golfweloveit

I really enjoyed watching the LGU Home Internationals at Royal Wimbledon Golf Club this month played in a great spirit with England retaining their title. The matches were supported by an enthusiastic gallery.

Good to see “spectators welcome”. There is a demand to watch golf events, particularly as there are not the professional tournaments there were in the UK. If it was made more widely known that amateur events can be supported it would help the top players gain experience playing with a gallery and with a good atmosphere. It would also satisfy a demand to watch live golf, free of charge.

It’s great to see the British Masters back at Woburn GC October 8-11 after an absence of seven years. Supported by Sky Sports and now sponsored by Zurich Insurance, the event will be hosted by Ian Poulter, Justin Rose, Lee Westwood and Luke Donald, in the way Rory McIlroy did at the Irish Open. The European Tour’s Volunteer Team, of which I am one, will also be helping at the event. Some of the volunteer team are pictured at the BMW PGA Championship this year with winner Ben An. Like the two random women photobombing behind them.

Tickets on europeantourtickets.com.

The British Battle Back team of wounded warrior golfers have arrived in Florida for their match vs the USA to be played at TPC Sawgrass this week, bouyed by a message of support from European Ryder Cup Captain Darren Clarke.

It was a highlight of last year to be at Walton Heath to see their magnificent skills and to see a home win as shown in the Golfing World film above. C’mon the lads, bring the trophy home!

Tickets for the golf events at the Rio Olympic Games 2016 will go on sale on rio2016.com next month. The course at Reserva de Marapendi, designed by Gil Hanse and Amy Allcott is completed but the course is still maturing.  A one day test event will be played in March with four leading male and female players. The men’s event will take place 11-14 August 2016 and the womens event 17-20 August.

Qualification for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro will be based on the Official World Golf Ranking of 11 July 2016, making up a field of 60 players in each of the men’s and women’s events.

The top 15 men and women will automatically qualify, provided there are not more than four golfers per country. The remaining 45 places will go the highest-ranked players from countries that do not already have two golfers qualified, with at least one golfer from the host nation Brazil and one from each geographical Olympic region (Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania) guaranteed a place.

Players currently qualified at September 2015 are:

Men’s event

Rory McIlroy Ire, Jordan Spieth USA, Jason Day Aus, Bubba Watson USA, Justin Rose GBR, Jim Furyk USA, Dustin Johnson USA, Henrik Stenson Swe, Sergio Garcia ESP, Louis Oosthuizen RSA, Adam Scott AUS, Hideki Matsuyama Jap, Branden Grace RSA, Martin Kaymer GER, Shane Lowry Ire, Danny Willett GBR, Bernd Wiesberger Aut, Anriban Lahiri Ind, David Lingmerth Swe, Tongchai Jaidee Thai, Francesco Molinari Italy, Victor Dubisson Fra, Danny Lee NZL, Byeong-Hun An Kor, Miguel Angel Jiminez Esp, Joost Luiten Ned, Soren Kjeldsen Den, Kiradec Aphibarnrat Thai, Alexander Levy Fra, Hiroshi Iwara Jap, Sang Moon Bae Kor, Graham DeLaet Can, Marcel Siem, Ger, Emiliano Grillo Arg, David Hearn Can, Miko Illonen Fin, Thomas Bjorn Den, Ricardo Colveia Por, Ryan Fox Nzl, Brendon de Jonge Zim, Thomas Pieters Bel, Angel Cabrera Arg, Camilo Villegas Col, Fabrizio Zanotti Par, Wu Ashun China, Carlos Ortiz Mex, Hai Tong Li China, S S O Chawrassia Ind, Nicolas Colsaerts Bel, Vijay Singh Fiji, Roope Kakko Fin, Angeli Que Phi, Edoardo Molinari Italy, Felipe Aguila Chile, Mardan Marmat Singapore, Lucas Lee Brazil, Antonio Lascuna Phi, Chan Shi-Chana Tpe, Adilson da Silva Bra, Mark Tullo Chile.

Women’s Event

Inbee Park Kor, Lydia Ko NZ, Stacy Lewis USA, So Yeon Ryu Kor, Hyi-Joi Kim Kor, Suzann Petterson Nor, Lexi Thompson USA, Shanshan Feng China, In Gee Chun Kor, Anna Nordqvist Swe, Britany Lincicombe USA, Cristie Kerr USA, Minjee Lee Aus, Brooke Henderson Can, Karrie Webb Aus, Azahara Munoz Esp, Teresa Lu TPE, Pornanong Phatlum Tpe, Julieta Granada Par, Sandra Gal Ger, Mika Miyazoto Jap, Shiko Oyama Jap, Charley Hull GBR, Carlotta Ciganda Esp, Cariona Matthew GBR, Lee-Anne Pace RSA, Anya Jutanugam Thai, Karine Icher Fra, Mariajo Uribe Col, Caroline Maddon Ger, Christek Beljon Ned, Pernilla Lindberg Swe, Xiyu Lin China, Nicole Larsen Den, Line Vedel Hansen Den, Marianne Skarpnord Nor, Alena Sharp Can, Stephanie Meadow Ire, Paula Kelo RSA, Dewi Claire Shreefel Ned, Ursula Nikstrom Fin, Klara Spilkova Cze, Maria Balikoeva Rus, Noor TMmen Fin, Guilia Sergas Italy, Fabienne In-Albon Swiz, Christine Wolf Aut, Alejandr Llaneza Mex, Diana Luna Italy, Michelle Koh Mas, Leona Maguire Ire, PAZ echevmia Chile, Laetitia Beck Israel, Jennifer Rosales Phi, Lisa McCloskey Col, Chloe Leurquin Bel, Miriam Nagl Brazil.

As we know, an American Ryder Cup win has been a rare thing, and this is about one from last century!

I found this fascinating film of a (all male) dinner held at the San Antonio Country Club after the Brookline Ryder Cup. Interesting insights into what went on backstage.

The English programme to find more beginner golfers – get into golf – has had mixed success. Other initiatives such as the National Golf Month have fallen shy of their targets. Last year only 30,000 people tried out golf during the campaign, well short of the 100,000 that was aimed for.

The gold standard for drawing more participants into golf has been set independently by World of Golf whose three centres in England run the biggest learn to play programme worldwide, teaching 8,000 new golfers in the past 12 months. Their adult programme, which offers six completely free lessons, remains a blueprint for others to follow.

Jon Woodroffe, Group Golf Development Manager for World of Golf and current PGA Coach of the Year, is well aware that newcomers to golf can be easily deterred.

“As a PGA professional for 30 years, I have seen many beginners lose confidence and patience on the driving range or golf course, which leads to them giving up the game early in their golfing career,” he said. Jon sums up the success of this scheme: “What we have done is given beginners six free golf lessons in order to give them the basic skills, so they can enjoy the game of golf and get the ball going straight. The group lessons also allow beginners to play with other beginners and so they tend not to be embarrassed if they hit a wayward shot. Ultimately, this leads to World of Golf retaining them as customers and keeping them as golfers for a longer period of time.”

But following on from this they have developed something fantastic to ease the beginner’s transition from novice player through to fully fledged players. It’s called Fairways Club and offers a model that should be rolled out nationally to ease the beginner’s path into golf.

“Fairways is a club” explains Jon. “Its aim is to advise and guide on development after completing the beginner scheme. It’s £20 to join with benefits of over £150. These include 50% off range costs, four free one hour coaching clinics, a 7iron to practice with, half price green fee vouchers and importantly opportunities to play out on the golf course to introduce the beginner with players of the same standard guided by coaches and volunteers”.

These Fairways golf days have been held in welcoming clubs around Surrey and South London in the late weekend afternoons when the courses are quiet and fewer club members are around to intimidate the beginners. It provides a link between the first lessons and being golfers ready to play on the course and become club members. During the golf days volunteers help advise on shotmaking, club selection and course management. The fun, friendly environment encourages beginners to establish a network of people to play golf with in the future. Players are encouraged to join an golf club Academy with a view to becoming members and introductions can be made. Fairways golf holidays have also been arranged in Portugal and Spain.

Fairways joins together people who are just starting out in golf and supports them into the golf club environment. It’s been very successful in retaining beginners and turning them into golfers. It’s an idea whose time has come.

The last time I crossed paths with them I was given a conspiratorial wink by Jackie and then Peter Alliss. It felt like being blessed by the Pope and given a word by The Queen.

For those who haven’t seen this you are in for a treat, Peter’s speech on his induction into the World Golf Hall Of Fame.

Every golfer needs a lucky break and this week Rory McIlroy had two, but he was refreshingly honest about it.

He aims to retain the European Tour’s Race To Dubai but will only tee up in three of the four tournaments comprising the Final Series. In doing so he will not fulfil the minimum of 13 events to remain eligible for the Order of Merit.

New Chief Executive of the European Tour Keith Pelley demonstrated his pledge to “put players first” by allowing McIlroy to remain eligible for the Order of Merit on the grounds that committing to further tournament play would risk further and persistent injury to the ankle’.

McIlroy admitted that committing to more than two events in a row had less to do with the injury “obviously there’s a physical element to it but previously, and moving forward, its more mental”.

McIlroy had lost the World No 1 spot to Jordan Spieth at the PGA Championship but regained it the following week – without even playing. The complicated permutations of the World Golf Rankings meant he regained No1 when Jordan Spieth missed the cut at The Barclays. Rory admitted that he was “only holding his ranking on how I played last year. You’ve got to say that Jordan is World No1, then Jason Day”.

But with Jordan Spieth missing his second consecutive cut at the Deutsche Bank and McIlroy currently lying 59th and Jason Day 10th, if Jason wins today then there will be the strange scenario of three different men being World No1 in as many weeks. But if Day doesn’t win then Jordan should regain No1 if my calculations are correct.

How complicated are these scenarios? The World Golf Rankings are showing to be inherently flawed in their set up. The rolling two year cumulation of form isn’t accurately reflecting who is the best, which should be their purpose. But how can it be unravelled when so much depends on them.

The system needs changing and simplifying to a one year, accurate list where everyone knows what’s what. But It’s a case of Stop The World Rankings, I Need To Get Off. We need a hiatus to put a better system in place.

She is one of our own. So Golf.We Love It will be watching golf presenter Kirsty Gallacher on Strictly. Her progress will no doubt be great partnered with the dazzling Brendan Cole.

Her tabloid hype began with a promise to “flash the flesh” though hopefully not as much as she did in “Women’s Health”. This has worked already as in an online newspaper poll she is second only to Peter Andre to win the glitter ball.

The 10 things you didn’t know about Kirsty video informed the public that she’s the daughter of Ryder Cup Captain Bernard, she grew up at Wentworth and she knows Bruce Forsyth. All good plugs for golf. She continued “It’s lovely being single because you don’t have to do all that Can I do Strictly please because I really want to do it” What, no Martin Kaymer?

On TV Kirsty looked genuinely happy and “promised to cringe”. She’s probably done that already at the Daily Star who made up some titivation saying she is terrified her boobs will fall out on live telly.

More Kirsty Watch on September 25th.

A mystery is solved. Why can men be sexist about sport and golf in particular? It was  something I had wondered about for years. Was it a reflection of the public schools that had educated so many stalwarts of golf in this country? Segregated from the opposite sex at boarding school perhaps they sought to recreate this female free haven at their clubs?

But there is more to it than this. When I rediscovered an old book ‘Men are from Mars Women are from Venus’ I finally understood why it is that men rule planet golf.

The thought of this book is that men and women don’t understand each other because they come from different planets speaking different languages. Their values, motivations and ways of communicating are so different. See how this explains why golf is like it is.

MEN (MARTIANS) VALUE EFFICIENCY, PROBLEM SOLVING AND ACHIEVEMENT

Golf is therefore the ultimate Martian game. Get from point A to point B in the least number of strokes solving problems along the way and achieving a score 18 times in a row. What a satisfying way for a Martian to spend his time.

WOMEN (VENUSIANS) VALUE TALKING, BEAUTY AND BONDING WITH OTHERS

How do women bond? By talking to each other. This is dangerous to the game. Too much talking leads to slow play, the curse of golf. While men like to focus on the job in hand, women expand their experience. They take in the pretty scenery, walk slower to look at it and hold up those agitated Martians on the tee behind. They are noisy. The girly shrieks as the putt drops breaks the silence of the man’s ‘cave’.

Many Venusians find golf boring. Part of the Martian code of efficiency says if something works, repeat it. Thus the monotony of stadium golf courses and golf pros who wear a uniform of grey. Venusians are drawn to beautiful golf courses – TV ratings go up for Pebble Beach and Augusta because more women are finding the golf appealing to watch. As for clubhouses that great pile of granite at St Andrews is inherently Martian. No wonder women were kept from entering its portals for so long.

MARTIANS GAIN POWER BY SHOWING VENUSIANS HOW STRONG THEY ARE

This is probably why men value the power of the long drive above being able to chip and putt well. Why practice these things, it’s the big drive that enhances masculinity. While it’s fine for a woman to accompany a man to the driving range to admire how strong he is, the golf course is different. It is scary. Part of the Martian Code says “Dont let a woman see your weaknesses”, a good reason to discourage women from sticking around. Golf can humiliate in a way no other sport can. Does a man want a woman to see him top or slice a ball? No way. It’s too much of a risk having women around.

MARTIANS TEND TO CONTROL THEIR EMOTIONS

Women pro golfers sometimes cry at injustices, but men pros tend to mask their feelings, even if their guts have just been ripped out on the course. When Sam Torrance said to a TV camera “I’ve been crying since I came off the last tee and I really don’t give a shit” this was not an abberation. He was just about to hole the putt which won the Ryder Cup for Europe for the first time in 27 years and many European Martians cried with him. Jason Day’s tears at winning the PGA Championship last month didn’t break the Martian code. Such tears in victory are acceptable, though embarassing and Jason did apologise for them.

VENUSIANS – DON’T TELL A MAN WHAT TO DO

If a woman tries to help a man, she weakens him. Hence the power struggles that undermine Mixed Foursomes. The worst possible thing a woman can do on a golf course is to tell a man how to play a recovery shot. If she does, he will sulk. There’s only one way. The woman plays her shot (and then says nothing when he complains where she’s put him). He solves the problem. The golden rule is – say nothing.

WHEN A MAN IS STRESSED OUT HE GOES TO HIS ‘CAVE‘.

This is a big reason why women are unpopular in golf. The golf club is the perfect ‘cave’ for a man to escape from the pressures of the real world. This is why many clubs are private – they’re an alternative reality that can be controlled by rules of admission. They are an escape hatch from real life where a man can re-group before going back into the fray, A man’s ‘cave’ is also a mental act of withdrawal. When a man has a problem or suffers a defeat he will withdraw until he has come to terms with it or found a solution to it. This is why some professional golfers find marriage hard. They will withdraw from their wives following a defeat. This isn’t a rejection of the Venusian, she just doesn’t come into the problem solving equation.

ON MARS THE BATTLE IS IMPORTANT

Golf is a battle, against one’s self, the mind, the rules and others. Women, not being warriors by nature are often seconded to secondary duties at the golf club. After a top Amateur championship a parade of women lined up behind the prize giving ceremony. “What are all these women doing here?” asked one male spectator to another. “Well” came the reply “Somebody’s got to make the tea when it’s all over”.

MARTIANS VALUE RULES AND ORDER

This means committees. Golf clubs thrive on them. But even more than this Martians love rules, infringements, penalties, relief, provisionals, moveable, immovable, lift, clean, place and drop. Rules and committees intimidate and conduse the average Venusians because they don’t value such things so highly.

VENUSIANS WORRY – MARTIANS SOLVE PROBLEMS

The challenge of golf is that it’s a series of problems to be solved and a Martian likes nothing better. Venusians on the other hand worry “Oh no. How will I ever reach that par five? My score is getting bigger and bigger. If I drop another shot my handicap will go up. Why am I so useless at this stupid game? Mr Fix-It’s attitude is – why get upset about something that may not happen? If it does happen, let’s solve it.

ON MARS SEX IS EVERYTHING

Therefore how can Martians concentrate on golf when there are women around to distract them? The only answer is to make life in golf so uncomfortable for them that they give up and go away.

So where does this leave the women who love golf? There must be more than aiming to be the one who dashes out onto the 18th green with a wink and a smile squealing “Two eagles, great job!” To stand on tippy toes and kiss the great golfing god every time he holes a big putt is not most Venusians idea of a filfilling existence.

When I play golf it’s just me and the ball. I lose consciousness and I’m only reminded that I’m female if my appendages get in the way of my downswing. So to deal with this opposition, in my case since the age of seven, is a real pain for us women.

There is always the Oxford and Cambridge Golf Society’s solution. The first time a woman, Fiona Macdonald, became eligible to play in the President’s Putter they awarded her the status of ‘honorary man’. If women play like Martians on the golf course why should they be discriminated against? It’s not our fault that we were born on the wrong planet for golf.

My article was first published in Golf International magazine.