Welcome to this week's newsletter! Last week we were just an academy, and this week we are an AWARD WINNING ACADEMY!!!!!! Woooooooooo Hooooooooooooooo
So this happened!
On Wednesday a fabulous and excited group of Pro Shoppers went on tour to Surrey and ended up at a certain well known and respected Golf Club…….WENTWORTH! We were there not only for the BMW Championships but also because we were invited to collect our Laddie Lucas Award for our inclusive work with disabled people.
At 2.30pm we headed to the ballroom in the (very posh) clubhouse and enjoyed hearing about all the people who won awards through their work with the community. Then it was our turn, and although I felt pretty nervous, it was great to have our work recognised and feel that we are doing the right things for the right people. Happeeee days!
I also had a great opportunity to have a nose around (it's my natural curiosity and you don't mess with what mama nature gave ya!), we spied on celebs, watched some great golf during Pro Am day and ate loads of good food.
Fresh from our Wentworth stint, we start planning again for the summer. I am trying to get donated prizes for our inclusive festival from various companies, because it is always so nice to have super prizes for these wonderful kids. I also wondered if anyone here has any corporate stuff they can afford to give us - a few crested baseball caps maybe, some pens with a logo on it, badges, anything at all which could go in goody bags for the participants (40 children with special needs) I would be ever so grateful. We are donating golf balls with our logo to the festival and I am sure the children will have a great time. My lovely PING rep JT is giving me a golf bag FOC to give to the "man of the match" so I am terribly excited for September 25th.
After reading Bob's book about his dogs (Sorry Paula, her dogs!), I was very interested to read Bob's next book. I was very honoured to be holding the only copy in existence and I decided I had better not stuff down a hobnob whilst reading for fear of plastering the pages in biscuit crumbs (usual trick - Paul has to hoover the bed after I have had the pre-sleep toast munchies!). So I settled down once again to read "Let's Go Into Business" and I found it most informative. Bob & Paula, along with lovely Les Rowe, were so super helpful when Peter Mawson retired and we took over here, and I would like to thank all three for being just great people and being so supportive of us.
The book details George and Richard's business ventures and what considerations there are when going into business on your own. It teaches simply how to budget, what cash flow entails, bank accounts and so much more, but in a really simplified manner so as not to lose your interest or complicate things! Business is often a bit scary but we all battle on regardless! I am very lucky to finally have a team of staff which work well together and support each other and us, and it makes a major difference to have team players who are all in it as a group. Well done guys! And well done Bob for writing something to help all of us through the murky waters of start ups!
This week the club held the GCMA Coco Golf day in glorious sunshine, and it had a really beautiful feeling about it. The Thai food smelled incredible. Wish I could play just so I could eat with them!
My Mother-in-Law and Father-in-Law came down for the afternoon and Dad played 9 holes with Paul, whilst Mum and I sat on the buggy (we weren't feeling like walking the 14th). Don't they look alike!
Paul's Mum & Dad used to live in Pattaya in Thailand, so it was interesting for them to see all the lovely Thai banners around the club.
The weather then took a turn for worst the very next day, and the Folly Towers Society couldn't quite bear to go out. It's funny the difference a day can make to the weather at the mo!
The Ladies played the Bodinnar Cup last week and the overall winners were Karen Price and Eva Tucker, followed by the runners up Shamim Dinani and Janno English. In third place were Rose Hargreaves and Julie Knox. Well done to you all. The Bodinnar Cup and vouchers will be presented at the AGM so we look forward to this presentation.
It's the Reid Quaich on 24th May and the Founders Day Trophy on bank holiday Monday 25th, both of which are enter on the day with no start sheet, so take full advantage of this and come up to play. I will be bored if nobody comes up to talk to me!
Ladies Eclectic
We had 88 entrants in the Open Eclectic yesterday and the overall winners were our very own VC, Paula Crabtree, with her playing partner, Louise Church from Henbury. A very successful day despite the wind and threat of rain!
Thank Yous!
Mike Wilks you are such a thing of loveliness - wine as a prezzie, and the good stuff! Thank you so much, I am not sharing (ha I will share with you though!)
I love wine! It's one of my five a day and it tastes pretty good too - what's there not to love?
No food production this week unfortunately - way too busy to get the pinny out but I will throw something together for next week I promise (before Paul and Cam get Rickets).
I would also like to wish all the poor Ladies who went on the Girls on Tour trip to Portugal and got sick a very speedy recovery. It's 'orrible being ill and even worse on holiday, so I hope you are all feeling better now.
Andy McGreevy is running some fabulous coaching groups over the next few months, starting with a Vokey Fitting Day.
On Friday 5th June at 6pm we are running a special, not to be missed event! For just £10 per person, Andy will be running a wedge fitting and clinic on the short game area. It is a perfect opportunity to hear about the latest short game techniques, get some FREE advice and trial well over 40 Vokey demonstration clubs.
What's even better is that Andy will give every person who signs up a sleeve of three Titleist ProV1 golf balls worth
£12. It's a no brainer! This is also open to non members so let your golfing friends know.
Click here to find out more about the Vokey range of wedges
Sign up in the Pro Shop, call us as quick as you can or click here to get in touch as places are limited to ten.
Andy is also running a series of Ladies' coaching group sessions. The dates are as follows:
Thursday, 4 June
Friday, 19 June
Friday, 26 June
Thursday, 2nd July
Thursday, 16 July
Thursday, 23 July
Thursday, 30 July
Friday, 7 August
Friday, 14 August
Thursday, 27 August
All sessions are at 10am for one hour. Please sign up on the Ladies' notice board, all are welcome. Bring some friends from another club as well, the more the merrier!
Quick reminders!
Don't forget that we are doing the Aviva Community Fund project to raise funds for our inclusive golf festival - we only have 121 votes (some have thousands!) so it's unlikely we will get any funding but if you feel you would like to vote, click here!
The Beans challenge is getting even closer - there's still loads of time to sponsor me, so if you would like to, you can either go to my VirginMoneyGiving site (click here) or sponsor me in the shop. I will be in various places around the club on 26th June, so if you see me, you can sponsor me on the day by donating in one of my collection jars. A mahoosive thank you to all my donors so far, you guys are the best ever.
Don't forget to tell all your (current) non-golfing friends that we are doing complete beginner 5 sessions for £25 - the sessions start at the end of May, so for more details or to book, call us 01275 393031, email us at BristolandCliftonproshop@gmail.com or click here to get in touch
We offer our congratulations to Mike Innes on getting a hole in one on 13th last week- well done Mike!
Lastly we have recruited a new model for our Glenmuir gear - it's MB!
Before I go, I don't know if any of you have heard of how-old.net but it's a new trend. You take a pic of yourself with your iPad or use one already saved on your device and the app tells you how old you look! I had a healthy amount of dread doing this but I did laugh myself silly when the results came back as 27! (I'm 42 this year). So if you're feeling like a laugh, go on and see how old it thinks you are (disclaimer: if it predicts you are 140, you didn't hear about this app from me!!)
This week's final greeting is in Thai to continue the Coco Golf themes!
Caren, Paul, Luke, Andy & Kris
