Divot Repair Bags Deployed

Donnington Grove already has an excellent course, one of the best in the area, but we are not complacent about it and are always looking at ways to make it even better for our members and visitors. Our latest initiative is the introduction of a mobile divot repair system.

We have all been in the situation where we hit a great shot straight down the fairway only to find our ball lying in a divot, making the next shot somewhat tricky. Frustrating, isn’t it!  Our divot repair system let’s you, the golfer, help us keep the course in tip top condition throughout the year.

Divot repair bags filled with a soil/sand/seed mix may now be taken from a rail on a mobile trailer – see photo. The contents of the bag are sprinkled into divots as they are found when playing a particular hole. At the end of the hole, the bags are dropped into a box on the next tee. The trailer will be moved from hole to hole by the green keepers as and when required.

Graduate Membership

New Membership Category for the Under 27’s

If you are keen on golf, are over 21 and under 27 and find golf club membership expensive, then look no further than Donnington Grove Country Club, where we have one of the best courses in the area; a great clubhouse, with a friendly environment; and really good practice facilities.

Graduate Membership for only £580

We are pleased to announce the launch of our new Graduate membership for the younger golfer who is just starting out on their career.  Many younger golfers find the move from Junior or Colt to full membership a huge financial leap. This often leads to them giving up the game or playing only occasionally as a visitor. Here at Donnington Grove we have the answer with our Graduate Membership for those over 21 and under 27 years of age.

Annual Graduate membership is £700 and there is no joining fee. If you join in June, you will only have to pay £580 for as much golf as you like until 31st March 2011 when memberships are renewed; and we will give you £50 to spend at the Club.

Apart from a membership that offers exceptional value, you will find there are many other benefits of joining us at Donnington Grove. For example, we have reciprocal arrangements with 9 other clubs where you can play free.

If you want to find out more about our Graduate Membership visit our membership page or alternatively contact Dave Allen.

Long Backswings Create Shorter Golf Shot

A long backswing is natural for many players to develop. The thought process behind it seems to be that the longer you swing the further you will hit the ball. Unfortunately this simply isn’t true.

Some people will argue that a few pros have long backswings and have no difficulties with distance. If I take John Daly for example he is known for his long backswing. However John can rotate his shoulders back more than 90 degrees. It is because of this rotation that his swing is perceived to be longer.

Some people feel tight and that therefore not capable of rotating their shoulders this far. If you feel tight when you are turning back than this is not a bad thing. The tightness tells you that you have created torque in your swing. Use the imagery of your body being a giant swing, you wind it up tight, then if you were to let go it would want to snap back the other way.

Many people try to avoid this tight feeling by over rotating their hips, by doing this they lose their torque. Tips for next time you are at the range, keep your lower body stable and turn your shoulders back as much as you can, until you feel tight. This tightness tells you that you have created the necessary torque or tight. Also, make sure your wrists are loose enough to allow the club to hinge to at least 90 degrees in your wrists. This will give you maximum power without having to swing back to far.

The Top Five Ways To Lower Your Scores and Handicap

1) Move Forward
Try playing from the forward tees. This will hopefully put you in the mental mindset of playing a shorter course and aiming for achieving birides instead of going for par. The thought process behind this drill is that when you move back to your original starting tee, your mindset will continue to push for achieving birdies.

2) Consistent Practise
It probably sounds a bit obvious but you get out what you put in to your game. You may not be able to get down the Golf Course and do 18 holes every day, but even 15 minutes in the back garden working on your swing will massively improve your game.

3)  Equipment
You may need to reassess you equipment every now and then. You don’t need to spend thousands on state of the art equipment but if you’re using an older set that isn’t fitted properly then you may be needlessly holding yourself back.

4) Your Finishing Shots
Forgive my football analogy but there is no point in a team getting to the edge of the box if they can’t score a goal. In a typical game more than half the strokes account for chipping and putting. Therefore you should dedicate a large amount of your practise time to these shots.

5)Make The Most Of Your Game
If you are going to take the time to play a round of golf, then play it seriously. Take the time to concentrate, focus and work on the shots you have practised. Use driving ranges and putting greens to improve your technique than use the course to focus on lowering your score!