I feel for Padraig Harrington. I know just how Harrington feels. We've all been there. Stood in the middle of a playing field while two team "captains" take turns to pick who they want on their team. Fortunately I was never picked last. I was a decent footballer, pacy, good feet and spirited.
But I too have been excluded from a game of golf by my peers. I feel my story is even worse because my peers were my family.
I am a son to my father, and nephew to my three uncles. Together we are the Brannings and we play golf every Sunday. And occasionally once through the week.
One of my uncles befriended a man called James Wilson. James has three brothers that all play golf. My uncle and his chum arranged for all the brothers to go away together for a long weekend to play golf and to be merry.
Unfortunately, none of the Wilsons had a son/nephew that could have joined they're team. So I had to miss out simply because I am a descendant of my father and not my fathers father. What are the chances.
Credit goes to Harrington for dealing the situation like a gentleman. Did he whinge on twitter about the rejection? Did he criticise Jose Maria Olazabal for his team selection. No. Padraig admits that he wasn't the perfect choice, he has told reporters "dogs in the street knew I wasn't getting a pick". Posing for pictures with a sad face and posting on twitter is beneath golfers.
Why are golfers so much more mature compared to their ball kicking counter parts.
So what is next for Padraig. Well he is more than welcome to come for a round with me. I will teach him how to cope with rejection (I gotten pretty good at that, ever since high school I have been coping with the cold shoulder). Or Padrig could go on holiday for a long weekend at the end of September. Somewhere with no tv or Internet connection.
But I am in doubt Harrington will be back in the spotlight. Padraig is a tremendous talent and there is the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles that he will be in contention for.
Golf Burn
Thursday, 30 August 2012
Monday, 27 August 2012
Allerton GC
Created in 1921 and set in the grounds of Allerton Manor, previously owned by the Fletcher family, sits the 36 holes of Allerton Golf Course. The manor was destroyed by a fire so the clubhouse makes use of the stables that survived the blaze. Allerton, now owned by Liverpool City Council, is an inner city parkland course with gently undulating fairways and large manicured greens.
Not a particularly long course, at 5,494 yards and no par fives, makes it and ideal course for the average club golfer. On a nice summers day a few of the greens are driveable for the big hitters, so a great course if you need an ego boost.
There are plenty of scoring opportunities with a solid mix of long and short par fours. There are two fantastic par 3's back to back with a butty van in between serving hot and cold refreshments, so you can expect a hold up on the 9th tee as golfers take a swing with a sausage sandwich in their mouth.
The bar is like me nans front room that has been converted into a dive with quirky signs about golf.
Old, musty, smelly carpets with old, musty, smelly clientele. The clubhouse is in dire need of a makeover. As is the club shop which hasn't been converted very well from being a stable.
There is a function room available for large parties and society's. Allerton does host evenings of entertainment such as race nights, so if you plan your round carefully you could end with a truly entertaining day. There is plenty of beers on tap, probably one of the largest range of beers I've seen in a clubhouse.
Don't let the poor state of the clubhouse deter you playing what is a truly magnificent course. I've played here three times and have never left disappointed. For what you will pay for your round it is a great deal and the 9 holer is a perfect practise area to warm up.
Course: Par 67, 5,494 yards. Location: just outside of Liverpool. Green Fees: Mon-Fri £11. Sat-Sun: £12.60. Twilight (after 4pm): £6.80 Mon-Fri. £7.30 Sat-Sun
Tel: 0151 428 7490. Rating: 3
Not a particularly long course, at 5,494 yards and no par fives, makes it and ideal course for the average club golfer. On a nice summers day a few of the greens are driveable for the big hitters, so a great course if you need an ego boost.
There are plenty of scoring opportunities with a solid mix of long and short par fours. There are two fantastic par 3's back to back with a butty van in between serving hot and cold refreshments, so you can expect a hold up on the 9th tee as golfers take a swing with a sausage sandwich in their mouth.
The bar is like me nans front room that has been converted into a dive with quirky signs about golf.
Old, musty, smelly carpets with old, musty, smelly clientele. The clubhouse is in dire need of a makeover. As is the club shop which hasn't been converted very well from being a stable.
There is a function room available for large parties and society's. Allerton does host evenings of entertainment such as race nights, so if you plan your round carefully you could end with a truly entertaining day. There is plenty of beers on tap, probably one of the largest range of beers I've seen in a clubhouse.
Don't let the poor state of the clubhouse deter you playing what is a truly magnificent course. I've played here three times and have never left disappointed. For what you will pay for your round it is a great deal and the 9 holer is a perfect practise area to warm up.
Course: Par 67, 5,494 yards. Location: just outside of Liverpool. Green Fees: Mon-Fri £11. Sat-Sun: £12.60. Twilight (after 4pm): £6.80 Mon-Fri. £7.30 Sat-Sun
Tel: 0151 428 7490. Rating: 3
Saturday, 25 August 2012
Bowring Park
Steeped in history and "Englands Oldest Municiple Golf Course", or so the sign says greeting it's guests in the car park. It is indeed, built in 1913, originally a nine-hole course, this parkland track has been upgraded to eighteen holes. With it's tree lined fairways and excellent manicured greens, you'll be forgiven into thinking you were at a private countryside retreat than an inner-city course.
A blend of of par-3's and 4's, this relatively short course, just 6,085 yards, provides a test for all skill levels. There is a plethora of contenders for feature hole, but for me the standout hole is the par-4, 330 yard 4th. A narrow curving fairway that demands a precise drive or you will face a testing approach shot.
There is a shortage of the wet stuff at Bowring with water only coming into play on the 5th, 6th and 7th holes in the form of a ditch meandering though. But there are plenty of hazards to make your round tricky. All of the greens are well protected by sand traps and the odd fairway bunker is thrown in too.
Mack Golf, http://www.mackgolf.co.uk/, has recently taken over the day to day running of the course on behalf of the owner Knowsley council. The company has made some significant amendments. Bowring Park customers are now able to reserve their own tee-times with the new online reservations system; a quick an easy way to book a tee off slot. A new automated trolley system has been I introduced too. A first for the region.
Prior to the Mack takeover Bowring was missing a golf shop and a practise area. I'm pleased to say that the shop is now open and the practise area will be opening soon. The shop can found situated in the main building along with the reception area. In it, you will find a selection of equipment and accessories such as gloves, shoes, balls and overalls. It is a small store so not an extensive range.
The only thing missing now is a clubhouse. There are no plans at this stage but if the course continues on this course then I'm sure Bowring will grow and a clubhouse would open.
If you are thirsty after your round there are a few pubs around. I would recommend the Stanley, Derby Lodge or the Weatherspoons opposite Huyton Village.
Green fees are very reasonable and the course is consistently very well looked after.
Course: Par 70, 6.085 yards. Location: 9km north of Liverpool. Green Fees: Mon-Fri £11-13. Sat-Sun: £12-14.
Tel: 0151 44 2200. Facilities: GC, CP. Rating: 3
A blend of of par-3's and 4's, this relatively short course, just 6,085 yards, provides a test for all skill levels. There is a plethora of contenders for feature hole, but for me the standout hole is the par-4, 330 yard 4th. A narrow curving fairway that demands a precise drive or you will face a testing approach shot.
There is a shortage of the wet stuff at Bowring with water only coming into play on the 5th, 6th and 7th holes in the form of a ditch meandering though. But there are plenty of hazards to make your round tricky. All of the greens are well protected by sand traps and the odd fairway bunker is thrown in too.
Mack Golf, http://www.mackgolf.co.uk/, has recently taken over the day to day running of the course on behalf of the owner Knowsley council. The company has made some significant amendments. Bowring Park customers are now able to reserve their own tee-times with the new online reservations system; a quick an easy way to book a tee off slot. A new automated trolley system has been I introduced too. A first for the region.
Prior to the Mack takeover Bowring was missing a golf shop and a practise area. I'm pleased to say that the shop is now open and the practise area will be opening soon. The shop can found situated in the main building along with the reception area. In it, you will find a selection of equipment and accessories such as gloves, shoes, balls and overalls. It is a small store so not an extensive range.
The only thing missing now is a clubhouse. There are no plans at this stage but if the course continues on this course then I'm sure Bowring will grow and a clubhouse would open.
If you are thirsty after your round there are a few pubs around. I would recommend the Stanley, Derby Lodge or the Weatherspoons opposite Huyton Village.
Green fees are very reasonable and the course is consistently very well looked after.
Course: Par 70, 6.085 yards. Location: 9km north of Liverpool. Green Fees: Mon-Fri £11-13. Sat-Sun: £12-14.
Tel: 0151 44 2200. Facilities: GC, CP. Rating: 3
Reasons why I keep playing
This is why I play golf. I didn't get off to a great start. Despite a decent first drive that split the fairway and a good seven iron playing safe, I looked up too early on my chip and spooned it right of the green. A nice recovery shot was followed by three putts. Rubbish.
The next few holes was pretty much the same. Until we arrived at the fifth. My playing partners both hit good drives straight down the middle. I attempted to follow them and my drive looked similar. Then it started drifting towards the lake. No! Noo! Get down! Bite! Biiiite!
Shit.
I now had a drop shot and a chip over the water to an awkward pin position. Out came the sand wedge and I just went for it. I didn't think about it or dwell on it. I just hit it.
The next few holes was pretty much the same. Until we arrived at the fifth. My playing partners both hit good drives straight down the middle. I attempted to follow them and my drive looked similar. Then it started drifting towards the lake. No! Noo! Get down! Bite! Biiiite!
Shit.
I now had a drop shot and a chip over the water to an awkward pin position. Out came the sand wedge and I just went for it. I didn't think about it or dwell on it. I just hit it.
I've seen the professionals hit chips that land an inch from the hole and this wasn't one of those shots. After what seemed like a life time in the air, the ball landed three feet from the flag and stopped dead. I'm not sure how I did it but it was good enough for for me. I strode up the ball and slotted it home for a par.
The other two, well they scored five and a six. I won the hole and fell back in love with golf. I can play this game. My confidence was back. I went on to win two more holes and the longest drive.
While I didn't break that elusive 100 barrier I was close with a 101. Had I been tidier with my putts I would easily have been in the nineties. But the fifth made my day and restored my faith.
I will have to practise my putting as this is the area of my game that costs me shots.
Wednesday, 22 August 2012
Rangefinder App - Freecaddie
Rangefinders and GPS devices have seen a huge surge in demand as golfers seek more detailed knowledge of their target. They have pinpointed that technology can help them gain a more accurate understanding of the course and the hazards therein.
I recently decided to try out a GPS rangefinder app on my iPhone. After much research, about two minutes, I selected Freecaddie from Mobile Software Design. www.freecaddie.com/
I recently decided to try out a GPS rangefinder app on my iPhone. After much research, about two minutes, I selected Freecaddie from Mobile Software Design. www.freecaddie.com/
The app presents the distance to the front, centre and back of the green. There is no image of the green, which could prove tricky for unfamiliar courses. There over 21,000 courses worldwide to download. Which couldn't be any easier to load onto your iPhone or iPod.
This app is one of those free ones for the lite version, it is £5.99 for the pro edition. I chose the free version. Not simply because I'm tight, no, I wanted to try before I buy. But there's no way I'm paying £6 for it.
Despite the lies, this is a fairly decent rangefinder. The free app is easy to use and surprisingly accurate at no cost. I positioned myself on top of the stone marker that indicated 139 yards to the centre of the green. Freecaddie was showing 137 yards. I figure that a discrepancy of two yards is not worth being agitated over. I have seen some of the top of the range GPS devices in action and I have read several reviews on them and the users have moaned over the lack of accuracy. I figure that for a free app that there no need to quibble over a mere two yards.
This app gets a 4/5 rating simply because it is a free no frills GPS rangefinder. If the lite version is this good, then the £6 app must be amazing. The paid edition does show images of the course and distances to hazards. It can log your scores and these can be loaded on the Freecaddie website to be further scrutinised.
I would recommend downloading the free app and watch the price on the pro version. If it drops below the £5.99 asking price then it is definitely worth it.
This app is one of those free ones for the lite version, it is £5.99 for the pro edition. I chose the free version. Not simply because I'm tight, no, I wanted to try before I buy. But there's no way I'm paying £6 for it.
Despite the lies, this is a fairly decent rangefinder. The free app is easy to use and surprisingly accurate at no cost. I positioned myself on top of the stone marker that indicated 139 yards to the centre of the green. Freecaddie was showing 137 yards. I figure that a discrepancy of two yards is not worth being agitated over. I have seen some of the top of the range GPS devices in action and I have read several reviews on them and the users have moaned over the lack of accuracy. I figure that for a free app that there no need to quibble over a mere two yards.
This app gets a 4/5 rating simply because it is a free no frills GPS rangefinder. If the lite version is this good, then the £6 app must be amazing. The paid edition does show images of the course and distances to hazards. It can log your scores and these can be loaded on the Freecaddie website to be further scrutinised.
I would recommend downloading the free app and watch the price on the pro version. If it drops below the £5.99 asking price then it is definitely worth it.
Saturday, 11 August 2012
Aintree Golf Centre
Set inside of the Grand National course and a former venue of the British Grand Prix lays the Aintree golf course. Since its opening in 1994 the track has matured and now presents a challenge to new golfers, mainly because they get lost following the holes or hit the ball at the wrong green. There are signs informing golfers of where to walk or aim, but I'm guessing the patrons are illiterate. They certainly don't understand the local rule of NOT playing shots from the horsey course. "OUT OF BOUNDS (RULE 27) The Motor Racing Track is the perimeter of the course and a ball is considered to be out of bounds if it comes to rest on or crosses it"
Aintree is a nine hole course, or 18 if played twice, or even a 27 holer if played thrice. Although it only as nine holes, this is a long track at 3,312 yards from the white tees, Aintree is one of the longest 9 holes in the country. Of the nine there are two par 5's, three par 3's and the rest are fours, obviously. The 9th plays as a par 6 when the wind blows in your face, which it most often does. The lake comes into play on two holes, it makes the fifth a particularly difficult challenge if you fancy a drive at the par 4 green. Tempting as it is, best shot is splitting the fairway and an easy dink to the flag.
Most of the greens are protected by bunkers which can present a challenge to escape as there is no sand in them.
Their website boosts the opportunity to play over Beeches Brook, a replica of the fence on the world famous course. Here is a picture of that famous replica.
The 20 sq ft shop stocks an extensive range of junior wedges. There also a selection of gloves, left and right. Balls can be purchased and that's the shop covered. Trolleys can be hired and they even have the three wheel push trolley, thought the scallies and inbred tend to drag these around.
The clubhouse is a relaxing place to review your round and to dwell on the missed opportunities of that par. There is a wide choice of food and drive available and the staff are always friendly. There is a pool table and dartboard, so more chances of lossing money to your friends. This should be call Aintree Sports Centre and not Golf Centre.
The 30 bay, floodlit driving range is a good practise ground before venturing on course and the putting area is there. The members out on a Sunday can be counted on one hand. Aintree has been targeting the kids, not in a dirty way. They have been trying to attract junior members and this is an attractive starting base for juniors and new golfers. There are long holes and wide forgiving fairways. The course does drain extremely well after heavy downpours allowing for very few closures. There are plenty of courses nearby that does close from bad weather and Aintree is known locally the fallback option.
Midweek: 9 holes £8, 18 holes £10 Weekend: 9 holes £10, 18 holes £12
Tel: 01515235157
Website: http://www.aintree.co.uk/pages/about-aintree-golf-club/
Aintree is a nine hole course, or 18 if played twice, or even a 27 holer if played thrice. Although it only as nine holes, this is a long track at 3,312 yards from the white tees, Aintree is one of the longest 9 holes in the country. Of the nine there are two par 5's, three par 3's and the rest are fours, obviously. The 9th plays as a par 6 when the wind blows in your face, which it most often does. The lake comes into play on two holes, it makes the fifth a particularly difficult challenge if you fancy a drive at the par 4 green. Tempting as it is, best shot is splitting the fairway and an easy dink to the flag.
Most of the greens are protected by bunkers which can present a challenge to escape as there is no sand in them.
Their website boosts the opportunity to play over Beeches Brook, a replica of the fence on the world famous course. Here is a picture of that famous replica.
The 20 sq ft shop stocks an extensive range of junior wedges. There also a selection of gloves, left and right. Balls can be purchased and that's the shop covered. Trolleys can be hired and they even have the three wheel push trolley, thought the scallies and inbred tend to drag these around.
The clubhouse is a relaxing place to review your round and to dwell on the missed opportunities of that par. There is a wide choice of food and drive available and the staff are always friendly. There is a pool table and dartboard, so more chances of lossing money to your friends. This should be call Aintree Sports Centre and not Golf Centre.
The 30 bay, floodlit driving range is a good practise ground before venturing on course and the putting area is there. The members out on a Sunday can be counted on one hand. Aintree has been targeting the kids, not in a dirty way. They have been trying to attract junior members and this is an attractive starting base for juniors and new golfers. There are long holes and wide forgiving fairways. The course does drain extremely well after heavy downpours allowing for very few closures. There are plenty of courses nearby that does close from bad weather and Aintree is known locally the fallback option.
Midweek: 9 holes £8, 18 holes £10 Weekend: 9 holes £10, 18 holes £12
Tel: 01515235157
Website: http://www.aintree.co.uk/pages/about-aintree-golf-club/
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