30 September to 7 October 2007

As I said goodbye to all the people who played in the 10th anniversary Tarleton festival week, I got ready to welcome my school to the lovely warm sunshine of Almerimar. They were a great group of eight people – 7 ladies and 1 man – all ready for a week of tuition and fun.

On our first day we worked on the short game – chipping and distance control then turned our attention to the long game. We also talked about a pre-shot routine; something I feel is crucial to good golf but which was a new thing for some of my group to take on to the course.

After lunch we hit the course to learn some course management skills. I think all my people were surprised just how hot it was!! A great first day’s introduction to this part of southern Spain!

Day 2 was again a fab one.  We started with pitching – both long and short shots. We worked on how to control the short pitch shot and learnt what a difference a 7-iron chip and run shot can achieve compared to a pitch shot with a wedge.  Then we practiced some more controlled shots and long game before it was time for some on-course tuition... A big thing for my schools and me.

After a day of rest for some, we started with putting and how to make more of those 3 and 4 footers before I introduced them to my  famous “putt with a hop”!  Although this was a new shot for my ladies, it was one they all used with great success.  After that we did some driving and how to make the most of that all-important first shot.

After lunch we were out onto the course for the 1st round where Kate took top slot with 35 points... a very good round in the heat.

Day 4 we hit “the beach” – those bunker shots that a lot of people don’t like. We worked on keeping it simple and making sure we got out 1st time before a bit more work on the long game. The winners of the day were Kate, Alice, and aka Little Tiger: Mary with 33 points.

All too soon we came to the last day.  We did a round-up clinic, going over all the topics of the week before we went out onto the course for the end of week competition.

Group leader Sally came out on top with a great 37 points, Mary was overall winner with 100 points.  Alice and Mary won the secret partners with 34 points, Pauline and Charmaine (aka 118) were joint winners on the most number of fairways hit and Alice was top putter with 33.

Well done everyone! What a great week. You all worked hard and as far as I am concerned you are all winners!!!

So to Sally, Mary, Pauline, Susan, Alice, Kate, Charmaine, and our lone man Derek... a big thank you!!

Team Almerimar October 2007

1–8 March 2007

I left the UK at about 11am with my fleece on, and some 6 hours later I landed in Almeria in  Spain where the temperature was around +22, so nice!!

Off to the hotel to meet my group, 9 old friends and 7 soon to be new ones. As the group was a large one I split it in two to make sure everyone got enough individual attention. We started off with chipping, getting the group used to good firm ground, unlike back home were it’s all soggy and muddy!.  Then I videod them all so we could talk through the things we would need to work on, some call it a video nasty!!! After lunch I took them on the course in lovely sunshine, where they could try out their new chipping skills for real.

Day 2 we started with pitching, especially that awkward short pitch, where its all about working on distance control and then it was on to the long game.

After lunch, it was on-course tuition, again in great weather around +25, I think most of my group were surprised just how warm it was.

After a day of rest, we did putting, and a skills test, playing a course of 9 holes, where every hole is a par 2, so this means it should be 1 chip or pitch, and 1 putt... now we should see the person with the best short game!!!!!!! This is a great way to make you practice with a purpose, and Jo came out top in the par 2 challenge.

We then were transported to Playa Serena where we played a Texas Scramble, a great day where we all had some fun. The winners of the day were the team of Derek, Margaret, Cathy and Jo , with a score of 71.9... Back to the hotel, and then we all headed off to the Chinese restaurant in town for a lovely meal.

As the week went on my group worked hard on all the things we had talked through, and of course getting around the course.  I must say they all did well, and at the end of the week, we had a competition, in very windy conditions. With a great score Rae Webster came out on top.

A big thank you to every one – what a great week, great people, good friends.

15–22 February 2007

As we got off the plane from the UK, and headed to get our bags, my ladies all remarked on just how warm it was.  They were sorry that they had not brought their shorts, or at least not enough of them... and the week went on just like that, with just 1 blip where we had a little rain for part of the tuition.

So we went to work on both long and short game every day, followed by on-course tuition, and I got to play too!!  That was nice for me as I haven’t played much since I dislocated my knee.

We were able to cover a lot, and I feel my ladies all have gone off home with some new ideas.  Especially how to play the short game and with more confidence to hit that 20 to 30 yard shot over the bunkers.  It was nice to see, just how much they had improved by the end of our week.

It was like millionaires golf and practice, so no pressure out on the course and lots of time to put what they had learned each day into practice.  For one of the group it was her first time of playing 18 holes.  What a lovely place to have that experience!!!!

At the end of the week we played a 9 hole secret competition, where I pick the 9 of the holes where their scores count.  Congratulations to the winner Jenny, but it was a close thing, with her winning by just 1 point from Anne.  So well done girls, and keep up the practice, and thank you for a great week.