GolfShot for Golf News

Branden Grace is one of the latest sensations in the sport of golf but despite his great performance at the start of the year many people have the feeling that the real golf season is actually starting this week. On Sunday, Mr Grace played a fantastic game of golf and was able to beat more established players such as Els and Goosen. His victory meant that he claimed his second title in a week.

There was a time that Els and Goosen were two of the biggest players in golf but in recent years they have shifted away from the centre stage as their game has become less competitive. Many people are feeling that Tiger Woods is making a comeback to the game of golf and after winning a title at the end of 2011 many golfers fear his return.

Despite his record of great performances he is now having to compete with a new generation of golfers such as Luke Donald and Rory McIlroy. Many people are eagerly anticipating the golf tournament taking place in Abu Dhabi as part of the European tour. This is a competition that Tiger Woods is playing in and he is going to be competing against four of the best players currently in the game.

Many people in the UK are going to be particularly interested by this match as three of the top four players are from the UK, namely Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood. The defending champion is Martin Kaymer who has previously won the tournament three times. This suggests, along with the rest of the line-up, that it is going to be a very competitive game of golf.

Many people are looking forward to seeing the return of Tiger Woods and how he’s going to fare against the new players to enter the golf scene since his departure from the game a few years ago. Another player who spectators are going to be looking out for is Sergio Garcia who has had a very impressive career but has still to fulfil many of his career goals. He has recently made a comeback after many people feared that his golf had entered a downward spiral.

Mr Garcia is currently ranked 17th in the world which is significantly higher than Tiger Woods. Of the last four tournaments he has played he won half of them and last year he finished a game 27 under par. Both wins last year showed that he had brought significant improvement to his game, particularly in regard to his putting. Many people are seeing this as the year that he is going to break through and become a champion player.

Mr Garcia is known to suffer from a short temper but in recent games he has been seen to bring this under control and this has helped improve his game. A notable incident occurred in Thailand last year while he was playing a game and he was frustrated and ended up throwing a golf club into the water.

Mr Garcia is hoping to start his 2012 season in excellent form and gain the many world ranking points that are associated with this first tournament. It is going to be very interesting for the spectators to see how he performs against both Tiger Woods as well as the other four leading golfers.

The English Amateur Championships, the English Golf Unions oldest competition, is all set to be held in the western Lake District. The Silloth on Solway and Seascale golf clubs will be hosting the championships between the 30^th July and 4^th August 2012. For the first 2 days of the English Mens Amateur Championship will have the format of 26 hole stroke play, with the field split in half between the two courses over those first 2 days.

They will then switch over on the Tuesday, after which those with the lowest 64 scores, including those tied for 64^th, will play in the next round, which is the match play knockout, Silloth will host all of the knockout matches, every match consisting of a round of 18 holes, culminating in the 36 hole final, played on the Saturday, the 4^th August.

Established in 1892 Silloth-on-Solway was originally laid out by Davy Grant, with able assistance from prominent Scottish professionals Willie Fernie and Willie Park, who helped to help establish the reputation of the course. The course is ranked as Cumbria’s premier course, ranked 21^st  in England and 54^th in theUK.

Silloth-on-Solway golf course is a Championship links of over 6,641 yards, which has been laid out over the sand-hills, touched by some of the great classical golf architects, but mostly moulded by nature herself. Hazards consist of heather and bent; whin and broom; heroic bunkers and sandy wastes. Fairways are always wider than they seem from the tee, and having been laid with springy Cumberland turf, invite courageous fairway woods and crisp iron shots. Greens are subtle, firm, fast, and deadly true.

Founded in 1893, Seascale golf links was designed by Willie Campbell and George Lowe. The course is a traditional links which is maintained to the highest standards offering golfers of all levels of ability an ideal place to test out their skills. Seascale is ranked as Cumbria’s second best course and 80^th in England, also featuring in The Rolex World’s Top 1000 Golf Courses publication.

Seascale golf course is described as a splendid natural links course, laid out over 6,495 yards, with undulating greens that are excellent all year round. You will need both length and control here to score well. Superb views of the Lakeland fells and out across the Irish Sea to the Isle of Man make this a real hidden gem of a course.

Katie Read West Cumbria Tourism Manager said: ‘’The Western Lake District has so much to offer and we boast a fine selection of golf courses, the best known are Silloth-on-Solway and Seascale. They both have a long and enviable reputation and this is reaffirmed, as they prepare to host The English Amateur Championship 2012, during which both courses will be showcasing what the Western Lake District has to offer, offset by the dramatic Lakeland Fells and Irish Sea Coast.’’

To find out more about the Western Lake District, its food, activities and accommodation visit www.western-lakedistrict.co.uk

SportsDirect.com offers help to Avoid Common Golf Injuries with Skins

Many view golf as less of a sport and more of a relaxation that carries little chance of injury, the fact is however that by overpracticing, having an incorrect grip or using poor swing technique you put yourself at risk from various golfing injuries that could take you off the fairway and into the doctors surgery.

Leading UK sporting retailers SportsDirect.com offer a fantastic range of quality products and have added some great   golf shoes to their brilliant new Skins range which can help you to train correctly and avoid any future injuries. Layering up while out on the course not only helps to regulate body temperature and this new range of base layer products is manufactured to include a gradient compression system.

This ensures that whatever position you are in while taking your swing, pressure is in the right areas. The Meryl and Lyca microfibre construction has been designed to reduce the build up of lactic acid, thus increasing oxygenation and improving your circulation, all while you are exercising.

Applying pressure in the correct areas could help prevent back and knee pain after training. some golfers experience knee pain after applying too much pressure before swinging, staying in a slightly bent over position for hours on end can also lead to minor back strains. Wearing Skins base layer can help ease the pressure on the spine and knee areas which could help prevent further injury through training and competing.

The Skins range is available from SportsDirect.com in both adult (small to extra large) and junior (nine to thirteen years) sizes, across a variety of styles including long sleeved tops, short sleeved tops, tights and shorts.
So enjoy the golf course without injury risk, you can order online right now at www.sportsdirect.com and keep up to date with the latest golf news and product offers on the official Facebook and Twitter pages.

Whether Scotland is the birthplace of golf may be a debatable question, but there’s no doubt that it is home to some of the finest courses on the planet, where the world’s best golfers (and many a would-be) vie for a tee-off time at Gleneagles, St Andrews and a multitude of others.  Thus it is no surprise that the leading multi-channel golf retailer in Europe and the UK has taken up residence in Scotland.

Direct Golf UK, founded and wholly owned by British PGA professional golfer John Andrew in 1991, has purchased the Scottish Golf Centre, and stores in Edinburgh and Dundee will be open this month, though the Grand Opening will take place in March.  Andrew plans to double the size of his Direct Golf chain in the next couple of years, from 20 to 40 stores across the UK.

The stores in Edinburgh and Dundee are impressive, with indoor putting greens, comprehensive demo facilities and PGA Professional staff amongst other amenities.  Golfers can not only get the best prices on equipment and accessories but also custom fitting and advice from experts as they try out the latest in everything golf.

Direct Golf had a record year in 2011 with five new stores opening, an upgrade of its already excellent website and the creation of Direct Golf TV.  Mr. Andrew said he has been anticipating an expansion in Scotland for years, and his company has a strong customer base in the country that he expects will expand dramatically with the introduction of more outlets in Aberdeen and Glasgow.

The current move will gain impetus from the Ryder Cup in 2014 as the company broadens its base in Scotland.  Andrew is also an advocate of grassroots golfing and backing young golfers who are the tournament champions of the future.

The Trump Organisation is waiting for a decision that has to be reached by the Scottish government that will determine whether they will be continuing to build a clubhouse in Aberdeenshire. The decision rests on whether the construction of a wind farm off the coast in given the go ahead, and if this is approved they will not build the clubhouse as they feel it will make the destination less appealing to visitors.

The Trump organisation released a statement which read, “If the Scottish government are serious about developing tourism in the north-east of the country then they cannot expect companies to develop tourist attractions with an industrial park nearby.”

The planning application for the wind turbines is by a company called Vattenfall and is asking for permission to build 11 wind turbines. The project has a total value of £150 million. Mr Trump has previously stated his dislike for the construction of wind farms in Scotland stating that, “These wind turbines are environmentally disastrous and would be an ugly mark on the Scottish coastline.”

The development in Aberdeenshire by Mr Trump is valued at £750 million and has already nearly reached completion. A local resident, David Milne has been critical of the golf course and has asked the government to go ahead with the construction of the wind farm. He stated, “This is a bluff by the Trump organisation and they are adopting a lose lose argument.

This battle is between the entire energy industry and one golf project which is already financially failing. The Scottish government must allow the development of the wind energy project and not stop it simply because of a golf course. We’re talking about a decision that is going to affect the future of this part of the country and it is clear which side the government need to come down on.”

The Senior Open Championship is being held at Turnberry this year and the schedule has been changed rather sensibly so there is going to be a stellar field this year. The event will be taking place in late July and will be the final senior major events of the season. This is because the US Senior Open is going to be moved forward by three weeks.

Many players have publicly stated that they already looking forward to the event. Sam Torrance has stated that he is very much looking forward to playing in a major tournament again in his native area of Ayrshire.

He commented, “I was at Turnberry a few weeks ago and the course looks really wonderful. It is definitely one of the most beautiful courses anywhere and is certainly located in one of the most stunning parts of the world. There is no question it is a great golf course and I’m very much looking forward to playing there.”

The 1996 open champion is Tom Lehman and he is commented, “Turnberry would be a great place to win the senior open and doing so is definitely on my wish list. The golf course there is tremendous and it is located in one of the most beautiful parts of Scotland.

The past two Scottish Senior Opens have been won by Barry Lane and he was also the runner-up in the order of merit for seniors in Europe. He commented about the course, “Turnberry is a fantastic course for the seniors and the fact that it has been chosen to appear on the open rota is a real delight and I’m already looking forward to playing golf there once again.” The event last visited Turnberry in 2006 where it was won by the American Loren Roberts.

Fancourt attracts big names

Many of the worlds top golfers will be heading out to Fancourt, on South Africa’s famous  garden route for the start of next weeks Volvo Golf Championship. Some of the top golfers who will be in attendance include Major winners Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke. This event is being hailed as the first ever true ‘tournament of champions’ to be held on the European Tour.

The tournament tees off on Friday January 19^th , will last for 4 days and is the first fully sanctioned event on the European Tour ever to be played in South Africa. The world acclaimed Links at Fancourt are hosting the event, originally designed by legendary South African golfer Gary Player, this course was recently voted the best in the country.

Other  high-profile players competing  include Major winners Retief Goosen, Paul Lawrie, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, and European Tour stars such as Thomas Bjorn, Nicolas Colsaerts, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Tom Lewis, Matteo Manassero, Colin Montgomerie and Alexander Noren in competing for a 350000 Euros (R3,6million) first prize, and a prize fund of 2million Euros (R21million).  Sadly, England’s Paul Casey will not be defending his title due to a shoulder injury.

“I love playing in South Africa and have won five of my European tour titles here,” said Els. “I have great memories of playing at the Links at Fancourt, in professional events and when on holiday here. South African golf is in great shape at the moment, which is apparent by the number of South Africans in the field.”

Three-time Major winner Harrington is also looking forward to a fresh start in 2012 with a recent return to form boding well for this charismatic man from Dublin.  Swede Robert Karlsson, winner of the 2010 Dubai World Championship, qualifies as a member of the elite group of tour stars including Goosen, Jimenez and Montgomerie, who have more than 10 career wins on the European tour. The rest of the field is limited to tour players who have won an event on the previous year’s international schedule.

For more information visit www.fancourt.co.za

Hank Haney is the former coach of Tiger Woods, and has recently published a book called The Big Miss. The book is going to detail the time that he spent as Tiger Woods coach and the six years that they spent working together before the controversy started  the overwhelmed the famous golfer’s life.

Publishers have said that the book is surprisingly insightful and offers a candid account of the partnership. While being coached by Mr Haney, Tiger Woods achieved victory in six major championships. He also details the worries that Tiger Woods had over his fear of inaccurate golf shots that could ruin an entire game, hence the name of the book.

Mr Haney writes about how he helps correct this error in Tiger Woods’ game by helping him with his swing mechanics. The book is set to publish just before the Masters series takes place in early April this year.

He also writes about the personality of Tiger Woods and how he was very capable of keeping people at arms length in order to avoid social distractions while playing the game. He says that even his close friends and family were unable to become very close to him. He writes about how the focus of Tiger Woods began to blur during the end of their time together, which was something that Mr Haney was openly disappointed with.

Mr Haney was responsible for coaching Tiger Woods from 2004 until 2010. After the various revelations about his personal life, his career veered off course and the pair still worked together for several months before they decided to part ways a month after the 2010 Masters. Mr Haney was very close to Woods and has a unique insight into his personal life during the high point of his career as well as the low points of his social life.

Rory McIlroy has recently said that the world number one, Luke Donald, should be recognised as the best golf player in the world even though he has never won a Major. Mr Donald has recently become the only player to be at the top of the money lists in Europe and America after he finished in third place at the Dubai World Championship.

Many critics have said that despite his skills he is incapable of winning a Major tournament, and this is something that he hopes to correct in the next year. A win in a Major is one of the only things that he seems to be missing in his golf career and it would solidify his position as the worlds best golfer.

McIlroy is the world number two and he has recently commented, “Lucas had a fantastic year and he deserves the recognition he gets as the world number one. Many critics are wondering whether he really should be in the position of being the world number one if he has never won a Major but in the golfing community he is clearly regarded as the best player.

He deserves all of the wins he has achieved and has earned his place at the top of the money lists.” Luke Donald has said, “I feel like I’ve achieved everything but a Major and I am planning to correct that next season.”

Members of Basingstoke golf club have recently come to an agreement to sell some of the golf clubs land so that 1000 new homes can be developed. The club has 700 members and three quarters of them agreed that it would be best to sell the land.

The site is one of many that the council has agreed will be developed over the next 50 years and is one of only a few greenfield sites that has been highlighted for development. Over the next 15 years, around 10,000 homes are going to be built in the area and around a third of these are going to be situated on greenfield sites. A good number of these are going to be where the golf club is currently located.

The planning chiefs in the borough are going to be very grateful for the decision by the golf clubs members as if they had decided not to sell their land it would have been a very difficult decision for the planning chiefs to decide on a new greenfield site.

John Hiscock is the manager of the golf club and he said, “We are going to be opening a new golf club elsewhere and that will form part of any deal, it is also likely that our members are going to make a nice profit from the sale as well. We’re not going to know the specifics of the deal until later next year and we’re just waiting to see what is going to happen.”

Rob Golding is the Cabinet member for infrastructure, planning and transport and he has commented, “We are looking to develop new housing in the area and finding sites for this is not always easy. We are very pleased that the members of the golf club have voted to sell the land.”