Greetings golfers

Dubbed 'The Fifth Major', the Players Championship starts on Thursday around the glorious TPC Sawgrass Golf Club, in Ponte Vedra Beach. Last year Rickie Fowler won a playoff on the island green 17th and I managed to play it twice in the next week during a Pro-Am tournament in 35 degree temperatures.

This year I couldn't go as they are digging the greens up on Monday, the day after the Players Championship finishes. Two years ago when I played there, the greens were really struggling with the tour pros not allowed to putt on two of the greens in practice rounds, so we could understand why they were having to take such drastic action. However, last year the greens were amazing and we asked our caddie for the day (who happened to be Billy Mayfair's caddie), if they were really still going to dig them up and rebuild at a cost of millions of dollars? To which he answered "Yeah, to be honest they're due to be replaced anyway as they are 30 years old now"!!! Mind you, at $1,600 a tee time and fully booked a year ahead, they may not struggle to recoup the cost.

A slightly different scene this year for me - just as much water, but on the greens, instead of surrounding the greens as we've had 2 days of continuous rain. On the plus side I'll be here for my Birthday on the 17th which I've been away for the last couple of years, although I've found a good solution - I just move my birthday. I first did it when I couldn't wait to get my present of an iPad so I moved my birthday a couple of days earlier. The last two years it's been the 18th and 19th and this year I'm moving it to the 18th again as I'll be at the golf club all day and night for the Stone Group Golf Day and Tuesday Social Golf. Seems like a good idea to me and I think if I keep moving it further forward, I'll also be getting younger compared to everyone else!

   

 

Saturday Social Evening

Well done to Mark and Alison who organised their first social event on Saturday night, everyone had a great time being entertained by Wayne Scott. More to come soon methinks.

Tuesday Golf Social Meets Its Match

The Tuesday Social Golf didn't go ahead as the course was flooded. After six weeks we have split the 90 participants so far into three divisions. Each division will play for their own Order or Merit plus, of course, the weekly single stableford will continue. 

Ladies Club Day

Ladies Club Day was supported by 69 members last week which is a huge turn out for any club's ladies section - many played 27 holes as well with Jan Jackson winning the Arthur Bond Bowl and Division 1, Christine Graham winning Division 2 and Carol Sault clinching Division 3. Winners pictured in reverse order.

   

 

The Course Is Coming Together Nicely

I've been busy coaching lately and it's great to see the practice area with stripes on it and definition. Thanks to Andy and the team for sprucing it up with new flags, a very impressive top-dressing bay that Lee expertly 'threw together' with some old sleepers and a well kept tee. There is a line across the practice tee, please only practice in front of the line from the front half of the tee. The back half is for coaching only and I seed and turf it daily to prolong the use through the season. 

I'll also be starting to use new range balls for coaching - please leave them wherever they are and don't use them for practice. We have plenty of balls for you to borrow and bring back. My golf balls for coaching will all be yellow Srixon balls or white with pink lines around them. 

While I'm on the subject of coaching, let me pass on a bit of information to you that may help your game. I usually say that a lot of coaching is stopping people working on the wrong things. Just today I had someone who had a great putting style and he had made it unmanageable with the belief he should keep his arms outstretched and rock his shoulders - easily solved but he's been 3-putting for fun lately. 

So, the bit of information is this - if we assume for simplicity that the golf swing is on a 45 degree plane, halfway between vertical like a ferris wheel and horizontal like a merry-go-round, we need the club to be swung both upwards and behind us to reach the top of the backswing. It is the job of your body to turn and get the club behind you and the job of your arms to lift and get the club upwards - not the other way round. I see so many golfers who swing the club behind them by rolling their arms and then have to tilt their body to get the club up. 

Look out for my next FREE Academy night in a few weeks time and, if you feel you're in need of a lesson then please click here to book.