ispygolf pro blog

Life as a Range Rat

May 17th, 2012

Mentioning work on the driving range in last week’s blog seemed to strike a chord with quite a few of you, so I thought I’d return to the subject and recount a few more tales from my former employment as a Range Rat.

So, where should I start? For some, the adrenaline pumps as you drive (monotonously) up and down, up and down in that iconic range tractor with no windscreen to shield you from the horizontal rain on a winter’s day (mixing it up, rebellious types like to throw in a few side to side runs). For others, the high point is clearing up after some bright spark forgets to put the bucket under the range dispenser and then scuttles away in the hope that nobody will notice. Yes, it’s fair to say there are probably more glamorous jobs in the golfing industry, but in fairness, I can think of worse ones too.

Naturally, the finger gets pointed at you for all manner of indiscretions and failings on the driving range. Like the time I was out collecting balls on the range, when the electronics of the ball dispensing machine malfunctioned and decided to start spitting out golf balls, just for fun. One or two buckets, no problem, but we’re talking the best part of 6,000 golf balls before anyone raised the alarm. What I returned to was a sea of white, as if a giant bean bag had been split open. Golf balls bounce too, so no surprise to find them in the car park, getting under the feet of the lady captain, and even causing chaos on the nearby A road. Naturally, the responsibility for complex circuitry of the machine rest entirely on the shoulders of the aspiring pro stranded in a tractor a hundred yards away. All seems perfectly reasonable.

Still, 6,000 golf balls in one place (sort of) are considerably easier to deal with than the entire contents of the ball storage unit. In winter, a prolonged period of wet weather would often render the tractor redundant for fear of churning great mud pathways in the range. Cue a pair of ‘clicka’ tubes, some industrial wet weather gear, a hell of a lot of buckets, and a sense of humour failure. No need to make any other plans for the next four hours, just a lonely, cold, wet existence picking up 12,000 golf balls spread randomly across a vast wasteland. I kid you not; 12,000 golf balls picked up by hand. The words “hand picking today” still send shivers down my spine.

That did at least provide some serenity in what is otherwise a fairly noisy occupation. The motor on a ‘Kawasaki Range Mule’ (or tractor if you prefer) wasn’t invented with much consideration for the ears of the driver. That constant chugging up and down the range will undoubtedly leave your head vibrating at the end of the day. But nowhere near as much as the ball landing on the canopy of the Kawasaki. There isn’t a sound in the world that compares to the clang of a descending golf ball on a 2mm thick piece of sheet metal placed 6 inches above your head. You can deal with the drivers clattering into you at 200mph, the cage will wear those for you all day, but a golf ball on the roof provides the closest comparison to a giant symbol being bashed on your head as humanly imaginable. I’m sure the site of a Range Rat leaping out of his seat with sheer terror is pretty amusing from the other side of the cage, but I promise you that anyone with a heart condition shouldn’t go within 100 yards of this contraption.

Then again, target practice for the golfers can backfire. Admittedly, the comedy value amongst friends of being able to claim you pinned the Range Tractor with your driver is undeniable, but whilst a few do it by accident, others (those with a screw loose) wait until you’re at point blank range before unleashing the fury. Now, whilst a golf ball doesn’t rebound with much force from a metal cage, it certainly does when it hits a rubber tyre. I witnessed more than one person felled by their own folly, as their ball rebounding straight back at them from the tractor tyre. There’s only a certain amount of sympathy to be granted when you’ve been a moving target for the past half hour!

I once witnessed a chap convinced that the errors in his game were all caused by the range balls, and not his swing. ‘These are all high right balls’ he announced confidently as another one flayed away wildly off target. Sadly for him, he did it within earshot of the passing Pro, who with a sharp eye for an opportunity, walked up to him, turned the ball over and suggested that now the balls would be ‘low and left’. I’m not sure which expression I enjoyed more as the next ball went sailing away high and right – the utter bewilderment on the poor chap’s face, or the satisfied smirk from the Pro.

You’ll see all sorts on the range. Funky swings, baffling warm up routines, clubs thrown down the range. Even golfers walking 50-100 yards into the firing line to retrieve a final three balls, and I’m sure there’s more besides. I wouldn’t go as far as to say I’m a veteran of the Range Rat occupation, but I certainly witnessed enough to provide some unforgettable memories.

Curiously though, there’s a strange correlation between being a Range Rat, and going on to become a successful golfer. Ross Fisher did it, as have many others. I wonder where I went wrong?

Tags: Driving Range, Golf, Golf Balls, Ross Fisher
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Yardage Junkies & Range Balls

May 10th, 2012

The plethora of GPS units, measuring devices and detailed course planners now available has given rise to the ‘Yardage Junky’. Whether you swear by the gadgetry or not, we’ve all seen people now compelled to calculate the distance to the inch as an essential part of their pre-shot routine. I think I’ll invent the word “inchage”, as it seems these days a “yardage” just doesn’t measure up (no pun intended).

Now, I could go on a rant about how many amateur golfers can consistently hit to a yardage, throwing in points about slow play and anecdotes of hapless calculations and ensuing card-wrecking disasters. But I’ll save that tirade for another week and instead lay to rest an issue that many people still seem not to understand.

I feel well placed to offer my opinion on this. I’ve done my time on the driving range – I was indeed once a Range Rat. Yes that’s right, I was that guy driving the tractor down the middle of the range collecting the balls. I say tractor, but “magnet” may be a better description, as every ball seems to be aimed directly at you, intentionally or not. All very amusing, of course, for those with club in hand, that is until that moment between club striking ball and ball striking tractor, when you’re confronted with the terrifying realisation that you might actually be about to kill someone. The “don’t worry, I’m fine” wave is always a very welcome sight. For those of us that have experienced the other side of it, there’s a long list of not particularly kind adjectives we’d use to describe those persistently hitting balls in your direction, but I digress.

Getting back to the point, one of the perks (if you can call it that) of being a Range Rat, is that you quickly learn about range balls. I’ll concede it’s not an interesting topic in itself, but the reason I bring it up is in respect of those Yardage Junkies. I can’t begin to tell you how many people waste their time figuring out their distances on the range hitting those range balls (or at least the ones most of us encounter) believing they go the same distance as proper golf balls. They don’t. They really don’t. They’re mass produced, cheap, made of one piece of rubber, and are only slightly more aerodynamic than a brick.

The difference in yardage isn’t too marked if you’re talking about a 100 yard wedge shot, but the moment you start hitting 5 and 6 irons, the disparity is so great that anyone calculating their club distances on the driving range will have some pretty inaccurate club measurements. What good is it then figuring out your exact yardages out on the course? It’s all very well knowing you’ve got 167 yards to the front, 172 yards to get past the bunker and 178 yards to the flag, but none of that is going to help when your 5 iron is about to fly 20% further than you’re expecting. Unless of course, you’re playing golf with range balls, which is something else I’ve sadly witnessed on far too many occasions – golfers nabbing a few balls to tee up on the course… if only they knew they were giving themselves a 20-30% handicap off the tee!

So in short, for the new Yardage Junkies out there, if you do insist on working out the “inchage” on every shot, please do help yourself and those you’re playing with by keeping away from the funky old range balls when you’re doing your homework. Doing it properly using some standard golf balls will save you shots and save us the pain of witnessing the umpteenth green being “airmailed”, followed by the “I can’t believe how far that 5 iron went”. Thank you!

Tags: Driving Range, Golf, Golf Balls, GPS Unit, Yardage Junkies
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And will those feet in future times, walk upon England’s fairways green?

May 3rd, 2012

Last week, Luke Donald was quoted as saying he’d like to see more European Tour events played in England. Asked a leading question, it was a natural and predictable response from the Englishman. In the past, Paul Casey, Ian Poulter, and probably several others have answered the same way.

As an Englishman myself, it’s easy to lament the gradual (or not so gradual) decline in the number of Tour events played in England over recent years. Yes, I know the Ryder Cup successes and standard of our golfers wouldn’t be the same if it weren’t for the development of the European game, but it still seems a shame that only two events will be hosted in England this year: The BMW Championship at Wentworth and The Open at Royal Lytham. Given that The Open returns to Muirfield in Scotland in 2013, that’ll reduce to one.

I’m honestly not having a pop at any players in particular here, but while it’s all very well publicly stating their desires for more tournaments in England, I can’t help but wonder whether they would actually support it if the opportunity was presented to them. Why? Money, of course (oh, and perhaps the weather). Beyond the privilege and immortality that comes with collecting a Major, the rest of the year is all about the filthy lucre.

Professionals set up their annual schedules to work around the “biggest” (i.e. most lucrative) tournaments, which usually equate to those with the most world ranking points up for grabs, conveniently. This is perfectly natural, given the rich rewards in place for the winner of the Race to Dubai and accepting that this is their job after all. The problem is, though, that hosting a European Tour event and setting up a course that will lure the world’s top players, therefore requires untold amounts of investment on the part of the host venue and a gargantuan prize fund that would make even Croesus’ eyes bulge.

Given a Sheik or an Oligarch, this is doable. And the Chinese appear willing to invest untold sums to bring the country global exposure, but back here in little old England not many venues have the financial clout to even get involved in the bidding. Finding a sufficiently wealthy sponsor in these times of economic uncertainty is a tall order, too.

So, bottom line, if more events were to be played here, it’s almost inevitable there would be lower commercial interest and therefore a comparably poor prize fund. As a consequence they’d receive awkward scheduling, would probably fail to interest the big names or attract the TV audience and you’re immediately left with a second rate event. Not much for anyone to get excited about there.

Sadly, the English players are arguably in a no win situation here. If they didn’t commit to playing a “home” tournament, they’d be criticised for only being interested in money. If they played in the event purely to support its location and it was to the detriment of their preparation for the next Major, they’d be criticised for that, too. And this is all before the demands associated with pre-existing “sponsors’ obligations” are factored in.

Now OK, you can make the argument that many of the English players would be genuinely pleased to support an English event, and they may well fit it into their schedules, but the reality is that they’d be playing for a very small purse, in a tournament with limited kudos.

So are we left with the idea that the only way is to take Miguel Angel Jimenez lead after he personally backed the Andalucian Open? Jimenez acknowledged that finding sufficient sponsorship during the current financial crisis in Spain was a fruitless task, so the only way to keep a European Tour event in his “home” region of Spain was to support it himself. A noble gesture, and one that I can’t see players queuing up to replicate here or elsewhere.

Sadly, though, I can’t help but feel this is what it would take. The more global the European Tour becomes (which it clearly is nowadays with the investment pouring in from the Middle East and Far East), the less likely we’ll see a new English event. Of course, I am never going to suggest English players should feel duty-bound to do so, but banding together may entice the sponsors and make the unfeasible, feasible. It’s a crude way to say it, but if the players “put their money where their mouth is” might way all have something to shout about in future?

Tags: BMW Championship, European Tour, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Muirfield, Paul Casey, Race to Dubai, Royal Lytham & St.Annes, Ryder Cup, The Open, Wentworth
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Fans’ Hall of Fame: Laura Davies

April 26th, 2012

Laura Davies’ incredible success as a golfer means that she’s not only one of the most celebrated personalities in golf but, moreover, she’s one of England’s most decorated sportswomen. Awarded a CBE in 2000, Davies began her professional career in 1985, winning both ‘Rookie of the Year’ and ‘Order of Merit’ titles in her first season. She repeated the Order of Merit win again in 1986, before winning her first official Major, the U.S.Women’s Open, in 1987.

Prior to this, she had been triumphant at the British Women’s Open in 1986 (before it was considered a Major), and she subsequently went on to win three further Majors in her career. In 1988 Davies became the first woman ever to rank number one on all three major women’s tours in the same year, including the LPGA Tour and European Tour.

In 1994 she became the first golfer to win on five different golf tours in one calendar year, and she was the first European player to be ranked unofficial number one in the world. She’s amassed an astonishing 81 professional victories worldwide.

Davies will also forever be synonymous with the Solheim Cup, having been the only player to represent Europe in every match since the inaugural event in 1990. She is the all-time leading point scorer in the competition, with a tally of 25 points to date.

Career Highlight

In such a glittering career, and with such a unique character, it’s hard to single out one highlight for Davies. Perhaps it would be one of the four Majors? Or maybe it’s her Solheim Cup record?
Then again, it would be typical Davies to say that the most rewarding aspect of her career has been the charity work.

I personally think that while her stellar career has been peppered with fantastic individual achievements, it’s the legacy and influence on women’s golf that Laura Davies will be remembered for most. There are very few golfers who you can say that about.

Fans’ Favourite

Laura Davies can do what every amateur golfer aspires to. Blessed with an extraordinary amount of natural talent, she hardly practices, has a natural swing, doesn’t use a tee, and hits the ball hard and long. It’s seemingly effortless golf of the highest quality, played to a standard that’s enabled multiple Major wins, 81 professional career victories, and an unprecedented record in the Solheim Cup. In the hands of someone less humble or gracious, it may be a little infuriating. But Davies achieves all of this with a warming sense of humility that endears her to the golfing, and indeed sporting, public.

Having made numerous appearances as a commentator and guest on the BBC golf coverage, and programmes such as ‘A Question of Sport’, Davies comes across as being ‘one of us’, and a ‘fan’ herself. If evidence were needed, as a mad keen football fan, Davies was once fined by the Ladies European Tour for watching the England v Spain Euro 96 football match on a portable TV during the Evian Masters. Of course, undeterred by the distraction, Davies went on to win the event!

You get the feeling that to Laura, golf is purely about the enjoyment. Of course she’s incredibly competitive, and a fantastic ambassador for the sport too, but the impression is that she’d be just as happy making up the numbers in your Sunday fourball as she is playing on the biggest stage in women’s golf.

Quite simply, we all wish we could play golf the ‘Laura Davies’ way.

Tags: Ladies European Tour, Laura Davies, LPGA Tour, Order of Merit, Rookie of the Year, Solheim Cup, Womens British Open, Womens Golf, Womens U.S.Open
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Kingswood Golf & Country Club Review

April 18th, 2012

The opportunity to tee off on any James Braid designed golf course is one that has to be taken. Braid’s masterful eye has helped shape the likes of Carnoustie, Nairn and Aberdovey. If a golf course bears his name, it’s unlikely to disappoint.

Kingswood Golf & Country Club, just south of London in the belt of Surrey heathland that includes Walton Heath, is no exception. Having undergone extensive re-design under the direction of Howard Swan in recent years, this traditional parkland golf course is earning an enviable reputation. Although originally laid out in the 1920’s, Swan’s sympathetic modifications present a course that meanders carefully through tree lined fairways and a daunting total of 99 bunkers. These bunkers provide the modern character of the course, and they work superbly, forcing you to play the holes the way they were designed to be played. Framing the fairways and approach shots, they tempt you to hit close, so as to be rewarded with the best lines in, while ensuring you’re pulling the right club out of your bag each time. As a result, the holes retain the designers’ original objectives and the course is played the way it was envisaged. You can’t bash your driver off every tee at Kingswood and expect to get away with it; and you need to be especially precise with your irons if you want to get the ball close to the pins.

Over the course of 18 holes, you’ll find yourself trying to shape shots in both directions and plot your way around the vagaries of this parkland course. The closing holes bring challenging undulations, hanging lies and dangerous approaches that have the potential to wreak havoc on your scorecard.

Front Nine

The par 4 first bears similarities to hundreds of opening holes in golf, and that’s by no means a criticism. It’s a gentle opener, on the famous proviso that you get your tee shot away! Do so, and there’s a good chance of an early birdie, but anything else and you’re under pressure for that comforting par. The second is a prime example of how the fine bunkering at Kingswood frames the holes. There’s sand at the landing areas for both your tee shot and around the green, and it’s an early demonstration of the need to stay out of trouble.

A healthy test of a par three comes next, with nothing short of a pure strike being rewarded with a putt on a ‘back to front’ sloping green. Four requires a very precise drive off the tee, as more tree lined fairways put increasing pressure on your game.

The first par 5 comes at the fifth hole, a long and slightly down hill left to right dogleg, however the trouble seems to become more evident the closer to the hole you get. Several bunkers, undulations, trees, bushes, and patches of rough lie in wait within the last 100 yards, and in many ways the pressure is on the second and third shots, rather than the drive. Six plays back alongside the fifth fairway, slightly uphill and right to left this time. The majority of trouble is again centred around the green, with several trees and bunkers lying in wait, providing ample punishment for the errant shot.

The seventh, a lovely short par three, tests your game management as you’re confronted with a different playing direction from the previous few holes. You’ll need to gauge the wind correctly and navigate a path through the greenside bunkers to give yourself a chance of birdie here.

Maybe it was just me, but the par 4 eighth is one of those holes where you can see a green way off in the distance and your first hope is that isn’t where you’re going. Sure enough, it is, and while the hole doesn’t play quite as long as you first think, you still need two straight, solid whacks to get there in regulation. The ninth is another lengthy hole, but this time with a par to match. The second shot, if you’re going for the green, will require a very accurate placement to hit the target, and if you’re laying up to pitch on, the short iron also needs to be exact on this gentle left to right dogleg. It’s a fine hole, and a welcome and deserved rest in the neighbouring halfway hut serves as a good tonic for the work so far.

Back Nine

The tenth hole, a par three, can be played from a variety of positions. From the ‘friendly’ tee by the half way hut, it’s a relatively short and welcoming hole. From the additional 40 yards provided by the medal tees, it’s slightly punchier! Eleven provides a good birdie chance, an inviting par 5 that can help the scorecard along.

Twelve & thirteen offer two classic dog legs, in opposing directions. The right hander’s fade required on twelve will take you ever closer to some waiting fairway bunkers, whilst the thirteenth requires either a slinging right to left shot from the tee (if you can produce one), or demands a lengthy second played towards some classic English scenery extending off in the distance.

The par 5 fourteenth may look inviting, and if you find the fairway, it is, but miss and the pressure for par is on immediately. You really don’t want to be coming in to the green from the right hand side with the undulations in the land becoming increasingly apparent. These humps and bumps begin to take greater effect on fifteen and sixteen. The troubles on fifteen are most evident on the contoured green, whilst the par 4 sixteenth insists on two lengthy and accurate shots. Miss the greens on these two and you’ll need an exquisite chip or pitch to preserve your par.

The penultimate hole plays as a long par three. Not overtly dangerous, but one of those holes that you feel will always require an extra club. It’s certainly one that has the potential to damage your scorecard without too much going wrong. Eighteen provides another fine dog leg left and a nervy finish in front of the clubhouse. If you’ve been hitting a shots to the left all day, the clubhouse (and embarrassment) might suddenly seem somewhat ‘in range’ for your final approach!

The course at Kingswood is clearly catered to accommodate all, with numerous tee options (many of which are new) allowing for players of all abilities. It doesn’t matter whether you are playing in a society group, visiting fourball, monthly medal, or corporate golf day, you get the distinct impression that common sense and discretion will always be used when the club sets up the course for the day’s play. While nobody in their right mind wants a six hour round, some may want a leisurely game while others want testing in competitive conditions. Kingswood is clearly capable of accommodating all of this on the golf course, and much more beyond.

The golf shop at Kingswood, with its extensive range of equipment, has a reputation that extends far beyond the club itself, whilst the facilities for enjoying a post round drink, snack, or meal, are all excellent, too. There’s a large veranda with numerous places to relax and retell the day’s play, while the aforementioned 18^th green and 10^th tee provide the theatre, as various golfers come under the watchful eye and scrutiny of others in the clubhouse.

Kingswood Golf & Country Club offers something very unique within the M25 – a combination of good quality championship golf, a welcoming and friendly clubhouse, and genuine value for money. It’s what most people are looking for these days but it’s rare to find it in such a location.

Tags: Aberdovey, Carnoustie, golf courses in Surrey, golf courses near London, heathland, Howard Swan, James Braid, Kingswood Golf & Country Club, Nairn, Parkland, Walton Heath
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Flicking Between The Two

April 12th, 2012

The Masters was always going to provide a compelling spectacle for the TV viewer, as it does every year. But for the second year running, we viewers were given the opportunity to make a choice on where to pledge our allegiance. Who to go with…the BBC or Sky?

The pros and cons of both are subjective of course. The BBC has Peter Alliss, tradition, and loyalty, but unfortunately they don’t have the same quantity of coverage anymore. Gone are the days of ‘exclusivity’ with the BBC. This year, their Masters exposure included highlights on the first two days, live coverage over the weekend. Sky, on the other hand, had full coverage throughout the week. Almost too much at times, but they also have commercials, Mark Roe, and unnecessary amounts of technology. As you can see, subjective!

One of the “great” advantages of social media is that it allows you to gauge the public mood. Observing comments on Twitter, you couldn’t help but notice the endless debate surrounding the merits, qualities, and loyalties of the respective broadcasters. Of course, it has to be said that ultimately the choice lies in hands of the viewer (or at least the person in charge of the remote control) but you wonder whether the broadcasting bosses take much notice of the conversations going on in the social media world.

One would assume they must, as poor Michael Vaughan – yes he of cricketing fame – seemed to get so much abuse on Twitter after dropping the proverbial ball in an interview with Tiger Woods, that we can only presume the BBC took stock of the public appeal and decided to give him out after reviewing the television replay. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of Michael Vaughan in a cricketing environment, where he is a superb, insightful, knowledgeable, and valuable asset to the coverage. But that, coupled with the fact that he likes golf, doesn’t qualify him to ask the appropriate questions to the best golfers in the world – especially when they’ve just walked off the course at the first Major of the year, something he has never experienced.

Even if it had worked, the decision to employ him in this role sent out the message that the BBC couldn’t get a golfer to do it, were cutting corners or he was there on a jolly. Perhaps all were true. I could spell out several other reasons why it irked me, but clearly from comments I read over the weekend, there probably isn’t any need. To me, it’s a golfer or a professional broadcaster please, not an ex-cricketer.

Sky received their fair share of bashing too. Not in the credibility department, as they’d assembled a sizeable team of golfing experts. The problem lies more in the fact that Monty (love him or loathe him) divides opinion, as does Mark Roe. The same could be said for other presenters on both broadcasters, but the feelings appear to be concentrated where these two are concerned. Too many people pointed out that Monty likes to talk about himself, for it to be a coincidence.

Of course, the commercial breaks on Sky infuriate all but the tea addicts, but no shots are ever missed on either channel, due to breaks being controlled by the host broadcasters in the US. The problem for the broadcasters is how to fill this time. Sky’s answer was the ‘Shot Centre’ which could be deemed to be part of the ‘footballisation’ (excuse the made up word there, but I’m sure you’ll see what I mean) of golf coverage. Just because the technology is there to replicate, analyse, record, and replay one swing in thirty different angles and speeds, it doesn’t mean what you’re showing is of interest to your audience, insightful, or benefitting the viewer’s experience. Some of the drawings on the ‘Shot Centre’ looked like a child’s ‘Etcher Sketch’, and you couldn’t help but feel that the technology is being used because it’s there rather than because it adds something.

The BBC found a winning formula a few years ago that most people found particularly engaging, ‘Ken on the Course’. But again, some people now find this a tired format. Personally, I like the light hearted insight into how the course is playing, but how Ken managed to get a mouldy banana, a toilet brush, and various other props past the Augusta National Committee is beyond me.

What quickly became apparent was that instead of choosing a broadcaster and sticking by it, a large number of golf fans spent most of the weekend flicking between coverage. Usually a decision that was prompted by: a return to the commentary box for Monty; an interview with Michael Vaughan; Mark Roe in the ‘Shot Centre’; or Ken and his banana.

Perhaps all this, and the fact that the golfing pictures were by and large identical on the two channels, serves as evidence that golfers just want to watch golf. It sounds obvious, but the bells and whistles that accompany the actual golf footage are simply there to pad out the time. It seems that in some cases, all of these extra touches had the opposite effect of their intentions, pushing viewers to try the alternative, rather than acting as a reason to remain with the current channel.

Whether you’re a fan of Butch, Ewan, Shot Centre, and Sky or Ken, Peter, Andrew, and the BBC , I only hope you were watching the BBC during the closing stages as Peter Alliss (and it could only be him), muttered the words that may be forever associated with the climax of the 2012 Masters. As Bubba Watson walked nervously towards his short putt for victory, Alliss found the perfect comic timing to deliver the unforgettable line…“well this is hardly the time to be wearing white trousers!”

Tags: Augusta, BBC, Butch Harmon, Colin Montgomerie, Ken Brown, Ken on the course, Mark Roe, Michael Vaughan, Monty, Peter Alliss, Sky, The Masters
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The Masters Greatest Shot Poll

April 5th, 2012

Ah, The Masters begins. And with it, so it’s commonly held, the golfing season for us mere mortals (at least here in the UK). I don’t know if it’s the splendour of the colourful magnolias and rhododendrons, the hallowed green turf of Augusta National set against that azure sky, or those transcendent sporting moments that define an individual and their golfing career, but there’s something special that captures our imagination at this event and inspires us all to go out and play. From now on, the golfing season is in full swing.

In anticipation of what promises to be another dramatic championship, I’ve put together this collection of some of the greatest shots ever to be played at The Masters, and a poll where you can vote for your favourite. You may have others that you think worthy of inclusion, but if nothing else, these videos will undoubtedly put you in the mood for wall-to-wall viewing of this most famous of tournaments.

To vote for your ‘Best Shot at The Masters’, click here

Phil Mickelson: 13^th Hole 2010 Masters

Larry Mize: 11^th Hole 1987 Masters

Tiger Woods: 16^th Hole 2005 Masters

Sandy Lyle: 18^th Hole 1988 Masters

Nick Faldo: 13^th Hole 1996 Masters

Gene Sarazen: 15th Hole 1935 Masters

A contender without the video comes in the form of Gene Sarazen’s “shot heard around the world”. Playing the final round of the 1935 Masters Tournament, Sarazen made an albatross on the par 5 15^th, by holing a 235-yard 4 Wood. Trailing the leader, Craig Wood, by three shots at the time, this now legendary shot enabled Sarazen to tie with Wood over the 72 holes, before beating him in the 36 hole playoff. The shot, and Sarazen, were duly propelled into golfing folklore.

And one for fun…

Vijay Singh does some crowd pleasing in the practice rounds…

Tags: Augusta National, Gene Sarazen, Golf, Larry Mize, Nick Faldo, Phil Mickelson, Sandy Lyle, The Masters, Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh
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Agenda For The Augusta National Committee Meeting

March 28th, 2012

The decision to extend an invitation to Ryo Ishikawa for this year’s Masters has been called “strictly a Japanese media buy” by one golfing journalist, and it’s a sentiment with which many in the media seem to concur. Is it even credible to give invitations out for a Major tournament? Probably not, but all golf fans are well aware that the powers that be at Augusta National do what they want. They always have, after all the event was conceived by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts as exactly that, an Invitational.

As a result, the Masters is unique. The Augusta National Committee holds every ace in the pack and the biggest pile of chips on the table. They can afford to dictate terms on television rights, sponsors, access, invitations, and pretty much anything else they choose. The problem is of course (and doesn’t the Committee know it), that if you take The Masters away from Augusta National, you don’t have a tournament. More to the point, you can’t take it away. The Master’s belongs to Augusta even more than The Open belongs to Britain.

The Chairman of the club always seems to become infamous in some capacity, too. From the famously obdurate Clifford Roberts who tragically ended his own life on the Par 3 course, to Hootie Johnson, who introduced 18 hole network television coverage, and Billy Payne, who sanctioned use of The Masters name, logo, and Augusta National golf course for a video game. Whatever their agenda may be, a signature of the Chairman’s tenure seems to be the necessity to leave a legacy. So what might the next Chairman introduce that fulfils this criteria? Let’s indulge the curiosity for a brief moment. Perhaps we can help throw a few ideas around for the committee and future Chairman to ponder.

Of these, one or two carry some weight; others I’ll concede might not make it to the ‘all those in favour?’ stage. Still, it offers an alternative to the annual ‘How to Play Amen Corner’ feature, or the ‘Hole by Hole Guide’. For any others you care to suggest, I’m all ears. I wonder if Billy Payne will be too.

Item #1: Change the exemption status of former champions. Nobody wants to see Larry Mize and Ben Crenshaw (amongst others) knock it around in 85, 79 to miss the cut by 15. Perhaps it’s time for a curtain call on this tradition. The Masters has a small enough field as it is, so isn’t it a waste to hand out life-long exemptions to non-competitive players? There is a place for former champions, for sure, but not in the main event any more. Some players, like Nick Faldo, know when to call it time. Others, I would suggest, could receive a hand on the shoulder from a man in a green jacket, and a quiet whisper in the ear.

Item #2: The admission of lady members. Big call this one. Following the row between Hootie Johnson and Martha Burk back in 2002, the then Chairman refused to rule out the future acceptance of lady members. But one suspects this was more a case of appeasing the feminist rights groups than outlining any future policy. Not only that, but even if the policy was changed, I doubt the welcome would be particularly warm. You’d presume the club would have to go to the trouble of building ladies’ locker rooms, and rewriting the dress code to allow skirts/blouses, etc. Sounds like far too much trouble for the Committee.

Item #3: Invite Yani Tseng to play in The Masters. Before you scoff, Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie both played on the PGA Tour, and although it would probably be frowned upon as a gimmick/publicity stunt, I’d argue all day with anyone that says the incredibly talented Yani Tseng wouldn’t have a better chance of winning than the likes of Sandy Lyle and Craig Stadler, both of whom are teeing it up next week. In terms of a public relations exercise, it could do wonders for the equality of women’s golf, whilst changing the perception of Augusta National as a stuffy, even bigoted institution. The younger generation of golfers and new audiences would welcome it, if not the traditionalists in their green blazers.

Like it or not, The Masters invite whoever they choose, and as highlighted above, they clearly invited Ryo Ishikawa for television purposes, so why not Yani Tseng? I’d bet that inviting her would have an even greater effect in that same, lucrative market.

Item #4: Allow an international corporation to sponsor The Green Jacket. Ah, the fabled Green Jacket. Nick Faldo was lambasted for wearing his on Wogan, Seve had to keep it from public knowledge that one of his two green jackets had escaped Magnolia Drive security and made it all the way to his trophy cabinet in Pedrena. Of course, this has the potential to be the greatest sell out in all of sport, but you wouldn’t have believed Augusta National would feature on a video game either! Just imagine the thousands of ‘replica green jackets’ being sold the length and breadth of pro shops all over the world. Bobby Jones would turn in his grave.

Item #5: Sell Green Fees – With members such as Bill Gates, and Warren Buffett to lean on, I doubt Augusta National will ever need to sell their soul to the golfing masses, but tough economic times call for tough measures. If Pebble Beach costs $500 per round, imagine what you could charge for a round at Augusta? Alright, so it’ll never happen, but I’d be intrigued to sit at the table when the committee floated a few price bands around. $10,000? $100,000? It’s probably the ‘in joke’ of the club.

Any other items?…

Tags: Amen Corner, Annika Sorenstam, Augusta National, Ben Crenshaw, Billy Payne, Bobby Jones, Clifford Roberts, Craig Stadler, Green Jacket, Hootie Johnson, Larry Mize, Martha Burk, Michelle Wie, Nick Faldo, Pebble Beach, Ryo Ishikawa, Sandy Lyle, The Masters, The Open, Yani Tseng
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Open Competitions – Making More of Golf Club Membership

March 15th, 2012

Persuading the ’nomadic’ golfer to join a golf club is a tall order. In the current economic climate, even the most ardent advocate of membership would concede that financial priorities, job security, and the international nature of work these days, mean that many are, quite understandably, reluctant to commit to life as a full golf club member. Making matters worse, the likes of 2-for-1 discount schemes leave many thinking they can play an awful lot of golf on a wide variety of courses for less than the cost of joining a club.

So, what needs to be done? Well, I’d be a wealthy man if I had a simple answer to that question, but highlighting the lesser-known benefits of membership may be a place to start. I’d like to focus on just one such benefit; something that I personally believe is largely underplayed by golf clubs and which answers many of the arguments put forward by the nomadic crowd – the Open Competition.

A criticism often cited by those who choose not to join a club is that it would make them feel obliged to play all their golf at the one venue. Well, ignoring the reciprocal arrangements many clubs have, open competitions provide the perfect riposte. Not only do you, as a club member, get access at exceptional value to other venues, but the privilege affords the very best tee times, a golf course presented in tip top condition, hospitality that would satisfy the fussiest of gastronomes, an opportunity to socialise, and the chance to walk away with a valuable asset from the prize table. I can recall playing many open events for around £30, many of which afforded a complimentary practice round as part of the deal, too. The open competition is much less a money-spinner than it is an invitation extended to other club members.

And the advantages extend beyond simply the enjoyment of the day itself. Longer term, there is a noticeable improvement to your game, too. Many people can hold a consistent handicap on their own course, but being able to maintain it on a variety of different and testing courses outside of your comfort zone is another challenge altogether. Playing in opens on new courses, and in tougher conditions (bear in mind the tees are usually on the stones, greens freshly cut, flags occasionally tucked away, etc) undoubtedly improves your game.

The sad thing is (and I say this at the risk of incurring the wrath of a few) not enough clubs actively promote open competition as invitations extended to their members. Of course, many do, but from conversations I’ve had with many golf club members, far too many golfers don’t even know such events and opportunities exist, so you would assume there are plenty that don’t. If you conducted a poll among golf club members, I wonder how many people would say they take advantage of the opportunity to visit other clubs for an open? It’s an opportunity wasted.

It doesn’t help when the entry forms and details are often found (or not, as the case may be) in a jumbled mess in the back of an A4 ring-binder. In case you’ve not seen this ring-binder, you’ll probably find it on top of the lockers in the gent’s changing room, under the pay phone, or behind the bar with the catering accounts. That said, you can find answers to the ‘where and whens’ most easily online now, so even that’s no excuse.

To be fair, the onus isn’t only on the club. Club members should take a more active role, and those that do would know of, and probably play in, various open competitions during the year. But wherever responsibility lies, clubs and their members are missing a trick. For a start, these days every golf club must have the names and email addresses of all of their members. Instead of printing out the odd entry form and hiding it in a dusty old ring-binder, is it too much to ask to send out details of upcoming local opens via email? A collaborative effort between host clubs would surely provide a collective benefit to their members and to the clubs themselves? Isn’t this an added value of membership that needs more exposure?

For golfers, I can only urge you to seek out the opportunity, and indeed play in as many open competitions as you can. The benefits speak for themselves.

Tags: Golf, Golf Membership, Nomadic Golfer, Open Competitions
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Best Of The Best

March 8th, 2012

If I told you there have only ever been 16 ‘Official World Number 1’ golfers, you’d assume the list would include Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Tom Watson, and the other greats of the post-war era. You’d be mistaken, though, as the ‘Official World Golf Rankings’ only came into being in the spring of 1986 and were first topped by a meticulous German by the name of Bernhard Langer, before Seve Ballesteros took over just a few weeks later. That was a period of great success for European golfers, which now seems to have returned with the top four spots currently occupied by Messrs McIlroy, Donald, Westwood and Kaymer.

For the majority of 2011, the merits of the accolade ‘World Number One’ though were being widely questioned, primarily because the two players that had amassed the most points were both ‘Majorless’, a title some would consider as a prerequisite to being regarded as the world’s best. This week just gone, Rory McIlroy put that argument to bed. Perhaps the debate will now turn to how long he’ll stay there. Well, we have to quibble over something.

In truth, while it’s a proud title to hold, if you hypothetically put all 16 golfers in a room at the end of their careers to discuss personal triumphs, the bragging rights will doubtless centre on the number of Majors won, rather than the number of weeks spent at ‘Number One’. I’m sure the banter would be worth hearing among this elite group, but it makes an interesting discussion for us fans, too.

With this in mind, how might we order the players who have reached this pinnacle of the game? Forget the statistics for a second and let’s go purely on talent and, for the sake of argument, let’s allow for future potential. If you had to pick your top five, who would you choose? Below is the list of 16 ‘World Number Ones’ in chronological order (could you name them all without the help of Google?). You can vote by clicking the link here.

Bernhard Langer