Golf Shot

Golfers can hone their putting skills or nail that swing by heading out to the exclusive hideaway of Four Seasons Fairways Quinta Do Lago this winter. With over twenty courses to be played, all a short drive from private residential club Four Seasons Fairways – there is a course to test any level of ability.

All courses offer a golf academy, putting greens, club houses and driving ranges and are maintained to an immaculately high standard having played host to high profile competitions such as the Portuguese Open. Many of the courses were designed to challenge even seasoned golfers. Set in spectacular locations, meandering through Nature Reserves, lakes and woodlands – the most popular courses of Quinta have earned the area an international reputation as a world class golfing haven.

Winter is the ideal time to visit for golfing enthusiasts with guests at Four Seasons Fairways enjoying reduced green fees along with numerous course discounts including free golf buggy hire, breakfast and 18 holes for the cost of 9.

Four Seasons Fairways also arranges popular golfing competitions each week for guests at one of Quinta’s top courses culminating in a prize draw and three course meal at its popular Flor Da Quinta restaurant.

Located at the heart of Quinta Do Lago, Four Seasons Fairways is a collection of luxury villas and apartments nestled into the lush green manicured gardens. Perfect for lazing in after an exhausting day of golf, each villa and apartment offers a real ‘home from home’ experience.

Welcoming guests of all ages and nationalities, the resort offers a selection of membership options including short term holiday stays for weekends or weeks, club shares and flexi-time shares for those that fall in love with the area.

A spacious two bedroom villa with pool starts from £800 for one week’s stay at Four Seasons Fairways.

For further information on Fairways Four Seasons visit www.fourseasonsfairways.com

A five under par total finish at the LET 2009 Qualifying School at La Manga in December won Hannah Ralph from Sussex, 11th position, top English lady and a Ladies European Tour card for 2010.

Aged 21, Hannah is a niece of Glenn Ralph, the successful Teaching Pro and PGA Senior Tour player.

In a strong field of 118 professional re-qualifiers and amateurs Hannah played three pre-qualifying rounds on the South and North courses over December 15, 16 and 17 at the Spanish club where her +1 combined final score gave her 9th position, comfortably under the +11 cut.

A total of 84 players went on to play in Stage 2 on the South course. After another three rounds Hannah had carded 216, -3 on the scoreboard and 10th position overall. Again well within the cut which was set at +6.

In the final round on 21st December Hannah birdied the 18th to finish two under par 71 and 12th on the day. Scores over the last four rounds are combined to determine final positions and she shot 287 (70 75 71 71) to finish five under par and in 11th place.

A top 30 finish was required to win her a full Ladies European Tour card. Closest UK lady to Hannah was Kym Larratt of Leicestershire who was 25th.

This was Hannah’s second attempt at Q School. At La Manga in January 2009 she failed to qualify for Stage 2. “I learnt so much from the four rounds played and knew what I had to focus on and that with practice I could qualify at the next time of trying,” she said. Over the past year Hannah has worked very hard on her short game and mental approach with Coach Katie Dawkins, the teaching professional at Cowdray Park Golf Club. Hannah’s success this year is a testimony to her efforts. She has won three amateur events, was runner up in the 2009 English Open Mid Amateur and finished in the top five on six occasions.

Conditions at La Manga were interesting to say the least. Players wrestled with strong winds, heavy rain, freezing temperatures and even a sprinkling of snow, interspersed with warm sunshine, clouds and clear blue skies.

Hannah is now looking forward to next year on Tour. The first tournament is in February in New Zealand, closely followed by two events in Australia. Entry to these events largely depends on sponsorship which she is actively seeking at the moment.

Commenting on her momentous year Hannah said: “I have great support from my family, friends, members at Cowdray Park and Katie, without whom I couldn’t have done so well. I am also grateful to my uncle Glenn who taught me for a few years before going on the Seniors Tour. He has helped get me where I am today in my golfing life and is always there for support and advice.”

Just like her uncle, Hannah started playing at Cowdray Park Golf Club when she was eight years old and got her first Handicap in February 1998 aged 10. Her father Graham Ralph has been a member at Cowdray for 35 years.

Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or experienced golfer, the unique Huxley Rotanet makes it quick and easy to practise the sport you love as you get fit for the new season.

With a unique retractable design perfect for indoor or outdoor use, this unobtrusive net can be set up in just two minutes. The main support tube hides an internal recoil spring that allows the net to be opened and retracted easily, making even 10 minutes of practice achievable and really worthwhile.

The main net is constructed from high tensile polypropylene cord, with durable reinforced target netting designed to take the impact of the hardest shots, and the optional indoor/outdoor frame means it can be used on any level surface and easily transported. The compact and lightweight design means that the Huxley Rotanet can be left in place outside after practice, protected by a waterproof cover, or removed for easy storage.

Alison Nicholas, US Womens’ Open Champion and European Team Captain for the 2009 Solheim Cup, says: “I use the Huxley Rotanet for practice at home. It’s quick and simple to set up, takes up very little space, and allows me to practise my shots whenever I want”.

Perfect for the home, office, golf club or teaching academy, the Huxley Golf Rotanet 2 is available from £399 at www.huxleyrotanet.co.uk or you can find out more information by calling (+44) 01962 733222.

Huxley Golf are currently offering a FREE Rotanet Nylon Practice Tee Mat worth £130.00 with every Huxley Rotanet 2 purchased through their online store, which makes indoor practice even more realistic.

With possibly golf’s greatest ever player and the biggest global sports star of his generation out of the game for an ‘indefinite’ period of time there is of course huge interest as to when he will next play competitive golf.

After much interest in when he will return to professional golf, online sports betting company extrabet care taking bets on which Major Tiger Woods will next play.

Current odds for next Major Tournament event in 2010 are:

• US Masters 1/2
• US Open 4/1
• The Open 9/1
• USPGA 16/1
• Not to play a Major in 2010 7/2

The big price move has been that Tiger Woods will not to play a Major in 2010 which has gone from 5/1 to 7/2 in 1 week. Elsewhere he was 5/6 to play in the 2010 Masters and is now 1/2.

extrabet’s Chris Shillington explains further. “For what we would deem a ‘fun’ bet there has been huge interest in this market. It just reconfirms Tiger Woods as the biggest star in world sport’

Tiger Woods has been a real golf legend over recent years, set to be the greatest golfer ever.

• He has won 14 Majors. Jack Nicklaus has won the most golf Majors ever with 18
• Tiger Woods has won 97 professional tournaments worldwide
• Tiger Woods held all 4 Majors after winning the Open Championship in 2000
• He first swung a golf club aged 11 months

European Golf Design has made a commitment to involve the Golf Environment Organisation in all forthcoming projects. The decision has been made following the recent establishment of GEO’s technical services arm.

The international non-profit body, which has driven a sustainability movement in golf since 2005, has set up a wholly owned subsidiary company known as GEO Development.

Jonathan Smith, CEO of GEO explains the rationale: “GEO is, and always will be, a non profit ‘developmental’ organization – undertaking non commercial action that improves golf’s social and environmental performance. This is demonstrated by our focus on developing GEO Certification, non-proprietary guidance for management, development and events, sharing knowledge, formulating campaigns and other wide-ranging advocacy and communications. However, we don’t just want to produce guidance. We want to work with projects to showcase sustainability in action. In particular we want to get involved in those golf developments that have the potential, and willingness, to deliver meaningful benefits to people and the planet.”

Jeremy Slessor, Managing Director of European Golf Design explained the importance of the decision to the practice: “We were delighted when GEO decided to become active in the field – in recognition that what we need to see, perhaps more than anything else, are real world exemplars of sustainable golf facility development. “We like the responsible and logical approach they have established – of initially vetting projects, of scoping the sustainability potential, helping to ‘capture the concept’ and of marking out the path to fully integrated solutions. It works for us as a creative and open minded design practice, and we believe their insight will be very constructive during master-planning and down into detailed design.”

The two organisations have already cut their teeth on a project in the Cape Verde Isles. An investor has plans to extend an existing tourist resort into a larger golf, property and leisure complex. GEO have carried out the initial Scoping Report for the scheme, and produced a Sustainability Action Plan for the master-planning and design phases. GEO’s interest in the project lies in the potential it has to regenerate the social and physical landscape of an impoverished and environmentally degraded region. Combining the delivery of a high quality development which also fulfills the targets of national government and international agencies by stimulating a positive multiplier from much needed inward investment.

Jonathan Smith added: “We have not set this mechanism up for commercial reasons. At present the examples of golf developments that have done everything they can do for people and the planet are few and far between. We want to change that, starting now. No kite marks, no smoke and mirrors, no pretence. Just golf developments of the right type in the right place, doing the right thing. EGD share that vision and recognize that this is as much about growing the game and finding the strongest business model for every development, as it is for protecting and enhancing ecosystems.”

Unrivalled Christmas marketing extravaganza is set to further expand the reach of Imagine Golf Club – the first online golf community that unites people and places.

Social Networking has been the most successful Internet phenomenon of the decade. Finally Driving Ranges can benefit from this new marketing platform courtesy of Imagine Sports’ golf social networking website. Already proclaimed as a “breath of fresh air” by industry leaders, ImagineGolfClub.com is leading the way with its innovative marketing opportunities that are designed to grow the golf industry.

As the name suggests, ImagineGolfClub.com, is an online golf club that offers golfers all the information and news that they need in one location. Members can create their own profile, communicate simply and effectively with all of their golfing friends, as well as getting all the latest golf news, views, advice, tips and drills – ALL FOR FREE.

The great news for Driving Ranges is that ImagineGolfClub.com is not just a great place for golfers to keep up to date with friends. It also offers search functions that allow members to locate thousands of driving ranges, Professionals, clubs and other golfing destinations all around the world.

Imagine Golf Club offers Driving Ranges their own free micro-sites to promote their services to a worldwide golf community. As well as having this online profile, they can send automated newsletters and earn additional income from online advertising shown on their pages. 3,000 Driving Ranges have already signed up to this service and it is increasing their business because the number of golfers subscribed to the site is very impressive.

Thanks to its social and business networking capability the Imagine Golf Club community already unites over 128,000 golf people and places across the world:

• 90,000 Imagine Golf Club Members
• 3,000 Driving Ranges
• 15,000 Golf Professionals
• 18,000 Golf Clubs
• 1,200 Golf Resorts
• 1,000 Golf Societies

The company’s seasonal marketing campaign includes a competition extravaganza, with prizes worth in excess of £400,000. Visit www.imaginegolfclub.com/competition/xmas.htm to enter. Its Three Wise Men Bearing (Golf) Gifts email promotion also offers members some exclusive prizes and promotions from a range of leading brands including Direct Golf UK, Nike, TrendyGolf.com, Spherical Blade, Asbri Golf and Kevin Murray Golf Photography.

Imagine Golf Club (www.imaginegolfclub.com), the world’s biggest golf club, together with Port Royal Golf Course in Bermuda have launched a new online golf game SLAM-DUNK whereby players get to compete against the four major golf tournament winners of 2009 in a nearest-to-the-pin challenge to coincide with the PGA Grand Slam of Golf at the Port Royal Golf Course in Bermuda, on October 20 and 21.

Participation is free to all golf fans and prizes include golf holidays to Bermuda, loads of golf equipment and a random prize draw, so everyone entering has an equal chance of being a winner. All you have to do is make sure you slam it on the green, not dunk it in the water.? The game is played on one of the toughest holes in golf. The 16th at Port Royal, is a 235-yard battle of nerves over the Atlantic ocean. As you stand on the tee box, there’s a fair chance that if the gusting coastal wind doesn’t get you, the waves crashing onto the pink Bermudan shore below will.

This hole will be one of the highlights of the forthcoming tournament – acknowledged as the most difficult competition to qualify for in world golf. The Grand Slam features a four- man shootout between the winners of the major golf tournaments in 2009.

Slam-Dunk will provide the first opportunity for millions of golf fans following the Grand Slam of Golf to pit their wits against the four majors winners – Angel Cabrera, Lucas Glover, Stewart Cink and YE Yang – in a real-time shootout at the 16th.? ?Here’s how…? ?Gamers will be able to play the Slam-Dunk game throughout October. There will be a host of prizes up for grabs during this pre-tournament warm-up, including a holiday in Bermuda for two people.? ?During the PGA Grand Slam of Golf tournament itself, however, players will get the chance to play the hole twice, head-to-head with the majors winners, in a nerve-jangling nearest-to-the-pin shootout.

Slam-Dunk players who beat the pros will receive a signed certificate from Port Royal Golf Course to commemorate their achievement, while the outright winner of this shootout against the stars will receive a holiday for two people to Bermuda. There will also be a host of top prizes available for the runners-up, as well as a number of special prize draws throughout the month of practice and during tournament time, which means everyone who enters gets has a chance to win.? ?All you have to do to play Slam-Dunk at ImagineGolfClub.com is register your details and play the game at www.imaginegolfclub.com/slam-dunk.htm

To say that golf is a popular sport is an understatement, with golf fans from all over the world obsessively following it and admiring its players, and it is easy to see why. It is a game that produces some incredible athletes and some true champions.

Of course there is Tiger Woods, who has been dubbed one of the greatest golfers in history by more than one golfing commentator and official ranking. Though his form has not been the greatest in 2009, having lost every major tournament. Hot at the moment is South Korea’s YE Yang, who became the first Asian winner of a major when he beat Tiger Woods to take the USPGA this year.

Henrik Stenson

But perhaps one of the most talked about players in golf at the moment is Henrik Stenson, Sweden’s best golfer, who has spent a considerable amount of time in the World Top Ten. Having been introduced to the sport of golf as a teenager by a friend of the family, he was already a scratch handicap at 18 years of age and was representing Sweden as an amateur. Henrik Stenson then turned professional in 1998 and, after a quiet couple of years, managed to finish top of the Challenge Tour rankings in 2000. He then went on to win the Benson and hedges International Open in the following year, and has been selected for the last two Ryder Cup sides.

The Ryder Cup is a golfing meet in which teams of twelve from Europe and the US compete. Some matches in the Ryder Cup consist of players from the same team taking alternate shots throughout the match at the same ball and each hole is won by the team that gets it in with the least amount of shots. Others consist of smaller teams where each player plays their own ball throughout, the winning team being the one with the golfer that has the lowest score. Henrik Stenson made a confident Ryder Cup debut in 2006 where he potted the winning put as he beat Vaughan Taylor in the singles and put forth an impressive performance in the foursomes, ensuring a European victory. From this time he has gone from strength to strength and is considered one of the most consistent performers not only in European, but world golf in recent seasons.

Though Henrik Stenson has not won a US Open, many believe that he has the potential to do so in the future, though he plays golf in the US decidedly less than many of his European counterparts. Traditionally, it has been near impossible for a non-American to win the US Open for various reasons. Though this seems to have changed with the turn of the century, meaning that Henrik Stenson may just have a chance if he continues with his top form. The US Open is the second of the year’s four majors, having just been played in June of this year.

Henrik Stenson made golf history in 2009 when he stripped to his boxer shorts to play a shot out of a muddy bog during the first round of the WGC-CA Championships, proving that he has the personality to make him a truly loveable golf champion.

He is ranked fourth in the world, and it is unsurprising as to why as Henrik Stenson continues to impress with consistently unfaltering form.

The latest Classic Sports Series title, Ian Woosnam’s Guide to The Open 2009, is out now, launched by sports and travel publisher, Absolute Publishing Ltd (APL).

Ian Woosnam's Guide to the Open 2009

This essential annual guide to the 138th Open Championship at Turnberry packed full of everything you need to know about enjoying golf’s most famous event, according to the publishers.

What would Tiger Woods be doing if he wasn’t playing golf? How is Padraig Harrington shaping up to be the first player since Peter Thomson in 1956 to win three successive Opens? And how is Rory McIIroy dealing with the pressure of being the young newcomer?
Find out the answers by reading interviews from key contender Tiger Woods, last year’s winner, Padraig Harrington and other major challengers, including Greg Norman; Paul Casey and golf’s rising star, Rory McIlroy.

Ian Woosnam states in his forward: “There has never been a clear winner at Turnberry and with Tiger back in the hunt there will be no easy path to the Claret Jug. Padraig Harrington is out to make history while Paul Casey is playing superb golf.”

Ian Woosnam’s Guide to the Open 2009 features a hole-by-hole course guide and Angus Loughran’s exclusive betting tips. In addition, a lifestyle section features the latest golf fashion and equipment, while there are guides to the best places abroad to look for golf property and to visit for a golf holiday.

Ian Woosnam’s Guide to the Open 2009 is available to buy for £3.75 from high street retailers or view the FREE digital edition of the magazine and sign up to receive more FREE sports editions too.

Visit:www.absolutepublishing.com/open09

Construction has begun on European Golf Design’s first course in Russia. Appointed by OPIN, the Russian real estate investment and development group, The “PGA National Russia” course at Zavidovo Lake Resort will form part of the new exclusive Zavidovo Resort community. Located 130 km north west of Moscow, Zavidovo is a well known resort location among Russians and especially Muscovites.

There will be an 18 hole 7,400 yard golf course, together with a further 9 hole course to be built alongside a PGA National Golf Academy which will include an integrated short game range, practice bays, numerous practice greens, swing studios and teaching facility.

Constantin Zabrodin, CEO of Zavidovo Lake Resort Development, says: “The expectations and ambition for this project are high. Zavidovo Lake Resort golf course is going to become one of Russia’s top courses of an extremely high standard, built with the purpose of hosting major golf tournament events and further promoting the game in this country with the emphasis to juniors, elite amateurs and future professionals. Branded as PGA National, Russia, it is going to become not just an advanced training centre, but a head-quarters of Russian professional golf”.

As well as golf, 5000 residential dwellings, 2 Marinas and a vibrant town centre will also form part of Zavidovo Lake Resort.

Local company, Geokam, will be building the course under the construction management of UK company Braemar Golf. The first 18 holes are due to open in July 2011.

Zavidovo Lake Resort is the first European Golf Design project in Russia to reach the construction stage, two other projects are currently in detailed design.

European Golf Design is the joint venture design company of the European Tour and IMG . Established in 1992, European Golf Design has won design commissions throughout Europe and beyond to Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean and Asia. Projects currently under design and construction include those in Croatia, The Caribbean, Denmark, Egypt, Holland, Greece, Spain and South Africa.

Three of our courses have received the honour of being named ‘Best New Course in Europe’ by Golf World magazine. The Twenty Ten Ryder Cup Course at Celtic Manor is also a European Golf Design course.