A message from Ian Mcgowan

I have been training for a few months now for the London to Brighton bike ride, which is on Sunday 15th June and I am desperately looking for sponsors for my great cause, the British Heart Foundation. We all know someone affected by heart disease, and the BHF fund pioneering technology to mend broken he...arts and prolong the life of those with heart conditions.

My daughter had valve replacement surgery in 2010, and with future surgeries ahead she knows that she owes her life to the British heart Foundation : )

So please dig deep and make it worth the aching legs, knees, bum and so on, please visit http://www.justgiving.com/Ian-Mcgowan1 if you wish to donate.

Best Regards,

Ian

Agronomist Visit

Stella Rixon, our STRI agronomist paid us a visit last week and was mightily impressed with what she saw. She felt the greens were rolling as good as, if not better than some of the British Open qualifying courses she is currently overseeing. Due to the large amounts of rain we were served through the winter, she believes our thatch levels in our greens have marginally increased, but our maintenance program this autumn should help to reduce this issue.

Stella also agrees with our rough maintenance program where we have allowed certain areas to grow to help Paul and his team look after the playing areas. I am really pleased for Paul and his team as they work extremely hard to maintain the course, and as always there will always be minor things that pop up, but in the main, we hope to stay on top of things. Once I receive the report, the summary will be posed on the Course notice board.

The word "FORE" on a golf course is most important, if you are unsure of what lies behind the trees or an area that is not clearly visible please shout. Better safe than sorry!! I thought I would throw in a very brief history lesson this week as there are three serious explanations for the origins of term FORE!

1. Because golf balls were expensive, golfers employed 'Forecaddies' to stand where the ball might land and reduce the number of lost balls, as is done in tournaments today. In 1875, Robert Clark mentions that Andrew Dickson performing this role for the Duke of York in 1681 and describes it as "what is now commonly called a fore-caddie". It is probable that golfers called to their "Forecaddie!", who would always be some distance ahead to draw attention to the fact the ball was coming and, in time, this was shortened to "Fore!" The almost contemporaneous appearance of the terms caddie, fore-caddie and fore!

2. A second explanation derives from the military battle craft of musket days, when rank after rank would fire fusillades, some over the heads of those in front. It was speculated that the term Fore! might have been used to warn those in front to keep their heads down. Modern historians pour cold water on this theory, partly because it is difficult to relate it to a Scottish golf connection, and partly because the relevant military terms used do not appear to be connected. However, this theory may in fact be a misunderstanding of the theory below.

3. There is a third explanation, which appears utterly implausible, but which is an outside possibility. It derives from a story told by John Knox (1505?-1572) the 'hellfire' protestant reformer. He tells the tale, as only 'hellfire' preachers can, of someone arriving at the East Port (east gate) of Leith.

Club Shirts

We are currently offering a great deal on both the white club logo'd shirt and blue club logo'd shirt. These shirts were £39.95, now JUST £32.95. However this offer is for April only so come and try one on today!

Srixon Ball Offers

Over the last 5 years Srixon has consistently been one of the leading golf ball manufacturers and throughout April we will be offering some great deals on Srixon golf balls.

AD333

Srixon's AD333 Golf Ball has been the best selling 2-piece golf ball over the last few years. The amazing new AD333 provides the perfect combination of distance off the tee and spin control around the green. Coupled with superior soft feel and the visual performance of both Pure White and Tour Yellow, this is our most advanced 2 piece golf ball to date. These golf balls are now on offer for just £15.99 a dozen, were £20 a dozen.

Soft Feel

The new Soft Feel is engineered with a highly resilient super soft, compression core formulation, whilst which offers golfers with moderate swing speeds exceptional distance and soft feel. These Golf balls are now on offer for just £15.99 a dozen, were £20 a dozen.

Distance

Srixon's new distance ball has higher initial velocity and a penetrating ball flight for greater distance. Responsive light feel and exceptional durability make it ideal for those with a swing speed of 80mph+. These golf balls are now on offer for just £11 a dozen, were £12.95 a dozen.