Scott Kirkpatrick

Hello Golfers,

Welcome to another edition of our newsletter.

This week, we look at why there has been a recent surge in larger headed putters in the professional and amateur game - especially after one was used on Sunday in a thrilling playoff to help a player clinch their maiden European Tour title.

Enjoy the read!

Club news

Another successful Putting Competition

Once again the putting competition was a great success with the club coming out to crown new champions on the unbelievably quick green that Stephen had prepared. The hard part was the difference in length of holes and subtle breaks that caught a few of the semifinalists out and then made for an edgy final with no one wanting to make a silly mistake that could cost them dearly.

We had three finals with Rachel reversing last year’s final and getting one over on mum Carol in the ladies final, Ethan Garvey taking out Daniel Mulligan in the junior final and Cian Geraghty beating Danny Coyle in the men’s final. It was great to have a guest appearance on the sidelines with multiple winner Aaron Stack merely being an observer for the first time in a long time. Maybe his time is up as the boss of the moss but only time will tell. Thanks for the memories.

Shop news

NEW IN

The new Titleist irons are in the shop this week with T100, T200 and T300 all available and at deals that you will not see elsewhere. The question was asked as to why companies like Titleist and Mizuno are launching at this time of the year when most of the others are launching their products at the start of the year.

These two companies especially have always geared themselves up as serious club manufacturers aimed at the better players. Logic says that if you are serious about your game, then you will be preparing for the season over the quiet months, the winter, so it would be best if you had the new equipment well broken in and used to by the time the season comes around. Hence this is actually a great time of the year for a company to launch a serious product….for a serious golfer.

Have you seen the new wedges from PING, they are there and they are super looking and great feeling. PING are now getting to the point that their looks are matching their performance. Don’t be taken aback by the look of the Eye2 retro wedge with modern groove and face technology, this has been designed against one of the most popular wedges designed specifically for lob and sand shots and are only available in the higher lofts. Unbelievable to play the exact shots that you wish…once you can get past the initial look.

Summer SALE

In the last few days, the weather has really taken a turn towards the colder days ahead although maybe this only temporary as it’s only the start of September. We have started a clear-out sale in the shop of summer and winter stock that has been an overstock in our business so please come in and have a good rummage for a real bargain.

We have outerwear, wind breakers, jumpers, T-shirts etc and will continue to add to these over the coming months as we get ready for the seasons and summer ahead next year.

Coaching news

Junior Coaching

Don’t forget to book for the junior lessons on a Tuesday and Thursday and now Sunday afternoon. As predicted with the schools back these have once again become very popular and we are limited to space for safety reasons, as well as making sure all get a good bit of attention.

Please also check in the shop when you leave your kids off so that we know exactly who is here and who is not. If the weather looks a bit suspect please call the shop before travelling as coming into this time of the year it can be on and off and the course can be a very cold place.

Tour news

Soderberg pips consistent McIlroy to European title

Sweden’s Sebastian Soderberg held his nerve to win a five-way playoff at the Omega European Masters from Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club on Sunday to claim his maiden title.

Included in the quintuple of playoff hopefuls was a certain Rory McIlroy who fresh from winning $15 million at East Lake last week, may have been forgiven for being a little off the boil.

However, a sublime seven-under-par on Friday put him right in contention with no signs of weariness to end the tournament on 14-under-par with Kalle Samooja, Andres Romero, Lorenzo Gagli and eventual winner Soderberg.

Remarkably, the tournament was settled at the first playoff hole - the par-4 18th - with Soderberg steadying himself to sink a ten-footer for birdie whilst McIlroy, Romero, and Samooja could only manage par with Gagli taking five.

Interesting fact – Playoff frenzy

Sunday was the fourth year in a row the European Masters has been decided by a playoff whilst the tournament has witnessed eight playoffs in the last thirteen years.

Keep your eyes on the prize

“Keep your head down”

How many times have you heard that or said it yourself when you’ve missed a short putt? We all know it’s something we shouldn’t do, and yet we can't help ourselves at times.

When facing a short putt – let’s say anything from four-feet and in - it is almost natural to lift the head even before contact has been made due to our eagerness to see if the ball has dropped in the cup.

However, this movement can have a detrimental impact on stroke and direction meaning you are more likely to miss that simple putt.

It’s all to do with body mechanics, as keeping your head on the ball helps keep the shoulders in line, thus helping start your ball on the right path.

If putting is an area of your game that is consistently letting you down, book a lesson with your local PGA professional – that’s us! - and have the confidence that we're here to help your game.

book a lesson >

Why the recent surge?

Here’s some homework for you: the next time you're watching golf on TV, keep an eye on the number of pros using putters with larger heads. Whilst some golfers still prefer the traditional blade style putters from years gone by, over 60% of PGA Tour players have a larger headed putter in their bag today – the question is: why?

High MOI putters

These are all to do with stability, feel and alignment. When you take a look at Scotty Cameron's Phantom X 12 and 6 models (pictured above) you will see what we mean.

The larger head style of both putters is designed to increase MOI, which is crucial as it means the putter face will twist less at impact, especially when struck away from the sweet spot.

How do they work?

It's all to do with the additional weight in the extremities of the head when compared to traditional blade style putters, which helps to keep the face stable through impact.

You might also find that a heavier and larger putter is easier to control, therefore improving your stroke. Either way, we have a great selection of putters waiting for you to try in-store.

explore Scotty Cameron's putter range >

Video of the Week

Golf equipment has come a long way in recent years but is there a more beneficial technology than the Boa Fit System? If you haven't tried shoes with Boa on yet then we couldn't recommend it highly enough, and here's a video detailing why they make such a difference compared with traditional laces.

We hope you enjoyed the newsletter and have a great weekend.

Laytown & Bettystown Golf Club
Golf Links Road
Bettystown

Phone: 00353 419827170

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