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Sep 24th, 2016
GolfPunk Sunday Supplement
All the best stuff from the past week
Words: GolfPunk
It's the GolfPunk Supplement, a round up of the best read and watched articles and videos from the week. Plus some extra stuff like golf cartoons and most wanted items...
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News/Equipment/Travel/Instruction/Fun
Instagram/Cartoon/Fashion/Most Wanted
News
Lee Westwood cuts ties with school as law suits fly.
According to reports in The Times, Lee Westwood has severed all ties to the Lee Westwood Golf School due to legal action from former parents. It all sounds a right mess.
Westwood had his name used in a licensing agreement, but after recent problems came to light, Westwood decided “to investigate and secure satisfactory assurances from the school as to the quality of the business being run under Lee’s name”.
“After spending a considerable amount of time and effort seeking to secure these assurances, Lee served notice to terminate the license agreement.”
The problems stem from legal proceedings instigated by The Lee Westwood Golf School against parents of former students who withdrew their children before the end of their two year Btec National Extended Diploma in Sport. Fees for the school are £10,000 per year, plus £5,000 a year for accommodation.
In a counter claim the families have alleged breach of contract, including the following claims.
– Deteriorating coaching standards after experienced coaches abruptly left.
– The Btec course was sub contracted to a sate-funded academy.
– Students were left unsupervised in the evenings, which they spent at hotels in the area.
– The school broke data protection laws, sharing student information without the parents permission.
– The aggressive legal stance taken when families wanted to withdraw their children.
ISM said that Westwood’s name was using in a licensing agreement, and was not involved with how the school was run. The Website claims it works in “close collaboration” with Lee Westwood “to deliver a highly robust educational programme set within a golfing environment.”
We personally know someone who has come through the academy and has gone on to become a PGA Professional. It’s a shame to see the Lee Westwood School caught up in this trouble now when we know they have helped people improve in the past.
Equipment
6 Of The Best Drivers for 2017
We don't know about you, but we want to hit the ball further. From watching Jason, Dustin and Rory rip it off the tee, to seeing Lucas Dornan drive it 380 yards on the regular, distance matters. So here's a round up of next year's best drivers.
Now we're not saying that you will hit these new drivers further than current models, at least not on your very best shots. Drivers are only allowed a COR of .830, which means the ball can only fly off the face so fast.
But the latest drivers are designed to hit the ball consistently further, so even your miss hits will be much closer to your well struck drives. All these drivers will be used on tour, just make sure you get custom fit like this chap who gained 42 yards, and get the right one for your game.
Titleist 917 D2 and D3
RRP TBC
Titleist don’t release a driver every year, so when they do it’s an event. And the 917 drivers are an event worth waiting for. Titleist have again released a D2 and a D3 model. The D2 is 460CC and designed for forgiveness, while the D3 is 440CC and features a deep pear faced design for lower launch and spin. SureFit CG is the big change, an adjustable weight that allows you to move the centre of gravity to help encourage and enhance the fade and draw bias of the head as well as lower and raise spin rates as needed. A redesigned Radial Speed Face insert and Active Recoil Channel make this consistent on ball speeds across the face, so bad drives should travel almost as far as good ones.
For more on the Titleist 917 drivers click here...
Check out Beef's Review on the 917 here...
Callaway Big Bertha Fusion
£369
Callaway have designed the Big Bertha Fusion to be their most forgiving and straightest driver ever. Two things make this driver more forgiving. The EXO-Cage, and Triaxial Carbon. The titanium Exo-Cage makes the head extremely strong, but saves a lot of weight that can be be put elsewhere in the driver. Triaxial Carbon is 65% lighter than Titanium, and 34% thinner than the forged composite material Callaway previously used. It’s saved 35.4 grams that can be moved around the head to provide that extreme forgiveness, resulting in a 17% increase in MOI which is huge. It’s also available with a 44.5 inch shaft that makes this driver far easier to control.
For more info on the Callaway Big Bertha Fusion driver click here...
Srixon Z565
RRP TBC
The Z765 features a 445CC head that is more workable and offers a penetrating ball flight. The Z565 is a 460CC head, and is more forgiving. The two drivers are powered by what Srixon call “The Ripple Effect.” The Power Wave sole is designed to absorb more stress at impact, to maximise energy transfer. A thinner crown saves weight to be used elsewhere. And a Stretch Cup Face has been extended to create a ten percent larger sweet spot.
For more on the Srixon Z 65 Drivers click here...
PXG 0811
POA- dependent on shaft fitted
Arguably the most adjustable driver on the market, the PXG 0811 features 16 movable weights that allow a club fitter to fine tune the head for improved launch angles, spin rates, and directional bias. Produced out of Ti 8-1-1, it uses an expensive high strength titanium that can be used to make the face very thin. Other manufacturers don’t use it because it’s too pricey. The adjustable hosel allows for 1.5 degrees of loft change in either direction. Every PXG driver is custom fit so it will come with the best shaft for your game, unlike buying other drivers off the rack.
For more on the PXG 0811 driver click here...
Ping G
£349
The follow up to the G30, the G (no number anymore) is the fastest, most forgiving driver Ping have ever produced. The Turbulators, or the ridges on the front of the crown, make the driver fly through the air faster. The unusual Dragonfly crown design saves weight which can be redistributed elsewhere for forgiveness. Also available in a low spin LS TEC version, and a draw biased SF Tec model, as well as a pink and black version inspired by Bubba Watson.
Click here for more on the Ping G drivers...
TaylorMade M2
£329
The TaylorMade M2 driver features a carbon crown to save weight. It saves five grams which, although that doesn’t sound a lot to me or you, in a driver head is a massive amount. This time the saved weight has been put where it’s needed for you to be able to hit your drives longer and straighter. TaylorMade have redesigned the Speed Pocket, the recess behind the face, allowing it to flex more at impact. This helps you hit the ball further on miss hits, and really helps keep the ball speed on drives hit lower down on the club face.
For more on the TaylorMade M2 click here...
Travel
Costa Dorada – Paradise Found
There’s a new golf region that is on the up and up, and if you’re looking for an alternative to the Algarve and the Costa del Sol, we suggest you try the Costa Dorada.
So where exactly is the Costa Dorada? Well, this beautiful stretch of coastline can be found just south of Barcelona, which is the gateway to the region.
And if you’ve never been to Barcelona, this could be a great way of combining some sight–seeing and amazing food with golf.
The Costa Dorada effectively sits between the Costa Brava and the Costa Blanca, and is just a one-hour drive from Barcelona’s rather unfortunately named ‘El Prat’ international airport.
Miles of sandy beaches await
There are seven courses to choose from on the Costa Dorada, which are supported by a wide range of quality accommodation, great weather and some very competitive prices.
The best known course has to be Lumine, which offers a 170–hectare feast of golf, with three courses in total, two club–houses, and 45 of the newest holes in Spain.
The Greg Norman designed Lakes course is routed around the Sequia wetlands, and there is plenty of water to keep you on your toes. Seven holes on the front nine, and six on the back nine have water features.
Spectacular views abound
You can then have a crack at the 18-hole Hills course, where you play in pine groves, with views of the sea and several holes set against the backdrop of old quarries.
Once you have these two courses under your belt, it is time to take on the nine holes of the Ruins Course, which as the name suggests is set amongst ancient Roman archaeological ruins.
The courses have all won the Audubon International Gold Signature Sanctuary Certificate, which recognises environmentally sustainability and responsible management of water, which is increasingly important in Spain.
Next on our play list is the Robert Trent Jones Junior designed Bonmont, which opened in 1990.
We played the course a few years back, and thoroughly enjoyed the challenge that it offers.
Bonmont has hosted the twice hosted the European Tour with the Catalna Open, won by Pual Lawrie and Jose Maria Olazabal.
It's very much a 'thinking man's' as the clever design gives you options on every hole. It's very much a risk and reward course.
Nice wooden bridges... abridge...
It’s a classic Robert Jones Junior track, with 70 bunkers to avoid, some great elevation changes to enjoy, and even a couple of ravines thrown in for good measure.
The final course on our itinerary is the Golf Club Costa Dorada Tarragona, near the ancient Roman city of Tarraco, whose Roman ruins were designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000. The course opened in 1983, making it the first course in the region. It’s set in beautiful pines forests, which can be quite tight, so drive with care.
The clubhouse is a traditional Catalan country house, and its restaurant specializes in Catalan cuisine, so it’s a great place for a post round chill out and the opportunity to sample the local cuisine.
If you want to experience some high quality golf and explore a beautiful region of Spain, which is just a two hour flight from the UK, then get on down to the Costa Dorada. It’s doesn’t do disappointment, that’s for sure.
For more information about playing golf in Costa Dorada, contact Glencor Golf Holidays here: https://www.glencorgolf.com/
Instruction
Jason Floyd's ace One-arm chipping tip
Fun
Beef meets GolfPunk sock puppet Valderrama...
Best Of Instagram
1) Paige Spiranac's hilarious pre-shot routine
2) Ian Poulter's Ferrari joy ride
3) The craziest trick shot of the week
Cartoon
Colin Montgomerie is 007 Iron
Fashion
Tyler the Creator's Golf Wang polo
Golf fashion can be boring at times. The functional technical side of things is great, but although it might help you play better it doesn't necessarily help you look better. And sometimes it's hard to express yourself.
We're not talking John Daly Loudmouth style trousers either, it's about finding clothes that give a sense of who you are outside of playing golf. If you're mod you've got a chance, as you'll always get away with Fred Perry's and a pair of Sta-Press slacks.
Now if you're a hip hop head there's a good chance that you hate golf clothing even if you love the game. You can get the occasional Jordan golf shoe, as well Nike doing some cool Air Force One Golf Shoes, but we think we've got you a solution.
Californian rapper Tyler The Creator has just dropped his Fall/Winter Golf Wang collection. This is a man who once said “I mean, that’s my least favorite sport, to be honest" about golf. “I don’t know, the word just looks sick.”
We know it's not for everyone, but picture the watermelon polo with a pair of the Puma Jogger pants and a pair of G/Fore Crusader hi tops, and you've got a golf outfit the kids might actually want to wear when they play golf.
Now we know there's one golfer who likes his hip hop. Just picture Beef in a Golf Wang zebra print shirt. Or is that just a little bit too darts? We're not sure - but picture it anyway!
Most Wanted
The Etiqus Ryder Cup watches
Etiqus, the British brand of patented, quality timepieces exclusively for golfers, is offering Team Europe fans the chance to show their support with a European Blue Sport Tour golf timepiece. It's Hazel-time people!!
The special edition Sport Tour features ETIQUS’ unique dimple patterned face in a distinctive European Blue with yellow inlay to the hour and minute hands, and in the 12 hour markers.
The Sport Tour’s unique design includes the Butler Golf Bezel, inspired by the R&A’s Pace of Play guidelines, with Swiss made movements and Sapphire Crystal glass as standard.
You can choose from a solid, stainless steel bracelet for added weight and presence, a black leather strap with blue stitch detail for a smart casual feel, a striking blue crocodile textured leather strap for a stand out look, or a durable black silicone strap for every day wear.
The European Blue Sport Tour models are priced from £249 to £299 and can be purchased online, along with all 72 models in the ETIQUS range, via www.etiqus.co.uk.
I can vouch for these babies personally, as I'm currently sporting the Sport Tour Collection with what I like to think is a devilish mixture of poise and style.
