John Sharkey

Are we getting close to opening?

As we get close to the end of the second period of lockdown the rumours circulating are suggesting that we may be getting closer to a return to golf. In readiness, I have spent time at the club this week preparing the shop for the grand re-opening. We have made a few changes to the layout with the till area now next to the entrance door, alongside a one-way route around the shop enabling social distancing requirements to be adhered to.

Click here to check out this week’s video for a shop walk to see the changes that we have made.

Shop walk Video

Coaching news

Jonny gains Elite Putting Qualification.

Jonny has made the most of his time during this lock down period by passing his Level 2 Quintic Ball Roll Putting accreditation course. He now joins an elite band of 5 putting coaches in the world at this level. He had a 100% pass mark, that hasn’t been achieved by anyone so far at Level 2.

Many congratulations Jonny.

Dinner plate swing tip video

The PGA of America did a study about 5-years ago to determine what has a greater influence on the starting direction the ball flies – The Plane of the Swing or the Clubface. They found that your Swing Plane influences the direction you hit the golf ball by about 30% but the clubface by 70%. Check out this weeks video tip on how to control the clubface.

Click here to watch the video

Swing Tip Video

Quiz answers

Answers to Last week’s Nostalgia quiz.

A big thank you to all the members who dug deep in their archives and sent in some old pictures of themselves. Here are the answers to help you recognise them.

1 John Tuttle 2 John Sharkey & Paul Bunting 3 Laura & Claire Tuttle 4 Kevin McDonnell 5 Christa Wood 6 Di McDonnell 7 Eddie Clarke 8 Ian Lowe 9 Peter Wood 10 Malcolm Simmons 11Tony Brown.

Pro shop quiz answers

Course update

Pictures taken from a course walk this week.

The course looks so inviting ,can't wait to get back out there.

Big thank you to Simon and the Team,3rd tee area looks great.

14th green

It's quiz time

What can you remember from the last decade?

We hope you enjoyed last week's Silhouette Challenge; some were certainly easier than others.

The end of 2019 also marked the end of a decade, but how much can you remember - on a golfing front - from those 10 years?

Put your memory to the test with this week's quiz as we challenge you to recall some amazing feats in the world of golf. Good luck!

take this week's quiz >

Weekly challenge

Much like the pitch shot that fizzes onto the green and stops dead on the second or third bounce, the flop shot always looks spectacular when you pull it off. It’s the inspiration behind this week’s challenge, so grab your highest lofted wedge and take to the garden for our Flop Shot Challenge.

The set-up

Like the images above, place a garden trug or bucket on top of a table facing away from the house with the aim of landing the ball inside. You can also play this game by putting something tall in front of you – garden fork or washing line – that you need to get the ball up-and-over.

Not confident?

Flop shots aren’t the easiest shot to play, which is why they do look great when executed to perfection. If you’d rather attempt something different, you can modify this challenge by placing your garden trug on the floor and see how many you can chip in – but it can’t bounce first!

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Golf at home

Hopefully, you’re finding our Golf at Home drills useful in keeping your golf game ticking over during lockdown – maybe, even improving it?! For this week we’ve gone back to basics and have found an effective way of checking one of golf’s key fundamentals…

Alignment is key

Getting your set-up spot on is easier said than done, but getting it right more often than not will certainly help your golf game on the course.

One part that often changes over time is our alignment, which incorporates far more than just where the clubface is aiming.

How to check

Find some flooring in your house or garden that runs in straight lines. Place a ball down and set up as if you’re hitting a straight shot.

From here, check whether your feet, hips and shoulders are running parallel to each other by using the flooring as a visual cue.

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Video of the Week

If you're a watcher of golf on TV then you'll be fully aware of the brilliant Wayne 'Radar' Riley. In this video from PING, we take a look at the best bits of his 'A Round with Radar' series, including cameos from Lee Westwood, Tyrrell Hatton and Miguel Angel Jimenez. Enjoy.

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