This month's golf news and features

A.G.M. WELL ATTENDED
The annual general meeting of the society was held as planned on 1st February at Palm Hills proceeded by a tournament.
There was more than 40 members who attended the assembly and there was a free and open discussion on a variety of subjects, such as green fee prices, types of competitions, having this report on a web page on the internet (which is observergroup.net), guests handicaps, home courses, informing members of the golf clubs that give us a preferential rate, and formation of a new committee in the light of the resignations of secretary Colin Devonshire and treasurer Jack Leopold.
The new committee is as follows:
Chairman Martin Furzer 2 year term
Vice Chairman Peter Gouldby 1 year term
Captain Bernie Morgan 2 year term
Treasurer Wolfgang Paterski2 year term
Secretary Michael Evans 2 year term
Committee Per Eriksson 1 year term
" Fritz Schroeder 1 year term
At the end of their terms the outgoing committee can stand for re-election is they so wish.
Colin and Jack in their absence were thanked for the work and effort they put in during the last couple of years.
Those present were asked if they knew of any deserving charities in Hua Hin as we now have upwards of 100,000 Baht to distribute in kind to a good cause.
Recent results: 22nd Jan at Sawang, 47 players, A group 1st Peter Gouldby 39 pts, 9 hcp, 2nd Jesper 38 pts, 18 hcp. B group 1st Beat (visitor) 40 pts, 32 hcp, 2nd Tip 38 pts 24 hcp.
25th Jan at Milford, 29 players A grp 1st Roger Smith 33 pts, 8 hcp, 2nd Roger Kinleen 32 pts 9 hcp, B grp 1st Helmut Ruchti 39 pts 25 hcp, 2nd James Barber 35 pts 27 hcp.
29th Jan 47 players A grp 1st Herbie 71 net 14 hcp, 2nd Jim Lynch 72 net 20 hcp, B grp 1st Tip 40 pts, 24 hcp, 2nd Barbara (visitor) 38 pts, 24 hcp.
1st Feb at Palm Hills, 55 players A grp 1st Peter Gouldby 70 net 9 hcp, 2nd David Winfield 71 net 13 hcp, B grp 1st James Barber 37 pts, 27 hcp, 2nd Mike Siegert 36 pts, 27 hcp.
5th Feb at Kaeng Krachan 36 players, Texas Scramble 4 ball, 9 teams. 1st Peter Gouldby, Toby, Norman and Jean Menzies 59.8 pts off 9.2 hcp, 2nd Mick Evans, Peter Korn, Birgitta and Borit 59.8 off 8.2 hcp.
8th Feb at Royal Ratchaburi (military course Panurangsi), first time for society, excellent condition and very good value 420 Baht green fee and caddy. 36 players A grp 1st Michael (guest of Ulf) 39 pts 2 hcp, 2nd Tony Scambler 39 pts 9 hcp, B grp 1st Jane Lockwood 40 pts 30 hcp, 2nd Mike Anderson 39 pts 21 hcp.
12th Feb at Springfield 53 players A grp 1st Johnnie (visitor) 68 net 12 hcp, 2nd Mike Anderson 70 net 19 hcp, B grp 1st Tip 35 pts, 23 hcp, 2nd Borit 36 pts 30 hcp.
15th Feb at Lake View 47 players A grp 1st Mick Evans 69 net 12 hcp, 2nd Bernie 69 net 16 hcp, B grp 1st Luciano 37 pts 26 hcp, 2nd Fred Kroll 35 pts, 25 hcp.
MARCH FIXTURES FOR
HUA HIN GOLF SOCIETY
1st Fri Palm Hills 1st tee off 10.08
5th Tues Dragon Hills Bus 8am Bazaar
8th Fri Majestic 1st tee off 9.04
12th Tues Hua Hin 1st tee off 9am
15th Fri Springfield 1st tee off 10 am
19th Tue Sawang Bus 8am Bazaar
22nd Fri Milford 1st tee off 9am
26th Tue Lake View 1st tee off 9.12
29th Fri Royal Ratchaburi Bus 8am Bazaar

Pro Tips - Putter

There comes a time when your putting starts to get so bad you lose all confidence in your ability to put the ball in the hole. Every hole you play, you run the risk of screwing it up and adding “one extra stroke” on it because you’ve lost your putting stroke. Maybe your whole game starts to suffer, as you put extra pressure on the rest of your game to get the ball closer to the hole to take pressure off your putting game. You try to drive it farther than you’re capable, and end up hacking it out of deep rough. You gamble with your irons, risking trouble in bunkers. You try to chip it too close and end up going by too far. All because of the pressure put onto you by your lack of confidence in your ability to either make putts you should make, or get down in two from distances you should get down in two in. Maybe you need putting lessons. Getting a tune-up on your fundamentals, getting the feel for distance, building a stroke that will stand up under pressure... all of these things will need to be addressed to improve your putting. But all the lessons, and practice, and all of that time spent, won’t really help if the damn thing doesn’t feel right. Maybe you need a new putter!
TECHNOLOGY HAS MADE A QUANTUM LEAP IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
There are new putters out there that can blow away some of the older models in terms of feel, weighting, balance. True, some golfers have their favorite older model where they’ve got that small sweet spot in the hitting area figured out just perfectly. To you, I suggest you stay with what works. But, fellow golfers, there are new hi-tech putters out there that can astound you with what they can do. Or, rather, what you can do with them. They feel perfect. Practically EVERYTHING you hit is on a sweet spot.
IF YOUR PUTTER DOESN’T FEEL RIGHT IN YOUR HANDS, YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BE VERY CONFIDENT.
It’s got to feel right in your mind, as well as in your hands. You have to transfer the thought of “making the putt” to your hands, which are what controls the club, so that they make a stroke that will make the ball go in the hole. If the mind/hands/stroke process doesn’t feel right, you WILL miss a lot of putts you should be making. You have to have a club that makes the mind think you will hit a shot that will go in.
YOUR MIND NEEDS TO THINK SOMETHING IS DIFFERENT.
Otherwise, you will continue to reinforce the same bad habits and negative feelings. The mind needs to feel there’s a reason for it to suddenly start thinking you will MAKE these crucial putts. The mind will think it’s business as usual, and here come some more missed putts, IF you don’t do something to change the downward spiral. Getting a new putter at least gives the mind a reason to think, “hey, maybe this new club will make a difference.” Going back to one of your old putters can “fool your mind” into thinking you’re a successful putter again. Or maybe getting a new grip on your existing putter can help, but SOMETHING must be done to change your mental state.
CONFIDENCE COMES FROM SUCCESS.
Making putts consistently will make your mind think that you will make putts at crunch time in a round. How do you get the mind to think that way? One way is to practice at distances where you can’t miss. Putt one footers if you have to, but regaining the feeling of making it all the time, without ever missing, is one road back to regaining confidence. Of course, you’re goal is to practice making it from distances beyond gimme range, so go out further from the hole, make two footers, three footers, four footers consistently, and that will help you feel like you will make one of that distance next time one pops up in a round. Your goal is to regain confidence from those three to ten foot putts that need to go in often.
SUCCESS COMES FROM... (SOMETIMES) ... A NEW PUTTER.
There’s a golfer I “know”... who had (see above) all of this bad stuff going wrong with his putting. Couple of three putt greens would pop up per round. Yeah, he could make the one, two and three footers. But, four, five, six? They were definitely maybes. Some went in, some didn’t. Many didn’t go in that should have. He got sick of seeing good ball striking rounds sabotaged by bad putting. Practice with the same putter he has used for each of the last ten years did not help. He’d still miss key putts during a round. Then he practiced with this new, hi-tech putter. It felt great. Everything seemed to either get real close, or some of those damn things went in. He bought an Odyssey mallet head putter. Now, he likes being on the green. Everything has a chance to go in. Pars are being saved, not blown. Three putts have vanished from the vocabulary. Putting is fun again. All, thanks to that new putter. And some practice, of course. But, he’s sure it would have been “business as usual” had he not changed to the new, hi-tech putter. The money spent on this putter was worth every penny. Golf became more fun again. Probably four to five strokes per round were being saved by the couple of extra made putts per round, as well as the closer lag putts that resulted from a more confident stroke. The new putter helped breed success... which helped breed confidence... which helped lower the damn golf score! Think of where you fit in regarding these five levels of confidence as you stand over your next putt. 1. You know it’s not going to go in.2. You think it’s probably not going to go in. 3. You have no idea... it’s a maybe. It could miss, it might go in.4. You think it will probably go in. 5. You know it’s gonna go in. If you are Level 1, 2 or 3, and you’d like to be Level 4 or 5, maybe you should think about getting a new putter. (And of course you should practice. And gracious sakes alive, take lessons if you’re at Level #1) One of the best things about golf is the feeling that you are getting better. A new putter can help your putting, help you get better. And dare I say it, can even make you CONFIDENT about this game. Good luck.

Caddies - don't you just love 'em

A hack golfer spends a day at a plush country club, playing golf, enjoying the luxury of a complimentary caddy. Being a hack golfer, he plays poorly all day. Round about the 18th hole, he spots a lake off to the left of the fairway.
He looks at the caddy and says, "I've played so poorly all day; I think I'm going to go drown myself in that lake."
The caddy looks back at him and says, "I don't think you could keep your head down that long."
One day, a scotsman went playing golf. After standing a while on the green he asked the boy standing beside him: "You are my caddie for today?"
"Yes," answered the boy.
"You are good in finding lost balls?"
"Oh yes, I find every lost ball!"
"Okay, boy, then run and search for one, then we can start!"
Golfer: "Notice any improvement today, Jimmy?"
Caddie: "Yes, ma'am. You've had your hair done."
Then there's the one about the golfer and his caddie who enjoyed a good argument, especially about what clubs to use. The caddie usually won but this day, faced with a long short hole, the golfer decided that a 3-iron would be best.
"Take a 5 wood ," growled the caddie. But the golfer stuck to his choice and the caddie watched gloomily as the ball sailed over the fairway, landed neatly on the green and rolled politely into the hole.
"You see," grinned the triumphant golfer.
"You would have done still better with your 5 wood," came the dogged reply.

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