My Blog

This week has been a special one already. My son’s Tom & Matt accompanied me to spend a day with John Jacobs, a former Ryder Cup player and captain , probably the most respected man in European golf. He was the instigator of the   tour as we know it today, after creating a breakaway section from the  PGA,  for players only. Therefore the birth of The European Tour. Not only that but for 50 years has been the greatest golf coach from these shores, some may say in the world. Butch Harmon says of JJ, that  ‘he single handedly made me the coach I am today’ ! Praise indeed , what a man.

Peter Barber and his son Jack joined us last Monday too, breakfast with John & daughter Jo at their home in the New Forest, then to a nearby range to hit some shots.  Just magic! Peter & I met John 32 years ago when he and Tommy Horton hosted a young playing pros seminar at Meon Valley and have sought advice from the master ever since. He has the gift of making golf coaching so simple and logical, and of putting folk at ease too. Now  aged 85, he still hits the ball ok and plays once a week. He signed a book each for us this week too, ’50 years of golfing wisdom’ written by himself. In the foreward are quotes from Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Jose Maria Olazabal and a few more icons. My favourite though is by Jose. He starts by saying ‘ John is the nicest person I have ever met in 25 years of my golfing life…..and then on to say…simplicity is the word I  would use about his teaching’. What a terrific day and especially to share it with our kids too.

Next we met up with son Ben at Reading Uni, and great to catch up with him too, before heading to Srixon to test drivers and balls! New irons and driver are being built for Tom & I, hopefully in time for us to use in the Sunningdale Foursomes in March when we are partners for the first time.

Meanwhile off to practice what John told me 32 years ago , ‘a tad flatter young man on the backswing’! Not much has changed then, apart from haircolour maybe!

cheers Andrew

This week started with a scheduled trip to the R&A in St Andrew’s for the research lab to check the legality of the grooves in my  irons. The world tours have, in their wisdom changed the rules regarding the width and shape of ‘tour’ players clubs, starting in May this year for us on the Senior tour.  Logistically this will be a nightmare to supply equipment and police it, that said mine are fine apart from my Cleveland  wedges. I am now in possession of legal versions of those now, and the spin rate is very different from the rough..I know the answer, just don’t hit it in the rough!

Anyhow after the check we managed to get a start on the old course, alongside Tom and 2 pals, we played in glorious sunshine and had one of those ‘memorable’ days. Tom played some sparkling golf as he and his partner defeated Paul and I 2&1. There is surely no finer place than the home of golf on such fabulous clear days…perhaps 15 degrees warmer maybe!

Day 2 we played Crail, the 7th oldest course in the world and a real gem, another fab , clear day right alongside the coast. Just fantastic, and Paul & I gained revenge by 3&2. Some great company and solid golf too considering we have been playing so little in Cheshire. Crail is really worth a visit, great hospitality and a marvelous old links.

Another highlight, was to visit The St Andrew’s Golf Club for the first time since becoming a country member, established in 1847. A historians dream in the clubhouse, that is just full of photographs and records of  The Open and how golf began. Young Tom Morris’s  watch is even on show! I have only been a member since Jan 1st,  and even as a Pro can play in the club comps on the various courses in town. A smashing place to chill out too, right opposite the most famous 18th green in the world!

On that note I bid you farewell, with on odd pic of the trip, the guy in orange is my son Tom at Crail, if only dad could get into a position like that at the top!  cheers.

Now that is a pretty good partnership don’t you think?

I have just teamed up with the Lexus brand as part of their golf support from the RRG Group, just a part of this agreement is the loan of a new RX450h, now that is a treat! A little subtle number in bright white it is too.

The other part of this week’s new agreement is a  2010 club contract and short game ambassador role with Cleveland Golf, the leading wedge manufacturer in the world. This is a fabulous feather in ‘our’ cap, to be associated with the brand and have the added advantage of the Cleveland demo wedges for use at our forthcoming ‘short game masterclasses’. A win win all around for our clients.

Spring feels as though it may be just around the corner too, 10 deg today in Cheshire. I can’t wait for some better ground conditions and get stuck into some good coaching and playing days.

I am up to St Andrews this next week with Tom and pals to play a little golf at the ‘home’ of golf. I have just become a country member at St Andrews GC, one of the worlds oldest its clubhouse overlooking the most famous green in world golf! What a treat, if the weather stays calm especially. The main reason for the visit is to check the grooves on both mine and Tom’s irons at the R &A research centre, it will be interesting and informative too.

See the website for info on golf schools , all should be announced by the end of next week,

cheers Andrew