CONSULTANT PARTNER MARK ALEXANDER FOLLOWS "HEATH & LINKS" STUDY TOUR

Tales from the tripod

With two full-frame cameras, flashes, four lenses and a specially acquired rain suit, I boarded the flight from Edinburgh to London to join the "Heath & Links" Study Tour. I was tasked with capturing the frivolities of the week including the highs and lows of a keenly contested golf match.

The job was a departure from the 4am alarm calls and weather watching needed for my day job. After all, golf courses need a special kind of light to bring out their subtle nuances. Eighty architects, some jet-lagged, many hungover, needed more than that.

I took over 2,000 images eventually whittling down my tally to 480 shots. The four days took their toll - broken zips, a missing lens cap and the occasional faltering flash were a concern, but the overriding memories were of beautiful courses, keen competition and blossoming friendships. A tour to savour!

To find out more about Mark’s photography, please contact him at info@markalexanderphotography.co.uk

Photography equipment for sale

Recent updates to my kit have left some of my photography equipment surplus to requirements. So if you're looking to ramp-up your set-up with professional-grade lenses and bodies, then read on.

Needless to say all the equipment listed below has been cared for as if they were my own children. More importantly, they deliver incredible results.

1) Canon 1DS MK III, boxed in mint condition. I’ve used this excellent camera in conjunction with another body mostly in single-shot mode. If you're looking at this, you probably know about the pedigree of the 1DS MKIII, so I won't go into the specifications. I have used it professionally and it has created stunning images that have been published in numerous magazines. It is in excellent nick and I should point out that cameras in this condition don’t come up that often. 

Included in the sale is: 

- original box including usual instruction manual and software CD, USB cable etc - Double charger - Neck Strap - 2 x original batteries 

Price: £1,000


2) Canon 550 EX speedlight flash, packed with features including high-speed sync etc. Comes with manual. £70

3) Sigma 100-300 F4 EX APO IF HSM for Canon. An extremely flexible lens in great condition. Complete with tripod ring and padded Sigma bag. £325.

4) Hoya 77mm Pro1 Digital PL-Cir. £35.

5) Hoya 77mm UV. £25.

Post and packaging costs will be applied. Give me a call to discuss any of these items (01337 858 807).

Link up with the European Institute of Golf Course Architects

Some exciting news from the European Institute of Golf Course Architects - great to be associated with this fine organisation. See EIGCA's press release below...

PHOTOGRAPHER MARK ALEXANDER BECOMES LATEST EIGCA CONSULTANT PARTNER

The European Institute of Golf Course Architects is delighted to announce that Mark Alexander has become a Consultant Partner.

Mark is an award-winning golf photographer whose work is used to bring marketing and advertising campaigns to life in leading golf and travel magazines.

Commissioned by golf clubs, resorts, tourism bodies and magazines, Mark’s photographs capture the beauty of some of the world’s best known golf courses. He is also an accomplished architectural, reportage and portrait photographer and has been commissioned by global organisations to shoot personalities and projects for worldwide audiences.

During the Scottish Open at Gullane an exclusive set of Mark’s photographs, capturing some of Scotland’s most admired golf courses, was exhibited at Gullane Art Gallery.

EIGCA Executive Officer, Julia Green, welcomed Mark as a Consultant Partner, saying: “I am so pleased that Mark has become the latest to join our growing list of Consultant Partners. Mark has had a close association with the EIGCA for a number of years and I am delighted that he has decided to formalise that relationship by becoming a Consultant Partner. We very much look forward to welcoming him officially at our Annual Meeting in April next year.”

Consultant Partners are given the opportunity to meet and interact with EIGCA members and the wider golfing industry at the EIGCA annual meeting and may attend continuing professional development events. They are also included in the Consultant Partner database on the EIGCA website. Only EIGCA partners are granted direct access to the membership.

For more information on the Consultant Partnership Programme please click here

For more information on Mark Alexander’s work, please go to www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk

Gallery first for golf photographer - press release

Check out the exciting news from Mark Alexander Photography...

Prestigious gallery FIRST for
Scottish golf PHOTOGRAPHER

Renowned Scottish golf course photographer Mark Alexander will become the first photographer to exhibit his work at one of Scotland’s most prestigious art galleries next month. The internationally acclaimed photographer will showcase a selection of his sought-after images at Gullane Art Gallery during July coinciding with the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open taking place at Gullane Golf Club.

Alexander will present an exclusive set of 12 framed images capturing some of Scotland’s most admired golf courses including Muirfield, North Berwick and Gullane itself, all of which are part of Scotland’s Golf Coast. The exhibition will also consist of images from Alexander’s home town St Andrews and the famous Old Course which will host this year’s 144^th Open Championship also in July.

Alexander, whose work appeared recently on the front cover of Great Golf and Golf World magazines following shoots in New Zealand and at Prestwick Golf Club, is delighted to present his work to the public. “I am often commissioned by golf clubs, resorts, tourism bodies and magazines to photograph courses, but seldom do I present my work to the general public. For me, this is an exciting opportunity to showcase my work on a large scale at a fantastic venue. It is also a tangible way of highlighting the beauty of some of Scotland’s most notable courses. I certainly hope the crowds flocking to Gullane this summer will enjoy it.”

The stunning high-resolution images range in size from 18”x12” to 34”x12” super panoramas. Each limited edition framed print has been signed by the photographer and is presented in a deep-bevel single mount within a wide wooden frame along with a certificate of authentication that includes information of how the image was captured, including specific details such as the time and date at which the shutter was released (the earliest image was taken at 5:08am and the latest at 9:10pm).

For Gullane Art Gallery, this is the first time any form of photography has featured in the prominent outlet. As Roy McGregor, gallery owner, points out, it was a unique opportunity worth exploring. “In many ways, this is a time of firsts – this is the first time we have exhibited photography of any kind and it is also the first time the Scottish Open has been held at Gullane. We felt this was an exceptional opportunity to showcase the work of one of the country’s leading image makers, especially one who has pulled together such a compelling collection of stunning images that have never been seen by the public before.”

He continued: “Quite apart from the obvious technical quality of the work, I have been particularly struck by the artistic approach of the composition and tone; these are more than photographs, they are works of art. We have already received notes of interest about his work. This will be a must-visit for any golf fan or lovers of beautiful landscapes.”

Alexander, who is based in Fife but travels the world photographing golf courses, continues to be in high demand. Last year he became the first commissioned photographer to capture the historic course at Prestwick and has produced a set of three consecutive sell-out calendars for the St Andrews Links Trust culminating in the 2015 special Open Championship edition. This year he is photographing a selection of golf courses for hotel giant Marriott.

Alexander’s golf photography exhibition in the Red Jug Room at Gullane Art Gallery will consist of 12 large, limited-edition framed prints which will also be available unframed. Gullane Art Gallery will host an Open Day on Saturday 4^th July which will officially launch Alexander’s work during the month-long exhibition.

- ends -

Note to editors

1) Mark Alexander is an award-winning golf course photographer and established journalist. He is a member of IAGTO and IGTWA.
2) His images have appeared in magazines such as Golf Digest, Links Magazine, Golf World, Today’s Golfer, Golf Monthly, Golf Course Architecture and Golf Illustrated.
3) Alexander is based in Fife but travels the world shooting golf courses for resorts, architects and golf clubs. He has over 125 courses showcased on his website – www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk
4) He has been commissioned by several entities including St Andrews Links Trust, Turnberry, Prestwick, La Manga, Finca Cortesin, Royal Lytham & St Annes, Northern Ireland Tourism Board, VisitScotland, Glenmorangie and Ralph Lauren.
5) In 2009, Alexander picked up Creativefife’s Best Commercial Photograph award for a portfolio of images depicting Turnberry’s Ailsa course.

  6) The attached image is of hole 17 on Gullane No.1
7) For more information about Mark Alexander, visit www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk.
8) For more information on Gullane Art Gallery, visit www.gullaneartgallery.co.uk

For further quotes, interview opportunities and images, contact yvonne@thewordassociation.biz or call Yvonne Alexander on:

Office:            +44 (0) 1337 858 807

Out of hours:  +44 (0) 7976 369 260

    

Press release distributed by The Word Association

www.thewordassociation.biz

Kiwi Call II - Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club

Here's the second installment of my New Zealand adventure. Enjoy.

Missing links

[Next up] I visited Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club which is a 45-minute drive north of Wellington; New Zealand’s capital, and a world away from the extravagance of The Hills.

Here there is tradition, sandy soils and rippled fairways. With the Kapiti Coast providing sea breezes, Paraparaumu is a true links test defined by pot bunkers and uneven stances. Designed in 1949 by Alex Russell, onetime partner of Dr Alister MacKenzie, this is golf in its purest form seasoned by salty air and sandy lies. So authentic was it I had to remind myself that I was in New Zealand and not Scotland.

“I loved it instantly,” noted former New Zealand Open champion Peter Thomson. “We have nothing like it in Australia.” While the five times Open Championship winner clearly has a soft spot for this links layout, it turns out it is also a bit of a one-off in New Zealand as well.

“We don’t have a lot of classic links,” says general manager Leo Barber, “and links golf is a particular taste, so not everyone gets it. International visitors from the UK and Europe love it, while some Americans don’t.”

Debates around the merits of links golf reverberate around clubhouses the world over. In my opinion, Paraparaumu is a little slice of links heaven going for a song at NZ$150. For all the right reasons, it encourages you to play the ball on the ground to use the contours to get the ball close, especially when it’s windy.

“The wind is a big part of Paraparaumu,” says Barber. “It’s something we embrace, along with firm surfaces and brown grass. We let the course change with the seasons – it’s not springtime all year round. In the middle of summer it will bake and go golden, and in the winter it will turn green and play a little softer. That’s golf; it changes with the seasons.”

Kiwi Call - The Hills

A trip to New Zealand provided me with an opportunity to photograph some wonderful golf courses. Here's the first of four blogs about the trip which are based on excerpts from an article I wrote for Great Golf magazine. Enjoy.

Over the Hills

New Zealand is the most beautiful place you are ever likely to visit - bar none. It was worth the debilitating jet lag and lingering fatigue (which strikes with vengeance on the return leg) to witness this stunning country. Indeed the decision to strike it off my Bucket List was justified as soon as I stepped off the plane at Auckland on the North Island. By the time I reached Queenstown on the South Island, my satisfied smile had grown into a broad Cheshire Cat grin.

I was here to photograph the ultra-exclusive venue of the 2015 New Zealand Open – The Hills, and the juxtaposition of a championship course surrounded by a glacial valley with jaw-dropping views filled me with joy and excitement.

To be honest, I knew little about the layout before I arrived, and would have known even less if I hadn’t spotted the cheque-book sized name plate on the wooden gate modestly confirming this as the official point of entry. Once inside, the meandering road towards the clubhouse gave little away and it wasn’t until I stood on the first tee that I properly saw what this course was all about.

What lay in front of me was a deeply undulating fairway leading up to a plateau green with an enormous mountain range providing a stunning backdrop. This was golf on a grand scale, and if that’s the kind of thing that gets your golf juices flowing then The Hills could cause a flood. This is epic golf where bare rock faces bank against smooth greens and long, flowing grasses define meticulously cut fairways. Add in the occasional sculpture framed by the dramatic landscape and you have a very special place indeed.

“He has very high expectations and an incredible eye for detail,” explains Craig Palmer describing the club’s owner Sir Michael Hill who heads up one of the world’s leading jewellery brands. “He wants this to be as good as there is.”

The director of golf has been at The Hills for six years and now manages a club that employs 25 greenkeepers and has attracted 200 member families. He says he still accepts some non-member bookings, but admits the goal is to become purely private at some point. My advice is to get in while you still can.

For more images of The Hills, visit http://www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk/TheHills/

John Imlay

I was lucky to meet John Imlay. It was a special day two years ago in North Berwick just the two of us chatting. He sadly passed away last week and I thought it would be appropriate to post an excerpt from the article I wrote about him in Golf Illustrated. He said it sounded like his mother had written it. With the respect I held for him, I took this as a compliment. He will be missed.

Building Bridges

John Imlay is on a mission. As well as championing the Bobby Jones name, he is also passionate about building bridges over some of Scotland’s great links courses.

(AN EXCERPT)

Like all great men, Imlay has an eye on enjoying his retirement especially as he has recently recovered from two knee replacement operations and is looking forward to walking between shots towards the end of the year. His other focus is securing his legacy, and, perhaps as importantly, that of another legend.

During the 1970s, a former law partner of Bobby Jones FM ‘Buster’ Bird devised a plan to honour his business partner and asked Imlay to help develop the idea. “He said Bob would never want a statue or anything that would glorify him, so instead Buster wanted to create a scholarship between St Andrews University and Emory University in Atlanta where Bob got his law degree. He wanted me to promote it but didn’t want all the usual clowns and balloons - he wanted dignity.”

That was the beginning of the Robert T Jones Memorial Trust Scholarship which was established five years after the great man’s death in 1971. It now supports four students from each university on an annual reciprocal placement in order to “perpetuate his memory in the hearts and minds of young people by creating a permanent memorial to his sense of values and character”. Golf skills, or knowledge, are not part of the criteria.

Before Buster died, he told his business partner Jean Branch and Imlay that the Jones flame would dim with his passing and he wanted Branch, and then Imlay, to keep the flame alive. That responsibility has now passed to Imlay who is stoking the fire through the scholarship and other initiatives including the non-profit-making organisation Friends of Bobby Jones. His latest endeavour is to create an annual celebratory dinner to commemorate Jones’ birthday on March 17 and launch the new golfing season.

Despite his custodial role, Imlay only met Jones once but it was a meeting that would have a profound affect on the young salesman. During a courtroom hearing involving a corporate dispute, Imlay reacted rashly to provocation from an opposing lawyer. “He ran in saying I was a no-good, lazy salesman slob so I took a swing at him – I was a bit of a hothead back then and this was Southern justice,” says Imlay.

The judge called a three-hour recess to calm things down and Imlay’s lawyer, a certain Jean Branch, took his client to see his senior partner – Bobby T Jones. “He was all knarled up and didn’t weigh any more than 110 pounds, but he still had his mind,” Imlay recalls. “He said until he was 19, his temper always won. Until he was able to control his temper he never had a victory in a major tournament, but once he controlled it, he started to win.”

The 30-minute conversation changed Imlay’s life. “’John, I want you to go in there and nice them to death’,” he says describing the advice he received from the Dixie Whizkid. “I always remembered that quote - it changed my life. I went into the courtroom and niced them to death and won the case. It worked, and I have used it ever since.”

It was a seminal moment and one that would define Imlay’s approach to life and business. It served him well. He amassed a considerable fortune built up on a reputation for astute marketing and his down-to-earth approach. More importantly, he has come out the other end with the distinction of being universally liked and respected. From former captains at Muirfield to the caddies of North Berwick, Imlay has the ability to put people at ease.

With guidance from some of golf’s great names, it seems Imlay was destined to build bridges wherever he went.

New Zealand photography

Towards the end of last year, I completed four commissioned shoots in New Zealand. It was an incredible trip to a fantastic country. Here's the story...

26 March 2015

Scottish photographer
TEES IT UP DOWN UNDER

The recently formed Golf Tourism New Zealand (GTNZ) group has announced the completion of an exciting photography project that has incorporated some of the country’s best golf offerings including the host of this year’s New Zealand Open. Award-winning golf photographer Mark Alexander was commissioned by members of the group to shoot some of New Zealand’s top golf courses including The Hills.

The assignment saw the Scottish photographer take in some of the finest tracks on both the North and South islands including New Zealand’s most established layouts. Shooting in December, Alexander visited four clubs including The Hills Golf Club outside of Queenstown; host to this year’s New Zealand Open, and Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club which is widely regarded as one of the best links courses in the southern hemisphere. The stunning inland courses of Wairakei and Manawatu were also captured by the photographer who is based at the Home of Golf.

Ryan Brandeburg, executive director of GTNZ, was delighted Alexander could make the trip: “Part of our new golf initiative is to improve print and digital media,” he said. “The chance to offer the services of an internationally renowned photographer like Mark was a great opportunity. When we spoke to the golf courses, everyone saw the benefit of engaging Mark. With our location in the South Pacific, the frequency of a visiting golf photographer of Mark’s caliber is rare.”

He continued: “Golf courses are living, breathing assets that constantly change. We jumped at the chance to utilise Mark’s skills to capture some of New Zealand’s best golf courses in the peak of our summer.”

The commissioned shoots produced an extensive portfolio of landscape, portrait and panoramic images. Leo Barber, general manager of Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club, said he was thrilled with the results. “Mark has built up a reputation as one of the world’s leading golf course photographers and his work with links courses in particular impressed us, so we were delighted to have the opportunity to host Mark and have his lens bring our course alive with some superb photography.”

The resulting images will be used by participating clubs to boost their marketing and promotional efforts both within New Zealand and internationally. Between 2008 and 2012, no fewer than 280,000 golf tourists visited New Zealand, but as Alexander noted, New Zealand isn’t a regular stop-off for travelling golfers – yet.

“Photographing these beautiful golf courses was a great privilege,” he said. “I had never been to New Zealand before but the landscape, scenery and fantastic courses made for a memorable trip. It was extremely busy, but I fell in love with the place. Like Scotland, there is something for everyone and I am thrilled the courses that took part in the project are pleased with the final results. I hope my images attract golfers to play these internationally recognised courses as well as experience the best golf New Zealand has to offer.”

Manawatu Golf Club, New Zealand’s oldest golf course, also commissioned Alexander. “When we looked through Mark’s previous work, we were really excited about having him photograph our course,” said Michael Williams, Manawatu’s general manager. “The photographs we have received didn’t disappoint and will be really helpful when we refresh our website and promote our club as a place to play for visitors.”

Wairakei Golf & Sanctuary, located close to Lake Taupo, is also benefitting from Alexander’s photography. David Park, operations manager at the unique golf venue, says Alexander has produced a set of images that capture the essence of Wairakei. “We are extremely happy with the images Mark has supplied. He has taken shots from different angles and with different lighting from other photographers that we have used before. We found Mark easy to work with and very professional in everything he did for us.”

Alexander, who is based in Fife but travels the world photographing golf courses, continues to be in high demand. Last year he became the first commissioned photographer to photograph Prestwick in its 162-year history and produced a set of three consecutive sell-out calendars for the St Andrews Links Trust, culminating in the 2015 special Open Championship edition. He is planning a return visit to New Zealand to carry out more work.

To view Alexander’s work, visit www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk

- ends -

Note to editors

1) Mark Alexander is an award-winning golf course photographer and established journalist. His work has appeared in consumer magazines, newspapers and b2b titles.
2) His images have appeared in magazines such as Golf Digest, Links Magazine, Golf World, Today’s Golfer, Golf Monthly, Golf Course Architecture and Golf Illustrated.
3) Alexander is based in Fife but travels across the world shooting golf courses for resorts, architects and golf clubs. He has over 125 courses showcased on his website – www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk
4) He has been commissioned by several entities including St Andrews Links Trust, Turnberry, Prestwick, La Manga, Finca Cortesin, Royal Lytham & St Annes, Northern Ireland Tourism Board, VisitScotland, Glenmorangie and Ralph Lauren.
5) In 2009, Alexander picked up Creativefife’s Best Commercial Photograph award for a portfolio of images depicting Turnberry’s Ailsa course.
6) For more information about Mark Alexander, visit www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk.

7) The attached images are (from left to right);

For further quotes, interview opportunities and images, contact yvonne@thewordassociation.biz or call Yvonne Alexander on:

Office:            +44 (0) 1337 858807

Out of hours: +44 (0) 7976 369 260

    

Press release distributed by The Word Association

www.thewordassociation.biz