This week we have launched our new website and email newsletter. My team and I hope you like it. This new website and email is fully responsive in design, so irrespective what digital device you are using the content will adjust accordingly, giving a perfect display every time.

This will allow you to read our weekly words of wisdom from the comfort of, for example your sofa, office or even a train. Please click here to visit the new site.

We would love you to explore the website and investigate the tips and drills, product catalogue and interact with any features we have on the website.

We look forward to any feedback you may have so click here and tell us what you think about our new email and website.

We are now into March, and since my return from my pre season break, the club has started to feel a little more lively and I have started to see some old faces return to the links!! The season is now going to come around very quickly.

Make sure that you are ready to start the season with a bang!! We still have a great offer on Golf Pride grips where you can get 9 irons regripped and get your woods done for free.

It's also a great chance to get any swing problems ironed out before the season begins. Whether you need a full 45 minute lesson using video analysis, or just a swing check to check your set up and fundamentals are in good shape, why not give me a call or click here to take the first step to a better game!!

This week also see's our Head Greenkeeper, George Paterson finish working here after 8 years. I am sure you would all like to thank George for his hard work and dedication over his years here at the club, and wish him all the very best in his future career path. If anyone has any words they would like me to pass on to George then please click here and I will put these all together for him before he finishes.

A fine 41 points in section 1

There were some good scores over the weekend as over 60 players took to the course for week 18 of the winter cup. There is now only 1 week left to improve your overall aggregate scores this weekend. The winter cup final will take place on the following Saturday 15th March. Everyone who has paid the entry fee to join this years winter cup is eligible to play on this day, and there will be prizes awarded in 2 handicap sections as throughout the winter cup. Scorecards must be handed in on the day, signed and players should ensure that their handicaps are correct when signing their scorecards.

Section 1                                   Section 2

Player	HC	Points	Prize	Player	HC	Points	Prize
D Johnston	5	41	£20	G Flett	13	41	£20
P Smith	5	39	£15	R M Baker	13	39	£15
G Slater	7	39	£10	L Docherty	31	39	£10
A M Campbell	4	38		L Ironside	16	38
S Rothnie	10	38		K Walker	14	37

Handicap reductions:

(P) pending (further) reduction 
D Johnston 5 to 3 (P wk 14)    G Flett 13 to 11 (P wk 17)    P Smith 5 to 4 (P)    R M Baker 13 to 12 (P)    A M Campbell 4 to 3 (Still pending)    L Docherty 31 to 30 (P)    G Slater 7 to 6    L Ironside 16 to 15    S Rothnie 9 to 8 (P wk 4)    K Walker (P)    C Ironside 8 to 7    S B Herd SCR to +1    W F Thomson (P) 

2's were worth £6 and accredited to shop accounts

4th L Docherty, N Stables, G Slater 
6th D Johnston, S Rothnie, S B Herd, S Duncan 
15th S B Herd, P Smith 

We still have some spaces available for our PING Demo Day on Friday 14th March between 3pm-7pm. Click here or call to book your  FREE slot with no obligation to buy.

Look out for our Titleist and TaylorMade Fitting dates in the near future

TaylorMade have just launched their range of new golf balls including the new Tour Preferred and Tour Preferred X balls, as played by Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia. Click here to check out a video of Sergio in action testing the new TaylorMade range.

As a special launch promotion, TaylorMade are offering the chance of buying 3 dozen and getting a 4th dozen  FREE of charge. You can also add one line of personalised text (such as your name) onto each golf ball also  FREE of charge during the month of March.

3 Dozen @ £39.99 Get 1 Dozen Free (all with free personalisation)

TaylorMade have introduced an offer where they will guarantee to refund your purchase on their SLDR and JetSpeed Drivers for March & April to give you the consumer piece of mind that if you buy one and don't feel the performance benefits within 30 days you can get your money back.

There has been a lot of media coverage lately on TaylorMade's new Drivers, in particular the SLDR as used by Jason Day to recently win the Accenture Matchplay. A new forward, and low centre of gravity has allowed the SLDR to reduce backspin created when hitting a drive significantly. As a result, people now need more loft to gain more distance. Click here to watch this short video which I think explains it very well.

Beware Fake Golf Equipment

This week I had one of our members bring to my attention some very appealing prices on the current PING G25 Drivers, fairways and hybrids on an online site.

http://www.grahamward.co.uk/ 

G25 Driver £138.99 
G25 Fairway £109.52 
G25 Hybrid £91.28

The website looks very professional, the prices are very appealing and its no wonder many people are attracted to such sites. The counterfeit golf industry is worth millions of £££s every year and lots of people get caught out with such sites. However, why would you want to spend £££s of your hard earned money on products that are cheap imitations that may look very similar but will definitely not perform the same. There is also a very high chance that you will find some form of fault with the product in its first few months and I wouldn't hold out much hope of getting it repaired or getting your money back!! Buying from such sites are a real risk and probably a costly one in the long run......you have been warned!

Would you buy a cheap counterfeit Car or Television from an unreliable source?

Here are some general guidelines to follow to avoid such sites:

Too Good to be true!!

Generally if a site is selling the latest model of driver from any of the top brands considerably cheaper than most of the well known online retailers then its most probably too good to be true. This particular site has also changed its name from graham ward golf to neoplanet golf.....another sign of fraudulent online sites!!

Authorised Retailers

If you decide to buy online, be very aware. Only buy from authorised retailers such as Foremost Golf , which can be viewed through a link on my own website. Most of the top suppliers have internet policies and only allow a small number of online retailers to sell their products. Companies like PING and TaylorMade will often have a click for price option or even call for price next to the product because they are not allowed to have the prices displayed.

Contact Details

By law, all retailers' websites must display contact details, including a phone number and address. If the company does not show these details then they have something to hide, so beware! This particular website has an email address and London, UK as its address with no contact telephone number.....SAY NO MORE!!!

Finally we are offering a BEST VALUE guarantee on our products which come with:

FREE  Impartial Advice                           
After Sales Service                      
No Quibble Returns                
Try Before You Buy                                
FREE Fitting Guaranteed
Low Prices

If you are thinking about investing your money in some new equipment, come and speak to your Professional and let me help you make the right choice.

Rule of the Week 7th March 2014

Alex's tee shot at the 6th Old ended up in the bunker back left of the green with the hole front right. Billy's tee shot landed in the bunker at the front right of the green. It was Alex to play first . While he was approaching the bunker he noticed that Billy had walked into the bunker where his ball lay to assess his shot thereby creating footprints. Alex thought of the possibility that if his ball was to be hit too well he would land in the same bunker as Billy. He therefore asked for the bunker to be raked before he played his shot. Was Billy permitted to rake his footprints after creating them?.

Yes. In equity Rule 1-4 Alex may have the bunker restored to its former condition because the footprints were created by Billy after Alex's ball came to rest. The bunker may be restored by anyone