GolfShot for Golf News

An energy company is attempting to purchase part of a golf club as part of its controversial plan to store gas under Wyre estuary. There have been three options submitted by Halite Energy for the members of the Knott End Golf Club to consider.

Option no. 1 will see Halite buy 2.5 acres of land for £40,000 to use as a wellhead. The second option is for Halite to buy 4.15 acres for £75,000 for a wellhead and surrounding area, and the third option would be the sale of 4.5 acres for a wellhead, and the surrounding area then be leased by Halite for 50 years at £3000 a year.

There are 19 hollowed out salt caverns which Halite was to use to store up to 900m cubic metres of natural gas. The company has submitted a planning application for the scheme to the IPC, the Infrastructure Planning Commission. The IPC was set up in 2009 to take decision making on energy projects away from the local authorities, and they now have 28 days to decide whether to accept or reject the application from Halite.

If they decide to accept it, it will then be further considered by IPC commissioners and member of the general public will also be able to submit written representations at this stage. Once this process is dealt with, a recommendation will be made to the secretary of state for Energy and Climate change. Fierce opposition from the public caused a previous application to store energy at the Wyre estuary, by US company Canatxx, to be rejected.

Councillor Peter Gibson is both the leader of Wyre Council and also a member of the golf club, and he has said that several major questions need to be answered before the members could vote on the potential release of land.

Golf has always been a popular sport and with the recent expansion in Asia – it looks set to continue.

Over here in the UK – quite often you find yourself either too busy to play a full round or mother nature gets in the way. Golf simulators have been used in coaching environments for quite a while now as they provide immediate feedback on the golf swing and can be used no matter how dark or cold it is outside. These setups are very expensive however and usually cost upwards of £10,000.

That’s fine if you can turn the product into a money spinner, or if you bank balance has lots of zeros on the end, but historically for us mere mortals – they’ve been out of reach. A new breed of cost effective golf simulator are now appearing that make a home based setup an achievable possibility – from £3,000 you can now purchase a professional setup that have all the features of the more expensive products.

The swing analysis features present a fantastic opportunity for the fair weather golfer to not only maintain a good standard during winter, but improve the mechanics of the swing. Couple this up with a few cameras and swing analysis software and scratch golf will be beckoning…

Never purchase a new golf set if you are just starting to play the game because you may realize in a short amount of time that the game is not for you. Plus it is important to find out during the learning stage what type of golf set is best for your game. The best thing to do is start with a pair of good used clubs and stick to a set if guidelines when it is time to buy them.

When you first go to a driving range you could use rental clubs and try and use clubs of your friends to get a feel for the different type of clubs that are available. After getting familiar with club at the driving range it is time to purchase your first set.

First you should buy from those that are reliable and know what they are talking about. A local pro at a course close to you can give you advice or you could consult the expert at a local shop or even friends that have experience in playing the game. Searching the internet is another way to find the best clubs for you buy reading different reviews of the clubs.

The best combination to start is with a half a set of clubs that are all matching irons from the same manufacturer and the combination of irons should be – 4, 6, 8 pitching wedge and sand iron plus the 3 and 5 woods and the putter.

Using a driver in your bag to begin is not a good option since it is the hardest of the woods to excel in. The lower irons like the 1, 2, and 3 should not be used in the beginning since they are the harder of the irons to master.

The half set of clubs is more that sufficient for the majority of novice golfers and for most every situation that will be faced on the course. It makes your club selection easier since there are not as many to choose from. This will help the newcomer to learn his or her swing technique better and concentrate on that instead of choosing the right club for the yardage needed.

Scientists have exposed the secrets of counterfeit golf clubs by using forensic technology to uncover the shoddy truth behind their near-perfect exteriors.

Experts from Sheffield Hallam University’s Centre for Sport and Exercise Science and its materials engineering department put two clubs – one real and one fake – through a series of tests to determine how they differed.

They found that although some counterfeit clubs looked remarkably similar to the real thing, their shoddy engineering means that they will break quickly and could make a marked difference to the quality of a golfer’s game.

First, the clubs were put through their paces by a professional golfer, working with sports scientists at the University to improve his game. Initially, he was unable to tell the difference between the two, the counterfeit seemingly having been put together extremely well. But, after a number of strokes the counterfeit club began to rattle, a tell tale sign that things were not as they should be.

It was not until the clubs were taken apart and analysed by the University’s forensic engineers that the true extent of their differences were revealed.

Tests showed that despite the clubs being made of similar metals, the fake club had not been properly heat treated, meaning it would not be as strong as the real one. And inside the head, the counterfeit had been poorly welded showing the lack of expertise that had gone into making it.

The two clubs’ carbon fibre shafts were also markedly different. The counterfeit’s shaft was much thicker, making the club more rigid and liable to break.

Finally, the removable heel and toe weights found in the fake club’s head were significantly inaccurate – the toe weight marked two grams actually weighed 3.5 grams, 55 per cent heavier, while the heel weight marked 14 grams was actually 12 grams, 14 per cent lighter than it should be.

Professor Alan Smith, from Materials Analysis and Research Services (MARS) at Sheffield Hallam, said: “The quality of the welding on the two clubs was enormously different. The real club was made using far more complex manufacturing techniques and precision engineering.”

“The fact that the counterfeit club had not been heat treated properly is very significant, because this is an expensive process designed to ensure the metal possesses the requisite hardness and toughness. The carbon fibre shafts were also strikingly different, the counterfeit having much less flexibility than the real club.

“A counterfeit club wouldn’t last as long as a genuine club, so despite being cheaper they represent a false economy for amateur players.”

Tim Vernon, from the Centre for Sport and Exercise Science, said: “The counterfeit club certainly looked genuine and performed remarkably well in the hands of a professional player.

“It would be easy to see why amateurs could be fooled into buying a cheap fake off the internet, but the forensic tests showed just how badly the counterfeit was actually put together. These differences could certainly have an effect on a golfer’s game.”

If your Dad’s a golfer, whatever his standard, a golf training aid that improves his game makes a great Father’s Day gift. The PGA professional golfers at www.internetgolfstore.co.uk have selected their top 5 golf training aids, any of which are guaranteed to polish up his game.

SKLZ Fly trap – £34.99
A lightweight, heavy-duty net perfect to hone your chipping and pitching. This umbrella-style net is the fastest up and down net available. Makes it easy for all golfers to practice their game just about anywhere. Five individually sized target pockets so you can play high/low shots and measures 3.5′ x 3.5′ once erected. Has a ball reservoir so no chasing balls after those missed chips.

The Pro’s view:-

• Great fun to pin point your pitching into various sized holes
• Not as easy as it looks, so definitely fine tunes your focus and concentration.
• Avoids the hassle of setting up targets, no excuses now Dad!

Auto-return Putting Mat with Hazards – £22.99

Every golfer needs a putting mat to practice their technique in the home or office, and the Golfer Club Auto-return Putting Mat with Hazards is one of the best on the market. At 2.7 Metres long, it’s deluxe soft touch material gives a realistic feel of the putting green, and even includes bunkers and water hazards! It automatically returns the ball from the hole.

The Pro’s view:-

• This is a great product because it’s more realistic to the putting green unlike your carpet!
• No batteries required so can practice for hours ( 70% of the game is putting)
• Practice with all the family – it”s more fun than any other putting aid because of the bunker and water hazards.

SKLZ Practice Pod – £12.99
The practice Pod will help you practice with purpose and focus. No need to use your own clubs . Lightweight and portable, it sets up quickly and is easily folded down then can be stored in your bag. Great for alignment of feet, knees, hips, shoulders and eyes.

The Pro’s view:-

• Helps eliminate golf swing faults before they start
• The easiest and most important teaching aids for railway alignment and ball position.
• This will change the way you practice forever!

SKLZ Power Sleeve – £19.99
The Power Sleeve is a great aid to increase shot distance and golf muscle strength and flexibility, whilst also helping your swing tempo. Fitted over your own club, it ingrains the feel of the correct swing path and improves ball contact. Used by leading pro’s on tour, it’s also great to reveal and correct swing flaws.

The Pro’s view:-

• Great for warm up, building flexibility and strength for the golf muscles.
• Because it uses your own club you don’t lose the feel of your grip. For best results hit balls at 70% your normal speed and tighten the straps every 5 shots.
• Awesome to create timing and tempo

SKLZ Swing Kite – £12.99
Another great tool to instil the feel of the correct swing path and improved ball contact, the Swing Kite fits over your own clubs and increases air resistance to slow down your shot. It increases shot distance, muscle strength and flexibility, and can be used all year round for practice and warm up.

The Pro’s view:-

• Promotes proper lag and resistance, stops casting.
• Can be used on own club again therefore more familiar with the grip and weight hence quicker swing improvements.
• Even after impact it helps release past the ball and creates speed.

All the above training aids are available online from www.internetgolfstore.co.uk or from their Surrey new store in Lower Kingswood, close to the M25, opened on 10th April 2010store (tel: 01737 833148).

Tomorrows Golfer are offering Skycaddie SGX for the cheapest price on the market.

The SkyCaddie SGX GPS rangefinder comes pre- loaded with 30,000 courses and has a 3 inch screen that is easy to read in any condition. The Skycaddie SGX can keep track of which club you use with the new SmartClub feature. SmartClub is a set of plugs that fit on the end of your grips and allow the SkyCaddie SGX to keep track of your club selection and club distances. Sky Club will also make club recommendations based on your distance from the green.

Tomorrows golfer are pleased to announce and give there customers a one off skycaddie DISCOUNT CODE making the price of this item just £300 , this DISCOUNT CODE can be redeemed by typing ‘caddie’ in at the discount coupon stage of the checkout.

Take advantage of this incredible offer, pre-order the SkyCaddie SGX now and become one of the first golfers in the UK to own this amazing piece of technology.

Pre-ordering with Tomorrow’s Golfer and using the exclusive discount code ‘caddie’ gives you a remarkable saving of £99.99!

If you want to save even more money, Tomorrows golfer are willing to trade in your old Skycaddie SG5 for £150 off your brand new Skycaddie SGX Rangefinder.

Pre-order yours now with this incredible offer, any golfer would be mad to miss out!!  Click here or on the banner below for more information.