Stuart Wilson

So I've been busy doing what I would class as 'Titivating'!! As the saying goes - 'The Devil Is In The Detail!' and hopefully the enjoyment and value of your 'Member Experience' is helped by these little things!?

So here is a quick run down of some of the jobs I've been carrying out.

Duddingston-ing

Wall Close Up

I rejuvenated the Stonework by power hosing the wall at the 1st Tee, Ronnie Shades Memorial and all the surrounding Pathways & Paving! Which I can tell you wasn't a 2-Minute job!!

Wall Extended

Estimates suggest that was 15 Years of Moss - which is not an autobiography by the late, great Racing Driver!!

Paving Close Up

Ronnies Renovation

After - Clubhouse Rear

After - 1st Tee

Marker Posts

I then started sprucing up all the On-Course Furniture & Equipment (Marker Posts, Bridges, etc)

Bridge Kick Plates

Hopefully you'll agree it really gives the place a lift!?

Handrail Closeup

Handrail Extended

Still Frosty

As I mentioned John's program of maintenance is constantly going so here is his update for this past week.

'Another week of essential maintenance carried out and as you can see from the picture of the 3rd we are still having a frost early in the mornings. Thankfully once the sun gets high enough the temperatures are rising quickly. As the days are heating up and we had some much-needed rain with more forecast at the end of the week we have taken the opportunity to give our tees much-needed nutrition and overseed and dress bare and worn areas around walkways, greens and surrounds. With the prospect of good germination in the next few days if the forecast is correct we are hopeful that when golf returns these areas are in full recovery mode.'

Over Seeding

4th Tee

Shop News

Similarly to the Course, I have been making contingency for when we do eventually get back to golf. Some of my ideas/changes haven't physically been implemented yet (as they can only be done nearer the time) but on re-opening here are the precautions & services we'll be providing.

Shop:

We will create a 'Service Pod' inside the Shop entrance - this will be a 1-In & 1-Out policy. The smaller service area will give you access to all the Confectionary & Essentials (Balls, Tees, Gloves, etc) we will also have the Coffee Machine installed in the Shop so you can grab a Hot Drink if required. Payments will be Contactless/Card (of course we will still accept Cash or payment using Shop Credit)
If you require or would like to browse the main Shop, 1-To-1 Personal Shopping access will be allowed via the rear Shop/Clubhouse Door.
We will have Sanitiser Stations in both the Pod & Main Shop/Studio

Services:

I will be offering FREE 'Get Back To Golf' 1 Hour Refresher Sessions. These are not Lessons per say but more observed Practice. Ideally very small Groups (Perhaps 4 - 6) but exercising strict Social Distancing & Safety - Half the Group = 30 Minutes Long Game, Other Half of Group = 30 Minutes Short Game - the switch. I will be on hand to give out Tips if you or I feel they are required.
I will be offering FREE 30 Minute Private Practice Sessions in the SW:ING Studio (Single Player Occupancy)
Short Game & On Course Lessons will also be available and recommended.
1-To-1 & Studio Lessons and/or Custom Fitting Sessions will be available by request.

*All of which will soon be Bookable via my Online Lesson Diary! Stay tuned!

If you were thinking about getting your Grips or Shoe Spikes renewed when Golf returns then I'm happy to do that for you so they are 'Good To Go' when the curtains lifted. If they are in your Locker I can retrieve, renew and return them without you leaving the house. If you have them at home I can either collect or meet you at the Club for a handover - If you would like to arrange this then simply contact me by clicking here.

Time To Renew?

Tour News

Following on from my segment last week about a 'Behind Closed Doors' Ryder Cup, I've since heard from a reliable source (so hopefully not 'Vague Speculation'! Ha!) is that if the Ryder Cup isn't played this year, and rolled forward into 2021, that will have serious (potentially terminal) consequences for the future of the European Tour! Given that the world economy is in turmoil, with the Motor Industry particularly effected, many of whom are major Sponsors of Tour Events and the Tour in general (BMW, being an obvious one) lots of Tour Events have already been cancelled.

The European Tour relies heavily on revenue generated by the Ryder Cup, so to miss out on that, on top of the loss of major Sponsors would cause serious ripple effects through how/if the Tour can operate.

As far as 2020 goes I'm lead to believe the Challenge Tour and Seniors Staysure Tour are pretty much toast now! So Golf has got serious issues from top to bottom right now by the looks of it!

On a slightly brighter note, there is going to be a return to 'LIVE' Golf Action on our TV Screens soon with news that a Charity Skins Challenge between Rory McIlroy & Dustin Johnson and Ricki Fowler & Matt Wolff will be shown on Sky Sports on May 17th. Each pairing will be playing for their designated Charity with the Best Score at each Hole picking up money for that Charity, if the Hole is halved the money rolls on to the next hole, and so on. Meaning that the 'Pot' could get quite big at any given time! It'll be just nice to watch something that isn't a re-run of the Ryder Open Solheim Players Chronicle Golf PASS Cup!!!!

Golf's greatest rivalries

We want to hear from you

There’s much debate as to golf’s greatest rivalry. From one era to the next, elite players have gone head-to-head and produced some truly memorable moments on the course.

At this current time, there’s a whole host of young talent jostling for position at the top of the rankings: McIlroy, Koepka, Rahm and Thomas to name just a few. However, in terms of a rivalry between two golfers, we don’t seem to have that right now.

So, we want to know what your favourite golfing rivalry has been through the years. Click the link below to head to our website and take part in our poll.

Enter our poll here.

Did you know?

Fact of the week

In 1971, Alan Shepard – the first American astronaut in space – became the first person to hit a golf ball on the moon. Here’s what he said to the USGA after landing back on earth:

“I shanked the first one; it rolled into a crater about 40 yards away. The second one, I kept my head down. I hit it flush and it went at least 200 yards.”

It's quiz time

What can you remember from the last decade?

We hope you enjoyed last week's Silhouette Challenge; some were certainly easier than others.

The end of 2019 also marked the end of a decade, but how much can you remember - on a golfing front - from those 10 years?

Put your memory to the test with this week's quiz as we challenge you to recall some amazing feats in the world of golf. Good luck!

take this week's quiz >

Weekly challenge

Much like the pitch shot that fizzes onto the green and stops dead on the second or third bounce, the flop shot always looks spectacular when you pull it off. It’s the inspiration behind this week’s challenge, so grab your highest lofted wedge and take to the garden for our Flop Shot Challenge.

The set-up

Like the images above, place a garden trug or bucket on top of a table facing away from the house with the aim of landing the ball inside. You can also play this game by putting something tall in front of you – garden fork or washing line – that you need to get the ball up-and-over.

Not confident?

Flop shots aren’t the easiest shot to play, which is why they do look great when executed to perfection. If you’d rather attempt something different, you can modify this challenge by placing your garden trug on the floor and see how many you can chip in – but it can’t bounce first!

send us a message >

Golf at home

Hopefully, you’re finding our Golf at Home drills useful in keeping your golf game ticking over during lockdown – maybe, even improving it?! For this week we’ve gone back to basics and have found an effective way of checking one of golf’s key fundamentals…

Alignment is key

Getting your set-up spot on is easier said than done, but getting it right more often than not will certainly help your golf game on the course.

One part that often changes over time is our alignment, which incorporates far more than just where the clubface is aiming.

How to check

Find some flooring in your house or garden that runs in straight lines. Place a ball down and set up as if you’re hitting a straight shot.

From here, check whether your feet, hips and shoulders are running parallel to each other by using the flooring as a visual cue.

send us a message >

Video of the Week

If you're a watcher of golf on TV then you'll be fully aware of the brilliant Wayne 'Radar' Riley. In this video from PING, we take a look at the best bits of his 'A Round with Radar' series, including cameos from Lee Westwood, Tyrrell Hatton and Miguel Angel Jimenez. Enjoy.

Duddingston Golf Club
135 Duddingston Road W
Edinburgh
EH15 3QE

Phone: 0131 661 4301

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