Last Saturday saw the Spring Captain v President team fixture which marks the start of the gents golfing season. 13 matches took to the course with the Captain and myself taking on the President and Mark in the top game. After losing the 1st hole we managed to win the 2nd and 3rd holes only to lose our advantage on the 5th. However we soon went one up again on the 6th and doubled our advantage on the 9th. After trading wins early on the back 9 we went into the field 2up only to lose the 14th but I am pleased to say that we halved the last 4 holes to win our match 1up! We also led the team by example as the Captain's team went onto win the fixture 11 to 2. The evening was followed by a meal which was very good and a few speeches which were also good.
Last week on the 1st of April saw the ladies Tuesday Stableford All Prize Day in which 72 ladies took to the course. In division 1 N. Markland won with a score of 36 points and close runner-up with 35 points was J. Harrison. Division 2 was won by L. Cameron with 40 points and the runner-up with 39 points was A. Riordan. Sunday 6th April saw another ladies competition in the form of a medal. The comp was won by A. Forbes with a net 77 after a card play-off against runner-up E. Cail.
This week I want to concentrate on a couple of areas of the shop as they both compliment each other. The first is the short game area and the second is the golf balls. The short game area has the latest putters by Odyssey, PING, Scotty Cameron and Nike. Plus the new MacDaddy 2 wedges by Callaway, SM5 Vokey wedges by Titleist and the VR x3x groove wedges by Nike.
My inspiration for this area is to help you score better!
Question 1- How many of you are using a putter which is over 5 years old?
No doubt a number of you but in this time ball technology has moved on and know doubt the loft has changed on your putter.
Question 2 - How many of you are using a wedge system?
Probably not many. By using properly lofted wedges ie 45-47, 50-52, 54-56 and 58-60 degrees it is much easier to hit the right shot.
Question 3 - Are you using a wedge that have worn grooves?
If the answer is yes then you are limiting the amount of spin you can create which in turn means that you will have less control around the greens.
If you would like to score better come for a chat about an MOT on your scoring clubs. I use 4 wedges myself and am slightly better at the short game than most members!
Next week ball technology and your game plus I would like some testers as well! Click here if you would like to get involved.
The shop (or is it me) is slowly coming into the 21st century!!! If you want to keep up with what is happening at the club I am using Facebook and Twitter to inform of problems on the course, what is happening at the club and new stock arriving or special offers I am running in the shop. To become a friend of the shop go to Facebook and look for Prestbury Proshop and Twitter is Prestbury Pro Shop @PGCProShop. As an incentive I am going to run a competition for everyone who joins the shop on our social media platform and 1st prize will be a dozen Titleist balls!
Finally this week due to unforeseen circumstances I have had to reschedule my Callaway fitting day. The new date is SUNDAY 11th May between 10am and 2pm. To book your appointment, see me in the shop ASAP.
Masters Sweepstake
The Masters week is upon us and to celebrate 50 years since Arnold Palmer's last Augusta victory we are giving you the chance to win a special edition Callaway bag. It is £1 for a raffle ticket and the draw will be done this weekend.
The sweepstake for The Masters sold out quickly this year and for those with a player I have put the draw on Facebook, Twitter or click here to find out who you've drawn.
So who's your money on? The bookies have Rory Mcilroy as favourite but as we all know golf is never that simple. Rory himself said that any one of 70 players could take home the green jacket this year. My tips this year are Matt Kuchar, Keegan Bradley, Justin Rose and Dustin Johnson are just a few of the top competitors that could be in with a shout. Also with the weather being so unpredictable in Augusta this week maybe the golf will be too, possible outsiders such as our own Jamie Donaldson and Patrick Reed could be in with a shout. Also you can never write off Augusta favourite Phil Mickelson, though his form hasn't been the greatest leading up to the competition, he seems to always find something extra on this special weekend. In contrast world number 3 Henrik Stenson is having a great year but never seems to find form at Augusta, could this be his year? Or can Adam Scott be first man for 12 years to retain the Masters title and overtake the absent Tiger Woods as world number 1.
Your guess is as good as mine.
Hire before you Buy
When you are playing golf it is easier to hit a good shot if you know the distance to the green or how far it is to reach a bunker or stream and with new technology it doesn't have to take any longer. However as there are a number of distance measuring devices on the market I would like to give you the opportunity of trying either a Skycaddie SGX which gives a detailed map of the hole being played or a Nikon Coolshot which you put to your eye to get the distance. I find that it is personal preference as to which you like.
Also if you practice and have an iPhone you could have a go with the Skycaddie Skypro which is an ingenious small piece of kit which pops onto the shaft of any club and allows you see your swing along with data that will help you improve your consistency. All 3 items can be hired for £10 each and this will be taken off the price should you decide to buy one!!