And the Oscar goes to...

Yes, he's been holding on to that floating door for 19 years, endured a Civil War in Sierra Leone and wolfed down all snorts on Wall Street but finally Leonardo DiCaprio has been recognised by the Academy of Film for essentially wrestling with a bear and sleeping inside a horses stomach….so not much different to Luke Skywalker in The Empire Strikes Back then?

I have to say Leo is one of my favourite actors and very rarely seems to make bad films or put in poor performances, so I think it`s fair to say that he probably deserved this award. For those of you who haven`t seen 'The Revenant' it is definitely worth watching for DiCaprio`s performance alone, for those of you who did go to see it……..you're probably still there wondering "will this ever end!???" 

In fact that trip to the Cinema was probably a close comparison to DiCaprio's work, starting out all suave thinking, "Go to see a Film!? Oh yes, I`ll drink to that!" then end up a bedraggled, beat up mess after hours of physical and psychological endurance hoping "Just please let me survive this!"

All kidding aside the Cinematography in The Revenant was incredible, and from what I can gather, the majority was shot on location with very little use of CGI and just shows the advancements in Film making. But that said, it was ironic that all the discussion surrounding this year's Oscars was centred around Black & White Movies!.......those that didn`t have Black actors and those that did have White ones! This caused some of the industries coloured actors & actresses to boycott the ceremony in protest that there weren`t any black nominees! But there weren`t any last year either (in the categories Best actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor & Best Supporting Actress), in fact you have to go back to 2013 to find the last black nominee, Lupita Nyong'o, who won Best Supporting Actress that year. But as the host of this year`s Awards ceremony, Chris Rock, who incidentally is a Black Comedian, quite rightly pointed out, these are awards for acting….there shouldn't be any prejudice or segregation at all! There shouldn`t be a Best Male or Female, just Best Acting Performance. Denzel Washington, Forrest Whittaker and Jamie Foxx have all won Best Actor in the past. Morgan Freeman & Cuba Gooding Jnr too have collect Oscars. Halle Berry, Mo`Nique, Jennifer Hudson and Whoopi Goldberg have all won Academy Awards in the female categories.

Surely it SHOULD be a case of black and white? But simply it's either a great performance or it's not! Nothing more, nothing less. The biggest problem with awarding accolades like these is that it is all done based on opinion…….that will always create a divide.

I think that's why I like sport so much, especially golf. It is so multi-cultural now, but most importantly everyone is judged on their ability and success is rewarded purely on their performance. Green Jackets and Claret Jugs aren`t handed out because a small band of glitterati at Augusta or The R&A have decided they like this players performance better than that players this week.

Best score wins! Simple. How you get to that score is your choice, there`s no script…..just a stage.


 

Well actually most weeks there are 2 stages. One in America and one in Europe. Taking the applause this week were 2 players used to playing the Lead Roles. Adam Scott and Louis Oosthuizen are Major Champions, but equally both you might say are trying to rediscover their Golden Globes! For Oosthuizen his has been a battle back from an injury plagued spell since winning the Open at St Andrews and losing a Playoff at the US Masters. For Scott it has been coming to terms with the new Non-Anchored Putting legislation, and after his display last weekend on the greens, he might just be in the running for the Best Non-Supported Anchor Award!

Both the Aussie & the Springbok are two of the games sweetest swingers (their golfing technique that is not their wife swapping tendencies!) They hit it long, straight, have great short games and sound bunker abilities, but for both they all too often fluffed their lines when their putter developed a stutter!

Which brings me to another interesting similarity between the players. They have both adopted almost identical putting techniques in an attempt to overcome their putting demons. It`s what is affectionately known as the 'Saw Grip' whereby the left hand is on fairly conventionally whilst the right, slightly split from the left, clasps the handle right in the crook between the thumb and forefinger with the palm facing the body and the fingers running parallel to the body. This allows the right arm to work back and forth along the target/stroke line much like a joiners elbow would move back and through as if he was sawing some wood. 

Ocht, just look at the pictures to See Saw! Hopefully now their putting won`t be so up and down!

So these guys swing similarly, putt similarly and have had similar form recently….I`m starting to think they are copying one another, especially when you think that while Oosthuizen was winning the ISPS Handa International that over the water (The Pacific Ocean not the Atlantic) in Florida, Scott was winning The Honda Classic. I wonder if they were both making a "Wish Called Honda!".

The one aspect that you would never get them confused on is appearance! Although it's actually Louis who has the Film Star looks as his Nickname on Tour is Shrek! But I`m wondering if after the weekend that his fellow Tour Pro's are starting to call Adam Scott 'The Revenant' as, like DiCaprio`s character, he too survived the deadly beartrap and lived to tell the tale!

This week sees both Tours end up at the same venue as the WGC visits Trump National Doral! The way things are going in that man's quest to turn the White House gold, that has to be a movie in the making!? "The First Lady & The Trump!"??


 

Now, comparing my empire to Donald Trump's is a bit like comparing Gladiator to a Primary 3 Nativity Play! Never-the-less I am always striving to put on the best show possible for you guys. I squeezed in my holiday at the end of February because I knew when I arrived back I would be coming into "Silly Season - Take II".

From Monday, 29 February up to the time of typing (Wed 2nd) we had received 40 boxes of new stock to deal with. There`s been that much cardboard stuffed around the shop that it started to look like a set from Crossroads! I'll apologise now for the clutter and mess, but think of this like the production & editing stages, and rest assured the shop will take shape over the next few weeks and will be looking amazing for the Worldwide Premier (or start of the season!).

Hitting the shelves this week has been:

- Clothing from Under Armour (Check out their product range here)
- Clothing and Shoes (Check out their product range here)
- Shoes from FootJoy (Check out their product range here)
- Bags, Wedges & Accessories from TaylorMade (Check out their product range here)
- Bags & Woods from Callaway (Check out their product range here)


 

Whilst there are plenty of new products bursting through the door, we still have some fantastic deals on certain products that are itching to go the other way out the door and find a new home.

Right now I`m giving away a: 

Galvin Green Gore-tex Jacket AND Matching Galvin Green Insula Top FOR ONLY £170! That's Over £150 of a Saving! (M-XXL Available) 

Or if that isn`t a good enough deal for you then how about a shiny new Motocaddy Lithum Trolley for only 1p!? 

Yip, that`s right I`m offering you the chance to win a Trolley worth £400 for only 1p! Plus a host of other great products up for grabs too.


Penny Prize Draw!

Here`s how it works.

• You choose a ticket.
• Whatever number is on that ticket is how much your ticket costs in pennies! (Tickets are numbered 001 to 500 - So 001 pays 1p, 500 pays £5, etc)
• Once the tickets are sold, the winning number drawn will win a Motocaddy S1 Lithium trolley
• There will be other prizes of: 
  a Fitted Driver 
  a Golf Bag
  Golf Shoes
  Plus 10 x Sleeves Of Balls

(T's & C's: Consolation Prizes May Be Exchanged For Alternative Products - Not Shop Credit)

As unusual and as long awaited as a Leonardo DiCaprio Oscar Win is the fact that I can bring you some Competition News!!

We finally got a Weekend open, and without Winter League to be played, we had our first Winter Sweep of 2016. It did coincide with me being on holiday so maybe there is a correlation there?

Tom Boyle led the way in Division 1 and showed that all his Winter Alliance golf midweek has clearly kept his game sharp. 39 Stableford Points over 16 holes was good enough to take top spot in his Division. Snapping at his heels was Stuart Cumming on 38 while Graeme Crozier, on 37, taking advantage of the fact that Graham Penny hadn't paid into the Sweep. He obviously didn`t have a penny to his name, just a Penny for a name? And perhaps begs the question "What do you call a penniless Penny!? Still it was nice to see that Mr Penny is clearly playing well with his newly fitted Callaway XR Irons & Woods.

Another person showing some instant return on new equipment is Paul Singer who interestingly has also just purchased some newly custom fitted Callaway XR Irons and Woods. However, unlike Graham, Paul got some instant financial gain when his 41 Points was good enough to pick up 1st place in Division 2. Brian Alves on 40 Points was 2nd with George Donaldson 3rd on 39 Points.

The big winner of the day was Drew Tremain who scooped £38 for being the lone Magic 2 in Division 1!

It won`t be long until the season kicks off for real, and as is tradition we get the Season underway with the Opening Day Competition - Saturday, 26 March

It will be the same format as in years gone by, which is Fourball Betterball - 2 Best Scores to Count.

This is open to Gents, Ladies & Juniors and Teams can be mixed.

Book as normal through BRS Online Booking System on the Thursday @ 7pm nine Days prior.

If the big director upstairs plays fair then hopefully the weather will allow us to have the full course open in all its glory. Neil and the gang have been working tirelessly irrespective of the weather conditions, but these do limit how much they can focus on the playing conditions. Much of the time they are resigned to doing essential maintenance and aesthetic work.

Many of the walkways, paths and bridges have been improved this off season and I`m sure you'll all see the work carried out has been worthwhile.

However that brings me to a disappointing point of note. As you will all no doubt be aware, for the later part of the winter the 5th hole has been closed and the course route changed to overcome this. Whilst closed Neil and the guys had done some significant ground work there which was also roped off. Unfortunately, despite it not being in play, and the course route changed to accommodate, it is obvious that Golfers have not only been cutting across this hole to get to the 6th Tee, but have purposely gone through the newly turfed area to do so!

Please, please, please respect that the work being carried out is for the benefit of the course and therefore you and your fellow Members (who also pay their hard earned cash) enjoyment.

But sometimes keeping off the grass isn`t always your decision! The weather again took more twists and turns than a Hollywood thriller this week. The cold and dry start to the week at least got golfers playing and the Greenstaff managed to give the Fairways a much needed iron feed and also, on the rare frost free day, got the Summer Greens cut & rolled. 

But as has been the case for much of this winter the snow came late on Wednesday afternoon and scuppered us again!

Once again I have no golf to report on this week. The alliance was at Duff House Royal this week and even though I really like the course, I had to miss out as I have been too busy studying for my next assignment.

This is my final assignment of the year and it's on managing a golf business. I, as the Assistant Professional have to come up with a business plan to attract more new women golfers to the golf club. For me this is by far the hardest assignment I've had to do. Especially when business finance is probably my weakest subject!

As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer here in Aberdeen, I am going on holiday somewhere much colder! Yes I'm going on a skiing holiday in Norway this Sunday! This is something I've always wanted to try but never got a chance to. For Christmas I bought myself one of those GoPro cameras which you can attach and mount onto just about anything which I'm sure will produce some hilarious clips of me struggling to stay up on my feet!