Being one of the last events of the season it was a packed field of world class golfers searching for the prestigious victory that is, the Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open.

Welcome to the first Phokeethra Country Club Monthly Newsletter. I will be writing to you each month to give you a brief update of what is happening at PCC. The month of December has been a busy one for the team at PCC. We successfully hosted the 4th Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open 2010 which gathered crowds from all over town and attracted some of the best Asian International media.

The 2008 champion Mr. Tongchai Jaidee regained the Championship in fine fashion, making 3 birdies on the last 3 holes!!.

The star of the show on the first day was 15 year old Thai professional Atiwit Janewattananond. Atiwit make history by being the youngest ever person to make the cut in the Asian Tour Season opener in February. He made it look remarkably easy on his way to a first round 66.

Each round was tight at the top of the leader board and only 1 or 2 shots separated the top 6 players, so the final round was going to be interesting. But it was that man again, Mr. Jaidee who went onto another level shooting 65, 65 for the weekend rounds to claim his second Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open Title. Overall it was an incredible week. I am very pleased with the way it turned out and very grateful to all the people that contributed to making this such a fantastic event in 2010.


A few tips on club selection for chipping.

The caddies have been working hard on improving their golfing knowledge and their general performance on the golf course. This month we concentrated specifically on working out distances to the green, club selection for chipping, reading the green and basic rules of golf.

We have daily putting competitions for them to participate in to allow them to practice and get a feel of what it's like to be on the other side. The practice has improved their knowledge for green reading and judging the distance of the putts.

They have also been participating in frequent English classes to improve their communication with the golfers. One thing is for sure, their English is better than my Khmer!

Golf Course Maintenance:
The purpose of the maintenance projects is to improve the design of the course and to provide our golfers with a slightly different challenge.

New tee box on hole 7:
It really has changed the hole completely. It is now a raised tee further back in the palm trees and is more central to the green which makes it more challenging as before you were able to bail out and hit down the left side onto the approach, but now you can't! Also, being higher up, the wind comes into play more and you have to take the difference in height into account as it will change your club selection...a lot to think about!


Check out the view from the new tee box on hole 7.....the water comes into play if you hadn't of guessed!

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, 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:
One of the most enjoyable but difficult clubs in the bag to hit is the driver. Endless amounts of golfers struggle with this club and are always looking for a solution.

The easiest way to find the solution is to start from the beginning. Sounds very simple but believe me it's not the first thing people think of!

The set-up is the MOST important aspect of the golf swing. If you do not get this bit right, you will be making it very difficult for yourself!

The set-up for every club is very slightly different. For the driver you need to remember the following:
   • Wide stance (outside shoulder width)
   • Weight should be 60% on your back leg (right leg for right handed golfer & left leg
     for left handed golfer)
   • Eyes should be slightly behind the ball.
   • Spine is slightly tilted away from the target.
All of these checks promote a "sweeping motion" swing which is needed to hit the driver longer, straighter and more consistent. It is the opposite of the type of swing we need for an iron. This is a steeper and more downward strike which promotes spin (this is why you take a divot).


Now you have your set-up sorted all you need to do is put a nice smooth, solid swing, keeping your eye on the golf ball. Give it a try!


GM Golf Morning:


Mr. Pierre Caron attempting the blind shot...he looks a little nervous don't you think!

A monthly occurrence is the Hotel GM meeting, whereby each GM will play the host at a selected venue.

This month's host was Mr. Charles-Henri Chevet of Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort. He chose none other than our very own Phokeethra Country Club as the venue. The field was a combination of seasoned golfers & complete beginners. The morning was kicked off by a 20min clinic on the putting green by PGA professional David Maxwell on putting and chipping. The herd of GM's then made their way to the first tee where the fun really began. We set up some fun games along the way to make things a little more interesting. Some of which included "blind shot" & "longest drive with a ping pong ball". It was extremely funny to watch and probably more funny for those participating! The standard of play was rather good and even more so from beginner golfer Mr. Greg Anderson who won the longest drive competition!


Even Mr. Emmet McHenry started to feel the pressure with the putting...we know you would make that usually Emmet!


See you soon!



Well that's it for the first 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!

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