We had an Absolute Golf reunion at Twin Creeks Golf and Country Club last Friday catching up (and running a putting school) with Paul Buchanan and Bob Duncan. With 9 pupils in the class the four coaches went through learning styles, green reading, aim and feel giving all involved plenty to work on after they left the session. After the class everybody headed inside for lunch and a debrief from the session and there was plenty to talk about. Bob is out to do some work for a couple of months and Paul is the Head of Education for Henry Griffitts and flitting around the globe keeping very busy. It was great to catch up with both the boys and we look forward to doing it again in the near future.
After the putting class we took some players out on to the course spending 18 holes working on their games. Neville Smith and first time school attendee John Mcdonald where my two victims for the day and boy did we see some improvement. It was great to see both the boys embrace what we gave them to work on and get the benefit almost immediately. John let me in on a secret goal after about 12 holes that he had a club matchplay game at his native Monash Golf Club on Sunday and was hoping that Fridays exploits would help get him over the line and guess what. John and his partner won their match on the 21st hole. Great effort guys and i will wait for my 10% in the mail.
Tim Frazer had another fine performance over the weekend playing in the three day Western Printing Pro Am at Moccason Creek, South Dakota. Tim again made the cut with fine scores of 74 and 72 and rallied home with a final round of 70 to slide into the top 20 and pick up the biggest cheque of his playing career. The boys have a busy few weeks with another tournament starting the day after and then one day off and then two events in the next week. He is having a ball and living the life as well as playing some mighty fine golf. It is a huge learning experience for Tim and his two travelling companions as this game is constantly throwing up a new set of circumstances and new things to work on.
Up to the final week of the USA Trip bookings and only 6 weeks for heading off. Can't wait to get some sun on my back and get away from the cold. Let me know if it sounds good we could fit you in.
See you on the course.
Jeff Mansfield
"making a difficult game less complicated"
Thursday, 26 July 2012
Monday, 16 July 2012
On Course Golf Days - Leonay Golf Club and Golf in the Dakotas
Absolute Golf is proud to announce that they are the providers of Teaching, Club Fitting and Repair Services to the Leonay Golf Club. After long discussions with management after the club recently took over the golf shop business Absolute Golf will now be providing their range of world class programs, including golf schools and on-course golf days to the members and guests of this Western Sydney Golf Course. Both Jeff and David have had a long time relationship with Leonay GC with Jeff playing for many years as a member of the club and David completing his traineeship there from 1991 - 93. The Absolute Golf team will be working in with new Professional Col Banham to bring a whole new level of service to the club and offering the members an opportunity to be involved at the ground level. This is the fifth club that has shown interest in the programs Absolute Golf Provides and goes to show we must be doing something right. for more information on the programs and services provided go to http://www.absolutegolf.com.au/ .
Jeff and Dave have been busy with our on-course golf days at Twin Creeks, Lynwood, Wallacia and Gordon Golf Clubs and have been working hard with golfers to improve their games. Over the past week, between them they have run 7 on course sessions with all level of golfers getting the benefit of not only the technical instruction provided but also the short game and course management portion of the days.
Over the years golfers have been educated that a perfect golf swing will encourage perfect golf but that just isn't true! Golf instruction has improved 10 fold over the past twenty years and golfers aren't playing better golf, if anything they are getting worse. After learning the correct fundamentals golfers must take what they learn out to the golf course and train with what they have learned adapting it to each condition they come up against. What we find is that the golfers never master a perfect swing so they never leave the range, afraid of what may happen or worse still head out to the course trying to make the "perfect Swing" they were taught not adapting it to the ever changing conditions at hand and getting frustrated when it does not come off . Well why should it? When we have a lesson we hit from a flat stance, perfect lie on a range mat with nothing in our road to obstruct our motion or concerntration. That never happens on the golf course and too make things worse because we are so hell bent on making perfect swings we never learn the portion of the game which is most important which are the management skills which is really the key seperation between someone who hits balls and someone who plays golf and don't be fooled they are different.
One question i am going to leave you with on this topic. Why is it that most teaching and club professionals don't play golf anymore? And if you don't believe me ask your local professional whether he plays anymore. He will answer that he doesn't have the time but that is just an excuse as he has been educated by the same beliefs that is poisoning our game. Get out there play golf.
The latest update on Tim Frazer and the Dakotas tour. Tim played Emerald Hills GC in Arnolds Park, Iowa this week in an 1 round event after a strong finish in the Bakkers Crossing event over last weekend. Tims round of 3 under 68 at Emerald Lakes got him a four way share of 3rd place and banked him a nice littl;e cheque as well as gaining him some order of merit points along the way. This weekend the boys are playing in the South Dakota Open at the Bluffs golf Club in Vermillion, SD. This is a three day event over Friday, Saturday and Sunday where Tim has shot 69 73 after two rounds and we are waiting to see how he fared in the final round. These guys can really play on this tour which is about a third string tour with the leader of the SD Open after two rounds shooting 63 66 (15 under par). It has been a great start for Tim on this years tour already making three cuts banking four cheques and really cementing himself as part of the tour.
Keep at it mate, you are doing us proud.
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Jeff and David are holding a putting school this Friday with Bob Duncan who is out this week for a two month stint doing some training for Henry Griffitts. If you are interested in attending this school or playing golf with Bob or I after the clinic contact me on jeff@absolutegolf.com.au we would love to have you along.
Jeff and Dave have been busy with our on-course golf days at Twin Creeks, Lynwood, Wallacia and Gordon Golf Clubs and have been working hard with golfers to improve their games. Over the past week, between them they have run 7 on course sessions with all level of golfers getting the benefit of not only the technical instruction provided but also the short game and course management portion of the days.
Over the years golfers have been educated that a perfect golf swing will encourage perfect golf but that just isn't true! Golf instruction has improved 10 fold over the past twenty years and golfers aren't playing better golf, if anything they are getting worse. After learning the correct fundamentals golfers must take what they learn out to the golf course and train with what they have learned adapting it to each condition they come up against. What we find is that the golfers never master a perfect swing so they never leave the range, afraid of what may happen or worse still head out to the course trying to make the "perfect Swing" they were taught not adapting it to the ever changing conditions at hand and getting frustrated when it does not come off . Well why should it? When we have a lesson we hit from a flat stance, perfect lie on a range mat with nothing in our road to obstruct our motion or concerntration. That never happens on the golf course and too make things worse because we are so hell bent on making perfect swings we never learn the portion of the game which is most important which are the management skills which is really the key seperation between someone who hits balls and someone who plays golf and don't be fooled they are different.
One question i am going to leave you with on this topic. Why is it that most teaching and club professionals don't play golf anymore? And if you don't believe me ask your local professional whether he plays anymore. He will answer that he doesn't have the time but that is just an excuse as he has been educated by the same beliefs that is poisoning our game. Get out there play golf.
The latest update on Tim Frazer and the Dakotas tour. Tim played Emerald Hills GC in Arnolds Park, Iowa this week in an 1 round event after a strong finish in the Bakkers Crossing event over last weekend. Tims round of 3 under 68 at Emerald Lakes got him a four way share of 3rd place and banked him a nice littl;e cheque as well as gaining him some order of merit points along the way. This weekend the boys are playing in the South Dakota Open at the Bluffs golf Club in Vermillion, SD. This is a three day event over Friday, Saturday and Sunday where Tim has shot 69 73 after two rounds and we are waiting to see how he fared in the final round. These guys can really play on this tour which is about a third string tour with the leader of the SD Open after two rounds shooting 63 66 (15 under par). It has been a great start for Tim on this years tour already making three cuts banking four cheques and really cementing himself as part of the tour.
Keep at it mate, you are doing us proud.
Jeff and David running a putting class at Barnbougle Dunes
Sunday, 8 July 2012
Western Australia. Are they the best courses in the country?
Dave and I are just back from WA after taking a group away for golf and tuition the "Absolute" way and boy what a trip. 20 - 22 degrees every day, shirt sleeves up until dusk and this is in the middle of July. Everywhere you turn around there is a great course just lurking over the next hill.
We arrived on Monday at 9.00am and by 9.40 we were on the road with Rod and Shirley in the bus with us and we headed down the freeway to Mandurah to play The Cut. This is an 18 hole facility with ocean views, undulating fairways and some of the wildest rough i have seen for a while. It was a tough course to play for the first time as you really need to know where you are going to play there well but it was a fun golf course as it took a bit of thinking to play, you cant just stand up and blast away if you want to find your ball or have a decent score (which did seem to be the theme for the week). We got the most magnificent day 22 degrees and a slight zephyr to keep us honest. Dave started the day with a birdie but it was all down hill after that but the best player on the day was Jeff Williamson with a fine score who had the most control of his shots all day, but even he couldn't get around without losing a ball. After golf we headed to our accommodation for the first leg of the trip which was the Sebel at Mandurah. Over looking the canals it really was a beautiful place. Dinner this night was at Sunbreakers a nearby restaurant where the speciality of the house was the mussells. It was a great opportunity for everyone to get to know each other and talk about the activities of the day. By the time we got back to our rooms it had been a long day and we were all grate full to hit the sack.
Day 3 started in the hotel Restaurant again with breakfast and we headed up the road to our golf school destination at Whaleback Golf Club. This is an 18 hole public golf course with a two storey driving range, chipping green, bunker and putting green. It is run by a friend of ours Peter Hopkins who is a golfing legend in West Aus having been a club professional, teacher, player and administrator for years and years and it was very kind of him to have us at his facility allowing us to do what we do. This facility really is as good as anywhere i have been. It was clean, tidy, modern, roomy. I mean it was awesome. Nothing like anything we have in Sydney and a credit to all involved. Dave and i started with a putting clinic in the morning which ran for about two hours and then we had lunch. After lunch we took the group for a one and a half hour session on the chipping green and worked on the short game. After a coffee break we went to the range for a final session working on any golf swing issues we had noticed over the first two days, it was a great day. After the school we were meet by Pat our non golfing participant for a casual dinner overlooking the course and it's facilities recapping the days activities. After golf it was off to the second leg of our trip which was up north at the vines resort up in the WA hills. We were greeted by a magnificent resort which was to be our home for the next two nights. After checking in it was back to the bar to watch the State of Origin with our new friends and anyone else who was interested. The perfect finish to a great day.
Day 4 we had a late start for golf so David and I headed out to tour the facility what a great place. This was the venue for the Johnny Walker Classic for a few years in the late 2000's and it would prove to be a test for all of us. We started the day with bunker clinic at the clubs first class facility and a warm up before our round. The wind had got up a little today but most notable the terrain had changed. The first two days were seaside with saltbush and pot bunkers now we were in the foothills with gum trees, black boys, heaps of bunkers and lots of water. What a contrast. What a great course, Undulating fairways, strategically placed bunkers and greens like i have never seen before. The big winner today was Rod who drove the ball very impressively and kept his ball out of the bunkers the best of all of us. You can see why this was chosen as a tournament course for those years, but it does amazes me how good these guys score, because we weren't even in the ball park. Dinner again tonight was at the guests discretion and they chose to eat together (which was nice) Dave and I went to catch up with some family which was great fun.
The last day we travelled to Joondalup which for me was the highlight of the trip. Joondalup is the #1 golf resort in the country and #18 on the Australian rankings and the quarry nine was something i had heard a lot about and was ready to witness. The whole course winds through the quarry with some being filled with water (the lakes nine), some they have mounded up (the dunes) and some they have left natural (the Quarry) and the whole golf course was a great experience. like nothing i have played in Australia before. The big winner today was Shirley who cleaned all the boys up with her straight driving and improved short game. After the round we had a farewell dinner at the members clubhouse at Joondalup and all sat around talking about the great trip we had been through together. These were a great group of people, fantastic accommodations, gorgeous weather and some of the best courses i have ever played and it was all over. Special thanks to all the clubs for making their facilities available to us with a special thanks to Peter Hopkins who really opened up his doors for us. To all the Professionals for allowing David and I to access your facilities it was very much appreciated and all the hotel staff for looking after us so well. Last but not least our travelling companions for being such great sports, trips like these never go without a hitch and you guys were easy to deal with and a pleasure to spend time with and we are very happy you were there with us and to my old mate David whom with out all his help we could definitely not have done this trip in the style that we did. Thanks mate. By the way our side bet was each 9 hole and 18 hole score and over the 8 nines Dave won 1 and I won 6 and we tied 1 and I won all four 18's. It will be all on again in the states in September.
If you would like more information on our US trip coming up in Sept go to http://www.absolutegolf.com.au/ or contact us. Times running out and we only have a few spots left.
See you on the course.
Jeff Mansfield
We arrived on Monday at 9.00am and by 9.40 we were on the road with Rod and Shirley in the bus with us and we headed down the freeway to Mandurah to play The Cut. This is an 18 hole facility with ocean views, undulating fairways and some of the wildest rough i have seen for a while. It was a tough course to play for the first time as you really need to know where you are going to play there well but it was a fun golf course as it took a bit of thinking to play, you cant just stand up and blast away if you want to find your ball or have a decent score (which did seem to be the theme for the week). We got the most magnificent day 22 degrees and a slight zephyr to keep us honest. Dave started the day with a birdie but it was all down hill after that but the best player on the day was Jeff Williamson with a fine score who had the most control of his shots all day, but even he couldn't get around without losing a ball. After golf we headed to our accommodation for the first leg of the trip which was the Sebel at Mandurah. Over looking the canals it really was a beautiful place. Dinner this night was at Sunbreakers a nearby restaurant where the speciality of the house was the mussells. It was a great opportunity for everyone to get to know each other and talk about the activities of the day. By the time we got back to our rooms it had been a long day and we were all grate full to hit the sack.
12 hole at The Cut Golf Course.
The second day was another cracker it started with breakfast in the hotel restaurant (where David had his scrambled eggs with 13 eggs - so did the rest of us) and our golfing destination was at The Links at Kennedy Bay. just minutes away. This is a spectacular course and although just a short distance away from the course the day before and still classified as a links, very different from the day before. We started this day with a pitching clinic which went very well, these guys really ate up the tuition and were getting better right in front of us. Then we headed out for our golf. This day i started off with a birdie and like David before me it went to mud. This is a great golf course. Perfect condition, wide well bunkered fairways with elevated greens designed to make you think. Everyone agreed they loved the course and as unbelievable as it was to imagine it was even better than the day before. The post round drinks were spent discussing the round, telling stories and generally relieving what had been a wonderful day. Tonight's dinner was at the guest discretion with everyone heading there own way. Dave and I headed to Murphys Irish Pub for an old fashioned Pub meal and a chance to catch up with Craig Tapp. An old mate of ours from Sydney who now teaches out West and is actually the head pro at The Links at Kennedy Bay. It was great see him and meet his wife Jo and talk about old times and what lies on the horizon.Day 3 started in the hotel Restaurant again with breakfast and we headed up the road to our golf school destination at Whaleback Golf Club. This is an 18 hole public golf course with a two storey driving range, chipping green, bunker and putting green. It is run by a friend of ours Peter Hopkins who is a golfing legend in West Aus having been a club professional, teacher, player and administrator for years and years and it was very kind of him to have us at his facility allowing us to do what we do. This facility really is as good as anywhere i have been. It was clean, tidy, modern, roomy. I mean it was awesome. Nothing like anything we have in Sydney and a credit to all involved. Dave and i started with a putting clinic in the morning which ran for about two hours and then we had lunch. After lunch we took the group for a one and a half hour session on the chipping green and worked on the short game. After a coffee break we went to the range for a final session working on any golf swing issues we had noticed over the first two days, it was a great day. After the school we were meet by Pat our non golfing participant for a casual dinner overlooking the course and it's facilities recapping the days activities. After golf it was off to the second leg of our trip which was up north at the vines resort up in the WA hills. We were greeted by a magnificent resort which was to be our home for the next two nights. After checking in it was back to the bar to watch the State of Origin with our new friends and anyone else who was interested. The perfect finish to a great day.
Day 4 we had a late start for golf so David and I headed out to tour the facility what a great place. This was the venue for the Johnny Walker Classic for a few years in the late 2000's and it would prove to be a test for all of us. We started the day with bunker clinic at the clubs first class facility and a warm up before our round. The wind had got up a little today but most notable the terrain had changed. The first two days were seaside with saltbush and pot bunkers now we were in the foothills with gum trees, black boys, heaps of bunkers and lots of water. What a contrast. What a great course, Undulating fairways, strategically placed bunkers and greens like i have never seen before. The big winner today was Rod who drove the ball very impressively and kept his ball out of the bunkers the best of all of us. You can see why this was chosen as a tournament course for those years, but it does amazes me how good these guys score, because we weren't even in the ball park. Dinner again tonight was at the guests discretion and they chose to eat together (which was nice) Dave and I went to catch up with some family which was great fun.
The 3rd hole on the Quarry Course at Joondalup
The last day we travelled to Joondalup which for me was the highlight of the trip. Joondalup is the #1 golf resort in the country and #18 on the Australian rankings and the quarry nine was something i had heard a lot about and was ready to witness. The whole course winds through the quarry with some being filled with water (the lakes nine), some they have mounded up (the dunes) and some they have left natural (the Quarry) and the whole golf course was a great experience. like nothing i have played in Australia before. The big winner today was Shirley who cleaned all the boys up with her straight driving and improved short game. After the round we had a farewell dinner at the members clubhouse at Joondalup and all sat around talking about the great trip we had been through together. These were a great group of people, fantastic accommodations, gorgeous weather and some of the best courses i have ever played and it was all over. Special thanks to all the clubs for making their facilities available to us with a special thanks to Peter Hopkins who really opened up his doors for us. To all the Professionals for allowing David and I to access your facilities it was very much appreciated and all the hotel staff for looking after us so well. Last but not least our travelling companions for being such great sports, trips like these never go without a hitch and you guys were easy to deal with and a pleasure to spend time with and we are very happy you were there with us and to my old mate David whom with out all his help we could definitely not have done this trip in the style that we did. Thanks mate. By the way our side bet was each 9 hole and 18 hole score and over the 8 nines Dave won 1 and I won 6 and we tied 1 and I won all four 18's. It will be all on again in the states in September.
If you would like more information on our US trip coming up in Sept go to http://www.absolutegolf.com.au/ or contact us. Times running out and we only have a few spots left.
See you on the course.
Jeff Mansfield
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