Equipment Check - Studs
After releasing this newsletter we hope nobody falls over on the course this week!
Last week we had a couple of people fall over on the course. At this time of year, especially, the course can get quite slippy in parts and you might not even realise. We want to stress that a good set of studs is important when playing in these conditions, so check them before you go out!
You also need to be careful when bits of grass, leaves and mud etc. get stuck in your studs whilst you are playing, this can affect your grip massively, so it's best to pick it all out between shots. And if the sole of your shoes look anything like the picture here then they need a good cleaning!
I just use my pitch repairer as a tool when on the course, or you could use a tee peg, or you might have a special tool specifically designed for this purpose. Anyway it is important to keep on top of it when on the course to stop any nasty falls and also improve your shot.
Then obviously give them a blow afterwards so they are nice and clean before I next play so they look something like this.
If your studs are worn down and blunt, or maybe you have one or two missing, you might want to think about getting a new set.
We can do this in the shop for you within 24 hours, or if we aren't too busy we will do them there and then!
4BBB Stableford
On Saturday the gents played in a 4BBB Stableford Competition. It was very tight at the top of the field with only 2 points between 2nd and 6th place. In 3rd place on the day we had David Rowley and Doug McNair with a very good score of 40 points. Just one shot ahead of them with 41 points were Graham Wagster and Mike Forbes. But out in front with a fantastic score of 43 points was our Captain Elect, Peter Atherton, and his partner Eamon McGrath, well done on a great score guys.
Ladies Greensome Stableford
Tuesday was the turn of the Ladies who played in a Greensome Stableford. Jean Duncan and Patricia Hunt came in 3rd place with 25 points which was narrowly beaten by Liz Dunkley and Shirley Davies who managed the same score but came 2nd on a card play-off. Out in front however with a great score on the day of 27, were Nicky Markland and Vicky Howarth.
Well done to our winners in the comps over the last week!
Tiger Out Again
Tiger Woods's latest comeback halted as lower-back spasm forces him to withdraw from Dubai Desert Classic. The familiar, if depressing question is inevitably being asked again. What next for Tiger Woods after he withdrew from the Dubai Desert Classic here before his second round with yet another back complaint?
Woods was clearly walking gingerly and looked in some discomfort during an opening 77 - which contained no birdies - but afterwards he insisted he was "in no pain at all."
Woods, apparently, "felt fine before dinner," but the lower back spasms came on late in the evening. There were many raised eyebrows in the first place when Woods agreed to make the 17-hour trip across 12 zones from California - where he missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open last week - and Steinberg acknowledged this could be partly to blame.
Stenson's Epic
Another week into the 2017 season with yet more success for the Callaway product range. Whilst the winner of the Waste Management Phoenix open had a Callaway Great Big Bertha in the bag, on the European Tour it was what wasn't in Henrik Stenson's bag that had social media all abuzz. Henrik's trusty Diablo Octane Tour Fairway Wood was replaced by the new GBB Epic Fairway Wood, showing just how strong the 2017 product range is.
It seemed to work, as Henrik finished in a credible runners-up spot in Dubai, also topping the driving accuracy stats for the week.
Keep up to date with Social Media
The best way to keep up to date with what's happening on the course (trolley/buggy use, full greens/temporary greens or tee reservations) or what's going on in the clubhouse is online!
Click here to visit our Facebook page.
Click here to visit our Twitter page.
Or if you have a social media phobia you can visit my website www.nicksummerfield.co.uk. All are updated daily.
We put out a tweet and a Facebook comment every morning giving course information and availability, this is the quickest and easiest way to keep up to date with what's going on at the club.
Chipping Practice
Now most of you when you practice your chipping will simply stand next the green and aim multiple balls at the same hole using the same club. This is not the best way to practice. Here I am going to give you an example of a drill I use when practising chipping.
Most of the time, when chipping, you want the ball to land within the first few feet of the green and run the ball up to the hole. So, depending on where the hole is, it is your club that changes. For example, if the hole is near the front of the green you will want to use a sand or a lob wedge, if the hole is towards the back and you need more run, you use a longer iron.
Here is a video example of me using a sand wedge, a 9-iron and a 7-iron and landing them between two sticks placed on in the first few feet of the green. Click here to view.
