Hartford Golf Club

Welcome to our latest newsletter bringing you all the going's on at Cheshire's friendliest Golf Club.

The month of January (not many people's favourite month!) is coming to a close and this means that our January Sale will come to an end on Sunday so make sure you don't miss out! Enjoy this week's read.....

• Some huge matches coming up in the Winter League
• A message from Lady Captain Chris...
• Check out PING's most forgiving iron yet!
• February fitting days are filling up fast
• Question of the week
• Video of the week - Dan and Tom busy on the greens

Competition news

Winter League update

The final round of the Winter League qualifying stages took place on Saturday, all eight rounds have been played despite a very wet winter, which is a great testament to the golf course, and we now have the final top 8 pairs.

The relatively new pairing of Alex Wass and James Pearson made a move into the top 8 after being outside it all winter, they scored 22 points in this latest round and they moved into position at the expense of Alan Tayler and Alan Royle who had a poor last round.

James Pearson

Alex Wass

Chris Whalley and Eddy Williams (who also scored 22 points in the last round) were the unlucky pair that finished in 9th place, agonisingly just one point off the qualifying spots.

The last rounds winners, winning three rounds in all, were Ian and Julie Daines (pictured). They finished in a convincing first place in the league with a five-point advantage over defending champions Kieran and Paul Underwood.

So that means we have four massive Quarter-final matches coming up, which are as follows, all to be played by Sunday 9th February:

Ian & Julie Daines Vs. Alex Wass & James Pearson
Paddy Scanlan & Chris Bird Vs. Antony Green & Dave Johnson
Kieran & Paul Underwood Vs. Gareth Eaton & Liam Tyrer
Tim Barnes & Jack Brownrigg Vs. Gary Cashmore & Javier Lang

The Semi-final matches must then be played by Sunday 8th March and the final by Sunday 29th March.

Ladies update

We start this weeks ladies section with a message from Lady Captain Chris Paxton:

'Following my recent accident, I would like to take this opportunity of expressing my thanks to everyone at the Club for their get well messages and cards, visiting me and offers of help and support. I am overwhelmed by people's kindness.

I must say this is not the ideal way of concluding my Captaincy year but I have found that having a good sense of humour and having such a good family and friends around me are helping me to keep sane!

I would also like to say a big thank you to my Lady Vice Captain, Alaine Britton, for doing the honours for me whilst I am incapacitated.

With thanks and best wishes,
Chris x'

Chris' latest is that she goes back to the fracture clinic next Monday and here's hoping that the healing process is going in the right direction. If so she should be able to have her plaster cast removed and a boot put on which will then be on for up to 3 months.

We also want to send our best wishes to Bobbie Mulcahy who has been unwell and also in hospital recently, but hopefully, we will see her back golfing soon!

Last Thursday the ladies played a fun yellow ball team competition, it was great to see that winning threesome consisted of two lady members playing in their first club competition - Margaret Dutton and Pauline Smith teamed up with Wendy D'Arcy to clinch victory.

Here they are with Lady Vice-Captain Alaine Britton.

On Sunday there was a 9 hole Stableford for the 7 day lady members, it was a wet affair and conditions were not conducive to good scoring but Julie Daines normally does well in tough conditions and she came out on top with 12 points, Keira Wharton was second with 11 points.

Julie Daines

Keira Wharton

This week the ladies play an optional nine-hole Stableford or the main 18 hole winter foursomes pairs competition.

Upcoming events

February Medal - Saturday 1st February 11am
Seniors Winter League round 5 - Tuesday 4th February 9:16am
Ladies roll up - Thursday 6th February
Junior Stableford - Saturday 8th February 1:40pm

Equipment news

New gear review

It's always exciting when industry leaders PING bring a new iron to the market and that's exactly what happened last week when the new G710 demo irons arrived with us ahead of their release. PING are pulling no punches with this latest G model - terming it their 'longest, most forgiving iron' with a 5% higher MOI than previous models, this is achieved through an ultra-strong steel 17-4 face and the clever use of tungsten weighting in a hollow body design, the face flexes almost like a driver (think of a spring on a trampoline) allowing a larger sweet spot and the ultimate in forgiveness.

A unique feature of these PING irons is that they are the first model to feature in built GPS technology in the grip through the Arccos caddie smart grips (comes as standard as long as you order at least 6 irons), so you can track your stats on accuracy and distance with every iron shot you hit.

Another great feature of the PING G710's is a 43 gram Distanza shaft as standard, this is the lightest shaft PING have ever made and is perfect for slower swing speed players.

Club Testing...

Straight out of the box these irons have that 'wow factor' with a stealthy black hydropearl finish that is really easy on the eye, and we couldn't wait to give the G710 irons a go to see if the hype was justified, have a watch of the short video to see the irons in action and we can tell you that the results were definitely impressive.

Having hit plenty of shots with the G710's here are our thoughts and marks out of 10:

• Looks - has to be 9/10! - The black finish is super sleek and the only thing that prevents these clubs from being the very best looking on the market is that they're probably just slightly too chunky for the purist even though the black finish makes them look sleeker.

• Performance - 10/10! - The numbers don't lie, Adam was comfortably hitting the 7 iron over 200 yards and noticeably higher than his own clubs, this is exactly what the G710 irons are designed to do so if you struggle for height or need a bot more forgiveness with your shots these irons are like bazookas and made for you!

• Sound/Feel - 9/10! - Again the G710 is very impressive, it feels solid and definitely doesn't feel as 'tinny' as similar other irons in this category and the sound is that definitive solid thud you only get with a PING iron. Watch the short clip (without the music) so you can hear the sound of an iron shot.

• Value for money 8/10 - With the technology involved these were never going to be the cheapest irons on the market, you won't get much change out of £1000 for a 6 iron set but with that, you also get the Arccos smart grip GPS technology (worth £199.95) which could be invaluable to learning about your game and these irons will be on at least a 2-year life cycle so won't become obsolete too quickly. Another positive worth mentioning is that the ultra-light graphite shaft option will only cost an extra £10 per club over the steel price.

The G710 irons are officially released in stores in mid-February but we have demo irons available to try now and we can custom fit for pre-orders, contact us here to book your fitting or check out our PING fitting day in February....

The sweet sound of the G710

G710 review

Fitting news

February Fitting dates

We're lucky enough to be amongst the first venues in the UK to be hosting 2020 free club fitting days, we have three coming up in February and you won't see them anywhere else anytime sooner! The all-important dates and times are:

PING fitting day - Wednesday 12th February 3-7pm (4:20pm onwards still available)
Callaway MAVRIK launch event - Wednesday 19th February 2-6pm
TaylorMade SIM launch event - Thursday 20th February 3-7pm (Only 5pm and 6pm still available)

You can book on any of these days and trial the latest and best equipment to hit the market this year, you will also receive an expert custom fitting session to find the best clubs for your game and there will be special one-off offers on the evening

Some of the early slots have already gone and all three fitting days will book up as they are such a good opportunity, contact us via the button below book your free no-obligation fitting session.

book your fitting slot >

Your questions, answered

Handicaps

Here's a good question of the week... how will the new world handicap system work? This a hard one to answer concisely! The new system rolls out in the UK this November and it will radically change the way handicaps are calculated and maintained. Here are some of the main points to look out for:

• Competitive and social rounds can count towards your handicap 'index'
• Your handicap index will be based on an average of your best 8 scores from your last 20 rounds
• A maximum handicap of 54 regardless of gender to encourage more golfers to obtain a handicap
• A calculation based on course conditions and weather for each day will be obtained through scores submitted on that day
• Every course will have a 'slope rating' from each set of tees so you can see how difficult a course is

The system will provide a level playing field for golfers all over the world, have a look at this useful video from the R&A via the link below to see the main components of the world system and how it will operate.

The new Handicap system explained >

Video of the week

How a hole is cut

Another one of our own productions for the latest video of the week as we witness Head Greenkeeper and his young assistant Tom in action on the ninth green, watch how a hole is cut before they hand mow the greens. We're sure you will agree that Dan and Tom are doing a great job this winter in keeping the course in excellent condition.

#468FCD ;text-align:left">Change is good

Anything that makes golf that little bit easier is a good thing in our eyes and if improving your iron play is up there on your to-do list then you’re in luck, as we have a treat we want to share with you.

2020 must try - Cleveland Launcher UHX irons

When we're over the ball with a short iron in hand, it's time to be thinking about hitting it close. However, when we're about to play a shot with a long iron it's more about just finding the green.

This is why we love these Launcher UHX irons; cavity-back short irons provide the accuracy and control we need with those clubs whilst the longer irons are hollower for extra forgiveness.

If you're using irons that are several years old, we're certain you'll enjoy some performance gains with these Launcher UHX irons. Come in-store and speak to a member of the team if you're interested in giving them a try.

book a fitting here >

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Change is good

2020 must try - Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo irons

Designed with a hollow construction so they perform more like a hybrid, these irons have been created to get the ball airborne with ease and to be as forgiving as humanly possible.

If you're using irons that are several years old, we're certain you'll enjoy some performance gains with these Launcher HB Turbo irons. Come in-store and speak to a member of the team if you're interested in giving them a try.

book a fitting here >

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S62 approaching...

Wristwatches have come a long way since the first one was made in 1868. GPS devices have come even further in an even shorter period of time and the two marry up to create a watch that has a host of new features that has left us wondering how we ever coped without it.

New for 2020 - Garmin Approach S62 watch

How many times have you been torn between clubs when facing a tricky approach shot?

Garmin’s brand-new Approach S62 watch will help solve that dilemma with a nifty virtual caddie feature that suggests the best club to play based on your past swings.

Just like having your own caddie on your wrist!

Easier to read on the larger, clearer touchscreen, functionalities such as a wrist-based heart rate monitor, smart notifications, and enhanced battery life, make the S62 a top choice for everyday use.

There’s plenty to like about the Approach S62 (including a big numbers mode) and our Price Match Promise means we won't be beaten at the till. So come and shop at your local pro shop today.

discover Garmin's Golf GPS range >

Titleist TS Metalwoods - Faster than yours

Product spotlight

Callaway Mavrik driver

This driver has been in-store for over a week now and it's safe to say we're a little bit excited.

From its Cyclone Aero shape that increases clubhead speed to its A.I. designed Flash Face for faster ball speeds, everything about the Mavrik driver will help you hit the ball further than your current toy.

With three models in the range, including the incredibly forgiving Mavrik Max driver, come and speak to us about which is best suited to your game.

discover Mavrik here >

Video of the Week

Ever climbed up a tree to play a shot? How about jumping a fence? Or, how about your ball landing in a spectator's pocket? Enjoy this week's video as we look at the most ridiculous lies of the decade from the PGA Tour.

European Tour: Luckiest golf shots of 2019

We hope you have a great week.

Hartford Golf Club
Burrows Hill
Northwich
CW8 3AP

Phone: 01606 871162

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