long time no blog...

What a poor effort......I put it down to playing too much golf!!!!!!

Anyway apologies for that. Its been a busy summer of golf and let me tell you where I've played over the last couple of months.....

Played at Piperdam in Scotland before the Open Championship at Carnoustie. It was an invitational day from the Andalucian Tourist board. It P**sed it down wth rain, but I persisted and came in 2nd (and ahead of my scumbag brother!!!) so it was worth it....

Had a good day playing with Ricardo from Almenara Golf Resort and also Salva from the hidden gem that is Santana.

Caroustie was fantastic and it was so brilliant to see Padraig win. I'm good mates with Padraig'sagent from IMG and he was delighted and partied hard for a few days. hopefully this result will mean more European players can "do the job" on the final day.

In August I played the Oulton Hall Golf Day on the Euro Pro Tour Pro Am. Great day. Good hotel and quite a nice course although it was a little tight in places, but generally well kept.....didn't play too well but enjoyed some of Richard Barker's hospitality.


Looking forward to the Rugby world cup starting this week.....come on Ireland

Angel Cabrera

Well done to Angel Cabrera for his win at Oakmont (what a brute of a course) in the 2007n US Open. Kept his nerve and held off a pretty focussed Tiger.

I also had a good win yesterday at Whitttlebury in the Mixed Foursomes - won at the 19th Hole..... Hit a great shot in to the green over water.......pretty pleased!!!!!!!!

Off to France soon to play La Baule and St Jean De Monts - anyone who has played these two please let me know.....

Marriott Worsley Park Pro Am

As earlier reported, I took my place at the Oceanico Group Pro Am event at Worsley Park last week. What a fantastic time I had. The weather wasn't great, but I was pleasantly surprised with the course, a couple of cracking holes, including the 7th, 12th and 13th my favourites.

What was great was that I played with a good Pro (Denny Lucas) and also Steve Davis (World Snooker God). I've got to say the banter was excellent and we finished the 10 holes in 11 under par to tie for first place, Steve was great company and a total legend!!!!

The Marriott Hotel at Worsley Park was very good, nice hotel and certainly one of the better properties in the North West

Woburn, lovely Woburn

My last golfing stop took me amongst the pines in leafy Bedfordshire to the glorious Woburn Golf Club.

Woburn boasts three brilliant golf courses, all of which have held large events. It was my pleasure to play the Dukes course (home to the Seniors European Tour Event).

The course is wonderful as it weaves its way amongst the dominating Pine Trees. All three golf courses give you a great feeling of isolation as you battle the tight fairways and lightning greens. The Dukes (despite a dousing of rain) was in great nick.

We came to the third hole and one of my all time favourite par 3's - just 128 yards with a 100 foot drop to the green - judging clubs is tough. A half punched 9 Iron saw my ball pitch pin high about 8 feet away, but the vicious green left me 30 feet. Woburn is a lot like that with great greens and hollows to swallow up the ball.

The other two courses at Woburn The Duchess and Marquess are superb, but I'll give you the low down later in the year........

Playing in a Pro Am!

The wonderful people at Vilamoura Golf, have kindly extended an invitation to play in there pro am team at the Marriott Worsley Park event in May. The event is part of the Challenge Tour, one level down from the European Tour, but should still be slightly nerve wracking!!

Worsley is supposed to be a good track, but I'll update you on what I think after my virginity is broken.

Hanbury Manor

I receive numerous invites to play different courses, most which I kindly decline (so that I actually do some work for most of the week. However when an invite for a corporate golf day at Hanbury Manor dropped on my desk, I immediately accepted.



I've played Hanbury three times now. I absolutely love the course. It is always really well kept and can pride itself on very good greens.



The front and the back nine are very different.



The first is a driveable par 4 with a huge hollow protecting a raised and undulating green which is a real 3 putter. The second is a short and tempting Par5 but a shallow green is protected by a lake so gives a real risk reward.



the Par 4 8th is stroke index 1. A long sweeping par 4 with a pond protecting a tilted green.



The back nine is good, two short but tricky par 3's and with par 4's using the water cleverly it has some great features.



My favourite is another shortish Par 5 narrowing to an approach shot over water to a 2 tiered green. I won longest drive there on the day (over 300 yards - very good for me!!!!).







Hanbury's hotel by Marriott is a good 5 star and the whole complex is a very good and different offering to the Grove.

Carton House Ireland

My trip to Carton House was just a stunning experience from beginning to end. Situated near Maynouth, close to Dublin, this golf resort boasts two golf courses. The highly acclaimed (and former home to the Irish Open), the Montgomerie is a terrific challenge. It has a linksy feel with a huge emphasis on Bunkering. The first sets you off across the River Rye and the Eighteenth returns you to the Hotel alongside the river.

In between are some great holes, with the 4th, 5th 12 and 14th all springing to mind. The main strength of the course is the greens. They are immaculate - and the best I have putted on.

The Eighteenth Green on the Montgomerie.

The O'Meara course is the less written about, but I thought the course was brilliant, especially the back nine. It really uses the River Rye well (unlike its sister course the Monty) and the finishing stretch (15 16 and 17 are just brilliant. The greens were in good shape, despite being less attended to than the Monty.

All in all a must for your Irish Golf Break

US Masters Result!!

As you will see from my previous post, I fancied Zach Johnson for the Masters and had a small bet on the young American and found my self £200 better off!!! Thanks Mr Johnson, what a result. It was a terrific final day, with the world's best golfers rising to the topof the leaderboard. My only comment was that the course played too tough.

We have enough events (US Open and US PGA) where they make par the target finishing score. The Masters has nver been about that..... 13 seemed to be taken out of Eagle range which meant less gambling (although Tiger and Padraig obliged on the final day!!).

On my recent golfing travels I played 2 UK courses.

Wychwood Park, not a bad track but a couple of internal out of bounds which were peculiar. But an interesting course none the less, very good finishing Par 5 up the hill protected by a pond on the right. Well worth a knock. The Hotel is basic......enough said!!


I also played Merrist Wood in Surrey , a really good layout, but they were doing a lot of work on the course and to be frank the greens were a disgrace....... It has a good Amen Corner 9 - 13 with some lovely holes. Beware the Gyppo Camp along the 12th apparently they are known to hop on from time to time!!!

Tiger in ominous form.....

Decided to have small punt on the WGC CA Chmpionship (the second World Golf Championship event of the year).

Played on the Blue Monster at Doral, the 72 hole strokeplay event consisted of all the top players in the world.

I have an affinity for Padraig Harrington of Ireland, he is a very steady performer who can shoot very low on his day and is a good scrambler. He was 40-1 and I took him each way.

My second horse was Nick O'Hern again each way but at 100-1 he was good odds......

Cant believe he came in 6th - just missed out by one shot...........

Bloody typical!!!!!!!

I've kept money on Harrington for the Masters, not sure who else to go for..... Tiger is way too short to be worth betting on - but I will be interestes in the odds for Zach Johnson, the improving young american and also may be Paul Casey (Who has gone well there before).

Any advice or tips gladly received.........

Five Lakes, Near Maldon in Essex

Five Lakes is a 4 star hotel in Essex, which has two golf courses (the Lakes and the Links).


I've been there 3 times now and have to say its one of my favourite UK golf destinations. Ok, so the second course isn't up to much and the courses are prone to waterlogging, but the Hotel is excellent, a very good 4 star, with good level of service and also good food.





The Lakes course is a great little course, not the longest, it has some memorable holes and like most resort courses the 9th and 18th are the signature holes.





Despite it being a bit of a drive, I would recommend Five Lakes it to all South East England Golf Trippers!!

Lisbon golf holidays

I have returned last month from a familirisation visit for Lisbon Golf Holidays

I was really impressed with all the courses. Firstly though, I had the pleasure in staying at the fabulous Sesimbra Hotel and Spa. A great 4 star hotel, situated on the beach with stunning views of the Atlantic and beach front at Sesimbra. Its about 45-55 minutes from Lisbon Airport. The drive isn't the best and the hotel is a bit tricky to find in the one way system, but its worth. Good food in the restaurant as well.... highly recommended.....

I played golf at Aroeira I and Aroeira II. Aroeira Golf Breaks are available and are a really good choice. The accommodation is self catering style apartments (although you can include a decent enough breakfast at the clubhouse each day for a small fee). The apartments are basic, but perfectly good enough for small families and groups of golfers.

The only issue is the lack of nightlife and you definitely need a car for the trip. Nearby is Caprica de Charneca - a traditional portugese village/town with a couple of very good and well priced restaurants.

Lisbon is about €40 by cab (so between 4 its pretty accessible). Good nightlife in Lisbon..... Say no more.

The courses at Aroeira are excellent. My preference is Aroeira II with great use of the trees and water.

The 18th is a great finishing hole:

Par 5 with Water running down the right and then around the green on the left - too much greed off the tee can put you in the drink, but its a really good risk reward hole.

Aroeira I is a lovely track as well, but perhaps slightly less featured than II, having said that, stroke index 2 11th is superb

Long Par 4 with a green protected by bunkers and a lake alongside it. Dont be long (as I found out to my cost - impossible up and down).

Further inland from Aroeira is the delightful Quinta Do Peru a cracking little track with a good club house. The 15th and 16th are great signature holes.

About an hours drive from Aroeira is Troia, what a course. A links style track with tiny greens and big bunkers, brilliant golf course - very tough. Its pretty unique as you have to take a ferry from Setubal to the peninsula. I was lucky enough to be making the journey when the local family of dolphins were pklaying in the water alongside the boats - to be honest I should have stoppped there and had a swim because my golf was unbelieveably bad!!

Troia golf course - watch out for the dolphins!!

I was really impressed with Southern Lisbon for your golf holiday, great venues and superb golf courses. The important thing for me though, was that it is still Portugal - traditional bars and good seafood. With Flights becoming more accessible to Lisbon I highly receommend your next golfing trip there!

As its St Patrick's Day (And I'm Irish) I though I'd post some of my favourite golf courses in Ireland.

Carton House

2 Great golf courses (The O'Meara and the Montgomerie). Host of the Nissan Irish Open for 2 years and has a superb hotel. Golf breaks to carton house are far more affordable than the K Club

The Montgomerie course has the famous boat house

Lahinch

What a track!!! - you have to play the old Tom Morris Course, also the castle course is a pretty good track as well.

Below Cork you'll find one of the most stunning courses ever......

Old Head of kinsale

Doesn't look real does it!!!!!!! - not sure that a ball retriever would work there....

Also if you get a chance to play Hermitage in Dublin - do it - brilliant course and My Uncle's the Captain there!!!