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Phokeethra Country Club Monthly Newsletter March 2011 Welcome to the second edition of the Phokeethra Country Club Monthly Newsletter. As usual, I will give you an insight into what has been happening recently at PCC and what we have coming up in the near future. The last month has been busy with a list of maintenance projects under-way, caddy training, events and much, much more. I will let you in on a few bits and pieces we have been doing recently. Caddie Training |
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Six of the caddies watch to see if their green reading skills are up to scratch! One of the most challenging parts of being a caddy is the reading of the greens. With so many different factors involved in making an accurate read it really does take a lot of practice and experience to get it right. We have been working very closely with the caddies to explain and train them in the basics of green reading. They have taken to it very well and fully understand the importance of it. To be able to read a green, you must check from certain points around the ball and try and understand the contours of the green as best as possible. This is all done in a simple process which can help find the answer. In the photo above, each of the caddies were given two minutes to go through the routine checks and to come back to me with their read. I am happy to say that all of them were correct! Some of the caddies have been here 3-4 years now and have a lot of experience in reading greens, however they were not sure if what they were doing was correct. After our training programme was complete the caddies now feel more confident than ever around the greens. Golf Course Maintenance We have a list of maintenance projects that we aim to complete in 2011. One of the projects we have recently been working on is the re-construction of the bunker on hole 11. The aim of this re-construction was to improve the view from the fairway when hitting your second shot. Previously, the bunker edges were slightly too big and created a visual distraction which made it difficult to view the green from the fairway. We have now removed these edges and filled out the bunker which has made the green more visible with a simpler yet more effective design.  The newly designed bunker on Hole 11. The second but yet larger project we have under way is on hole 13. We are moving the green approximately 20 meters further right of the hole and extending it into a two tier green. The aim of this project is create more of a challenge by having an angled second shot. Previously, the hole was very straight and posed very few problems apart from a few bunkers here and there and out of bounds down the left. With the green now at an angle, golfers will really have to think about their positioning off the tee in order to give themselves a good angle into the green. With the two tier green it will be give the golfer something else to think about when hitting their approach to make sure they don't over hit and have a long putt up the steep hill! These changes will transform the 13th from one of the easier holes to one of the most challenging. Everyone loves a challenge, right?  Hole 14 – The progress so far of moving the green to the right hand side of the hole. Membership Our membership base is growing each month and with our new SMART Membership available I expect it to increase more and more. If you are not a SMART Member and you are looking to play golf for a reasonable price, this is the membership for you. For only $500 you receive a special green fee rate of $40 for the period of one year. You are able to bring guests for a discounted rate as well as other special benefits. If you are already a SMART Member and you introduce a new member you will receive one green fee complimentary! When you have recommended 10 new members to PCC we will offer your next year's membership free of charge. Once we have a big enough membership base, we will start hosting monthly members' competitions with the goal of having the grand finale of the season...the Phokeethra Club Championships. So get involved and sign up to experience some good fun and good golf. Those of you who are existing members, start introducing your friends to the membership and receive some great offers! For more information on membership please email Ms. Yada on golf@sofitel-royal-angkor.com or call the Golf Hotline on 012 882 882.  Golf Tip of the Month It is known as "the business end of golf" and is also known as the most important part of the game. Theoretically speaking, putting should be the easiest part of the game as you are closer to the hole...right? Unfortunately not! Putting is a constant battle for amateur golfers and is where most of the shots are dropped during the round. Too many golfers come off the course stating how they dropped shots because they hit the ball badly or duffed a few chips when really if they took the time to count the number of putts, they will have a big shock! The average golfer should aim to 2-putt every green in order to have a grand total of 36 putts. However, we do not always hit every green in regulation so sometimes a 2-putt might equate to a bogey or worse. When we miss the green, our target should be to chip near the hole and 1-putt. There are so many examples I can give to show how important putting is, but regardless of the situation it is vital that you have a sound set-up in order to have consistency required to lower those scores! Please see below the picture of the putting set-up. I have highlighted in green the important check points in the set-up which play a big part in enabling a good stroke and to start the ball on line. Follow these simple checks and you will be well on your way to lowering your scores. 1. Eyes on the ball – The exact position of your eyes in relation to the ball determines the path the putter will take when striking the ball. If your eyes focus on the "inner" edge of the ball (the side closest to your body), you will create a path that's too inward (yellow line). Focusing on the outer edge of the ball (further away from your body) will lead to a path that's too outward (blue line). The red line indicates the correct path as a result of having the eyes directly over the golf ball. 2. Weight – Weight distribution is also very important. There are too many golfers who have their weight on the heels of their feet. This is not good...period. It is very difficult to keep balance throughout the stroke and to keep the putter on line. Please see the green line that goes from the knee down into the middle of the foot in the photo below. This is where you should feel your weight is. 3. Spine Angle – A common mistake from amateur golfers is to hunch over the ball. Putting can be stressful on the back if a lot of practice is done or for those who have a weak back in general. Hunching is never good for posture. When practising, try and check that your back is straight (see green line on back). This is another piece of the puzzle to create a solid foundation. Once you have a straight back you will automatically have a hinge at the top of your spine and shoulders creating a flat point (see green line on shoulders) which acts as a perfect point for the shoulders to move on a straight path.  Introduction to Golf for the Children of Cambodia  Still smiling at the end of a very long and hot Sunday afternoon on the golf course. Sunday 20th March was the day of the first ever Introduction to Golf for the Children of Cambodia. After working in Cambodia for only a few months, it was obvious to me that golf was very much a sport associated with the wealthy kind and was not considered something the "average" Cambodian could experience. I wanted to make a change to this. Most of the countries around Asia have golf courses now, whether it is Thailand where there are over 250 courses or Cambodia where we currently have 6. One thing is for sure and that is Golf is now a global sport and is continuing to spread all over the world. Currently, there are zero Cambodian Golf Professionals. My long term goal is to offer the help and support needed to change this. The children of Cambodia have many games they play in their everyday lives which require co-ordination of some sort for them to play the game well. Is this the type of co-ordination they could use to play golf? Yes. I decided that the only realistic way of getting these children into the game of golf was to hold an open day whereby they can learn the basic fundamentals of golf and have some real life experiences on the golf course. The aim of the project was not only to teach them the technique and the general game but also the etiquette, sportsmanship and discipline that comes with it. I had no doubt that if these children looked, listened and learned, these attributes can help them in their everyday lives and not only on the golf course. Out of 55 children from 3 different schools and 1 orphanage, there was an incredible amount of natural talent with some great potential to be very good golfers. See you soon!  Well that's it for this month's edition of the Phokeethra Country Club Newsletter. I hope you enjoyed reading and if you need any more information regarding the course or you want to come and join me for a game please don't hesitate to call! I look forward to seeing you on the first tee! Jack Hedges Golf Operations Manager Phokeethra Country Club Email: golf.manager@sofitel-royal-angkor.com Mobile: +85516207963 |
