AUGUST NEWS...

Dear TSGers, we may be approaching the end of the summer, but there's plenty more golf to enjoy before the nights start drawing in! We still have the Fed-Ex Cup to enjoy, then there's the delayed 2020 Ryder Cup, and of course, our very own TSG MatchPlay Final (see below) at Farleigh Golf Club. All this and many more of your own events to enjoy too! Ian & The TSG Team

#TSGISAHAPPYPLACE   #BEHAPPY 

TSG OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP: In aid of the British Blind Open 2022

Nothing gives the TSG team more pleasure than seeing so many of you laughing and joking and being supportive of their fellow members, and this year's TSG OPEN was no different. 

So, after all the scorecards were counted up and verified, we are very pleased to announce we have two new TSG OPEN Champions...

Jill Daws & Daniel Manning 

The full list of winners from yesterday's event include:

Women's Trophy...

1st - Jill Daws - 29 Pts (on count-back)
2nd - Kate Tan - 29 Pts

Men's Trophy...

1st - Daniel Manning - 39 Pts

2nd - Steve Maggs - 34 Pts

3rd - John Cross - 33 Pts 

Golf News Guest Trophy...

1st - John Donaldson - 34 Pts

NP (14th hole) - John Barber

NP (17th Hole) - John Lyons

NP in two (13th hole) - John Donaldson

Straightest Drive (9th hole) - Barry Beard

Putting Competition  - Jill Daws

Yellow Ball Team Winners - Michael Pitter, Paul Houghton, Ron Jackman & John Donaldson

Trevor Sandford Trophy - Chip in Birdie - N/A

A note to everyone that attended - thank you so much for giving the day such an amazing atmosphere. We collectively raised £1500 to support next year's British Blind Open!

A big thank you to Mark Crane, whose contribution to the day is vital to its smooth running. Also a big thank you to TSGers Nigel Grant, Andy Coultrup and GOGOGO Sport for their donations to the raffle table.

That's all for now folks. See you at the TSG MatchPlay Finals Day in October!

TSG MATCHPLAY CHAMPIONSHIP: The Race to Farleigh GC

With the majority of the July ties now complete, our thoughts turn to the Quarter-Final draw and where things become very serious. The draw Quarter-Final is as follows:

1. Roger Dickson (FC) Vs David O'Connor or Chris Ford

2. James Blair Vs Tuan Nguyen

3. Drew Byles or David Johnson Vs Steve Slater

4. Andrew King (FC) Vs Matt Coffey

*FC = Former Champion

All ties are to be completed by Sunday 29th August. #ItsSqueekyBumTime   

TSG PRODUCT REVIEW: GoGoGo Sport Rangefinder 

We are always flattered when we are asked to review new gadgets and now that Rangefinders are legal to use in competition, it’s no surprise that well-established brands such as Bushnell and Golf Buddy sell well.  However, let’s see how one of the lesser-known brands stack up. With many GPS and Rangefinders now on the market, we test the GoGoGo Sport Rangefinder VPRO650.

Overall Look & Feel

On taking the VPRO GS24 Rangefinder out of its box, the first thing you notice is the feel of the silky rubber and the cool sleek design. Most manufacturers of golf equipment are keen to plaster their products with too many logos, product numbers and function detail. But here, the designers have resisted the temptation, and instead gone for a simple, clean and stylish finish, which I really like.

The soft-touch rubber casing makes the Rangefinder feel very comfortable in the hand and it feels like it could happily take some knocks without being too damaged. Also included is a handy strap to aid and steady the item when in use. In addition, there is also a sturdy, hard and compact carrying case. 

On the Course

The VPRO GS24 is very easy to use and whilst it took a few practice runs on the Putting Green, I was using this device successfully by the first green. Having only used other golfer’s Laser Rangefinders in the past (I have a VoiceCaddie), I didn’t really know what to expect.

However, I was very impressed, and it stood toe to toe with my GolfBuddy GPS without any contradiction on distance. In fact, it's the perfect addition, as my VoiceCaddy does not give me distances to bunkers or ditches.

There are two core buttons for you to use:

1. On/Off and Target LOCK
2. Set the distance currency you prefer e.g. Yards or Metres (very handy if you play golf courses in Europe or further afield)

You can also use the ‘focus’ wheel on the eyepiece to sharpen the image you are targeting, depending on your eyesight. Now, the real benefit over a GPS Caddie is the SLOPE setting. Yes, this baby allows for the gradient of the terrain, thus giving you pinpoint accuracy from anywhere... READ MORE >>

TSG LEADERBOARD: (sponsored by 2fore1.co.uk)

Tony Factor at Risebridge GC (again) with an EXCEPTIONAL = 43 pts. 

Well done to Tony, his first leaderboard win since joining the site in July 2020. This comes on the back of his first hole-in-one a few weeks earlier at the lovely Toot Hill. What a month for Tony!

The TSG GREEN towel is on its way to you and... 

Welcome to the 2022 TSG Masters Mr Factor!

H'cap change: 26.1 to 22.1!    

BUY YOUR OWN 'NAVY' TSG TOWEL >>

TSG BLOG PAGES: Recent Popular Articles by the TSG Team & Members

Whenever we can, we like to review courses, Golf equipment, and the latest Golf technology and apps available online.  Visit our Golf Blog pages for the latest insights and more...

•  Phi Golf the indoor golf simulator review >>

•  Golf the West Coast of Scotland >>

•  Rules of Golf 2019 >>

We believe that golfers should be able to play anywhere, at any time, whether they belong to a golf club or not. By joining The Social Golfer community, you can arrange games close to home or with over 6K+ UK golfers and 12K+ worldwide...

– Join Games and Societies in your area
– Track your Handicap
– Analyse & graph your game
– Get a Handicap certificate
– Compete in the TSG monthly leaderboard & win prizes
– Enter TSG events & tournaments
– Browse 25,000+ courses worldwide & read TSG members course reviews
– Join in chat and forums discussions
– Receive The TSG monthly Newsletter
– Book Tee Times Online

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Overlooking the fantastic Abama Golf Course and with some of the best golf courses in the Canary Islands within easy reach, the team at Golf Escapes are ready to help you with your next golfing holiday.

Make sure you mention The Social Golfer when contacting us for your special discount, and to find out more about other great golfing deals visit: www.golf-escapes.com

Course Review of the Month: Royal Cinque Ports GC, Sandwich, Kent.

"Beautiful, stunning, sublime BUT... "

I had the pleasure of being invited to play Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club recently, and thoroughly enjoyed the true test the course gave me!

Royal Cinque Ports GC is only a few steps from the host to this year's OPEN at Royal St.Georges and both clubs, along with Princes', make up the holy trinity of courses in Sandwich, on the Kent coast.

Now the good news is that I bothered to read the club website before attending, so I knew I would have to 'do' knee-length socks if I were to wear shorts on a warm summer's day. However, despite not having worn long socks since Junior school, I didn't look quite as ridiculous as I thought I would (although others may disagree!). So to the course...

This is, without doubt, as good a course I have played ANYWHERE!

The greens are immaculate and interesting (one was more akin to a skateboard park than a golf green!) and they are hard to read and QUICK! The tee boxes, fairways, and run-off areas are exceptional and a testament to the Greenkeepers.

Tee to green on the front nine might seem bland at times, but this is links golf and if you can avoid the long grass, stay straight, take into account the wind and the borrows, you'll have a brilliant day. We played the back nine in glorious amber twilight (we started at 5 pm), and the back nine displayed their undulating characteristics beautifully.

Holes 14-18 are particularly stunning with fairways at times looking like mogul fields on a ski resort, with long shadows accentuating the terrain even further. But if you miss 8 out of 18 fairways (as I did), be prepared for a frustrating day. Take my advice - if you lose a ball, DON'T look for it unless you have a VERY good idea where it is. The fescue here is punishing, so time spent looking for golf balls will only irritate you more. Just take your medicine and move on.

Now to the price. The standard green fee here is circa £180 per round. This is mainly designed to keep the riff-raff away, and as the US and Japanese tourists are more than happy to pay this figure, why shouldn't the club charge this. I would happily pay £60-70 to play here if the sunshine was guaranteed, as I consider it a treat to play on this type of links course, but I would feel short-changed if the rain fell and the wind blew.

So, all in all, a behemoth of a golf course. A delight to play, and one every golfer of circa 18 handicaps (or less) would enjoy. But if you're a high handicapper, look elsewhere - this place will eat you up. If you get the chance, just once, play this course!

Ian Mullins - Essex (H'cap 15)