There has been a distinct drop in temperature over the past week with even a bit of ground frost showing its face. I have to say however, that I quite like these cold and crisp mornings out on the golf course. You just have to make sure that you wrap up warm and then it's time to get out for a brisk walk around the course.
One of the things I really like about winter golf is that, everyone just gets on with it. There is no excessive waiting around or looking at putt lines for 6 different angles. We just get the job done and move on to the next hole.
As I mentioned in last week's newsletter, I really do advise you all to keep playing this winter. This will make such a difference to your start to next season and it will be great to see the golf courses keeping busy with regular play.
With the recent dry weather conditions, this is probably the best conditions that many courses have been in at this time for many a year, so get out there and make the most of it.
This is a tough time of year for all the aspiring Tour professionals with qualifying school taking place in Spain. This past week has seen Stage 2 of Q school being played and there were 3 Perth and Kinross pro's taking part.
Bradley Neil, Danny Young and Wallace Booth were all competing at stage 2 qualifying in Spain, but only Bradley has progressed to the final stage. A fantastic final round -5 par 66 secured Bradley one of the final qualifying spots. Bradley now faces a 6 round 108 hole marathon event to try and secure his full playing rights to the 2017 European Tour.
I played in the European Tour qualifying school twice during my career, back in 1997 and 1998. On those 2 attempts I played stage 2 at Pals Golf Club in Gerona Spain, but never made it through to final stage qualifying.
I had played in many tournaments over the years, but the level of pressure felt at Q school was equal to none. Your whole year had been building up to this point and from the very first tee shot of round 1, there was not let up on the level of concentration and focus on every single shot.
Missed putts and wayward shots were very costly as a single shot was so often the difference between making it and having to play another year at a lower level.
Bradley Neil, Danny Young and Wallace Booth are all playing the game at a higher level than I ever achieved and I really do wish them all the very best.
You can keep up with Bradley's progress via the European Tour website or you can download their phone app. Final qualifying starts November 12th at PGA Catalunya.
Buy One, Get One FREE on selected clothing!
We have polo shirt at £29 , Wind tops at £39 and Hybrid jackets at £49 .
You can mix and match garments on this promotion and the lower priced garment will be free of charge.
Golf Memories
We had a great session of 'Golf Memories' on Monday, when Professor Michael Ego from Connecticut USA came to visit and observe the group. Working in partnership with Alzheimer Scotland and Perth & Kinross Council, our groups aim is to help former golfers who now suffer from dementia, get the chance to participate once in the game that they once took great pleasure in playing.
This is a project that is very satisfying to be involved with and we are proud to support the group by offering free use of our facilities and free refreshments at our weekly sessions. We now have a regular group of 15, along with 8 volunteers who come along each week to enjoy some golf.
Drive the Ball Better
With PGA Professional Fraser Cramb Drive the Ball Better
Set-up For the second week of this drive the ball better series I want to talk about the set up.
This is often a neglected area because people sometimes don't realise how much the set-up influences ball flight.
To get the most out of your drives, you need to promote a neutral or ideally a slightly upwards angle of approach. To do this, the ball should be positioned at the front of your stance, just inside your left foot. When doing this, make sure that moving the ball forward does not lead to your shoulders sitting open to the target line.
With the ball at the front of your stance, you should notice that your shoulders are tilted upwards from back to front.
From this position, complete a full turn and try to create the feeling of striking the ball on the up-swing while staying fully committed to keeping your body turning - Don't let your arms do all the work!
Hopefully these tips can help you get the most out of your drives.
If you would like to book a lesson with Fraser to work on anything in more detail, get in touch on 01738 440678 or email Fraser at -
info@noahsarkgolf.com Play Better Golf - with Niall McGill
Create the perfect impact position
In this week's video, I'll show you one of my all-time favourite drills to help you create the perfect impact position.
Click Here to learn the perfect impact.
North Inch News Early Bird Season Ticket Special Offer Since launching this promotion last week, we are now starting to see golfers signing up for this fantastic offer.
If you're looking for great value golf on a course that is steeped in the history of the game, a fair challenge and an easy walk, then we've got that covered. North Inch Golf Course Season Tickets are also fantastic
value for money! Come and join us at
Perthshire's friendliest course, you won't regret it!
From 1st November 2016, we have launched an
unbeatable Season Ticket offer! You can now join
North Inch Golf Course through until 31st March 2018, that's an amazing
17 months of golf and you only have to pay for 12. Not only that, but make the offer as affordable as possible, we are only asking you to pay
£100 now, with the balance due on 1st April 2017.
Season Ticket Promotion - 17 months for price of 12 Not only that but we can then spread your balance payment over 6 months if required.*
Season Ticket Prices:
Adult -
£279 Senior -
£189 Young Adult -
£189 Junior -
£20 *payment plan is subject to a £15 transaction fee.