Hi everyone,

Well the snow came at last this week but the good news is it hasn't settled, this time! You will all by now have seen the numerous paths that the greenstaff have started, if not finished, around the course so with these wet winters seemingly becoming the norm it is great to see that the course is becoming far more winterproof.

With the winter well and truly in mind I shall continue my walk through of the course and this week I start with our favourite hole the 7th!!

Hole 7 - 389/359 yards (Par 4)

I don't think I'm wrong in saying this is the hole that plays statistically the most easy compared to itself in the summer. The fairway that slopes away from us, holds instead of allowing the ball to bound through into trouble and the slopey green (??!!) is not nearly as scary as in the summer when some pin positions border on completely unfair. So what can we learn about how to play the hole?

Firstly the tee shot; if you are a reasonably big hitter and haven't got a pronounced draw (like yours truly) then you will feel comfortable about hitting over the corner of the trees. The difference at the moment is that you can afford to hit so much more club than in the summer. Off the back tee in calm conditions in the summer I would hit a 3-iron or maybe a hybrid with a fade. From the front tee, where the mat currently is, in the winter I would use a 3-wood almost every time as the ball will basically stop dead. Exactly the same is true of the shorter hitters - club up! In the winter this hole becomes a 3-shotter for many of you and this actually makes it easier and a better way to play the hole. Don't bite off too much on the tee shot - hit a straight ball at the black and white post and then lay up just short! Again the ball will stop quickly and the third then becomes far easier than in the summer.

Now the real tip for the 7th hole - In summer conditions when you have hit a good drive and can easily reach the green - DON'T bail out right! It is NOT the safe shot as so many think it is. If you get pin high or further you now have no shot at all and will always drop at least one shot. No matter what the pin position - go for it! I guarantee if you do then over a reasonable period of time you will save shots on this hole. Clearly if you hit a bad shot and go right that is one of those things and you may have to take your medicine but don't aim there as so many do.

IF you are very scared of bunkers or are unsure about reaching easily with a mid iron or shorter then there are two possibilities - firstly, lay up short in the fairway and chip and run onto the green, and secondly, if you're good enough, aim left of the bunkers and leave yourself a chip up the green from below the hole, but don't block yourself out behind a tree. The second is really for the people who can get there and this is why we should go for the pin. Short and left is the easiest chip by a long way. Long and anywhere right is all but impossible. I have learned the hard way here and always go for the flag making sure that I err on a draw swing. The last thing I want is to lose it right.

Hole 8 - 249/194 yards (Par 3)

Our favourite par 4 - Sorry, I meant par 3!! That may be a bit of an in-joke but actually there is something in it. How would you view the hole if it was suddenly called a par 4? Suddenly it's a great birdie chance and not nearly as scary! Your attitude would change and I bet, again over a reasonable period, most would score lower on the hole! It even happens on tour - most of the long par 4s play to an average of about 4.5 and the par 5s of possibly up to 100 yards longer play to the same average!! So we can clearly see how mental this is and how it affects us.

How would you view the hole in summer conditions at 235 yards if it was a par 4? Would you not feel much happier knocking something down the hole short of the green and chipping in for a possible birdie but a safe par? I think you would. Instead as a par 3 we all feel under pressure to hit the ball as far as we can even though that is precisely the shot that can get us in the most trouble! Even the low handicappers should think about this. We should definitely go for the green but if I knew it was a par 4 I would be wanting to give myself the easiest opportunity to make 3. I would not want to go long or big right! So an easy swing with enough club at the front left would most often be the best play. Higher handicappers and shorter hitters should again hit an easy shot for the middle left of the fairway short of the green and then chip to the flag.

So next time you're at the 8th think of it as a par 4 and what you might do if it was. DO NOT let you ego get involved and make you hit a risky shot at the green, which is probably a low percentage shot for you anyway, with trouble everywhere!!

As we struggle with our cold and wet conditions, it's lovely (or is it annoying?) to see the players on tour in the Middle East. Rory McIlroy is playing incredibly well and he is looking a very good bet for The Masters in early April (which we will be doing a sweep for - watch this space!!).

You will all have seen him and the other Nike Tour players using the new Vapor drivers, woods and irons. I have just received my new set including the driver and I can honestly say it is one of the best looking clubs I have seen from Nike (and I am not prone as you all know to gratuitous flattery for sales sake). You will know these clubs from the neon green on the bottom and the same green swoosh on the irons. We have just received our first supply of these clubs so please come in and have a look at them - I promise you they will not disappoint you and neither should our prices. The drivers start at £219.95 for the fixed head version and fairways at £139.95. Demos are in stock so now is the time to try them. Click here to book a fitting.

To complement this we are now an official PING Fitting Centre. We have always fitted PING but now we will have all the shafts and heads in stock so that we can custom fit you exactly. This system will be arriving shortly so along with the Nike Vapor range I think it will be a busy year!!

Come in and see us soon even if the weather puts you off playing. We still have SALE items and new crested Lambswool items in stock so there is plenty to keep you happy. Simon and I are of course available for lessons and there are special deals that we can offer you for this early season period.