Catch it while you can

It's Wednesday; it's 5pm ... and while Crackerjack may be just a distant memory, there's something much better on Sky Sports Extra tonight.

The hour-long 2009 Disabled British Open (DBO) highlights programme is being aired tonight on Sky Sports Extra (channel 404), from 5pm.

The DBO was an event organised wholly by Azalea and we are immensely proud of our colleagues who were involved with it.

Here is a link to the DBO website, but if you don't want to know the score, look away now... LINK

BUNKY

We're movin on up now...

And the good news just keeps on coming out of Azalea Towers...

RECOGNITION FOR MALLORCA'S 'AUGUSTA'

Just two years after opening, Son Gual, Mallorca’s top golf course, is celebrating after making it into Golf World’s prestigious top 100 European courses list.

The 7,240-yard, Thomas Himmel-designed course is a new entry into the list at 91, a position which delighted managing director Andreas Pamer.

He said: “We have worked very hard to elevate Son Gual to be the best golf course on the island and one of the best in Spain. To achieve this recognition from such an influential magazine in such a short space of time is testament to the work put in by everybody here.

“But we will not sit back and congratulate ourselves; we will continue to offer the best golf possible and it is our intention to be regarded as the best course in Spain in time, and to continually improve our ranking within Golf World’s significant ratings.”

Son Gual was quickly recognised as a top course and was awarded the Mallorca Senior Open which it hosted for the first time in May, when former Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam compared the greens to those at Augusta National.

The 1991 Masters winner said: “It’s a bit like Augusta. There are a lot of slopes on the greens. You’ve got to get the ball on the right side of the hole – if you don’t you’ll be struggling. Miss it on the wrong side and you’re dead.”

Golf World’s description of the course said: “The course is laid out in two very distinctive halves, the front nine running along the extremity of the estate, with the second encompassed within its centre … making it one of the more spectacular courses in the Mediterranean region.”

The course’s reputation has been spreading far and wide with many celebrities taking time out to visit when on the island.

Liverpool winger Albert Riera, who used to live just down the road from the course, has gone on record to say it is his favourite course, and his fellow Mallorquine, tennis superstar Rafael Nadal, is also a regular visitor.

Golden Balls presenter Jasper Carrott and Sky Sports’ pundits Jamie Redknapp, Andy Gray, Alan McInally and Alan Smith are just some of the British celebrities to have been seen walking Son Gual’s pristine fairways in the last few months.

www.son-gual.com

ENDS

Information for journalists.

• Pictures of Golf Son Gual are available upon request

For further information on Golf Son Gual please contact Dave Bowers at the Azalea Group on 08700 330550, or email dave@theazaleagroup.com.

Lambda's international recognition

It's always great to be part of a new product and here at Azalea Towers we're delighted to be involved with Lambda & Omega, a Portuguese company launching a new range of golf shoes at Golf Europe, next week.

LAMBDA'S INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION

With Lambda’s new Imperia golf shoe, your playing partners will be left in no doubt as to your nationality.

The Imperia – shown above carrying the Union Flag – is available in six different flag versions – and what’s more it’s environmentally friendly.

Lambda & Omega’s managing director, Paulo Freitas, said: “There is now a fashion in golf for national pride to be displayed at every opportunity. Naturally Britain’s Ian Poulter has been at the forefront of this with his Union Flag trousers, but you can also now get golf bags, pitchmark repairers and all manner of accessories carrying your national flag.

“Now, with the addition of the Lambda Imperia shoe, you can complete the ensemble. We currently offer a choice of six different flags – with more planned – which could make for some interesting fourballs…”

Combining the finest quality materials with the latest, innovative technology, Lambda’s classic-look golf shoes are functional and reliable, while remaining comfortable and fashionable – and are manufactured ethically.

While many big-name shoe brands outsource manufacture to Third World countries, all Lambda shoes are manufactured in Portugal, with materials sourced from within the European Union.

Freitas added: “Sourcing from within the EU enables us to manage the entire production process and ensure the highest quality from start to finish.

“At a time when we are all increasingly conscious of the need to cut down on the planet’s carbon footprint, we felt sourcing local materials and reducing the need for long-distance transportation of manufacturing materials and the finished product was essential.

“Hence the whole manufacturing process takes place here in Portugal.”

Such attention to detail is also reflected in the finished product which demonstrates the combination of tradition and innovation.

The hand-made Lambda range has a classic golf-shoe appearance, with fully treated water-repellent, Portuguese leather, but a special membrane inlay sole absorbs force to reduce the impact on knees, hips and back to make the game more enjoyable.

A unique treatment provides temperature-responsive waterproof protection and breathability, while the full leather lining produces superior comfort and an ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) insert and leather sock-liner provides shock absorption and cushioning.

• Prices for the Lambda golf shoe range start at €119 and the brand is on display at Golf Europe in Munich, September 27-29 in Hall 2, Booth A28.

ENDS

Information for journalists Issued by the Azalea Group on behalf of Lambda & Omega.

For more information or hi-res imagery contact Dave Bowers on 08700 330550 or email dave@theazaleagroup.com

Swiss. Hole. Big cheese. Compose your own headline here

The 2010 Guinness Book of World Records comes out today apparently. I say apparently because we haven't been sent an advance copy or anything. We just know these things.

But it's still 2009 and we were interested to see in this year's edition about the oldest person in the world ever to record a hole-in-one.

Amazingly, at the age of 99 years and 244 days, Otto Bucher, from Switzerland, aced the 119m, 12th hole on La Manga's South course on January 13, 1985.

Which begs the question, at that age, why wasn't he still sleeping off his Christmas dinner...?

BUNKY

Sole traders

Every week the two of them go head to head - and every week they both claim top spot.

No not Man Utd and Chelsea; not even Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. That would be at least mildly interesting.

No, this constant battle for top spot is between two golf shoe plastic cleat manufacturers.

Softspikes and Champ go head-to-head again . . .

and again . . . and again

Every week, after the weekend's tournaments are complete the PR machines of the two rival manufacturers go into overdrive hoping that one day, somebody will be minutely interested in what they had to say. And every week, The Wire, bless it, tells us all about it.

I mean, come on, we're all in favour of a bit of positive PR but when do you finally accept you need a new hook for a release . . .?

BUNKY

We should not forget

It was eight years ago today - and we should at least pause to remember...

Is it me?

I can’t be alone in finding the timbre and inflection of Robert Peston’s voice irritating.

The BBC’s business editor pops up on all forms of the corporation’s digital platform – web, radio and TV – and on each occasion he comes on I find I lose interest in the subject matter because I’m constantly bewildered by the apparent arbitrary nature of his vocal chords.

I detest the rising inflection so beloved of teenagers because of their over-exposure to Aussie soap operas at an early age? I’m at a loss to understand why every sentence they utter should sound like a question?

You know what I mean – admittedly it doesn’t become too apparent in a blog, but we’ve all heard it?

But at least that’s only at the end of a sentence. Peston’s delivery pauses at inappropriate times, stresses words seemingly at random and never gives the impression he’s actually imparting a serious piece of news.

This morning for instance he was talking about the bosses of MG Rover, who awarded themselves an obscene £42m in salaries and bonuses before taking the company down the tubes with the loss of 6,500 jobs.

I know this because I saw it on the BBC website and not because of Peston. When he spoke on Radio 4 on the subject earlier today I once again found myself mesmerised my his erratic speech patterns while remaining largely ill-informed.

I wonder is there a society out there for like-minded Peston sufferers?

BUNKY

Train of thought

It's been fascinating - and heartwarming - this week to watch the story unfold of the Holocaust evacuees who have retraced their steps on a steam train from Prague to London.

We live in such a pampered and largely danger-free generation that it is often very difficult for us to envisage what life was like before the advent of microwave ovens, X-boxes, cars with airbags, and the defeat of the Nazi hordes trampling all over free Europe.

Congratulations to those TV companies who have given such extensive coverage to a genuine human interest story. And brickbats to those who still feel Katie Price's love life is more important.

What's interesting to note is what hasn't changed in 70 years. It's taken four days to get from Prague to London . . . so it's just like travelling on Virgin Trains!

BUNKY

Sales are down

We received a press release today about the launch of Chelsea striker Didier Drogba's autobiography.

Apparently, at Waterstone's, in Charing Cross Road, there was a huge pile of the books on display which inexplicably collapsed and fell to the ground. Spooky or what?

BUNKY

Strictly disappointing

Don't laugh, but here at Azalea Towers we're quite keen on Strictly Come Dancing. We're all desperate to get our hands on some tickets to see a show, or at least we have been previously.

The new batch of celebrities has been announced for the 2009 incarnation of the show and, personally, I'm a little underwhelmed.

I imagined that the show was now so popular all the big names would want to participate, a little like the Morecambe & Wise Show in the 70s. In truth the 2009 line-up is C-list at best - indeed the biggest names taking part are now the dancers themselves. What a disappointment.

One can only assume that 'big-name' celebrities are either too busy or reluctant to allow the general public to see the 'real' them. What a shame. Strictly is a great show but it does need a little real celeb sparkle, at least initially.

This year, my favourites are likely to be BBC sports presenter Chris Hollins and Ola Jordan; Laila Rouass (despite the fact I've never heard of her) and Anton du Beke, because he's a top bloke; Darren Bennett and Lynda Bellingham, because I've fancied her since I was a kid; or the ex-wife of a celebrity, Jo Wood, and her partner Strictly 'bad boy' Brendan Cole, because I interviewed him recently and, off-set, he's a different, very affable guy.

When the show was launched a few years ago, we were representing then world darts champion Andy Fordham, and the show's production company wanted him to participate. We thought it would be a great opportunity for him, but he declined. Given his subsequent health scares it was probably a good decision, but he would certainly have been the John Sergeant of his day.

For 2010, I'd like to volunteer the services of a fat blogger and journalist; I'm even more of a non-entity than those taking part this year so I should fit the bill.

BUNKY

Did ya miss him?

Bunky's been ill so there have been no Azalea posts for a while - and he's too damned idle to put one up now, so if you want to see what's riling the fat curmudgeon currently you'll have to check out his own personal blog here.

Alternatively you might wish to poke your eye out with a sharpened stick. We know which we'd prefer...

THE TEAM

Going the extra smile

There are two 'Post-People' who deliver regularly to our office: the first, a guy in his mid-50s, walks in says 'Hi!' to whoever's present and puts the post on Sally's desk; the second is a woman in her late-30s who opens the outside door and throws the post on to our doormat without so much as a grunt of acknowledgment.

Once again, when the latter thumped today's post on to the mat, I opined that she was a miserable so-and-so.

I was then taken to task over my comment by my colleague, Lee, who suggested she was doing all that she had to do: deliver post.

"Just because the other guy comes in and says 'hello' doesn't mean she's miserable because she doesn't," he insisted. "It's just like somebody phoning here on a regular basis, speaking normally to me or Henry, and then getting you. Just because you're not so helpful and sound like you can't wait to get off the phone, doesn't make you a miserable git . . . "

Doesn't it? I can see I need to work on my technique.

BUNKY

One knight in heaven. . .

During the course of my working week last week I got to interview Sir Alex Ferguson.

Now, in every interview I've seen SAF give down the years he's always looked as if his blood pressure was going through the roof and he'd rather be somewhere else.

On this occasion, however, he could not have been more relaxed. He started off with a golf joke - we were talking before he teed off in a celebrity golf event - and then spent 25 minutes talking about the prospects for the coming season, for United and their nearest rivals.

Thankfully he also told me about his favourite places to play golf, as that was the reason for me being in on the interview. He spent 25 minutes with us before being dragged off by a PR girl as he was needed to start the event.

I was, therefore, delighted to see a headline this morning on the BBC website which said: "Ferguson fumes at ref after loss". The season proper is still yet to start and normal service has been resumed. Thanks Sir Alex . . .

BUNKY

Busy times at AT

"So what's happening at Azalea Towers at the moment?" I hear you ask.

Well obviously I didn't because we're not sat in the same room, but it's my intention to make this post seem as if it's forced on us by public demand. A bit like the letters and emails to Jon Holmes on Radio 4's The Now Show.

Well actually reader(s), quite a lot since you ask - and thanks for your interest.

We've recently taken on three new clients:

• Golf Mission (www.golf-mission.com)
• pro:fantastic Golf Challenge (www.profantasticgolf.com)
• World Sport Destination Expo (www.worldsportdestinationexpo.com)

Golf Mission is a UK-based product which is a "fun on-course game with serious benefits"; the pro:fantastic Golf Challenge is a unique Stableford event in which supporters of football clubs play for the right to represent their club in an overseas final in a team led by a club legend; and World Sport Destination Expo, in Johannesburg, in 2010, offers sports tourism leaders a platform to network and conduct business in a unique environment.

So we're expecting to be very busy over the next few months - all the pro:fantastic Golf Challenge regional events take place in September - particularly as we have one or two more potential clients 'bubbling under'.

But that doesn't give us an excuse to neglect our blog. If we do that please feel free to send us an email of ill-informed abuse at any time . . .

BUNKY

Eddie's a Shore loser

The lack of comments on this blog does not concern me. I'm old enough and ugly enough to realise that if you really want to stir up the proverbial hornets' nest you need to poke it with a big stick.

I've not done any poking yet. I'm not sure I necessarily want to be controversial just for the sake of it. I leave that to my newspaper columns.

But some bloggers rejoice in riling people. Take American Eddie Shore as an example. He's decided to lay into the Open Championship, presumably because it's not the 'throwing darts' version of the game with which he's familiar.

He claims:

• It's not real golf
• The Scots invented the game, but the Yanks "perfected it"
• It's not a proper major
• US greenkeepers get paid to "grow grass, not kill it"
• The Open is always played "in the middle of an abandoned WWII airfield"
• And it starts at 3am his local time

Yes, obviously the man's a plonker. Check him out for yourself at http://www.opensports.com/community/user/blog_entry/661851/debaa82d-9523-4ac8-aa1b-469b26aeebf7.

He knows he's going to get abuse, but at least people are acknowledging his existence. I think I'm going to go away and pen a piece about how US baseball's FA Cup is called the World Series when 90 per cent of the world don't play the sport.

BUNKY

Taxi!

Mmmm... Jaco Ahlers was 156th after the first day of the Open Championship at Turnberry. That's stone last.

Expect to see Pete's putter somewhere at the bottom of Wilson's Burn today.

BUNKY

Clothes maketh the man

You can guarantee much will be made of the fashion on display at Turnberry this week.

John Daly, Ian Poulter et al will all be strutting their stuff trying to win the title for 'most outrageous outfit' in lieu of an actual golf success.

But fashion quote of the week for me, goes to the tournament's early leader, Lee Westwood, who said: "I can't say I've pieced together my wardrobe for the week. I wear whatever's clean . . . "

Wouldn't you just love to see him win it?

BUNKY

Pete's chance to be a Legend

Obviously, what's left of the team at Azalea Towers will be catching up occasionally on the TV coverage of the Open Championship at Turnberry.

But we will be particularly interested in the performance of South African Jaco Ahlers. He is the touring professional of one of our clients: Legend Golf & Safari Resort, in Limpopo Province.

What's more he's playing with a putter he's 'borrowed' from our very own Pete Richardson.

Apparently Pete didn't take any clubs out with him when he legged it (. . . sorry moved) out to South Africa and bought himself a new putter. Jaco borrowed it one day and liked it so much he hasn't given it back . . . yet.

Pete reckons it's so long since he's seen it all he can recall is that "it might be an Odyssey".

If Jaco comes in at 750/1 - more if you look around I would suspect - expect Pete to take the credit. If he misses the cut with an average of four putts per hole and 100 per cent greens in regulation, we'll probably never hear about it again . . .

BUNKY

When good words go bad

I've decided the modern world is rubbish - at least when it comes to the English language.

Everything I was taught when I started out as a journalist now seems to be forgotten - and Samuel Pepys was a damned good lecturer.

For example, I was always told that despite its constant erroneous usage, the word 'myriad' is an adjective not a noun. For years I have subbed out 'a myriad of' to be replaced by simply 'myriad'.

Now, dictionaries are listing myriad as a noun, as well as an adjective, so common has the error become. And I'm not happy about it.

Likewise the constant use of 'try and' instead of 'try to' which is almost always the correct form. Some of the worst offenders are presenters and reporters on the BBC, who, quite simply, should know better.

And the same can also be said for broadcasters' use of 'due to' instead of 'because of' (or 'owing to') when not modifying a noun.

My first editor would turn in his grave; if he were dead that is . . . which he isn't. He lives on the Isle of Wight, which may be considered the same thing.

Yes, I know I'm a grammar pedant. And an anorak. And possibly even have too much time on my hands. But the English language is such a beautiful thing it seems a pity to allow sloppiness to ruin it.

*This rant can be considered an application for the BBC's excellent Grumpy Old Men
BUNKY

Naval chief can handle choppy waters

The Ladies PGA Tour sailed into some choppy waters last year when it attempted to introduce a 'mandatory English language' rule, almost certainly to placate sponsors.

Amid accusations of xenophobia, the powers-that-be relented and the Koreans - for that was in effect at whom the change was aimed - stayed on tour and continue to win majors.

Now, following the resignation of LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens, the new acting commissioner is Rear Admiral Marsha J Evans, US Navy (retd).

The board's chairman, Dawn Hudson, insisted they wanted somebody with "experience of leading a large organisation" . . . and they certainly have that.

Perhaps they're fearing some more choppy waters, for the US Military is hardly renowned for its tolerance towards foreign nationals . . .

BUNKY