With the dancing feet, quirky mannerisms, a swing with more changes of direction than Pistorious Testimony and a giant pink candy cane for a driver you`d be mistaken for thinking that Bubba Watson was the campest Jedi Knight in the Universe! (Obi -have Kenobi, Luke Skymincer……Yoga!?)
Anyway, after his performance last Sunday (and the entire Tournament actually) you could definitely tell "the force was strong in him". Most Green Jackets are won by the player who Masters the treachery of Augusta`s undulating greens but with the enormity and accuracy of Bubbas towering Tee Shots his success was built on the foundation of being able to play virtually a different golf course to the rest! Hitting Wedges to most holes but especially Par 5`s when others were at best hitting long irons & hybrids and at worst having to lay up. You could go as far to say that with his enormous right to left (for a south paw) bending drives Bubba was quite the Deft Fader!
Another great Masters event though, and Bubba was most definitely a worthy winner with the sort of swash buckling flamboyance that the late great Seve would`ve been proud of. And quite fitting on the week of the Spanish Maestros birthday that Watson won his second Green Jacket with that style, and it was nice that Bubba was able to share it with his recently adopted son. Maybe in later years he`ll have to use the line "No, I am your father!"??
It would`ve been equally as fitting an achievement if 20 Year Old Jordan Spieth had hung on to win his 1st Major in Seve`s birthday week and with Tiger Woods missing from the field. These guys were the previous 2 "Youngest Winners" but Jordan would`ve eclipsed them both. As it was a little stumble around the turn saw Spieth lose his lead and he never recovered, or should I say Watson never let him in. But at one point when the youngster was on top of the leaderboard, I did think to myself that this could be the first time the Sun Newspaper would`ve had a headline about Jordan on the BACK pages!! Maybe if the hole cups were as big as her cups he might have finished the job off!? But his rise to greatness is well on the way and I`ll be very surprised if he is not pegging it up at Gleneagles this September.
A few Europeans did their chances of making the team no harm with good performances from the man that sounds like a Scandinavian Teeth Whitening product, Jonas Blixt and the evergreen (or is it Rioja Red!?) Miguel Angel Jimenez had brilliant Top 5 finishes and but for a +9 over par 81 Stephen Gallacher had a very creditable 1st Masters with all of his 3 other rounds being Par or better!
But it wasn`t just 50 year old Jimenez that faired well for the Seniors! There were six 50+ players who made the cut, of which Bernhard Langer posted another Top 10 finish in his 31st Masters appearance. Fred Couples was very much in contention until a poor back 9 dropped him back to 20th position and even Sandy Lyle made the cut which meant his last round on Sunday was his 100th overall at Augusta. What I did notice about these Vet`s though were none of them had their trousers tucked into their socks to keep them clean, none had their Tee Pegs tied together with string so they didn`t lose them, none of them used a ball scoop when they hit it in the water and none of them picked their ball out the hole with a rubber sucker on the end of their putter!!
Not all the "oldies" at Augusta faired that well though with Ben Crenshaw propping up the field on Friday night! His score was getting so high that he started counting it in "Under 5`s!" as we`ve all done in the past!! Ha! His woe wasn`t all in vein though as his gross 85 meant he was the "Highest round of the Week" which pocketed Iain Hamilton almost as much money as Ben himself made that week! I`m of course talking about the results of my Masters Sweep!
Here is how the Prizes panned out!
U.S. Masters Sweep
1st - £100 Bubba Watson - Gary McKenzie(All monies are shop account credit)
2nd = £70 Jonas Blixt - Not Picked
2nd = £70 Jordan Spieth - Norman Morrison
4th - £40 Miguel Angel Jimenez - Andy Hutton
5th = £10 Matt Kuchar - Not Picked
5th = £10 Ricky Fowler - Not Picked
Lowest Round Of The Week - £30 Miguel Angel Jimenez - Andy Hutton
Highest Round Of The Week - £30 Ben Crenshaw - Iain Hamilton
Dead Last After 72 Holes - £30 Larry Mize - Not Picked
There was a Lucky Dip Prize draw for the Golf Balls for the extra Money and the winners of a dozen Balls each were: Craig Paterson & Robert Aird.
Well done to everyone who got lucky!
Gary McKenzie Norman Morrison Andy Hutton
Ian Hamilton Craig Paterson Robert Aird
The only golf of note from here on the Eastwood links was last week's Thursday Medal. It`s still early days for many of you to get out playing in these after work but for the lucky few who could squeeze a round in there was some excellent Scoring again.
Thursday Medal Results
1st: Scott Sutherland 79(13) - 66 2nd: David March 72(5) - 67 3rd: John Harkness 92(25) - 67
David March John Harkness
Lets hope the nice few days of weather we`ve had this week continue into the weekend and we can finally get a dry day spell over a weekend. It would certainly help for this Saturdays April Medal (and 1st Cappro Cup Qualifier - Remember you`ve got to be in it to score points so sign up before you play!)
Last weekend's weather meant you would`ve been off your trolley to venture out in that! Which brings me nicely to some new product that has arrived in store. As everyone knows Eastwood provides just as much of a physical endurance as it does a test of golf so a way that many of our golfers tackle that is with a good Trolley.
Whether you still feel too young for a power trolley or definitely want the help that a motor gives you we have a fantastic range of Push & Power Trolley`s to help you get around your round!
And to give you an idea of the extremes of the weather last weekend we had the final of the Winter League in quite apt conditions as you can see below. The match saw Doug Buchan & Darrin Kirk take on Craig Paterson & Jim Crilley. Unfortunately for Craig his luck clearly was set aside for the Masters Prize Draw and with some dogged play from Doug & Darrin they ran out winners! Then fast forward 48 hours and we were treated to a huge shift in conditions (Second picture)
Push Trolley
Masters 3 Series - ONLY £60
Motocaddy S1 Lite - ONLY £99
iCart 1-Click - ONLY £120 Power Trolley
Motocaddy S1 - ONLY £299 (Plus FREE Accessories Station)
Motocaddy S3 - ONLY £399 (Plus FREE Accessories Station)
Coming Soon
Powakaddy F1 - ONLY £299
Powakaddy F3 - ONLY £349
There are also still a few tickets left in my PENNY PRIZE DRAW!
This is how it works!
Tickets are numbered 001 to 500
How much you pay per ticket (in pence) depends on the number you draw. For instance Ticket number 032 will cost you a whopping 32p!! 001 is obviously 1p and ticket 500 is 500p so the most you will pay for a ticket is £5!
Top Prize will be a Motocaddy S3 Power Trolley worth £399! Surely that's worth buying at least one ticket for!
If all 500 Tickets are sold then there will be 10 Great Prizes up for grabs from the Trolley, Callaway Drivers, Wedges, Shoes, Bags & Putters.* (*This is a Prize Draw so all items won can not be exchanged for other goods or credited to account)
*Numbers 1 and 500 have still to be picked out incidentally!
Sky Sports coverage of the Masters started with the Build Up and Preview programs at the beginning of the week and I there was a small part of me quite happy to see that even the sacred links of Augusta was getting hammered with some heavy rain as it seems over here in Scotland, and especially Eastwood, it has been particularly persistent precipitation! (try saying that when you`re pis…..a little tipsy!)
But maybe it`s a different kind of trolley you`d prefer to fill!? Especially you ladies, so why not keep this date in your diary and come along and support our now annual LADIES FASHION SHOW!
This coming Wednesday 23rd April I will again be hosting our festival of fashion, showcasing many of this years Ladies Clothing Ranges. On show and available to order that night will be the following brands:
adidas, Green Lamb, Galvin Green, Glenmuir and newcomers Rheign with all the Representatives for their respective companies on hand to give advice on the product, let you try things on and take orders of the things you like.
Here are the details:
LADIES FASHION SHOW
Date: Wednesday 23rd April Venue: Main Lounge Time: 7 For 7.30pm Start Cost: FREE!
If this is something you`d like to come along to then just let us know in the Professional Shop (for numbers purposes) And remember this is an open House Night so any friends and guests are more than welcome to attend.
We also have some terrific "Trade In" Savings to be had as well!
SHOE TRADE IN - If you give us any old pair of Golf Shoes you can save Up To £20 OFF a pair of FootJoy* or adidas** Shoes. (*FJ DryJoy Tour = £20 Trade In Value or FJ Contour = £10 Trade In Value / **adidas adizero One = £20 Trade In Value or adidas Golflite Traxion = £10 Trade In Value)
BATTERY TRADE IN - Simply give us your old Trolley Battery and you will get £25 OFF the cost of a new light weight, extended warranty* Lithium Battery (+ Charger) *5 Year Sliding Scale Warranty: 2 Years = Full Warranty, 3rd Year = 75% Warranty, 4th Tear = 50% Warranty, 5th Year = 25% Warranty.
WEDGE TRADE IN - Exchange any old worn out wedge for a shiny new Cleveland Wedge in either Tour Chrome or Black Pearl finish and receive £25 OFF the Price!! That`s only £64 for a Top of the Range wedge, and we can offer both demo Wedges to try them out first AND a proper Wedge Fitting session that covers the best Lie, Length, Bounce & Loft configuration for your game!
And remember, if we don`t have it in store we can get it in a flash. And now I have my in store "Click & Collect" Area so we can quickly and easily find you exactly what you are after and still with all the hassle free, convenient service of a product bought in store.
I`m sure after last weekend's coverage you were slightly in awe of Bubbas incredible driving distances! But a point of note which I hear all the time from people who claim they "Hit their driver too high!" Bubba was carrying his drives over 100+ foot trees so don`t think that height is a killer in a drive. Trajectory however is a completely different kettle of fish!
The highest point of a flight (optically) can be achieved in different ways. Many golfers consider their drives to be "too high" because the ball climbs to that height because there is too much spin on the ball! This makes the ball stall in the air and fall quickly with reduced carry and no roll, whereas other golfers who seem to hit the ball with similar (or more) height get much more carry AND roll because they have LAUNCHED the ball on that trajectory with much less spin. A good way to understand this is to visualize an under arm serve in tennis to an over arm serve. At a certain point they will be at the same height but the trajectory and the way they are propelled to that height are very different.
This is why Radar aided fitting is so important these days. It allows us to find out exactly what aspect of your driving needs improved to allow you to achieve your optimum Launch Conditions. Is it more loft you need to improve your launch, a different face angle to influence your Spin Rate and shot shape or perhaps a different shaft to help compliment your swing speed and trajectory better.
Remember we can do all this for you right here on your door step and another thing to consider, I`m not brand driven meaning I will advise you on what's best for your improvement. I could be a new driver, it might be I suggest ways to improve your technique or as has happened on a few occasions I will tell you that what you`ve got or what you do is as good as you`ll find.
So why not take the first step to better, longer drives book in for a Driver Fitting today.
For the 2014 Season I have introduced a new structure of my Coaching.
Consultation "Performance Analysis & Overview" (2 Hour Session) - £75
This session contains a detailed assessment of your game and your goals! Important performance data is recorded using Flightscope which alongside a comprehensive Skills Test and questionnaire allow a "Plan For Progress" to be created specifically for your game. *Anyone who takes this assessment automatically qualifies for a 10% Reduction on all future Lessons & Packages that season.
Playing Lesson: "Take It To The Course" (2 Hour Session) - £75*
This On Course Session focuses predominantly on your ability to manage your game and the course, mental approach, visualisation, routine, green reading, rules, etiquette and shot execution. Whilst how to play certain types of shots will be covered technique and swing changes will kept for on the Practice Range.
Scoring Zone: "The Ultimate Shortgame Session" (2 Hour Session) - £75*
The ideal way to make significant and lasting improvements to the one area of the game that guarantees lower scores! This session contains a detailed assessment of your Shortgame "Strengths & Weaknesses", a skills test, Computerized Putter & Stroke Analysis, Green Reading & Pace Control as well as an overview of Pitching & Bunker technique, Chipping method and shot choices.
Complete Game Package: "Top To Toe Improvement" (3x 45 Minute Session) - £105*
This Package focuses on every aspect of your game where you will be given analysis and advice on how to improve your Tee To Green Game (Session 1 - Long Game), your Approach Play (Session 2 - Shortgame) and your Putting Prowess (Session 3 - Putting)
Development Plan Package: "The Game Changer" (4x 45 Minute Session) - £140*
This Package is the ideal way to make simple, effective and long lasting improvements to your game. Whether it is focusing on one particular aspect or gaining knowledge and adding improvement to every department of your golf game.
Individual LessonPrices
30 Minute Lesson - £30*
45 Minute Lesson - £35*
60 Minute Lesson - £40*
Group Tuition
2 People (1 Hour) - £30PP
3 People (1 Hour) - £20PP
4 People (1 Hour) - £15PP
Junior Tuition
30 Minute Lesson - £20
3 Lesson Package - £45
DRIVER FITTING
Specification Fitting & Set Up Only (Make & Model already established) FREE
*Includes Flightscope Radar Fitting - 30 Minutes
Full Fitting Experience (Requirements Unknown) - £30
*Includes Flightscope Radar Fitting, Analyse current Driver, Trial New Driver options, custom fit to players Spec. - 60 Minutes (£15 Comes off purchase price - £15 given back as Shop Voucher for future/additional purchase)
IRON FITTING
Specification Fitting & Set Up Only (Make & Model already established) FREE
*Includes Flightscope Radar Fitting - 30 Minutes
Full Fitting Experience (Requirements Unknown) - £30
*Includes Flightscope Radar Fitting, Analyse current Irons, Trial New Iron options, custom fit to players Spec. - 60 Minutes (£15 Comes off purchase price - £15 given back as Shop Voucher for future/additional purchase)
PUTTER FITTING
Specification Fitting & Set Up Only (Make & Model already established) FREE
*Includes Tomi Putting Analyser Fitting - 30 Minutes
Full Fitting Experience (Requirements Unknown) - £30
*Includes Tomi Putting Analyser Fitting, Analyse current Putter, Trial New Putter options, custom fit to players Spec. - 60 Minutes (£15 Comes off purchase price - £15 given back as Shop Voucher for future/additional purchase)
FULL BAG FITTING
Specification Fitting & Set Up Only (Make & Model already established) - £30
*Includes Flightscope Radar & Tomi Putting Analyser Fitting - 60 Minutes
(£15 Comes off purchase price - £15 given back as Shop Voucher for future/additional purchase)
Full Fitting Experience (Requirements Unknown) - £50 £50
*Includes Tomi Putting Analyser Fitting, Analyse current Putter, Trial New Putter options, custom fit to players Spec. - 120 Minutes (£30 Comes off purchase price - £20 given back as Shop Voucher for future/additional purchase)
To book a lesson or fitting, click here
Members Birthdays This Week
19th - Ken Cunningham, Anna Hunte,r Gibby McKinlay and Ian Wallace
20th - Ian McDermid, Maureen McNair, Craig Campbell, George Coleman, Stephen Warner and Ross Hunter
21st - Alistair Brow,n Colin D Reid and Mark Cox
22nd - Ross Moffat and Martin Allan
23rd - Richard Weames, Jim Wright Andrew G Hutton and Stephen Scott
24th - Craig McKinnon
25th - Douglas Griffin, Lesley Baillie, David Baxter and Andrew Dalziell
26th - Jean Tait and Jim McGuire
