How many of you managed to stay up and watch the exciting playoff in the golf or the Superbowl? Unfortunately, not me (too old for these late nights!) My youngest son and assistant Jack watched ALL of the Superbowl. He had it all planned, a night in Southampton to watch it and then the following day off to recover!
I resorted to watching shortened versions of both on Monday, although it was disappointing watching Rickie Fowler hit two balls into the water on the par 4 17th hole, the first in regulation play and the second on the fourth and final extra hole which gave Hideki Matsuyama an unexpected victory.
So we welcome another week of unpredictable British weather and I was most surprised to find the course open after Hurricane Imogen struck on Sunday night into Monday morning, just shows how lucky we are at Hockley.
Please note the kitchen will be closed for a deep clean on Monday, 29 February, however sandwiches will be available from the cold cabinet.
Unfortunately, we say farewell to Janet at the end of the month, but wish her all the very best for the future.
Now is the time to get your equipment checked for the forthcoming season, including the lofts and lies of your clubs. If you have one or two clubs within your iron set that do not perform as well as the others, then it could be that the lie angles have moved over time. You may also have poor distance gaps between your irons so it is worth having the lofts checked too.
We can check and change your set for £20 on our Loft and Lie machine.
At the same time, we can check your grips to see if they are worn and shiny.
Did you know?
- Grips should be replaced every 40 rounds or every 30 rounds if you're spending a considerable amount of time at the practice range
- Regardless of rounds played, a grip should always be replaced at the first sign of noticeable wear, including:
- Smooth, hard surfaces
- Cracks
- Shiny patches
- Wear spots, especially where the thumbs make contact
- Faded or bare spots on grips that have been painted or have logos
- Complete loss of tack
Improperly sized grips, grips that aren't suited for certain weather conditions, grips that don't enhance playing ability and grips that are simply worn-out and slick will negatively impact your game and cost you strokes. Comfort, consistency, shot dispersion and shot distance can all be improved with new golf grips.
A grip that is too small promotes extra hand action and commonly leads to 'pulling' the ball.
A grip that is too large limits proper wrist movement, stifles shot distance and can cause you to 'push or slice' the shot.
A new grip lets you hold the club lightly without the subconscious fear of losing the club during your swing or hitting it left or right. This relaxed state promotes proper swing mechanics and wrist action.
A worn grip causes you to grasp the club tighter, causing arm and wrist tension that inhibits proper swing mechanics and leads to a loss of power and control.
A fresh set of grips is an inexpensive and fast way to bring a noticeable change to your game.
Come and see us now for a fitting and take advantage of our 'Golf Pride FREE 7 iron grip offer' where we will fit you with a brand new Golf Pride Grip on your 7 irons FREE of charge. It really is as simple as that.
The picture shows how Steve Pullen did just that and had his set re-gripped with the new Golf Pride CP2 wrap which gives a soft, tacky feel, and delivers comfort and control.
Have a chat with us in the pro shop to see which grip will suit your game best.
We have got 2 great new offers for you this week.
Titleist NXT Tour S balls
Buy One dozen for £24.99 saving £5, or Buy 2 Dozen for £40 saving £20.
Hurry while stocks last.
Buy a pair of FootJoy D.N.A golf shoes and receive a FREE D.N.A shoe bag.
Click here to find out more about the fantastic FootJoy D.N.A. shoes.
Bookings are now being taken for our Callaway demo day on Friday, 18 March from 12 - 4pm. This is a perfect opportunity to come and try the full Callaway range and the new XR 16 woods.
Click here to get in touch if you would like to book your slot.
PING G Series
PING G Irons Review
Whether you're a PING lover or hater you've got to admit their irons are functional, even if they haven't always topped the pile when it comes to beauty. Let's take a look at what they have changed.
Cor-Eye Technology
PING used Cor-Eye on their GMAX iron that launched last summer. It allows the club face to act like a spring board and flex at impact. The face is also 32% thinner than the G30 and 4 times as springy.
Concealed weight port
To make room for the G's increased face bending at impact, PING pulled its CTP (custom tuning port) away from the club face, creating a wide, deep undercut. A thicker badge in the cavity of the irons manages the added vibrations from the irons' thinner, more flexible faces.
AWT 2.0 shaft
They've partnered with leading Japanese steel shaft manufacturer Nippon to create what's called an Ascending Weight shaft. The idea is for the shafts to be lighter in the longer irons to allow you to launch shots easier in the more difficult to hit clubs. The new shaft is also closer to the weight of your hybrids, fairways and driver so there's a smoother progression from longer clubs to the irons. The shorter iron shafts get heavier to aid control and shot making but also match the weights of your wedges much more closely.
Chris and I did some product testing with this iron, click here or on the image to see how we got on, although I don't think Sky Sports will be calling me up!
Could it be you?
We are after one or two members with differing handicaps to do some product testing for us. All we ask is for you to take the new product on the driving range or out on the course and then write a small review on your findings which we will include in the weekly newsletter.
Please contact one of us in the Professional shop if that is you, or click here to get in touch.
An additional date Chris and I have been astounded at the rapid response to our Chipping and Pitching clinic on
Tuesday, 23 February, so we have decided to add another on
Wednesday, 24 February from 1pm - 2pm.
Cost -
£10 per person, limited to 10 and please sign up in the Pro shop.
A
Bunker and Putting clinic will be held in March and
Faults and Fixes in April. Keep an eye out in the newsletter for the dates.
After some of the weather we've had recently, our two matches on Sunday were played in fabulous conditions. Our opponents were
Paul Downing &
Craig Durman with
Martin Tressider and
Guy Patterson who were great company, as have all the teams we've already played.
Aide and I got off to a good start and were up early, we were 3 up on Martin and Guy and 2 up on Paul and Craig at the turn. Aide then hit the shot of the day with his big rescue on the 10th to about 6 feet and both pairs made bogeys, I then nudged it close enough for a gimmee, (much to my partner's disgust). Paul and Craig then won 11 with a birdie, but lost 13 to a par, Martin and Guy won 14 with a birdie as did Paul and Craig, so standing on 15 we were 2up on Paul and Craig and 3 up on Martin and Guy, tense stuff!
Paul and Craig then took 6 on 15 to our 5 so both sides were 3 down with 3 to play. After both opponents missed the green and failed to get their ball up and down, our par finished the games off.
Once again a great afternoon and all back in to watch the rugby.
Our next match on Saturday is against
Neil Cutmore and
Phil 'dwarf'
Rowlands with
Bob Bailey and
Chris Hyde.
Seniors' Summer Friendlies - a chart showing fixtures and dates/times from mid-March up to the end of May is now available on the Seniors' Notice Board to indicate YOUR availability. Please tick as many boxes as you can so that I can let as many of you as possible participate - away and home matches. Team selection is also much easier!
I would like to encourage all Seniors to "have a go" in the Friendlies where, unlike our Club's various league matches, the emphasis is primarily on having a great social day out with your pals from Hockley and our opponents from other local clubs. Great value for money, a chance to make new acquaintances/friends and an opportunity to sort out worldly issues with the others; when you're not focusing on your next shot, of course!
Wessex Seniors Winter League Alresford are in the lead with 13 points having played 6 of their 8 matches. Hockley is second with 10 points but we still have 4 matches to go, one home and three away, so we are very much in contention. You can keep track of the league results by
clicking here.
Ladies the offer on JRB clothing has been extended and increased to
25% OFF. A lined jumper is now only
£27.74 saving you £9.25.
We also have Ladies woods reduced to clear; lines include Callaway, TaylorMade, Cobra and PING. Prices start at just
£89 for a Callaway Hybrid and
£139 for a driver.
Drop in and see us in the pro shop for more info, or
click here to get in touch if you have any questions.
Very differing entries into the John Simpson 4th card this weekend; 18 on Friday, 0 on Saturday and 38 on Sunday.
The overall winners were:
Kevin Unsworth with 42 points and Runner Up
Martin Gill with 40 points.
The John Simpson competition is the best 4 cards from 6 rounds and after 4 cards the front-runner is
Andy Eley on 140 points, closely followed by
Sam Piper on 139 points.
Summer Knockouts The Summer Knockouts are now open for entry on the psi machines in the locker rooms w/c 8th February.
Click here for the information and the conditions of entry and I urge you all to read them please.
Can I also ask that when entering on the psi, that you complete ALL stages and wait until you are thanked for entering, DO NOT walk away when told that the competition fee has been taken, this does not mean you have been entered. If you are unsure, please ask one of my team for help.
Saturday, 13 February -
Men's Short Course Stableford Capt/Pro the tee is reserved from 11.55 - 12.05 pm
Mens's Mail on Sunday match v Portsmouth GC the tee is reserved from 1.15 - 1.45pm
Monday, 15 February - Men's Short Course Stableford Monday, 22 February -
New members evening @ 7pm
Sunday, 6 March -
Mother's Day Sunday Lunch, book in advance at the bar.
Friday, 18 March - Callaway Demo day from 12 noon - 4pm
