13 April, 2008
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Lee McLaughlan & Matthew Millard
The Cast
Top Coach
Gary Alliss, head professional at The Belfry, PGA Cup captain and PGA Master Professional
Hacker 1
Lee McLaughlan (Macca) - PGA.info writer
Hacker 2
Matthew Millard (Milly) - PGA.info writer
The Challenge
Too many golfers ignore the benefits of lessons. Over the winter months Lee and Matt have received regular expert tuition from Gary to improve both the quality and enjoyment of their respective games and also to demonstrate that investing in lessons can be as valuable as money spent on new equipment.
The Bet
£10 - Macca and Milly will put all their winter coaching to the test with a one off winner takes all strokeplay challenge at the PGA National in April.
Act six - The battle approaches but there's a spring in Macca's step
It's not like I didn't know it was coming but suddenly I am faced with 18 potentially career-destroying holes. They're here. Now. Grinning menacingly at me - and all for the sake of a tenner and one-upmanship in the office.
When the idea of taking on the PGA National at the Belfry back in November was mooted, I wasn't dancing from the rooftops given I had a golf game as tatty as Nora Batty's tights.
For those of us not blessed with a half-decent handicap, it is not a course for the faint-hearted and certainly not one to take on having just picked up a club. I learned that lesson 12 months ago when, like a kid in a sweet shop, I rushed at it with boundless enthusiasm only to get my wrists slapped.
And now I'm about to take it on once more - with my golfing pedigree hanging firmly in the balance.
All of that was true in the harshness of winter, which still seems to be here despite the fact the calendar most definitely confirms spring is here, however, I'm approaching the PGA National with a lot less trepidation. The reason for this new-found confidence has been the guidance of PGA Master Professional Gary Alliss.
For those players who mock the notion of lessons and pick up tips here and there via their mates or the internet, then you're only kidding yourselves. In the space of half a dozen lessons over the past four months, and with practice and the odd round, the improvement has been nothing short of miraculous.
The changes haven't been overwhelming as they have invariably been quite subtle, but tweaking my stance at addressing the ball has improved the quality and consistency of my ball striking no end, while my real downfall - bunkers - are no longer the threat they once were.
It's hard to exactly put into words how each lesson has brought on my game, but the difference on the course is certainly noticeable. The game isn't perfect and my performance on and around the greens still has a lot of work to do, but I chip with confidence rather than quitting on it and three-putting is becoming a thing of the past!
But I've only got to this point, and in a relatively short time frame, from the lessons. Without the knowledge and expertise of Gary, I would still be hacking away without a shadow of a doubt. However, after a few practice sessions on the PGA National, it is no longer the daunting prospect it was.
As for who will walk off the 18th with the broadest smile, and ten quid richer, that is still too close to call.