!


 

Battery Trade In Offer

We are now running our ever popular battery trade in offer, where you can get £25 off a BRAND NEW lithium battery when you bring in your old battery. 

Lithium is certainly the way forward, with numerous advantages over lead acid batteries, such as quicker charging time, 75% lighter and so much more! 

Come into the Pro shop  to find out more about this great deal.

Callaway Demo Day 

BREAKING NEWS! We have just confirmed a Callaway Demo Day on Friday 6th May.

All the action will be taking place between 1:00pm and 5:00pm, we've already got a few members down to take part so if you fancy a look at what they have to offer why not come along?

James Hunt, our Callaway rep will be on hand to lend advice on what you need so if you would like to see him let us know in the ProShop and we can book you an appointment.