Hi everyone,  

Well hasn't the weather been amazing? We are currently in yet another beautiful period of weather and with the golf course having had some rain recently you would do well to ever see it looking better. 

It really is amazing just what a drop of rain can do isn't it? All of a sudden grass verges have exploded and flowers have burst into life, and so it is with the golf course. Unfortunately water from a tap just isn't the same. It helps but it will not do what rain water will due to the chemicals present and the lack of natural minerals. It's pretty clear now why the greens were suffering a little this winter but thankfully they have improved fantastically in just a week or two. It all bodes well for a great summer so enjoy every minute you can.


 

Hole 13: 

Something new - a par 3 without something to carry. This makes this hole easier in one way but sometimes these holes can be hard to club. Do you bounce it short or carry it all the way? If you do it's the kind of flat green that your ball can easily slip off. The truth is that this hole is only a little tricky because of its length. A mid iron for most but possibly a wood of some kind for the short hitters. However, the same rules apply on this hole as for other par 3s. Have enough club and swing smoothly. 

If you are ever on a par 3 and standing over the ball you are thinking you need to hit the ball hard then you are making a mistake. When you are a touring pro and your form will be that good no matter how hard you swing (and even they get it wrong) then maybe, but for us mortals the sensible thing is to have enough club so that you feel you can swing smoothly. It will pay you dividends! Having said all of that, where is the best place to miss this green? Short! There's nothing there so if you are unsure then play for the front and you will rarely get in trouble.



Hole 14: 

The new ditch has made this one of the best holes on our course now. You have to respect the drive no matter how far you hit the ball. The ditch pushes you wide towards the road and if you have driver in your hand then we all know the road is in play.  

Unfortunately the severity of the green, which for the most part slopes dramatically back to front, means that I want a short iron in here so I've got to be bold off the tee. That might only mean a hybrid off the tee but you've got to be positive. For the shorter hitters it's the second and third shot that will decide your hole. You have to avoid the fairway bunker and then the green side bunker that can be a graveyard for many. However, you can't bale out too far left as the ditch will get you.  And this is why it's a good hole. It's a test and you just have to play well all the way, even though it's not long. (This is exactly how courses like St. Augustines should be set up - we cannot add another 1,000 yards to our course but we can make it attractive and interesting to play with holes that make you think.).  

So once you've negotiated the fairway and bunkers you now have a tricky green. The hardest pin position for me is the back one on the plateau. The best players know their distances and hit them consistently so they can still get close. The key, once again, is to respect it. A long putt up the slope to the back pin is very hard to get right so be bold with your approach. If you go slightly long do what you know you can - if that means putter then so be it. Get out of here without too much damage and you've done ok. Make birdie, which is more than possible, and you've gained on the field. Really good hole.



Hole 15: 

Know your distances! When you can't see the bottom of the flag it's strange how it affects us. We suddenly struggle to judge the distance. Why? The truth is it's just psychological. What difference does it make whether we can see the bottom of the flag? Surely you still just need to hit your shot? Very true but it's strange what it does. The one thing I can say from experience is that this kind of hole, and this one in particular, really shows up whether you really know how far you hit your clubs. 

You have to clear the hump and by several yards, period. It doesn't matter what pin position there is, you mustn't flirt with it. If you are really short then you shouldn't even be aiming that way - there's quite a big area left of the hump so pay for that and the ball will run to the side of the green. Take your chances from there. Get stuck on the hump and most of you will take five or more.  The key here then is to have the correct club in your hand and to then commit to it. If it's wrong then so be it but don't let not seeing the base of the flag make you quit on the shot. Hit it, find it, hit it again!


Now, everyone will hit bad shots, so not all your shots will be going exactly the same length with one club - but it will be close. You not only need to know how far you hit your clubs, but also exactly how far it is to the hole, which brings us on to this...


 

Everyone Needs To Know This..

There's one thing that all amateurs and professionals agree on - everyone needs to know the distance to the flag. We have teamed up with Garmin for a special Father's Day offer, but these are a perfect gift for any golfer (whether you are a father or not), and are even a great way to treat yourself. We are offering 3 Garmin units at a special discount price, which will see you save £30-£50:

• Garmin Approach S20 was £199 - NOW £169, save £30
• Garmin Approach G8 was £359 - NOW £309, save £50
• Garmin TruSwing was £129 - NOW £99, save £30

If you need some advice on buying for someone else come and see us in-store or click here for more info.