Well, I have now completed month 1 of my Captaincy of this great Club. Past Captains warned me that the time will fly by and they couldn’t have been more right.
I also can’t believe that we have only been back playing golf for just over a month. The course is getting better week by week and you can see players scores also improving. This especially applies to Paul Barnsley, who has just shot a net 58, playing off a 43 handicap. He won’t be playing off 48 any mote, that I can guarantee. But that is the great thing about golf and the handicap system; it allows golfers at all levels to compete.
Even my own game is showing signs of improvement. Over Easter, I decided to pay a visit to the Custom Fitting Centre at Hartford, where I had a session with Adrian Hill. I can thoroughly recommend a visit to members.
First of all, Adrian had me hitting shots with my own clubs, where the results were fed into the Launch monitor. The results showed that my swing speed was too slow for Regular flex shafts, so we knew I would be better with Senior shafts.
Then we tried a selection of clubs, from Ping, Taylormade, Callaway and Srixon. After each session, we reviewed the stats on the launch monitor and compared the results with those obtained for the other Clubs. Finally, we then checked what lie adjustment was needed.
At the end of the day, I ended up buying a set of Taylormade SIM 2 irons, a 5 Hybrid and a 7 Wood. I will be back for more Clubs later.
What was good about the session was that they were not on a mission to sell you the most expensive clubs; they were looking to work out with yourself what were the best clubs for you.
One thing to note though is to keep an open mind. Taylormade was not a brand I considered but they were the ones I was hitting the most consistently.
The Clubs were delivered in just over a week and I am now trying to get used to the new distances that I am hitting.
I am continuing my quest to obtain some good auction and raffle prizes for my next Charity Day in September. I am actually enjoying sending out the ‘begging’ letters in the hope that I get a response. Even though you get a lot of rejections or no responses, it makes you feel really good when someone responds back with an offer.
So far, I have a pair of trousers from Royal & Awesome, 2 shirts and some hats from Island Green and a Golf Bag from Macgregor Golf.
I am also trying to get some signed memorabilia to auction. This is proving difficult as a lot of the pro’s are in America playing at the moment. However, I am getting a few nibbles. This week, I received a signed ball and a signed glove from Graeme McDowall and a signed ball from Thomas Bjorn.
I am hopeful that I will receive something from Tommy Fleetwood and I have had offers for signed hats from Gemma Dryburgh and Leona Maguire.
I will always support those companies who have donated to my Charity, but I now also find myself checking the results of the players who are supporting me – and it isn’t wasn’t easy trying to find out how Gemma Dryburgh is doing in the Garden City Charity Classic at Buffalo Dunes as part of the Symetra Tour.
Talking of my Charity, the total raised after my first event was £1,668, which is an incredible effort. That will pay for approximately 5 golf club staff to be trained up as Mental Health First Aiders to support their club members. Our efforts to spread the benefits that golf has on mental health are being recognised.
Remember, it is not just about donating money, it is about supporting each other out on the course and encouraging members to open up through the banter that Pryors Hayes is famous for. You, the members are one of the biggest assets that the Club has.
Please note, I have created an account on Twitter to help spread the word. You can follow me on @2021phgc
And in terms of enjoying good banter, isn’t it great to have the bar open again and being able to enjoy a refreshment or 2 at the end of the round. I have always believed that it is good etiquette to be able to enjoy a drink with your playing partners at the end of a round, regardless of how well you have played.
It has been great seeing so many of you staying behind once again. I am also looking forward to when you can shake hands with your partners on the 18th again
I am still planning to do my 72 hole challenge on 20th June. I still need to work on my fitness but I am getting there. Hopefully, a few members will join me for a few holes as well as donate to a good cause.
I plan to run a sweepstake for Euro 21, offering a 4-ball at The Mere Golf Resort for the winner. The entry fee will be £10. The teams will be drawn once all tickets have been sold – otherwise, once Scotland are drawn out, no one will buy any more tickets.
If you are interested in taking part, please email your interest to gordonjwallace@sky.com.
Until next time, PLAY WELL, STAY SAFE, SUPPORT THE CLUB AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER.