Hello golfers,
I hope this finds you well this week and you have all managed to grace the golf course in and amongst the rain showers! We had our first slightly weather disrupted weekend of golf last weekend as the poor weather Saturday morning ended the Captain v Vice-Captain challenge match. Instead they took to the GC2 simulator to have a nearest-the-pin shootout on the 7th hole at Pebble Beach. The winner, with an impressive effort of under three feet, was Stan Jones with Neil Townsend runner-up.
Hiring the GC2 Simulator
We had lots of golfers asking to hire the GC2 Simulator last weekend when the weather was poor. This is available to hire to either practice or play on one of the world's best courses. We have devised the following prices to make the most of our great facility.
Play golf on one of five courses - £15 per 60 minutes
(split the cost between a maximum of four players)
Hire the Simulator for practice - £6.50 for 30 minutes
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 myself will be sharpening my game up in the warmth of the simulator this winter!
If you are interested in hiring our GC2 simulator then please get in touch by clicking here.
New Bags
We have just had delivery of some new stand bags for winter. Next time you're at the club pop in and take a look at the superb range we have.
Dress for winter
I played at Thurlestone Golf Club last week which is one of my favourite courses in the South West. The weather. however. was unbelievably difficult as we were greeted with 35-40 mph winds and rain! As tough as that is, I found that I could cope because I had the correct equipment for the conditions! I am not taking golf clubs though but clothing and accessories. I had base layers, fleeces, waterproofs, winter mitts, an umbrella and rain gloves all of which enabled me to cope with the conditions.
Make sure you are ready for winter golf by having the correct items to get the best out of your game. Above are Chris and James modelling some winter wear.
Nike Club Fitting
I had the pleasure of going to Celtic Manor this week to get fitted for my own use Nike Vapour clubs! I have to say that the product performs superbly and I cannot wait to see the product in the pro shop at the end of January. We will have a brilliant custom fitting centre available so we can fit you to the highest standard.
Junior News
Sunday, 9th November saw our Saturday juniors take to the course for three holes. Congratulations to the five juniors - Cyril, Wilf, Henry, Kieran & Ryan.
The greenside bunker shot
As we have seen in this week's HSBC Champions event, a good bunker game can turn a difficult position into a scoring opportunity. Choosing the right club is the first step into helping execute the shot properly. A specific sand wedge with an appropriate sole and right degree of bounce can be invaluable. The degree of bounce, the number found next to the loft on wedges, is the difference between the leading and trailing edge of the wedge. A wedge with a higher number of bounce helps the club to glide through the sand and not dig in chop at the ball.
Two main problems in bunkers are the golfers trying to lift the ball out of the bunker or stopping and quitting as soon as they make contact with the sand. When entering the bunker dig the feet into the sand and have the ball position one ball forward of middle to help create a more shallow angle of attack. The feet and body should me be aligned just left of the intended target with the clubface pointing at the target. The clubface will now be open to the body line but square to the target. This helps to promote a slightly out to in movement with the loft being retained on the club.
The backswing should be a normal 3/4 pitching motion with the follow through at least mirroring the backswing. The swing should be gently accelerating into a follow through that is at least the same length of the backswing. A key to the bunker shot is to retain the loft on the clubface. Retaining the loft will create that high lofted, soft landing shot.
For a bit of inspiration - Seve used to practice the greenside bunker shot with his 3-iron. If you get to that level of being able to pop them out to within five feet with your 3-iron you are in very esteemed company. To talk to me about any of the points above, or to work on how to do this consistently with easy techniques, pop in and we can discuss it further.
Dates for your diary
New Coaching offer
Coaching at the 19th hole - 15 minute lessons for £10 !
This new lesson option is perfect to use after a round of golf. To not eat further in to free time this shorter lesson can provide a quick analysis into your game without using too much of your time. This can be perfect if the golfer only wants a small check or subtle change just to be put back on the right path. Book yours today - click here!
Monthly lesson check
As we all know golf rarely comes easily. Elements or thoughts we found easy the month before suddenly become tough to master. A monthly check in lesson is always good to gain new swing thoughts, or feelings as well as checking previous work or for any faults creeping in. Please remember that I am here to coach until 8pm on both Monday and Thursday so if weather or work stops you playing, you can still keep working on your game. Don't let the above stop you improving. I am here to coach mostly every day at times to suit you. You name the time and day.
Christmas Trolley Dash
It is that time of year again - it is Christmas Trolley Dash time! Once again we willl be offering one lucky winner the chance to run around the Pro Shop for 15 seconds collecting golf goods of their choice. The past two years have seen the lucky winners receive £745 and £580 worth of golfing goods so it really is not be missed. Tickets now on sale in 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.
Let us help you play better golf
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.
