GOLFING IN PARADISE

By JOSE CALLEJA
General Manager, Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course

This week’s tip covers what you need when playing in the rain.
Firstly, I would like to thank Mr. James Sowane and his team from Pacific Destinationz. Their efforts ensured another successful staging of the St Mary’s Golf Day with proceeds going to the St Mary’s church.
The wind and rain took its toll on the players during the St Mary’s Golf Day. One of the fundamental pieces of equipment necessary yet always overlooked by many players is wet weather clothing. Even though we are in Fiji we still require this item in our golf bag and it’s the best defense against the wind and rain. The following will assist you play better in the rain:

Jacket:

I carry a jacket in me golf bag all the time. The jacket should not be a tight fit because we need to be able to swing the golf club. To shelter you from the cold wind I suggest a few layers of light clothing, these are more effective in keeping you warm because air is trapped between the layers and keeps body heat in.

Pants: Pants are also necessary in the rain. The water running from your rain jacket flows down to your rain pants, keeping your trousers or golf shorts dry. Whenever I play in a tournament I always carry my rain pants, you need to be prepared.

Cap: The cap is so important in the rain. Body heat escapes from your head so it’s necessary to wear a cap. The cap’s visor also helps keep the rain of your face. You may want to turn your cap backwards so that the drops don’t interfere with your putting or chipping. Tiger Woods has been known to do this and it makes perfect sense. If you have watched a European Tour golf event which is held during winter you will notice most players use a beanie and some players even use mittens to their hands warm and maintain body heat.

Gloves: The glove helps you grip the golf club and you should have more than one in your golf bag. If you have wet gloves, chances are your club may go flying through the air. The club may also slip at impact and send your golf ball flying totally off line. You may even want to consider buying rain gloves, which have rubber beads on them to really help you grip the club in the rain. Before each swing, dry your hands and your grips with a towel. Also remove your glove after each swing and keep it dry.

Shoes: I have a pair of FootJoy Classics which have a Gore-Tex lining. I find this brand of golf shoes extremely comfortable however the most important feature is they keep my feet dry. So if wet feet are not to your liking I would seriously consider FootJoy shoes with Gore-Tex.

Umbrella: A large umbrella is certainly a must for the golf bag and a great place to hang your towel and glove. Remember we are trying to keep dry.

Focus: Remember that the conditions are affecting everyone else on the course as well. So stick to your pre-shot routine and don’t rush your shot. The rain will soften fairways so hit a 3 wood of the tee for extra carry. Hit your putts and chip shots a little firmer. Know the rules of casual water in fairways, bunkers, alongside hazards and on the green.
All these should improve your scoring and enjoyment whilst playing in the rain.

How I play the 17th at Natadola Bay
The 17th Hole measure 488 meters from the blue tees and is a personal favourite. I play a driver of the tee aiming to split the fairway. Ideally you want to drive the ball past the rise so that the ball runs an extra 25 meters. This leaves a second shot from 180 meters and depending on the wind I can play to the green in two with a 4 iron. A one putt for eagle and I can’t wait to get to the 18th tee
This week we provide a review on the Scotty Cameron Select Newport 2 Putter.
The following are the features of the Scotty Cameron Select Newport 2 Putter.

• This putter features precisely engineered surface and edges with over 30 shape and blend improvements.
• The putter is made of CNC milled 303 stainless steel for great feel.
• Its Deep Face Mill provides a soft, Tour preferred feel and sound.
• It features rich, dark, glare free black finish combined with red-dot graphics thus creating a modern but timeless look.
• Finally, this putter has select weighting features that is its heel-toe weightings can be matched to the shaft length or your feel preference.

If you are looking for a Putter with the above features that gives a better feel and consistency then try out the Scotty Cameron Select Newport 2 Putter. Please contact the Natadola Bay Golf shop on 6733500 if you are interested in purchasing one for yourself.

PGA Tour events update
Jason Dufner putts on the 18th green of the Byron Nelson PGA Championship.
Last week’s HP Byron Nelson Championship played at the TPC Four Seasons Resort Course, Irving Texas was won by Jason Dufner. Dufner fired a 3 under par 69 in the final round to win his second PGA Tour Title with a total score of 11 under par. His first title was won just three weeks ago at the Zurich Classic. Dufner has collected 500 Fedex Cup points and has moved from No.12 to No.1 with a total of 1435 points. The runner up was Dicky Pride who was one shot behind Dufner with a total score of 10 under par
This week’s event: This week on the PGA Tour heads we have the Crowne Plaza Invitational Tournament. It is scheduled from the 24th of May to the 27th of May and will be played at the Colonial Golf Course. The total prize purse for the tournament is $6.4 Million and the winner will collect $1.152 million and 500 Fedex cup points. The defending champion is Mr. David Toms.

LPGA Tour       
Last week’s Sybase Match Play Championship played at the Hamilton Farm Golf Club, Gladstone NJ. was won by Azahara Munoz. Azahara who is ranked 27th on the Rolex Ranking held off Candie Kung to win 2&1 in the final match. This is Munoz’s first LPGA victory. Munoz managed to win six matches and captured the title with a earning of $375,000.
This week’s event: This week the LPGA takes a break and the Ladies European Tour heads off to Germany for the UniCredit Ladies German Open. It is scheduled from the 24th of May to the 27th of May and will be played at the Golf Park Gut Hausern, Munich course. The field is limited to 126 players and the contracted prize fund for the tournament is EUR 350,000.

NATADOLA BAY COMPETITION RESULTS:
Last Saturday’s St. Mary’s Golf Day Ambrose Competition results are as follows:
Winning Team- Team ANZ Bank – 59.1 points
NEXT WEEKS COMPETITIONS AT NATADOLA BAY GOLF COURSE
The following competitions are scheduled for next week:

• 30/05/12 Wednesday Mixed Competition Stableford Competition (9am tee off)
• 01/06/12 Bula Friday Competition -Stroke (3pm tee off).
• 02/06/12 Open Competition – Stableford.

GOLF COURSE UPDATES
Natadola Bay Golf Club would like to advise members and guests that the golf course will be hosting the Koru Club Pro-Am Day 1 event on Thursday 31st of May 2012. Many top amateurs from overseas will be participating at Natadola Bay as this marks the commencement of the golfing calendar in Fiji. The event is a shot gun start commencing at 10:30 am and expected completion is 3:30 pm.
For members and guest interested in playing 9 holes in the afternoon please contact the Golf Shop on 6733500.

Mr Subodh Karnik

PLAYER REVIEW
This week’s between shots is Mr Subodh Karnik.
What clubs do you use? I use Prince clubs.
Where is your home club? He is currently not member of a golf club but intends to join one.
Who is your favourite player? My favourite player is Jack Nicklaus.
What course do you love to play? My favourite course that I love to play is East Lake, Atlanta.
What is your favourite hole? The 14th at Natadola.
What shot will you always remember? Tee shot on the 11th at Natadola.
Who are your dream playing partners? Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman.

This was what Mr.Karnik had to say about Natadola Bay Golf Course: “Great course. well maintained. Don’t try to conquer it! Take time to appreciate the scenery”.