Stuart Wilson

Hello Golfers,

'Sa maison de retour, sa maison de retour, sa rentrée ses ballons à venir à la maison!'

un coq sur la chemise

angleterre doit être bouillante

Pro's News

Yes, the World Cup of Football is over for another 4 years (or 2 decades if you're Scottish) and its Les Bleus of France who are 'champions du monde'...and deservedly so as they were the only team to go undefeated over 90 or 120 minutes in the whole tournament. Interestingly their opponents in the final, Croatia, needed penalties in their first 2 knockout rounds to progress, then extra time to beat England so you could say they deserved their final place through sheer determination, stamina and that will to win.

Belgium, who finished 3rd officially, actually won the same number of games as France but while France drew one of their round robin games the Belgians only loss was significantly to France in the Semi Finals.

It's interesting when you look back at many of the previous World Cups that many of the eventual Champions stutter a little in the early, round robin, matches. Some have even lost a match early on in a Tournament but still gone on to lift the World Cup.

Unlike the Tennis where you lose and you're out!

I was going to talk a little bit about Wimbledon but apparently the Semi Final is STILL going on.......the score in the 5th Set is now 4999 games to 5000 going with serve! Tournament Officials have suggested that if it reaches 10000 games they'll need to settle it by Scissors/Paper/Stone followed by Hangman if it's still all tied! If that can't separate them then it's Pin The Tail On The Donkey!!.......it's taken so long to finish this Semi Final that the winner apparently goes through to face Bjorn Borg in the Final!

Tour News

'Long, Hard & Testing' could well be the mantra for these last few weeks of Links Golf too. With the Open Championship only days away all the reports are that Carnoustie is playing every bit as Fiery as Gullane was last week. Ricky Fowler notched up a 458 Yard Drive and there were many more obscenely long shots struck.

Fortunately for Brandon Stone he only need 60 scuds to get the job done on Sunday (an apt name given how firm the course was - it was either going to be him or the halfway leader Robert Rock! It's a shame Sam Cement or Tony Tarmac didn't play better!) Although the dry, bouncy fairways made the course play incredibly short it's always the weather that protects a links course the most, and when the winds picked up on Saturday it became très difficile! But no doubt great practice for what lies in store at The Open.

Meanwhile Stateside, the Yanks got some great preparation in for Carnoustie by playing a Course that was essentially waterlogged! Perhaps they just wanted to enjoy the peace & quiet while we had Trump on a Sleepover!!

And speaking of people who spit opinion I see my old pal Ian Poulter was endearing himself to the Scottish Public! I really hope I don`t have to root for this guy at the Ryder Cup!

Click Here to read this article on his antics last week.

Improving Your Game

I thought I'd use last week`s tournament as a reminder and a learning block that Golf is and always will be a journey of peaks & troughs....and dare I say 'a Rock-y Road'

Through 2 Rounds of the Scottish Open Robert Rock had gone Bogey Free, was playing immaculate golf and was sitting atop the leaderboard by some 2 shots after rounds of 64 & 63. This lead to the media posting videos and clips of Robert with the Question/Statement 'Is this the best swing in golf right now!?'

24 hours later Robert had hit 'Rock' bottom and was licking his wounds after a disastrous 76 had taken him completely out of contention.

I just wanted to use this as an example that good days will be followed by bad days and more importantly VICE VERSA!

Don't get too down on yourself if you`ve had a bad day. Sleep on it, forget it and get out and play again as soon as possible. Like life, you can`t dwell on the past and you certainly can`t change it. If you must look back, it`s the good rounds, the good sensations and the even better shots you should be reminiscing over to give you inspiration and positive vibes to help you get back on track.

If a bad day is followed by another bad day, then another, and another….and before long you find yourself in a rut or a downward spiral then that`s the time to act.

And that`s why I`m here. I can help, I really can and have done for many Golfers over the years and especially here at Portlethen. So don`t let this wonderfully frustrating game frustrate you to the point you stop enjoying it.

And as my moto says ‘Let me put the WIN back in your Swing!’

Success Stories

A great example of this came at the weekend when hot on the heels of receiving his shiney new ‘Fully Custom Fitted’ Callaway Rogue Irons, Wedges, Putter & Woods, Donald Keith chopped his handicap by 2 whole strokes.

Complete Putting Solution

This week I also had some very successful Putter Fitting Sessions with some Members so I`m looking forward with anticipation to see how their performances fair over their next few rounds.

Here is the important thing to remember about what we do. Whilst the list of ‘Assessment’ below highlights what we are looking for, we also are making an assessment of your Technique and will advise on what will make the biggest and quickest improvement to your Putting. In one session we made simple but effective adjustments to the players set up as well as trying a new style of putter – This gave immediate and significant improvements.

In the second session the recommendation was purely for a better fitted putter – but that didn`t mean a new or different putter! Instead we ‘Customised’ the player’s own/original putter to suit their set up and stroke better….which again produced noticeable results.

So here is a reminder of what we will ensure you get:

• The Correct Head Style to suit your Stroke.
• The Correct Length to suit your Set Up
• The Correct Lie to suit your Set Up
• The Correct Grip Style to suit your Feel & Technique
• The Correct Insert Material to suit your Feel

Click Here to book a putter fitting.

Competition News

Saturday – Galvin Shield/Trophy Rd1

Division 1

1 Stuart Winpenny 76 (9) 67

2 Ryan Sheikh 74 (7) 67

3 Mark Dunbar 78 (10) 68

Division 2

1 Derek Rollo 82(14) 68

2 Gerald Philip 82(13) 69

3 Mark McDonald 81(11) 70

Division 3

1 Norman McBain 86 (18) 68

2 Jim Miller 93 (23) 70

3 Keith McGregor 88 (18) 70

Sunday Any Tee Stableford

Mixed Division 1

1 Andrew Catley (10) 40

2 Ronnie Mathieson (15) 43

3 Alex Handsley Jnr (10) 42

Wednesday Rainbow Taxis Rd2

Division 1

1 David M Wood 75 (8) 67

2 Barry Watson 77 (10) 67

3 Reagan Scott 76 (7) 69

Division 2

1 Brian McMillan 80 (15) 65

2 Chris Scouller 78 (12) 66

3 William Bothwell 79 (11) 68

Division 3

1 Allan Goodbrand 90 (24) 66

2 Archie McKechnie 95 (27) 68

3 Allan Brooks 94 (24) 70

Open Championship Sweepstake

Now that the Official Tee Times have been released I have been able to allocate names to those who have entered the Open Sweepstake.

These names have been allocated at random so to find out your player come and check with us in the Pro Shop. I haven`t published the names as there are a handful of squares/numbers still available if anyone wants to have a flutter.

Here`s a great little video to get you in the mood and maybe bring back some great memories! This is the kind of reminiscing that is great to do!

Treble T Prize Draw

Unfortunately I didn`t hit my required number of Ticket Sales for the Pro-Am Trip to PGA Catalunya so that trip will need to be put on hold for now. However we did carry out the draw for those who did enter as there was also a great Prize of a ‘Trip To Trump Links & Overnight Stay’

I`m delighted to announce that Peter Clark was the Lucky Winner! Well done Peter.

Product Launch @ Panmure

I had my own ‘Away Day’ on Monday when I was invited to join 23 other selected Professionals at Panmure Golf Club which is Carnousties closest Neighbour. There we were treated to a game of golf over the fantastic Panmure Course, Dinner and then a special guest appearance from none other than World No 1 Dustin Johnson himself.

DJ had been there as part of TaylorMade’s Official Press Launch of their latest Product.

The GAPR is a system of Clubs that TaylorMade have designed to help bridge the GAP between your shortest Fairway Wood and your Longest ‘Playable Iron’ (ie: The Longest Iron you can hit well!) Whilst Hybrids/Rescues have been around a long time and have helped this area of a golfers game enormously there really hasn`t been that much innovation in those Clubs in the past 15 Years.

TaylorMade feel they have come up with a system of Clubs that will suit ALL golfers dependant on what they are looking for in terms of flight/distance/gap.

These come in the form of the GAPR High, GAPR Mid & GAPR Low. Each Club has a different Profile/Footprint going from a streamlined version of a Hybrid down to a sleek but forgiving Driving Iron.

These will be in-store for trial soon.

New Arrivals

As well as these new launches we have had a few other new products arrive in-store.

I showcased last week the new Motocaddy Compact Trolleys – M-Series 2018

Titleist have also launched a New Golf Ball – The AVX

This is a Performance Ball like their extremely popular Pro V1/V1x Balls. The main difference is they have developed the AVX as a lower spinning version which allows those golfers (typically mid to high handicappers) who create too much spin on their Drives to reduce that number and in doing so increase their potential Driving Distance. It is still as soft to the strike and as responsive around the greens so you don`t sacrifice any control.

Definitely worth a try if you`re looking to squeeze a few extra yards out of the Driver.

Summer SALE-Stice

From lower Spin to LOWER PRICES!

Continuing In-store is my:

Summer SALE-Stice!

“My Very Own Daylight Savings!”

• £10 OFF All Shirts!
• £10 OFF All Trousers!
• All Galvin Green Outerwear £30 OFF or Buy 1 Get 1 HALF PRICE! (2nd Garment Can Be A Shirt – Cheapest Item Half Price)

• Up To 50% OFF Selected Shoes!
• Selected NEW & USED Drivers & Fairways @ ROCK BOTTOM PRICES!

• Better Than HALF PRICE – Sale Rail!

HOT TICKET SPECIAL: Motocaddy M3 PRO 2017 (18 Hole Lithium) Trolley – WAS: £549 NOW ONLY: £449!

It's good to push

If you haven’t used a push trolley for a while then it’s definitely worth trying one in the not too distant future. In years gone by they were made of metal and were heavy to use, but that couldn’t be further from the truth with today’s lightweight options.

Nice and easy
This BIG MAX IQ+ 360 push trolley is a great option and tips the scales at just 6.3kg, which makes it easy to push so you remain full of energy to the last hole.

As well as its lightweight frame, it boasts a 360-degree front wheel so you can steer it to any spot effortlessly (watch our video to see for yourself), plus a handbrake and a spacious console that has room for all of your valuables and accessories.

This is just one of the trolley options we offer, so if you’re looking for something with more features or that folds smaller, why not pop by the store and check out our whole range?

watch our review >

Roll, roll, roll the ball

For many golf fans, this week is the most exciting of the year as the world’s best players head to the British Isles for The Open Championship at Carnoustie. Links golf throws up several unique challenges that many tour pros don’t experience all too often, the greens being a classic example.

Unlike driving off the tee or hitting into greens when they have to consider the wind, club selection and much more, on the greens, like Carnoustie’s 18th (above), all the pros have to worry about is line and speed. The latter relies on getting the ball rolling quickly and smoothly, which is helped by the faces on modern putters.

The Scotty Cameron Select Newport 2 for example, has a milled face inlay that creates a smooth roll on the greens. Behind it, vibration dampening material connects the face inlay to the putter’s body for improved sound and feel, while preserving the feedback needed to aid precise distance control.

watch our video >

Spotlight: PING i500 and i210 irons

If you're considering a new set of irons this summer, PING has just launched two new models that are landing in-store in the coming weeks to complement their hugely popular G700, G400, and iBlade models.

The i500 is a forged iron (seen on the left) that will offer exceptional distance from a lower spinning, higher flying shot, whereas the i210 will provide precise distance control and shot-making workability for the better player.

learn more >

Video of the Week

It's Open Championship week at Carnoustie, so Foremost TV caught up with past champion Henrik Stenson to talk Carnoustie, his chances at claiming a second Claret Jug this week, and his infamous battle with Phil Mickelson.

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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