Hello golfers,
I hope this finds you well and you have been well golfed this week. We are entering the final month of our main golfing season here at the Valley as far as competitions are concerned with a few major trophies still to be decided. But that is by far the end of golf here at the club as we have a full diary of winter events for every member to play in whether it be competitive or friendly golf, we have something for all golfers. Please keep checking the newsletter and the club diary for upcoming events.
Great to be part of a win for The Devon PGA
I had the pleasure of playing Newquay Golf Club last Sunday where I was part of a Devon PGA team that played the annual Ryder Cup style match against our Cornwall counterparts. On a day of good weather we played 36 holes match play with 18 holes of foursomes in the morning and 18 holes singles in the afternoon.#
I paired up with Ben, my old assistant, as we took on Gary and Grant the two professionals from Trevose Golf Club. It was a great match played to a high standard and was nip and tuck all the way. In the end, Ben and I just didn't hole key putts when needed and lost one down on the 18th green. Thankfully, our team mates played great as we went in to lunch 3-2 ahead.
The 10 afternoon singles matches were always going to be interesting and so it proved. In the top match Paul Hendrikson won his match against Chris Gill despite being onr down with two to play and rounded it off with a superb 50 foot putt on the 18th! I got the vibe that it was pretty tight match score wise as we were out on the course so was really keen to bring a point home for the team especially after the disappointment of losing in the morning. A tap in birdie on the first put me 1up and from there I just pushed on and a birdie on the 9th put me 3up at the turn. Six consecutive pars meant a 4&3 win and a bogey free victory.
My win meant a 7-6 lead with two matches out there and with one win and one half in those we claimed the trophy and bragging rights with a 8.5-6.5 win. The matches were played in great spirit and Newquay showed us great hospitality.
Bunker Renovation Programme
This week we have started on our major bunker renovation programme. The purpose of this is to help improve drainage in the bunkers as well as increase playability.
There will be new drainage added, bunkers re-shaped, bunkers filled-in and bunkers added. As you can appreciate, this is a fairly extensive programme and we are aiming to do the bulk of the work over the next two weeks before the weather gets too bad. There will inevitably be some minor disruption as we carry out the work and this may involve some bunkers being out of play as well as the odd temporary green in operation.
We will endeavour to keep you updated with the progress and what restrictions it may be having on golf course play if any. We hope you appreciate the work we will be doing and can see the benefit of the bunker programme.
Stableford Winners' Trophy - Congratulations to Gary Birch (pictured here) on winning the Stableford Winners' Trophy with a superb 44 points.
Men's Stableford - Liam Hanslip was top man in Division One with 37 points, one ahead of runner-up Steve Allen. Gary Birch's superb 44 points topped
Division Two, with an excellent 42 points by Pete Hindon securing the runner-up spot. Garry Harding won Division Three with a solid 37 points, beating Chris Jelley in to second place.
Ladies' Stableford - Jane Hodgson recorded the score of the day as her 36 points secured Division One with Carol Wilson on 34 points coming runner-up. Fiona Carpenter won Division Two with 33 points, one ahead of Karen Major in second. Linda Kingdon topped Division Three with 32 points, pipping Margaret Kingdon by a single point.
Teignagers' Stableford - On a wet day the Teignagers battled through their monthly Stableford. With some choosing to end the round early it was a battle to finish the round. There was just one score recorded under par and that was Dave Shipp who won Division One with 37 points, as Mike Clayton won Division Two with 35 points.
Winter Golf inside this year
As winter approaches it's a good time to remind you of the fantastic indoor facility we have here at the Valley. Our GC2 Simulator and Launch Monitor is state of the art and a fantastic way to keep your golf going this winter. Whether it is through coaching, fitting or just playing on one of the five courses we have you will be able to keep your game sharp over the coming months.
I am currently working on some winter promotions based around the simulator and will add these in to next week's newsletter. We will also be running a competition where someone will win FREE use of the simulator for the winter and we will be reducing the hire cost of playing the simulator at certain times over the winter period. I myself will be sharpening my game up in the warmth of the simulator this winter!
Winter Stock
We have just received the bulk of our winter clothing orders in to stock. We have a great selection of waterproofs, cover ups, compression tops, fleeces, bobble hats and beanies as well as winter mitts and umbrellas. Basically everything a golfer needs to keep playing this winter. With brands such as Nike, adidas, Under Armour, FootJoy and Stuburt, we have all bases covered at various price points for men and ladies. With our price promise we are ultra-competitive with price and are service is second to none so please come in and get fitted for winter.
Know how far you hit the ball
Many golfers I play with have no idea of what yardage they have left in to any green. Their club selection is based upon guess work which they may get away with it to an extent as they become familiar with their own course but when they go elsewhere they struggle to get their club selection right.
A GPS watch is the perfect way to get an accurate yardage on every shot you play. It displays a yardage to the front, middle and back of any green thus giving you the opportunity to select the correct club needed to cover the required distance. The SkyCaddie GPS watch is a fantastic product and is in stock in the pro shop. We have a demo watch available for you to take to the course and try.
Find your numbers
Working in conjunction with a GPS device it is vital that you know how far you hit each club. Using our GC2 launch monitor we can help you to understand how far you hit each club. We can help you perform a gap test which works out the average carry and total distance you hit each of your clubs vital information for the golf course.
An example of this would be your GPS device showing 132 yards to go and you knowing your 8 iron goes 135 would be a pretty good club selection. To book your fitting please contact the pro shop.
Our Price Promise to all our Customers
I take great pride in not only the amount of great product that we stock, but also how competitive our pricing is. I make it one of my weekly tasks to sit down and look at other retailers and compile a list of what price they are selling the products that we stock. Without having to move my pricing I am always sitting there right alongside the best pricing online. The one thing that I can give ALL my customers that the online retailers cannot is face to face advice and service.
We are here seven days a week to help you with all of your enquiries and queries and are the best people qualified to recommend and fit you for correct product. We also offer a complete after sales service package on all items we sell which gives our customers complete piece of mind.
If by any chance anyone finds a product we sell and the price is cheaper than us, then I am more than happy to match that price without compromising on our quality of service. Please feel free to come in to the Pro Shop and chat to us about our services.
When was the last time you had new grips?
As we approach the winter months it is essential that you review the condition of your grips. Many of you will not have changed your grips since you have had your clubs so they will be well over due a change. It is a proven fact that poor grip condition can lead to poor golf. One of the key reason is that over a period of time grips lose their traction. They become hard and shiny and can start to slip in the hands when hitting shots. As a reaction to this it is common for a golfer to then increase grip pressure in order to keep hold if the club correctly which, in turn, can cause tension leading to poor rhythm and poor timing.
We have recently installed a new Grip Bar in the Pro Shop which allows us to correctly fit you for the best type and size of grip to suit your game. Correct grip size is crucial for consistent golf as it allows the hands to control the club head. If the grips are too thin then the hands can work too quickly causing the clubhead to close and the shots to fly left. If the grips are too thick then the hands can work too slowly leaving the clubface open leading to the ball flying to the right.
Next time you're at the club why not pop in and talk to us about having some new grips fitted and see what difference it can make to your game.
Super Stroke your way to better scores
As many of you will have seen recently there has been a growing number of players switching to use a Super Stroke putter grip. The larger grips are designed to encourage a more solid putting stroke helping to eliminate excessive wrist action which is often one of the major causes of inconsistent putting. If the wrists become too active then this can have major restrictions on the ability to control distance putts and maintain a square club face through impact causing pushes and pulls. The Super Stroke range of putter grips come in various sizes to suit all golfers. So next time you're at the club why not pop in to the shop and we can advise you on what size grip to be fitted with.
As a golfer I am sure you are keen to improve your game and reduce your handicap or even obtain a handicap. My staff and I are the most qualified people to help you do this. We are trained to the highest standard in custom fitting and coaching - the two key areas to look at if you really want to improve your golf. I have managed to help many of you this year by custom fitting you correctly to a product that will undoubtedly help your game. Whether it be a set of irons, a driver or even a wedge or putter we have the skill set to correctly fit you in to the correct product to improve your game.
Our custom fitting is completely FREE when you make a purchase within one month of your fitting and with our wide range of choice aided by our state of the art GC2 Launch Monitor and Simulator.
