Let's make golf more fun!
It's been a fantastic year of sport so far and I'm sure you're all enjoying watching the Commonwealth games, with Scotland having its best year ever in the competition. With the Ryder Cup just 2 months away and with the legacy that it will leave behind, Scotland has a fantastic opportunity to grow the game of golf and introduce new people to the sport.
So how do we do this?
I have lots of ideas and opinions on how we do this, some of which I will list below, but the absolute most important thing we can do, is make sure that the experience of learning and paying golf is made to be enjoyable. This sounds a very simple concept, but with all the rules and regulations attached historically to both courses and clubhouses, golf's reputation is not that of an open armed welcoming club. Below are a few of my ideas on how a golf club can grow the game and their membership levels.
Relax clubhouse dress code
Speed up play. 3.5 hrs maximum for most courses.
Welcoming and promotional signage around clubhouse & car park.
Remove all 'Members Only' signage (Unless that's what you want!)
Train all customer contact staff to be able to deal with new enquiries. Never tell a potential new member that they need to speak with the secretary as no one else can help.
Produce some literature to help with above.
Run regular events for 'pre handicap' members.
Run regular events for non members (potential new members)
Six and nine hole competitions to reduce time taken to play.
Get rid of the rough, or at the very least cut it to semi rough length at a maximum.
Create some tee boxes, much further forward that can be used by beginners and juniors.
Run regular coaching sessions
If you make your golf club a place that golfers want to come and spend their leisure time and have a course where they can score reasonably well on, then you are well on your way to growing your membership.
New website
We have this week launched a new website for the golf centre. Our new site which is still located at www.noahsarkgolf.com has lots of useful information about the golf centre and is much more user friendly than our old site.
Trial Golf lesson for just £9.99
If you've never had a golf lesson at Noah's Ark Golf Range then you can book a 30 minute golf lesson with either Andrew McHardy or Jonny Belford for just £9.99. During this lesson, you will have your swing videoed on our V1 coaching system, where you will be shown where you can improve. This is a great introduction to golf coaching and has proven popular since we launched the promotion earlier this week. For more information Click Here.
Noah's Ark Mini Golf
Our Mini Golf Course is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month. I can't believe it's been so long since we constructed the course, but as they say 'time flies'. Over the next few weeks, we're planning some landscaping work, with hundreds of new plants and around 20 tons of stone chips being added.
We are also in the process of having a new Mini Golf logo designed and a new website specifically for Noah's Ark Mini Golf. We have also set up its own Facebook page which you can like by clicking here.
Srixon AD333 - Buy 3 dozen and get a 4th dozen Free, saving you £19.99
PING G25 Drivers were £229, Now £189
PING G25 fairways were £159, Now £129 Ping G25 irons 5-SW, steel regular shafts (1 set only) - were £449, Now £399
Titleist 913 drivers were £279, Now £199
Titleist 913 fairways were £189, Now £139
Titleist 913 hybrids were £169, Now £129
Srixon AD333 promotion
Buy 3 dozen and get 1 Free. Yip, that's 3 dozen Srixon AD333 for just £59.97, which works out at just £14.99 per dozen, now that's great value!
Custom Fitting at Noah's Ark
If you're looking for some new golf equipment, then look no further than our professional team. Custom fittings are not all the same, and with our Flightscope radar, on site driving range and qualified professional staff, we really are the local experts. Give us a call on 01738 440678 to book your fitting.
It's all in the Hips
Today I want to talk to you about the movement of your hips on the backswing. There has been much written over the years on exactly how the hips should or should not move as you swing away from the ball and today I'll give you my take on it.
I believe that the backswing should be a central pivot and you must allow your hips to rotate around this central axis as you swing away from the ball. To be able to make this movement, your left knee will have to kick in a little and you right leg will have to straighten slightly (unless you are a contortionist that is!). When you reach the top of the backswing, your right hip should have twisted behind your body, which will offer a stable base upon which your upper body to load.
A great exercise is to put a small towel into your right trouser pocket at address. When you twist your hips correctly on the backswing then the towel will almost completely disappear from sight. If on the other hand you sway your hips to the right, then the towel will remain in sight at the top of your backswing.
You can practice this movement at home in front of a mirror and with a little work you'll be good to take it to the course and see how your ball striking and accuracy improves.
