Early on Wednesday morning Justin was tending to the 6th green when he spotted an unusual site and captured this video. Please click on the image here to watch this video - the Kat is the one at the top of the hill!

Nick has been assessing the new 4th hole bunker this week. Anyone who thought the bunker was located in the wrong place and would become redundant has been proved completely wrong.

The new bunker is having an extremely busy time and Nick says the bunker is the most used bunker on the course. In fact so many shots have been played out of it that there is 1.5 inches of sand splash on the lip already! The original liner fitted in the bunker however has not been sufficient for the use and a new heavier duty liner will be fitted. 


 

If you take a risk and try to save money buying golf equipment online, expect budget performance with no comeback. Poor performance, wasted time, frustration and stress just aren't worth the pennies you thought you were saving. I see it and hear stories about it on almost a daily basis, from people who bought badly and were let down and who have learnt a lesson. Here are just two examples:

Electric trolleys - After sales service is everything here. Don't make the mistake of buying cheap and nasty - they won't survive the hill! You may struggle to even find the company you bought it from. Waiting for pieces coming from China and the process of boxing it all up and posting back to somewhere unknown you don't even want to contemplate.

Shoes - There are loads of dodgy shoes out there. They may not fit, they may well leak, they may fall to pieces in one round and you will have no come back. 

Don't learn the hard way, and remember 'if something looks too good to be true, it probably is'.


 

New service - Game Assessment 

60 minutes in the Swing Studio for £25

This includes:

• An introduction to the Swing Studio - a basic guide of what it is, what it does and how it works
• You play shots in the Swing Studio
•  'A bit' of a lesson with video technology to record your swing and play it back to you, of course with advice given
• You will learn your swing speed and how far you average with any club you choose
• Assessment of your current equipment including having your lie angle checked
• Trial any demo products and compare to your own if you wish

This is another new service I am able to provide thanks to the new Swing Studio. If you're interested in this then please come and see us in-store or get in touch here.

 

One person whom I very much doubt will be on the exchange at Sale Golf Club tomorrow is Graham Hadfield. That is because today Graham is completing a 10 mile swim in Lake Windermere, and for a very good cause. Graham told me that Sir Steve Redgrave will accompany them for increased motivation, but just in a boat paddling beside! I'm sure lots of us would have wanted to join in the swim too, so sorry it's too late for that but I'm sure we all wish him well and here is the email I received from Graham:

Dear All, 
I am taking part in a charity fundraiser as part of a Global Challenge which means I have to swim the length of Windermere Lake (10.5 miles) along with two other team members. I believe I am expected to be doing between 5 and 6 miles. The predicted water temperature will be 15-16 degrees as we are doing it at the end of September, I will not be wearing a wetsuit!!! This is part of a bigger challenge on the day focussed around Windermere with up to 50 people either going to run a half marathon, do a 60 mile cycle over the lake district passes, paddle the length of the lake in a canoe or walk around the lake from South to North culminating in us all finishing in Ambleside in the afternoon. 

The charity we are supporting is Cancer Research UK and as a group we are aiming to raise £10k.

Any support, whether it be financial or just plain old good wishes and the promise of a rub-down at the end, would be greatly appreciated and will spur us on make sure we finish. I have detailed below a link to our JustGiving page and details of other methods of giving to charity, or you can e-mail and just pledge and I will collect on completion. 

https://www.justgiving.com/Gleeds-Energy 
Or you can donate by text, simply text the code GEWA99 followed by the amount you want to give (e.g. £5, £10 etc.) to 70070.

 
 
Victory Trophy play-off - Adam Stott and Phillip Houghton both finished tied on 135 nett after both rounds, and so they will be in a play-off to decide the eventual winner. Adam Stott makes history by becoming the first player to shoot sub 130 gross in the Club Championship. Barry Barker has a 130 on the board but Adam has topped that with an incredible 65&64 for a 129 total! Mike Radcliffe wins the Senior Championship with a nett 144 beating Steve Smith by one shot.

Reddish Vale Open - We had a magnificent entry for the re-arranged Open on Sunday which was a great success. The winner was Andy White with a superb score of 80-15=65. Andy is without doubt one of our fastest improving members, and believe it or not, Andy is yet another winner who has recently had both a lesson and a club fitting in the Swing Studio! I altered Andy's irons to the correct lie angle so well done Andy I am glad they are working so well.

Pro's Stableford - Jonathon Knight won Sunday's Pro's Stableford with 36 points. Second this week was Steve Austin with 33 points. Click here to see the full results.

Mixed Knockout - Congratulations to Sheila Cowlard and Jack Cooper winning the Mixed Knockout. They won 5&4 in the final against John Seaton and Denzel Hunt.

Wednesday Section Medal - Division One was won by Ryan Jackson with 70-2=68, Neil Goddard won Division 2 with 81-13=68 and Division 3 was won by Steve Austin with 89-19=70. There were only three twos each worth £12.66.