Peterculter Golf Club

April E-News 2007

Please spread the word to others, who you think may have e-mail, that this is the way to be kept up to date on PGC news. Several hard copies are available in the clubhouse.

GENERAL INFO FOR ALL MEMBERS

· On-Line internet booking for 2007: Members can book tee times on-line via the clubs website http://www.petercultergolfclub.co.uk/ simply click onto the MEMBERS page, then click on the link: “Online Tee Booking” you will then be asked for your membership number followed by a password which is your SURNAME (IN CAPITALS). Take a look and book times when it suits you. Please note that this facility does include competition tee times for the Gents Section, please note on your 2007 Fixtures Book the abbreviation (O) against these on-line medals.

· REMINDERS: With the new season under way we hope we don’t suffer from that big bug-bear SLOW PLAY! Please help avoid this seemingly universal problem by moving quickly between shots - However if you are in a situation where you are holding up the group behind SIMPLY allow them to PLAY THROUGH.  Enjoy you golf.

· MEDAL COMPETITION- IF ON THE DAY OF A COMPETITION you cannot manage to play REMEMBER to phone the shop to remove your name. However, IF YOU KNOW IN ADVANCE (GENTS) YOU CANNOT PLAY SIMPLY USE THE ON-LINE FACILITY AND REMOVE YOUR NAME. This will greatly help to avoid being sent a NO-SHOW LETTER!!

COURSE / GOLF NEWS

Congratulations goes to Martin Aitken who posted the lowest nett score of those who entered the Lombard P/Q round on Sunday 15^th April. Martin will now partner our club pro in the Scottish P/Q round to be played at Crieff GC in June along with all the other golf clubs in Scotland. The winning pair on the day will go forward to the Grand Final in October which is being played this year at Antalaya Park Golf Resort in Turkey – all the best boys!!

We would also wish to remind all golfers that practice is not allowed on the course. Offenders will be reported to the management committee.

MESSAGE FROM YOUR CAPTAIN

The season has now well and truly underway with the last few weeks’ glorious weather I’m sure encouraging you all to get out and play. The course is in wonderful condition for this time of year with no excuses available for poor performance. The Medals have been well attended and the matchplay competition sheets are now displayed on the notice boards.

The results of the Club questionnaire has now been analysed with Green keepers plant shed being the top priority. 91%. Plans have been submitted to Aberdeen City Council and subject to the Club meeting budget requirements agreed at the AGM the building should be in place by the Autumn. You will I’m sure have noticed that the annual review of bar prices has taken place. These are necessary to cover Budget and brewery increases. I can assure you they are kept to a minimum and with the use of the Loyalty card are very competitive. Some adjustments on the use of the Loyalty card have proved necessary. These adjustments ensure that the budget figures agreed at the AGM are accomplished. They are:- THE LOYALTY CARD CAN BE USED TO PURCHASE FOOD WHEN MEMBERS ORDER FROM THE BLACKBOARD OR THE MENU. THIS APPLIES TO PRE-BOOKED MEALS E.G. ORDERED PRIOR TO PLAY AS WELL AS FOOD ORDERED AT ANY TIME DURING THE DAY/EVENING. IT CAN ALSO BE USED TO PURCHASE ITEMS FROM THE BAR.MEALS AFTER OR DURING CLUB ORGANISED FUNCTIONS SUCH AS MATCHES, FRIENDLIES, SOCIAL EVENTS AND SECTION OUTINGS WILL NOT QUALIFY FOR PAYMENT USING THE LOYALTY CARD. ALSO ANY EVENT WHICH HAS A FIXED PRICE AND IS ARRANGED BETWEEN A SECTION OR INDIVIDUAL AND THE CATERER WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE 10% DISCOUNT."

The minimum top on the Loyalty card will be £25. Bill Morrison - PGC Club Captain

LADIES NEWS

The Ladies competitions are all running smoothly. Well done to Pat Morren and Anne Robb they had a tough match at Murcar, in the Daily Mail knockouts and took the match to the 17^th hole. Congratulations to Marion Oakden and Mary Martin who won the Coronation fours on a rather rainy Sunday. They will go on to represent the Club later in the year. Rachel Polson continues to cut her handicap now in silver division, keep it up Rachel. I am looking forward to welcoming some more juniors now the holidays are over. The club championships start in May and I am sure they will be closely contended. A date for your diaries ladies is Wed 30^th May when we have our fun day at Inchmarlo, the sign up sheet is now up. Well done to the ladies who won their friendly versus Stonehaven.

Babs Lappin

Ladies Captain

JUNIOR NEWS

With the season well underway some great scores have already been posted in the medal competitions by Calum Sutherland, Evan Robertson, Stuart Cooper and Ross Yule to mention a few.

The Junior Pennant team played a friendly against Deeside and won 3 ½ - 1 ½ and hopefully this is a good omen for the season ahead under the captaincy of Andrew Dingwall. Score of the day came from Mathew Hall and Calum Sutherland winning 8&7 against lower handicap opponents.

PGC Junior Open this year is on Friday 20^th July and if anyone is in a position to sponsor part or all of the event we would be delighted to hear from them.

Frank Moore

Junior Convenor

Social Activities

FUN GOLF

The first Saturday Fun Golf & Supper evening will take place on 6^th May. The sign up sheet is on the notice board and there are still a few spaces if you want to join in the fun.

MEMBERSHIP NEWS

For membership information contact Jennifer Watson, Golf Club Administrator on tel: 01224 735245 ext 20 or download an application form from: www.petercultergolfclub.co.uk

CATERING NEWS

Check the social notice board for details of special events. Chris is willing to organize dinners, parties etc. Contact him direct for further info.

Useful Info

Email address: info@petercultergolfclub.co.uk

Web site: www.petercultergolfclub.co.uk

Telephone nos:

01224 735245 Ext. 21 for the bar.

Ext. 24 for kitchen.

Pro shop for tee times and bookings: 01224 734994.

****Don’t forget your membership number***

Peterculter Golf Club – PGA Professional Dean Vannet

(01224) 734994 www.petercultergolfclub.co.uk

Save Time! Book your Tee Time On Line April 2007

Greetings from Dean, With the Masters out of the way it really feels like the start of the golfing season. Congratulations must go to Zach Johnstone on his first major victory, his back nine performance on the last day was certainly deserving of his first green jacket – patience and one hell of a nerve coming down the stretch came through in the end – well done Zach and praise the lord! I did watch with interest to see if there were any common factors in the equipment line being used.  From what I saw, the variety of equipment was vast, but one thing for sure was the huge number of Hybrids being used! We have discussed the pros and cons of using a Hybrid over a long iron in the past and will continue to do so, but please come into the shop and talk to us if you are struggling with those 3 and 4 irons shots.  Our advice is FREE and we have a huge variety of Hybrids in for you to try and a price that suits everyone's pocket. Yet again, remember OUR PRICE MATCH GUARANTEE Much has been talked recently about the new Square drivers, but Nike have had to recall its new, square-shaped Nike Sumo^2 driver due to what it calls an "unauthorized manufacturing variance." Nike President in a press release said the problem was brought to his attention by the USGA in late February, and that the USGA was made aware of the potential problem by a "competitor." Wonder if that competitor was Callaway??!! However, why not call in and ask for a test drive of the new Masters Square Driver which I profiled in our last e-news. RRP: £119, same shaft, grip & head technology as the more expensive brands. NIKE SQUARE DRIVER MASTERS SQUARE DRIVER We carry on this week with information on our Greg Norman Medal Challenge and associated prizes. Also in the mail I talk about how to eliminate three putts from your game and feature a tried and tested putter. Enjoy the read Regards, Dean IT IS YOUR CHOICE BUT REMEMBER RESULTS There are golfers amongst you that do NOT want to play with a Putter that looks like it has more in common with a hubcap than something that’s going to get the golf ball into the cup on a little 3 foot downhill slider. Ping Anser The original innovators who made the Putter a club that helped you sink a few. You want traditional appearance with a club head that you feel that you have control over. You are confident in your stroke, your rhythm and your alignment. Well, even the putters that appear as close to a blade as you can find, have benefited from the advances in materials, design and manufacturing. Materials on the face have changed to create a softer more responsive feel. The ball will start rolling quicker to ensure more accuracy and distance consistency. The sweet spot is broader meaning you have a little leeway. And most come with some alignment aid. Watching golfers try out putters brings home that they are looking for a club that ‘fits’ them. It is an instinctive search. They swing the golf club looking for that feeling of comfort (once they have visual comfort) that will boost confidence. Well that feeling of comfort will have a lot to do with how well the Putter fits.   Putters like any other club have Lie Angles, Lofts, Shaft Length and Grip Sizes. These will all conspire to work with or work against your Putting stroke. Yes, you’ll probably adapt but remember that a Putter that doesn’t fit is going to be more likely to let you down when you have the slightest concentration lapse or when the pressure starts to mount. We started by talking about the 3 foot, downhill, slider. Funny how, even when you are not playing in a competition, this Putt increases the tension in your back and arms. Well I talked about removing 3 Putts by improving distance control, the next step is thinking about where to miss the hole!   IT IS YOUR CHOICE BUT REMEMBER RESULTS NO MORE THREE PUTTS Faced with a 30 foot Putt the likelihood is that you are going to miss it. If you’ve improved your distance control such that you know you are not going to be more than 3 feet past the hole, or 3 feet short, then the next step to removing the 3 Putts is to think about your second Putt. This thinking applies with a Putt, a Chip or a Pitch where you are looking to get the ball close. There will be a side of the hole that offers a higher percentage for holing out. If you are looking for a new Putter and have narrowed down your likely choice to a few, why not check out the results on the Putting Green. Setup a few drills (distance and accuracy), make sure you can score the results and then run them with each Putter. There might be one that you think that you like the look and feel of, but it doesn’t deliver results. A Putter that works is critical to your scorecard. Test your choice out. In fact match your Putter that you use now against a couple of options. FANCY A ROUND AT TURNBERRY? Stand the chance of winning a VIP pass to play at Turnberry courtesy of the Greg Norman Medal Challenge. We will be holding our qualifier on Sunday 20^th May in conjunction with the Gents Sunday medal. Players who enter this event will automatically receive a complimentary £5.00 voucher courtesy of Greg Norman clothing. This voucher entitles the bearer to £5 off any shirt from the Greg Norman collection as stocked in the shop, valid up until 31.07.07. Prizes for 1^st, 2^nd & 3^rd lowest nett scores returned on the day are as follows: 1^st £120 voucher, 2^nd £60 voucher, 3^rd £40 voucher. All vouchers are redeemable against the Greg Norman collection and are valid up to 31.07.07. Overall winner: the lowest nett score returned on the day will have his score entered into the national results. During August an independent adjudicator will assess the overall results to find the top winners. All winners and their Pro’s will be invited to take part in the Grand Final at Turnberry for free golf, dinner and one nights accommodation. The grand final winner will receive an exclusive prize and some Greg Norman goodies. Get your name entered into the medal on the 20^th May and give it a go! Ping was first to introduce the concept of fitted golf clubs for golfers. At first this fitting was done for the Ping Pro’s (and the results were spectacular) but they then went on to introduce the concept to golfers of all levels. The ‘Heel-Toe Weighting revolution’ that aimed to make ball striking easier for the average golfer was introduced first by Ping in 1962 through a special patent. Ping introduced the heel-toe weighting clubs, which started the game improvement revolution’, in 1969. Ping fitting was popularised by the Ping colour coding chart for Club Length and Lie Angle fitting. DEMO CLEVELAND Also, arriving in store soon will be a full range of DEMO Cleveland golf clubs for trial – Ladies, Gents, steel & graphite, woods & irons will be available to take out on course- pop in and ask for a test drive of the latest from Cleveland. CLEVELAND & CMM Cleveland has created a proprietary metal – CMM, which is infused with 17 times more Carbon than traditional steel. This metal is as strong as traditional 1020 steels but is 10% less dense saving 25 grams of weight. That weight can then be placed at points in the club head that will improve your shot-making.    Have a great week and good luck to all of you playing this weekend. Regards Dean New For 2007 season we will be stocking the following: ecco Pro Quip Cleveland POWAKADDY SRIXON Ashworth PING Titleist FIVE If we don’t have in stock what you need we will order it for you. Shop Tel: 01224 734994 This mail is provided as a service for the members of Peterculter Golf Club. If you have any suggestions on how to make this service better then please click here and send them to me. If however you do not wish to receive this mail then please can you click here and we will remove you from our mailing list.

Custom Fit Procedure: 1. Interview Process Give us a call and arrange an appointment with Dean or Craig, Shop Tel: 734994 or email: mailto:pro@petercultergolfclub.co.uk 2. Static Measurements Your height and other measurements are used to calculate a starting point. 3. Dynamic Swing Test A fitter evaluates how your stance and swing affect the position of the clubhead at impact. 4. Ball Flight Observation Your ball flight tendencies and preferences are important factors in determining the final specifications. 5. Monitor Performance Since your swing may change over time, periodic evaluations can help keep you playing to your full potential. A Sales Assistant doesn’t know if he will ever see you again. If I, your qualified PGA Professional, sell you a set of clubs I’ll have to face you every time that you come down to the club to play golf or have a drink to remind me about the set you bought. PGA GHOST TAPE? Impractical though it is to have DEMOs for all types of clubs we can tape up Brand new woods with our special GHOST TAPE which allows you to try out any Driver/F,way wood in the shop without marking the face – wow!! Just ask in the shop for more info and try out the new Cleveland XL-Hi Bore or maybe a Ping G5 or perhaps the new line of Wilson Ti drivers, fairways & rescues – have fun – enjoy your golf!! IN YOUR SHOP Buy a Dozen Srixon Balls and Get a Free Cap . KEEPING AN EYE ON YOUR GROOVE One of the least heralded innovations, which has had the biggest impact on the way that the game is played, is the design of your grooves. Ping introduced ‘U’ grooves that increased the amount of back spin imparted on the golf ball, even from the rough. That little innovation has resulted in the emergence of ‘bombers & gougers’, who can attack the pin from the rough (gouge) after a wild shot from tee (bomb). The USGA equipment rules team is now attempting to close down the way that the grooves are designed and introducing restrictions (as they have done with head sizes, COR and MOI). WHATS IN YOUR SHOP? New In Stock WILSON Di 7 IRONS Come in and try them out Steel: £299 Graphite: £399 Lady Graphite: £349  ALL 2007 PING RAPTURE WOODS AND G5 IRONS We have demo clubs Available for you to try Ask in the shop  Summer Collection ASHWORTH CLOTHING FIVE LADIES COLLECTION Custom Fit Give yourself a chance – get fitted by your PGA Pro Re-gripping service. Ditch those sliders! Get A Grip!! The start of the new golfing season is the time to have a look at the grips on your clubs. Have the grips become slippery and hard over the winter months? And more importantly are they the correct thickness to allow you to grip the club properly. Your hands are your only contact with the club so the grip must match the size of your hand to allow you to keep the ball on target. Before re-gripping we will check that your grips match your hand size. CHOOSE FROM OUR RANGE OF GRIPS SUMMER IS COMING Now is a really good time to check out the basics with your equipment. And my first question to you is: “Are you playing in bare feet?” Check out the spikes on your golf shoes. I’ve checked a few around the club and some of you might as well be playing in bare feet TAKING THE PAIN OUT OF GOLF BY DESIGN The most fundamental change to Iron design over the last 5 years has been the emergence of the Hybrid. It is the ultimate extension of the innovation in materials and manufacturing all working together to make it as easy as possible for you to get the ball airborne on a good trajectory with consistent distance. Although this is a club that was initially designed for the amateur golfer its take-up amongst the Touring Pros is probably higher than amongst the single figure and scratch handicaps in most golf clubs. If you are not carrying a hybrid(s) in your bag I would ask you to think about that and consider the reasons why not. If you don’t want to spend more on equipment then that’s a good reason (after all the touring Pros are given theirs). If you think that you can strike your long irons as well as any hybrid then that’s a debate that we can have. If you just haven’t seriously considered it, and don’t want to get used to a new club then my advice is to hit a couple of golf balls with a hybrid. You will be amazed at how much more consistently you will strike the golf ball. Just look at the hybrid shape and you can see that the CoG has been moved much further back than in an Iron. The shape also allows the CoG to be set deeper than in most Irons. The combination of these two changes means that the ball gets up much easier and actually flies on a higher trajectory than a long iron and that means it will land much softer. The weight distribution in the bigger head also allows the sweet spot to be larger (increasing your likelihood of hitting the perfect shot) and the club head to be more stable (a higher MOI) resulting in straighter shots. Every club in your bag needs to perform a function and deliver results that will benefit your scorecard and your enjoyment Ping Rapture Hybrids Easier to hit, on a higher trajectory, more often. That’s the result we all want. If you aren’t carrying a Hybrid then please come through to the shop and pick up a hybrid. Better still hit one. Call me on 01224 734994 or mail me on mailto:pro@petercultergolfclub.co.uk and let’s chat about your golf.