Well arguably the most famous golfing event is upon us and the buzz is starting to build. This year the Ryder Cup is held at Hazeltine National, and I tell you know it's a beautiful course. How do I know? I've played it loads! We have it available to use in our Golf Studio...
Because this is such a special event we are going to give you an offer you can't miss out on... Play Hazeltine in our Golf Studio for just £40 a 4 ball. ONLY £10 EACH !
From playing the course you will get a feel for how tight the course is and the slope of the greens, so when you come to watch on the TV you can relate to how tough it is and smile when you get a better score than the US on the first hole.
If you are interested please get in touch for more information.
With just one month to go until this year's Ryder Cup and the team is now confirmed. European captain Darren Clarke's three Ryder Cup picks are Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood and Thomas Pieters. I suppose we could have picked Lee Westwood based on his past experience and his performance in the majors this year.
Could Clarke have done anything but pick Thomas Pieters after he request he play with him in last week's Made in Denmark event where Pieters shot a first round -8 under par and then went on to win the tournament? This came on the back of his 4th place finish at the Rio Olympic games.
Martin Kaymer's selection however could been seen as the one debatable one, but if you recall he did hole the winning putt in 2012 and has valuable experience.
So a mix of youth and experience seems to be the case here with 6 (six) rookies on the European side. Let's hope we can look forward to some more great golf just as we saw at Medinah Country Club in 2012 when it was last in America.
Developing your match play mentality
In the lead up to this year's Ryder Cup we thought we'd share three top tips to help you become a better match play golfer. Some of you hardened match play stalwarts probably have a few tricks up your sleeve. Nonetheless, here's our top three:
1. Control your body language
Reacting badly to a poor shot will fill your opponent with confidence. You need to give the impression that you're in control, so take time between shots to collect yourself and focus on emitting positive body language.
2. Expect to hole out
You should expect to hole out - always. If you're expecting gimmes, this is something a canny opponent will pick up on. A positive attitude to holing out is the way forward.
3. Consider the situation
There's no point in playing the safe option if your opponent has stuck one in close. Likewise, if they've found water with their approach, for example, why go on the attack? Play for the middle of the green and a safe two-putt will normally do the job.
These tips may sound simple, but in the heat of battle it's easy to forget what match play is all about.
If you are looking for a course management lesson that might help you play better golf in any competition click here to request yours.