Stuart Wilson

I'll start this week with....

A Tale as old as time, true as it can be, blizzard never ends, then some bloody winds, struggling to see.

Very little change, Small to say the least, Bread a little scarce, Nobodies prepared!

Battered by the Beast!

It's always just the same, it’s never a surprise, but just like as before, every Council is just as sure, that the sun will rise!

You'd think they'd learn this time! Shame that they were wrong
Gritters, sweep and strain, finding your blocked drain, yearning you were home.
Snow instead of sun (Certain it's no fun)

Rising in the east, Total waste of time, Hear the Locals whine,

Battered.....by.....the......Beeeeeeeeeeeassssst!

Pro's News

Yes the entire country was brought to its knees by 'The Beast From The East' but it also seemed to have some time travelling qualities about it too as it clearly transported many people back to 1708 as hoarders descended on the shops to stockpile bread and milk!

Of all the things to buy when your instinct tells you that you might be cut off from the outside world for a while is stuff that will go off in a matter of days?

You know things were getting particularly desperate when the shops even started running out of Skimmed Milk! (Or as it refer to it, Cows Sweat!) Was the weather that bad that even the cows couldn't get to work? It clearly wasn't because they couldn't produce milk because even if virtually all their pipes were Friesian then just pull the udder one!?

Pasteurised Before You Know It

Things clearly got pretty desperate over in Ireland where there was video footage of looters going to the extreme length of breaking into a supermarket using a JCB Digger to smash through the roof! I think the local accent meant they had misinterpreted the Tesco Ads strap line when they announced 'Every Lidl Helps!'

To be fair the only other time I saw a JCB in amongst a LIDL was on the Letters Round of Countdown.

Tour News

The Countdown is most definitely on. And we are counting down to quite a few things, some are quite a bit away like death..WAIT! Keep it light Stuart! sorry I meant far off things like The Ryder Cup, but some are much more imminent like the start of the Portlethen GC Season, and shortly after it’s the US Masters.

And after the weekends golf action there is one man who has definitely thrown his hat well and truly into the ring for consideration when it comes to both the Augusta outing and the Paris showdown.

Phil Mickelson showed these young pups that the old dog learned a few new tricks (mainly hitting fairways!) but also still has plenty of his old ones tucked up his sleeve too!

His win at the WGC Mexico Championship was his 43rd worldwide victory but his first since the 2013 Open Championship at Muirfield.

Like many events these days this WGC Event turned into a bit of a Pitch & Putt tournament. But this was magnified by the fact that the course was the second highest the above sea level that they have ever played. That altitude saw the shots travel some 15% further than they would normally! But probably quite apt that it was in Mexico we got a taste of these 'Far Hitters'!!! Hi-carrumba, maybe I should go and Burrito my head in the sand after a pun like that!?

But again there were certainly no signs of 'Speedy Gonzales' at a Tour event when 'Pace of Play' was once again hitting the headlines.

Slow play was still a highly talked of topic this week at the WGC. This time Francesco Molinari got called for having a 'Bad Time' by a Tournament Official when he took 12 seconds too long to play a shot with his Group 'On the Clock' - On the one hand you could say 'Good! The Tour are finally taking action' but, and like the point Molinari was trying to make, if 12 seconds over is going merit action where is the consistency!? Even in the last round the Final Group were put on the clock more than once and no action was dished out.

Wayne Riley, the Sky Sports in course commentator, witnessed something that he said he had never ever seen or heard of before in all his time on Tour - That Final Group, which included Phil Mickelson, had been warned that they were 'On The Clock' however Phil had been told that he was exempt, aka the warning didn't include him!

So here's my theory, we've had JB Holmes (4+Mins to hit a shot ='No Action) playing with Tournament Leader, Swede Alex Noren). We've had Kevin Na (2+ Mins to hit a 2' Putt = No Action) then we get Italian Molinari getting a 'Bad Time' on his record and a Final Group including Englishman Tyrrell Hatton, Shubhankar Sharma from the European Tour getting 'Put on the Clock' while American Phil Mickelson is exempt!? Just a coincidental paranoid pattern.

Course news

One thing that will also be taking a long time if for the Course to totally recover from the aftermath of ‘The Beast!’ Unfortunately the shift in snow was only thanks to some torrential rain…..not the ideal solution.

This left the course absolutely saturated and saw the pond at the 5th spill over and destroy the good work that Neil and his Team had done in creating a new pathway.

The Froth of 5th

Captains Log

A ‘New Pathway’ is very symbolic for the Club as we approach a new Season with a New ‘Commander In Chief’ at the helm for the first time in 8 Years.

Following on from the great work Ian Cruickshank has done during his tenure as Portlethen Club Captain the baton was passed to David Fleming at this Year`s AGM.

I know that even in my 3 Years here at the Club there has been a good influx of new faces, so over an 8 years span there will have been even more.

So I thought this would be good to platform for everyone to find out a little bit more about the man and the golfer that make up our new Club Captain.

Captain Dave Fleming

About The Man…
Dave was born in Dundee Royal Infirmary only because it was the closest hospital to his home town of Carnoustie where he grew up only a good drive (or a bad one and a chip out) from the 2nd fairway of the Burnside Course. He claims he is ‘the poor golfer of the family in that his Grandfather Kenneth was a scratch golfer at Carnoustie, as was his Uncle Alex. Both his Cousins Ken and Jim were also very low single figure handicappers.

Dave`s Great Uncle Alex was one of the many famous sons of Carnoustie who emigrated to the States as a Pro & Clubmaker. He ended up as a Club Professional at Interlachan GC in Denver, Colorado (Club subsequently changed its name to Willis Chase) having initially worked under another famous son of Carnoustie and winner of US Opens 'Alex Smith' who was at Wykagyl Golf Club at New Rochelle Golf Club, NY at that time when he first emigrated in 1909.

When Dave and his wife, Wendy, holidayed in New York to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary (15 years ago!!) they were able to see the record of ‘Great Uncle Alex’ being logged in through the US Immigration Centre on Ellis Island in New York Harbour.

How Long Have You Played Golf?
I've played since I was 10 years old with cut off wooden clubs from my grandfather. My first ever official competition round was in a Carnoustie Primary School Scratch Knock Out where I was beaten 3&2 by Wallace Mann (eldest of the three Mann brother the best known of which in this area would be the middle brother Fraser winner of tartan tour events etc). Wallace was in my class at school and is now a Club Pro in Belgium. I racked up 148 Gross on my first ever round on the Championship Course in an Adult Junior Match.

I've been a member of Carnoustie Golf Club for 50 years and Carnoustie Caledonia GC for slightly less time. Over the last few years I've also been a Member of Inverness Golf Club and Deeside Golf Club. While I am no longer a playing member of these Clubs I am a current Member of Royal Aberdeen and one of the Members who recently readily voted to admit lady members to Royal Aberdeen
Although I seem to have always played golf, football was my main interest in my teens and I did not pay serious attention to golf until my early 20's when in 1979 (22 years old) I won the 'Most Improved Golfer' from Golf World Magazine when my handicap came down from 16 to 7 in that season.

Your Best Round Of Golf?
I`ll give you 2 as they are very different Course!! My best score on Carnoustie Championship is 73 many years ago, while my best round on Portlethen was a Gross 68 (4 Under) in 2005. Obviously I was quite happy with that, however I was standing on the last tee 6 under and finished with a 7!. That got me down to 3.9 handicap and I further improved that to 3.7 that season but I've not been able to keep my handicap less than 5 for some time - I sure i still have the potential however!!

Favourite Course You Have Played?
I'm biased with regard to my favourite course I've played in that it's got to be Carnoustie. However its closely followed by Turnberry and Loch Lomond in Scotland and East Lake and Atlanta Athletic Club in the States.

Ultimate Course You Haven`t Played?
While I've played all the Open Courses in Scotland except Prestwick Old I want to get down to England and play the Open Courses there. I've only played Lytham St Annes of the Open Courses down there. That said I would desperately love to play Augusta, Pebble Beach and Cyprus Point. Having read an interesting book about the restoration of this course to the US Open rotation I would also like to play Bethpage Black in New York.

Favourite Club In Your Bag?
Favourite Club in the bag is the putter.

Favourite Hole @ Portlethen?
Favourite Hole at Portlethen is a close thing between the 4th and the 15th. Nothing better than knocking it on close in two on either of these holes.

Dream 4 Ball?
My dream Fourball would definitely have to include Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson. Nicklaus as he was my undoubted boyhood hero and gentlemen on the Course and Player and Watson as I watched them win Opens in 1968 and 1975 in Carnoustie. On that basis I would be happy for Paul Lawrie, Padraig Harrington, John Van de Velde and my son playing in the fourball behind!

What Takes Up Your Time Away From The Course?
I've been fortunate to also be the President of Scottish Golf North East District for the past 3 years and even more honoured to be nominated as Junior Vice President of Scottish Golf for this coming season. Part of this journey has seen me moving from Football Refereeing to Golf Refereeing and Course Rating all of which I now enjoy very much. Now I can add Portlethen Club Captain to that list which I know Wendy is ‘delighted’ about!

I`m sure you join me in wishing Dave all the success in his role as Portlethen Captain and will be there to give maximum support to the Club as we strive to move forward in challenging times!

Masters Sweepstake

As previously mentioned the first Major of the season is mere weeks away so it`s definitely time to roll out the Masters Sweepstake again.

Like previous years this will take on the following format.

Choose a square on the board. This will match up with a player from the field.

These can be bought for £5 (Make sure to be quick as these sell out fast).

There will be prizes available for:

Masters Sweepstake

1st - £100
2nd - £80
3rd - £60
4th - £40
5th - £20
Best Score Each Round = £15
Worst Score Each Round = £15
Leading Amateur = £15 (Regardless if they miss the cut)
Leading Senior (Over 50) = £15 (Regardless if they miss the cut)
Leading Brit = £15 (Regardless if they miss the cut)

Upcoming events

Just a Reminder that the 'Official' Golf Season will soon kick off on Saturday 24th March with the traditional Opening Fun Day Competition.

Here is a heads up of the day format:

• Teams of 4 (Ideally)
• £8 Per Team Entry
• Handicap 9/10`s
• Better Ball
• 2 Best Nett Scores Per Hole To Count
• Nearest The Pin @ 5th & 12th

This event is open to all members and the tee booking will go ‘LIVE’ the usual 9 days in advance – Thursday 15th March @ 7pm. Make sure your booking status is ‘Active’ by having paid your membership renewal!

On the day we will also be running the Easter Egg Hunt. So keep your eyes peeled as you make your way around the course.

Anyone who finds a Golden Egg or Golden Bunny will get to keep it, and we encourage you to take a group photo or selfie with themselves and the Egg in the place where they found it!

Coaching News

If the Opening Day reminder has sparked you into life and you`re thinking it`s time to dust the Clubs off again then remember I`m running some ‘PRE SEASON WARM UP’ Sessions

£10 Per Person

All geared to get you guys ‘Back In The Swing’ before the Golf Season starts later this month. Below are the Details and the Dates of what I have diarised but remember, if you and 3 chums want to get together we can book a slot that is mutually suitable for everyone in that group.

- 1 Hour Supervised Practice
- Performance Insight using GC Quad & associated Instruction
- Basket of Balls
- Pre or Post Hot Drink

Week 1 Dates & Times
Tuesday 20th March @ 11am
Thursday 22nd March @ 11am
Thursday 22nd March @ 5.30pm
Sunday 25th March @ 2pm

To Sign Up – Click Here and Quote ‘PRE SEASON WARM UP’

Listen to what he has to say

We’ve been hammering home the importance of getting your clubs regripped for the past few weeks now, so we thought we’d take a closer look at one particular grip that we’re currently offering to put on your 7-iron for FREE…

Interview with David Leadbetter | Golf Instructor

Why try the Golf Pride Align grip?
You might think launching a new golf grip is like reinventing the wheel, but this Golf Pride Align grip really has broken the mould. Its key feature is the raised ridge on the back of the grip. By feeling this ridge each time you hold a club, you’ll have a physical aid to your grip position. This will help you achieve more consistent hand placements, which should only lead to more consistent results.

learn more >

Stuck for space?

If you’re considering a new electric trolley this year there’s no reason to look anywhere else. Motocaddy’s improved range for 2018 offers a choice of two series – S-Series and M-Series – and for those of you with a space restriction like a smaller boot, we think the M-Series is the perfect choice.

Motocaddy M1 PRO
This fantastic model folds down roughly 40% smaller than traditional electric trolleys thanks to its innovative frame design. It’s both small and mighty thanks to nine speed settings and an adjustable distance control so you can send it away. It also boasts a locking base design to stop your bag wobbling and an accessory holder with a USB port.

Motocaddy M3 PRO
This trolley takes the M1 PRO and adds some bells and whistles that we think gadget lovers will really like. You get a colour screen that displays a lost ball timer, round timer, clock and battery meter, plus you can measure your drives and the trolley’s total distance covered.

explore Motocaddy's range >

New: Vokey SM7 wedges

If you're thinking of putting new wedges in your bag for the season ahead one thing is for certain: Vokey's SM7 wedges include every loft and grind you could ask for.

But with countless options available it is so important that you don't buy straight off the shelf, but instead come and see a member of the team for a wedge fitting so that you walk away with wedges that are perfectly suited to your game.

watch our video >

Video of the Week

Thinking of upgrading your driver in 2018? Watch this video as Foremost TV puts TaylorMade's innovative M3 and M4 drivers to the test. Does Twist Face really work?

I hope you have enjoyed this week's update.
We hope to see you soon
Stuart

Portlethen Golf Club
Badentoy Road
Portlethen
AB12 4YA

Phone: 01224 782571

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