25th
Jan 2008
Greetings from Duncan
Hello from the team after another wet week.
Well done to Stuart and Ben. Unlike most of Devon
they manage to play last week and both had good
finishes in County competitions. Stuart played
at Yelverton on Thursday in the Devon PGA medal
shooting an impressive 71 level par in torrential
rain and high winds to finish joint 4th. It was
not such a great day on the links for me, with
a 4 putt on the 8th and bogeys on 10 and 11 leaving
me 4 over after 12 holes. Luckily (skilfully?),
an eagle and 2 birdies got me back to level par
after 15 - only to throw it away with an awful
finish. Even worse for me is that Stuart has
now moved ahead of me in the Order of Merit by
half a point.
Ben played in the Devon County Golf Union Medal
at East Devon Golf Club on Sunday on another
very windy and wet day. Ben did well to stay
around par most of the way but 3 bogeys on the
last three holes pushed him out of the winners'
circle - but his 4th place is a good way to start
the year. Ben is now off to America for a month
for some serious practice (who can blame him
with our current climate) and we are expecting
a big golfing year for Ben on his return.
It was good to see so many of you coming along
to practice on the range whilst the course was
closed. Fingers crossed the weather holds and
the course stays open this week so we all get
the chance to have a game.
Captain Neil Vaughan, Steve Bristow, Alan Taylor
and I are all playing in the Devon Alliance at
Saunton on Wednesday and Thursday this week.
Keep your fingers crossed for us all, especially
me on the greens!
The Winter Matchplays are underway. Credit to
the Seniors' Section who are well on their way
to completion. A quick reminder to the Men's
and Ladies' Sections to make sure they organise
their games as early as possible, just in case
we face more course closures courtesy of Mother
Nature.
The Dinner Dance last Saturday at the Passage
House Hotel was another great success. Yours
truly looked very fetching, as did all the lovely
ladies. Nigel Stanbury from Lemon Valley Studios
took the photos (see website - www.heleparkgolf.co.uk
under the News Section).
The Indoor Sports Evening is on Friday, 25th
January - this year it's without the spiders!
All are welcome to come along, juniors and adults
alike - you can even bring the wife or a loved
one to join in the fun. We are having indoor
golf, tennis and tenpin bowling, as well as Mega
Jenga and a special Bonus Game. It's always a
hugely enjoyable evening and as Wendy isn't drinking
throughout January, we stand a chance of the
scoring being a bit more accurate!
Wendy is bagging a £1 off unsuspecting
visitors to the office and instantly adding a £1
of her own - making each £1 donated worth £2.
If she doesn't drink throughout January (and
she proved 2 years ago she can do it) then the
proceeds go to the Captains' Charities which
are BIBIC (British Institute for Brain Injured
Children) and the Alzheimer's Society (can't
remember what they do!). If she fails, then she
has to double the pot again so feel free to give
her a £1 just to keep the pressure on.
In this week's Technical Data I discuss how
important the ball is in gaining your maximum
distance and how comfortable the very technical
all-weather clothing has now become, making your
game even more enjoyable, even if the weather
conditions aren't.
I also take a look at the
benefits of playing with the proper shoes – the FootJoy X-Dimension
has some truly fantastic features. This week
I have launched the next phase of my website.
Now you can view many of my selected suppliers
and the fantastic range of products that are
available. Remember, if there is something that
you like or would like more information on, just
use the contact tabs on the right hand side of
the page, complete your request and I will get
back to you. Click here to go through to my website
and then click on the "Equipment" link.
Regards,
Duncan
Stick With The Old, Or
Go With The New?
If we are so driven by the need to buy extra
distance, especially when looking at a new Driver,
then why do we often take so little care about
the golf ball that we use?
I suspect the reason behind this for many golfers
is the desire to have the softest feel off the
Putter face and the greatest check on the greenside
chip shots. For many of you there has only been
one golf ball that met those requirements.
Over the last few years advances in ball covers
and the properties of the core have allowed the
manufacturers to produce a range of 2-pce (and
therefore less costly) golf balls that enable
you to have softness off the putter, check off
the wedge AND a golf ball that works with your
swing speed.
Despite the advances in 2-pce technology many
of you have stuck steadfastly to the multi-layer
ball (3 or even 4-pce) that offers distance,
a soft touch and quick check along with stopping
power on approach shots.
The search amongst these golfers has always
been for the ultimate feel. It is here that we
are witnessing some significant developments.
A number of the top brands have recently released
golf balls that have the softest feel making
2008, if you are an industry analyst, a very
interesting year indeed.
Follow my thinking on this. We spend hundreds
of pounds on the latest and greatest Driver,
probably stacked with technology to maximise
the spring like effect off the face and to have
a larger sweet spot and built with a special
manufacturing process to maximise energy transfer
even on ‘off centre strikes’.
Then we buy a golf ball that either is too soft
for our swing and therefore flattens too easily
at impact reducing energy transfer or one that
requires the swing speed of a young Pro to cause
the optimum transfer of energy and therefore
greatest distance.
Brand, Price & Fit
- All In A Footjoy
Is there a better value golf shoe in my golf
shop? Combining the #1 brand in Footwear, with
a great fit and outstanding performance at a
world beating price is the Footjoy X-Dimension.
Especially for this time of year, the full-grain
leather uppers provide outstanding water-resistancy,
and on the inside of the shoe, the soft linings
offer water-proof protection.
Keeping dry is not the only worry in the wet – you’ll
be thinking about how stable your swing is. Standard
with the X-Dimension shoe are Softspikes® cleats
and their latest technology comes with added
traction, less clogging and greater durability.
Lastly, it’s fantastic
to finish the round with dry feet and a clean
scorecard in spite of the rain, but do not
discredit comfort.
TPU Stability Bridges are built into the X-Dimension
and they are designed to give the golfer extra
lateral platform stability. The shoe also comes
with a moulded EVA Fitbed which increases underfoot
cushioning and comfort.
The straight-forward, no
fuss golfer is looking for stability and comfort
at a reasonable price. The X-Dimension is a
product that I recommend and could be your
answer. Try them on when you’re
next in the shop.
18 Holes In Your Own Climate
This is the time of year
that clothing technologies can massively improve
your enjoyment out on the course. There’s nothing that we can do
about the climate at large, but these days you’ll
increasingly find that manufacturers talk about
controlling a golfer’s personal climate
without restricting the swing.
Airflow is one example. Ignore the 6 degree Celsius
outside air temperature, does the technology
in your jacket insulate your body by trapping
air pockets that collect body heat?
Is your first tee shot of the day restricted
by heavily cladded outerwear? There are solutions
these days that utilize specialized layers, rather
than a single bulky layer.
These layers allow the golfer all the athletic
freedom of movement required, whilst serving
specific purposes such as heat management and
moisture management.
Lastly (and many of you will
laugh), but are you in danger of overheating?
In other words, there’s a balance between
trapping heated air pockets inside the fabric,
and allowing your skin to breathe.
Ashworth Weather Systems
Utilize a unique 3–Layer System.
Layer 1: Moisture Management,
Breathability & Base
Layer
Layer 2: Insulation, Thermal & Comfort
Layer 3: Waterproof, featherweight, windproof
and seam sealed.
Your winter round of 18 holes
of wind and drizzle is a 4-5 hour experience.
Being familiar with the revolution in fabric
technologies, I cannot see why you wouldn’t want an easier swing,
a more consistent body temperature and a personal
climate designed for “life in the freezer”!
When you’re next in
the shop, have a look at the latest outerwear
products. Feel the weight, try one on and then
take a swing. You could be making golf at this
time of year much easier for yourself.
Hele Park Golf Centre Scorecard
23rd January
Ladies’ Morning 9 Hole Stableford
1st Jackie Carr (36) 17 points
2nd Ruth Chapman (32) 15 points
3rd Annmarie Cleave (30) 15 points
22nd January
Seniors’ 9 Hole Stableford
1st Roger Keayes (24) 24 points
2nd Ken Spencer (28) 23 points
3rd David Wakefield (18) 23 points
Shop Specials
RE-GRIPPING SPECIAL
AMAZING DEALS ON GRIPS
LAMKIN GRIPS
Blue RRP £6.99 now £5.50
Jumbo RRP £6.99 now £5.50
Cross line RRP £6 now £4
GOLF PRIDE
Multi Compound Multi Coloured
RRP £9.99 now £7
TOUR MATCH VELVET wee £5
each
Now HALF PRICE! £2.50
each
ALL GRIPS RE GRIPPED
WITH IN 48 HOURS
WHILST STOCKS LAST
PLEASE DIARISE
Friday 25 January
Indoor Sports Evening
No spiders!
Golf, tennis, bowling and
much more.... Members & friends
Book through office
Sunday 27 January
Mixed Stableford
Book Your Own Tee Times
Wednesday 30 January
Academy Stage 3
For regular golfers
Group tuition, 4 weeks
£39.99 - 7-8.30pm with
Stuart Disney. Ring Pro Shop for info
Sunday 27 January
Mixed Stableford
Book Your Own Tee Times
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