A VIEW OF my old club, Barton on Sea, Hampshire, with the  Isle of Wight seen from the 18th island green.  That green had as much power to terrify as Sawgrass.  I wonder how many of my old Srixons still lie at the bottom of the lake.
 GOLFSIXES, WHICH AIMS to be golf’s answer to cricket’s 20-20, will be held for the 2nd year at  the Centurion Club, St. Albans on May 5-6th, and  will include women for the first time.     European Ryder Cup Captain Thomas Bjorn will partner Solheim Cup Captain Catriona Matthew, and the field will include Georgia Hall and Charley Hull.   Shown on Sky Sports, teams from around the world will split into groups of four, before the top two teams from each group progress to quarter-finals, semi-finals and final, the winners receiving £100,000 each.  As before, the format is Greensomes Matchplay and  the six holes will be themed, with the shot clock hole returning  (a penalty imposed if players take longer than 30 seconds per shot.)
 “Come and join in the fun everyone,” enthuses European Tour’s CEO Keith Pelley, sounding like Gladys Pugh at the knobbly knees contest,  “We want great interaction from both teams and spectators.”  Hi de Hi Campers!
PATRICK REED may have won the Masters, but he’ll never ‘Bend it like Bubba.’  Bubba Watson made a jaw-dropping looping hook out of the pine straw on the 11th, just as he did on the 10th six years ago (although this time around he didn’t make the putt.) If tournaments consisted solely of curling impossible shots round immovable objects Bubba would win every time. 
AN INVESTIGATION has shown local and county governments in Florida are inefficient at both managing and maintaining public courses; they have lost over $100 million since 2013. There are well over 1,000  courses in Florida all chasing customers, but golf participation is well down while local governments still splash out on improvements.  One course has lost over $6 million since 2015, but a $12.3 million clubhouse and course redesign is still planned.   We have a few councils like that back home.
A POLICE RAID on a little Staffordshire bungalow yielded more than 40 crates of fake golf equipment and clothing, including Taylor Made and Under Armour, estimated retail value  £35,000.  Police said: ‘The occupier  reluctantly revealed a purpose-built room full of paperwork and parcels awaiting delivery. 
 Fake golf gear and clothing sold on Ebay is costing the golfing industry millions.   Manufacturers Brand Fusion said: “We can only advise people that if an offer looks too good to be true, it usually is.”
THE U.S.G.A. HAS DECIDED to abandon it’s 18-hole playoff set-up in favour of a 2 hole aggregate playoff, meaning this year’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills will finish on the Sunday regardless.
The last 18-hole playoff was in 2008 at Torrey Pines when Tiger Woods beat Rocco Mediate on the first sudden-death hole after an 18-hole playoff, winning his 3rd U.S. Open (and 14th major.)  A  spokesman says: “18-hole playoffs were great once, but television rules everything now.” 
 Tell me about it, it was nearly dark by the time the Boat Race started this year, and the Grand National clashed with Coronation Street.
COBRA’s F8 DRIVER is the first of it’s kind to use automated computer milling to form its titanium face inserts.  Milling apparently saves weight and allows  subtle curvature of the driver face for more speed and higher launch on mis-hits. The high-launching F8 and low-spin F8+ feature movable sole weights (slice-control on F8, spin-control on F8+.)   Rickie Fowler, who has used Cobra/Puma since turning professional in 2009, tried out an F8+ in the Hero World Challenge and took the trophy with an 11 under par 61.  It’s not surprising Cobra renewed his contract.
HAVING SPENT the past two weeks on Grandparenting duties, I am now receiving sideways looks from my fellow golfers as I walk round the course warbling ‘The Wheels on the Bus’ and ‘Elephants have wrinkles.’  Sorry about that lads, it will pass.
Until next time: Happy Golfing.
Contact Mick for your regripping and repairs. Tel.  638 859 475.

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