Hello golfers,
London Golf Show 26th-28th August
Londoner Andrew 'Beef' Johnston, the current Spanish Open champion, is the guest of honour on the opening day of the London Golf Show, which takes place at Glow, Bluewater, in Kent, from August 26-28, 2016.
Johnston, 27, is inviting children aged under 16 to pose questions to him on the show stage as their first steps towards a potential career in golf reporting.
The sets of three questions should be sent to askbeef@londongolfshow.com, where they will be judged by Johnston and the team behind the London Golf Show.
Ladies Club Championships
The Ladies Club Championships was held last Thursday. In recent years there has always been delays with thunder and lightning but this year the ladies were treated to some very pleasant sunshine.
Pauline Bourne took full advantage, winning both the gross prize - Willowteam Rose Bowl and the nett prize - Challener Salver. Pauline won the Willowteam Rose Bowl by 4 shots from Viv Harrison on 170 and El Rhodes in 3rd place on 173. Pauline also won the Challener Trophy by 4 shots from Viv Harrison in 2nd on countback from Judith Ross.
Granville Wise Cup
Congratulations to Toby Chandler on winning the Granville Wise Cup. Toby shot a very impressive 38 points to win by 2 from El Rhodes who beat Peter Gray on countback for 2nd place.
Bletchingley Pro Am - Friday 26th August
The entry sheet for our Annual Pro-Am is now on the main noticeboard. The format will be as follows:
Coffee and bacon rolls upon arrival
18 holes with a leading PGA Professional in the South Region- Best two scores from 4 - ¾ handicap.
2 course rolling buffet after golf.
Some great prizes on offer if you play well as a team, including hole in one prizes sponsored by Circle Golf Insurance.
The cost for members is £50 per head and if you would like to invite guests the cost will be £65.00 for their day.
If you haven't played in the pro Am before then please put your name down as it is always a great day. Please let me know if you are on your own and would like to play as I currently have 1 member who wishes to play and is looking for another 2 team members.
1. Slow play
Should members find themselves losing a hole from the group in front, or being pressured from a group behind; then a call through must be made. Any group of golfers who feel that they are losing momentum or being held up, then a POLITE REQUEST to the group ahead should be made, to allow them to play through. Any group that receives such a request, should be considerate to themselves AND other golfers.
2. Handicap split between Division 1 and 2 for Men Golfers
After changing the split between Division 1 and 2 from 18 to 16 handicap, the Competitions and Matches Committee believe a revision of the split is now necessary. So from 1st September 2016 the split will now take place at 17. Division 1 therefore up to 17. Division 2 from 17.50 to 28.
3. AGM - 20th September - pre AGM 9-hole Competition from 4.30pm
Sign-up sheet will be placed on the noticeboard. It will be in groups of 4, with the 2 best scores counting on each hole.
Just what was needed
We can't think of a more deserving winner than Justin Rose, golf's first Olympic champion since 1904 - a huge congratulations to him on winning gold after a thrilling final-round duel with Henrik Stenson. Make no mistake, golf needed this positive outcome after several high-profile golfers decided not to compete in Rio.
"That felt better than anything I've ever won. It was the best tournament I've ever done"
This was a quote from Rose's post round interview - a former US Open champion let's not forget.
"Hopefully we've shown Brazil what golf is about. I'm glad it was close. Not for my nerves. For golf."
Rose relished the opportunity to represent Great Britain, arriving in Brazil a week before the Olympics officially started to ensure he was part of the opening ceremony. Anyone who follows the Englishman on Twitter will know what competing in the Olympics meant and how genuine he is about helping to grow the game. With a global audience of approximately 4 billion, it's fair to say Rose, Stenson and the rest of the Olympic field put on a fantastic show, doing a superb job of showcasing everything that's good about the game. Jordan Spieth has already tweeted his ambition to represent USA in Tokyo in four years', which tells us a lot. Roll on 2020!
If last week's golf has inspired you to get back out on the practice ground, get in touch here to book a lesson so we can help you on your way.