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Welcome to Septembers' Newsletter

Finally we can say, 'we have actually had a summer this year'!  It was tremendous to see so many friendly faces enjoying their time at the RWNGC.  Thank you to everyone who popped into the shop to say hello and for the many compliments on the shop refurbishment.

It’s one of those wonderful years this year. You know, the ones where the Majors are finished and just as you begin to think the end of the season is here along comes one of the greatest team events in world sport…the Ryder Cup.

Gleneagles hosts this year’s event which promises to be another great match, even if one side seems to be going in as hot favourites (I’ll let you decide which team to avoid jinxing anything).

We take a look ahead to those matches this month as well as giving you the opportunity to win some of PING Collection’s new Typhoon waterproof chinos.

Hybrids are the focus of this month’s Product Spotlight and we also have a section in Teaching Zone to help you decide which is best for your game and how to ensure you get the most out of these versatile clubs.

As always, if there is anything you’d like to talk about regarding your game please do not hesitate to pop into the Pro Shop and speak to one of us.

Please Can You Help Me?

As you are well aware, we are very much a seasonal club and a high percentage of our shop sales occur during the summer.  I have already mentioned to a few people, that Jaimie is trying to improve my presence on the internet as we hope to be able to sell club crested items via our website soon, thus hopefully extending our season further. 

In order to help with this it would be really kind if anyone with a Google+ account could leave a review  based on any recent contact with either myself or the shop (link). This will help improve my rankings on the internet and the number of people that see my profile.  Please note that you may be asked to create a Google+ account to do so which is quite tricky so we fully understand if you opt not to leave a review!

Another way that Jaimie would like to promote our links within the community is to offer any members with local businesses the opportunity to link to our website with up to 100 words describing their business in return offering us the same courtesy.  Please email if you are interested.

Pro Shop News

I am off to the USA from Thursday 11th September for 10 days golf with my brother.  Needless to say I am a little nervous as my brother seems to be playing a lot of golf in his new naval posting in Washington, certainly more than I have of late, and still claims a rather fictitious 15 handicap!

Whilst I am away, the shop will be well manned by my trusty colleagues should you need any assistance.

Fashion Focus

As the nights draw in and the temperature starts to drop it’ll soon be time to start putting layers on again rather than taking them off.

To make sure we help you to be ready for the colder months we will have in stock a wide range of winter clothing in the Pro Shop.

With the popularity of our recent range of Peter Millar trousers we have ordered in some autumnal colours - we will keep you informed of their arrival via Google plus and Facebook.

Arriving shortly we will also have a good range of both Glenbrae and Murray Golf lined sweaters to keep you toasty in our Brancaster wind!

Reopening of Teaching Studio

We are pleased to announce that the teaching studio will be reopening on Wednesday 1st October.

Ex-Demo Sale

Starting on the 11th September we will be reducing all Titleist ex-demo rescues, fairways and drivers - hurry, only available at heavily reduced prices while stocks last.

Teaching Zone

Choosing Your Hybrid

Over the past 15 - 20 years there have been some significant advances in club design and technology. Without doubt one of the most significant has been the hybrid club, which combines the good or desirable qualities of the iron and fairway wood into one club.

Most golfers will benefit from a hybrid as they are easier to hit solid and higher than long irons. Generally they will hit further than their equivalent iron, and many cases, nearly as far as fairway metal woods. They are also far easier to hit from rough than fairway woods, or irons.

Given the versatility and the advantages it is not surprising they have grown in popularity among both professionals and club players alike.

Selecting a Hybrid that fits your game is fairly simple. First you need to determine what irons or fairway metals you want to substitute the hybrids for.

It would be recommended to start with the longest iron you have least confidence in and go from there. For example, if you are a poor or average long iron player and a 3-iron is the longest iron you carry, substitute it for a 20 to 22 degree. Like fitting any club taking into consideration the following will help ensure you make the right choice.

Shaft - steel or graphite?
As with all clubs it is a good idea to try if you are unsure, however there is no doubt graphite is the most popular and tends to give the best results.

Shaft Flex
Match up with your irons and fairway woods. If your ball flight is low the chances are your shafts are too stiff.

Lie Angle
Very important fitting specification. Make sure the lie angle is not too upright as it often can be in hybrids.

Shaft Length
The hybrid should be half to one inch longer than the next iron. In other words, shaft lengths vary in all hybrids, so make sure it fits between your irons and fairway metal woods.

Offset or No Offset
Depends on personal preference and what your current clubs already are. Offset can help if you really struggle getting the ball up in the air or your tendency is to slice.

Grip
Match up the size so that it is the same as the other clubs in your set.

Speak to your PGA professional
As always the best way to ensure you get the perfect club to suit your game and take the guess work out of the process.  After all, that is what I am here for!

 

Escaping wet bunkers

There is a very good chance that it will rain at some point during the three days of play at Gleneagles. After all, it is September and it is Scotland.

As a consequence the 24 players contesting for the famous gold trophy will face having to play bunker shots from wet sand.

Unless their ball is embedded it is unlikely they will be troubled by this any more than they are when playing from dry sand. In fact, it could be argued that in many respects they may actually find it easier.

Unfortunately for many club players wet sand only adds to the difficulty of escaping from green side bunkers, which is often due to applying the wrong technique and playing the wrong club.

Many club golfers will play a pitching/sand wedge with a square face and try to nip the ball cleanly off the top of the sand, which is an extremely risky strategy.

Provided your general bunker play is okay the first aspect of playing a wet bunker shot is to understand the function of both your sand wedge and lob wedge.

The sole on the sand wedge has bounce, which in dry sand helps the club slide through and not dig in.

However, in wet sand that same characteristic can cause the club to skid resulting in the potential for thinning.

The correct method is to use your lob wedge which has little or no bounce. Open the clubface slightly to take the leading edge out of play, and then just swing normally feeling that you are slapping the sand. The firmer the sand the harder you should slap down on it in order to get under the ball.

The result will be a shallow divot, and the ball will come out with quite a bit of spin. If you do not have a lob wedge, use your pitching wedge, with the same technique.

Finally remember that the ball will come out faster and further than normal which has to be allowed for.