What a tale of two Majors this week! One chapter opens as The US Masters signals the start of the golf season and one chapter closes as the rules officials once again throw a spanner in the works and controversy haunts the LPGA's ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills. Lexi Thompson looked like she was on her way to the victor's plunge into 'Poppy's pond' by the 18th green before a TV viewer, watching the previous round on playback noticed a possible rules infraction. After calling it in, the officials watched the coverage and deemed that Lexi had not replaced the ball in her 3rd round exactly where she'd marked it and had to inform her as she approached the last few holes of the final round, that she received a 4 shot penalty. Whilst this wouldn't have happened if she managed to put the ball back in the same spot, it was a huge testament to Lexi that she managed to compose herself and birdie the very next hole, eventually losing in a playoff. 

Trial by TV, as it's referred to, has blighted the game recently since the advent of HD cameras and large screens and it does seem crazy that this can be done days later. Had she been told of the infraction at the end of the 3rd round, she would have still won by 2 shots, all being equal. 




Hopefully the US Masters won't be decided in a similar manner this weekend. The recent form players are Dustin Johnson and John Rahm with the Augusta specialists over the past few years being Bubba Watson and Adam Scott. 

It's incredible that once a golfer learns how to get it around Augusta, they seem to never lose the art, even when the course alters and lengthens. Jack Nicklaus always managed to perform there late into his career, Sandy Lyle is never too far away, and likewise Langer, Couples and Lee Westwood are never too far away. I'd like to see Sergio Garcia win this year - not the best putter to be fair, but Adam Scott and Bernhard Langer managed it with that reputation also. 

They're forecast storms for the first two days so I reckon that will help Garcia's cause as he drives it like a bullet. 

How do you fancy the trip of a lifetime and setting foot on the most hallowed of turf next year, watching the action and witnessing the amazing slopes for yourself? Did you know the elevation change from the 10th tee down to the green is the height of the Statue of Liberty?! 

I have possible vacancies for 7 golfers to come out next year to Georgia with me for the week and begin the year US Masters style. Full details aren't quite through yet but it would involve two or more days watching at August with a couple of rounds of golf too - (not at Augusta obviously). Many years of experience of doing this trip would ensure that no time will be wasted and no observation opportunity missed. If you would like to register your interest click here and I'll get back to you when I have full details in a week or so. 




Back home, the first ladies medal takes place this week and the first men's medal is on Saturday and Sunday. The course drainage work appears to have gone very well and the 16th green will be back in action for the weekend. 

Congratulations to the qualifiers in the Captain Pro series last week- the scoring was phenomenal with better ball medal 59 topping the scores both Saturday and Sunday. The Captain and I are almost mildly concerned.

Tuesday Social results - 47 entries this week played the front 9 holes: 

1st Ellie Treadwell 23 points £14 
2nd Andy Metcalfe 19 £13 
3rd Ian Ashton 18 £12 
4th Neil Johnson 18 £11 
5th David Robertson 18 £10




I was at a training day last week in Bromsgrove, checking out the latest launch monitor to hit the market. Just when these machines can't seem to get any cleverer, this new one, the QUAD, automatically levels and aligns itself with a target and has a barometric sensor and thermometer on board to accurately calculate the distance you would hit shots on different parts of the globe! 

It costs the same as a large family car but we still had to go old school to check it out. 

Part of the afternoon assessments involved a lie angle test which this machine measures. I was the Guinea pig hitting shots and I know my lie angle is between 3 and 5 degrees flat compared to standard spec. (Bashing the myth that taller people have upright lie angles). 

No matter how flat we made the club, the Quad kept saying it was still 4 degrees too upright. I drew a line vertically on the ball and hit a shot which left an imprint, dead vertically on the club face, confirming that the lie angle was indeed spot on. It was then that we noticed the reflective stickers on the face weren't on straight, by 4 degrees. 

This club was out of the demo matrix of the host venue - how many of their golfer are now playing with super flat lie angles and never visiting the left side of their course I wonder? Just goes to show that poor information in equals poor information out when it comes to technology. 

I currently use the Flightscope X2 and SkyTrak launch monitors side by side but I'm looking to move these on and just use the one machine. SkyTrak is designed for indoor use and you can play 92,000 golf course on it, whereas Flightscope is best outdoors as it tracks the club into impact and then the entire ball flight using Doppler radar. If you know of anyone interested in buying either of them, please let me know.




In the workshop this week: 

- TaylorMade M2 driver - ACCRA i-series shaft 
- Titleist 917 driver - ACCRA Tour Z Extreme shaft 
- TaylorMade M2 driver - ACCRA FX3 shaft 
- Mizuno MP4 irons - Project X shafts 
- Mizuno JPX HotMetal irons - Project X graphite shafts 
- Odyssey putter - CLAW grip 
- Titleist hybrid reshaft 
- TaylorMade hybrid reshaft 
- Fujikura Miura MB001 irons reshaft KBS Tour X 




The bag trade-in promotion has now finished but we have the amazing Litepower Lithium battery available at £25 off when you trade in an old trolley battery. They have a 3year 100% warranty and I don't think we've ever head one returned in the 5 years we've been selling them. 

Also popular this week have been Skechers shoes for men and ladies, putter gips of all shapes and sizes and the PURE club grips. Now is the perfect time to get your clubs re-gripped and get your shoes re-spiked or replaced for the season ahead.