PRO'S DAY COMPETITIONS 

My Pro's Day competitions are coming up soon, they are both 3-Ball Texas Scramble formats with 1/6th handicap allowance - the Ladies Pro's Day is next Wednesday and the Men's is Saturday 24th September. If you need fixing up please call the shop on 01785 661485. Texas Scramble is such a popular format and great fun, I make it 1/6th allowance to even out the chances for all handicap levels as the usual smaller allowance favours lower handicappers. There will be refreshments in the halfway house on both days, nearest the pins and on the Men's Day we'll be playing it over holes 1-16 and 18.

The reason for this is that we'll be playing the 17th hole off the old tee as 'Speed Golf' just for fun. Take a look at this video from the European Tour to see what it's about. You won't need to run to the green as I'll buggy you there and of course you could always play the hole as normal if you prefer but it looks like we'll have great fun.




It's perfect timing for the green staff to be performing the course maintenance on the greens this week although the Hollow-Tining process wasn't as clean as Andy would have liked because the greens were so wet underneath from the weekend that some of the cores wouldn't come out. 

Like coring an apple, Hollow-Tining takes them out of the green which then get filled with a mixture of top dressing soil and seed, this aerates the green, reduces compaction and aids growth and drainage. Last year after the timing took place the greens had completely recovered in 2 weeks, let's hope the weather behaves this year as well. 

Here you can see the top dressing being applied, roughly 1 tonne per green. It's rarely perfect conditions for it - this morning there was lots of dew so the top dressing needs to be applied conservatively otherwise when they drag it in, it just gets pulled off the green instead of down the holes. That means more times applying it with fewer amounts each time.


 

I was away at the weekend in Vilamoura, Portugal with 11 other members from Brocton Hall and some of their courses had been hollow-tined in the previous month, but were fully recovered.

The organisation was brilliant and we had a great trip as we played a Ryder Cup style match over 3 days, we even had two shuttle buses on the last day, one of which happened to be a smart black Mercedes limo bus which escorted the winning team back to the hotel whilst the losers chugged home in a rattling Transit Van. 

We were making our way back down from Manchester Airport on Monday afternoon in two separate buses again and the traffic was busy as we approached the M6, the opposite carriageway on the motorway was choc-a-block, so by the time we got halfway home we were nearly an hour into our journey. 

Just then Neil's mobile phone rang and a cheerful answer of "Hello" quickly became a disbelieving "Say Again?!" followed by a more concerned "WHO HAS?!?!" and then a shocked "YOU'RE JOKING!!??!!" All became clear as he turned to us and quietly whispered - "We've left Scruffy at the airport". 

Sorry Scruffy (I would say his real name but not many people know it). We couldn't understand how it could have happened but then someone remembered hearing him say he could do with some food. All the ingredients were there - a speedy pick up from the airport, two buses where everyone thought he was on the other one and a stranded passenger without a phone on him having nipped off to Greggs. 

I cringe to think of him searching the whole car parks in the muggy afternoon heat, dragging his heavy clubs and suitcase around, but then I can't help but laugh to think of the shocked face like McCauley Culkin in Home Alone once he realises he's been left, or like E.T. scampering round the terminal - "Phone home, phone home!". By the time he'd managed to get a phone, call his son, get the message to Neil's wife and get through to us, we were well on our way home. 

Considering the option to turn around or drive back up would have taken forever with the traffic and no way of contacting him, is there a happy ending to the story? 

The answer is yes as unbelievably he bumped into a taxi driver friend from his footballing days who gave him a lift down to Stafford!! 


 

Well done to the Lady Captain and everyone who organised and helped with a successful Ladies Open last week. Golfers came from all around the Midlands to compete and they all said what a good event it was.




Many Men's Mizuno and Foot-Joy clothing is now 50% OFF. 

Ladies - have you seen the new sale rail? £15 an item which equates to up to 70% OFF full retail. 

Mizuno JPX 850 men's and ladies hybrids and 3 woods - This model is due to be replaced and Mizuno have authorised a huge price drop from £199 down to £99. We have the following items: 

Men's Right hand - 1 x 3 wood, 1 x 3 hybrid, 1 x 4 hybrid 
Men's Left hand - 1 x 3 wood, 1 x 4 hybrid 
Ladies 1 x 3 wood, 1 x 5 wood, 1 x 4 hybrid. 

ECCO white CAGE shoes and Foot-Joy HyperFlex white shoes 30% OFF 
Ladies ECCO shoes 30% OFF 
A Selection of golf bags 30% OFF 
Selection of gloves 2 FOR 1 




Tuesday Social results from last week 

1st Gary Murphy 22 points 
2nd Wayne Bailey 19 
3rd Luke Howe 19 
4th Tim Nicholls 19 
5th George Johnson 19 
6th Maurice Braden 18 
7th Mike Dewsbury 18 
8th Stu Beaman 17 
9th Mark Hudson 17 
10th Ross Fielding 17