Hi all, 

The final week in the run up to Christmas, if you haven't already got your purchases in yet, there is still time and what better way to get the ideal gift/voucher for a loved one than down at our golf shop! 

Although daylight hours are dwindling there is still plenty of availability out on the golf course, so make sure you get yourselves a final game before 2016! With this in mind please can we ask every member to check in at the golf shop before going out to play your rounds.

If we don't see you then we wish you all a fantastic Christmas and look forward to a prosperous New Year! 

Yours in Golf, 
The Golf Team

 

Strange but true! 

By Matthew Turnock, PGA Teaching Professional, Mottram Hall 

Unusual things you can do to save shots in the rain that are perfectly within the rules of golf 

It’s not just your technique, hours of practice and honed skills that can reduce your scores on the golf course. Sometimes a basic knowledge of the rules can be just as effective in saving you a few strokes. 

I’m often asked by members about rulings, especially on competition days, after the round has finished. I will be sought out to settle a discrepancy or verify that the correct procedure has been followed. 

Unfortunately on about half the occasions I am asked it either ends up with an extra penalty stroke or in extreme circumstances disqualification which can cause the loss of a prize voucher.

In the Professional game it can prove even more costly in terms of thousands of £££’s of forfeited prize money or a lost title.

Please click here to read more. 

Mythbusting! Why is your ball curving? 

By Thomas Devine, PGA Teaching Professional, Oulton Hall 

“Wow there was a lot of sidespin on that one” is a comment I hear many times……..well here goes….I can tell you all that there is NO such thing as side spin. FACT. Sure enough the ball may often ‘spin to the side’ but what is really happening is that the golf ball is back spinning on a tilted axis. 

In simple terms, imagine an aeroplane changing direction. In this case, there is no steering wheel involved; the aeroplane wings are tilted to one side and thus the aeroplane will then move in the appropriate direction……this is exactly what happens (well…no wings involved) with the golf ball. Got it?? If not, think about this one. Have you ever watched a rugby ball fly through the air? From the side on perspective, it is clear to see that the rugby ball is rotating backwards (back spinning), however from a view behind the ball, we can all see that it is often curving left or right. This provides the same explanation as with the aeroplane and golf ball, where the rugby ball is back spinning on a tilted axis and therefore curving in one direction.

Please click here to read more. 

Are you coming up short this Winter? 

By Caroline Grady, Teaching Professional, Dunston Hall 

An easy way to improve your score in the Winter is to simply select one or maybe two extra clubs into the green with your approach shots! 

The reason why I say this is that I consistently see amateur golfers trying to play summer golf in the winter months and a good example of this is when a new student comes for a lesson, asking why he or she is losing length off the tee and unable to “get the ball to the hole” on the approach shot or putt? 

The simple answer is to understand that summer and winter golf can be a completely different ball game. 

Please click here to read more.