If you are holding any club trophies at home could we please ask you to return them to the admin office as soon as possible. They need to be sent for engraving in preparation for the Champion of Champions event and presentation evening on Sunday, 27 September.
Please note if you have won any competition at Hockley this year you are eligible to play in this event.
Can we also remind you that the kitchen will be closed 2 days per week, whilst we are actively seeking a new chef. This week closure will be Wednesday and Friday and w/c 13th July closure will be Monday and Thursday. Sandwiches and pies will be available as usual on these days.
Last week's weather saw one of the hottest days with temperatures up in the mid 30's. This got us thinking in the shop, are you dressed right for this time of year? When the weather gets hotter, most of us will apply sun cream to protect our skin; do you know some of our products can also protect you from the sun?
Let's start with t-shirts, our FootJoy range has the built in benefit of SPF 30+ UV Providing Excellent UV Protection which takes away moisture in warm to hot conditions. It also has an Anti-Microbial Finish which eliminates odour, so you will still feel fresh after the round.
Headwear
Tour Radar by TaylorMade
Structured construction with adjustable tuck-in back strap
Performance moisture wicking fabric with 50 UPF
Anti-microbial finish to resist odour causing bacteria
Dark under bill to reduce glare
Having the right equipment for the conditions will allow you to enjoy your game more.
Stress-Free Short Game
The Set Up
Take Out The Tension
Set up with your lower body aimed at your target. Make sure you have about 60% of your weight on your front leg (above, left) so you can rotate your upper body around it like a post. This helps the club bottom out after you hit the ball. The real key to these greenside shots is reducing tension. I don't mind if you grip the club firmly, but your forearms can't be tense.
Try this:
Extend your arms and lock your elbows. Now relax them. Notice how your elbows hang close to your rib cage. Keep them soft and in by your stomach throughout the swing.
The Swing
Turn To The Target
Swing back so the buttons of your shirt point away from the target, then rotate them toward the target as you swing through (above, right). Feel as if your arms and the club are propelled by the turning of your trunk. On a chip or pitch shot, your torso should turn more than your pelvis on the downswing. It's more of an upper-body motion, so don't worry about lower-body rotation. Your legs should be stable, but your focus is your sternum. This helps you put the right amount of oomph into the shot. No more over swinging.
Seniors Captain Graham reported a good away win for Hockley against Alresford on allegedly (!), the hottest day in the UK ever!! 3.5 to 2.5 (a repeat of the home score). The course was generally in excellent condition. The debut performance for new member to our Seniors' section David Morgan who played with Steve Pullen, resulted in a 6&4 win. Also, a huge thank you from Graham to Alastair Watson who stepped in at 9.30am on the morning of the match to fill in for a late withdrawal. It was the first day of the new catering team at Alresford and they did a very good job.
Knock Out Competitions
A gentle reminder that the completion date for the third round of the Tutt Bowl and the Candlesticks is Sunday, 12 July, the quarter final of the College Plate must also be played by this date and there will be NO EXTENSIONS.
If your match has been played please ensure the result has been recorded on BOTH the draw sheet and the PSI. If the winners are not posted by the round completion date, the game could be assumed not to have been played and therefore both teams could be subject to elimination.
WINNERS: please check that the win has been recorded
The winners of the mid-week stableford on 'scorching' Wednesday were:
Division One - Jaco de Beur with 40 points
Division Two - Jack Coombes with 37 points
Sunday's Mens Medal winners were:
Division One - Paul Ife with a nett 69
Division Two - Shane Andrews with a nett 74
Brokenhurst Stag round 2
Hockley bowed out of the event at West Hill Golf Club in Surrey against the Oxford Club Frilford Heath. The 5 foursomes in the morning did not go to plan on a very fiery West Hill course with very difficult greens. Slow but fast at the same time!!
Paul Ellis and Dave Martin had recently read Dustin Johnson's Book 'Three Putt the easy way' and along with the Hobbs twins lost out in the country. Shane and Aaron took it to the last, but didn't quite come through, and with Ben and Luke loosing match 1 it was left to the bankers Alan Carpenter and Club Champion Dave Lawrence to put the only point on the board. Ably assisted by their opponents who put their approach shot to 18 over the green over the fence, over the car park and almost on the main Line to Waterloo!!
So 4-1 down at lunch, a position as grim as savings in a Greek bank!! A great start in the afternoon by Ben, Aaron, Shane, Tony and Tom was tempered by more Dustin Johnson style putting by the middle order. We had to win the last 3 matches which we could not pull off.
A promising new young team with great potential in the future.
Golfer/Non Golfer
On a beautiful summers evening where only T shirts were needed, 42 players took part in the annual Golfer/Non Golfer event. Even our Captain Robin Webb and his wife Lorraine took part the day before his 'main event' and had a thoroughly enjoyable time.
The winning pair were Steve and Carol Pullen with 57 points
Runners Up were John Fisher and Mandy Haines with 52 points winning on a countback
The Best Golfer was Rae Peacock with 22 points
The Best Non Golfer was Sarah Brown with 39 points
My thanks to Adrian Nicol for doing the starting and staying late to collate the scores.
Presidents Summer Scramble
You all should have received a special e-mail from the club last week regarding The Presidents summer scramble. 176 members took part in an Ambrose Texas Scramble format over a re-designed course for the day.
The weather remained kind to Bob and the competitors, with the scores returned reflecting a course in magnificent condition.
Here are a few pictures from the prize giving that weren't able to be included in the e mail.
Millennium League match away at Stoneham - Sunday, 5 July
Hockley came up against a very strong Stoneham team, which means that, despite valiant efforts, we lost by 7 matches to 1 (points 9:1).
Commiserations to (almost!) all.
The weather was perfect for Captain's Day on Saturday and a thoroughly enjoyable day was had by all, which was rounded off perfectly with a Hog Roast and singing from international star, Micha Dluzewska.
Robin will be sending out a report with all the details regarding the day and the charity amount raised in due course, I think he needs a rest after such a long day.
Winners: Mark Broomhall and Dan Kelly with 47 points winning on a countback
Runners Up: Rob Whittington and Anton James 47 points
Third: Glenn Clements and John Clark with 46 points
4th: Pat Lawson and Alan Carpenter with 45 points
Best Ladies pair were Julie Moss and Alison Coulter with 43 points
Nearest the Pin on the 5th was Tony Thompson
Nearest the Pin on the 16th was Howard Barton
The raffle was drawn during the evening, please click here to see if you are a winner. Prizes can be collected from the office.
Saturday, 11 July - Men's Championship, please note the course is CLOSED until 5.30pm and there will be NO early morning play, this is a two tee start. Click here for the start sheet.
Sunday, 12 July - Ladies Championship, the tee will be closed from 8am - 9.30am and 11.30am - 2.15pm.
Good Luck to all those playing in the respective championships and please don't do a Rory McIlroy and play football before the big day, bet his sponsors are pleased?
Ladies invite a friend or family member to the Ladies Invitation day on Thursday, 23 July. Full details can be found in the Ladies locker room.
The Mixed Open will take place on Sunday, 2 August and entries can still be made using an entry form found in the foyer.