Friday Energy Spin Class 7am till 7:30 am
Sunday Spin Circuit – 12:30-1:15pm
Monday Energy Spin Class 7:15pm – 8pm

Over 200 runners took part in the event, helping raise money for some fantastic causes. The course was transformed for the day, and the participants had an opportunity to run 1, 3 or 6 miles. Some of the most determined were going for hours!

Bollywood Dancing, Karate, Baseball Coaching, Cake Stand, Competitions – the choice of entertainment made it a fun day for the whole family. The younger ones were getting their face painted; while their parents were taking part in Pitch&Putt competition. Overall it was a fantastic day – and the warmest one of the month. It was great to see the community getting together, having fun and relaxing after a hard week.

Well done to everyone who took part!

Gallery

Rock and James Edwards of James Edwards Golf Design have been contracted to oversee a 5 year course renovation programme at the club.

Upon seeing the work already nearing completion, Rock said “I’m really pleased with where things are at the moment” he continued “We really wanted the starting holes to stand out a lot more, but without being overly penal on the average club member, and I think that what James and I have put in place achieves that” he added “I am a great fan of the traditional styling of some of the older courses, and having the opportunity to work on a 100 year old Surrey course is really exciting, especially as I am a great fan of Colt and Mackenzie style courses”

The design partnership has definitely made some changes with the introduction of a new laser levelled day tee, banking on the left hand side of the fairway, new fairway and greenside bunkers, closure of a cross ditch, the reopening of an old ditch 20 yards shy of the green and the introduction of a new pond, and all on the first hole alone!

Rock commented “James has overseen some terrific additions to the course which we discussed in some detail on my last visit” he added “ I am particularly pleased with the cross bunkers on the 5th hole where we wanted to re-establish the Swinley Forest type bunkers which were originally there when the course was opened”

Rock has been very busy this year having played in 8 events so far, accumulated winnings of nearly £500,000, a win in Abu Dhabi and currently sits 6th in the Order of Merit.

As well as his interest in golf course design, Rock is committed to his fledgling golf academy business. The Robert Rock Golf Academy in Lichfield is the first of many that he plans to open over the coming years.

“I’ve always enjoyed teaching and its where I see my future when I stop playing”

The Academy in Lichfield has 3 full time instructors, all teaching Rock’s swing philosophy
“I really like to work closely with my instruction team and I am constantly in touch with my 2 lead instructors Danny and Patrick” he added “I’m really excited about our latest addition to the team, Liam, who came over to the Doral with a friend of mine” Rock continued “I got him a range pass at the tournament so that he could help me out a little, it was great to see him spend time discussing the mechanics of the golf swing with the other instructors like Pete Cowan”

Although tournament golf is his priority over the next few years, Rock’s passion is to introduce more children to the game of golf, he explained “At the moment I’m looking for a sponsor to help with our schools programme within the Birmingham area” he added “I am determined to get more youngsters into this great sport which has given me so much over the years”

Great sentiments indeed!

Following its recent acquisition by Playgolf, Leatherhead Golf Club is to benefit from a major investment programme that will see this famous Surrey parkland layout regain its status as one of the most attractive and welcoming venues in the country.

These are exciting times to be a member at Leatherhead Golf Club. While many clubs are cutting back on their outgoings and mothballing major investment programmes, the new owners of Leatherhead are digging deep into their pockets to resurrect the fortunes of one of Surrey’s oldest and most revered venues.
Not that the club is on its last legs. Far from it. In fact, on the Monday morning I visited in early January it wasn’t easy to locate a car parking space, while the first tee in front of the clubhouse was a veritable hive of activity, as golfers took full advantage of the mild winter to get their golfing fix.

All the signs are here of a golf club that has a definite spring in its step, especially when you catch sight of the groundstaff at work out on the course and see the plans in the clubhouse entrance revealing how all the course’s holes are going to be renovated over the next three years.
Leatherhead was sold last summer to Playgolf, owner of a number of golf clubs throughout the UK, including a 9-hole course in Harrow, an 18-hole course in Bournemouth, and most recently, Lexdon Wood Golf Centre in Essex. Although one of the most established clubs in Surrey may seem like a strange addition to Playgolf’s portfolio, Roger Hyder, the company’s Head of Group Operations, sees it as the ideal venue to put the Playgolf ethos of making the game more accessible into practice. “We thoroughly respect the traditions of the game, and especially the traditions that exist here at Leatherhead,” says Hyder, whose previous management role was at nearby Foxhills Golf & Country Club. “But at the same time, golf needs to open itself up to new people, new generations, and above all, new ideas. Regardless of their age, gender, ability or wealth, golfers shouldn’t feel intimidated to visit a golf club. Our aim is to make golf more welcoming and more affordable, and above all, something that fits into and around your life.”

One of the club’s ideas sees the launch of a new membership scheme that is aimed at those golfers who want all the benefits that membership brings (i.e. handicap, ability to play in competitions, and the joy of being able to call yourself a member), without the significant outlay of a full annual membership, which, at Leatherhead, currently stands at a respectable £1,500. The new Levy Membership will require an upfront cost of £750 per year, which can be put towards any expenditure at the club, including green fees (charged at 50% of the standard fee), buggy hire, food and drink, golf equipment, or even the hire of one of the club’s function rooms.

While several clubs operate green fee credit schemes, this is the first I’ve heard of that offers such a flexible way of spending your money. And while that money must be spent within a 12-month period, any further top ups that are put onto the levy card can be rolled over for the following year. The only limitation on this membership is that golfers are restricted to teeing off after 10am at weekends, unless you happen to be playing in one of the club’s many competitions, when you join the draw as normal.
As Hyder explains: “There is a huge section of golfers in their mid-30s and 40s who aren’t members of clubs because they can’t justify the expense of a full membership, yet they still want to play once a month, or however often, and want to feel like they belong to a club, and that they have a golfing home-from-home where they are made welcome. The Levy Membership meets that need.”

It’s a bold move, and one that may well have several full members making the shift down to Levy Membership, but it also looks certain to attract a whole new generation of golfers for whom full membership has proved too inflexible for their needs in the past.

Leatherhead’s star attraction, regardless of whether you’re a member or casual visitor, is undoubtedly its historic parkland layout. First opened in 1903 under the geographically vague title of The Surrey Golf Club, it is actually some distance from the town of Leatherhead, thanks to the M25 motorway, which carved its way between the two venues when it opened in 1982.

The club had to relocate its opening and closing holes to make way for the six lanes of tarmac that now bring golfers to the course with such alarming ease (it’s just a minute’s drive from Junction 9), but little else has changed on the course since the turn of the last century. Thankfully, a swathe of mature woods blocks any view of the motorway, while the noise is barely audible above the tweeting of the birds. In fact, you have to constantly remind yourself that you’re within a well-struck driver of the UK’s busiest highway, such is the peacefulness and serenity of the surroundings.

Leatherhead is soaked to the rafters in golfing history. The inaugural match here saw Open Champions James Braid and Harry Vardon go head-to-head, while Alf Perry, who won the Claret Jug in 1935, served as the club’s head professional for 36 years during the inter-war period. Perry was selected to play in the Ryder Cup team following his Open triumph and brought the entire team – which included Henry Cotton, Reg Whitcombe and Alf Padgham – to play at Leatherhead prior to their departure from Southampton for the boat trip to New York.

At 6,200 yards off the back tees, the par 71 course is not long by modern standards, and that, in addition to its wonderful woodland setting, is part of its charm. Big hitters who manage to keep it straight, negotiate the odd dog-leg, avoid the many bunkers, ditches and trees, and putt like a demon, will clearly be able to score well here, but the rest of us will still take pleasure from bagging our fair share of pars, and the perhaps the odd birdie, when everything slots into place.

In order to reinstate some of the features that were a part of the architect’s original intent, James Edwards Course Design has been brought in to advise on a three-year programme of renovations that will seesix holes completed each year. Course Manager Peter Goodbun and his staff are currently working on the first, second and sixth holes, which will see the fairways re-shaped, and bunkers enlarged, conjoined and generally bought back into play, while the landing areas for big hitters are being narrowed to increase the challenge as you get nearer to the green. The work will retain the character of the course – without adding yardage –and will really serve to freshen up the challenge of what is an extremely entertaining course to play.

As the scorecard reveals, Leatherhead is, quite literally, a game of two halves, with the front nine measuring 3,495 yards, and the back nine ‘just’ 2,727 yards. Of course, not every number tells the full story, with the par being split 37/34, and with handicap golfers just as likely to mess it up with a wedge in their hands as they are a driver, there are no giveaway holes on either stretch. There is a fine variety of holes, with a few really long par fours (4th and 6th), a few driveable par fours, and five short holes, the last of which is the 204-yard 18th, which is a tough one to par with the match all square. Personal favourites include the dog-leg 404-yard third, which requires you to position your drive perfectly off the tee to avoid blocking your shot to the green in front of a tree that guards the elbow.

Although the back nine is considerably shorter, it’s both beguiling and, in my humble opinion, slightly more entertaining than the front. The 284-yard 11th is a superb, potentially driveable par four, while the 12th is a delightful par three played across a valley to a raised and angled green. The 300-yard 14th sees a tree standing like a sentry on duty in the middle of the fairway, requiring a careful drive that leaves a wedge to a two-tier green. The par-five 16th is tough to reach in two, as the green is raised, although this hill makes for a lovely drive from the 17th tee.

The halfway house, which as the name suggests, is by the 10th tee, is something of an icon in Leatherhead’s folklore, and is a pleasure to stop off at for something to warm you up or cool you down depending on the season. The clubhouse is also due for a makeover, with plans currently awaiting approval for an internal redevelopment that will see the upstairs transformed into a stunning new bar and restaurant that will enjoy a grandstand view over the course, while the downstairs dining area will be extended to allow events for up to 250 people to be catered for, rather than the existing 100.

The investment is considerable and well thought out, and shows that the clubs new owners are serious in their intent to make Leatherhead a showcase for the Playgolf Group. In fact two of the directors have bought properties on the exclusive Pachesham Estate that borders the course, giving a clear indication that they are in this for the long haul.
It all adds up to an exciting and attractive mix, both on and off the course, which will ensure that future generations of golfers keep flocking to this most welcoming of clubs.

The Leatherhead Golf Club, Kingston Road, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 0EE.

For details of the new Levy Membership, and all other enquiries, please call 01372 849413, visit www.lgc-golf.co.uk or email leatherhead@playgolfworld.com.

Here at Playgolf we are committed to the game of golf and heavily supporting the community with the youth of today. We believe in giving everyone a chance to excel and enjoy their passion, whatever their background.

To have a chance of being awarded one of these amazing scholarships we are inviting Juniors to attend a trial where they will be assessed to see if they have what it takes.
Everyone under 18 can have a go, even those who have never picked up a golf club before!

Assessing the days will be our team of vastly experienced PGA Instructors. Amongst them are our 2 resident instructors, Paul O’Brien and Jeremy Lay.
Assisting with the selection process will be our Head of Group Operations, Roger Hyder. Roger is one of the few Fellow Professionals in the PGA and David Leadbetter, a trained instructor and author of Golf Skills, the instruction book that was published around the world.

They will not only be looking at golfing abilities but also the enthusiasm and attitude towards the game of golf.

Dates for the trials are: April 21st and April 29th 2012.

To book and register for the day please contact a member of our team on 020 8864 2020 or email london@playgolfworld.com.

Thanks to the USGA standard greens, the course is playable all year round without the need for temporary greens.
They pride themselves with their other great facilities at the club, which also include a 24 bay flood-lit driving range, which means it can be used all year round come rain or shine. 9 hole, par 3 academy course, putting green and short game practice hole.

The Teaching Academy is one of the busiest in Essex with professionals using both the GASP computer analysis system and the Explanar swing training aid. Playgolf Colchester will continue to encourage young and old alike, from beginner through to experienced golfer.

There are memberships to suit all needs at very competitive prices for the regular everyday golfer to the busy golfer who only gets the opportunity to play once or twice a month.
With weekly member’s competitions and a very busy social calendar they are dedicated to providing something for every golfer!

A warm professional welcome awaits you from the friendly team at the club house, offering you everything you need from a cup of coffee and slice of cake to a three course meal. Our food is locally sourced (where possible) and is freshly cooked every day.

When booking a Golf Society there is everything you need and a member of the team will be dedicated to ensure that your day is organised for you and that you are looked after from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave. They are able to provide ultimate flexibility, so whether you require a selection of locally sourced, mouth-watering sit down dishes, a buffet or a barbeque, the head chef can ensure that everything goes exactly to plan.

Playgolf Colchester has a strong Junior section with over 100 members many of which playing in competitions.

They took on the task to achieve Golf Mark which is an outstanding achievement and are the only club in Colchester with the Golf Mark accreditation. This means they are nationally recognised as a club that provides outstanding teaching for juniors in a fun enjoyable and welcoming environment. Plus more importantly that there are strict procedures in place as each child’s safety is paramount when they are left in the club’s care.

Golf Mark has also meant they are able to apply for funding to encourage children to come and give golf a go, whatever their level of sporting activity is. There are many successful free taster sessions for children which have then led them to book group junior lessons and actively get involved with the game.

Playgolf Colchester is also the home of American Golf Colchester, which offers great prices and a wide selection of golf clothing and equipment.

To contact a member of the team here at Playgolf Colchester simply telephone 01206 843333, we look forward to your call.

The Energie gym will be seeing new state of the art spinning bikes from April 16th. You can always start a new craze and join in the spinning classes in the gym!

Come to Spin Express on Wednesday & Friday mornings at 7am until 7.30am or Spin Circuit on Monday at 7.15pm until 8pm or Sunday at 12.30pm until 1.15pm or why not come to ALL OF THEM!
The UK’s first Baseball Cages will see Marty Cullen the British Baseball coach starting individual lessons in April. He will show you how to knock it out of the park! To book call the team on 020 8864 2020.

The cages have had an update with a new painted floor and serviced machinery… it really is something you should have go at.
The Playgolf London Open Day & Sport Relief Mile was a fantastic day seeing over 2,500 people joining in with the activities, with beat the pro, longest drive, longest putt, a driving range competition, face painting, bouncy castle and of course running the mile! Well done to all involved!

Playgolf World recently appointed Robert Rock and James Edwards Golf Design to oversee the course renovations at Leatherhead.

The club’s last 2 holes and the original clubhouse were lost when the M25 was built in 1983, but apart from that the general layout has changed little over the last 50 years. Playgolf World, who took over ownership of the club 12 months ago, decided that they wanted to return the course to its traditional parkland layout, as well as ensure that members and guests get to enjoy playing on modern playing surfaces.

James Edwards of James Edwards Golf Design said “The remit from Playgolf was quite clear and includes bunker renovations and reopening of bunkers that have been closed over the last 80 years or so.” He continued “we are also opening some of the old ditches and ponds to help with drainage, adding several features and tidying up the treeline as well as working on a planting programme”. He added “this is a very exciting project for us as it is the start of a 5 year renovation programme which will see the course return to being one of the top courses in the South.”

When asked about Rock’s involvement, Roger Hyder, Head of Operations for Playgolf said “Robert is an old friend of James’s and is keen to get involved with his company and design work, for when he eventually hangs up his playing boots” he added “his input has been invaluable as we are trying to toughen up the golf course for the longer hitting, and arguably better golfers”.

Speedcut, the contractors, commenced work on the 1st hole in the middle of January. In early April, a new first tee had been constructed, a new cross ditch and pond added and new greenside bunkers built. The 2nd hole has new bunkers and the whole area to the left of the green has been drained. The 4th hole has a new cross ditch in front of the green and alongside and across the fairway. The 5th hole has a new fairway bunker and a cross bunker now replaces the 3 pothole bunkers that were in front of the green.

There has been some tree clearing around the 2nd tee and green, as well as next to the 7th green. This was to allow more air and light through which will help the grass coverage thicken.

During a normal round of golf, only around 18% of your time is spent actually hitting shots. So what should you be doing for the other 82% of the time?

In the 10 plus years that I have been researching and coaching golfers, I have discovered that during a four hour round of golf, a golfer will switch his or her concentration on and off repeatedly with the ebb and flow of the game. The challenge of turning on and off concentration during shot making makes it more difficult to get into a zone focus.

Peak performing golfers have mastered the art of knowing when and how to focus to develop total concentration to maximize their performance. Total concentration occurs when an athlete becomes totally involved in the task, feels that time is suspended, and loses the sense of being separate from his/her surroundings.

I often get this question about focus on the golf course: What do the best players think of between shots? Do they start planning the next shot or do they relax between shots?

Legendary golfer Ben Hogan was known for his powers of concentration and focus during a round of golf. He went into his bubble and did not surface until after the round. Some golfers believed that the best way to focus during a round was to stay dialled in continuously, never letting your guard down.

However, my take on how to focus during a round of golf is that most golfers cannot concentrate for four hours straight it is almost an impossible chore. In addition, you are only required to focus for the 30 -40 seconds during your pre-shot routine before you pull the trigger.

My recommendation is to save your energy for the end of the round. You do not have to grind between shots by thinking intensely about your next shot (or analyze your last errant shot). Instead, the goal should be to relax your focus between shots kick it in for 30 seconds when it’ your turn to play and reserve your mental energy for the end of the round.

In addition, you should not practice between shots. If you hit a bad shot, don’t carry this shot with you for two holes and try to analyze what went wrong. Save the practice for after the round. The time to work on your swing is after the round, not during the round. This results in playing the golf swing instead of playing the golf shots on the course. Do not waste your focus between shots trying to fix what may not be broken. In most cases it is impossible to fix a swing fault in nine holes.

What should you do between shots? I suggest anything but your next or last shot! The goal is to have fun between shots and relax your focus. Each person can achieve this differently. For examples, some golfers like to carry on with conversations with playing partners between shots, where other golfers prefer to enjoy their surroundings and get into nature.

What should you focus on between shots to relax your focus and not worry about the next shot? Talk to your playing partners, look at the birds, sing a tune in your head, tell a joke to a friend, or anything to have fun and relax before you get to your next shot. Once you get up to your ball, it’s important to dial in your focus and let go of what you were thinking about between shots.

Some golfers use a symbolic physical trigger to help them get refocused for the next shot. Some golfers use their pre-shot routine to trigger the start of the routine and when to focus. For example, the moment you pull a club out of the bag is the time to focus on the current shot and let go of the past.

The next time you play a round of golf, I suggest you save your focus by relaxing between shots. Do not think about the next shot until you get to the ball and it’s your turn to hit. Occupy your mind between shots with other enjoyable activities.

Author: James Hopkins, Playgolf PGA Professional

Practice in Your Mind

If you cannot get to the range in the winter months, another option is to practice your swing mentally. Mental practice is not new. Good golfers use it all the time to prepare for a round of golf, review their game plan, or feel the ideal golf swing before each shot. You can rehearse your golf swing both visually and kinaesthetically during the off-season to help you keep the rust away and tune up your mind’s eye for golf. The most effective form of visualisation utilises all of your senses. In a quiet room with no distractions, spend 5 minutes a day rehearsing your swing in your mind from a first-person internal perspective (just like you are actually playing). As you visualise your swing, you should see it, feel it, and hear the sound at impact.

Keep Your Swing Tuned Up

There are two ways to keep your swing tuned up when the snow is covering the ground.

The first is to take regular lessons through the winter period. Not playing on the course is the perfect time to improve your technique without having to worry about the peer pressure of playing well. Improve over the winter to play well in the summer!

The second way to stayed tuned up is, in conjunction with lessons and correct technique, take 100 practice swings a day. Jack Nicklaus wrote that you should make 100 practice swings a day when you cannot make it to the driving range. Golfers tend to make a mechanically better swing with a practice swing because of the ‘hit impulse’ when a ball is present. I also recommend that you swing in front of a mirror or video camera to give you some visual feedback on how you are doing.

Become a Great Putter Indoors

It is amazing how many golfers neglect one of the most important parts of the golf game – putting! But you have no excuses in the off-season, because you will have plenty of opportunities to work on your putting indoors. All it takes is a carpet that approximates the speed of golf course greens. You can also buy a putting mat made of artificial turf that simulates the speed and feel of natural greens. This is a great time to work on your stroke path, accurate aim, and pre-putt routine because ideally you want all of these elements in putting to feel natural (and be correct) when you play golf.

Golf Fitness

During the golf season, it is harder to find the necessary time to exercise and keep in shape, especially when you are playing four to five hour rounds. The off-season is a great time to improve physical fitness, flexibility, and stamina. Beyond the benefits to your general health and wellness, a regular exercise program has many advantages for your golf game. Increased strength, better endurance, increased energy, and more flexibility are direct benefits of a regular exercise program. Improved fitness also has a secondary benefit – a better mental game. Improvements in concentration and mood often result from regular exercise.

Conclusion

Do not wait until the snow melts and the weather improves. You can do a lot to improve yourself and your golf game during the off-season. Keep the rust off by taking lessons, practicing indoors, improving your fitness, improving your mental game and get a jump on the season.