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Callaway Kings of Distance.

Imurg

Imurg

The Grinder Of Pars (Semi Crocked)
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What a day!

Stoke Park is a dream world, plush beyond plush!

We arrived, signed in, filled out the formalities then got on to the Bacon Rolls.
After that we had a welcome from Callaway, Mike and Rob Lee - it promised to be entertaining as well as informative.
Split into groups we headed off to our first Zone - there were zones for Driving, warm-up, swing filming, Tour truck, a short Joe Miller clinic, Media Centre, irons, fairways and hybrids, short game and putting.
We spent about half an hour in each zone getting tips and advice but the business end was the distance zone. We hit our own drivers, then launched a Callaway model to see ow much we increased our distance. There was some seriously big hitting on show, several showing over 300 yards. The most gain was 60 yards !
Mine..?
Nothing,not a sausage...
But that proves that the Big Bertha fitting I had a few weeks ago was spot on!
The day rounded off with some fun from Quiros, Noren and Willett hitting various shots, a shootout between the best gain players from each group with the whole of the winning group getting a voucher for a driver fitting and finally an epic show from Big Joe.
Destroying a melon, a shooting through a plank of plywood were highlights as well as hitting the ball a country mile.
A great, great day

Thanks to Mike, Tappers, Alex, Nick, and the rest of the GM team as we'll as Callaway and Stoke Park.
Also Sean(Sawtooth) and Mike(Mashie) for the company in White Team.
A truly epic experience not to be forgotten in a hurry
 
Sounds like it was a great day. 60yds? That's some serious gain.
 
sounds like an 'everything and more day' ; excellent

sad to have missed it!

another example of a manufacturer going that extra mile
 
I'm just back too

A brilliant day to follow yesterday's brilliant day following Crystal Palace!

Nice to meet the GM team again and many forummers, Imurg, Philthefragger, Dufferman, young TXL

The Callaway experience was brilliant, short game to driving was all catered for as well as Rob Lee (not the footballer) in the media centre. The tour players gave great clinics and Joe Miller is a really great guy and gave a fantastic display of hitting.

As befitting the "King of Distance" a test area with Trackman gave us the stats for our drivers and compared it to the Callaway range, I gained 30 yard with a driving distance of 278 yards - nowhere near forum average but ok for a veteran! Finally, the best two drivers in each team had a competition for the total aggregate drive for the team and Steve and Sam from the grey team, which I just happened to belong scored an average over 300 yards and the kind Callaway guys gave new Big Bertha drivers to all of the team - happy days!

I want to say a huge thanks to the people who made today a fantastic experience!!
 
Re: NEW Callaway opportunity

Wow what a fantastic day at Stoke park for the Callaway Kings of Distance event
about 100 GM readers and Forum members attended and it was pretty non stop all day.

First we were split into 8 groups each with 2 Callaway staff who were to guide us around, My group (Red Team) were straight to the warmup area followed by a driver fitting on trackman against our existing driver (which we were asked to bring along)

As my driver is a new Taylormade SLDR I wasnt expecting much, SLDR was averaging 218 yards but once I had a Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 9 degree reg in my hand, the average went up to 231 with a couple going over 240, so i was well impressed as the dispersion was also very tight.

Next we had a driving masterclass with Big Joe Miller, who was won every long drive comp in the world , he is a beast and was hitting it miles.

After that it was a trip to the Callaway Tour Van and a look at how much kit they have to carry around to service the tour pro's.
Alex Noren joined us and we had a good chat with him

IMG_0912.jpg

Then we had a Putting masterclass with John Jacobs (GM Top 25 coach)

Then a break for lunch which was very nice indeed :)

After Lunch we went to the media centre mockup where Rob Lee from Sky was waiting to show us how presenting and interviewing was done and we had a chance to have a go, not as easy as he makes it look and you really have to wear pink trews too.

After that it was down to the Irons & Hybrids area where we were able to try the entire Callaway Range, Alvaro Quiros joined us for some demo shots

IMG_0916.jpg

Then a short walk to the short game area with one of the Stoke park professional team, that was really interesting as bounce was explained so that we understood it :)
again the range of callaway Wedges were available to try.

Then it was off to the Bunker area where Alex Noren showed us how to escape from a fairway bunker using a hybrid, we all had a go and I was really pleased with the result.

That concluded the base work so we all went to the first tee where a grandstand had been erected and we saw messrs Noren Quiros and Danny Willett do a series of little comps against each other, the banter was supurb.

Then each of the 8 teams has 2 golfers selected to have a longest drive shootout, the winning team all get a new driver, Swingers team won by a country mile :)

Then finally Joe Miller did his show which concluded by hitting a ball through a watermelon, it just exploded everywhere, not sure how far he hit, but was around 400 yards, simply huge

I was impressed by how far the Callaway range has advanced over the past 2 or 3 years and is now up there with the best, such a nice bunch of people and many thanks to GM for giving us such a wonderful day
 
Just have to echo the comments from Imurg and ChrisD. An absolutely brilliant day.

Despite living relatively close I had never visited Stoke Park. The course, setting and club house are all stunning. The club house must be as iconic as any, other than the Old Course. I kept thinking I was going to wake up and find out I should actually be at work. I felt like a kid at Disneyland. This was better. This was Callawayland.

The day started with us being assigned groups and we then rotated through a series of zones. I was in a group with Imurg and Sawtooth. We started with a short tutorial from Joe Miller on how to hit it long (tee it up, move it forward and hit it on the up). Then a warm up before a driver fitting using Trackman. I didn’t hit the ball well but gained 19 yards on my current Hyper X with the X2 hot. Tried the Big Bertha but that didn’t really give me anything extra which was a shame as I think it is a much better looking club.

Then on to a talk from Rob Lee about his media work . Two in the group had a chance to be interviewed by Rob (hilarious) and Sawtooth got to present “live” from the course. Rob was fantastic. An absolute gent with a really easy going manner, engaging with us and sharing some great insights into his role.

After stints in the tour truck, a session on the short game, and a chance to hit the latest irons (Apex Forged with XP 95 was lovely) and hybrids, it was time for lunch then onto the bunker session. We were being shown how to hit a hybrid from a fairway bunker when Danny Willetts turned up to share his expertise with us.

Danny was a star. Like Rob he was fully engaged, giving individual tuition and tips as we tried to master the shot (actually a lot easier than it sounds as the hybrid bounces through the sand so it’s a better option than taking an iron if there is a low lip on the bunker).

He was also with us when we moved onto the putting green along with GM coach John Jacobs with some good tips about getting the right length, in the course of which John knocked an 80 foot putt stone dead.

Then the grand finale, Danny Willetts, Alvaro Quiros and Alex Noren hit some “Bubba” shots and the team shoot out. When Swinger was called out we knew his group (which included ChrisD) must have a good chance. When his team mate smashed it 310 yards it was game over. Swinger also coming in over 300 to secure the win.

Then finally Joe Miller. All 3 tour pros stayed to watch and we weren't disappointed. He drove a ball through a sheet of plywood and exploded a melon before launching a few into the stratosphere, most of them too fast and too far for me to even see.

All this was impeccably compared by Rob Lee who really is a consummate performer in his new profession.

So thank you to GM, Callaway, and all the staff and helpers and everyone else who made it such a memorable day.
Thanks also to Imurg and Sawtooth for great company during the day.
 
Re: NEW Callaway opportunity

PhilTheFragger said:
As my driver is a new Taylormade SLDR I wasnt expecting much, SLDR was averaging 218 yards but once I had a Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 9 degree reg in my hand, the average went up to 231 with a couple going over 240, so i was well impressed as the dispersion was also very tight.
Click to expand...

Very interesting, so much for 'lofting up'!!
 
It was 322yd's give me some credit ;-)
amazing day though, weather was perfect and all the celebs were brilliant.
 
Re: NEW Callaway opportunity

Just to confirm what everyone else has said about stoke park, a great day with some fantastic chances to have a go at all the areas such as putting , pitching, fairway bunker teach- in and the driving area.
the big Bertha drivers are awesome and I gained a extra 26 yards which I am very pleased with but when you watch Joe Miller hit a driver well, sheer power doesn't even begin to describe the way he smashes a driver into the back of a ball.
we watched an interview between Rob lee and alvaro quiros and got to ask a couple of questions and shake the mans hand ( he is such a nice guy ) .
callaway were great hosts and I would not hesitate to go on another day like that, and thanks GM for giving everyone a chance to take part.
 
Echoing the thoughts already put down, thanks so much to all at GM Towers and Callaway for allowing us the opportunity to come along to a great venue for a cracking day, coaching and tips of the highest ordered, great to meet a few from the forum, we really were treated like kings at the #KingsOfDistance
 
Another very impressed with everything about the day - except for Imurg's classic greeting :rolleyes: :rofl:!

Fantastic venue; fantastic presentation; fantastic products; fantastic people!

Well done and many thanks to everyone involved!

And a 285 yard Drive by Joe.....










With a Putter!! :eek:
 
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I'm reading these reports thru gritted teeth as I was initially slated to be on this day before work commitments buggered it up for me,

I'm glad everyone involved enjoyed themselves......well jeal
 
Looked like a cracking day. Have to admit to being jealous as hell as I sat at my desk having a howler of a day at work. Big round of applause to GM and Callaway
 
A great day out, met some cracking peeps and felt the earth shake when Joe Miller put his drives into orbit.

Thanks GM and Callaway, thoroughly enjoyed it!
 
Good that it wasn't today

The stretch of M25 we came through very slowly yesterday had a crane on fire this morning - we would never have got there!
 
Echoing (again) the comments already made it was a cracking day. Stoke Park was the perfect setting and getting to me Alvaro and Joe was definitely a highlight for me. Both very down to earth, fun loving people.

I even managed to gain 25 yards with the driver change. (Still not as impressive as the PBD1 I tried at Golf DNA at 40 yards though).

An awesome day, awesome weather and great hosts!

Oh and the goodie bag wasnt too shabby either!
 
Can't add much more than what's been said, what a great day. Highlight for me was the Sky Sports-esque interview with Rob Lee... it was a great laugh and I had a great time acting like I was some sort of pro!

Better still... the video of my interview should appear online somewhere too! Along with all the other people, so if you were filmed, be prepared!
 
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