Dear CaddiePlayer,

Greetings from PGA Catalunya Resort, a course 80 km north of Barcelona, home of this week’s #SpanishOpen. After travelling to Dubai, Malayasia and China - where I focused on CaddiePlayer’s Emiliano Grillo - I am back in Europe for the summer.

Before walking the last 4 km from Caldes de Malavella to the PGA Catalunya (I could not find a taxi nor a bus), I landed in Zurich for the opening tournament of the LetAccess Tour where I caddied for CaddiePlayer Swiss rookie Eva-Maria Moehwald.  Gams Werdenberg course was tricky as the Swiss law prohibits the mowing of rough grass until June 15 so the rough was very high! However, it was a good test for the players and keeping the ball in play was very important. LetAccess Tour also helped me realise how Ladies Golf is now getting stronger as I witnessed several young grils driving past 250 yds, mothers and fathers caddying, managing, driving and basically doing everything they can to support their promising protégées.  At this early stage, the support of parents is essential in shaping future champions!

On my way to Barcelona I stoped over in Dijon, the city once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th centuries. Dijon was a place of tremendous wealth and power, one of the great European centres of art, learning and science. 50 km from Dijon is one of my favorite places: Golf & Hotel Chateau de Chailly. Chateau de Chailly harks back to my memories of the early 90´s when, as a club Pro, I hosted a "Golf Clinic" with a mixture of "Wine Testing". While we were there we visited, thanks to my father’s past as a ski teacher back in the 50's, one of his best clients which happened to be the Family "Comte of de Nicolay", related to the "Guerlain Parfume" and "Moet & Chandon". The city Savigny les Beaune became my second home; I have harvested there several times and I can recommend anyone to harvest once in their lifetime. For two weeks it’s all about grapes... selecting, cutting, testing, talking and at last celebrating meeting people you will never have crossed before. Chateau de Chailly is all about this and the golf. If you love golf, castles, good food, and spectacular nature then Chailly sur Armancon is your place.

But for now lets go back to this blog title "Innovate or Die"!? Is golf dying? According to the National Golf Foundation (NGF), the sport has lost five million players in the United States in the past decade and 20 percent of the 25 million golfers now active in the country are likely to quit in the next few years. So what is "Innovation or Die" and how it help do to bring back those golfers? "Innovate or Die" is the new marketing campaign from Callaway - Odyssey that is making the buzz this week in the Spanish Open a European Tour event.

To further my research I google "Innovate or Die" and found to my surprise that this "Marketing" "Innovation" already has its own website promoting another sport – Cycling. Is Cycling also losing cyclists? I don’t think so! As I read further online, I found what I was looking for: > "Companies should know that survival today requires more than treading water, and that many of the companies that were once great are now gone or on their way out largely because they stopped innovating" more about this subject here.

As a golf is my job, my business and my company, I understand and know for a fact that I too need to Innovate, "Innovate not to Die" (because this is only God’s Will) but Innovate to Evolve because at the end of the day Evolution is what Human Kind is about.

CaddiePlayer is one of my Innovations so now I will State to you: "CaddiePlayer or Die" ;-)

Until the next blog....

Stephane Barras Innovater currently at the Spanish Open trying to Innovate someone...

Sago Gula Melaka, if you happen to pass by Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club do not miss this delicious coconut based local dessert, it will give you full energy to play the magnificent KLGC course. Energy is what you will need under Malaysia Tropical weather. They say Malaysia truly Asia and yes it is.  Kuala Lumpur is one kind of Asian city of mixture. Not to forget the impressive Petronas Twin Tower that I was lucky to picture under full Moon. The Towers not only hosting all shops needed but as well a philharmonic theater where I got to listen a night of Mozart. 

That week was also my welcome back on the European tour to CaddiePlayer Emiliona Grillo and further introduce those findings to more caddies, players and coaches. That week was the week of Caddie Billy Foster and former World Number one Player Lee Westwood who both participated in my putting research back in 2011.

Congratulations to both for victory at the Maybank Malaysian Open!  Stéphane, CaddiePlayer Founder

more from the European Tour website >

CaddiePlayer "Science into Golf" solution announce its first register Pairing!

Rick Kropf as the Caddie and Fiona Puyo as the Player. They both register, fill the StatsCards and leave comments to interact with researcher Stephane Barras.  This achievement is a Key Millstone since CaddiePlayer was launch in June 2013.

Since its launch CaddiePlayer already account several well known Caddies, Players and Coaches as register. The vision of its Founder, PGA and researcher Stéphane Barras when launching CaddiePlayer was to build a tool/platform to improve Players Performances using the latest research available. Thanks to the Internet golf around the world is now close to a click and with CaddiePlayer every Player and team member can follow, guide and suggest each other from their desk.

Fiona Puyo a promising 27 years old tour Pro from France is currently competing on the LET and Symetra TOUR with the aim to qualify for the LPGA tour and in Mind to compete in the 2016 Olympic. Fiona’s caddie experience Rick Kropf is on her bag to make sure everything fine and more importantly to give Fiona the extra needed key decisions.

Comments from Fiona: “I like to work with Rick because he has a lot of experience and helps me with making the best decision on the course. His confidence on the course enhances my confidence. Finally his positive attitude and calmness definitely helps a nervous player like me ! 

 CaddiePlayer helps me to keep track of my game in a very precise and easy way. We try to sit down with Rick after the round and enter the data on CaddiePlayer WebCard. It is a way for us to discuss the round and see what went well and what has to be improve.  I also really like that we can interact on the round as we all don't experience and see the same things on the course. The input of the player and caddie after each round is for me very important as it helps to take perspective.  Also researcher Stephane analysis helps me to find patterns and way to improve my game in an efficient way.”

 Comments from Rick: “I met Fiona at a Symetra event at Innisbrook Resort near Tampa, FL. My friend "Bully" was caddying for Fiona because his boss had forgotten to commit to the event. Bully mentioned that Fiona was a good player and she did well at Innisbrook. On Sunday I saw her walking to her car with a heavy load and took her bag and introduced myself. Bully let me know she was looking for a caddie a few weeks later. Fiona and I worked together at Reunion Resort and twice at LPGA International outside Daytona Beach, FL.

I like the fact that Fiona is strong and hits the ball very well. She can hit controlled shots when needed. Mainly I like it that she smiles a lot and continues to look forward to the future. I like the feedback from CaddiePlayer because it gives Fiona and I specific things to work on. It confirms what we need to do to score better.”

Note: Since register with CaddiePlayer Fiona has already achieve “Chase68” Real Score. According to Stephane research, 68 is the score a tour Pro should aim for, Stephane Barras research has been able to identify a clear way/path/route to lead to 68 so called the “WinningScore”.