Andy Murray for Prime Minister!!!??
If anyone is capable of turning a desperate, end of the line, all hope seems lost situation into some form of success then it must be the Dunblane Dynamo!
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Let`s be honest, with the whole of Scotland behind him and seemingly still loved by everyone in and around SW19 then he has more popularity than the Downing Street Doofus will ever have, or certainly need, to get Brexit – or whatever the heck it is we are waiting on – over the line! In fact, it seems so far away from even being close to the line, never mind over it that even John McEnroe would struggle to argue it`s case!
In fact, history will show that the last Boris to win anything in London was Heir Becker in 1989 at Wimbledon and it`s fair to say that given his family lineage our Royal Family are more behind him than the current Head Wally Of Westminster.
But let us park the doom and gloom of the UK`s ludicrous Political predicament for a second and admire the heartwarming and inspiring, Tennis Triumph from Sir Andy Murray! A little over a year ago the Sporting World was waxing lyrical over Tiger Wood`s winning the Tour Championship after a long and arduous recovery from Back Surgery. With many making a case for it being ‘the greatest sporting comeback ever!’ – You can be the judge of that. I love golf and am a passionate supporter of it, however even I would concede that Tennis is a much more physically demanding sport – and to recover from that level of injury & surgery, rediscover how to compete and then ultimately win at the highest level is a much bigger accomplishment.
Back in April Tiger did go on to capture the US Masters and his 15th Major which was, in my opinion, a much bigger achievement than his Tour Victory a few months early – Maybe if Andy Murray goes on to land another Grand Slam then he will be heralded as much as Tiger has been!? But for now, I`m comfortable touting him as Scotland`s Greatest Ever Sportsman!
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Sporting Comebacks and popularity in Brussels was definitely a theme over at Le Paris National too last weekend, when the likeable Belgian, Nicolas Colsaerts made a welcome and needed return to form by winning the French Open.
The big bombing Belgian held on over the very difficult closing holes at Paris National to land his first Tour Title since 2012, the same year he starred as a Rookie in that historic ‘Miracle At Medinah’ Ryder Cup Team. Many thought that he would kick on to become a Superstar after that performance, but like so many impressive Ryder Cup Rookies (and there are rafts of them with incredibly similar stories) the game, which seemed so easy, became very difficult and frustrating.
So going into last week`s event Nicolas was in danger of losing his Tour Card and needed a good finish at either that French Open or this week's upcoming Portugal Masters. It`s fair to say, once again, Colsaerts rose to the occasion by not only securing his Tour Card, but that win now makes him exempt until 2021! Perhaps now, with job security, he can truly kick on and show the kind of World Class potential he clearly has.
It wasn`t all plain sailing in the world of Tour Golf last week though with a few incidents of some quite incredible Rules breaches!
Firstly at Paris National, Marcel Siem had to Disqualify himself after 9 Holes of the Tournament. Marcel Siem-ed to think that Preferred Lies were in play, taking 5 during his opening 9 Holes. So when he discovered that ‘Lift, Clean & Place’ wasn`t being used he had to incur 10 Penalty Shots leaving him 11 Over Par after only 9 Holes! With his prospects of making the Cut essentially over, he Disqualified himself from the Tournament!
But the only saving grace for the German was he wasn`t the biggest Rules Blunder story of the week! That accolade went to Lee Ann Walker in the Senior Ladies PGA Championship who racked up a whopping 58 Penalty Shots over a 23 Hole stretch.
Walker was making a return to Tournament Golf after a 7 Year absence, in which time many of the game's Rules have changed. One of which was ‘The Caddies Position & Involvement In The Players Alignment’ – Unaware that this had been changed/banned she and her Caddy went back into their old 2012 routine. Only after her playing partner had flagged up the breach after the 5th hole of their 2nd Round did they realise they were doing something wrong. Retracing their tracks over the previous 22 Holes they realised they had breached the Rule 27 times culminating in that almost unbelievable 58 Shot Penalty!
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Although the Rules Of Golf were allegedly ‘streamlined’ last year to be fairer and easier to understand it`s unlikely that any casual Golfer can claim to know them all. Unfortunately, Ignorance is not an Alibi either.
But when it comes to every day competitive Play it is important that the Players have a good grasp of some of the Basic Rules. And as we are about to head into Winter Golf I thought it worthwhile to cover a few significant ones.
Preferred Lies
Breaches of this Rule I see often are these:
- You are only entitled to Prefer Your Lie ONCE! Once you have 'Marked’ (yes, you have to do this), ‘Lifted’, ‘Cleaned’ and ‘Replaced’ your ball not nearer the hole, within the allotted distance specified by the Committee/Club the Ball is now IN PLAY – If you cause it to move or lift it again because you don`t like that Lie, after all, you are in breach of the Rules and will incur a Penalty.
- Also, if you are required to take a Penalty Drop (from Knee Height) for whatever reason you cannot skip this part just because Preferred Lies are in operation and you will be able to place it eventually anyway. You must make the drop first, then follow the ‘Preferred Lie’ procedure second.
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There was a Lesson of another sort handed out during the week when myself & James got together with the golfers in our Greenstaff to have a Golf Challenge/Team Bonding Day. |
Obviously bragging rights were on the line in the Team head-to-head and, as it turned out, if it were a Boxing Match the Ref would’ve stopped it early! However, after we completed the full 18 it was a fairly unanimous ‘Points Decision.’
The Pro's (myself, John Guthrie, Jamie Wright & Stuart Targis) 60(3.5) - 56.5
Dickies Duffers (James, Gary Muir, Grant Campbell & Luke MacKenzie) 68(3.9) - 64.1
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One thing I am passionate about is seeing my Members enjoying their Golf and I know that the best way I can influence that is by Improving their game. With Winter fast approaching I have put together a fantastic Winter Improvement Package which incorporates both Instruction and Controlled Practice Sessions utilizing our State-Of-The-Art Indoor SW:ING Studio & Simulator.
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Winter Improvement Package - 3x 30 Minute Lesson - 3x 30 Minute Private Practice
Normal Value = £150 OFFER PRICE = £120
T's&C's - Can be used as 6 sperate 30 Minute Sessions or 3 sperate 60 Minute Sessions (Lesson & Practice) - 1 Off Payment not Pay As You Go - All Sessions MUST be used by March 31st – Non Refundable - Midweek Evening times are available - Package cannot be Shared or Sessions Transferred - 2 Sessions can be ‘Traded’ in exchange for a 60 Minute ‘Social Simulator’ Course Play Session (Up to 4 People)
For more info speak to us in the Professional Shop or to Book – Click Here.
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We have added more items to our `Clearance Bargains’ too!
Golf Shoes |
FJ Pro/SL – NOW ONLY £99 | |
FJ Fury – NOW ONLY £99 | |
Ladies FJ Enjoy – NOW ONLY £49 | |
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Clothing
All Spring Summer Collection Galvin Green & Under Armour – NOW HALF PRICE!
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Outerwear
2018 ProQuip EVO Pro-Flex Padded Gilets & Jackets – NOW ONLY £59!
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Pop into the pro shop to pick up a bargain! |
Whilst we have added more to the Clearance we have also added some more NEW items to the Winter Clothing Range.
Stuburt EVOLVE Quilted Jacket & Gilet – FROM ONLY £45!
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Don't pack the clubs away yet |
October has always been difficult to predict. One minute it's warm enough for just a polo and the next you need an all-singing, all-dancing raincoat. This is why having a lightweight mid-layer is vital to bridge the gap and have you covered whatever the weather throws your way. |
Luckily for you, the deliveries keep on arriving in the pro shop and some of the recent boxes contained Glenmuir's winter clothing range. One piece we couldn't keep our hands off was this Crail mid-layer, which is more than stylish enough to be worn day-to-day too. |
Pair it with Glenmuir's Ashurst winter trousers, which are fleece-lined for incredible warmth, and you have the perfect winter outfit. Remember, we have a great selection of golf-specific clothing in-store so be sure to pop by and try on a few garments next time you tee it up. |
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