Welcome to the flumes of East Kilbride, where the water runs quicker than the Mo Farah being chased by the Olympic doping panel. Never fear though as our track is one of the quickest draining tracks this side of Texas. The worst day was on Tuesday when I was convinced I saw a salmon wearing a lifejacket flying down the first fairway at 9.30am. I honestly CODney believe it! Quicker than you could say boo to a goose, the course was open at 12pm where we had a few hours of dry weather. 

Quite a few of you made you way out onto the turf and enjoyed 18 holes of pure unadulterated cloud. Those who ventured out at the tail end of the afternoon were treated to a water display like no other as hosepipes appeared from every cloud! I found my lessons cancelling that evening and as the sun appeared once more I went onto the hallowed turf for a few holes. It was great to get out for a hit and I did provide an all you can eat buffet for the midges! One of these days I will hit the 7th in 2 and I will report back to you. 

Here is a video for you- See me smash one to 8 feet at iconic val de lobo's 16th hole.

JUNIOR COACHING

Over the last month we have been coaching the future custodians of East Kilbride Golf Club. The juniors are the lifeblood of the club and it is so nice to see our classes bursting with numbers and enthusiasm. There are more characters than you could imagine and they are all so well behaved. This week due to the bad weather they were subjected to a morning of rules and etiquette with me 'The Rules Guru'. To most of them I am maybe not Royal but certainly Ancient! We covered from penalty drops to gaining free drops from Salamander scrapings. Yes you can get a drop from a salamander's footprints! Where you may find one of them, I have no idea but isn't it great to know!

THE SUMMER SALE RAIL

Two things that are hot on rails this summer

• THE EDINBURGH TRAMS
• MY SALE CLOTHES

The summer sale rail has been parked outside the shop for a few days now and it has created more interest than the daily weather forecasts. We still have quite a few bargains left so swing by and snap up some deals.

NEW GALVIN GREEN STOCK HAS ARRIVED

With a sale on the go, we find ourselves topping up our stock levels and this week sees the latest gear from Swedish Golf Clothing Giants 'Galvin Green' arrive in store. The polo shirts in particular are striking and harbour some of the most fantastic technology available. One very interesting feature is their anti-bacterial properties which eliminates the unwanted bacteria that causes bad smells. My wife is absolutely delighted that I will be sporting some of this technology and you can have it to!

THE NEW i E1 AND GMax IRONS FROM PING

Like many new products, I have it here first at East Kilbride Golf Club. My background is club technology and I get giddy when I see something that will have a great impact on player's games. Not all will benefit as you all are different in your won individual needs and wants. Some of you may have equipment that is the best that you can get but here is a quick synopsis of the 2 new clubs they have out.

THE GMax IRON: If you want exceptional distance, forgiveness and a confidence inspiring head, then these clubs could be perfect for you. The PING GMax irons key differences from the Karsten include its 40 per cent stronger faces and new COR-Eye design (below) that help increase ball speeds by 1-3mph for an extra five yards of distance. 

 

THE NEW i E1 IRON: The new I iron replaces the hugely popular i25 iron and provides the player with an iron which is more workable. The classical look and feel is just what the golf purist loves and its forgiveness is also one of its selling points. There is also no up-charge for the most exotic of shafts and again this will again gain much attraction from players searching for their perfect match.

Now where do I come in? Well just think of me as you're very own 'CILLA BLACK' where I will match you to your own perfect match!

IMPORTANCE OF CLUB CLEANING

Perhaps one of the most important things amateurs overlook is the cleanliness of their clubs. Most players will just pull the clubs out of the boot or garage from the week before, untouched, and think nothing of it, or the effects it has on their game, in turn decreasing their chances of a lower score.

How can cleaning your clubs make that much of a difference you're probably asking? Well, firstly they look better making them more appealing to hit. It also encourages a better strike with the ball allowing more consistency. It also allows the clubs to do the job they are designed to do, for instance a dirty lob wedge face is certainly not going to allow you to stop the ball quickly on the green for those fantastic Phil Mick lob shots!

Cleaning your clubs can also help to save cash! Cleaning your clubs after your round can increase the lifespan of a set of irons with the reduced chances of rusting and corrosion. A simple wipe clean even after you have hit your shot will allow the club to perform better, last longer and help keep you on the short stuff!

Cleaning the grips is also another way to increase the lifespan of your clubs. A scrub with hot soapy water will prevent grips quickly becoming bald and slippy as a result of playing constantly in our wonderful weather conditions.

Get the kids to do it! My dad used to make me clean his clubs every week for my pocket money. A great way to kill two birds with one stone guys plus its cheap and easy. I'd advise buying a small cleaning brush these can be purchased in the pro shop for only £2.50!

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