Backed by products that offer real-time on-course swing performance tracking capabilities and precise distance measuring, Shot Scope is teaming-up with Spiranac, an accomplished golfer who is the most followed golf entity on social media – more than Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, among others – to promote the company’s game improvement technology and benefits for golfers of all playing levels.

Spiranac, a renowned worldwide golf talent, entertainer, media personality and digital influencer with over 9 million followers across her social media platforms, has maintained a longstanding mission to show how much fun golf can be while making a positive impact on the world. From hosting fun golf clinics to partnering with leading golf and media companies on exciting, innovative events and projects, she is always looking to grow the game and make it more accessible to players at all levels.

Today, Spiranac has combined her passions for golf and entrepreneurship with truly unique insight and approachability – by doing so, she’s established her place as the most influential omni-channel media platform in golf through a new wave of emerging digital content projects to help grow the game among the millennial audience. As part of her role as a Shot Scope Global Brand Ambassador, she will introduce her vast audience to the company’s unmatched game improvement products and educate both existing players and newcomers to the benefits of on-course technology like the V3 Smart Watch.

“I am very excited to join the Shot Scope team and start showing my followers the impressive capabilities of the company’s smart watches and rangefinders, and how quickly they can see a difference in their shot making and scoring,” said Spiranac. “The game of golf is booming right now, and companies like Shot Scope are making it easier to play and, most importantly, improve your game.”

“Paige Spiranac is recognized around the world for bringing fun and excitement to the sport of golf, and as an accomplished player her knowledge of the game and equipment technology helps to educate golfers of all levels every day,” said Gavin Dear, COO, Shot Scope. “As Shot Scope Global Brand Ambassador we are thrilled to have our name associated with Paige’s mission to make golf fun while using the game to positively impact lives.”

The Shot Scope V3 is an advanced GPS watch, with automatic performance shot tracking. Front, middle, and back GPS distances are clearly visible on the daylight readable colour screen in either yards or metres, while the Power-Sense strap and tracking tags ensure every shot is recorded automatically while you play. Front and carry distances are also provided for every hazard, making it easier for every golfer to strategically plan their way around the course.

Over 100 statistics are recorded including strokes gained analytics, all of which are available to see on the mobile app for no added subscription. Complete with over 36,000 preloaded courses worldwide and over a 10-hour battery life, the Shot Scope V3 is one of the most desirable GPS watches on the market.

shotscope.com/uk/

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The Portuguese islands will be more accessible than ever to players from next spring following Ryanair’s announcement that they will be operating new flights to Madeira’s capital Funchal from five airports: Dublin, Paris Beauvais and Marseille in France, Brussels Charleroi and Milan-Bergamo.

The twice-weekly services are part of a new schedule revealed by the low-cost airline which will launch from March. Adding capacity to already serviced cities such as Manchester, London Stansted and Nuremberg, Ryanair’s introduction of 10 routes will connect Madeira with mainland Portugal and six other European countries, helping to strengthen the archipelago’s position as one of the continent’s leading tourism destinations.

Named as Europe’s leading island destination at the 2021 World Travel Awards for the eighth year in a row, Madeira boasts three first-class golf courses – Palheiro Golf, Clube de Golfe Santo da Serra and Porto Santo Golf as well as an array of outstanding historic, cultural and lifestyle experiences.

The best way to enjoy the golf courses is with a Madeira Golf Passport which, providing holders with an unrivalled golf experience, is available to both individuals and groups and can be booked on a three or five-round basis.

Offering a one-stop shop for visitors eager to experience the finest things that the islands have to offer on and off the course, the portal features the chance for golfers to review and book their golf and accommodation, with a selection of quality hotel, self-catering and all-inclusive options all available. Three-round packages cost €225 per person while five-round passports are priced at €360 per person.

Madeira has enjoyed a steady increase in overseas bookings in the last 12 months with growing numbers of European golfers eager to experience the many benefits of playing first-class golf in a safe and secure environment.

Latest figures revealed recently by the Regional Directorate of Statistics of Madeira showed that more travelling golfers visited the Portuguese islands this summer than pre-pandemic two years ago, with the number of guests visiting in August 1.7 per cent more than the corresponding period in August 2019.

Located approximately 1,000km from the European mainland – and just 500km from the African continent – Madeira enjoys an amazingly mild climate, ranging from 25°c in the summer to 17°c in the winter, with very mild average temperatures and moderate humidity, making it the perfect year-round location for a golf break.

And visiting from the UK and Europe has never been easier with Madeira. Belongs to all – the consumer-facing brand of the Madeira Promotion Bureau – taking every step to ensure the safety of every resident and visitor.

Since the start of the pandemic, the archipelago has been considered one of the safest destinations in Europe and has been widely praised for its handling of the Covid-19 crisis. Earlier this year, Madeira was named as one of the safest destinations for 2021 by European Best Destinations and has worked closely with SGS, the world’s leading certification company, to ensure safe practice across the destination and minimise risk in regard to Covid-19.

Under the umbrella brand “Madeira Safe to Discover”, Madeira. Belongs to all has published updated guidelines for all incoming visitors, including for people who have been vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19.

All adults and children aged 11 and above travelling to Madeira must register on the Madeira Safe site and complete an epidemiological survey between 48 and 12 hours prior to departure.

The green corridor already exists at Madeira airport for those who arrive with a vaccination certificate or with proof of a rapid negative antigen test done within 48 hours of travelling. Alternatively, visitors can take a free test at the airport on arrival and having entered Madeira, visitors are free to travel anywhere in the islands. People who did not test for free on arrival at the airport can still have a free test before travelling back to their country of origin if needed, while discounts are also available on any further tests that are required for visitors returning to their country of origin, with PCR tests from €90 and antigen tests from €18.

In addition, only an antigen test is required within 48 hours of arrival for travellers who have not been vaccinated or have recovered from Covid for more than 90 days.

For more information on Madeira, please visit: www.madeiraallyear.com

The post MADEIRA ON RUNWAY TO FURTHER GOLFING SUCCESS IN 2022 appeared first on Golf North.

How does it differ from the old CONGU system?
The main difference between the new WHS and CONGU is that CONGU was an incremental system, where a player’s handicap was adjusted based on the last returned score.

As previously mentioned, to make things fairer, the new system is designed to reflect a player’s overall ability rather than simply their last performance. A player’s Handicap Index is instead measured using an average of the best 8 from their last 20 scores.
What are the most important aspects of the WHS for golfers to know about?
One of the most important things for golfers to understand with the WHS is how to turn their
Handicap Index into a Course Handicap for the venue they are playing at. This should become second nature and can be easily done either at the venue prior to their round or using the new MyEG app.

How is a golfers Handicap Index calculated?
Golfers should consider this the most important aspect of the WHS. It is calculated from the best eight scores from a player’s last 20 rounds.

As a new score is submitted, a player’s Handicap Index will automatically update at the end of the day’s play to the most recent 20 scores and will be ready to use the following day. A maximum possible Handicap Index is 54.

When arriving at the golf club, what do golfers need to do to work out their Course Handicap?
When arriving at the golf club, a player must convert their Handicap Index into a Course Handicap before every round. All they need to do is choose the tees they are playing off and cross reference their Handicap Index on the Course & Slope Rating table to find their Course Handicap.

England Golf have provided Course & Slope Rating tables to all golf clubs to display in their clubhouses or in a simple location, such as on the first tee, for golfers to find.

What formats of play can be submitted with the WHS?
All pre-registered general play ‘social’ scores and all individual competition rounds, both 9 and 18 holes, whether home or away, can be submitted for handicap purposes.

Scores submitted from fourball better ball formats or other matchplay events are
not accepted.

Each round submitted needs to be played in accordance with The Rules of Golf, in an authorised format, over a minimum number of 10 holes, with at lease one other person, and on a course with a current Course Rating and Slope Rating.

Does every round have to be submitted for WHS purposes and how quickly will a golfers Handicap Index update?
Not every round has to be submitted, but all singles competitions must be returned and if golfers want to return a card from a social round (general play), then it must be pre-registered prior to the round. This has been designed to stop players only returning their best scores.

A player’s Handicap Index will update at the end of each day, ready to be used the following day.

Do golfers need to be associated to a golf club in order to attain an official WHS Handicap Index?
Originally when launched in November, the WHS was designed so that only golfers who were members of a golf club could attain an official Handicap Index.

However, England Golf are now working on plans to offer golfers not associated with a golf club the opportunity to acquire a Handicap Index later in the year. We hope to create a national platform that will connect independent golfers. More news on this will be released later in the year.

Will golfers be able to follow their progress through the new MyEG app? And what features are available through the app?
The MyEG app is designed to allow golfers to stay up-to-date with their Handicap Index as part of the WHS. The app provides golfers with the ability to access their Handicap Index on the go, as well as to easily keep track of their overall playing record on a regular basis.

You can register an account on the app using your existing Membership ID (previously known as your CDH ID) and your club should be able to provide you with this ID number.

Features in the app include: allowing golfers to access their Handicap Index on the go, keeping track of their overall playing record, calculating their Course Handicap at any given English course on any set of tees, as well as building and follow friends in a network.
The app can be downloaded from the England Golf website or Android Play Store / Apple App Store.
Where can golfers find out more about the WHS?
For more information about the WHS, golfers can visit englandgolf.org/whs or follow England Golf on social:
Facebook – @EnglandGolf
Twitter – @EnglandGolf
Instagram – @england.golf

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