Hi everyone,

What a lovely week of warmth, only merely interrupted by the haar (har har) that came over on Wednesday to close the course! Actually I doubt it was the haar as I think you need a bit of sea to get that, but we can settle for a bit of good old Brizzle fogginess.

This week's Wednesday Medal was played between patches of mist, and the winner was a triumphant Dave Mann pushing James Redding into second place. Congratulations both! Saturday saw the Wills Cup hotly contested in bright sunshine. The result of this was as follows;

1st Place: Richard Woolston with 37 points (woo hoo!)
2nd Place: Chris Hebden with 37 points
3rd Place: Mike Blake with 36 points

Great golf guys!

The Ladies' Section played their Ladies' Medal last week and Di Ouzman came first (68), second was Liz Hale (70) and third Alex Saunders (70). The Ladies' Weekend Stableford was won by Claire Fairman, followed by Yvonne Wesbroom and Sandra Gibbs in second and third respectively. Well done Ladies!

Ladies' Captain Rose also informed me that the Ladies' Alliance A team drew against Weston-super-Mare and have made a steady start to the season. Great job! The Mixed Foursomes Supper Evening on 12th was won by our lovely Linda & Les Meaton, with Peter & Jane Simpson in second place and Anne Archer & Matt Hawker in third. Great results, well done to you all.

On the Mixed Open Day, an award was also made to Evan David, who has faithfully manned the scoreboard for these Opens for many, many years. Even though he was recently very poorly, Evan came to do the board as usual. What an absolute legend, we love Evan in the pro shop. He is a great guy and we also want to say thank you for all you do for the club.

This week I have been planning something new and exciting, and to succeed I am going to need your help please. I have been in liaison with my lovely disability case officer Jamie Blair, who has recommended I apply for a £1000 Community Charity Funding grant from Aviva (the insurance people). Well you know me, I can't pass up the chance of trying to win funding to help other people so I spent another sunny afternoon in front of a screen making my eyes even squarer and filling in another form. I had to submit it first to their panel at Aviva to see if it was something that could be considered to be funded. My plan was for inclusive golf and the school inclusion special needs festival we are holding in September. I wanted to obtain funding to be able to provide decent prizes for our special schools, as well as providing them with drinks, biscuits and other refreshments. I also wanted to buy each participant a printed T-Shirt to wear, so that they felt really included in a special festival day of their own.

Anyway this morning I had an email from Aviva, saying that my funding plan had been successfully accepted. Phew! So now we come to the bit where I need your help guys. The thing with this Aviva funding is that in order to win any funding, people have to vote for your plan. I am asking if you could all possibly vote for my plan, so that we can win some money for this festival.

Voting opens on 1st May, and to vote you need to go to www.community-fund.aviva.co.uk and vote for my project. The project is called Inclusive Junior Golf Festival For All. The more votes we can secure the more likely we will be chosen. There are going to be lots and lots of worthy projects but I really hope we can, together, make this work for these wonderful kids.

So what else has been happening?

Newsflash! Alan Beattie had a hole in one at 13th on 15th April - congratulations Alan!

I have been continuing my (non) diet by starting to infuse fruit waters instead of guzzling coke and coffee - ooh these are awesome on a hot day! My particular favourites are Orange & Rosemary with crushed ice and Lemon on the rocks (damn, no Bacardi allowed).

   

I have also been cooking more healthy curries, and my slow cooker lentil and vegetable curry was well received yum yum! In the Mitchell household it's the taste before the waist!

Luke attended his graduation ceremony at The University of Birmingham last week. He is fully qualified and now has been awarded his certificate by the university. He is all growed up now!

Now I need to say something about the safe use of the driving range because I do worry about everyone's safety! There remain a few naughty but nice members who do a naughty thing by hitting balls back from the bottom of the range towards the bays, and also some who hit balls back up the range whilst waiting to tee off the 10th. Guys this is really dangerous, someone's going to get a bonk on the swede one day and I really don't want that to happen. It's against the rules and don't want anyone to come a cropper or risk a disciplinary so please, PLEASE, please, for your safety and others', don't do it. I also don't want you to step out from the bays and collect balls to hit. This is so dangerous it makes me come out in hives thinking about it! It's not worth it, I don't want anyone hurt.

Unfortunately if you do step out and get hit, there can be no responsibility on anyone else's part. I love you all and the pro shop first aid kit only has one shrivelled bandage and a sticking (but so old it's not sticking!) plaster so I doubt if we can save you. Lecture over my lovelies!

So we move on now to an instructional by Krissy Lad (that's what Cam calls him!)

"Hello everyone,

I'd like to pass on a process you can follow to help sharpen up on distance control and gain confidence within your pitching.

When it comes down to scoring, pitching is vital. You can play some pretty poor golf but a good days pitching can save your round. So many people talk about how once they get inside 100 yards or have that awkward 50 or 60 yard shot they just don't know what to do or what club to hit. A big part of this is because to be quite frank, people just don't practice from those distances. Then when the shot occurs they become unsure and indecisive and therefore fail to trust and execute the shot.

The process I'd like to share will hopefully help you gain confidence over these shots so in future you can look forwards to the task ahead rather than fear it.

Knowing the distance you hit your clubs (especially your wedges) is a major asset on the golf course and will make the game a lot easier for you. When stood over a shot, knowing exactly how far you hit your club is such a confidence booster and immediately helps eliminate doubt from the mind.

But what if you are in between clubs?

This is where half/three quarter/full shots or 9/10/11 o'clock shots comes in to play. Some of you may do this already and some of you may not. The question is, do you really know how far you carry or hit the ball with each club for each of these shots? If not, here is how to learn:

There is only two elements to this in which you'll need...

1. It takes two people to complete this process so if you can find someone else who wants to learn their distances as well or maybe a partner who can come down to the practice ground with you.

2. You will need a Bushnell (distance measuring device). Many members at the club have these so if you don't have one already you should be able to find someone nearby who can lend you one for a couple of hours.

Once you tick both of these boxes you are good to go.

The practice area behind the 1st green is perfect. Once there, select the club you will use first e.g. pitching wedge and the other person needs to head out with the Bushnell just past the rough distance you usually hit it.

It is best to start with a 9 o clock or half swing (which ever thought process you prefer). (See picture).

You will probably need to hit a few shots to get used to the feel of the swing. Once you are happy, tell the person stood out with the Bushnell you are ready. Hit half a dozen shots or so and the person outfield will start to see a pattern and will notice the average spot or distance your ball is landing. It is key you focus only on where the ball is landing (not including roll).

Once you are both happy with consistency (obviously discounting heavy or thin shots) the person outfield will stand on the average landing spot and Bushnell you. Let's say your half or 9 o'clock pitching wedge carried 68 yards.

You then write that down and move on to 3/4 or 10 o'clock swing (see picture) and repeat the process. You might find the 10 o'clock pitching wedge carries 72 yards. You then repeat the process a final time with your full or 11 o'clock swing (see picture) and may find it carries 77 yards. This is your pitching wedge complete and you are ready to move on to your next club e.g. gap wedge.

       

If you have any questions on this, please feel free to come and talk to me in the pro shop.

We will also be offering a service in the pro shop where if you would like a trained eye on those shortened swings, and/or help to guide you through the process for precise yardages you can book in with me and I will also provide the Bushnell required. We will also offer the service of Bushnell rental.

 Concluding this process you will have a new weapon to take to the course!

Rather than the thought of "I think I hit my pitching wedge around 75 yards", you know exactly how far you carry your pitching wedge and not only a single yardage but you've covered a range of distances with it! Next time you are on the course and one of those awkward distances arises, rather than doubt creeping in your mind, you will feel confident!

Click here to get in touch if you would like help with your yardages or just your short game.

Good luck!"

Kris

Thanks Kris. I can always count on you boys to do me a great lesson.

Woody finished in 29th position in the Shenzhen International last week and plays in the China Open this week. I think this will be a great week for Chris and his game is slowly gaining momentum.

Jimmy Mullen finished in tied fifth position in the Hampshire Salver last weekend, just five shots off the winning score. I will be going to Royal Lytham and St Anne's with Jimmy next weekend in one of the world's major amateur events, the Lytham Trophy. He is playing very well and I'm sure he will post some good scores.

I competed at Burnham and Berrow last Wednesday in a regional qualifier for the National Club Professionals Championship. After a four hour delay due to fog, I shot a disappointing 76. I started nervously but certainly didn't take what I had on the practice ground onto the course. I did receive some good news later in the day, that I will have to do it all over again in a couple of weeks time. The PGA had to call the event off due to more fog. There are 19 qualifying places available out of 80 competitors to reach the final, so I will need to do a little better next time. I call it a practice run!!

On Wednesday, 6 May we have a PING Fitting Event at Bristol and Clifton Golf Club between 1:00pm & 5.00pm. This is appointment based but there are a number of time slots available with the national PING Fitting Technician. Why not try the latest G30 drivers, fairways, hybrids and irons?

Click here to find out more about the G30 range

Click here to get in touch to request your fitting.

Even better news, Luke will be running some Specialist Putter Fitting sessions on the putting green on the following days:-

Tuesday, 28 April - 9.00am - 12.00 noon
Friday, 29 May - 9am - 12.00 noon
Saturday, 13 June - 8.00am - 2.00pm
Friday, 17 July - 4.00am - 7.00pm
Saturday, 1 August - 8.00am - 2.00pm

We are official Key Cameron Fitting Specialists, which basically means we have every single type of Scotty Cameron putter available for demonstration and are fully trained to evaluate your putting stroke and fit putters accordingly.

I also had some good news from PING this evening. They will be loaning me for two weeks, every model of PING putter and the new line of PING Glide wedges from Wednesday, 29 April.

Now is a perfect time to try some new equipment and give your games an injection of of improved performance and, most importantly, confidence.

Click here to find out more about the PING putter range

Click here to get in touch if you would like to book your fitting.

Paul

The Easter Egg colouring competition was hotly contested, and we had some really awesome designs come in for judging. The winner was decided by a panel of five (Caren, Paul, Andy, Kris & Luke!) and we declare the winner to be Phoebe Brown woooooo hooooooo! Well done Phoebe. Oh this particular Easter egg was of the finest calibre, with foam hearts and exquisite colouring. In short it was a sight to behold! Congratulations to Phoebe, who won a basket of chocolate and sweet treats.

I would also like to thank all of our egg entries, and as you all did some beautiful colouring there is a bag of choc treats for each of you on my desk. Well done Poppy, Scarlett, Cam and Alex!

So I would like to thank those who sponsored my bath of beans challenge this week, and indeed everyone who has sponsored me so far. I have to be honest now, this week I have been really struggling with my back. For many years it has bothered me on and off. Last week I could stand it no longer and when prosecco would no longer cover the pain, I decided to seek help from Dr Hugh Hurst at Clifton Chiropractic Clinic. Well you could have knocked me down with a feather with the test and X ray results, and I am now really very worried about my beans challenge. I don't want to brag but the results show I have laevoconvex scoliosis, arthritis in my hip joints, advanced degeneration in my L4 & L5 disks, sacro-iliac joint dysfunction and wait for it….I also have spina bifida occulta! Well I blooming never! Some people are just greedy aren't they?!

So the point of my telling you my spinal woes is that I may have to adjust what I am doing for the challenge. I am desperate to sit in the beans but I think I may have to place a chair in the paddling pool of beans, or wear some plastic trousers filled with baked beans and walk about for the whole day. You can't imagine how sad I am that I can't physically sit in the paddling pool, and I feel like I am cheating all of you who have sponsored me but I want you to know that I will either give you the money back if you feel you would like me to, no hard feelings honestly, or I will spend the day on a chair or wearing legs full of beans instead. I am gutted beyond belief but I am still going to be in beans all day for the Daisy Garland in some way, so I hope you will bear with me. Just because I have physical difficulties doesn't mean that my mind has changed or that I want to be treated differently. I am who I am! I hope you will understand why I have told you. You may see me hobbling around like an oldie (but goodie!) but I guess that's no different from usual!!!

I would be really interested in some suggestions as to what I should do to stave off the boredom whilst in my beans…..Paint my toenails a shade of Tangerine? Read Fifty Shades of "Orange"? Watch some Sat-Sumo wrestling? Eat some Jaffa Cakes? Mmmmm I may well need some better ideas than that so if you have any, let me know!

I am offski to plan my next madcap adventure - never a dull moment!

Caren, Paul, Kris, Luke & Andy