After 15 years of hacking aroundfairways as an occasional week-end golfer, I had been invited toScotland’s luxury Turnberry golfresort as part of a hosted eventincluding a round on its hal-

lowed Ailsa links course – where TomWatson beat Jack Nicklaus in the famous“Duel in the Sun” Open Championship in1977 – plus a group clinic by top golf starColin Montgomery at his new linksgolf academy.

Not only that, but I was on acharge while playing the Ailsa’ssibling, then called the Arran,with a string of bogies and theodd par. Not exactly Tigerish,perhaps, but still good for a 23

handicapper.

I had just hit the drive of my life on the picturesque,par-4 8th hole, leaving a short chip down onto a greennestling in a cove and was about to take my shot when aRange Rover drove onto the fairway and pulled upbehind me. Out stepped Monty and a photographer,ready to snap him with me and my playing partners. Buthe signalled for me to carry on. All of a sudden, my composure went and my hands

started sweating. I jabbed at the ball, knocking it into therough I was trying to chip over. Then fluffed the nextshot, and the next, getting ever more nervous. After fiveattempts I picked the ball up, and as I trudged over tojoin the others, Monty chuckled when I told him he hadjust ruined my best-ever round. Indeed, over the rest ofthe round the wheels well and truly came off.Fast forward 10 or so years and I am back at Turn-

berry, once again with Monty. Only this time I am thereto take part in the annual Colin Montgomerie SummerGolf School.

Autumn 2011 tlm n the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk 61

Whether you are trying to improve your game or taking golf up asa complete beginner, there is nothing like taking a dedicated tuitionbreak with intensive lessons. Perennial hacker Peter Ellegard wentstraight to the top in his quest

Monty’smantrasColin Montgomerie’s tipsfor improving your golf:l Keep it simplel Always think positivethoughts

l Use the same swingfor every club

l Every club should beyour favourite

l Stay loosel Keep your hands softl Putt 18 inches beyondthe cup

pack your clubs n golf tuition breaks

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n tlm editor Peter Ellegardunder the eye of instructor

Sven at Turnberry

The fullMonty

He told me one thing, to exaggerate the followthrough as if I was walking after the ball – like fellowSouth African Gary Player used to do. And it worked atreat. Within minutes I was hitting drives on the rangestraighter, higher and longer than I have ever done. Samewith my irons. From my favourite, the lob wedge, to thefive iron I rarely use for fear of duffing it (althoughMonty says you shouldn’t favour any club).After another group dinner, followed by the odd dram

or two in the bar, it was back to the academy next morn-ing for more tuition, this time concentrating on the shortgame. Having satisfied chief pro Michael with mybunker shots and chipping, Sven suggested how I couldimprove my putting, by narrowing my stance and puttingthe ball closer to me and nearer my front foot. Puttinghas always been my strong suit but Sven reckoned thenew technique would improve it even more.We finished the weekend school with a competition

on the Ailsa course, where Tom Watson cameheartbreakingly close to winning the Open again in2009. Putting new golf techniques into practice takestime, but I played much better even if the new puttingstyle wasn’t coming naturally. I didn’t win, that honour deservedly going to a 14-

year-old lad in my four-ball. But I was happy with mygolf and I showed Sven I was following his advice as hewatched on.It may have only been a weekend, but I and my new-

found friends, both fellow students and academyinstructors, had formed a common bond, and everyonesaid how useful they had found it besides it being anenjoyable experience. Spending some time with Europe’svictorious Ryder Cup captain, Monty, was the icing onthe cake – and the reason two of the participants havekept coming back, seven years running. His laid-back style, echoed by his team of pros, and

his genuine approachability and friendliness helpedmake the experience one I will always treasure. Doing itin such glorious surroundings and at such an iconic andsumptuous resort as Turnberry made it even more

special. And I even managed to exorcise another demon,by parring the very hole I blew up on in front of Monty adecade earlier.As I said goodbye to Sven I asked for his honest

appraisal of what my handicap could get down to. Quickas a flash he replied 15-18. I just need to keep practisinghis advice and Monty’s tips.

Autumn 2011 tlm n the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk 63

pack your clubs n golf tuition breaks

controlWith just 12 of us on the weekend course, and Montywith us for the first afternoon before handing over to hisinstructors, there’s a chance to chat with him before afascinating 90-minute clinic, during which he explainshow he believes golf should be played. Monty’s philoso-phy can be summed up in three words – keep it simple.Which he then demonstrates with a range of shots, allplayed with effortless power and control. If only…Over lunch, I had told him about our previous Turn-

berry encounter and how it had left my golf in tatters. Heapologised, but added I could never be a tour pro if Icouldn’t handle pressure like that. I got my chance toprove that when we all teed off on Turnberry’s nine-holecourse, with Monty hitting a drive on the first hole witheach group. When my turn came, I took out my trustyhybrid and focused on the shot, determined not to let mynerves get the better of me. It worked. The ball flewstraight down the middle, to my delight and the applauseof Monty and the others. I had exorcised one demon.

The academy’s instructors monitored us while weplayed before a farewell reception with Monty back atthe clubhouse and a group dinner in the hotel thatevening. Next morning we were split into four groups, each

with an instructor. I drew a personable South Africancalled Sven and we played the Kintyre course with him,before our first instruction session. My golf hasn’t improved in years and I have always

struggled with distance. I have had lessons at severalgolf academies, but they have generally been just anhour or so with no-one watching me play. Invariably theyhave given me so many things to think about it scram-bled my brain and my golf suffered even more.

exagerrateSven had noticed I tend to hit the ball with my weighttoo far back, instead of transferring weight to my frontfoot. As a result, my shots lacked power, kept low andoften squirted to the right.

62 tlm n the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk Autumn 2011

pack your clubs n golf tuition breaks

golf tuition facts

golf scienceI stayed on at Turnberry after the Monty golfschool weekend to undergo a two-hoursession next morning at the resort’sTaylorMade Performance Lab, one of onlytwo in the UK.There, your swing is analysed in detail by a

battery of high-tech gizmos, with the aim ofchecking whether your clubs suit your gameand, if not, to find ones that do.First, you put on a vest, belt, overshoes and

wrist, arm and leg bands studded withreflective markers. Six high-speed videocameras are trained on you and as you swing,your movements are translated into an on-

screen avatar (the technology was developedby the same company behind the specialeffects for the movie, Avatar).The results showed why my shots often

veer right, or go straight left. I bring my clubsdown from too vertical a plane, technicallyan out-to-in swing, and hit the ball with anopen club face.

To cure it would take many monthsdeconstructing my swing, so the TMPL fitter,Ian, tried me with different clubs and shaftsto try and counter my faults. He then gaveme a CD with the results and hisrecommendations. He suggests I keep myirons but try different woods with whippiershafts and greater loft.He also analysed my putting on the lab’s

special green, giving me a new-style putterwith a lofted face to try. It instantlytransformed my putting to 100% success. Iliked it so much I bought the club – all £120of it! lTwo-hour club fitting sessions atTurnberry’s TaylorMade Performance Labcost £150. For details, call 01655 331235 orvisit www.luxurycollection/turnberry.

“Monty’sphilosophycan besummed upin threewords – keepit simple”

colin montgomerie links golf academy, turnberryThe world’s only links golf academy featuresteaching programmes designed by eight-time European Tour Order of Meritwinner Colin Montgomerie. Facilitiesinclude indoor and outdoor teachingareas, simulators and swing analysers,16 covered bays, open-air range andshort-game area. Tuition includes 60-minute lessons for £80, one-hourputting lessons for £50 and one-hourfamily lessons for £99. The three-day ColinMontgomerie Summer Golf School takes placeevery year. This year it cost from £798, fully-inclusive.www.luxurycollection.com/turnberry

other uk golf academiesUK resorts and hotel groups with golf academies include 2014 RyderCup host Gleneagles (www.gleneagles.com), De Vere Hotels

(www.devere.co.uk) with facilities includingthe Nike Golf Academy at Oulton Hall &Spa, and hotel chain Marriott(www.marriottgolf.co.uk), whichhas 11 UK golf hotels and offers aKids Golf-4-Free programme allowingchildren to have a free lesson whenaccompanying an adult taking a paidlesson, with free club use. Among UKgolf schools with tuition packages are

the James Andrews School of Golf atSedlescombe Golf Course in East Sussex

(www.golfschool.co.uk) and the David Short Golf School(www.shortgolfschool.co.uk), with programmes at several courses.

overseas golf academiesMost golf resorts offer tuition. Popular ones include Spain’s La MangaClub (www.lamangaclub.com) and La Cala (www.lacala.com)resort, which has Spain’s only David Leadbetter Academy, and Penina(www.lemeridienpenina.com/en/golf) on Portugal’s Algarve. Tuitionis also offered by all-inclusive resort companies Club Med(www.clubmed.co.uk) and Sandals (www.sandals.com/golf) amongothers.

packagesTour operators with golf tuition packages include Golfbreaks.com(www.golfbreaks.com), Solo’s (www.solosholidays.co.uk/golf),Premier Iberian (www.premieriberian.com), GolfPlanet Holidays(www.golfplanetholidays.com) and Your Golf Travel(www.yourgolftravel.com).

Mar

riott

n Splashing out to the 8th green onthe Kintyre course at Turnberry

n Turnberryacademy instructors

n Peter Ellegardat Turnberry’sTaylorMadePerformance Lab

n Turnberry’sdriving range

n Kids Golf-4-Free

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Autumn 2011 tlm n the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk 65

golf n news

GOLF CLIPSA new range of golfsweaters from Scottish-basedclothing company Glenmuiruses scientific water-repellenttechnology to allow golfersto wear them in light rain or

short showers without havingto resort to waterproofs. Thelambswool men’s and ladies’sweaters in theAutumn/Winter 2011collection feature specialBionic-Finish nanotechnologyand cost from £70-£80.www.glenmuir.com

The second course atupmarket Greek golf resortCosta Navarino is now openfor play. The Bay Course,designed by Robert TrentJones Jr, overlooks thehistoric bay of Navarino inthe south-west Peloponneseand augments the resort’sBernard Langer-designedDunes Course and two five-star, Starwood-managedhotels.www.costanavarino.com

Golfers can book tee timesat discounted rates 24 hoursa day at 49 courses inPortugal’s Algarve and Lisbonareas and 44 Spanish coursesincluding the Costa del Sol,Costa Blanca and CanaryIslands via a new app fromAlgarve-based Just Tee Times.A free iPhone or Androiddownload, it includes coursereviews, videos and maps. www.justteetimes.com/mobile

With the cost of takingyour clubs on a golf-ing holiday becoming

ever more daunting thanks to air-line excess baggage charges, asolution which makes it easier onyour wallet as well as your backis fast gaining favour.ClubstoHire.com was launched

a year ago by Paul McGinley,Ryder Cup star and victorious GB& Ireland team captain in therecent Vivendi Seve Trophy, toallow golfers to rent clubs in theirholiday destination and avoidpaying the airline fees, which canamount to £80 return for clubs.Golf club rental is currently

available at seven airports – Faro,Malaga, Dublin, Edinburgh, GranCanaria and newly-added Murciaand Alicante – and since its incep-tion the company claims to havesaved golfers over £500,000 inairline charges.A wide range of equipment is

offered from top brands Wilson,TaylorMade, Callaway and MDGolf, with left and right-handedsets for both ladies and men.Rental periods can be from justone day to four weeks, and golferswho really want to cut down ontheir luggage can rent golf shoes.The service is easy to use;

golfers simply order online aheadof travel and pick up the hire set atthe destination airport.The clubs, which cost the same

at each location, range from 35euros per week for a rental set ofMD Golf Seve clubs up to 55

euros for TaylorMade R11s.Go to www.clubstohire.com

for more information.

Follow in the spike marks of Northern Ireland’sGraeme McDowell and splash out on a newgolf getaway to California’s iconic Pebble

Beach resort from sports tour operator ITC Sports. The four-night package includes return British

Airways flights to San Francisco, accommodation atThe Lodge at Pebble Beach and three rounds of golfon The Links at Spanish Bay, Spyglass Hill and thelegendary Pebble Beach Golf Links – where GMacwon the US Open in 2010.Prices start from £2,995 per person and include a

golf buggy and unlimited range balls for the threerounds, and membership of the Spanish Bay Club and

the Beach & Tennis Club with use of their facilities.Visit www.itcsports.co.uk for more informa-

tion.

WIN a week’sclub rental forfour worth £200You can WIN a week’s rental ofgolf clubs including TaylorMadeR11s for you and three golfingbuddies, worth 220 euros(around £200), from any ofClubstoHire.com’s locations. Theprize is valid for 12 months,excluding September andOctober, 2012, and three weeks’notice is required. For details, goto www.tlm-magazine.co.ukand click on Competitions. Termsand conditions apply. Closingdate November 18, 2011.

Don’t pack your clubs

Pebble splash

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n Pebble Beach Links

n ClubtoHire.com’s Faro shop

n Paul McGinley

n Derwent sweater