Titleist launch their new 714 irons

As you may have read in the Titleist seeding article, the new 714 irons are currently being used by tour professionals around the World and have been getting excellent reviews. Jason Dufner used 714 AP2 irons to win the US PGA Championship and Gregory Bourdy won the ISPS Handa Wales Open with a combination of 714 CB & MB irons.

For Titleist to improve the AP range of irons, they have removed weight from areas of the club head and replaced a high density tungsten weight into the heel of the mid and long irons. This has helped to improve ball flight, increase forgiveness and give maximum feel to each and every player

Gregory Bourdy with his 714 CB/MB irons

The longer irons create a higher launch angle for more carry and a flatter launch angle for shorter irons which give you outstanding control around the greens.

The new AP1 irons are the longest, most forgiving iron Titleist has ever made, with a multi-material, dual cavity design for players that want maximum distance, forgiveness and solid feel in a great looking progressive game improvement chassis. The new AP2 models are multi-material, forged irons that offer distance with trajectory control and forgiveness with workability in a solid feeling, great looking tour proven chassis.

Both AP1 and AP2 feature a satin polish playing position with bright polish cavity highlights for superior appearance at address.

The new Titleist CB and MB irons are designed for maximum shot control with improved address profiles and enhanced feel through the turf.

The CB and MB irons are forged from 1025 carbon steel and feature tour-preferred constant blade lengths with minimal progressive offset for maximum workability.

The new CB irons feature an optimised shallow cavity-back design with an inner cavity muscle behind the impact area for solid blade iron feel. MB is a classic muscle back forged iron, delivering great feel from muscle back weighting positioned behind the sweet spot.

I got a chance to speak to European Tour Professional Paul Waring at Royal Lytham & St. Annes in August. Paul, who uses the CB range, was very impressed with the subtle changes to the irons. He talked in depth about the new sole design which has added camber. This stops the clubs digging into the ground as much, therefore divot depth is improved for a better strike. His switch to the new irons saw him make his first cut in his past four attempts, while maybe conincidental, I'll be fascinated to follow his form as he continues to get to grips with the new technology.

The new 714 range are available in golf shops worldwide from November 8th, I cannot recommend these irons enough, I have hit shots with the AP2, CB and MB and the feel I get from each iron is better than any feeling I have had from any other iron I've hit. The trajectory of the ball is very consistent throughout the bag too.

But don't take my word for it, go to your nearest golf shop to try them out for yourself let me know how you get on.

For more information on Titleist products please visit www.titleist.co.uk

The Trilby Tour

If you are a regular watcher of Sky Sports you may have seen adverts or watched episodes from the William Hunt Trilby Tour.

The William Hunt Trilby Tour is an amateur golf tournament which is now in its seventh year. Regional championships are played across the UK with a Grand Final played at the end of August at Rockcliffe Hall.

The format is an 18 hole stableford off three quarters handicap. The top ten players make it to the Grand Final with the top four players fighting it out in a three hole play-off to be crowned the regional champion.

All events are broadcast on Sky Sports and it’s officially the largest Amateur golf television series in Europe.

This year I was offered the chance to play at one of the events in the UK and after checking the venue line up the Championship I chose was at the Nottinghamshire Golf & Country Club.

As you might have guessed by the name of the tournament all players are to wear a “trilby”, which is chosen at the Championship venue when signing in. You’re also asked to wear William Hunt’s own Saville Row clothing range and you must have a caddy who wears a Masters style boiler suit.

You are asked to arrive at the venue at least an hour before your scheduled tee time and to be on the tee at least twenty minutes before you tee off. This is to ensure you go through the formalities of local rules, swapping cards, identifying golf balls and giving a little information about yourself to the starter.

My playing partners for the day were Trevor, a Nottinghamshire member and former Manchester United footballer Lee Sharpe who is a Trilby Tour regular.

I have played in big amateur events before so playing in front of people has never been a problem for me, but I must admit that standing on that first tee with over a hundred pairs of eyes plus the TV cameras on you, it’s hard not to feel a little nervous.

The first hole is a reachable par 5, with all these eyes on me I wanted to hit my driver, mainly as it’s the club with the largest head, however with a water hazard in range I opted for a 3-wood for safety. My first tee shot was straight out the heel and into the fairway bunker, at least it went forward!

After the first shot nerves I calmly settled into the round and after making a decent par on the first hole I followed up with a birdie on the second. A second par followed on the third and when we arrived on the fourth hole to play our approach shots, a camera man was following our every move.  I missed the green right but managed to play a shot that Phil Mickelson would be proud of to secure my par.

After 9 holes you give your scores to the officials who are regularly updating the leader boards and I was pleased to be on 20 points (two under par) with my shot to come in on the 13^th.

A par net birdie on 13 and another birdie on 15 saw me standing on the final hole at four under par. As I was in the second to last group of the day, I had already seen some scores which had been posted so I was fairly confident that if I made par on the last hole I would make the play-off.

The 18^th is a short par 5, however, if you hit driver you’ll run out of fairway and finish in the lake. I hit an awful 3 wood off the tee which meant I had a full 3 wood to the green. I managed to safely make it to the front in two.

As I was lining up my putt I had a look at the leaderboard to see that no matter what I did I would make the play-off. The pressure was lifted and a two-putt birdie saw me post 41 stableford points (five under par).

After checking and signing my card I was rushed off to do a quick interview, which I have no recollection of now, as I was full of adrenaline and trying not to say anything stupid!

The play-off was between four players who posted the best scores on the day and the holes to play were the 1^st, 2^nd and 18^th, winner takes all!

I again hit 3 wood off the first tee but this time the crowd and cameras didn’t faze me and I managed a perfect shot down the left hand side of the fairway. This left me 190 yards to the flag on a par 5, one of my opponents had already made the green in two so I had to go for hit. I was in between clubs as I needed to carry over a water hazard but was conscious that a shot which flew to far would be in a tricky bunker to the back of the green or worse in the lake behind it.

I opted for a 4 iron rather than a 5 and caught the ball thin. My ball ended up in the hazard and a drop was needed. I made a bogey on the first and one of my opponents made birdie.

When we arrived on the second tee, each of us had a short interview about the first hole. The second is a par 3 which I had earlier birdied, however this time I made par and we moved on to the final play-off hole. The par 5, 18^th.

I was two shots behind at this stage and the only thought I had in my head was to make an eagle. I wanted to hit my driver over the trees to take the water out of play but my caddy (AKA Dad) wouldn’t entertain it. So I hit a 5 wood into a perfect position. At this stage the play-off was between myself and Ben, who had posted 42 points earlier in the day. He hit two irons to the green and was just short of reaching.

I decided to go for hit by hitting a high 5 wood right at the flag, I executed the shot perfectly but my ball ended up 30 foot past the flag with a tricky downhill putt for eagle. Ben chipped up to around 4 feet which meant my putt was a must hole. I gave it a good try but had to settle for birdie and finished in second place.

The experience of playing in the William Hunt Trilby Tour is nothing I have ever experienced before and I can’t wait to do it all over again in the final at Rockcliffe Hall at the end of August.

The Trilby Tour episodes will be on Sky Sports in the Autumn so if you’re interested in watching what you’ve just read look out for the Nottinghamshire episode. 

Quinta do Lago

It's been three years in the making but 2014 Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley has recently opened his new Golf Academy at the family resort of Quinta do Lago in the Algarve region of Portugal.

Paul has worked with Taylor Made Golf for most of his career and they have joined forces again at one of the top golfing resorts in Europe to ensure you get the most out of you game.

At the new fitting centre at Quinta do Lago you can get custom fitted with the latest Taylor Made equipment (putter, irons and driver) by using state-of-the-art technology and expert professionals who are second to none when it comes to finding the right club for you.

I was lucky enough to visit Quinta do Lago to witness the fitting centre in action and was there when McGinley turned up to open his new golf academy. He talked in depth about his relationship with Taylor Made and how getting fitted for clubs is essential to helping your game.

As Paul said: "You wouldn't go and buy an expensive Italian suit without having it measured for you so why should buying golf clubs be any different."

There are a wide variety of golfers on the planet. Some want to be the best they possibly can and some play the game for pure enjoyment. But Quinta do Lago caters for everyone.

The resort is home to three fantastic golf courses. North, South & Laranjal. I managed to play all three on my short trip and my favourite was Laranjal.

Laranjal was voted the best golf course at the Portuguese Travel Awards which is an amazing feat for a course that only opened in 2009 and is up against all the other top class golf courses Portugal has to offer.

The course is built on an orange grove and is situated in the Ludo valley two kilometres east of the resort. I decided to test my skills from the black championship tees which made the course 7,086 yards.

There are five lakes on the course and finding the right position off the tee and on the greens is a must. The greens are undulated but fair. I was told that they could make the greens even faster than the 11 on the stimpmetre but keeping the ball on the putting surface would be near impossible on some holes.

The course is made up of five par 5s, eight par 4s and five par 3s. The par 3s are not for the faint-hearted especially off the black tees where the 7th is over 250 yards. Even the pros in the US Open at Merion struggled with those distances!

Quinta North and South are situated next to each other and just across the road from the golf academy. Both courses are surrounded by some of the most gorgeous looking villas I have ever set my eyes on. I heard that many footballers own villas on these courses as they are given a lot of privacy in the resort.

Both courses offer a real test.

The North is slightly shorter than the South but the bunkers and water hazards are well positioned so you have to ensure you play for the correct position off the tee. I found the course to be quite tight so blasting your driver was a risk.

The South course is known as the jewel in the Quinta do lago crown. The Portuguese Open has been played here eight times. The course is set amongst umbrella pines, lakes and wild flowers and overlooks the spectacular scenery of the Ria Formosa National Park.

I only played the back nine of the South course and the three holes which stood out were 14, 15 and 17. The 14th for the scenery as you tee off from an elevated tee, the 15th is a par 3 which is around 210 yards from the back tee and a carry all over the lake, while the 17th is a par 5 - you tee off over the lake from the 15th but you are faced by some beautiful looking villas at the same time.

After you've finished your round there is nothing better than sitting outside the club house with a nice refreshing drink and a bite to eat.

However, if you prefer to get yourself sorted out and go out for a meal, look no further than Casa do Lago restaurant. Casa do Lago is located on the water's edge with fresh fish brought in daily. I ate some of the biggest tiger prawns I have ever seen and they were cooked to perfection.

Casa do Lago also have a floating green in the middle of the lake. You can hit balls from the lakeside to try and hit the green but it's impossible to keep the ball on there as it's made of wood. It makes a loud bang when you're successful, usually greeted by applause from the spectators who are there for food or drinks.

During my stay in Portugal I stayed in the Conrad Algarve. This superb hotel only opened in September 2012 and fully deserves its 5-star status from the staff down to the rooms and the detail which has gone into them.

The hotel is situated on the doorstep of Quinta do Lago so is a perfect location for a golf holiday.

This was the first time I'd ever travelled to Portugal so I didn't really know what to expect. After visiting I would definitely return - especially for a golf trip.

I can't recommend the Quinta do Lago resort enough and if you are a keen golfer like myself, check out the Golf academy, I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

For more information on Quinta do Lago visit http://www.quintadolago.com