As March came in I took hold of my new TOMI PUTTING SYSTEM. This is a state of the art putting system which looks at club head alignment at address and impact, club head path and speed at impact, plus all the other important things that matter in helping you become a better putter. So I am really excited to be using this great new tool along with some indoor putting software which I will be putting in place at Kingsway from the end of March.

Once more I am at the airport, this time off to Almerimar, a place I always look forward to go to as it's now like the Almerimar club! The same people come year on year, so it's great for me to catch up with them. There was one missing through illness this year as it was a pity Alf could not make it. However I know he is looking forward to coming to Abbotsley later on in the year and of course to Almerimar in 2011.

The other club members, Derek, Rae, Sally, Alison and Pat, were all up for a good week and to show the others the way round. A great week was had by all, and Derek was the last day winner. See how it all went.

I then went back to Abbotsley to get ready for the season there. Abbotsley is now back under the management of Vivian Saunders (the owner who had leased the club out to Crown Golf) and it is now undergoing a great change... and I must say things are exciting!!

Home for a short time to catch up with friends and work stuff, and prepare for the mixed Pro-Am down in Spain at El Rompido. What a great place, all the groups were excited to play golf on good fast greens and in warm weather, in fact lots of people played in shorts all week... well I did, when in Spain you must be in SHORTS!!

A great week was had by all. My team were just great and led all the way. 1st round 154, leading by 8, 2nd round leading by 9, and the last day 142, and won by 11!!! What a great week, and to top it off it was my birthday on the last day of the competition, so I had a fab time!!

Another great thing for me was I was playing with my new set of MIZUNO MX 300 IRONS, they are just fab... go and try them, I know you will love them!!

A big thank you must go to Brian Knight the CEO of Tarleton and John Barnes for yet another great well-organised week... Tarleton are simply the BEST!!

I am a lucky girl as I get to work with these boys a lot, and enjoy the organising side of the company, all the hard background work is worth it when it all goes to plan! Check out how it went!

Home again and time to get ready for my Easter School at Abbotsley.

It is always nice to do schools in the UK, as much as I like all the travelling I do like sleeping in my bed, and seeing my mates, and going out for the odd curry!!

There was some time to catch up with things at home and then I was off again, this time to Novo Santa Petri for a golf school. I like this place as it ticks all the boxes - good courses, great practice grounds (all 3 of them!) and 3 great putting greens, so a good time was had by my group. The weather was not too bad either, just a little rain in the morning, but nice in the afternoon. See how it went...

I was then off to Islantilla to help get ready for the Ladies Pro-Am... but that damned volcano very nearly put a spanner in the works. My group at NSP had a pretty long holiday as the flights were not going when it was time for them to go home! So they enjoyed some more golf in great weather, while I headed off to pick up the van and the trolleys.

Thank goodness, the flights started and we were able to get everyone in for the pro-am by 6pm Thursday night. Some of the girls had planned to get there 3 days before, but were so pleased just to get there on the right day. There were lots of changing of flights and airports to get all the girls in and Brian too, he was meant to be there on the Monday, but Wednesday had to do.

It was a great week, with real nice people. I was the defending champion, but not with the team that I won with. My new group and I did our best to defend but were well beaten by Ali Grays team. This was one of the best weeks in my year but just went so fast. However I have great memories and meeting new friends was just the best part. See how it went...

I know everyone is already looking forward to next year and wondering when and where the competition will be held. As it is the 10th anniversary I know it will be special, so watch this space, as soon as I know... you will too.

A big thanks must to Brian Knight and John Barns - the dynamic duo! The boys done well and everything was as smooth as ever.

THE LADIES PRO-AM REALLY ROCKS!!!

The New Year came in with a bang, and plenty of snow just about all over the UK, cold and windy and for most people no golf, so a great time to get away.

I had some bad news early in 2010, my Mum sadly passed away on 2nd, she would have been 89 in March so had experienced a long and mainly healthy life happily living in the same house for the past 50 years. However she had a severe stroke and I know that had she survived she would have been unable to look after herself, or get around or communicate effectively and would have just hated that. So in some strange way it was for the best, I know she did not want to leave her house, so going so quickly was a blessing for her... a hard thing to come to terms with for me and the rest of the family and friends she left behind, but I know she is a better place and in no pain... I will always miss her!

So I have to get on with things, as I know she would have wanted me to.

My first school was at the great place of Benalup. This is fast becoming one of my favourite places. It is a real true 5 star resort, it really does tick all the boxes, in every way. The weather was not the best we have had but that did not put a dampner on the week and every one had a great time, check out how it went.

So it was home to sort more things out and pack again, but this time it was for my holiday. Skiing in Filzmoos with the same group I have been going with for over 16 years. We had great weather, cold every day around -10 so the snow was great. At the end of the week once again we had a race, and I am pleased to say I won again!!! What a great week with fab people and I look forward to 2011.

Home once more to sort out my mail drop, so lots of sticking of stamps, and filling envelopes, not my favourite job but one that's important. There was also some news from Abbotsley as Vivien Saunders the owner had taken it back from the company who have been running it for over 14 years (Crown Golf). So it's all change there and I am sure things will be different and Vivien hopes to improve all aspects of the courses and clubs there.

So here I am once more packing, but this time I am off to Turkey, a new place for golf schools, and I am really looking forward to it, again the weather here in the UK has been poor, so I am looking forward to taking a school there.

Turkey was great, I have to say it started in the rain, but warm rain, and by the end of the week it was up to +19. So much better than the UK, as I was getting sms from friends saying it had been snowing. I and the group were happy to be in such a great place, what a hotel, a real 5 star Cornelia Diamond Spa resort, I would really recommend this one, it may be 4 hours by air but it was worth it. We played the Faldo, Kings, Queens and Princes course plus the Sueno Dunes and the Carya. I cannot wait to take another group there, so watch this space for more info on dates, it is worth the effort to get there — see how it went.

Back home to work on my NLP talk at the Bedfordshire, and get ready for my next school plus get ready for our mixed pro-am in Spain, so there is always lots to do, but it's so cold +4 today, not nice after Turkey, so bring on Spain!

I've also been in meeting after meeting! Some with Brian at Tarleton working on our two pro-am's the mixed in March and the ladies in April, not to mention my schools in Spain. Other meetings at Kingsway near Royston as we are having a re-launch of this great driving range that I have been associated with since 1992. New power tees, new balls, a big paint job, and heaters in the bays and a revamp of the academy are all planned. We are having an open day on 28th March, so come down and see us.

On Wednesday 17th I received my new MIZUNO MX300 IRONS!!! I am a lucky girl, being supported by such a great company as Mizuno, so a big thank you to everyone at Mizuno and especially Paul Walker for his most generous continued support. I can hardly wait to get to use them... when the snow goes, and again it's -1 here today. See the new clubs...

So I am packing again and all ready to go to the airport on 28th February for my school in Almerimar, one of my old time favourite places, as it was here I did my first school for Tarleton, and the European School of Golf!! Check out how that went...

1st of the month finds me packing for my last two schools of the year. The first at one of my favourite places the Benalup Golf Hotel and Spa. Now this place is special. A 5 star hotel in every shape and form. A great week was had by all the girls, making use of all the great facilities, the great course, the 3 different restaurants and of course the spa. The top player of the week was Yve, check it out on how the week went.

In between Benalup and my last school of the year at Isla Canela, I took time out to go and play A C Portill. This will be a new venue for me in 2010. So it was good to meet the manager and play the course... it was fab and I look forward to staying there next year. I stayed at Islantilla, to me it's like going home, I like it there, and there were some friends there on holiday, Jenny, Jerry, Clare and Janette, so nice to catch up with them.

On 12th I headed down the road to Isla Canela to meet my last group of the year. It was great weather and I am always pleased when the sun shines.

I had an sms text massage on that Thursday from Yve, one of the group from the Benalup week to let me know that she won a competition at home and got her handicap down to 11... so I am so pleased for her, she worked hard on the week and deserved her success. What a little star, well done Yve!!!

We had a great time in Isla Canela, the golf course was challenging to say the least, the greens were good, nice and fast, and in good condition. We also went over to play Costa Esuri, what a good course, in great condition. It is like an inland links course, I bet it's really tough when the wind blows.

20th Nov came round quickly and I found me back at home to catch up with everything.

Well I was at home for 2 days and catching up with emails etc, but then much to my dismay my laptop died!! I was lucky to have backed up about 50% but I did lose a lot of email addresses and all those pictures of the last 4 weeks. Such bad news, but my friend Keith did a good job in setting up my new laptop and recovering as much as he could from my old one. One thing that's missing is that I have lost all my video swings I had on my teaching software (V1 and cswing). That means I have to start all over again and build up my database of professional golf swings, and my clients too. Never mind it could have been so much worse and I have learnt my lesson about having to back up my data all the time as I don't want to go through this again and lose all the great memories in my pictures ever again.

As the year went on I had a trip to Turkey with Brian to have a look at our new destinations, and I have to say I am really looking forward to doing my first school there in February. The hotels are great and so are the 2 golf courses we will be going to, I cannot wait!!

As we get ever closer to Christmas it's getting colder here with lots of snow... my friends from Norway are used to -4 and a lot more, but I feel it will get colder here before the year is out.

So I look forward to Spain in January, and some golf in the sun... so come on down and join me!!

It's been a great year with fab memories for me, meeting new friends and teaching great people and of course with my team winning the Ladies Pro-Am in May, well that was just great!!

So I wish you all a great time over the Christmas and New year holiday period and I look forward to seeing you all in 2010!!

September here all ready, the wet windy days of autumn, so far not so nice, but I am hoping it will get better.

Things at Abbotsley, Kingsway and Bedfordshire all ticking along nicely. Getting ready to sort some group lessons out for the juniors and the lady members of the Clubs, to keep it all going over the autumn months.

Saturday 5th I went down to Brighton to have a reunion of my winning ladies pro-am team, this time playing Seaford Heads Golf Club. What a great weekend we had, in great weather we played a great golf course and had a nice time that night, a good dinner and some drinks. It was great to see the girls all in good form.

Then it was time to get ready for the Tarleton festival week at Almerimar. Now this is always a great week of competition held over 3 golf courses with over 80 people taking part. I played golf twice in great weather around about +26 all week. Our team of Brian, John, Sandra and myself came 4th in the Texas scramble... a great week was had by all. For 2010 the festival is moving to Islantilla, and I'm sure it will be great there too.

Back to work in the UK for me. Catching up with all that is going on at the Clubs I teach at, and of course seeing some friends!!

The weather continues to be bright right now, so it's time to do some photos for my new Abbotsley brochure and take some new ones for my web site. I am going to try and get pictures for every snippet I do from now on... well I will try anyway. I also would like to do some video tuition snippets, and maybe also do a small DVD, so watch this space.

The V1 coaching system I have is great, and now I have the high speed camera it's even better. So all of this will make it easier for me to make a video of tips hints and snippets. Drills are all important, so I hope to do a library of them too... So watch this space!!

So I hit the road again, up north to see how my Mum is getting on, and I am pleased to say she looks great, and fit for the first time in a long time….we had a good laugh!! It's great to go back up to Liverpool, and just catch up with things there.

Back down south to do some schools and clinics. Over the weekend of 17th October I had a bit of a get together with some of my mates. 2 rounds of golf at Abbotsley and the Cromwell with a stay over at the hotel (a bit of a party!) We played secret pairs and best overall winner was Tracey and the winners of the secret pairs were Sharon and Tracey!! Tracey played great and I am sure her handicap will tumble down!!

It was a pity all the girls I invited could not make it, but I am sure we will do it again, so a thank you to them all, and to Abbotsley Hotel.

Normal week for me teaching at Abbotsley, Kingsway and Bedfordshire. I am still going to the gym as much as I can, but I have stopped running as my left knee was playing up….I guess it's an age thing, I so want to run, and was really enjoying it but the pain was too much, so the cross trainer gets a big hit!

As the end of October comes around I am doing a lot of on-course tuition at Abbotsley, as the weather has remained quite good, it's great to get out. So I am packing again to go off to Spain for my last 2 schools of the 2009 season, Benalup the 5 star resort and the a new venue in Isla Canela.

As I got over my trip to Oslo to see all the "Team Norway" girls, I went over to play golf with one of the old team I worked with at Kingsway; Geraint Dixon. Geraint is head Pro at Bedfordshire Golf Club. We had a great time which would have been even better if we hadn't had a horrific downpour of rain!! In any case we worked on some ideas for some one-day ladies tuition sessions that I will be doing there during July and August. This is exciting for me as it's another new venue for me to teach in and I am looking forward to meeting and teaching new people.

I also had a trip up to Liverpool to see my Mum which is always nice, and in good weather too.

We now have some new dates out for the winter schools in Spain. I am looking forward to going to Benalup for an all ladies school, and then a new venue called Vinchi Hotel. I am really looking forward to them both in November.

We also have the dates out for 2010. I cannot wait for them, and my 2 new venues.

But before then I have the Cromwell Lady Captain's Day to play in. It's great to play with people I teach. What a good day and night, The lady captain Yve - one of my best friends - had a great day, even though there was lots to do to make sure everything was right... all in all  it was a great day and even the weather was kind. I played with 2 of my friends, Linda Clark and Jane Coker who came all the way from Blackpool. We all played ok, Linda had 39 points, Jane 33 points, (and me, well it was a game of 2 halves, 19 on the front 9, but not so good on the back nine.) Linda came 3rd to another lady I teach; Vivien Ward who had a great 42 points, so a great day ended with dinner and a disco, and of course pink champagne!!

It is always great to get a phone call from people I teach giving me good news on progress with their golf. Viv Ward got her handicap down to 13, Lin Gowdy going from 32 to 28, and Margaret Gates dropping 3 shots too, Linda Clark now down to 19, Jane Brockwell to 19 and Jakki... to 28 I am so proud of them all as I know how hard they all work at it.

26th July was the Bedford Race for Life 5k race, and I ran for the first time….in fact I think it was my first race since my school days in Liverpool. After getting over a dislocated knee and achiles heel problem I was so pleased just to run again, I was confident of completing the run in under 30 minutes. However I was thrilled to do it in 25.31... a personal best, so to say... so I was very pleased with myself. I believe the best time was 17 minutes... how good was that!!

The race for life raises money for cancer research, and I think there were over 4000 ladies taking part in the Bedford race. We all had a great day with lots of money being raised for the charity, and I was happy to just be there in my Pink Everton Shirt!!!

Time moves too quickly and before I knew where I was it was time for my Ladies Summer School at Abbotsley. A good 3 days for my group to work on all parts of their game. Good fun was had by all, in very hot weather and also some rain, but it did not dampen the spirits of my girls... thanks everyone you were all great, and keep up the practice!!

On Sunday 16th Aug we held the annual "sos.golf" day at Abbotsley. A great day of teaching and playing. It's always nice seeing the girls and catching up with just how they are doing. The winner of the 5 hole challenge was Chris Armstrong, well done to you all and I look forward to 2010!!

Monday 17th I did a 1 day clinic for a great group of ladies from Mill Green and Muswell Hill Golf Club. I put them through their paces, we worked on all the aspects to help them understand how important all the small shots are. They went home with lots of things to work on and drills!! But before that they played 9 holes, with Rose winning the prize!! Well done!

The Mill Green and Muswell Hill ladies

My last 2 day golf school at Abbotsley was good fun, and with Louis Segal hitting one of the best 7 iron shots I've seen this year, he had his first hole-in-one at the 2nd hole on the Abbotsley, now that was good!! This I believe is the first person during one of my schools to achieve a hole in one!

Now all the dates for the end of the year and 2010 are now out and on my web site and Tarleton's... I am so excited with the new venues, and of course the two pro-am's, the mixed in March and the now famous ladies in April. So I look forward to seeing all my friends on them…

As May began I was at home catching up with things and people as I had been away for the last 12 days of April. I did all the boring things, washing, ironing, cleaning ect. etc, before I hit the road back to Islantilla in Spain for a 2 week stint of golf schools.

The 1st week was with some old friends that have come many times before and this time plus some new ones too. It was a great week in nice weather, at times in the 1st week it got up to +29. Hot, hot, hot! For Week 2 I had a group of ladies from Norway and 2 girls from Manchester... by the end of the week the British girls had picked up several Norwegian words… including some they could repeat in polite company!! The Norwegian girls had not been on the golf course since September last year due to their short playing season, so it was exciting for them to be playing golf again and being in the sunshine just made it even better. Some of these girls came to a school I did 3 years ago, so it was nice to catch up with them again!!

Then back home to catch up with everything, and everyone. I got to play with 3 of my favourite people at the Cromwell Club Charity day and as it was in aid of Breast Cancer, so we were all pretty in PINK!! The girls, Lin, Yve, Beth and I had a great day in lovely sunshine, we played ok but did not win…. Maybe next time.

This time of year I am sorting my ladies summer school out and my NLP 2 day schools. It is always great fun to see my pupils trying some of the NLP drills and then putting those in practice by trying to do something different on the course and seeing some great results.

I received some great news from some people I teach, Like Viv Ward coming down to 15 and winning a match by 8 & 7, Lin Gowdy breaking 100 for the first time (97)

Debbie La Q getting her handicap down to 30, Sharon Baxter coming down to 11 from 14, Linda Clark from 25 to 23... it's just great to see what some hard work can do, and I am so pleased for them all!!!

A quick trip up to see my Mum, then pack again for my trip to Himmerland Golf School in Denmark. This is a great week, lots of fun and lots of golf with ladies from Denmark. This year the format was changed a little so Chris and I could get to play golf with everyone and it was great. On the last day we had our match, which last year my team won, so this time it was even more competitive.  What fun on the great golf course.  I have to say my team were great, but we came second, and then had to sing the losers song in the bunker on the 18th hole ( it's a Danish thing, I guess you had to be there….great fun was had by all) So a big thank you to them all for a fab week, and I look forward to seeing them all again some time soon.

Back to the UK to catch up with things here. I had two groups who did my 'Passion for the Short Game' clinics, which was great, working on all the shots on and around the green that make the most difference to improving your score... mastering the short game is so important and this clinic focussing on the shots that really matter really helps!!

Then I packed my bags and I was off to Norway for a week in Oslo and Moss.

How hot was it there, I know it was warm here in the UK but summer had really hit Norway +30 all of the time I was there.

We stayed in Moss at a friends house on the side of Oslo Fjord.  It was a beautiful setting in the woods above a little beach and the water was so calm and very clear.

Then we made our way to Oslo to stay with Kristin and go to a football match, unfortunately Lillestrum lost in the last minute of the match so we could only celebrate the good company and not the score.

We had a great few days enjoying the sights and sounds of Oslo and then our week ended with golf... of course! I gave a chipping clinic at Moss Golf Club to the group of girls from Four Norway. It was great to see and meet the girls, again on a real hot day... another great trip for Lorraine, Ali, Linda and me, and we are all looking forward to the next time. A big thank you to Siri, and Kristin for looking after us all... you girls rock!!

the girls from 4 Norway!

Back home to the UK in a real heat wave, teaching in the sun is just the best thing wherever it takes place.

The only thing I will miss this summer is my trip to Iceland, I just hope all my friends there are well and I look forward to seeing them in 2010.

So another year over and a new one is starting, let's hope for great year all round!!

For me it started with a trip to Liverpool to see my Mum who is still in hospital, so I could make sure everything is in place for when she comes home. On 8th Jan I went to a PGA training day with my friend Jamie Edwards of Trained Brain... yet another great day where I came away full of ideas from this mindset programme called “the Brand U day”... thanks Jamie for your continued help and encouragement.

Then back down to Cambridge to pack for my first trip to Spain. Benalup this time, what a great place this is and with a great group of people too. This place is just so special. It's a great golf and spa resort, just ask the people who have had the experience!!

Set in the hill-side the golf course goes around the villas and apartments, it's lovely, everything about this place, the rooms, the food, the wine, the great staff, and the golf course... and the group had a great time too. Everyone enjoyed the whole golfing experience which included great restaurants, and the fab spa.

Back home then up to Liverpool to see my Mum, as she was now home, having been in hospital since 4th November. I'm pleased to say she is ok.

I just had time to unpack my golf clothes and do the laundry before I was packing my bag again, this time with ski stuff as I was off on my holiday to Filzmoos in Austria. What a great week, with fab snow conditions, a good hotel, with great food (important I think) and of course great people to ski with. Our coach for the last 4 years has been Nina Mosa, she's great, and on the Tuesday of our 8 days away she convinced me to go out with her and the boys to ski off-piste under the cable car.  Well I was not too sure, but gave it a go, and I must say at the time I was not a happy bunny as I fell over a lot as this is such a narrow and steep bit of the mountain.  However, I managed to get down... not in any great style... but I did it, and I felt proud of myself !!

Learning new things is good for me as a coach because it is easy to forget just how hard learning new things and techniques can be and being reminded helps me understand the challenges my own clients face, so it was great, thanks Nina you're fab!!

On our 2nd to last day we had our ski race, the boys went down on 1 ski, (we had to make it harder for them!) and the rest of us the proper way, and I am pleased to say that yours truly came 1st with a time of 33.07.  After the prize giving I signed a contract with Fisher Skis... only in my wildest dreams!!!

What a great week with great friends!

Back home to the UK, to piles of SNOW!!! The UK gets snow, and the place comes to a standstill, we cannot cope with it, so no golf, no practice, not much teaching, but time to catch up with other stuff and to go up to Liverpool to see my Mum who is on the mend but still not out of pain.

Back to Cambridge, and a quick visit to Northampton to see Brian from Tarleton for a meeting on my up coming schools and our two pro-am's which I am really looking forward to. First the mixed at Almerimar and the now famous Ladies event at Islantilla, where my team and I hope to go one place further and get our win after losing out by just 1 point last year... come on girls!!!!!

On 1^st November I left the UK with Viv and Dorothy to go to Valle del Este in Spain.  The early start meant we landed in Spain around 10.30, and it was already warm which was lovely and we enjoyed an easy day around the pool and hotel while the rest of the group joined us as the day went on.

Over the week we covered all the important aspects of golf that I like to cover in my schools, and worked on drills to help the changes stick in our minds.  I introduced the group to the idea of keeping statistics about how they play (greens hit in regulation, fairways hit, number of putts etc) as the results are often surprising and most importantly focus attention on where the changes need to happen to bring most improvement.

Winner of the week was Viv. Well done and keep the practice up!!

My 2^nd week in Spain was at Almerimar, so as I said bye bye to the first group my 2^nd group came in... The Deb Lewis group of friends and first stop for them was lunch at the port!!

We started with a clinic and worked on both long and short game over the week, and had the important on-course tuition which as always, helps the changes made in the range work their way into reality on the course . A good week was had by all, and the winner of the week was Mags. Well done to everyone, and keep it up, changes in the way you play take time to sink in and the improvements sometimes take 3 to 4 weeks to show up in your scores, but they will come if you keep at it

Then it was home for me and straight up to Liverpool to see my Mum. She fell and broke her foot and is in hospital, she looked great, even if she could not walk right now, and will be in hospital till Christmas!! The hospital is great and looking after her well, and it is a relief for me to know she is safe while she is on the mend and I am away, so a big thank you to all the staff at the Fazackerley Hospital in Liverpool.

I wasn't at home for long though as I was off for my last school of 2008 in Spain, this time to Novo Sancti Petri

We had great weather and my group worked well. There are 3 good courses at this hotel resort and I have to say they had the best greens I have been on this year. Even though it was November they were great. The group worked well both on the range and the course, Susan was top girl and Nigel top boy with Jamie and Pat the secret pairs winners.

I had 2 new players on this group, Jamie who has played a little and Angela who had never been on a course before. In fact she had only been on a range once or twice so what a way this was to learn!!  They were both great and came on really well. Angela what a brave girl you are…..keep it going you will be great!! Take a look at how these last 3 schools went with all the pictures to go with them.

Then I was back home again and up to see how my Mum was getting on in Hospital... pleased to say she was ok. She is great for an 87 year old, she usually gets out and about every day, so being in hospital had put a stop to her getting around and she could not wait to get out and go shopping again!!

So it will be up and down the motorway for me for a while longer yet.

In between my trips to Liverpool I am getting ready for 2009, preparing mail shots which means printing, folding and stuffing envelopes for me and getting ready for my first 2009 school which is at Benalup in the south west of spain.  I can't wait as this is such a fab place, and of course Christmas is coming!! Christmas for me was up in Liverpool and sadly my Mum was still in hospital but she is now in rehab, so should be out soon as she is getting much stronger and now walking better, so hope she will be out in the New Year... please God!!

New Year was spent with my best friends, having a great dinner and plenty of champagne!! A great night, and fab way to start off 2009...

So best wishes to everyone for a fantastic 2009, looking forward to seeing all of you – my friends – and finding out how you are and what progress you want to make with your golf as the year goes on.  But for now take a look at my pictures of 2008...

As September kicked in just about everyone is sick of the wet summer we have had, and we are all looking forward to an Indian summer... if not... why not think about a trip to Spain, for some winter sun???

Me, well I am looking forward to getting away, but we at Abbotsley are getting ready for our junior programme for the winter. It's great to get the little ones on to the golf course, it's so nice to see them enjoying themselves, and I think we may have one or two good ones!!

I went off to see my Mum in Liverpool, and had the chance to play my old course West Lancs, what a great course it is, and I feel one of the hardest in the line. (The line is the railway between Liverpool and Southport, which has all the great links courses on this part on the Lancashire coast line. It starts with West Lancashire, then Formby Ladies & Mens courses, Hillside, Southport & Ainsdaile, and then Royal Birkdale. What a treat of fab golf courses).

Back to the south & my normal working week. Teaching at Abbotsley and Kingsway then doing some work on arranging all my teaching dates and times for 2009, as I have to be thinking at least 6 to 9 months ahead. Getting my golf school brochure ready, and keeping up with teaching. A trip to London, Hyde Park for the Proms in the park (last night of the proms) was great, spending time with some good friends, and having a picnic. What a laugh and a great afternoon of music. It's nice to do something different!!

The Ryder Cup was a great thing to watch on the TV. Just a pity it did not go the Europan's way this time, but how good was Ian Poulter, good boy!!! I wish I had have been able to be there, the atmosphere must have been just magical. It reminded me of when I was lucky enough to be at The Belfry when Sam Torrance holed the now very famous putt.  Now that really was magical!!

Time to pack and off we go to the Tarleton Festival week at Almerimar. We had 120 people to look after. Working with Brian, John, Martin and Graham was good fun but hard work. We started with the Texas Scramble at La Envia, the first day at Almerimar, day 2 at Playa Serena, day off then back to Playa Serena and the last day at Almerimar...a great week with everyone having fun in the sun. Lots of different competitions every day with a running team stableford.

For me it was great to see lot of friends, and great to see the Bolton boys again. Those Bolton Police men really know how to party!!! It was Ian's stag do, and the boys had a good time, and played good golf too... great to see you again boys, and I look forward to seeing you in 2009!!!

Back home and teaching at Abbotsley, it was so cold on Friday morning, +7 and such a contrast with the day before when I had been in Spain enjoying +27 and great sunshine!!!!

As the winter hit in here I was getting back to normal. A bit of teaching at Abbotsley and Kingsway and seeing the weather changing from day to day.  We were even able to play some golf in short sleeves, which is nice I have to say.

I also had a chance to go and see my best friend Jo and her little boy who live in Bristol, who now I am very pleased to say is all hers, the adoption is now all finalised they are so happy, and I am pleased for them both. Also when I was in Bristol I got to see Sarah and Claire, two of my mates who are also golf pros... it is very hard to keep in touch with everyone, so it was nice I got to see my friends, and we are going to play in December at the Berkshire, weather permitting!!

Back home then I was off to see Brian Knight the CEO of Tarleton Golf, to get sorted for the new season of golf schools and competition weeks and to get all the pro's emailed about the 2 Pro-Ams we are doing, the Mixed in March, and then the now famous Ladies Pro-Am at Islantilla Spain in April, one of the best weeks of the year I think, and I am pleased Claire can make it this time... I hope!! Also to get ready for my trip to Spain, and I have to say I am looking forward to getting my shorts on.