| 6th
Sept 2007
Greetings from Duncan,
Juniors’ Basil
Steer Trophy
Just a polite reminder to
everyone to come along on Sunday to support
our Juniors’ Basil
Steer team in the final at Wrangaton at 11am.
Come on boys! Supporters can meet at Hele Park
at 9.30am for bacon bap and coffee and we can
go en masse to cheer them on.
Attention All Members - Friday 7 September @
7pm
It will be a busy night at
the Club as we welcome new members to meet
other Club members and enjoy an introduction
to Simon's new Fit for Golf and free tuition
with Stuart and Duncan. All this, if you wish,
followed by lasagne or ham, egg and chips.
A perfect evening and every member is welcome.
If you'd like to come, ring Wendy or Ellie
in the office or reply by email by clicking
here. (Please provide food choice if required
- £3).
Autumn Renovations
Monday 10 & Tuesday 11 September
Please bear with us whilst the greenkeeping
staff undertake the autumn renovations. Over
the 2 days there will be some temporary greens
in play, but it will be changing all the time
as the team do their best to quickly get the
course back onto all full greens. This type of
maintenance is essential for the course and I
know you will all be understanding over this
time. There will be a small reduction in green
fees whilst the work is in progress.
Monday Group
The Monday Group continues to welcome new people
to Hele Park. Non-members are welcome to join
the group for up to 3 times to play at 1pm each
Monday as an introduction to Club golf. Member
Len Besant gives unstintingly of his time to
take these people around the course, but I know
it would be fantastic if other members were also
able to give him a hand each week. The Monday
Group has been the first port of a call for many
new members and if you benefited from the Monday
Group perhaps you would like to help others in
the same way. Contact Ellie or Wendy in the office
by clicking here if you think you can offer your
time to help new golfers, or if you would like
to take your first steps into Club Golf with
their support.
French France
Next week I am off
to Brittany with a group of Seniors from the
Club (no, I'm not that old yet!) and we will
be playing some super courses and, no doubt,
having the odd glass of vino on the side. In
exchange for my golf wisdom, I've been promised
an education in grown up wines. I’ll give
you my top tips when I get back.
In this week’s mail I have a look at how
the modern golf ball’s reduced spin rate
and greater carry distance is a benefit to your
game. I also take a look at why it is important
to strengthen your hands, forearms and wrists
to improve your short game. If you want to broaden
your golfing horizons, read about the beautiful
Aphrodite Hills Resort’s golf course that
you can play in sunny Cyprus. Remember I am here
for all your golfing needs, so pop into the shop
to chat about your short game or how I can help
to improve your enjoyment of the game.
Have a good week.
Best wishes,
Duncan
GOLF SCHEDULE
Friday 7 September
New Members Meet & Greet
Simon’s Fit for Golf
7pm
Saturday 8 September
Mixed Stableford
Book Your Own Times
Sunday 9 September
Ladies’ September Medal &
LGU Pendant
1pm
Juniors’ Organisers’ Cup
2pm
Tuesday 11 September
Autumn Renovations
Wednesday 12 September
Ladies' Morning Extra Medal
Thursday 13 September
Mixed Stableford
Book Your Own Times
WHAT’S ON AT THE
TOURS?
US Tour
BMW Championship
(Cog Hill G&CC, Lemont, IL)
Defending Champ: Trevor Immelman
EURO Tour
Omega European Masters
(Crans-sur-Sierre, Switzerland)
Defending Champ: Bradley Dredge
RESULTS FROM THE TOURS
US Tour
Deutsch Bank Championship
(TOC of Boston, Norton. MA)
2007 Champ: Phil Mickelson
EURO Tour
Johnnie Walker Championship
(Gleneagles, Scotland)
2007 Champ: Mark Warren
THE TRUTH ABOUT GOLF!
They throw their clubs backwards, and that's
wrong. You should always throw a club ahead of
you so that you don't have to walk any extra
distance to get it.
~ Tommy Bolt (about the tempers of modern players)
EXCELLENT RESULTS FROM OUR MEMBERS
Men's Red Tees Stableford
There was fun on the course
at the weekend as the men played a Stableford
off the Ladies' Red Tees. They have spent years
telling the ladies that it's easy when you
have such a head start so it was time to put
their money where their mouth was. To be fair,
some of them pulled it off with Club Captain
Phil Steele in the top spot. Scores ranged
from 29 points (hmm… not
so easy after all) to Phil's 43 points. The Ladies'
Section is considering offering him a skirt and
signing him up for the Devon League next year.
Ladies' White Tees Competition
And, in return, the ladies got to play off the
men's white tees for the Ladies' White Tees Salver.
I think they all appreciated the view from the
3rd and 4th tees and the winner was Janet Russell
with 34 points. Not bad for a lady playing off
36. Janet has only been a member of the Club
for a few weeks but has quickly become an established
face in the ladies' competitions. That's one
of the things I like about Hele Park, new members
are always welcome. Even our single figure players
are fantastic at taking new members out to get
their handicaps and encourage them to play in
the competitions.
Stuart's Run Of Form Continues
Following Stuart's excellent
20th place at the West Region PGA Championships
at Woodbury over 3 rounds, he then played at
Exeter G&CC in
their annual Pro-Am shooting a 2 under par 67
to finish 3rd. Congratulations - of course, I
taught him everything he knows………..
IMPROVING YOUR SHORT GAME
I talk later about strengthening your hands
to improve your short game and to help you get
out of the rough. Just a couple of simple exercises
done daily will quickly show an improvement.
Below are pictures of Simon showing you some
hand exercises. More will be revealed on Friday.
GOLF BALL IMPROVEMENT: IS IT ALL SPIN?
Last week I asked you to consider whether you
are hitting the golf ball further today than
you were in 1997 or even 2000 because, with
a few exceptions, you should be.
The softer cover of the balata
golf ball created ‘excess’ spin – depending
on the launch speed off the club face - around
4000 rpm. That resulted in a slight balloon effect
as the ball reached its maximum distance and
then the golf ball dropped quite quickly with
minimal roll.
Today’s golf ball behaves quite differently.
The designers have worked on the ‘mantle’,
of 3pce golf balls, to reduce the amount of spin
that the ball has. At a ball speed even greater
than that which would create 4000rpm of spin
in the balata, the modern ball will only spin
at around 2500 rpm.
While this actually results in less roll at
the end of the trajectory, it does create a much
greater carry distance on the golf ball through
the air.
Golf World created a simulation
that showed you will get 27 yards of increased
carry from the Driver with the slower spinning
modern golf ball than you would with the Balata.
That’s
a lot of distance.
But when you have the Wedge
in your hand you want to play with a golf ball
that spins and checks. And that’s where
the major manufacturers, like Srixon and Titleist,
with their white-coated engineers, create the
miracle.
The Srixon Z-URS has an incredibly soft feel,
a very low spin rate off the Driver to deliver
maximum carry and distance but generates maximum
spin with the shorter Irons and Wedges.
So not only have the manufacturers increased
your distance off the Tee but they have given
you the chance to be more deadly on approach.
STRENGTH AND WILL POWER
In the last two weeks I have talked about ‘fitness
for golf’ and ‘clear thinking’.
These, I think, are two areas that with applied
effort will work for you on the golf course and
off it.
I also talked about strength, club head speed
and distance. The links to health, when you are
winding up with the biggest club in the bag are
obvious, but your short game?
Well, the muscular strength in the hands, forearms,
and wrists are an integral part of the short
game. With a chip shot or pitch the hands, wrists,
and forearms must work efficiently TOGETHER.
In order to execute these shots consistently
and correctly a level of strength is needed within
these muscles. If the muscles within these parts
of the body are weak and lack endurance, the
ability to set the hands where they need to be,
and hold the clubface in the correct position
can be compromised.
In addition the chip and
pitch challenges the motor skills of the nerves
and muscles coordinating the movements involved
in these ‘little’ shots.
The short-game is a place where our mind and
fitness often lets us down.
Challenge your instructor to find exercises that
incorporate your brain, nerves, and muscles.
This, as the last two weeks highlight, will have
many benefits when it comes to the golf swing,
because beyond creating higher levels of muscular
strength and endurance, you want exercises that
assist in motor control.
Remember, you can always come through and chat
to me about improving your golf without upgrading
your equipment. Fitness, Technique and Practice
should not be neglected in exchange for the purchase
of the magic, high MOI, new Driver that will
boom away all day, leaving you middle of the
fairway every time.
FOR THE LOVE OF GOLF
Aphrodite Hills Resort is beautifully situated
within 578 acres near Paphos and is the first
development of its kind in Cyprus.
The course, which overlooks
the site where Aphrodite, the goddess of love,
is said to have emerged from the sea, measures
over 6,299 yards at its longest and, as you
would expect in the Mediterranean, it’s
open all year round.
The third course to be built in Cyprus, this
award-winning golf course officially opened in
2002 and was designed by acclaimed architect,
Cabell Robinson.
Robinson believes Aphrodite Hills to be the
perfect mix of challenging pot bunkers, manicured
fairways of lush Bermuda grass and generous tiered
greens. Visually spectacular, the course expands
through indigenous olive and carob trees and
is built on two plateaux separated by a dramatic
ravine with outstanding views over the Mediterranean.
A 130-metre gorge dividing tees at the par three
7th hole is the perfect opportunity to put your
skills to the test and a choice of 200 yards
or 130 yards for the hole!
Aphrodite Hills is an 18-hole championship standard
golf course with stunning sea views.
With a fully-equipped golfing academy, four
PGA qualified resident golf instructors(German
and English speaking), a massive double ended
practice range (with short game practices and
large pitching and chipping green) a luxurious
clubhouse and pro-shop offering the latest fashion,
your every golfing need will be met lovingly
at Aphrodite Hills
Have a great week and good luck to all of you
playing this weekend.
Regards
Duncan
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