Spotlight on... UKKO Ambassador Chris Berry

Chris is one of the original UKKO Ambassadors. We've asked him a few questions to find out what makes him tick...

Your Home Club - Knott End GC
Handicap - 10
Age - 31

What's in your bag
Driver - Taylomade Tour Burner TP with Aldila Voodoo SVS6
Woods - Ping G15 3 Wood with stock stiff shaft, Taylormade r7st 5 wood with DSL300
Irons - Ping i15 with AWT shafts, 1/2 inch long, Yellow dot
Wedges - Titleist Vokey Spin Milled 52 and 58 degree
Putter - Taylormade Rossa Spider/Scotty Cameron Squareback
Balls - Srixon Z Star


1. Your ultimate fourball with anyone past & present?
Darren Clarke - Legend
1980's Seve Ballesteros - Just to see his recovery shots up close
Tiger Woods - Just to be upclose to the best would be awesome

2. Where would you take them on?
Loch Lomond - Beautiful golf course and looks to be a challenge too. Plus plenty of trees for Seve!

3. What club is first in the bag & why?
Putter - You have a love hate relationship with it, but its the club that can make or break your round

4. A crafty beer before the game or in the zone on the putting green with energy drink on stand-by?Putting green

5. Obviously you're wearing UKKO on the 1st - which is your favourite garment?
Its got to be the grey v-neck jumper with purple stitching for me. Although, I am looking forward to the blue with royal blue stitching

6. Any dirty tactics or squeaky clean all the way?
Squeaky clean, of course!

7. You have a 4ft putt to win the game. It circles the cup and drops in - how do you celebrate round the green!?
Just like Seve at St Andrews

8. 1st & last drink at the 19th?
I don't drink alcohol, so its usually a coke

9. To celebrate your win, you fill up the private jet - where do you go?
To see if they will let me join Augusta National!

10. Assuming you don't have a private jet, have a nightmare and lose by the 12th - would you head straight for the driving range or drown your sorrows at the nearest local?
Driving range

11. Why did you want to become an Ambassador for UKKO?
The clothing looked really good and its great to be involved with a new upcoming label

12. If you didn't play golf, which other sport would you be obsessed with?
Football

13. What would you like to see in the next UKKO range?Trousers

14. Apart from becoming an UKKO Ambassador, what's your biggest achievement to date?
Won one of the club majors in 2009 in only my second season at the club

11. What do you want to be doing in 5 years?
Playing off plus handicap and also spending plenty of time with my family

Vanilla Slice - Unorthodox Return to the Fairways

It was all set-up perfectly I pondered, as I looked thoughtfully out upon a suprisingly sun-baked February morning in preparation for the first competitive round since the turn of the decade. Wait, its February and I haven't played golf properly since the year just gone, wow, must be the weather or something. The weather conditions on this Sunday though, were a far-cry from the snow we were treading, and sledging on a mere month ago, although decidedly fresh, the sun offered some comfort as I munched on my bacon sandwich slowing contemplating how the round would go, what score I'd get, and how great it was to be English after the victory the day before. Yet, golf was the order of the day, and the clubs saw a clean, as did the treads, maybe it wouldn't be such a spectacularly poor round after a month out of the game we know and love.

As I slipped on my pristine UKKO garments, and admired each and every thread, I genuinely believed this could be a good start to my golfing year. I stepped out of the door with an air of expectancy about me and breathed in the cool air. Once at the club I realised that there were in fact a catalogue of unfortunate inconveniences surrounding my humble self that could be unfortunate set-backs. After the strains of football the day before I was supported by two gammy knees, a dodgy ankle, as well as a suspect hip, maybe the seemingly perfect scene before was stained by a body less efficient than John Daly before rehab although in fairness visits to the gym during the week to squeeze those extra yards out of the big-dog, and the aforementioned battle in the name of football did serve culprits for the situation.

Cue dramatic turn of events. After the regulation shanks, fats, thins, and many undescribale shots on the range, I found the iota of beauty every man (or woman) to ever don the plus-fours (not necessarily women here), the high draw. Bliss, perfection, any other superlatives you lovely people can muster up, amybe it would be OK, well I let the on-course game take care of that. After the standard pre-match pysche up routine of a chat with playing partners in banteresque scenes complaining, and appreciating sporting results of the day before, I found myself standing on the first tee.

A surprising start to the round started with the seldom seen combination of back to back birdies, before a visit the the timber on the 4th set me back slightly. I managed to get by the rest of the front nine to stay a stroke under the handicap. The back nine duly ensued and after stringing together pars, on the tee numbered 13 I hit a hook curvier than an 80's model into the cabbage, never to be seen again. I just about managed to complete the round unscathed further, and the post-game drink parched the lips on a content golfer, feeling all the swagger in the UKKO threads.

That brings me on to a bit of a tip for golfers one and all. Just because it's cold outside, it doesn't mean you fashionistas, both seasoned and fruitful have to cover up the beautiful garms with the heavy waterproofs and cumbersome jumpers. My advice to you lot would be layer under over the coming cold months, that way your golfing statement can still stand proud atop your torso. Make the investment in a baselayer, wear a thermal vest under that, then I recommend layer over the warmth with a UKKO White Polo and the Berry Longsleeve Cardigan. If that still isn't warm enough, because of the lower neck of the cardi, add the Indigo V-Neck, and defy the weather and maintain fairway style.

Written by UKKO Ambassador Tom Ayling

If you're interested in becoming an UKKO Ambassador, get in touch via email - contact@ukko.com

New Exclusive FlexFit Caps on the way!

We went to one of the many local factories we work with yesterday to see our new design Flexfit cap on the embroidery machine - pictures of the trial sample below. This factory in the Cotswolds is an awesome outfit, providing top quality embroidery services. And rather than waiting weeks for the boat to come in, we're picking the whole lot up at the end of the week too... who says local isn't best.

There are 4 colours of the new cap in the pipeline and they should be exclusively available to buy on http://www.ukko.com/ v soon so keep an eye out.

In the meantime, take a look at the other UKKO headwear available...

Traditional Methods:Modern Garments