I am not proud of myself when I see my last entry and I guess I have not yet made the jump to social networking! Time seems to get focused in other areas but although it is too late to make a new years' resolution I will endeavour to become a better blogger.

April 2010

What have I been up to?

My main activities are in Arcos Gardens Spain which is my headquarters and where I do my classes, conduct schools and host my guests. We have really developed the amenities and we have some important additions to make during this 2010 season. The training area is really developing and we now we have 8 Federations using our facilities which provides a super network of coaches and research guys and I have been learning so much about bio mechanics and we spend alot of time discussing different theories or solutions to players problems. This was my original idea at the beginning when we put in all the extra effort to develop the facilities. I am contemplating a new academy building with some technology to record swings using different views such as weight pads, camera and 3D technology to see if it adds to our knowledge and help develop faster and better all the young talent in the world.

I spend hours thinking about golf swings and golfers always trying to unravel the strengths of of player and to help them develop. What makes a super star athlete? Well talent gives you a fast start but never guarantees success, I have coached some super star juniors who will never show up on tour and I have seen golfers who at 16 years old never caught my eye talent wise who have become successful golfers.
I am coming to the conclusion that desire, opportunity and quality of feedback are the key factors. the desire is the burning ambition which powers an athlete to train hard and work through the learning curves, the opportunity is to have facilities that add value to your training and to be able to meet quality instructors or just to have a time opportunity and quality of feedback helps you to keep efficient with the time and effort invested, to not spend time following a dead end in your swing or to try to follow a feeling in your swing which you should dump.

As an instructor I am increasingly conscious of the responsibility to the young guys who trust me to guide and improve them. To have young dreams standing in front of you on the driving range listening to every word you say is a huge responsibility. How to manage the effort that young person puts in to the game and how to help them understand the process of building a game that can repeat under pressure is the ultimate challenge of a golf teacher and I think that is why everyday is full of new things to learn. I love it!

So basically I have been teaching golf. Although I do have some distractions which I shall mention.

US Golf on Sky Sports- I was honoured to be invited to help the Sky Golf Team show the US events and I hope this will be a long running relationship. Look for us Thursday through Sunday as we show live events from the PGA Tour. No other company delivers live sport like Sky and the effort that goes into a production is huge. You may see our faces in front of the camera but it is the behind the scenes guys who make it all happen.

I have been doing some other media which appears from time to time and at the end of this year I am going to take some days to film some new programs and some new ideas like how to practise and how to problem solve in all areas of the game.

I have some other interests which are more about the business of golf development including courses, management etc and I meet really clever people in these sectors so I feel as though I am becoming more educated.

I enjoy learning the most and having the opportunity to discuss with other teachers or experts in different fields that apply to elite performance is the best part of my working life.

At home I have my lovely wife and two little babies, that is beautiful and makes it all worthwhile:)

I will work hard on my blogging skills and would love to hear from everyone so keep in touch and for Europeans.....have a great golf season (after some shocking weather)

Simon

I tought I would add this picture which is the storm in Dubai! I was taking a tour of the tallest building in the world at the time. You can just see me standing on the top of the tower when the storm hit:)

A third of the year has gone already.....where did it go?

New Years Day and I packed up my family and headed down to Arcos Gardens. We met all the guys in the Tapas Bar to celebrate 2009, it was a lovely evening!

We really had a good turn out and my schools were full. The guys on Simon Holmes Junior Team were ready to go, Haeggman and Anthony Wall were getting ready for a new season. They both had good starts to the year and I am sure that our fantastic practice facility makes a huge difference to them especially with all our short game areas. Clive Tucker had David Howell down and it would be good to see him return to form.

The weather conditions in Europe were bad, snow shut down England's airports but the other European countries seem to be more used to it and although we has some battered travellers every one finally arrived.

The elite teams from Sweden and Finland were getting started ready for the first events of the year. My young guys had short game work to do and we spent some time on the course even though the wind was strong and cool. These young guys have so much speed but going out on to a course like Arcos with the difficult greens, and testing tee shots gave the guys plenty to think about. So many times we focus too much on the shots and not enough time on shotmaking and judgement. We spent alot of time just trying different clubs and different shots to give them something to think about.

I then zoomed off to Copenhagen to see the golf show and to meet some old friends. Despite the economic crunch all the booths were full and they had a really good volume of people.

My school continued at Arcos and I was hosting some guests from America and doing my golf school. The weather was much better and we got in some really good work. Running round the golf course, well they were running and I was offering encouragement from my buggy! Then it was back to London for Golf Night at Sky Sports. Malaysia and Johnnie Walker were on and the guys battled the tough grainy greens with the locals showing the visitors how it should be done!

I had a quick trip to Dubai to meet with the powers that be in Golf in Dubai. The golf courses were in super shape and very busy, proving that golfers will not be denied from their hobby despite then economic woes that we are all suffering. Everytime I go to Dubai, something has changed, this time it was the over ground which is a massive undertaking but will certainly take the pressure off the road system.

Back to Arcos and we were totally full. We had some super young players from the elite teams, England, Germany, Austria, Italy, Holland, Finland, Czech Republic all had their top men and women at Arcos and I was so impressed by the coaching and organisation. These young guys will only be as good as the coaching they receive and it has all come on leaps and bounds since my days as a junior. I had three lovely groups from Slovakia and Czech republic as well as some of my young players from England, with Di Setwart and Mark Roe from Golf Night it was lovely and with my family with me as well I was doing all my favorite things....Teaching all day and then home to see my little boys in the evening!

I went to see some guys in Madrid and also had a quick visit to the wine regions and then it was off to Miami for some golf with some friends. I played well at Seminole with a 71 in high wind but it was a few good shots with some junk and good chipping and putting. I have no idea how far I hit the ball at the moment so I have to get some time to go and do my yardages. If you don't know how far you hit the ball you cannot really pick a club so I had some pretty funny recovery shots!

From Florida straight to Dubai! A long trip through London with Olle Karlsson for company! I had some work to do and some golf to play, we had terrible weather which was really unusual but it did not dampen our spirits! I then visited some of the new projects in Abu Dhabi which will be spectacular. I think they will really create something very special.

Then home and the beginning of April!

We are working really hard on some motion analysis software which will be available through this web site. It is going to be a great way for you to load your swings and analyse your swing. You can do this with your coach or have a laugh with your friends.

The SHJT is testing it at the moment and we will advise you when it is available for everyone to consume.

Golf season is coming! Hope it is a good one for you:)

Simon

This has really been such a busy year and it has just flown by, I cannot believe we are coming up to Christmas again.

Now I have 2 little babies at home, 2 little boys. Those little guys are like time vacums, time just disappears when you are watching them or playing with them. Totally changes your life and your lifestyle:)

My major project was at Arcos Gardens which continues to grow and we are adding more and more to the facilities. The golf course has matured and we have had some wonderful events with our members and guests.

I completed my first year at my golf acadmemy in Czech Republic at kuneticha golf resort which is a great facility in a growing golf culture and it is very exciting to see all the young talent developing. prague is a stunning city with a mixture of many periods in history. I did an event with Ernie Els for a couple of days in the summer and he put on a fantastic show, entertaining the Prime Minister and other guests. Ernie makes golf look so easy, and is a total gentleman.

The golf world saw the US team play superbly to win the Ryder Cup and Harrington continued his wonderful career with 2 majors. The performance of the year came again from Tiger in the USOpen. What an incredible competitor, hopefully he will be back soon after his rehab. We said goodbye to Annika who has given so much prestige to womens' golf.

The credit crunch dominated the headlines. I know this has greatly impacted many people and families and I hope 2009 is a better year for all impacted by the collapse of the business world.

Golf Night continued on Sky Sports and I was able to participate in many of the shows. It is a great show and I love being a part of it. It is really something I am looking forward to in 2009.

I wish all of you a very Happy Holidays and a happy, healthy 2009. Please keep in touch and I have dedicated much more time to this site for 2009 so please keep your comments and videos coming. We have some new tools to be launched soon which will really help our communication.

With very best wishes to all,

Simon

I was called to the tee having just watched Fred Couples and Ray Floyd tee off in front of me and looking at Steve Elkington and Greg Norman walk to the first tee as I prepared to tee off the tenth tee. I was playing in a Pro Member event with a very impressive line up. Playing 18 holes is a rare treat especially in such company and the list of tour players was endless and impressive. Palmer, Rose, Els etc. I played ok but chipped and putted well to save at least 5 possible drops for our team and ended with 4 over on my own ball. My partner did his job well and we ended in the top half of the field. Ernie shot 65 but the conditions were tough and he was just coming off his win on the USTour. Well done to a great player. It would be great to see him get on top of his game and challenge Tiger for the 2008 Majors.

Then it was back to Europe and some Days in CZ with the juniors. The winter has been mild and the driving range was full of kids for three days. I had to zip back to London for Golf Night and then raced back to Prague for the Golf Exhibition where I did golf lessons on behalf of Golf Digest to the public. Golf is growing fast and the enthusiasm from the golfers is thrilling to see.

I went back down to Arcos for a golf group from Denmark. They are from a fantastic new faldo course called Ledreborg and we will be Sister Clubs. As with all Scandinavians they were good on the course but especially good at the bar and a great time was had by all.

I finnished off the month by getting through Terminal 5 in record time and I think they made some improvements although it was such a shame that the opening went so poorly.

I stayed home in January watching my little baby get started in life. The effort from my wife was so impressive and she just seems to have an endless energy.

I have 6 Golf Nights to do this month as I look forward to them as we watch the the European Tour events unfold in Asia.

Arcos gardens is looking really good and I went down quickly to check out how the practice facilities are coming on and to plan our next steps. It rained hard which was bad for my trip but good for the area since we have been behind in rain and our golf course is thirsty.

My major event this month was the winter camp for all the juniors at Kunetichka in CZ and we had a group of 25 down for a week training and playing. The guys hit tons of balls and I tried to get them to really use all our short game facilities to build up better technique in the area of 50 yards and in to the hole. We had a tournament with a Finnish group and some Icelantic players and then a huge dinner and prizes afterwards. Practicing and competing is a great bundle and I think some of the players are really improving.

The owner of Arcos Gardens and I went all over the south of Spain looking at new developments and some new sites as we continue to plan our future in the area and some of the sites and possibilities are just spectacular.

It was a fun month and great to be back teaching in Arcos although I am really looking forward to next year when my new house is finnished and my family can come with me!

Winter is still present in London and although I had lessons at Mill Ride it was pretty grim and course conditions are tough. Word of the month....Head South!

January is over and I have no idea where a month of time has gone! My little baby is doing well and although his sleep patterns have been suspect, we have all decided not to hold it against him!

I stayed close to home this month, doing some lessons at Mill Ride and then Golf Night on Sky which as always is great fun. We have been really focusing on the three events in the Gulf (The Gulf Swing). Those events certainly produced some fantastic winners.

Martin Kymer is as good as I have seen since Sergio Garcia first came out.

Adam Scott has more talent in his little finger than most players, with putting like that he can really start to challenge the top.

Tiger Woods!!! What an incredible final 9 holes, he is just so strong and Ernie must have drowned his sorrows with a few beers on Sunday night. It does show that Ernie has the game now he just needs to get a few wins to really create a good rivalry in the Majors this year.

I have been in touch through Pro Session software with Suzann on a regular basis and she is so keen to have a great season which should start soon in Hawaii.

Joakim Haeggman and I will be spending some days in Arcos.

I have just been to Prague and The Kunetica Golf Resort where I shall be training the youth teams. They are a delighful group and we have a training camp coming up in Arcos Gardens which I am really looking forward to. The facilities are getting so good and I cannot wait to launch my academy later in the year.

well that's been my first month of the year. Staying close to home for a while then looking forward to lots of trips to CZ, Arcos Gardens and as always all of Scandinavia.

Hope everyone is doing well and keep in touch!

Simon

We went in to London early on Boxing Day to the hospital to get induced! I was nervous because as a spectator you just hope everything turns out ok. We chatted with the other people in the waiting room. The women waiting to get started and get it over with, the guys all smiling with heart rates in the 150's.

We got called up and went off to our room. The nurses monitored wife and baby and then the process started. This is a waiting game so we went for a walk along Tottenham Court Road and had a coffee at Starbucks. We put a serious dent in series 6 of 24(when Jack has a bad day he doesn't do it by halves) until the nurse came back and decided to accelerate the process.

I was in charge of the luggage and we had plenty! My wife never likes to leave anything to chance and we didn't:) Our new room was much more business like and we had all the toys, together with our luggage and all these machines we could have done some serious damage.

After a few delicate moments and some great cheerleading by me we had a baby boy at 1900! There is a lot you can say about being present at the birth of your own child and I am sure all the Mum's and Dad's know what I mean, you just have to take what you get and hope that nature sucessfully performed a little miracle.

Mum and Baby are doing well and after a few trips to London by me and some serious change disapearing into all the parking meters in Camden, we are now all at home getting organised and ready for more adventures in 2008. The first man I met after becoming a Dad again was a parking ticket officer who happily told me what a great story it was going to be that I could tell my new baby that the first thing he did was to cost me £40 for being 7 mins into penalty with my car. He was a sweet chap and after having wished him a Happy New Year:) I refocused on being a Dad again.

I would like to wish you all a Very Happy New Year.....Have a ball!!!

Simon

I have finished all my shopping and have been up and down the King's Road, London 50 times in the last week. One thing I have noticed is that it must be a rotten time to be a light brown Kangaroo! Lots of little female elves with Uggs rushing about 'Oh my God'.

I am hoping that Santa is going to give me a healthy baby and a healthy mummy, we have been waiting (me patiently others less so) for a week so hopefully gravity will soon apply and all will be well.

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas.

Simon

December 11 and now I am just waiting to be a Dad again. The baby is expected on Friday (in three days) so I just trying to quietly panic in a relaxed sort of a way! Tough on Dad's to just kind of hang around waiting and ducking all the things that your wife throws at you !!!

I have been doing lessons at Mill Ride in the rain and the wind! Seen some good guys. Brandon and Steffan are getting good! Ed and Hayley are doing physical and technical training like young champs and James has just got started. A lovely group and with good futures.

What I have been up to? I had lunch at Wentworth with an interesting group who are trying to do some pretty serious events, the new food and bev is really good! Then I was overnight in London and ate in Nobu! It was so busy and so good (Zuma is better). Then golf lessons in the wind and rain and Golf Night with the Sky Sports team. Well done Richard Finch and his caddie Damien who was with Robert Karlsson for years and is a great guy.

Then a round of golf at Mill Ride with Jamie Dalrimple, Ed Joyce and Nick Compton from Middlesex and always be careful of competing against cricketers. They are good golfers! Nick Compton can really hit a few sixes! Mostly just tons of meeting setting up the activities and events for 2008.

I went to my first Christmas party at Urban Golf in London with all the guys with Golf International, the golf magazine for the real golfer. I did an article on Tiger Woods and why he will never win again (JOKING!) from there I went zooming across London to see my old friends at British Airways for a trip to Amsterdam and Nokia World. It was a huge exhibition and it was so great to hear all the news and to see how the company is changing to meet the challenges of a fast changing market. We had a good two days and I was also able to see my friends at GMG who are really building a substantial stake in the Dutch market. From there it was an overnight in Madrid and then on to Sevilla and then down to Arcos Gardens.

We have so much to do but our first resisdents are moving in so that was really exciting and I cannot wait to join them in 2009! I went to hit some balls and make plans for the next phase of the golf academy. It will be fantastic!

Back again to London and my last trip of the year is done as now I have some really important things to do! I will keep you posted with my news and look forward to hearing from all of you!

If you are heading out to beautiful places keep us imformed with some photos, or if you are hanging out in the rain and wind (this is my second winter in this weather since 1986) then send in some crazy pics of your course in the bad weather.

Have fun and Seasons greetings!