Matchplay Schedule

(Team Alpha Listed first in Blue, Team Bravo in Red)

Tuesday 9th
          Jubilee Course - 6424 Yards, Par 72

Singles: Andrew Doig V Joe Hosken
Fourballs: Jack Harrison/ Dan Thompson V Adam Pearson/Craig Hetherington

Wednesday 10^th
          New Course - 6395 Yards, Par 71

Singles: Jack Harrison V Craig Hetherington
Fourballs: Dan Thompson/Andrew Doig V Joe Hosken/Adam Pearson

Thursday 11th
          Castle Course - 6376 Yards, Par 71

Singles: Dan Thompson V Adam Pearson
Fourballs: Andrew Doig/Jack Harrison V Craig Hetherington/Joe Hosken

- We will also play one scheduled practice round on the Strathtyrum Course on Tuesday morning.

Joe Hosken - Team Bravo

Name: Joe Hosken.

Nickname: Square.

Handicap: Currently 16.

Favourite Golfer: Rory McIlroy.

Why? Beautiful golf swing.

Favourite Club in the Bag: 7 Iron.

Dream Fourball: Myself, Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Seve Ballesteros.

European Tour or PGA Tour: PGA Tour.

Flop Shot or Bump & Run: Bump & Run.

 British Open or Masters: British Open.

Which Course Would You Most Like to Play at: Turnbury, Ailsa Course.

Why? Beautiful course, beautiful scenery & beautiful people.

G'Mac or Lil' Mac: Lil’ Mac.

Who in Golf Would You Most Like To Meet: Lee Trevino.

Why?  Born Entertainer.

Jack Harrison - Team Alpha

Name: Jack Harrison. 

Nickname: Wacko.

Handicap: Currently 9.

Favourite Golfer: Graeme McDowell

Why? Because he is a different ‘G’. (A different class)

Favourite Club in the Bag: 64^o Wedge.

Dream Fourball: Myself, Soren Kjeldson, Jeev Milkha Singh and Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño

European Tour or PGA Tour: European Tour.

Flop Shot or Bump & Run: Flop Shot.

 British Open or Masters: Masters.

Which Course Would You Most Like to Play at: St. Andrews, Old Course.

Why? It’s the home of golf.

G'Mac or Lil' Mac: G’Mac.

Who in Golf Would You Most Like To Meet: Liang Wen-Chong

Why?  To tell him he has a tragic golf swing.

Adam Pearson - Team Bravo

Name: Adam Pearson.

Nickname: Ploppy.

Handicap: Currently 15.

Favourite Golfer: Laura Davies.

Why? 75 wins on any tour is impressive...

Favourite Club in the Bag: The trusty 7 wood.

Dream Fourball: Myself, Michele Wie, Rocco Mediate and Colin Montgomerie.

European Tour or PGA Tour: Challenge Tour if possible..?

Flop Shot or Bump & Run: Flop Shot.

 British Open or Masters: Masters

Which Course Would You Most Like to Play at: Whistling Straits.

Why? To see the rare Scottish Blackface Sheep.

G'Mac or Lil' Mac: Lil’ Mac.

Who in Golf Would You Most Like To Meet: Jim Furyk.

Why?  For some swing tips...

Dan Thompson - Team Alpha

Name: Dan Thompson.

Nickname: Goose.

Handicap: Currently 4.

Favourite Golfer: Ernie Els.

Why? Calm demeanour and beautifully smooth swing.

Favourite Club in the Bag: Gap Wedge.

Dream Fourball: Myself, Ernie Els, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

European Tour or PGA Tour: European Tour.

Flop Shot or Bump & Run: Flop Shot.

 British Open or Masters: British Open.

Which Course Would You Most Like to Play at: TPC Sawgrass.

Why? To be able to play the most iconic par 3 in the world, 17^th.

G'Mac or Lil' Mac: G’Mac.

Who in Golf Would You Most Like To Meet: Jack Nicklaus.

Why?  To pick up tips to improve my game.

Craig Hetherington - Team Bravo

Name: Craig Hetherington.

 Nickname: Scratty.

Handicap: Currently 12.

Favourite Golfer: Seve Ballesteros.

Why? Played the game with passion.

Favourite Club in the Bag: 7 Iron.

Dream Fourball: Myself, Seve Ballesteros, Father and Miguel Angel Jimenez.

European Tour or PGA Tour: European Tour.

Flop Shot or Bump & Run: Flop Shot.

British Open or Masters: British Open.

G'Mac or Lil' Mac: Lil’ Mac.

Which Course Would You Most Like to Play at: St. Andrews, Old Course.

Why? Home of golf.

Who in Golf Would You Most Like To Meet: Dennis Pugh.

Why?  Genius coach.

Andrew Doig - Team Alpha

Name: Andrew Doig.

Nickname: Doigy.

Handicap: Currently 19.

Favourite Golfer: Camillo Villegas.

Why? Plays golf with no fear and is always willing to make a fashion statement on the course.

Favourite Club in the Bag: Go to club is the 5 Iron. Putter when it's hot though.

Dream Fourball: Myself, My Dad, Jack Nicklaus and Happy Gilmore.

European Tour or PGA Tour: PGA Tour.

Flop Shot or Bump & Run: Bump & Run.

British Open or Masters: British Open.

G'Mac or Lil' Mac: G'Mac!

Which Course Would You Most Like to Play at: Augusta National

Why? The history, heritage and to know I'm one of an elite few to play the special course.

Who in Golf Would You Most Like To Meet: Tiger Woods

Why? Like most people, to find out if he believes he will ever again be the golfer he used to be.

Player Profiles

As Promised we are going to be uploading some player profiles of the group going away on the tour. Whilst away on tour, in order to add a competitive edge, we have split the group into two teams. Team names are yet to be decided so in the meantime they will be referred to as Team Alpha and Team Bravo.

Balgove Course

 
This short 9 hole golf course underwent severe remodelling through the early 1900's to make the small course what it is now. The course was designed to welcome anyone to St. Andrews and allow them to try out some of the scaled down challenges of those that they could be facing if they went out to play the championship courses in the St. Andres Links Trust. The Balgove course offers everyone the chance to develop their game in a fun environment.

'With shallow bunkers, gently undulating greens and wide fairways'

Many people will turn away from this 9 hole golf course when they see the green fee but fail to realise that the £15 you pay will get you twice round, resulting in a social and pleasant 18 holes at the home of golf. Our group will certainly be taking advantage of the Balgove course through our week!

Strathtyrum Course

The Strathtyrum Course was only opened in 1993 but it already has built up it's very own pedigree as a very good golf course and much deserved of it's place in the St. Andrews Links Trust. This 18 hole layout compliments perfectly the other courses around the complex. Don't be fooled into thinking that this is an easy round of golf because there are only 15 bunkers on the entire course.

'The bunkers are cunningly placed and the mounding around the greens place a considerable emphasis on iron play accuracy'

Even if you manage to hit the greens in regulation, you could still be facing lengthy birdie putts. The greens are large and have discrete slopes and borrow which would be able to test any golfer, even when putting at their best. In recent years the fairways and greens have had sand added to them in order to give them the links style firmness. As well as firming the greens, they have also been enlarged slightly so that there are now a range of different pin positions available to the ground staff. New medal tees have been added to the course to lengthen the course an extra 500 yards to its current capacity of 5620 yards.

Jubilee Course

The Jubilee Course is one of high class and defines links golf in everyway possible. The rolling fairways, the wispy rough, the contoured greens and not forgetting the pot bunkers, this course can be as tough to tame as any of the other courses in the complex when the wind and rain get going. The course has a more heath land feel about it than the other courses, this comes from the area of land the course has been developed on. The course was made ready in just three months in the original 12 hole layout, originally made for ladies and beginners, later re-designed to 18 holes and opened to everyone.


'Created on a narrow strip of prime golfing land between the New Course and the sea, the Jubilee was originally intended for ladies and beginners.'

Although the course isn't long at 6424 yards, one thing it certainly isn’t short and definitely not a pushover. A lot of the holes rely on the undulating greens and rough to the side of fairways to catch out the golfer as many of the holes are very straight with only one or two dogleg holes. The 18th hole on the Jubilee Course takes a lot of its character from the finishing hole on the Old Course. Although not drivable like the 18th at the Old Course, 'Honeyman's Howe' as the hole is known, the hole from an aerial view look similar to the Old Course with the pathway cutting across the fairway, the rolling fairway and sloped green are shared characteristics. The 18th hole on this Jubilee Course sums up the entire course in a nutshell, although they may look simple, there is definitely a challenge on every hole and a level par round on this course is, as always in St. Andrews, well earned!

New Course

The New Course defines links golf better than many courses around the world. This classic links setup mixing undulating fairways and challenging greens has been St. Andrews 'New Course' since Old Tom Morris set out the course in 1895. Exactly...not so new! The course is of traditional links 'out and back layout' with the 18th green residing next to the 1st tee. The course also takes many of its features from it's sister course, the world famous Old Course, by sharing fairways and more famously sharing greens, the example on the New Course being the double green between the 3rd and 15th holes.

'If the New was situated next to any other course in the world than the Old its star would have shone with a far greater degree of brilliance.'

The Course isn't the longest at just 6395 yards but like all of the courses within the St. Andrews Links complex provides the most able of golfers with a challenge. From looking at the card, the par 4 6th hole has to be the signature hole. At 480 yards it is going to take two mighty blows to reach the green and even then the undulating greens will not leave any putt as a gimmie. With there being no bunkers on the hole, the hole very much relies on the weather and course contours to challenge the player.
 

Castle Course

As promised, here is the first of hopefully 5 reviews of all of the courses that our tour party will be playing over the course of the week we are away.

The First course is the Castle Course, we will be looking to play this course on our first day of play, the Tuesday, probably in the afternoon depending on course availability.

'Set on a rugged cliff line overlooking the ancient town of St Andrews, the course combines breathtaking views with a memorable golfing challenge.'

 
The Castle Course is a typical Scottish Links layout, a course which at a yardage of 6376 off the yellow tees, isn't massively long, but the mix of protected par 3's and risk and reward par 5's, the Castle Course will challenge golfers of all abilities. The course, as previously mentioned, is set on the cliff line of St. Andrews town and so it goes without saying the course is exposed to the elements, when the wind picks up, even the 129 yard par 3 eighth becomes a challenge. On many of the holes around this golf course, par is a good score!

Sponsorship Continued....

If anybody has any questions to ask about the tour or sponsorship, or would like me to send them a letter outlining our tour and sponsorship hopes, please contact me on Doigy_10@hotmail.com
Thanks.

Courses @ St. Andrews

During the week, according to the St. Andrews Links Trust, we will have access to all of the courses on site apart from the Old Course and the Eden Course. This leaves us with access to the other 5 courses: Jubilee Course, New Course, Strathtyrum Course, Castle Course and the 9 hole Balgove Course. All the courses are designed to challenge even the most able of golfers and we fully expect to experience all the challenges each course has to offer ourselves. In the coming days we will be reviewing all of the courses we will be playing.

Sponsorship

Obviously such a tour, such an opportunity, doesn’t come about for a cheap price. The total cost for the whole group to go away, 7 boys aged 17+, is £1900. We are looking to raise as much money as possible to cover the cost of the trip and also help raise as much money for the Make-A-Wish foundation, a charity which means a lot to all of the boys involved.

'Make-A-Wish grants magical wishes to children and young people fighting life-threatening illnesses.'

We would like to support the charity and help them raise enough funds to grant other teenage wishes.

Please support both us and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Dates of Tour

The tour dates have been finalised! We will be travelling up to St. Andrews through the day Monday 8th August 2011and will be playing the courses on the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday respectively (which courses on which days is yet to be decided) and then we will be travelling back home to Newcastle on the Friday 12th of August 2011. With dates now set in stone with the tour company, finalisation of green fee prices and other such details are all to be looked at and finalised, hopefully before the end of the month, October 2010.
Here is the link to the St. Andrews Links Trust website, take a look for yourself, very useful website for anyone looking to book a tour away to the Home of Golf!
http://www.standrews.org.uk/

St. Andrews/Make-A-Wish

 St. Andrews - The Home of golf. These will be the courses we will be walking for 3 days in August 2011.

Make-A-Wish Foundation - The charity we will be supporting throughout the process of our tour.

Hello Followers!

The tour has now been confirmed! All members of the group are available the proposed week and so everything is going ahead! We are currently in talks with St. Andrews Links Trust to find some quotes on green fee passes, look expensive but look good deals on the course! We are also looking for some sponsorship from a couple of local companies in order to cut costs of the trip, stay logged in to find out more about the tour, itinerary etc all going up soon!