Kevin Caplehorn

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Hello Golfers,

Welcome to this week's edition to Lee-on-the-Solent Golf Club's weekly newsletter. We hope that you're having a fine week both on and off the golf course.

Enjoy the read.

Junior news

Some great news to share...

It’s is with great pleasure that we have secured two new Junior organisers, Tony Marden and Stuart Slowther have begun the role with us at Lee to help us get back where the club has always been as one of the major forces in Junior Golf.

We have signed up to compete in the 2020 Southdown League and provisionally booked the date for the Junior Championship and a Junior Open where we will get to showcase the fantastic work Jason and his team do on the course and Sharon and her team do in the Clubhouse, this is sure to be an experience for visiting Junior players and possible new members.

Please look out for Tony and Stuarts email through the BRS introducing themselves and with more details of future plans.

Hampshire Overseas Pro-Am 2019 Villamoura

Last week saw me and three of our members, Dave Edmonds, Sean O’Neil and Ian Mcbride compete in the Hampshire PGA overseas Pro-Am in Villamoura Portugal. It was a tale of two halves with a Team and Individual event being played.

We set off to leave our stamp on Portugal with the Dom Pedro Laguna, Pinhal and Millennium courses waiting for us, all three were in excellent condition and set up fair for scoring, our tournament began.

In the team event, a front-nine of level-par and a back-nine of ten-under-par on day one saw us in joint first place. The gents played so well and all dovetailed excellently in scoring. Saturday and Sunday saw our team reduced to three players, with sadly Ian having to pull out due to injury. Competing against teams of four, we were always going to struggle, we fought hard but came up short. We were so pleased with having an outstanding 81 Stableford points on Sunday and a man down did well to finish only ten shots off the lead overall, the gents should be very proud.

Dave Edmunds 1 handicap

Dave played outstanding all week, his combined scratch score over the three days was a fabulous six-over-par. Dave helped us with his excellent golfing knowledge and hole after hole he set himself up birdie and eagle opportunities. It was great for me and my game to be in the buggy with Dave, however hard it got he kept me fighting for the best score possible.

Sean O’Neil 10 Handicap

Sean played great all week hitting fairways and greens and using his shots to full effect, if Sean did miss a green he often got up and down and his sand saves were unbelievable, chipping in on day one also helped our team crush the back-nine.

Ian McBride 8 Handicap

We were really sad to lose Ian for the weekend and wish him a speedy recovery, on day one Ian finished so strongly, chipping in and holing putts, he helped us finish in minus figures and achieve our back-nine of ten-under-par.

In the individual event...

This was a really different story; I’m not one to hide and make excuses and I struggled in all three rounds, my lack of playing tournament golf over the past ten years really showed and the pressure built on me. I tried to have small victories and starting the first round with four pars was positive, also birdieing the first on day three and being level-par after four again was good. On the final day and with two holes to play, I needed two pars on 17 and 18 to have my best score of the week. I achieved this and all though my scores were nowhere near acceptable it was a major mental victory to finish on, in all three rounds I never gave up and was still trying to hole that last putt as if it were to win.

Where does this leave me?

I turned Professional to play golf, somewhere years ago after my injury I lost my confidence to play. I got muddled on my technique and to be honest, often turned down playing opportunities in fear of playing bad and embarrassing myself. I drew on the experiences I’ve had as a coach and thought about what I’d say to my pupils in this situation, I’d help them through it as Dave, Sean and Ian did for me.

I have booked a lesson for myself with my friend Richard Ellis from www.real-golf.org and Peter Taylor from www.brilliancetraining.co.uk. Between the three of us, we will make a plan to help my game back to a respectable level. It was so comforting that when I emailed the gents they both emailed straight back saying they can help.

I’ve entered the PGA in Hampshire Alliance Winter Series in December and I’m going to play in 10 to 12 tournaments next year. Portugal has been a real eye-opener for me and given me back the bug to play, I thank Dave, Sean and Ian sincerely for the support they showed me during the tournament, it was a huge help.

Shop news

Get something personal

As we edge towards the big day, it’s time to start thinking about the presents that you'll buy loved ones this year, as well as the gifts you'd like to receive yourself.

We love the idea of a dozen (or two) personalised Srixon golf balls; after all, you can never have too many!

You can order yours on our website and pay when you collect them in-store in a few weeks’ time.

place your order >

#468FCD ;text-align:left">Stats that'll make you think

You don’t get to a single-figure handicap without having a strong iron game, but the journey shouldn't end there. For us, there are two key factors that, when combined properly, will help take your iron play to the next level.

1) Get custom-fitted

If you're serious about shooting in the 70s each and every round, then getting custom-fitted for your next set of irons is key.

PING’s i500 model feel fantastic off the face and provide precise distances and control, but that's no good if you're using the wrong shafts or you need 2-degrees flat but yours are standard.

2) Know your yardages

The second stat above is remarkable and if you're one of the 21%, you need to come and see us for a gapping session. There we can give you the distances you hit each of your clubs as well as spot any issues you have between clubs.

PING i500 irons

explore PING's range of irons >

[* ELSE *]

Asking for forgiveness

Improving your iron play is key if you want to lower your handicap this winter, but you need to give yourself the best chance of doing so at the same time. That's why these stats made us sit up and pay attention...

We should all be looking to make this game as easy as possible for ourselves, and that’s why we recommend joining the 55% of golfers who don't use a 3 or 4-iron by swapping yours out for a more forgiving and easy-to-use hybrid.

One option that we really like is PING's G410 hybrid, which comes in several different loft options (17 through to 30 degrees) so we can fill the gaps between your longest iron and shortest wood with ease.

The other stat that jumped out at us was that 21% of golfers admitted to not knowing how far they hit the ball...! Just let that sink in for a moment - how can anyone expect to improve or even play to their ability if they're guessing over every shot?

PING G410 hybrid

learn more about PING hybrids >

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The cold facts

Colder temperatures have a consequence on every aspect of our game, from the clothes we wear to how far the ball travels through the air. We all certainly dress to combat the chill on a winter’s day, but how many of you are switching your golf ball for one that offers you more distance when you need it the most?

The science:

Cold air is denser than warm air, which creates additional drag on the ball resulting in it going a shorter distance. Also, chillier temperatures mean colder clubs, which in turn means the transfer of energy from the clubface to the ball is not as efficient as when it is warm. Lesson over!

The solution:

A soft distance ball is key to cutting through the dense air to maintain that vital winter distance. One that we stock in the pro shop is Srixon's UltiSoft ball, which boasts an innovative core and dimple pattern for a brutal combination of soft feel and extreme distance. Result.

explore Srixon's range >

Motocaddy Free Golf Bag Offer Worth Up To £219.99

Video of the Week

We've all seen products marketed as 100% waterproof and one such is this stylish jacket from Under Armour. So, we decided to take things into our own hands and see just how waterproof it is. Enjoy the video.

I hope you enjoyed this weeks newsletter. If you need any more help or advice please reply to this emai or speak to one of us in the shop. Kevin and the golf team.

Lee-on-the-Solent Golf Club
Brune Lane
Lee-on-Solent
PO13 9PB

Phone: 023 9255 1170 opt2

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