The New spring summer wear from Galvin Green has arrived, even though it is the start of May the weather is still cool and for optimum performance this sort of wear is so important to keep muscles loose and flexible for long periods in the outdoors.

We have the New Izzo range finders, turn on and play at the right price for only €109.00 but only a limited stock in 3 different colours. The range finder will provide you accurate yardages to front, centre and back of green. Also in stock Precision Pro V400 Range finder. This unit is accurate to 1 yard with a 400 yard range and target lock function. It has a target lock in function and has the best magnification of any unit available. It retails at €259.00.

Summer is coming and we will have the full range of ladies and mens summer wear within the next two weeks. This year we will be stocking men's club and casual clothing from FootJoy, Galvin Green, Under Armour and Glenmuir. Ladies clothing will be club crested by Glenmuir with causal wear also available as well as uncrested from FootJoy. It is impossible to keep every size colour and style from these companies but if you see a piece that you like online or in another shop please ask and if possible we will get it for you.

We now have a full range of clubs and accessories from Wilson in store, a company that provide top end products without the price tag. They are excellent quality and offer great range of colours and styles in cart bags for both men and ladies all of which can be purchased in store now.

If you are thinking of upgrading your battery to a Lithium this would be the time to do it as with the current euro currency falling the prices of the battery will be rising by the end of May. At present we are selling the Lite power battery with a limited 5 year warranty at €250  which will be set to rise. I know it seems a lot for a battery but to be buying an older lead acid battery you will be paying €160 for a good one with a year's warranty. The average life cycle on a good lead acid battery is between 150-200 rounds whereas on the Lithium the average life cycle is expected to be close on 2000 rounds. This will be a huge saving in the long run although the initial outlay seems large.

Have you checked your grips, especially on your wedges and putter?

A badly worn grip can add strokes to your round without you even realising it as your grip pressure is likely increase, to keep control of the club. This can result in loss of distance in your longer clubs and a lack of consistency with your pitching and putting. Come into the shop and ask us for some advice on whether your grips need changing. As we have a quick turnaround on grips at a very reasonable price starting at €5 a grip fitted. Will give a FREE lesson with a full set of re-grips any time over the summer.

Watch out for Eugene this weekend as he is playing in the Lytham trophy at Royal Lytham St. Annes. This year the field will be jammed full of both the top American players along with the Great Britain and Ireland elite players as the course plays host to the Walker Cup later in the year. This will be a big stage for him this week and hopefully he can produce his best and put himself in the frame for further honours.

The Senior Cup panel at the club is coming together well and I genuinely believe the team will surprise a few other clubs in the area after a few years of low level performances.

We have a busy few months coming up and a very big day on Friday 22nd May when Jack Duffy is organising a fund raiser for the Ardee Hospice. We would hope to have in excess of 60 teams and will be running a few additional events on the course that day. Also after there will be entertainment in the clubhouse and a raffle for a lot of top prizes that have been generously donated by local businesses and others. This should be a great day and evening all for a great cause so please leave your diary free and pull out all the stops to support such a great cause.

John has been very busy organising the ground staff and getting the course in good condition for the season. It has been a tough, cold spring with the exception of a few weeks, and their good work will come through as soon as temperatures start to rise. There has been a lot of subtle change around the course over the winter that have gone unnoticed but will really enhance the playability and enjoyment over the summer.

Finally the Matchplay entries are all finished and the draws are up in locker rooms. The entry list is exceptional and very large this year showing the interest and involvement of all members in the club. No doubt there will be some great matches and stories throughout the year so please come in and tell us about them. We wish all competitors the best of luck.