Holes 19-27 are still very wet but we have seen a dryer period at the end of January. The machinery should be back on there very soon to get it open to all members.

 

Thank you for your cooperation with the closing of the driving range on a morning when the golf team are out handpicking the range balls. 

Could all members please make sure that they come in to the pro shop to check in before they go out to play their round, this will stand us in good stead come the summer months to make sure the speed of play is maintained whilst playing. 

We are now starting to think about the 2016 season in regards to March / April renewals. We look forward to this coming season of golf.

 

Final weekend of sales - 40% OFF all clothing and other selected bargains are available in the shop.

 

Use it or lose it
By Steve Fawcitt, PGA Teaching Professional, Slaley Hall 

We are currently in what is the hardest stretch of the year for most golfers, courses are closed or unplayable and we have limited daylight hours so we have the odd game on the weekend if the weather allows it, restricting us to time at the driving range. 

Most of us will down tools for the next 3 months and dust them off after the Masters has been on the TV. As a result most of us spend April trying to search for our golf swings leaving us on the back foot for the start of the season. In my opinion the winter or ‘off season’ should be a time for improvement and you should come out of it with a technically improved swing ready to start the season on the front foot. 

In order to do this you need to know what to practice and how to practice it, its not as simple as turning up to the range and smashing away 100 balls, 50 of which were used to try and hit the ball collector. You must try to make your practice constructive.

Please click here to read more. 

Some kids are just born lucky! 
By Phillip Akers, FUEL Golf Junior Programme Director 

Do you remember that kid at school who was big, strong, athletic and all the PE teachers loved them? Well the likelihood of it is that they were the teachers pride and joy because they were born in the right part of the year and they were ‘early bloomers’. Hear me out. Sociologists have shown that being born in the right part of the year has a huge influence on how you develop as an athlete and the opportunities you receive to play sports.

 In England we often group children into teams and coaching classes based on their chronological age, however children’s biological ages are often much different with children regularly having a biological difference of up two years older/younger to their chronological age. This can lead to huge mismatches in sports and can be unfair.

Please click here to read more.