Golf Shot

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.