RORY IS READY TO WIN AGAIN!

The Inspiration is there - honestly!

Having just watched Rory defeat Tiger for the second year in a row in their second big-money bash at Mission Hills I am going to predict that WeeMac is ready to win again - and soon!

Despite all the negative talk about his 'annus horribilis' of 2013, what with the equipment change and now his current ongoing battle in the Dublin courts with his management company, Rory was looking decidedly chipper as he tootled around for his million dollar bash with his adversarial pal Tiger.

If you get a chance to watch this, especially their back nine, just have a listen to the sound of Rory's ball striking. If you have ever been to watch the top players up close you will be aware, especially if you spend a bit of time watching these guys on the range, the different sound the top players make with their impact on the ball. It is something mere mortals like me can only dream of. Well watch and listen to Rory now with his new driver/ball combination. It is simply a thing of beauty.

His results weren't too bad either, crunching his drives well over 300 yards and more often than not, bang in the centre of the fairway. His approach play too was of stellar proportions generally, although he claims to need to fine tune his wedges a tad. Unfortunately, as of late, he has been prone to throw in the odd stupid 3-putt and he managed to do this on Monday again but I doubt if he would have missed his second putt had it been in tournament play. However, he needs to watch this and is no doubt fully aware of this sometimes cavalier approach.

Talking of cavalier (with no intended reference to Brandel Chamblee!), Tiger's play was of a pretty high standard as well, finishing at 5-under to Rory's 6-under finish, and he was very complimentary about the state of Rory's game and also confident that a win was not far away.

There was one thing about the broadcast that I found completely unbelievable! Here in Spain, I was able to watch it, unedited, on the CANAL+ GOLF channel. The players were both 'miked up' enabling the viewers to enjoy the banter and chat between players and caddies. However, in Tiger's case, the chat and banter was liberally littered with some fairly foul language and, along with his disgusting spitting habit we were regaled with the gutteral build-up to his expectorating throughout the match. No doubt, by the time it reaches SKY or the DVD release it will be suitably cleaned up so as not to offend anyone but come on, wouldn't you think a player in his position could learn to clean his act up a little!

Anyway, back to Rory. Going into the WGC - HSBC Champions tournament in Sheshan it is hard to believe that he is currently lying outside the required 60th spot to reach the final stage in the Race to Dubai and just inconcievable that he might not make it. He still has the option of playing in Turkey should he need to but somehow I don't think that will be necessary.

Remember when Rory was a 'bit off' in 2012 before bouncing back to win his second Major by 8 shots? It would not surprise me in the slightest were he to pull it off again this week. Maybe a tad premature but I'm going to have a few quid on him just in case.


GmacSpain

GOLF IN NORTHERN PORTUGAL

THINK PORTUGAL – THINK PORTO!

If you talk about Portugal to any golfer they will invariably think immediately of the many well-known courses on the country's popular destination of the Algarve on the south coast. However, there is a whole other world of golf to be had in the rest of this beautiful country on the Atlantic coast and we recently had the opportunity to experience a part of that in the northern part of the country.

A consortium of golf courses and hotels have got together and formed the Penta Package which allows you to play a combination of all or any of the five amazing golf courses on offer – each one offering something quite special and unique in our opinion.

The Penta Package allows you to create your own combination of venues and courses, which all lie within about an hour of the beautiful city of Porto. Should you choose to base yourself in Porto itself, there are a number of hotels available within the package.

Charles Skeffington

Our first stop was the Hotel Solverde which served as our departure point for our first round of golf at the Oporto Golf Club. Founded in 1890, this is the oldest course on the Iberian peninsula and the third oldest course in the whole of continental Europe and as such holds a very important place in the golfing history. The course remains very much as it has always been and as such, it is an absolute joy for the purists of the game without the tricked-up features that have become the norm for modern course designers. Stepping in to the clubhouse is like stepping back in time. Full of memorabilia, not least, the Skeffington Cup, wait for it, the oldest continuously played cup in the world and named after the founder and first president, since 1891. Now that takes some beating.

Our next stop was to prove to be something completely different, and something the like of which I have not experienced in nearly fifty years of my golfing life – Amarante. Our base for this visit was one of the most exquisite and unique hotels I have had the privilege of staying in – the Casa de Calçada. 

 

Amarante is a 'mountain' golf course – the only way I can describe it!. Starting on the first tee and hitting into the wide blue yonder against a most stunning backdrop of the region, the green seems like 100 feet below you, may even be more! A course like this is not going to be everyone's cup of tea and definitely not one I would even contemplate without the use of a buggy. Having said that, this is a golfing experience like no other you may have undergone before. Set among rolling, no, steep hills and valleys, with outstanding views which may help to soothe you as I guarantee your golfing patience will be tested to the limit! The pressures of the golf will be eased greatly by the wonderful hospitality of the folk, both at the course and the hotel. For any non-golfers the tranquility of the hotel is a haven for anyone.

Breakfast in Vidago Palace

Our next stop was yet another gem – Vidago Palace. Built in 1910 as a weekend 'playground' for the King of Portugal, although he never got to enjoy it, it was later turned into a luxurious hotel. In 1930, the renowned course designer, Mackenzie Ross laid out the original 9 holes in front of the palace and these were later incorporated in the redesign by Cameron and Powell. There are many fine golf holes on this course and you will not be disappointed with your two closing holes, the par 5 17^th and a testing par 3 to finish, downhill from 200 metres to a generous but severely undulating green.

The Vidago Palace Hotel itself is stunning but should you be working to a tighter budget you may want to consider the Hotel Perfume Primavera, situated right at the entrance to the palace gates. This is a very pleasant boutique-style hotel and also available within the Penta Package. As with every venue we stayed, the quality of the cuisine and the standard of service were excellent.

Our next destination was Ponte de Lima. Our hotel was one of three we stayed in belonging to the Axis Group. This is a fairly basic, dormitory-style hotel but nonetheless with comfortable accommodation. This serves the Ponte de Lima golf course which offers two contrasting nines, the first akin to the mountain-style to be found at Amarante, but the second nine is a most enjoyable parkland layout.

We then headed back to Porto itself where we stayed in another Axis Hotel, the Vermar. This is a busy resort hotel with much refurbishment taking place which should bring it up to the standard of one of its sister hotels, the Axis Porto, our final stop of our tour.

Our final golfing destination was Estela Golf Club – a true test of pure links-style golf and one which will appeal to golfers of all levels. Played in a prevailing wind off the Atlantic, this will put your golf to the test and one which will hopefully be one of the gems that will remain in your memory for years to come. As ever, we were treated to some superb local cuisine in an excellent location overlooking the course and the Atlantic in all its glory – like Donegal on a good day!

Taylor's cellars

To cap off our trip we were treated to an evening at the Taylor's Wine Cellars. If your budget will stretch to it and you can take in the tour of the cellars, I guarantee that you will not be disappointed. The restaurant boasts outstanding views over the city of Porto so don't forget to bring your camera.

So to sum up our thoughts on golf in the north of Portugal, this is definitely a destination you should be adding to your 'bucket list'. It is an unknown to the majority of travelling golfers, which is the reason why the region is keen to promote it. You will experience some courses quite different to those you may be used to and others that could possibly rank amongst your all-time favourites.

As I have said, the cuisine is of a superb and consistent calibre and depending on your budget, there is a broad choice of hotels and accommodation to choose from, be it a palace or a hotel!

However, the one thing that will stand out on your visit to this region will be the quality of service and the friendliness of the people we met at each and every one of our destinations.

In summary – thinking of Portugal? – think Porto!

You can contact any of the hotels or golf courses in order to put together your desired itinerary from the Penta Package. In order to help you put together a package that suits you, here are a list of links to help you choose. This can be from 210 Euros per person for 5 rounds of golf or 150 Euros per person for 3 rounds of golf when staying at Casa da Calçada Relais & Chateaux, Vidago Palace or one of the Axis hotels at Solverde and Primavera.

GMacSpain

You can now follow me on Twitter @gmacespanya 

Links to views of Northern Portugal courtesy of Turismo de Portugal: Follow link for views of Northern Portugal

Axis Hotels and Golf: The Axis Group
Casa de Calcada:  Superb Romantic Hotel
Vidago Palace:  Live like a Lord
Primavera Perfume Hotel:  Exquisite Boutique Hotel
Amarante Golf:  The Mountain Golf Experience

Transportation:  For all transports, parking and shuttle service

CAN RORY WIN THE MASTERS?

 

LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION!

 

I had intended to write something in the lead-up to this year's Masters and then I received a nice heads-up from fellow LinkedIn member Roger Yates at www.rogeryatesgolfacademy.com and you can also Follow Roger @golfswami for all you Tweeters out there. Roger writes...

 

Greetings!  

  

April is the month of the first major of 2013, and the Masters from Augusta really is a perfect way to start things off.

 

The first few months of the year has seen some interesting golf played, with probably too much discussion about the difficulties of Rory McIlroy, and the 'return of Tiger'.

 

The top players build their schedules around the intention to peak their performance for certain events, namely the Majors, with the result that early season form is often unreliable as an indication of form for the year.

 

If a player wins early it might confirm that their winter preparation has been good,and it may well inspire confidence that carries them through the year, or it might just be a win against other players who are still trying to find their form.

 

If a player struggles early in the season it might just be a slow start, rather than any loss of ability or long term form.The best players understand this and continue to work towards their season's goals despite any early disappointments.

 

There is perhaps a lesson here for the club player, if you have worked hard through the winter months you can only judge it's effectiveness at the end of that season, not after the first event.

 

It is worth considering that mid way through last year, Rory McIlroy missed a few cuts, and golf's commentators questioned his dedication, and his lifestyle, yet by the season's end Rory won his second major, and became the World's No.1.

 

So stick with your plan for 2013, and if you don't have one.......best of luck.

 

Thanks Roger...

Regarding Rory and his well-publicised trials and tribulations, I have to say that I am somewhat surprised at his pre-Masters schedule. I know he has stated that he will try to cut back on his schedule this year, but the extent of his lack of play is a tad bewildering.

However, an encouraging finish at the WGC-Cadillac with a closing 65 and a gritty comeback in his first round at the Shell Houston Open, where he fought back from being +3 early on in his round, give me some indication of better days ahead. I am sure he feels some sense of relief with Tiger regaining the #1 spot in the world again.

Can he win the Masters? Yes, of course he can but this is maybe asking a bit much just yet. He is still lacking a degree of conviction with his ball-striking but his swing is looking good. Perhaps a little less paralysis by analysis is all it will take before he returns to his rightful slot - and next time I think he will be able to handle it better.

GMacSpain

 

NOTE ; You can now follow me on Twitter @gmacespanya

Bifurcation

No this is not where Sergio had to play his shot at the Arnold Palmer Invitational recently although you are right...it is a tree!

It looks like we may have to introduce a new word to our golfing vocabulary in the form of 'bifurcation', and yes, you may well say, 'what?'.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary definition of bifurcation states that it is, 'a division into two branches' and unless you have yet to come across this, it refers to a proposed change in the Rules of Golf which threatens to drive a stake through the fundamental principles of the game whereby we could end up with one set of rules for some and another set of rules for the rest. The rule makers of the game worldwide are the R&A and the USGA and they have proposed to impose a ban, not on long putters, but the anchoring of such devices to the body.

One of the fundamentals of the game is that the club should be 'swung' at the ball and that by anchoring the club to the body, this is no longer the case. Many golfers who have suffered from the 'yips' have found solace in the ability to anchor the putter to varying parts of their bodies, be it the belly, the chest and all the way up to the chin. Among the most famous golfers to have successfully extended their playing careers in the professional ranks, Bernhard Langer is possibly the most recognisable to those of us of a certain age.

However, within the past year or so we have now seen 3 out of the last 5 Major golf championships go to golfers using an anchored stroke namely, Webb Simpson, Keegan Bradley and Ernie Els. Of greater significance is the increase in younger players at the highest levels of amateur and professional golf who have never used anything other than a belly-type putter.

This proposal has created a huge furore in the golfing world with the US PGA and its associated tours, threatening to boycott this proposal, thereby creating a divide throughout the golfing world.

My question is, why did they ever allow these clubs to be permitted in the first place? Also, now that the ruling bodies have seen their precious Major trophies falling into the hands of those who use them, is this simply a knee-jerk reaction to their growth in the game.

There are many other areas of the game that should perhaps be given greater attention and focus such as the bane of slow play and the effects of technology with clubs and balls but I think we shall leave that for another day.

What do you think?

GMacSpain

Introduction

Hello to anyone out there who may get to read this...

I am trying this out as an add-on to my website at www.golflinksspain.com so please let me know if you receive this.

How do I change the layout such as background?

Hasta pronto...