Zach Settles Into New Position

Its been a whirlwind couple of months for our new PGA Professional Zach Galliford. Joining us from Royal St Davids GC Zac brings a wealth of experience in custom fitting and coaching.

Zac had this say regarding his first couple of months with us -

My first couple of months as PGA Professional at Ross on Wye GC could not have gone better. I’ve had a very warm welcome from the THSG Team, the members and visitors at Ross on Wye GC and already feel at home. It has been great to work with such a proactive professional team with a passion of helping golfers of all ages to achieve their goals socially and competitively. Being a part of a busy and thriving membership will give me the opportunity to develop my skills and experience as a PGA Professional.

Previously, I have been an Assistant professional at Royal St. David’s GC in Harlech, North Wales from July 2019 which has enabled me to learn first-hand the role of a PGA Professional. I have also been fortunate enough to compete at the highest level of amateur golf nationally and internationally, travelling all over the world playing against the best players in the world including the likes of Jon Rahm, Xander Schauffele and Matthew Fitzpatrick. I have represented Wales at all age groups and my biggest win to date was capturing the Welsh Amateur Championship in 2016.

Learning from such experienced individuals of the THSG team, who specialise in all aspects of the game of golf will help me to develop as a person and as a professional. I have a keen interest in on course coaching and custom fitting to help players get the most out of their game. If you would like to get a lesson or custom fitting, please come into the shop or call and we can arrange a time to improve your golf.

Zach’s passion in the game is easy to see and hes been a credit to the team during these busy times. If you haven’t met Zach as yet, please pop along to the pro shop and book in for a game with him or even better book in for a lesson.

ROWGC Finals Day 2020

Congratulations to all finals day players, it was another fantastic day for the club with some great golf on display. This really is the pinnacle day for any ROWGC member and to reach the finals is a huge achievement in itself.

The winners of the competitions were as follows ...

CompetitionWinner(s)

Mens Club Championship - Cameron Haines
Ladies Club Championship - Rhian McGinley
Ladies Bronze Scratch Cup - Pam Duke
Ladies 18 Hole Knockout - Ruth Kirchmeier
Huggett Putter - June Savidge
Yates Cup - David Warwick
Len Weston Trophy - Steve Woods
Trevor Lane Cup - David Warwick
Hospital Cup - Paul Warwick
Harold Bradley Cup - Andrew Reeves
Cinderford Cup - Richard Moore & Jason Gale

Congratulations to all the winners and obvious commiserations to all those who came so close but lost in their respective finals.

A number of competitions were unable to be decided on Saturday and the winners of these will be emailed out as soon as they have all been completed.

ROWGC Press Officer Keith Ray has already written the report on the mens final which i have included below. The ladies final report will feature in next weeks newsletter.

'Cam & Tim Make Worthy Finalists'

It reflected well on the Ross Club's Competitions Committee combined with the 'collective spirit' of members from all sections, that the pandemic did not prevent the traditional Annual Knock-Out Finals Day of matches from taking place. Social distancing regulations in place did mean however that the Trophy Presentation evening which in normal times completes a marvellous occasion had to wait for another day.

As customary there were some intriguing contests for members to savour with the 36 holes men's singles final to decide the 2020 Men Club Champion bringing together two in-form players in 20 years old reigning Champion Cam Haines, a scratch handicap player and 4 handicapper Tim Wyatt. However, Tim is no stranger to major honours board successes winning a hat-full in his 2012 season and he added to his collection only recently when he won the Winston Wildsmith Salver in which 136 members took part.

While most of their morning 18 holes session promised a close match, in his winning 3 of the last 6 holes, Cam was best placed to enjoy his lunch break being 4 holes up at the half-way stage. The afternoon round saw Cam make a blistering start with 2 birdies in the first 3 holes and after 27 holes he stood on the verge of victory. Cam and Tim ultimately exchanged acknowledgements on the 11th green enabling Cam to celebrate his 3rd Ross Club Men Champion status in the past 4 years. For Cam, a former Ross Juniors Captain, he is a real credit to the Gorsley based Club and to himself and can reflect upon an ongoing highly meaningful golfing career since he joined in 2014 as a 16 handicapper. In this respect Cam will point to being in the care of the Ross Club's Head Professional Tim Hall and his School of Golf Academy team and their 'continuous improvement' culture as having provided the key ingredients.

In the final of the Harold Bradley Cup, affectionately known as the Rabbits Cup being for players with handicaps 18+ Andrew Reeves found himself competing against a newcomer in Joe Hiram. Joe has enjoyed an impressive first season with the Ross Club including being runner-up with 40 points in his inaugural competitive seniors stableford event in June, shortly after 'Project restart' in which 137 players took part. With both Andrew and Joe sporting 20 handicaps the scene was set for a good tussle although on the day it was Andrew who enjoyed his first taste of silverware with a 4/3 victory. Like Club Champion Cam Haines, it was typical of Andrew to graciously dedicate his success to the short-game learning he has received from Tim Hall's School of Golf team and in particular Oli Leett, their specialized Aimpoint Level 3 Putting coach who is highly rated nationally within the industry.  

THSG Equipment Testers Report

Its been a busy start to the 2019 season for the top manufacturers, their has been some awesome product releases from Ping with the G410, Taylormade with their M5 & M6 range and Titleist with their TS project family.

Sometimes we get bias reviews on these products from various media sources within the Industry, here at the THSG we have our own panel of testers and this week we are looking at drivers….!!! In particular the G410, M5 and TS2/TS3.

First up we had ROWGC member Tim Rigden file his report on the highly anticipated Ping G410 driver. The G410 comes in two different heads the SFT (straight flight technology) and the plus head.

Tim’s Report -

I am pleased to have the opportunity to offer the following observations on the new Ping G410.

Currently, my handicap is 11 and I am playing with a Nike VRS Covert which has an 11 degree flight, a stiff shaft and more often than not I use a Titleist Pro V1X.

The Ping G410 was matched with a 12 degree flight and a slightly open set up and again to give it a fair test I used the Titleist Pro V1X golf ball.

First impression  -  it looks good, which is hugely important for me, it is well balanced and is very comfortable in the set up and having a matt grey/black head negates any dazzle on a bright, sunny day!

When using this driver from the tee, with an orange castle, the sound of the ball strike had a very pleasing resonance and not all tinny or clumpy.  For me the sound and look of any club is very important from a confidence, point of view, and the mental aspect.

The Ping G410 had an excellent high flight and a tight angle of dispersion which enabled me to obtain good distance, approximately 10-15 metres further than my current club.

Overall, it was an extremely pleasing and enjoyable driver to play with and if I was in the market for a new driver, then it would be one that would be well worth considering, not withstanding the price.

ROWGC member Andy Baldwin was up next testing the new Taylormade M6 driver. Taylormade always have huge presence on tour with some of the worlds best players playing their products inducing Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Tiger Woods….to name just a few!!

Andy’s Report -

I currently use a PING G Series Driver (SF Tec 10 degrees) and the M6 i tried out was set up to give a similar loft to my PING.

First impressions of the M6 were that it was a well balanced club that felt good to swing and in that it seemed similar to my own club.

However as a relatively high handicap golfer (19) the big problem I had with the club was its lack of forgiveness, if I got the sweet spot it went really well and the "Twist Face" did seem to straighten the shots out a bit.

If I didn't get the sweet spot - which didn't seem all that large to me - then it all went horribly wrong, much worse that my own PING

The ball flight was also similar (when it came out the middle) quite a high trajectory from a 10.5 degree setting, distance off the tee was longer than my current club - but not much maybe 5 yards.

In summary a good well made club but probably aimed at the low handicapper who can consistently hit it out of the middle. With a price tag of £440 it is not an investment i will be making.

Steve Jones - THSG Pupil / Tested the new TS2 Titleist driver set-up 10.5 tensei blue - stiff shaft

I play off a 17 handicap and have always struggled with a driver off the tee, short and wild is not a good mix around any course and in the past i often just settled with using my 4iron just to keep it in play.

I was a little bit fearful of being a tester for a driver because this area of the game has plagued me for years…….I bit the bullet and tested out the new Titleist TS2 driver set up with a stiff shaft and 10.5 loft. My previous driver is a Callaway Rogue and as mentioned i have never got on with it.

As soon as i put the TS2 behind the ball i gained confidence, the looks are sleek and streamline and gave me an inner confidence that this area of the game could improve. Upon on strike it felt solid and with the adjustments in the shaft i started to get rid of my slice. Tim set it up on a draw setting and my it made a difference.

Never before have i hit the ball so well off the tee, the TS2 made a huge difference and i reckon i was 20-30yards further. This confused me as i was now hitting 3 clubs shorter into the greens!!! First time out in testing i shot under my handicap for the first time in 8months……For me the testing was a real eye opener, Titleist have come up trumps and made a driver that sorted out my slice and helped me gain yards…..so much so i have booked in for a custom fit with Tim to purchase one myself!!

John Palmer ROWGC Member - Ping G410 SFT driver 10.5 degree

Tested by John Palmer, senior, handicap 12.7. played for 40 years.

Current driver Ping G25 - 10.5 degree

First impressions on sight was very good.

The head is shallower and less bulky than the G25 and with the turbulators give it a more streamlined look.

The club feels light and nicely balanced.

It is comfortable to play with and seems easier to swing and to generate a greater speed.

On impact it produces a nice sound with a high ball trajectory and straight. The weight in the head obviously getting rid of any fade. Distance is slightly longer than the G25 probably due to the 410 going straight and the slight fade i usually get with my existing driver.

The only drawback i found, when i tried to fade a shot, the ball went straight out at an angle which is a problem for example the 11th hole around the tree.

Overall:- a beautifully balanced club with straight flight and high trajectory. An ideal driver for anyone who tends to slice.

Thank you to all the testers that took part in the driver testing. It makes a huge difference listening to real golfers give their honest opinions on these latest clubs. Hopefully this will help you shape your decisions when it comes to purchasing a new driver in the future. If you would like any further information on custom fitting or club testing please see one of the team.

Club Championship Win for Edwards

The champagne was flowing in the Edwards household on Sunday as THSG Pupil Joss Edwards won the Club Championships at his home club, Cotswold Hills. Joss has been a pupil with us for over 3 years now and has always had a great attitude to work hard, with bags of determination.

It all paid off last weekend with a fantastic performance in the Cotswold Hills club championship.

Joss is also a member at ROWGC and is currently taking regular lessons with myself and Oli. His -1 par total was good enough to win by 5 shots over the nearest competitor.

Joss has been on a very similar training program to Niall which has paid divends over the past few months. We prepared Joss, a lot like Niall taking him through technical work in the off season allowing him to peak when it matters. This latest performance has certainly proved this with some great results. Joss has now reduced his handicap from 5 to 2 in a matter of months.