Author Archives: Calum Wilson

So, winter has definitely been here the past couple of weeks and if the forecast is anything to go by it will be here for a while yet.  This has given me the chance to hit the range as we work on my long game to improve ball striking and consistency.  The range gives the me the opportunity to experiment and it’s great to be able to try different things with the guidance of my coach Pete Whiteford.  We’re making great progress – I hit some balls last week where the strike was purer than I have ever felt before.  It’s great to be learning and to still be amazed!  I wake up excited to go and hit balls and see what I can do that day.

The part I’ve been missing lately is the on-course play.  I need to get much better at preparation, decision making and shot selection on the course.  I played St Andrews when the ground was solid last week – a good lesson in picking my landing zones! Joking apart, it still gives me the chance to “think better” on the golf course. 

So this week more range work, a game on Thursday with the St Andrews boys, fitness work, hopefully some short game work if the ground stays soft and some centrally heated putting practice at home!

I’ll let you know how it goes.

Cheers

Calum

While so much has been happening in the world, for me it has been quiet, competition-wise. My time is spent practising all aspects of my game and my play-approach philosophy. One area I’ve been working hard on with Pete is my iron play, trying to develop a left to right stock shot while still being able to move the ball both ways when my positioning demands it. We’ve also been working on getting a better and more consistent strike. We’re making good progress and gradually feeding it into my on-course play. I just love the learning process and the challenge.

The golfers among you will have realised that winter has arrived as the fairway mats and winter greens have started to make an appearance. I’m sure you’ll agree it’s not ideal but this seems to be the norm for courses these days. I’d rather we didn’t have them. The season in Scotland is short enough as it is so I think the chance to play off grass on a decent winter day is valuable. Fortunately we have some courses such as the Fairmont, the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre, Trump and Elmwood that play on fairways all year, so that’s where I head when I can.

My next scheduled tournament is the Algarvian 54 holer on the 5th January. My flight is booked, however the latest question mark hanging over the trip is around COVID-related entry to Portugal post Brexit. But let’s keep it in context, given the hardship and health issues many are having to face due to COVID, me not getting to Portugal is of little significance.

I played in it last year and it’s where me and my caddie decided turning pro was the right thing to do. It was a brilliant few days out there I can tell you!

Off now to practice putting – inside!

I hope that you and your loved ones have a happy and peaceful festive period.

Calum

The final round of this year’s Paul Lawrie Tartan Pro Tour events was held at Royal Aberdeen last Thursday. The Winter Series events are each over 18 holes and a great opportunity to pitch up and try to score the best you can. The course was in great condition and a real pleasure to play.

I shot 7 over ,with a double bogey at the last. The double came from me taking on a flop shot off a bare lie. The percentage shot was a bump and run from 30 yards to leave 15 foot left of the pin which was tucked behind a bunker. I didn’t want to do that so I saw a tremendous flop shot landing like a butterfly by the pin as the shot to go for. Halfway through my backswing I thought of the car park 40 yards over the green and the thought of the impending damage I could do to fellow competitors cars flooded my head. Result? Heavy, short and not that pretty! That said I played some good golf too, so lots of good stuff to take from the day.

The events that Paul Lawrie has pulled together over the last few months have been absolutely first class – great organisation and great courses. We’ve all been looked after by Paul and his team really well and we’ve been provided with the opportunity of competitive golf for valuable prize funds. Personally I have learned so much in a short time from playing in these events and look forward to next year’s schedule.

So what now? It’s quiet ,competition wise, for the next couple of months so I’m off to practice and in particular work on my long game. But don’t worry – I’ll still be blogging.

Catch up soon…

We had the Richmond Masters this week at the Richmond Golf Club down in London. A great parkland course on the edge of Richmond Park. I arrived with a dodgy long game, a continuation from Panmure last week, so the first couple of days were challenging to say the least. To be honest I didn’t know if it was going right, left or even straight!

I spent some hours on the range on Monday afternoon and then again on Tuesday morning before the last round, trying to find something a bit more consistent. Glad to say I found a straight or fade swing – felt a bit like Bubba but it worked. Limited the damage and managed two over. I was pleased with that given the previous day’s performances!

However, as always, there’s a story – two under after the first four holes and my drive at the fifth drifted into the semi – an easy find, or so I thought. Three minutes pass and time’s up, still no ball. So the long walk of shame back to the tee for me. Get back down and my partner has found the first ball in the open but hidden under a leaf! His wife was caddying so I managed to keep all my expletives silent – just and no more! Anyways I’ll “leaf” the rest to your imagination!!

So back up north now with some work to do. I’m actually really excited at the prospect of pitching up in the future with confidence around my long game.

Learning again about the importance of ruling out one side of the golf course, developing a stock shot and committing to a preferred shape of short.

So onward and upward with some decisions to make about the next few tournaments.

Calum

Let’s get it out of the way….bearing in mind it’s now three days after the event…..I finished the second Tartan Pro Tour Winter Series at Panmure feeling so, so angry, frustrated and embarrassed.  
The story….my second to the first was to 15 feet. The birdie putt shaved the hole and my 12 inch tap in hit the wire ball lifter and bounced straight back to me….bogey! Then 12 straight pars to sit one over after 13 – playing well and feeling comfortable.  I guess at that point I was around top 10 on the leaderboard.  My thought was: attack and let’s squeeze two birdies out of the last 5 holes.
I then put an awful swing on a 3 wood and almost went out of bounds! Then, at the next, an equally awful swing on a driver.  So that was that and I ended up signing for a 7 over 77.
This experience showed me that I am not yet close to good enough and having a long game swing that can flip from great to awful needs to be addressed – so that is the task now and through the winter.  Build a more solid, dependable foundation and repeatable swing. 
However, as always in golf, there are positives – my new putter is behaving and confidence levels are increasing again.
So now on to Richmond, Pro am today then two days of competition.
Will let you know how we go…..

Calum

So I played the first of the Paul Lawrie Winter Series at Portlethen on Thursday. I last played the course when it opened around 30 years ago and it has developed into a very good, mature, parkland course with some of the best greens I have putted on this year. I would thoroughly recommend anyone to go have a game sometime.

While my score could have been better than my 4 over total had my putting been better, there were a lot of positives that I could take from Thursday. I committed to 70% plus of the shots I played, I’m getting more and more comfortable playing with the guys and girls from the different pro tours, my shot preparation is getting better earlier, meaning I’m ready to commit to the shot once over the ball with less doubts in my mind, and I’m getting more used to rocking up and shooting as low a score as I can. While the apprenticeship is both exciting and frustrating at the same time, I firmly believe that all this will start producing the goods.

The winner carded 5 under so I have a way to go but am totally committed to trying.

It’s Panmure next on Thursday this week for the second in the series then down to Richmond on Thames on Friday for a Masters Pro event next week.

I’ve got a new putter in the bag that I’m sure has a lot of eagles, birdies and pars in it – so look out!

Calum

So no Munich for me this week – the German Government introduced a two week quarantine period for all Jocks arriving into the country from Scotland after the 7pm last Friday – exactly 11 hours before I was due to fly.  They must have been nervous about admitting the kilted golfer..

Instead of packing, I spent Friday night cancelling hotel and hire car bookings and flights. How did I feel about that you’re thinking…angry, pissed off, disappointed having worked for the week to get my game ready. Then I thought, as part of the impact of this virus, me not getting to Germany matters not a jot in the greater scheme of things. That was only after I had enjoyed a rant about all these over spilling pubs raising the positive test rate meaning I couldn’t go to Germany. Irrational I know but hey there you have it…the bottle of red took the edge off it.

The upside is that I can now play in the first of the Paul Lawrie Tartan Pro Tour one day events at Portlethen on Thursday.  Looking forward to it and getting my game ready.  

Then it’s hopefully down to Richmond on Thames a week on Friday for a ProAm and two day tournament.

Will let you know how I go…

So my journey moves on, and this time I didn’t play myself out on day one.

The Paul Lawrie Tartan Pro Tour hit St Andrews the last two days, with a mix of pros including many Ladies European and Europro Tours arriving to take on the New and Jubilee Courses.  The weather couldn’t have been much more Scottish if it tried – we were met with flat calm and 20 degrees St Andrews on day one (yesterday) and a 20mph North Easterly wind and 13 degrees today.  The overall scoring was very good with the winner, Jamie McLeary, posting 9 under.  The results can be found at https://tartanprotour.co.uk/

You will have all heard and possibly experienced 1st tee nerves. Well…….yesterday I was in the first group off, with around 20 onlookers – including Open-winner, Paul Lawrie and my son Gav.  I was addressing the ball thinking: if I keep my head the same distance from the ball then impact will occur and something will happen – and it did and off it went down the fairway.  I exaggerate but it is, and always will be, a great feeling to get the first one away!

I finished 7 over: +2 yesterday and +5 today, which pretty well reflected my golf and the conditions.  Good not to shoot any big numbers though.  I was comfortable and played good confident golf on day one but today my swing felt off from the word go, so I was pretty pleased to hold the round to 5 over.

One thing I need to do is work on my shotmaking in a left to right wind – I find it a challenge.  I’ll share what we work out to improve this in a future blog.

I played a with some good golfers from the Europro Tour so learned a bit from them – gosh they do play and walk quickly though!

So what now?  Practice for a couple of weeks ahead of the next tournament in Germany early October at the Olching Club, Munich.

I’ll leave you with a line from a song…… 
“Dance your own dance, sing your own song and live the life you dreamed of till the dreamer is gone”

See ya
Calum  

It’s the Paul Lawrie Tartan Pro Tour event over the New and Jubilee Courses at St Andrews this week so I was working on my alignment and swing this weekend. I figure if I aim in the right direction there’s more chance of the ball going in the right direction.  Sounds simple I know but if your like me, and get a bit “alignment lazy”, it can creep off.
I’ve also been working hard on my organisation while playing, with the help and guidance of Peter Whiteford.  Trying to get into the habit of preparing for the shot a lot earlier while still walking towards the ball.  It all makes sense and I am convinced it will shave a shot or two off my scores – but, as with everything, it is hard to change.  I’ll get there though. 
I also had a session with Sandy Smith to help improve my ball striking.  His guidance helped me produce a better and more consistent ball strike. It will take some work but again I’m convinced it will help me improve.
So I’m now looking forward to St Andrews as I wait for the draw to confirm that I have a starting place tomorrow (Tuesday).
Catch up soon
Calum

This weekend saw the Paul Lawrie Par Three Challenge played at his centre up in Aberdeen. This was the second of six Tartan Pro Tour events and had been postponed from earlier this month due to the temporary lockdown in the city. Paul was a great host at a superb venue which was in beautiful condition with nine tricky par threes ranging from 120 yards to 205 yards. I would recommend it to anyone – it really sharpens up your short game with lots of heavy rough and water to catch you out.

I went into this against the younger field of tour professionals thinking this would be my best chance – I mean I wasn’t gonna get outdriven after all! However read on…..

For me it was another story of two halves – big score yesterday as I came out of the blocks firing at every pin and to be honest hitting myself long into trouble most of the time. On the fifth, as I watched my ball still rising as it passed the pin by 15 yards like an Apollo space craft re-entering the atmosphere and straight into the heavy rough, I thought …….”wow Calum two clubs out this time and I might not see that particular Pro V1x again. To be fair it was a strongish North wind which swirled all day in the trees, however the main issue was rather poor course management – oops!

I was given two great pieces of advice last night – aim for the centre of the greens with a club you can’t go long with, and relax with a bit of Zen. I put both into practice today and shot one under – very happy with that.

So all in all a great end to a mediocre week scoring wise.

Next up is The Tartan Pro Tour St Andrews Classic over the New and Jubilee courses.

Time for some practice – mainly on choosing the right shot at the right time.

Calum