Another season

David Boote

22 I spent a lot of time in the gym and escaped some of the bad weather with a trip back to California and Hawaii where I caught up with some of my Stanford team mates. The Seibel coaching facility seems to get better every year and I really appreciate being able to use it for winter preparation.

My season got away this February in a new country for me – South Africa. The Challenge and Sunshine Tours combined to co-sanction three events with larger than normal (190 player) fields, and was a good chance to get in some tournament reps ahead of the main season start in early May. It was also great to experience new conditions such as playing at altitude and the on different grasses as well as in decent weather conditions – if you ignore the wind!

The first competition in Limpopo, 150 miles north of Johannesburg, was at 6,000ft above sea level and the altitude had a big effect on ball distance which took some getting used to. The tournament was held at two courses, Koro Creek and Euphoria which were about 30 miles apart, so there was a lot of prep to do before the Thursday start. I had arranged for an experienced Sunshine Tour caddy to help with this!

Limpopo is an area in South Africa

known for its scenery and wildlife with many game reserves nearby. Unfortunately, there was no time for safaris, but there were plenty of wild animals roaming the countryside and visible from our car as we travelled north! My own game was still a little winter rusty, the kukio grass was slightly tricky and a 74-69 for a -1 total, resulted in a missed cut. Onto the next one!

The second event was in Cape Town, a short internal flight to the west coast from Joburg and a city I was excited to go to. One of my college friends from Stanford lives in the southern suburbs and plays on the Sunshine Tour so it was great to stay with him and have some practice rounds with someone who had local knowledge! Unfortunately it was a tough first round in strong winds at Royal Cape GC on the first day and despite some good play on day two at King David Mowbray GC in similar wind, scores of 75-71 for a +2 total, again resulted in a weekend off.

However, the missed cut gave me the chance to have a good look around the city and a few of us explored some breathtaking scenery below Table Mountain with a coast road which weaves through small towns and villages and leads to sandy beaches and coves.

There was also time to put some effort in on the practice range to get the clubs dialled in before the next tournament, and a four hour drive eastwards along the ‘Garden route’ to George and the Fancourt Estate.

The last event was the Dimension Data Pro-Am, well known as the Sunshine Tours flagship event and formerly a full European Tour destination. Fancourt is known for having hosted the Presidents Cup in 2003 and for being the base for many of the top South African professionals such as Ernie Els and Brandon Grace. The tournament is held on three separate courses – The Links, Montagu and Outeniqua, all of which are different in terms of length , layout and degree of difficulty.

I personally preferred the Links course, despite it arguably being the hardest track, because as it suggests in the name, it reminded me of some of the courses we have here in the UK. It’s an amazing setting between the Outeniqua mountains and the Indian Ocean and a very serious test of golf. Learning three new courses and getting to know new amateur partners made for another busy week, but I managed to play some good golf finishing 42nd individually with 71- 68-71-72 for -7 total. This was helped by an eagle-birdie finish on the last day which was a good way to sign off my first trip to the country! My amateur partner was a very solid 5 handicap and we finished tied 8th (out of 180) as a team which was a great result! All in all, after a slow first two weeks it was good to make the cut at the Dimension Data, not only to get the feeling of playing on a Sunday back, but also to get myself up and running on the order of merit for 2020. As it was my first time down to South Africa and I hadn’t played a tournament since November, I played some pretty decent golf across the three weeks. I was pleased to shake off some winter rust too!

The main season gets going again in Prague in early May, but before that, I will be fitting in some MENA Tour events in Dubai, another trip to the USA and hopefully a couple of local TP Tour events to try to stay as sharp as possible for the year ahead.

@davidboote123

Jamie Burrows, golf psychologist and mindset coach

You probably think it’s impossible to manage your reactions and emotions in the way you want. But it isn’t. It’s actually pretty easy and professional golfers do it all the time. We call it ‘anchoring’.

Let’s make it simple. I bet you have a song that reminds you of a someone? Perhaps it’s a past love – and when you hear that song it immediately brings back all of the emotion of that experience like it’s happening again right now. That is a change of your emotional state and it’s triggered by the sound you’re hearing.

Just as these anchors are created accidentally in everyday life, we can also actively create them to achieve a desired state or emotional response. It doesn’t have to be a sound either. It can be seeing something – maybe a bar where great nights were spent with friends, it can be smelling a particular smell, perhaps the smell of sea takes you back to childhood happiness on the beach.

Creating anchors on purpose can be extremely helpful for your golf game. Just imagine feeling nervous on the first tee and replacing it with the feeling of confidence.

Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen both work with a mindset coach. This has allowed them to develop an anchor that works for them – they have anchored the feeling of focus to the sensation of the velcro on their glove tightening.

Give it a go for yourself. Right is a basic outline of how to create your own anchor.

c Select a feeling that you would like to have in a particular situation. This may be to feel confident over a putt or calm over a tee shot. c Take a few moments to remember a time when you had that feeling. Be sure to choose a strong example. c Close your eyes and remember that feeling in vivid detail. Put yourself back there now and relive it in all its intensity. See what you could see, hear what hear and feel all of those feelings of that emotion. c When the feeling is at its most intense, anchor it. Create a physical movement or gesture that will now become your anchor. Clenching a fist and holding it is great for confidence. c As the feeling fades, release your ‘anchor’ (your fist) and relax. c Choose another example of having that feeling and repeat the procedure. Use the same gesture. c Choose a third example and anchor the feeling to the same gesture. To enhance the experience you can experiment with making the images clearer and the sounds louder. c Try your anchor and check that the feeling comes back. c If the feeling is not intense enough, repeat the procedure. c Take this with you and fire that anchor when you need it.

Anchoring is just one of the elements I cover on my course Mastering Mental Resilience. If you’re looking to make 2020 the year you take your golf to the next level, get in touch for more information: jamieburrowsgolf. com/ jamie@jamieburrows.net

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MALONE GOLF CLUB Stunning parkland golf course located just 5 miles from Belfast city centre

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“Amid all the provinces in Scotland, if a stranger were asked to describe the most varied and the most beautiful, it is probable he would name the County of Perth,” famously noted Sir Walter Scott, the distinguished Scottish novelist, playwright and poet.

Scott’s words are also an accurate summary of golf in Perthshire, an area in the very heart of the country and one simply steeped in golfing history offering fantastic value. The region’s jewel needs little introduction. Images of the famed fairways of Gleneagles and its historic hotel were beamed across the globe after the five-star resort’s memorable staging of both The Ryder and Solheim Cup over the last six years. With three world-class courses to sample – The King’s, Queen’s and PGA Centenary – the venue takes pride of place in Perthshire, offering ‘take-the-breath away’ golf for any visitor and all manner of sporting pursuits.

Neighbouring Auchterarder is another parkland gem, while architect James Braid – renowned designer of

Top: Gleneagles PGA Centernary Course Left: Crieff Golf Club Ferntower Course The King’s and Queen’s – also worked his magic at Blairgowrie, with the Rosemount and Lansdowne Courses holding their own among the very best in Scotland.

Surrounded by beautiful countryside and the adjacent Hydro Hotel, Crieff is also not to be missed. Built on gently sloping parkland, it is a challenging experience for all levels of golfer.

Indeed, Gleneagles, Blairgowrie, Auchterarder and Crieff are coming together this year for the relaunched Legacy Cup – celebrating the Ryder, Junior Ryder and Solheim Cups all being contested Perthshire over recent years. The event has been expanded to a 72-hole better ball competition for both same gender and mixed pairs. Golfers are spoilt for choice at Monifieth Golf Links where there are two 18 hole links golf courses on offer. At 6655 yards off the white tees, the Medal course is tough, but playable.

Perthshire offers spectacular scenery, outstanding value, a fantastic choice of accommodation and an amazing variety of activities and attractions. With a guaranteed friendly welcome, you'll fall in love with Perthshire... a truly authentic Scottish golf experience. IT'S NOTJUSTOURGOLFTHAT WILLTAKE YOURBREATH AWAY

The Red House Hotel offers golfers a very warm welcome and with around 30 golf courses within half an hour of the front door, it’s perfectly located for a ‘play and stay’ golfing break. 01828 628500 www.red-house-hotel.co.uk

Top: Blairgowrie Golf Club Rosemount Course Bottom: Auchterarder Golf Club

The well-grassed narrow, running fairways and fast consistent greens will test any standard of golfer.

1,500 yards shorter but with slightly smaller greens and more aggressive contouring around them the challenge of the Ashludie course is no less diminished.

Green fees for 2020 are £40 (Ashludie) and £95 (Medal), but many prefer the two-course package (with breakfast rolls, soup and sandwiches and a 2-course meal) for £120.

Just outside Perth, Murrayshall Country House Hotel & Golf Club also offers superb stay-and-play options, boosted by recent investment into the Murrayshall and Lynedoch courses as well as other areas of the club, including a new Spike Bar and changing room facilities. Further north, Pitlochry is another scenic beauty, with the quality of product on the course just as good as the friendly service off it.

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Societies welcome 7 days a week Talk to our team about our incredible stay and play offers Come and see our refurbished course Our well stocked professional shop can cater for all ofyou're needs Check out our new golfsimulator, perfect for custom fitting, lessons or experience a variety offamous courses from around the world

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A warm Scottish welcome awaits at Monifieth Golf Links where you can enjoy all year round on courses that seldom introduce winter greens.

Play traditional links golf over two golf courses in excellent condition and follow in the footsteps of Tom Watson who enjoyed his first experience of a links golf course at Monifieth a week before he won his first Open Championship.

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