Aqua Driving Range

[Gary]

Hi Mike,

I would like to be the first to welcome you to the forum. I look forward to your future postings.

Mike, what are your thoughts about La Tercia site having an Aqua Driving range? It just occurred to me reading your article and the comments on you covering the mental aspect of the game… In the past I have had problems when needing to drive over water, you get in your head that the ball is water bound and sure enough that’s where it goes. Well, how do you think mentally this affects you, when having to practice into water…?

Gary

[Mike Probert]

Gary,this is an interesting point that you raise and i will attempt to answer it to the best of my ability.
Firstly the act of deliberately hitting a ball into water and attempting to avoid a water hazard on a golf course are two different things.
By nature humans are attracted to water and we spend leisure time walking near rivers,lakes,canals and the sea and as children enjoyed throwing or skimming stones into or across the water.
I believe that golfers will get some enjoyment from seeing their ball hit the water and make ripples,like children.
Attempting to avoid a water hazard on a golf course is a different thing and the answer lies in your own words that "you think about hitting the ball in the water and there it goes".
Experts will tell you that you get or become what you think about and that at some sub-conscious level the brain can not understand the word 'don't.
If your last thought before striking the ball is "don't hit the ball in the water" this will be processed by the brain as "hit the ball in the water" and the body will react accordingly.
To avoid this problem firstly 'visualise' your ball clearing the hazard,before you hit the ball and ensure that the last thought before any golf shot is a positive one.
I hope that this answers your question but i will be covering this and more in forthcoming articles.
Mike

[rayval]

Hi Dave,
A bit more background info on the Aqua Driving Range.
Did you know that Mere Golf and Country Club near Knutsford in Cheshire has an aqua driving range. Mere G C is quite up market, has hosted many important tornaments and is considered by many to be 'the Wentworth of the North'
I'm sure if Mere G C have taken the time and effort to install this facility than it should not be regarded as a 'novelty'.
I for one think UGR have made a forward thinking decision  re the driving range which will attract all types and standards of golfers and maybe will help it stand out from the norm.
As soon as time allows it is my intention to try the range at Mere and report back.
Regards,
Ray

[Dave]

Hi Ray

It will be good to have a little more information, regarding the Aqua range at Mere Golf Club. Like you say having the first Aqua driving range in Spain located at UGR, can only be good in attracting all types and standard of golfers to the golf course ( maybe the serious golfers as well  ).

Dave

[malcolmandjane]

hi one and all

Malc's played Mere Golf Club, and the mere is a natural lake, cordoned off about a fifth of it with rope, and as far as he can remember the golf balls hit from the  practice tees at the edge of the mere are normal golf balls . These sink and are dredged out by netting overnight. Hope this helps, he says that golfers don't play at Mere because of the practice facilities but because of the quality of the course, and the superb up market facilities.

Malc and Jane

[Mike Probert]

Forum Members

When i lived back in the UK i played the Mere golf course on an annual basis and can confirm that not only is the course excellent but that the aqua practice lake was well received by golfers of all standards.

I have to be careful that my memory does not deceive me BUT in the early days the balls were actually designed to FLOAT and were collected by a large floating boom on the water.

It is some years since i was last there so perhaps things have changed with the ball used and the method of collection BUT i still guess that the facility is enjoyed by golfers of all standards.

Mike