Imagination eNews

TV presenter Vernon Kay and Olympic-medalist John Regis were among a host of celebrities attending one of the largest Sport Relief events on in the region at Dale Hill Hotel and Golf Club.
The event raised nearly £4,000 for the charity, contributing to this year’s record-breaking total of more than £19m nationally.
Other celebrities included Gareth Hale – one half of comedy duo Hale and Pace – and BBC actor Daniel Stephens, who appeared recently in the adaptations of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility as Edward Ferrars.
Stephens said: “It is really nice to support when you can, although my style of golf is more suited to Comic Relief rather than Sport Relief.”

Overall winners were brothers Andrew, Mark and Gavin Wilding – members from Dale Hill’s sister club Chart Hills – who carded a very impressive 85 points.
Andrew said: “I have only played the course once before and we did not know we had won until the presentation after dinner; it was great.
“We had an excellent day. It was well run and it’s great to support Sport Relief locally.”
The event was also hailed a success by the organisers. Dale Hill’s marketing and sales manager, Kelly Louw, said: “We were delighted with the amount we raised. We hope to make this a biennial event and continue to raise lots of money for a very deserving cause.”

Float like a butterfly, swing like a bear…
It may not be what most sportsmen aspire to but visitors to the London Golf Show will be able to take advice from the same man as the Golden Bear himself.
Jack Nicklaus’ personal club-fitter, Rick Gomes, will be at show from April 25-27 in the american golf test areas advising golfers on the best product for them.
Gomes has worked for Nicklaus since 2000 and is the chief club fitter in Nicklaus Golf’s research and development division.
Hundreds of visitors to last year’s show benefited from his wisdom and he’s expected to be just as popular this year when he will be showcasing Nicklaus Golf’s new Dual Point driver technology and MTR Polarity iron – voted best iron of 2008 by Golf Illustrated magazine.

Paul Hendry, Nicklaus Golf Equipment’s European representative, said “This is once again a great opportunity for golfers of all abilities to test our products under the guidance of Rick, it’s not every day you get the chance to hit shots under the watchful eye of Jack Nicklaus’ own personal club fitter.”
The London Golf Show – Europe’s largest consumer golf show – returns to ExCeL from April 25-27, 2008, bringing with it the iconic floating green; Europe’s biggest golf retail area courtesy of american golf; hundreds of exhibitors showcasing the best in equipment, fashion, golf holidays and much more.
There will be chipping and putting competitions and an indoor driving range on which to try out the new equipment before buying in addition to dozens of interactive activities, many with great prizes up for grabs.
This year there will also be free flights to win in pre-show competitions with the event’s official airline partner Monarch.
Advanced tickets are two for £15 and all visitors get free entry to A Place in the Sun Live, taking place at ExCeL the same weekend. And, what’s more, under-13s go free when with an adult.

Technology more often found in military bunkers than greenside versions will help golfers get the most out of their game at the 2008 London Golf Show.
South African-company EDH manufactures tracking radar systems used by armed forces across the world and its Flightscope Kudu uses the same technology to monitor golf ball flight.
It is the official flight monitor of the show and visitors will be able to try it out for themselves on the indoor driving range from April 25-27.

The innovative product measures the trajectory and distance travelled by the ball, based on how it leaves the club head, and works both indoors and out.
Henri Johnson, CEO of EDH Sport, said: “We have attended the show the last two years and were extremely impressed with the quality of organisation and visitors who attended.
“The show is a perfect way for us to demonstrate the performance of our FlightScope Kudu technology to a large and highly technically aware audience.”
Flightscope also produces similar systems which are used in first-class cricket and tennis competitions.
The London Golf Show – Europe’s largest consumer golf show – returns to ExCeL from April 25-27, 2008, bringing with it the iconic floating green; Europe’s biggest golf retail area courtesy of american golf; hundreds of exhibitors showcasing the best in equipment, fashion, golf holidays and much more.
There will be chipping areas, putting competitions and an indoor driving range on which to try out the new equipment before buying in addition to dozens of interactive activities, many with great prizes up for grabs.
This year there will also be free flights to win in pre-show competitions with the event’s official airline partner Monarch.
Advanced tickets are two for £15 and all visitors get free entry to A Place in the Sun Live, taking place at ExCeL the same weekend. And, what’s more, under-13s go free when with an adult.

Dale Hill Hotel & Golf Club has created a festive display of which even the Easter Bunny would be proud.
Chefs at the club have created a taste-bud-tingling chocolate obelisk giving the club something a little bit eggs-tra this Easter.
The chocolate display is the latest of several culinary artworks produced at the club and is the creation of the club’s pastry chef, Linda Hollamby.

Hollamby gained experience of producing food sculptures while working at The Westin Turnberry Resort, Scotland, and is now under the watchful eye of Mark Carter, Dale Hill’s head chef.
For Christmas, Carter and Hollamby created a gingerbread house, which took six days to complete.
Although the festive egg display did not take as long to finish it did use five kilos of chocolate and is half a metre in height.
Hollamby said: “I really enjoyed making the display and lots of the members have commented on it, especially when they get to eat it.
“The last chocolate display I made was melted down so I hope the members get their wish as I will be very unhappy if this one is not eaten as it took me seven hours to make.”
To mark their achievements the club has decided to offer more than a third off all stays before Easter Monday, March 24 to give people a better chance to come and see the masterpiece.
The special rate of £99 per person includes a one-night stay with two-course dinner, bed and breakfast and two rounds of golf on the Ian Woosnam-designed championship golf course.
For more information call Dale Hill on 01580 202 105 or email kellyl@dalehill.co.uk

MORE than 50 amateur golfers will battle it out next week (25 & 26 March) for a place in the Grand Final of one of Europe’s biggest amateur competitions.

A total of 52 players in 26 teams are still in with a chance of qualifying for the Grand Final of the Matchplay Championship being held at the luxurious five-star Marriott Taba Heights Resort in Egypt.

But first, they must overcome the Regional Finals being held at De Vere Carden Park on 25 March for qualifiers in the North and The Vale on 26 March for golfers in the South.

The Regional Finals will be played over an 18-hole combined Stableford competition with 12 teams – including men’s and mixed pairs - progressing to the Grand Final to join four mixed teams who have already qualified from the North.

A total of 32 golfers will then compete in the Grand Final over 54 holes of Taba Heights’ renowned championship course for the title of Matchplay Champions and Mixed Matchplay Champions from 19-26 April 2008.

The Matchplay Championship, which costs just £20 per person to enter, is one of Europe’s biggest amateur competitions with more than 800 teams from the UK & Ireland competing.

Teams will play a series of local matches before progressing to a Regional Final on one of the UK’s top courses to ultimately win a week-long all expenses paid trip to Egypt for the Grand Final.

The Marriot resort, nestled on the Sinai Peninsula on the Red Sea cost, is famed worldwide for its luxurious surroundings, championship golf course and stunning scenery.

John Woosey, managing director of The Golfer’s Club which promotes the Matchplay Championship, said: “The Matchplay Championship not only offers players a tremendously exciting and competitive tournament of golf but the chance to play in one of the most stunning golfing locations on the planet.

“Anyone who has reached the regional finals has done extremely well to get this far because more than 1600 golfers entered the tournament.

“It is amazing to think that, for just £20, they are getting to play at one of the UK’s most prestigious courses in the regional final and stand a chance of winning a luxury trip to Egypt.

“I wish all the competitors the best of luck and I know that the ones who end up joining us in the beautiful surroundings of Taba Heights in April will enjoy a golfing experience never to be forgotten.”

Four teams have already qualified for the Grand Final from the North region.

They are: Ryan Boal and Catherine Corry from Spa Golf Club in County Down; James and Margaret Hair from Ladybank Golf Club in Fife; Gary Cook and Kelly Morley from The Tytherington Golf Club in Cheshire and Lynda and Barry Golightly from Slaley Hall Golf & Country Club in County Durham.

They will be joined by another four mixed teams from the south and eight men’s teams from the North and South.

The Matchplay Championship is sponsored by American Golf, BUPA Travel Services and The Golfer’s Club.

Golfers are now able to enter next year’s event and details are available on www.matchplaychampionship.co.uk

About the Matchplay Championship:
• All rounds up until the regional finals are knockout stages using a better ball matchplay format at the home team’s course over 18 holes. The winning team qualifies for the next round.
• The regional final is played using a combined Stableford format over 18 holes
• The Grand Final is played over three days using an accumulative Stableford format.
• The first Matchplay Championship took place in 2003 and has grown in popularity ever since. The first four Grand Finals took place in Jamaica and this year is the first time the event has been held in Egypt.

The Secret Golf Society is unveiling its first secret – the world’s first indoor industrial urban golf course at the London Golf Show.

The free-thinking organisation will be constructing a four-hole course within ExCeL London and golfers will have to negotiate some unique hazards.

Forklift trucks, cherry pickers and an HGV trailer will be among the larger obstacles with discarded timber, carpet rolls and pallets among the other items littering the course.

And visitors signing up to join the society at the show will be able to play the course for free.

This will be the first in a series of events during 2008 which includes night golf and beach golf.

The Secret Golf Society is dedicated to playing golf by the rules and in the spirit of the game but “eschews the archaic protocols prevalent in out-dated golf clubs such as demands for long socks or the tucking-in of shirts”.

The course at the London Golf Show marks the society’s official launch following an initial golf day at Stoke Park.

More than 60 new-age golfers turned up to the star-studded event which counted renowned-tailor William Hunt, actor Damian Lewis and ex-footballer Phil Babb among its competitors.

And the golfing celebrities enjoyed themselves so much they are currently battling it out to be one of the lucky two named club president and captain. The society’s committee is currently undergoing an interview process with candidates and will be unveiling the new dignitaries at April’s show.

The organisation is the brainchild of journalist Tom Cox – author of Nice Jumper and Bring Me the Head of Sergio Garcia – he said: “We’re not looking to ruin golf, quite the contrary, we love golf. What we don’t like is all the hoity toity rigmarole that surrounds it.

“Who cares what socks you’re wearing or if you change your shoes in the car park? As long as you’re not changing your shoes where I’m aiming my tee shot it doesn’t matter at all.

“There are masses of people out there who love the game but hate the cliquey elitist nonsense that goes with it and we’re inviting those people to come to the show, see what we’re all about and have some fun playing what is the best game in the whole world.”

The London Golf Show – Europe’s premier public golf show – returns to ExCeL from April 25-27, 2008, bringing with it the iconic floating green; Europe’s biggest golf retail area courtesy of american golf; hundreds of exhibitors showcasing the best in equipment, fashion, golf holidays and much more.

There will be putting greens, interactive competitions and an indoor driving range on which to try out the new equipment before buying in addition to dozens of great prizes up for grabs.

This year there will also be free flights to win in pre-show competitions with the event’s official airline partner Monarch.

Advanced tickets are two for £15 and all visitors get free entry to A Place in the Sun Live, taking place at ExCeL the same weekend. And, what’s more, under-13s go free when with an adult.

Greg Norman’s New course outside of Barcelona hosts
The European Father & Son Golf Championship

Greg Norman has recently completed his newly designed championship golf course outside of Barcelona located in Salou and the course owners PortAventura have just announced that they will be hosting the 2008 European Father & Son Golf Championship.

Norman has created another master piece of course design and is said to be “very happy with the layout”. PortAventura up to now have been one of Europe’s premier Tourist Theme Parks and wanted to build a world class golf resort, hence they commissioned Greg Norman to design their Championship Course. This year their dream has been fulfilled and now boast 45 holes of golf that will compete with the best resorts in Spain. In addition, will be two brand new clubhouses, theme park, four hotels and their stunning beach club overlooking the Med. Portaventura’s golf course director Fabricio Llanza is delighted with the hosting of The European Father & Son Golf Championship and said “We are over the moon to secure such a prestigious event in our first year. It is going to be a fantastic event with Fathers & Sons competing from all over Europe. They are going to have a wonderful time on the Costa Dorada. Salou is a great family destination with plenty of things to do. In addition, with our Theme park and the new Greg Norman course I think it is going to put Costa Dorada on the map as Spain’s new golf destination.”

The event is unique whereby both professionals and amateurs will be able to compete to become the Father & Son champions of Europe! The entry is also open to grandad/grandson, stepfather/stepson, father in law/son in law. Held over 4 rounds of golf, tournament organisers UKSG hope to attract over 100 pairings making it the largest of its kind in Europe! Steve Salmon tournament director says “We are really excited about running this event. We have made a determined effort to make sure this event will be the best of its kind. We have negotiated a fantastic package for our competitors whereby they will get 5 nights in a 4* hotel in Salou including half board, 4 rounds of golf at PortAventura, transfers, welcome drink, gala dinner and prizes all for an amazing £395pp. We think this is incredible value. We purposely choose Half Term holidays so that more families will be able to attend. We carefully choose our venue and we are delighted to confirm PortAventura as the hosts. It is easy to get to from all over Europe, a great ‘Norman’ course, theme park and Salou and Barcelona nearby, all these ingredients make for a ideal golf event. We are actively encouraging the teams to also bring the rest of their family for this excellent week.”

Many a golfer has fallen foul of the testing island green on the eighth hole at The Oxfordshire but competitors in the London Golf Show media day ended up in the drink in an altogether different way.
Ex-footballer Mark Bright, representing BBC London, was lining up a putt at the front of the green when his electric trolley, some 25 yards away careered into the surrounding water.
Bright had left the trolley on a slope at the back of the green and a gust of wind shifted its balance and plunged it into the water. Continue Reading »

(Burhill, Surrey, UK – March 4, 2008) Burhill Golf and Leisure, the leading golf course owner and operator, has named David Cook its General Manager of the Year at a special gala awards event at Birchwood Park Golf Centre, Kent.

Cook, who manages the group’s flagship venue, Burhill Golf Club, Surrey, was praised for increasing sales, profits and membership during 2007, despite enduring one of the wettest summers on record. Continue Reading »

Golf clubs interested in signing up to National County Card have been given an added incentive to join the innovative new concept by being offered a free advertising campaign.

Private member clubs across the United Kingdom who join National County Card will receive their own tailor-made advertising campaign at a nearby driving range with the aim of increasing memberships and visitor levels. Continue Reading »