MOTHER'S DAY PROMOTION

April 2009
Win a Sweet Spot Golf Putter for yourself or your Mom for Mother's Day!

Check out the Sweet Spot site to see a description of this putter along with all the reviews.

Enter the contest.

Been a While

April 2009
As you can tell it has been a while since I have posted.  The season has picked up and I am getting very busy.  We have done many projects and we are getting a lot done.  I have also added the twitter updates onto the blog to keep people more informed on how we are doing on the course.  I will get a couple more posts up soon.  I have plenty of pictures of our projects and can't wait to share them.  Through the summer months it will be hard to have any kind of consistency but bear with me.

Thanks 
Justin

72 Hole Strokeplay Trophy - Round 3

April 2009
The third round of this event takes place on Saturday 2nd May and the draw is as follows:

Up and at Em!

0800. SA Robertson & M Scott
0807. K Mitchell & A Docherty
0815. C Long, T Ogg & P Simpson
0822. C Davidson, R Milligan & B Jackson
0830. M Grieve, M O'Toole & D Dawson
0837. A Easton (Jnr), I Clark & G McCluskey
0845. B Simpson, I Stewart & D McDonald
0852. A Jones, S Schofield & Mike Bell

Don't Do Mornings!

1200. DM Alexander, S Thomson & J Scott
1207. DJ Alexander, R Tinker (Jnr), & D Thomson
1215. Matt Bell, M Truswell & F Moran
1222. G Martin (Jnr), C McKenna & DS Gillespie
1230. A Aird, R Michie & E Ritchie
1237. I Butchart, I Scott & M Grieve
1245. J Torrie, D Gordon & F Martin
1252. Josh McKenna (Jnr), John McKenna (Jnr) & FJ Moran (Jnr)

All Competitors are reminded that they must deposit the required entry fee in the monies box prior to taking to the tee. Failure to do so will result in disqualification from the event.

All Competitors are reminded that they are to complete the sign-in sheet by ticking the appropriate boxes prior to taking to the tee. Failure to do so constitutes a failure to enter the competition correctly and will result in disqualification.

Mixed Event - Gary Smith Trophy

April 2009
The draw for the Gary Smith Trophy, which takes place on Sunday 3rd May, has been received and is as follows:

1230. S & M McDiarmid, A Ramsay & C Sturgis
1237. C & P Tinker, A Grewar & D Norman
1245. K Campbell & C Brand, S & J Scott
1252. L & G Haynes, D Gillespie & E Ralston
1300. M & J Menzies, H & D Dawson
1307. R Fraser & E Gray, J & B Groom
1315. J Griffiths & I Butchart, S Fenner & I McDiarmid
1322. M Robertson & I Taylor, D & R Tinker
1330. S & R Peacock, R McGeoghan & C Davidson
1337. J Taylor & M Truswell, S & L Bushby

The format for this competition is as follows:

Four Ball Better Ball Stableford.

Gents use white tees and three quarters handicap.

Ladies use red tees, add one stroke, then three quarters handicap.

All use ladies par and stroke index.

8th Annual PGA Players Survey

April 2009
Sports Illustrated recently polled 72 players from the PGA tour on the current state of golf as well as other current events. Here is a sample:



Do you have Tiger's phone number on your speed dial?



11% Yes

89% No



Tiger Woods has won 14 majors. Will he break Jack Nicklaus's record of 18?



100% Yes

0% No



Who will win a major first: Sergio Garcia, Anthony Kim, Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott or Camilo Villegas?



48% Garcia

19% Kim

14% McIlroy

12% Villegas

7% Scott



Who is the second-best player in golf?



72% Phil Mickelson

12% Sergio Garcia

6% Padraig Harrington



Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington, Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh all have won three majors. Which player will end his career having won the most?



70% Mickelson

25% Harrington

3% Els

2% Singh



With the Dow around 8,000, have you lost more than $1 million in net worth?



Yes 23%

No 77
%



Who is the best-dressed player?



Tiger Woods 41%

Adam Scott 19%

Tommy Armour III 14%



Who is the worst-dressed player?



Steve Elkington 24%

Eric Axley 22%

Woody Austin 22%

Ian Poulter 16%



Which of these couples would you and your significant other most want to have dinner with?



Jack and Barbara Nicklaus 33%

Barack and Michelle Obama 33%

Brad and Angelina 24%

Todd and Sarah Palin 7%

Rory and Amy Sabbatini 3%



Barack Obama and Sarah Palin run for president in 2012. Who gets your vote?



Obama 53%

Palin 26%

Undecided 21%



CLUELESS WRITER

April 2009
Sally Jenkins, a writer for the Washington Post, recently wrote an article about Tiger Woods as he was just returning from his 8 month lay off. I remember reading it and wondering what planet Sally was actually living on. I recently came across another blogger discussing the same topic so I'd thought I would share my thoughts.

Here is the article link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/15/AR2009031502686.html

I could go on and on about many of her "interesting" view points but here are a few examples.

"After an eight-month layoff to repair the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, Woods missed dozens of putts and seemed frustrated by the slow pace of the whole affair. All of which was a reminder that the injury is a clear demarcation in his competitive life: He's now 33 years old and in the last third of his career, and while he surely has a lot of greatness left, the game may no longer come so easily. "

She made this statement after Tiger had played just 6 competitive rounds after an 8 month layoff. Prior to his injury, Tiger had won 10 out of 13 tournaments and won the U.S. Open on one leg. Now all of a sudden, he won't be the same.

Here is the most absurd point.

In addition to recovering his patience, Woods has to regain his feel and focus on the greens. Oddly, the thing that seems most affected by the long layoff is not his swing -- he engages that primary weapon system as powerfully as ever -- but his putting. Woods is an aggressor who likes to jam his short putts into the hole, but when he misfires they have a tendency to rim out. Time after time at Doral he grazed the edges or ran the ball around the lip. The good news was that he was just centimeters away from some low scores. But his trouble was perhaps a glimpse of what to expect when he gets older: Other greats who were nervy, aggressive putters, such as Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson, saw their touch desert them in their mid-30s, and struggled to ever make short putts again.

On a side note, Tom Watson did begin to have problems with putting, however, he has won 12 tournaments on the champions tour including 5 senior major titles. You can't even join the champions tour until you are 50. Not bad for someone who can't make a short putt. Did Jenkins do any research for this article or just make things up?


Is she really suggesting here that Tiger will struggle to ever make short putts again after he had one bad week of putting after such a long layoff? It really is just ridiculous. The funny thing about this is that the week after Jenkins wrote this Tiger made every putt he looked at during the tournament at Bay Hill. He lead the field in putting for the week and won the tournament for the 6th time. He also drained putt after putt in the final round including the winning putt on #18 in the dark to win by one stroke. It is true that Tiger is a streaky putter and sometimes has bad days like everyone, however, when he is on, he is the best putter of all time.

It must be nice to get paid for writing random nonsense like Sally Jenkins did in this article.

This video is awesome. Tiger + Rocky theme music.

Caddyshack Scene

April 2009

TEE OFF PROMOTIONS

April 2009
For anyone looking for golf products, there is a new website up at www.teeoff.jazzpromos.com.

Here you will find a wide variety of golf products, apparel, and accessories. You can purchase products for yourself or find great promotional products for your next golf outing or event. This website is a brand new resource and they are continually updating and adding new products.

Tiger Woods and Obama go on tour. Sony shaken after dumping Wie, the Gyroscope for muscle-building and Play Golf America!

April 2009

Click here to listen.




Soon after Tiger Woods sat in on a news conference to promote his third year as host of the AT&T National at Congressional Country Club, he shuttled off to the White House to take a tour hosted by President Barack Obama.

Light witticisms were bandied about at Congressional with Tiger answering questions about his knowledge of the Swedish language which all boiled down to sayings every man should know like, "clean the house" and "wash dishes": every man that is, except for the billion-dollar variety like Woods!

But what could the President want to know from Tiger Woods? Aside from the obvious golf tips, we wonder what information could have been exchanged during their meeting in the Oval Office. Here are some of our thoughts.

1. Advice on the best golf simulator for the White House basement.

2. Perhaps they were negotiating deals for design and construction of new, upper eschelon golf communitites in Cuba, Venezuela and Iran as gifts to his new "well-wishers".

3. A new golf course in North Korea to Kim Jung-Il as a signing bonus if he stops playing with rockets.

4. Advice on how to turn the economy around since Tiger is obviously the head of his successful business concern.

5. Perhaps an open invitation to fill one of Obama's vacant top treasury positions (an huge cut in pay for Tiger).

Tiger looked as comfortable in the Oval Office as he does out on the golf course.

Golf for Beginners also wonders why Michelle Wie's contract with Sony was not renewed. Was it due to an obvious flagging performance or did it have something to do with the $97 million shelled out to cover a messy malpractice lawsuit over the "vibration feedback" technology in its Dual Shock controllers?

We also discuss ten ways to get the most out of free lesson month, courtesy of PGA of America and Play Golf America and challenge the TourGrip Gyro Trainer to improve our golf swing. If it helps to condition astronauts in space, it should fly with us!






Tweet this blog… Your followers will thank you!

Send your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes. Click Here to receive our archived podcasts and 100's of easy golf tips free!

Get to know us on You Tube and MySpace and TWEET US on Twitter!

"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by OrlandoGolf.com, 866-443-8566.

Photo Credit: © The White House Blog: Meeting Tiger Woods

72 Hole Strokeplay Trophy - Round 2 Results

April 2009
Round 2 of the 72 Hole Challenge produced a bit of sunshine, the inevitable afternoon breeze, and some decent scoring to boot. A long winded results page follows, with the results from yesterday first, followed by a combined scoresheet of the two rounds played so far.

CSS: 71

Top 5 Gross Scores:

SA Robertson - 67
M Scott - 74
I Butchart - 74
C McKenna - 75
A Easton - 77

Top 5 Nett Scores

SA Robertson - Nett 66
A Jones - Nett 68
C McKenna - Nett 69
M Scott - Nett 69
I Butchart - Nett 69

2's

4 Competitors recorded 2's during this round of the competition:

4th - B Jackson
6th - M Scott & DJ Alexander
17th - C McKenna

Handicaps

Reductions:

The following players receive a handicap reduction as a result of this competition:

C McKenna - New Playing Handicap of 5
A Jones - New Playing Handicap of 23

Up Revisions:

The following players receive handicap up-revisions as a result of this competition:

M Melville - New Playing Handicap of 16
S Schofield - New Playing Handicap of 18
A Hughes - New Playing Handicap of 19

Well done everyone who took part in yesterdays round, and so to the bit you have all been waiting on, the aggregate scores from the two rounds played so far:

Top 5 Gross Scores

SA Robertosn - 69 + 67 = 136
M Scott - 74 + 74 = 148
I Butchart - 78 + 74 = 152
C McKenna - 82 + 75 = 157
I Scott - 79 + 81 = 160

Top 5 Nett Scores

SA Robertson - 68 + 66 = 134
M Scott - 69 + 69 = 138
I Scott - 69 + 71 = 140
A Jones - 73 + 68 = 141
A Aird - 67 + 74 = 141

Round 3 takes place Saturday 2nd May.

Nth Turramurra 22 March 09

April 2009














72 Hole Strokeplay Trophy - Round 2

April 2009
The 2nd Round of the 72 Hole Strokeplay Trophy takes place on Sat 25th April, the draw for which is as follows:

Morning Rounds

0800. SA Robertson & M MacGillivary
0807. M Scott, I McGowan & R Milligan
0815. C Davidson, J McBain (FH) & A Docherty
0822. K Mitchell, B Simpson & R Michie
0830. I Stewart, S Schofield & T Bennet
0837. D DAwson, Josh McKenna (Jnr) & M Melville
0845. M Bell, J Ireland & P Simpson
0852. K Taylor, A Ramsay & D McDonald
0900. C Petrie, B JAckson & S Bolderson
0907. D Gordon, K Macleod & R Howkins
0915. C FAirweather, D Findlay & A Jones
0922. C McKenna, John McKenna (Jnr) & M O'Toole

Afternoon Rounds

1300. I Butchart, A Easton (Jnr) & J Scott
1307. M Tinker, DS Gillespie & F Martin
1315. K Ewan (FH) G Martin (Jnr) & M Truswell
1322. J Torrie, DM Alexander & I Scott
1330. G Haynes, E Ritchie & A Aird
1337. R Tinker (Jnr), DJ Alexander & A Hughes.

Best of luck all those taking part.

THE GOLF GUIDE

April 2009
The Golf Guide is a magazine published 4 times per year and covers the Mid-Atlantic Region of Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. In this guide you will find excellent information on golf courses, discounts for green fees, and packages for golf getaways. You will also find new product reviews, tips from teaching professionals, as well as a variety of information on golf current events and golf history. For more information on the magazine, log onto www.thegolfguideinc.com.

The golf guide reviewed my book "The 20th Hole" and here is what they had to say.

"I hit 12 greens, got up and down 3 times with 26 putts". There is at least one at every club, and you might be him or her. I'm talking about the golfer who takes the game seriously enough to remember most of the key stats from the round. The 20th Hole - Stat Book and Log for Golfers put together by regional teaching professional Matt Gullo allows you to track statistics for 40 rounds and 50 practice sessions. The golfer can record goals, track progress, and keep notes. Gullo has included several sections with instruction and tips making this an excellent addition for someone just getting started. Basically, it's a record book for players as well as useful on-course reminders. "Now, how many beers did I have at the 19th hole?"

STATISTICS TO TRACK

April 2009
Tracking your statistics from the course can be very helpful in pinpointing the specific strengths and weaknesses of your game. Once you pinpoint these areas, it will be easier to make the necessary adjustments to lower your score. Here are some important statistics to track when you play.



FAIRWAYS IN REGULATION (FIR) – Hitting a fairway in regulation occurs when you hit the fairway with your first tee shot.



GREENS IN REGULATION (GIR) – Hitting a green in regulation occurs when you hit the green with your first shot on a par three, second shot on a par four, or by your third shot on a par five.



SAND SAVES – A sand save is when you hit one shot out of the sand onto the green and make your first putt.



UP AND DOWNS – An up and down is when you hit a chip or pitch onto the green, and then make your first putt.



PUTTING – Putting statistics are kept by counting your total putts for each hole and then adding them up at the end of your round. Additionally, you could take your total putts for the round, divide them by 18, and get your average putts per hole.



SCORING BREAKDOWNAfter your round, it can be helpful to break down your scores into number of birdies, pars, bogeys, double bogeys, and others. Over time, you can find out how you are improving by increasing birdies and pars, or decreasing in total bogeys, double bogeys, etc.



NUMBER OF 3 PUTTS – Of course, no one wants to three putt a hole, but this can be a helpful statistic to keep.



PENALTY STROKES – Tracking this can allow you to see how many penalty strokes are affecting your score. This can be from hitting it out of bounds, hitting into a water hazard, unplayable lies, lost balls, and so on.



Do you have to be great to get the Big Break? The big snub from the Big Wiesy, the 50-yard sand shot, Shaft Skinz review

April 2009

Click here to listen.




For the average golfer who dreams of one day getting a big break and playing on tour, consider the "fantasy tour" instead unless you come equipped with a low handicap, solid-looking swing and a glowing camera presence.

The golfers from season-one of the Big Break (2003) were chosen by open audition with the main prerequisities being "scratch" handicap and demonstrative proficiency with various types of shots. Personality, of course, also had to be "engaging" to the viewer as Jay Kossoff, Senior Producer of the Golf Channel, once said, "positively or negatively".

Eleven seasons later, the Big Break: Prince Edward Island premieres with a similar premise but, according to the Golf Channel Big Break forum, BB Moose states that now you have to be "very good, be yourself and be able to execute at an audition". Add to the mix a great look and the group of possible auditioners just got smaller. How many golfers really have that "Survivor" look?

Out of the thousands that apply, only two handfuls get the go-ahead. BB Moose's advice to get a shot at the Big Break? "Apply and hope!"

From a former Marine who once played a match with Tiger Woods to competitive Irish dancer Brenda McLarnon who claims, "people will probably hate me, but that’s their problem," (shades of Danielle Aimee?) the entertainment value is going to have to match the $100,000 prize that is being dangled in front of the contestants. Get ready for the "wow" factor and "do not try this at home" stunts beginning tonight (April 20th, 9pm EST) on the Golf Channel.

We also discuss yet another faux pas by Michelle Wie, this time on the KLPGA Tour where she decided to practice instead of play in the pro-am, because she couldn't use her own caddy.

With Wiesy's downward spiral in her quality of play and the nonchalant way she's been treating her sponsors, e.g. KLPGA, Michelle may find herself auditioning for the next Big Break!

The fifty-yards between the sand and the green can be one of the most daunting shots in golf. We offer up our opinion on how to get the ball to the hole without using your wedge and review Shaft Skinz, a decorative and protective heat-shrink cover for your shafts.


Can Blair O'Neal get you to watch Big Break XI?


Can Blair O'Neal help capture your interest on Big Break XI: Prince Edward Island?


Tweet this blog… Your followers will thank you!

Send your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes. Click Here to receive our archived podcasts and 100's of easy golf tips free!

Get to know us on You Tube and MySpace and TWEET US on Twitter!

"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by OrlandoGolf.com, 866-443-8566.

The 20th Hole Book Reviews

April 2009
Here are a few book reviews of "The 20th Hole - Stat Book and Log for Golfers". All reviews and details of the book can be viewed at www.the20thhole.com.

How good would you be if you understood your stats on the golf course a little better? How many fairways do you hit from round to round? How about putts or greens in regulation? I’m a firm believer that an analysis of stats is the way to improvement. Statistics do not lie, and while I don’t need extra reinforcement to let me know that I’m in need of improvement, I relish the chance to pour through my stats.

One of the most unique aspects of this book is the feel. It feels like I’m learning and is similar to a school workbook or homework for golf. Now before you shudder, I should clarify, this is not homework that you are going to mind. Instead of worthless algebra equations and run of the mill geography lessons, you’re really helping your golf game. This book has space for quick comments, goals, achievements and every on-course stat imaginable. I would call it the ultimate record of course management!

Adam McCaa
Publisher – Prosnhackers Magazine
www.prosnhackers.com
Virginia

As a golf professional for over 30 years, I’ve seen many teaching aids and I feel this book is a quality and beneficial product. I would recommend this book to any golfer who wants to discover the ins and outs of their game. Tracking specific stats can help any golfer find out the true strengths and weaknesses of their game. Taking notes from lessons and practice sessions can provide a resource to look back and remember the most important and vital swing keys. A good product for organizing all the relevant information any golfer would need!

George Danielson
PGA Professional
Owner – Every Body Golf School
Virginia

Of all the golf journals or logs I’ve seen, The 20th Hole is by far the most comprehensive. The various sections are organized to help a golfer set specific goals, track every stat, record notes and keys learned in lessons, track new shots learned, and record every golf record they’ve set. All in all, it’s a nice new product that can be of benefit to golfers of all skill levels!

Travis Shepherd
Manager – PGA Superstore
Texas

When I received The 20th Hole, I was skeptical. How could taking notes help my game? The only thing that I thought could help was playing and practicing more. Well, after using Matt Gullo’s book and recording some of my rather poor stats, my skepticism was proven incorrect. When I started recording information about my various shots; both good and bad, I started to see some consistencies that I never knew I had. Knowing specifically what shots to practice on has helped my game. It turns out that a few minutes of taking notes after each round can truly be helpful and The 20th Hole makes taking those notes easy to do in a meaningful and organized format.

Michael Balkind
Author of the Deadly Sports Mystery series
Sudden Death, Dead Ball
New York

Gent's Away Day

April 2009
At a staggering cost of £12, this season Gent's Away Day will take place on 12th Sep at Braemar. This also happens to be the day that Braemar hold their Gent's Open, so, an away day, and a competitive Open Competition all for £12, what more could you ask for?

Full details can be found in the Weekend Competitions Folder in the Clubhouse, or from Mark Truswell, who is organising the event.

72 Hole Strokeplay Round 1 Results

April 2009
A fine day brought out a good field for the first round of the 72 Hole Strokeplay, and some fine scores were recorded. The days results are below.

CSS: 70

Top 5 Gross Scores:

S A Robertson - 69
M Scott - 74
D Gillespie - 77
S Thomson - 77
I Butchart - 78

Top 5 Nett Scores:

A Aird - Nett 67
A Docherty - Nett 68
G Hunter - Nett 68
S A Robertson - Nett 68
C Davidson - Nett 68

2's

6 2's were recorded on the course during this event:

4th - I McGowan & A Jones
6th - B McGowan, M Scott & M O'Toole
17th - D Dawson

Handicaps

Reductions

The following players receive handicap reductions as a result of this round:

A Aird - New Playing Handicap - 10
A Docherty - New Playing Handiap - 11
C Davidson - New Playing Handicap - 13

Up- Revisions

The following players receive handicap up-revisions as a result of this competition:

L Duncan - New Playing Handicap - 10

Well done to all that took part, and best of luck next week.

Tiger Cartoon

April 2009

72 Hole Strokeplay - Round 1

April 2009
The draw for the above event, taking place Sat 18th April, is as below. Please note that due to extenuating circumstances, this event has been randomly drawn, and that the start time in the afternoon has been pushed back 30 mins from the norm.

Morning Glory

0800. R Milligan & M MacGillivary
0807. SA Robertson & A Ramsay
0815. B McGowan, J Wood & R Howkins
0822. I Clark, J Long & S Schofield
0830. D Dawson, K Taylor, & D Findlay
0837. C Davidson, M O'Toole & M Bell
0845. K Mitchell, P Simpson & D McDonald
0852. C Fairweather, I Stewart & C Long
0900. A Jones, I McGowan & B Simpson
0907 A Docherty, M Melville & L Duncan

Afternoon Delight

1230. M Scott & DJ Alexander
1237. F Moran, G Martin (Jnr) & C McDonald
1245. R Tinker (Jnr), S Thomson & J McBain
1252. FJ Moran (Jnr), G Haynes & E Ritchie
1300. D Thomson, J Scott & R Michie
1307. I Scott, D Gillespie & C McKenna
1315. D Bell (FH), F Martin & Josh McKenna (Jnr)
1322. I Butchart, M Truswell & John McKenna (Jnr)
1330. D Gordon, A Aird & G Hunter
1337. M Grieve, E Gray & D Robb (FH)

Best of luck all.

Gent's Scratch Team

April 2009
Captain of the Gent's Scratch Team, Mark Scott, has posted details of the fixtures for the season, on the notice board in the changing-room. Any person wishing to be considered for these matches are asked firstly to put their names on the sheet, or contact Mark.

CINDERELLA STORY

April 2009

FOR THE LADIES

April 2009
Through some recent golf networking, I've met a few women who have some excellent products available.

First, for ladies looking for some new golf fashion, check out www.pinksandgreens.com.

Next, for ladies looking for some fashionable golf gloves, check out www.sassygolf.com.

Fashion, golf balls, golf clubs, and more just for women at www.teeoff.jazzpromos.com

Next, for one of the top golf blogs online, check out www.thegolfgirl.blogspot.com.

GOLF BOOK REVIEWS

April 2009




The Greatest Game Ever Played

The book details the true story of Francis Ouimet and Harry Vardon during their duel at the 1913 U.S. Open at Brookline in Massachusetts. Ouimet was a 20 year old amateur who grew up across the street from the course and caddied there. Vardon was the British champion who was the best in the world at the time.

The book discusses each of their lives as well as many other great characters of the game. The book provides a great background on both men, and describes how each reached that point in their lives. This is an unbelievable story and has also been turned into a movie starring Shia Labeouf and directed by Bill Paxton. I highly recommend this book.


Uneven Lies
Pete McDaniel

Uneven Lies provides historical content on the struggles of African Americans trying to make it professionally in golf. There are many interesting stories about players including Lee Elder, Charlie Sifford, Calvin Peete, Jim Dent, and many more. Tiger Woods provides the foreward. This is an excellent book with a lot of great information. Recently, the Uneven Lies documentary was on the golf channel.



Sudden Death
Michael Balkind

This a a fiction novel that combines golf and murder. Usually I'm not big on fiction novels but since this one involved golf, I thought I'd give it a try. This book revolves around Reid Clark, the #1 player on tour as he plays each tournament under heavy death threats. This book is good for beach reading or reading by the pool.

Loch Lomond Golf Club

April 2009



Which golf course is the toughest to get on in the British Isles?

Well, in my case it is Loch Lomond (ranked #56 in the world), located thirty miles north of Glasgow in Scotland. I have completed playing 23 of the 24 courses in the British Isles on the world top 100 list. Although most are private clubs, they follow long-standing tradition and allow visitors to book a round as long as you follow their rules and protocols. The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers (Muirfield) is the second most difficult course to get on, just because they restrict tee times more than any other club. However, they do allow you to play without a member, as do all the others. Loch Lomond Golf Club is a very private affair. You must play with a member, and you cannot just ring up the club and book a round.

Organized in 1994, Loch Lomond was setup in the tradition of Augusta National or Pine Valley; it has an international membership and doesn't really serve as a local golf club in the traditional sense. In fact, Loch Lomond is constituted as a 'destination' club to be 'savored' only a few times a year. Membership is organized around specific geographic regions. The club has appointed specific 'Club Captains' to assume leadership and membership responsibilities for these geographic regions and ensure a particular geographic mix of members.

Loch Lomond has the most pompous approach I have ever seen to membership. They describe themselves as a "private and discerning international golf club." Their P.R. sounds a bit pious to me. They describe Loch Lomond as "a singular place to meet on the world stage...It is a sanctuary not just for golf aficionados but for world thinkers." What does that even mean? World thinkers? So it's the Davos of golf clubs? The U.N. of the links? Get a grip on yourselves, boys.

Also taken from their marketing literature, "Loch Lomond has a state-of-the-art, exceptionally amenitized spa in a walled garden." An exceptionally amenitized spa? What is an amenitized spa? Does that mean they put out a lot of fruit and little shampoo bottles the members can take home? I wonder if colon cleansing is included among the spa treatments? It sounds like some of the people that write the marketing pieces here need to have their pipes cleaned. Perhaps a bit of a high colonic will prevent them from abusing the English language like this. Their marketing piece is like something written by a chain-smoking, over-lipsticked, highly-caffeinated realtor in Nevada: adjectives gone wild. Their rhetoric borders on being as obnoxious as Donald Trump's. One gets the feeling that there are a lot of raised pinkies as they drink their cocktails at Loch Lomond.

Members of this high-minded include Nick Faldo, Ernie Els, Colin Montgomerie and His Royal Highness Prince Andrew. It also has an unusual feature that I have never heard of before. They limit the amount of play that members may have. Most clubs have a limit on guest play, but I've never heard of limiting member play. Members are limited to playing the course no more than fourteen times in any given year. The guest policy is, by definition, restricted since you have to play with a member.


Rossdhu House at Loch Lomond

Although the club is very exclusive, the course is known to the public because each year, the week before the Open Championship, the Scottish Open is played here. This allows outsiders a peek at what has been called the most beautiful setting in the world. Their clubhouse, Rossdhu House, is an 18th century Georgian mansion, and serves as a focal point in the scenery with the loch and the mountains in the background. It looks very special indeed.

Apparently, their approach to running a golf club hasn't work out as planned. They went into receivership in late 2008, making it more difficult for me to play the course. I've known two members over the years but both dropped out due to the increasingly high dues and the restrictions. I was offered a chance to play recently, but I guess they are so desperate for revenue that they're trying to soak anybody that comes near the place. I'm sorry, but a £600 guest green fee is just wrong. This highfalutin, haughty approach is an outrage.

In this era of de-leveraging, the Loch Lomond Golf Club model is coming apart at the seams. How many people can now afford the hundreds of thousands of dollars required to join a vanity club like this?

I take their bombastic approach to things as a challenge to be overcome, which I accept with pleasure. I have done this twice previously and this one should be easier since there is no language barrier like there was when I tried to book a tee time at France's Morfontaine and Japan's Hirono.

I am now singularly focused on getting onto Loch Lomond and I will keep you appraised of my developments.

Maybe this would be a good time to break out some of that "In Residence at the Lodge" letterhead I picked up at Sea Island and write them a letter. Perhaps they will be impressed. I'm working on some florid language of my own to approach the club with.

I'm also dusting off my recording equipment and am about to make some calls...

Section E-mail

April 2009
The Gent's Section now has its own separate e-mail account should any member wish to contact the committee directly, and a handy link to this has been placed in the contact details on the left hand side of the page.

Please note that this is the official e-mail for the Gent's committee, and all official Club matters should be directed to this e-mail, and members should refrain from sending e-mails concerning club matters to private accounts from this point forward.

Tiger Woods, Mickelson pairing ignites sparks, Michelle Wie goes to Korea-will there be rockets? Also Ruletwentyone golf towel and the longshot

April 2009

Click here to listen.



"You've got to focus through the ficus" and "concentrate on being great!"

Although these "Woods of Wisdom" are rhythmically repeated during the new Tiger Gatorade Focus commercial, it didn't seem as if TW took the advice as he could barely control his "band-aid swing" for much of the Sunday Masters rally against Phil Mickelson.

Still, the finale averaged a 6.9 rating/12 share with CBS thanking it's lucky stars that Phil and Tiger tied in the third round and that Masters officials were smart enough to realize that the pairing would exude fireworks.

Eight years later and the two top golfers in the world did not disappoint with Mickelson firing a record-tying front nine '30' and Tiger playing "catch-up" until the end. Both players lost steam by the eighteenth, called it quits and hastily departed Augusta National before the green jacket was awarded.

The question is, what incentive did viewers have to stick around for the bittersweet climax?

Many were watching anxiously to see if 48-year-old Kenny Perry could redeem himself after his 1996 PGA Championship loss in his own home state of Kentucky which he believed took three years to overcome. Some fans waited to see if Angel Cabrera could muster up enough strength to win another major title after a virtual disappearing act after the 2007 U.S. Open. Finally, there were those who were wishing that Chad Campbell would persevere after his close call at the 2003 PGA Championship.

But Campbell was the first man out and, comparing his two second-place finishes smirked, "Neither of them (major memories) are very good. I'm probably a little more disappointed this time."

Where tears welled in the eyes of Kenny Perry as he probably wondered how long it would take to shake off this defeat, Cabrera was excitedly trying on his new green jacket.

Since the Argentinian has his only two PGA Tour wins in the majors, could Cabrera's next victory bring him even closer to an "Angel-Slam" or was this just the magic of Augusta?

Golf for Beginners also mentions the big South Korean welcome for Michelle Wie as she adds a little "Seoul" to the KLPGA charity event this week. The Ruletwentyone waterproof golf towel is evaluated and how can a golfer come back from a large deficit?

Also, what would you pay for your very own wax Tiger?




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FINAL ROUND AT THE MASTERS

April 2009


• Angel Cabrera was the steadiest player down the stretch and was able to capitalize on the mistakes made by Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell. "This is the Masters," Cabrera said. "It's a course that you can make a lot of birdies, a lot of bogeys. A lot of magical things happen. It's simply the Masters."

• What a disaster for Kenny Perry! At 48, set to become the oldest major champ ever, he had the tournament locked up after a kick in birdie at #16. The pressure immediately got to him as he made his first two bogeys of the day on #17 and #18. Apparently, he has a hitch in his chip stroke, and this caused him to skull his 3rd shot on #17. You have to feel for this guy, but he just could not close the door.

• Phil Mickelson almost (I repeat almost) had the greatest round in Master’s history. After a 30 on the front nine, he made a huge error by hitting it short, right, and into the water on #12, which everyone in the golfing world knows you cannot do. Had he played the hole safely for par, he could have easily been in the playoff or won it outright by playing his normal game on the back nine.

• Tiger did not have his “A” game all week, and this shows how good he really is to still have been in contention coming down the stretch. He was all over the place on the front nine but made every single par putt he needed to keep his round going. He barely missed two eagle putts on the back nine and then the bogey on #17 sealed his chances. He looked disgusted beyond belief in every interview throughout the week. Back to the practice range for Tiger and he’ll be back soon.

Overall, it was one of the best Masters in a long time as the course set up was back to normal and the roars were heard throughout the day.

Spring Mtg Results

April 2009
No rain, no gale, ok, a slight breeze at times, but a fine day all round with some pretty good scoring as well for the Spring Meeting. The results are as follows:

CSS: 71

Gross Scores.

1st. Scott Thomson - 77
2nd Lee Bushby - 78
3rd. Craig Mckenna - 81

Nett Scores.

1st. Josh McKenna - Nett 67
2nd. Peter Simpson - Nett 69
3rd. Charlie Davidson - Nett 69
4th. Scott Thomson - Nett 69

With Josh being a Jnr, he cannot win the sweep money, thus there are 4 names listed above.

2's

7 2's recorded again this week. These were as follows:

6th. Brian Simpson, Frank Moran & Rob Milligan
13th. Alan Jones, Brian McGowan & Fred Barber
17th. Eric Gray

Handicaps.

No increases this week, only reductions!

The following players received a handicap reduction, as a result of this competition:

S Thomson - New Playing Handicap of 7
P Simpson - New Playing Handicap of 20
Josh McKenna - New Playing Handicap of 24

Congratualtions to all our winners, and thanks to all who played. Next up first round of the 72 Hole Challenge, Sat 18th April.

Spring Meeting

April 2009
The draw for the Spring Meeting, taking place this Saturday is below. All competitors are reminded that they must pay all entry monies prior to taking to the first tee.

Crack of Dawn

0800. M Scott & T Ogg
0807. K Macleod, I McGowan & L Bushby
0815. C Davidson, M O'Toole & B Jackson
0822. R Howkins, L Dunan & K Mitchell (FH)
0830. I Clark, M Bell & D McDonald
0837. J Ireland, C Fairweather & P Crockart
0845. B Simpson, M Tinker & J Wood
0852. P Simpson, A Ramsay & A Jones
0900. S Bolderson, M Melville & A Docherty
0907. T Bennet, I Stewart & G Allan
0915. B McGowan, S Schofield & D Gordon

Sleepy Heids

1200. A Ross & A Hughes
1207. J Scott & C McDonald
1215. M Truswell, C McKenna & C Gray (Jnr)
1222. I Butchart, E Gray & Josh McKenna (Jnr)
1230. E Ritchie, F Moran & D Thomson
1237. F Martin, K Ewan (FH) & F Moran (Jnr)
1245. R Michie, JH Rough & DJ Alexander
1252. M Grieve, S Thomson & I Scott
1300. F Barber, D Grant & J McBain
1307. DM Alexander, G Haynes & R Milligan
1315. John McKenna (Jnr), A Aird & P Tinker

FH Denotes For Handicap

Happy Hunting.

Sergio Garcia salivates for one Masters jacket while Woods and Mickelson look to add more green to their wardrobe. Play aerated greens/beat the block

April 2009

Click here to listen.




Will Tiger Woods have any identifiable adversaries at this years Masters Tournament? Gazing into the PGA Tour crystal ball and deciding which golfers could make a move against Woods lead one to believe that Tiger is on par to win his fifth green jacket at Augusta!

In all fairness, any one golfer could disrupt Tiger's equilibrium long enough to gain ground. In 2007 relative unknown Zach Johnson "just tried to maintain my focus, maintain my game plan" in order to effectively tame Tiger at the Masters.

Trevor Immelman emerged victorious in 2008, leaving Tiger in a second place finish at the Masters for the second year in a row. Immelman and Johnson each had a solo PGA Tour victory prior to their Masters victories.

At this year's Shell Houston Open "tune-up" to the Masters, it was interesting to see who was in top form, which player could use more work and if the winner lurked somewhere in the field.

Fred Couples ate a heaping serving of Humble Pie at the SHO as cheers followed him from his own collegiate turf. After the 72nd hole Fred muttered tiredly that he was "finished", running out of gas and coming in third once again this season.

Although Phil Mickelson has twice been a winner in 2009, this week he missed the cut by ten strokes, finishing fourth from last place! Does this portend disaster for Phil or will he think back to his two glorious wins at Augusta and use that memory to fuel his appetite?

Sergio Garcia could be found at the bottom of the leaderboard this week, right above the names of players who missed the cut. He has never won a major and hasn't made it to the weekend in the last two Masters events. Enough said.

What excuses can be made for Vijay Singh? He may have three previous SHO wins and have a green jacket in the closet from a 2000 Masters win but with his physical ailments, Vijay is an unknown. An M/C this week certainly didn't help his confidence and, as Singh recently stated about Augusta, "I think it's the toughest golf course day in and day out in the world that we play."

Padraig Harrington has a chance to win a third major tournament in a row and set up for a "Paddy-Slam". This could be a positive or negative, depending on how Padraig sees it.

He played solidly through three rounds at the SHO but erupted in the end. Tiger Woods voted for Padraig to win the Player of the Year award but, on the flip side, Harrington won his two majors without Tiger in the field. Harrington looks to "peak at the majors". I place him contention at the Masters because Padraig stated, "I'm totally focused on my mental game at the moment. I'm not trying to fix anything. I'm totally focused on getting my head in the right place."

Finally, what about Tiger Woods? To ask if he has a "shot" at victory this week would be like asking if a man could win the U.S. Open with a bum leg. After nearly a year's layoff, it took Woods only three events to shake off his 'vacation' and fire back with gusto. For obvious reasons he is the favorite and although Woods mentions that it "was nice to take that break", Sergio Garcia said it best. "You always compare to one guy, and it's kind of unfair for the rest because he's extraordinary."

This week we discuss the Masters Tournament, some of our picks and pans and "how-to's" on playing aerated greens and fixing the dreaded blocked shot.




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Send your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes. Click Here to receive our archived podcasts and 100's of easy golf tips free!


Get to know us on You Tube and MySpace and TWEET US on Twitter!

"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by Arizona Golf Packages, 1-866-444-0992.


Photo Credit: © BBC Sport, Getty Images, Wall Street Journal
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