Hello golfers,

So at last Dustin Johnson breaks his Major duck. It was a fantastic final round of the U.S. Open with twists and turns as well as a very controversial rules incident….more on that a bit later. I think last week's event highlights how difficult it is to win a Major under the upmost pressure and on a very tough golf course. Pressure is an amazing thing which we all feel at times in our own golf and we all handle it in different ways. One thing is for sure though, if you ever feel pressure in your golf then it purely shows you care, and that's no bad thing in my opinion.




Dustin is a Major champion at last

After many near misses, Dustin Johnson tasted Major success at Oakmont last week. For one of the most naturally talented golfers of the modern era, surely it was only a matter of time before he broke his duck and so it proved. His driving was supreme and to be fair, his statistics were very impressive. The fact he comes across as a really nice guy added to the feel-good factor behind his win. Being a relatively new dad was also special as it was Father's Day and to have his little son run on to the final green was a great sight.

Did you follow my tips?

You would have seen my tips for the U.S. Open in last week's newsletter. If you were brave enough to follow my advice then you may be a little better off this week as my tip of Dustin Johnson to win came through. That's two out of two in the Majors this year for me. For those of you who did benefit then I look forward to seeing my cut of the winnings very soon.

What a farce

I watched in amazement as the USGA made a farce of the Dustin Johnson rules incident during the last round. It happened on the 5th green as Dustin made a couple of practice strokes before starting to move the putter in behind the ball. As he did this, the ball moved slightly and he stepped away before calling over a rules official to explain what happened. He then told the official that he hadn't addressed the ball and he hadn't touched the ball and his playing partner, Lee Westwood, agreed. Keep scrolling down this newsletter to view a video of the incident and decide for yourselves.

The rules official then said that he could play the ball from the new position without penalty. All seemed fine until another rules official approached Dustin on the 12th tee to inform him that they have reviewed the footage of the 5th green and were not happy at what had happened and wanted him to review it with them after completion of play. 

This was ridiculous as the whole field were then informed that Dustin may be facing a penalty leaving everyone in limbo with regards to the scores. The bigger issue for me was that they basically were saying that they didn't believe that Dustin, Lee and their very own rules official were telling the truth.

Where did the belief of honesty and integrity go?

These are professional sportsmen who are playing live in front of thousands of people and if the player says he didn't cause the ball to move then surely they should believe the player? I could clearly see that he did nothing to cause the ball to move so how can the USGA say different? Thankfully it didn't make a difference in the end but lessons need to be learnt from an incident that tarnished what otherwise was a brilliant Major and the deserved success for Dustin Johnson.

U.S. Open Prize Winner

Congratulations to Jon Mitchell who has won my U.S. Open competition. Jon was pulled from the hat from all those who correctly emailed me to tell me that in 2007, Angel Cabrerra won at Oakmont with a +5 total. Jon wins a dozen Nike RZN Tour golf balls worth £40. Thank you to all those who entered and look out for more prize competitions in future newsletters.

Fundamentals are key

The team and I have had a busy week coaching. We all agree that having correct fundamentals in place is a huge key to success with any golf shot. I have coached a few players this week who were struggling with too much shape on their golf shots which had been getting them in to trouble. When we took a look at the reason behind this, the answer was very much grip or shoulder alignment. If either or both of these key fundamentals are not in place then it will be very difficult to return the club back to the ball with a square clubface on a consistent basis. Of course from time to time you can get away with these faults but that is not fixing the problem.

With a little tweak to set-up we have seen a vast improvement in results and therefore enjoyment. Don't put off having a lesson if you're struggling, come and talk to us and let us help you make the most of your golf this summer.




Get the look this summer

With peak summer arriving very soon, now is the perfect time to add a new shirt to your wardrobe. We have a great range in stock for men and ladies from brands such as Under Armour, Nike, Oscar Jacobson, FootJoy, Callaway Apparel and Catmandoo.

For the rest of June there is a buy one get one half price on all full-priced shirts in stock

Motocaddy M1 trolley

Our product of the week is the M1 trolley from Motocaddy. The first of the compact-folding M-Series trolleys and a model that continues to gain popularity for its ease of storage and transportation, the M1 PRO can boast a number of standout features. These include an adjustable handle height, intuitive controls, plus an inbuilt device cradle accommodating a wide range of GPS devices that can be powered from the patented USB charging port. The three-point folding system has been developed to make the M1 PRO trolley over 40% smaller than its S-Series counterparts, while the twin-tube frame enables the battery to remain in its tray when folded. Come in to the shop and talk to us about your options.




Matt Baxter signed for the round of the day in the Homefield Trophy last weekend as his nett 65 secured the win. Mike Champion was the runner-up with nett 66 and Lyndon Bent was third with nett 67. New junior member Max Parsons also recorded nett 67 in his first competition at the club.

Adrian Hewitt won Sunday's Optional Stableford as his 41 points took top spot. Lewis beer was runner-up with 40 points, beating Simon Holmes on count back.

Annie Norman continued her recent run of good form as her nett 72 took Division One's honours in the Ladies Medal. In second place was Linda Ellis. Division Two was won by Caroline Harris with a nett 72 pipping Sandra Royston on countback. Ann Willett topped Division Three with a nett 72 beating Sylvia Fenton in to second place.