Drive it better

FEBRUARY ISSUE (18 JAN -14 FEB )

YOUR 2024
CHECKLIST

O

Chip it closer

O

Think smarter

Your best year awaits

NEW YEAR
NEW GEAR!
O
O

PING G430 MAX 10K DRIVER
CALLAWAY PARADYM AI-SMOKE RANGE

Ernie Els exclusive
The Big Easy reveals all
Golf ball rollback
What it means for you

INSIDE
NEW DESIGN
NEW
FEATURES

CONTENTS

FEBRUARY 2024

OINSTRUCTION
59
66
68
70
72
74

78

Driving Masterclass
Long Game
Ask The Experts
Short Game
Signature Shot
Rules

OEQUIPMENT
78
84
86
89
90

OTHE GAME
10
12
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
28
30

Your View
Month In Golf
Tour Gear
Quick Tip
Debate
Five Minutes With...
Stay & Play
Under The Microscope
In Detail
New Gear
Love To Play

Tested By Golf Monthly
Test Centre
Group Test
Retro Review
Buyers’ Guide

OFEATURES

59
DON’T MISS
THIS MONTH!

How to take your
driving up a level
in 2024

36
42
46
52

Ernie Els
Golf Ball Rollback
12 Players To Watch
Let The Good Times Roll

OOPINION
32 Wayne Riley
34 Alison Root
106 Bill Elliott

100

OCOURSES
94
96
98
100
104

Must Play
Planet Golf
Spotlight On
Major Milestone
On Tour

36

OEDITORIAL

OFROM THE EDITOR

Making difficult
decisions
fter years of discussion and investigation, golf’s ruling
bodies have finally spoken. A detailed plan (including an
implementation schedule) designed to curtail the distance
of the world’s longest hitters was revealed on December 6.
Since then, I have, like many of you, been trying to make
sense of what it all means.
Firstly, I have sympathy with those at The R&A and USGA
tasked with navigating this complex issue. There are
arguments on both sides of the debate that are hard, if not
impossible, to ignore.
On one side, you have the inescapable fact that those at
the highest level of the men’s game are consistently hitting
the ball further. This is fundamentally changing the challenge
posed by many of golf’s greatest courses, and some people
understandably believe this is placing too much of an
emphasis on power. To make layouts – both old and new –
Editor
longer to cope with this shift isn’t good for the health of the
Neil Tappin
game or the planet.
neil.tappin@futurenet.com
On the other side of the debate is an equally simple
argument – that golf is hard, very hard. It requires an
investment in time and patience that’s becoming
increasingly difficult for people to justify. And yet, in the post-Covid world, golf is
thriving and the game is finally appealing to a broader spectrum of society. Doing
anything that makes it more difficult for the masses (however minor) or adds to the cost
of playing it feels counterproductive.
GM contributing editor Fergus Bisset has written about the golf ball debate for years.
On page 42, he explains exactly what’s changed and when it will come into effect. And,
as an avid amateur player with a keen eye for professional golf, he offers his own verdict
on whether this bold move is right for the game as a whole.
The truth is that regardless of what we all think, change is coming and adjustments
will need to be made. For my part, I simply hope that no amateur golfer finds the game
less enjoyable as a result. Time will tell.

A

Editor: Neil Tappin
Deputy editor: Joel Tadman
Production manager: David Taylor
Features editor: Nĭ´ĻƴşŔĆÝĽÍ
Editor-at-large: Bill Elliott
Head of art (sports): Kevin Eason
Group art editor: Jamie Latchford
Senior designer: Michael Rawley
News editor: Elliott Heath
E-commerce editor: Sam Tremlett
kƹ’üƴǫƏĭƹÝƏƝÅƴDan Parker, Matt Cradock, Sam De’Ath,
BşÝƴ%ÝƏĔǓƝşŔÆƴBşŔŔDZƴHÝĭĔħĆÝĽÍ
Group picture editor: Richard Tole
Contributing editors: Fergus Bisset,
Jeremy Ellwood, Rob Smith, Michael Weston
Women’s golf editor: Alison Root
Contributing writer: Roderick Easdale
kƹ’üƴŵħşƹşĔƏ’ŵħÝƏƝÅƴTom Miles, Kevin Murray
Contributors: Getty Images, Wayne Riley,
Kenny Smith, Robin Barwick, Mark Townsend, Garrett
Johnston, David Facey, Howard Boylan
&şĽúƴMşŔƹħĽDZÆƴwŔĭƹƴĎŪĈÆƴƒĭŔŔÝƏƝħƴqƏĭ’ŔĔĽÝƴǓƝĭŔÝƝƝƴ
_’ƏĻÆƴƝĻ͒ĽÝƴcş’ÍÆƴƒĭŔŔÝƏƝħÆƴc&ĎŪƴĈq_ƴƴ
Tel: 01225 442244
Email: golfmonthly@futurenet.com
Website: golfmonthly.com
©Future plc ISSN 0017-1816
kÝĽĽīşǓƹƴħşƹĽĭŔÝÅƴ020 7907 7777
Back issues: Magazines Direct
www.magazinesdirect.com
Tel: +44(0)330 333 1113
International editions: +1 888 313 5528
Syndication: Lucy Cox 020 314 85483,
lucy.cox@futurenet.com / ti-mediacontent.com

OADVERTISING

Head of sport: Matthew Johnston
matthew.johnston@futurenet.com
Account director: Nathan Watts
nathan.watts@futurenet.com
Account manager: Liv Wilford
liv.wilford@futurenet.com
Advertisement production: Andrew Buckett

OMARKETING

Marketing manager: Faith Wardle
Production manager: Nola Cokely

OPUBLISHING

Group managing director: Dave Clutterbuck
Content director: Michael Harris
Ə’ŔÍƴÍĭƏÝ´ƹşƏÆƴƝŵşƏƹƝÅƴKirsty Setchell

OSUBSCRIPTIONS DEPT

&şĽúƴMşŔƹħĽDZƴkǓ¥Ɲ´ƏĭŵƹĭşŔƝ, FREEPOST
Future plc (if posted in the UK;
no further address or stamp needed)
Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent named
World Container INC 150-15, 183rd St, Jamaica, NY
11413, USA. Periodicals Postage Paid at Brooklyn, NY
11256. Air Business Ltd. is acting as our mailing agent.
All prices include postage and packaging. US
Postmaster: Enquiries and address changes should be
sent to: Golf Monthly, Air Business Ltd, c/o World
Container INC 150-15, 183rd St, Jamaica, NY 11413, USA.
ŔƃǓĭƏĭÝƝƴ’ŔÍƴşƏÍÝƏƴħşƹĽĭŔÝÅ 0330 333 1113
Email: help@magazinesdirect.com
One year’s full subscription rates: 1 year (13 issues)
full subscription rates: UK £64.80; Europe & Eire
€148.70 (delivery 3-5 days); USA $191.20 (delivery 5-12
days); Rest of World £132.80 (delivery 5-7 days)
Online subscriptions: golfmonthly.com
Subscription delays: Disruption remains within UK
and International delivery networks. Please allow up
to 7 days before contacting us about a late delivery.

OSYNDICATION

Golf Monthly is available for licensing and syndication.
Contact licensing@futurenet.com. Head to www.
úǓƹǓƏÝ´şŔƹÝŔƹħǓ¥ż´şŊƴto view our available content.

OTELEPHONE NUMBERS

Editorial: 01225 442244
Display advertising: 01225 442244
Subscriptions: 0330 333 1113
Syndication: 020 314 85478

SCAN TO GET
OUR WEEKLY
NEWSLETTER

SUBSCRIBE TO
GOLF MONTHLY!
Subscribe today and get a
Titleist metal water bottle
and four Tour Soft balls.
Turn to page 92 for more
information.

Printed by Walstead UK Limited
Distributed by Marketforce. For enquiries, email:
mfcommunications@futurenet.com

© 2024 Golf Monthly. Articles and features, including
illustrations, can only be reproduced with the permission of the
Editor. We regret we cannot be liable for the safe custody or
return of any solicited or unsolicited material, whether
typescripts, photographs, transparencies, artwork or computer
discs. Golf Monthly is published 13 times a year. Contributors are
advised to keep copies of all material submitted. US agent:
Mercury International, 365 Blair Road, Avenel, NJ 07001.
Periodicals paid at Rahway, NJ. POSTMASTER: Send address
changes to Golf Monthly, 365 Blair Road, Avenel, NJ 07001.

7

YOUR VIEW
The pick of the letters and emails to hit the Golf Monthly offices this month

What a welcome
I have three sons aged six, 11 and 14 who
are all keen golfers and love playing
together. Recently, a few of the
14-year-old’s friends have shown an
interest and started going along for a
game with him. We spoke to the club
where we are members and the pro
could not have been more welcoming.
He encouraged my son to bring his
friends on whenever he could at a
guest rate and just asked to let him
know when they wanted to play. He was
delighted to see juniors out enjoying
the game. He even lent one of the boys
some clubs to make up his full set.
Last week, my son went to play at a
different course where a friend has
recently become a member. He was
confronted by the pro on the 1st tee
advising him he wasn’t dressed
appropriately but he would let him play
“on this occasion”. My son was wearing
an Adidas golf hoodie and Nike golf
joggers with proper golf shoes. Not
denim and a football top! Wow, what a

welcome. Even more disturbing was
that his friend’s father then got an
email from the pro some days later
advising if his son was bringing friends
on to remind them about the dress
code of the club.
And we wonder why kids stay at
home playing their games console?
Hats off to my own club for the
welcome and encouragement – that’s
the way it should be. Let’s encourage
juniors to get out and play the game,
not put barriers in their way.
Chris Straine, via email

Catalyst for change
I am writing to express my sincere
gratitude for the life-changing impact
golf has had on both my mental
well-being and the remarkable journey
it has ignited for my son. Several
months ago, I found myself grappling
with challenges, as so
many do. It was then
that I turned back to
golf, not merely as a

sport but as a sanctuary that restored
me. Through each swing and every
moment on the course, I discovered a
sense of calm and balance that had
eluded me for some time.
However, the true testament to golf’s
transformative power lies in the story
of my son. Introduced to the sport by
me, he found not just a pastime but a
passion that ignited his spirit. In what
seems like the blink of an eye, his
dedication and natural talent have led
to a remarkable invitation to represent
our county in golf. His upcoming
enrolment in a college academy to
study golf is a testament to the
profound impact this sport has had on
his life’s direction.
As a parent, seeing my child embrace
such a positive and fulfilling path fills
my heart with immeasurable pride. I am
indebted to golf for fostering his
growth, discipline and a love for

A first for Stoke by
Nayland Golf Club

In association with

LETTER OF THE MONTH
I started playing golf 43 years ago and
during that time I have met some
wonderful people and formed some
great friendships. One of those
friendships was my hairdresser, Gloria
(not that I kept her in much work!).
Representing Ballards Gore GC at the
time, Gloria played a match against The
Essex GC and a lady called Corinne.
After the match, Gloria persuaded
Corinne to part with her mobile number,
which she duly passed on to me. Gloria
said I should ring her as she’s a lovely
lady. After two weeks of deliberation, I
thought ‘what harm would it do?’, so I
10

rang her and we
arranged a blind ‘golf’
date at The Essex.
That was in 1995!
Some 28 years
later, having got
married and had two
children, we found
ourselves men’s and
ladies’ captains at Stoke by Nayland
GC (the first time in the club’s 50-year
history that a married couple have
been captains in the same year). We
performed a synchronised tee off in
November 2022.

Our year as captains has just come to
an end and we thoroughly enjoyed
ourselves. Massive thanks to all the
members who supported our events and
helped us raise £8,000 for local charities.
Glen and Corinne Jackson, via email

CROSSWORD

Has Jon Rahm’s move
damaged the sport?

Compiled by Tait

something that transcends mere
competition – a love for the game itself.
Thank you, golf, for being a catalyst for
transformation and dreams realised.
Marc Willett, via email

Well, what a few weeks in the world of
golf. First we had the ball changes,
which will make no difference as the
biggest hitters, whether professional
or amateur, will still hit any ball further
than the rest. The vast costs of the
change would be better spent on
grassroots golf.
On that point, we now hear that Jon
Rahm has moved to LIV for the benefit
of his family. Absolute rubbish – that is
the same reason all LIV golfers have
given for signing. The simple truth is
they have all turned their backs on the
traditions of golf. They moved for dirty
money, no other reason.
The history of our great sport needs
to be protected and I sincerely hope
the proposed tour merger never
materialises. In the years to come,
when these players are counting their
money, I hope they look back and
realise they have all damaged the game
that got them to their position in the
first place. We all need to work
together to protect the current tours
that are the bedrock of our game.
John McNally, via email

ACROSS

DOWN

2

1

Ready food during early
part of backswings (9)
7
LIV golfer who won a
WGC event (5)
9
Winner of six women’s Majors (7)
10 Former term for something that is
not part of the game but could
move a ball (7,5)
11 Mediate for runner-up to Tiger
Woods in US Open of 2008
after a play-off (5)
13 Cornish club founded in 1937 (5)
16 Leave vehicle beside forest
shelter at Surrey club (8,4)
20 No hit on new Devon club (7)
21 Women’s championship
that is a Major (5)
22 Sold north area of Hampshire
course (3,6)

2
3
4
5

6
8
12
13
14
15
17
18
19

He represented Scotland
in World Cup (4,3)
Winner of six Majors (7)
WGC-Matchplay champion in
2019 and twice losing finalist (6)
2023 Ryder Cup rookie (5)
First Chinese golfer to win
DP World Tour event on home
soil (5,2)
Basis of links course found
in the ups and downs (4)
Architect of Swinley Forest
and Rye golf courses (4)
Type of green also known as
turtleback (7)
Golf format is one among
dozens (7)
Took man around Pennsylvanian
country club and Major host (7)
Trap at Old Ferndown’s 15th
and Castlerock’s 14th (6)
Leave Moray’s 9th (5)
Japanese golfer elected to
World Golf Hall of Fame (4)
State home to Muirfield Village (4)

OANSWERS

WIN!

Across: 2 Takeaways, 7 Ancer, 9 Sheehan, 10 Outside agent, 11 Rocco, 13 Truro, 16 Woodcote
Park, 20 Honiton, 21 Evian, 22 Old Thorns. Down: 1 Gary Orr, 2 Trevino, 3 Kisner, 4 Aberg, 5 Ashun
Wu, 6 Sand, 8 Colt, 12 Crowned, 13 Twelves, 14 Oakmont, 15 Corner, 17 Ditch, 18 Aoki, 19 Ohio.

Photography: Getty Images

Turbulent times

The letter of the month winner receives a year’s supply (six dozen) of the best Titleist golf ball for his or her game

11

O THE GAME

12

OPHOTOS OF THE MONTH

Woods returns
from eight-month
injury lay-off
Photography: Getty Images

OTiger, it was great to see you back at the Hero
World Challenge and PNC Championship.
What pleased you the most?
In the Bahamas, I drove it pretty much on a string all
week. I felt like I had my ball speed up, which was
nice, and I was hitting the middle of the face the
entire week, which was also nice. So it's not like I have
to go and try to find something the next few weeks or
going into the new year.

OHow much golf do you plan on playing in 2024?
I think that best scenario would be a tournament a
month. I think that's realistic. You would have to start
with maybe the Genesis Invitational in February and
something in March near The Players. We have it set
up right now so the biggest events are one per
month. Now, I need to get myself ready for all that.
Having a couple of weeks off to recover after an event
and a week to build up, there's no reason why I can't
get into that rhythm. It's just a matter of getting in
better shape. I feel like my game's not that far off.

OBefore the ankle fusion, you said it could take four
or five hours to recover from each round. How long
does it take now?
It's about the same, I just don't have the bone pain.
But I still have to go through the same protocols. It
takes a long time pre and post. That's the unfortunate
thing about ageing – you spend more time in the
treatment room and weight room than you do on the
golf course. That's just part of wanting to hang
around as an athlete.
13

The triumphant team
from the Hitachi
3Tours Championship

The sun sets on the PNC
Championship in Orlando, Florida

14

Louis Oosthuizen
won the AfrAsia Bank
Mauritius Open

DID YOU KNOW?
Joaquin Niemann’s win at the
Australian Open secured the
LIV golfer a start at this year’s
Open Championship.
However, he just missed out
on a place in the world’s top
50 and a Masters berth.

OIN THE NEWS

OIN BRIEF

McIlroy calls for
unity as merger
deadline delayed
Rory McIlroy believes pro golfers
need to “come back together” as
the PGA Tour announced a delay in
its efforts to reach an agreement
with Saudi Arabia’s PIF.
A surprise framework agreement
was revealed last June between
the PGA/DP World Tour and the PIF,
with December 31 set as a deadline
for a “definitive agreement”.
However, Jay Monahan sent a
letter to PGA Tour members in
early January revealing the
deadline had been pushed back,
despite “meaningful progress” in
negotiations between the PGA
Tour, DP World Tour, PIF and
Strategic Sports Group – a
consortium of billionaires with
whom the PGA Tour decided to
pursue exclusive negotiations in
December. It’s believed all parties
are pushing for a tangible
agreement before The Masters.
16

McIlroy has been a staunch
advocate of the PGA Tour since
the arrival of LIV Golf, but he now
concedes the Saudi-backed tour
is part of the sport’s ecosystem. In
an interview with Sky’s Stick to
Football podcast, he outlined his
hopes for the future.
“People at this point need to put
their feelings and egos aside and
come back together and we all
move forward – that would be the
best thing for golf,” he said.
McIlroy also outlined how golf
could take inspiration from cricket.
“What I would love LIV to turn into
is almost like the Indian Premier
League of golf,” said McIlroy. “You
have four weeks in May and four
weeks in November and you go
and do this team stuff. If they were
to do something like that, I think
that sounds like fun – you’re at least
working within the ecosystem.”

McIlroy would
love to see golf
take inspiration
from the IPL

Mickelson’s olive branch
Following McIlroy’s
interview, Phil Mickelson
took to X to promote
peace. “It’s time for me
and others to let go of our
hostilities and work
towards a positive future.
Rahm’s signing is turning
into a bridge to bring both
sides together,” he wrote.
Scheffler claims 2023
Player of the Year award
Scottie Scheffler
won the PGA Tour’s
Player of the Year
award for the
second year
running, becoming
the first back-toback winner since
Tiger Woods’
hat-trick between
2005-07. Some
38% of eligible PGA
Tour members
voted for Scheffler.

Scottie Scheffler
had another fine
year in 2023

A year to remember
Patrick Koenig, a golf
photographer and
blogger from Seattle,
played 580 different
18-hole golf courses in
just 365 days to set a new
world record.

82

SAM
SNEAD

TIGER
WOODS

ARNOLD
PALMER

62

JACK
NICKLAUS

BEN
HOGAN

OMOST PGA TOUR WINS

82
73

$20,000,000

In 1945, Byron Nelson won 18 times on the
PGA Tour – a record that, unsurprisingly,
has not been beaten

64

%

THE GAME

OMONTH IN STATS

At the start of 2024, the top 50 on the Official
World Golf Ranking comprised players from 16
nations, with America boasting the most at 25

Patrick Cantlay’s
remarkable longest
‘career rounds in the
60s’ streak

OMOST WEEKS AT WORLD NO.1

Tiger
Woods

Greg
Norman

The prize pool per
tournament for
most PGA Tour
Signature events
in 2024

16

Aaron Baddeley has
only three-putted
20 times in his last
1,440 holes

Nick
Faldo

Rory McIlroy

Louis
Oosthuizen
won his first
event for 60
months at the
Alfred Dunhill
Championship

There are
44 events
on the
2023/24
DP World
Tour
schedule

Dustin
Johnson

In 2023,
American
Adam Long
went 69 holes
without
missing a
fairway
17

OSHORT GAME

“THE SWEETSPOT ON THE

“ I T O TA L LY U N D E R S TA N D

DRIVER IS THE SIZE

W H Y H E L E F T. T H AT ’ S A LO T,

OF A PEACH NOW”

A LOT OF MONEY”

Three-time Major winner Nick Price
weighs in on the distance debate

Viktor Hovland on Jon Rahm’s
decision to sign with LIV Golf

“I KNOW THERE IS A BIT OF PAIN

“I THOUGHT IT WOULD

I N VO LV E D F O R T H E M A J O R I T Y,

B E FA NTA S TI C TO W I N

B U T I T ’ S F O R T H E G R E AT E R

ONE MAJOR”

GOOD OF THE GAME”

Ten-time Major winner Annika Sorenstam
reveals her mindset at the start of her career

Padraig Harrington on the golf ball rollback

18

THE GAME
OSOCIAL SCENE

10
Rory McIlroy
ĆŔĭƝħÝÍƴĭŔƴƹħÝƴƹşŵƴ
ten in each of his last
ten PGA Tour starts
in 2023. The last
player to do that was
Tom Kite in 1981.

The invites
are out
The countdown to the first Major of 2024 has
already begun, with the initial batch of players
receiving invites from Augusta National in the post.
Tyrrell Hatton was one of a number of players who
took to social media to express their excitement,
saying: “Number eight and still as special as the
first.” The much-sought-after envelopes are even
more precious this year as the field is predicted to
be under 80, the smallest number since 1985. The
Masters has traditionally had fields ranging from 85
to 100 players, with 88 competing for the Green
Jacket in 2023.

Tyrrell Hatton
shared the moment
with his followers

OWHO AM I?
Born in
Largs,
Scotland in
1953

Photography: Getty Images. Who am I? answer: Sam Torrance

Answer in credit
to the left

Named
the Sir Henry
Cotton
Rookie of the
Year in 1972

A member of
European Ryder
Cup teams on eight
successive
occasions
Won the
first of his 21
European Tour
titles in 1976

Jason Day and
Lydia Ko won the
Grant Thornton
Invitational with a
combined total of
seven Vokey Design
SM9 wedges in
their bags.

Captained
the Europeans
to victory
at the 2002
Ryder Cup

OGOOD MONTH, BAD MONTH

Julian Suri

Angel Cabrera

Harold Varner III

Louis Oosthuizen

The American
shanked it out of
bounds on the final
hole of PGA Tour
Q-School to lose
out on Korn Ferry
Tour status.

The two-time
Major winner’s
suspension from
the PGA Tour has
been lifted
following his
release from prison.

The LIV golfer was
arrested and briefly
held in custody for
driving while
impaired near his
home in North
Carolina.

Oosthuizen won
back-to-back
events for the first
time in his career at
the Alfred Dunhill
Championship and
Mauritius Open.
19

THE GAME
OWHAT’S IN THE BAG?

OSPOTTED ON TOUR

Max Homa
The American won his first DP World Tour title in South Africa last November

Fairway
woods: Titleist
TSR2+, 14.5°;
Titleist TSR2,
21.5°, Fujikura
Ventus Red 9 X
shafts.

Driver: Titleist
TSR3, 10°,
Tensei 1K Black
65 TX shaft.

Irons: Titleist
T100s 4-iron;
Titleist 620MB
5- to 9-iron,
KBS S Taper
130 X shafts.

Ball: Titleist
Pro V1.

JoaquinTom
Niemann
used a Ping
Kim G430
used a Ping
Titleist
LST driver,
G425
TSR3 driver,
TSi3Glide
Max 7-wood
and Ping
fairway
woodtoand
Pro V1x
4.0 wedges
emerge
golf
ball in winning
victorious
at the for
the third time
on
Australian
Open.
the PGA Tour.

20

Something different
Both Scottie Scheffler and
Nelly Korda have been
spotted testing prototype
putters from the relatively
unknown Olson brand.

Wedges:
Titleist Vokey
SM9, 46°, 50°,
56° & 60°, KBS
S Taper 130 X
shafts.
Putter: Scotty
Cameron
Phantom X T5.5
Proto.

OGEAR NEWS

Louis Oosthuizen won
back-to-back DP World
Tour events with a Ping
G430 LST driver, G430
Max fairway wood and a
prototype PLD Custom
Voss putter.

It’s official
Ludvig Aberg officially
penned a deal to be a
Titleist staffer at the end of
last year after using a
mixed bag in 2023.

Dean Burmester
played with a
TaylorMade Stealth Plus
driver, Srixon
ZX driving iron and
Cleveland RTX ZipCore
wedges to win back-toback in South Africa.

Min Woo Lee claimed
the Australian PGA with a
Callaway Paradym Triple
Diamond driver, Callaway
Apex MB irons and an
Odyssey Tri Hot 5K
Double Wide putter.

Nicolai Hojgaard used a
Callaway Paradym Triple
Diamond driver and X21
utility iron plus an Odyssey
Jailbird Versa putter to
win theDP World Tour
Championship.

Fast route to success
Ping’s new Blueprint S
irons have already secured
four tour wins after being
put into players’ hands in
August last year.

THE GAME
OQUICK TIP

How to ‘pop’ the ball up
By Top 50 Coach Joshua Mayo

You don’t have to
learn the flop shot to
1
improve your short
game. A lot of club
golfers could simply do with a
better understanding of how
loft works in the swing, so they
can start to ‘pop’ the ball up.
Note where the magnetic rod is
pointing, which shows that loft
has been presented at impact.
This is going to help the club to
slide underneath the ball,
maximising height.

Hit some chips from
waist-high back to
2
waist-high through.
This is the perfect
backswing position to start
practising high, short shots. The
rod is pointing up towards my
face. This indicates that I’ve kept
the loft on the club, helping to
‘pop’ the ball up. If it were
pointing down to the ground, it
would suggest too much hands
at the start of the takeaway or
that the clubface was kept
pointing at the target too long.

Try practising from
behind a bunker or
at the bottom of a
slope where you’re
forced into having
to ‘pop’ the ball up
quickly. Work on
these positions and
you should soon see
it coming out on a
higher trajectory
and landing softly.

Photography: Olly Curtis

Force your hand

Note how my torso
has rotated towards
3
the target. My weight
is fully over the lead
side and my left arm is fully
extended, with the shaft also
extended towards the target.
The lead arm and the shaft are
working through the same line,
taking a flick of the wrists out of
the equation. The rod is
pointing back up towards my
face, demonstrating that loft
has been maintained
throughout the swing.

21

O THE GAME
ODEBATE

Who would you rather see win
a Major in 2024: Rory McIlroy
or Tommy Fleetwood?
OTommy Fleetwood
Says Jeremy Ellwood

Fergus Bisset
A golf-obsessive
who studied at St
Andrews and is a
member at Banchory
in Aberdeenshire

Jeremy Ellwood
A 22-year Golf
Monthly veteran who
now plays his golf as
an artisan at Royal
Ashdown Forest

22

They’re only 20 months apart in terms of age,
ORory McIlroy
but Tommy’s rise to the very top has played
Says Fergus Bisset
out over a longer timeframe than Rory’s.
Indeed, Rory’s third Major victory at Hoylake
I have always enjoyed seeing the very best
in 2014 coincided with Tommy’s Major debut.
excel in sport. I loved watching Usain Bolt
Despite a strong amateur pedigree, Tommy’s
when he was unbeatable on the track; I have
professional progress has certainly been less
been thrilled watching Lionel Messi on the
meteoric than Rory’s, having stalled a little in
football pitch. And, of course, when he was in
relative terms following his maiden DP World
his prime, Tiger Woods was a key reason I
Tour victory in 2013. But he has taken his game
turned on Sky Sports of a Sunday evening.
to another level since topping the Race to
It’s fun to watch brilliance.
Dubai in 2017.
Nobody in men’s professional golf today is
It’s the same in Majors, too. The first seven
as talented as Rory McIlroy. When he’s
he contested yielded six missed cuts and a
playing at his absolute top level, there’s
T27th; the last seven have yielded four top
no-one to compare. His power from the tee,
tens. The Southport man’s game is now at a
his towering iron shots and his creativity
whole new level and, having already knocked
around the putting surfaces combine to
agonisingly closely on the Major door in the
deliver box-office golf. No-one since Tiger
2018 US Open at Shinnecock and again in the
has had the ability to play at the level Rory is
2019 Portrush Open, he has become a bit of a
capable of. It’s because of his brilliance that I
serial contender on the Major stage.
desperately want to see him win another
Tommy’s overall star is still very much in the
Major, ideally The Masters, to complete the
ascendancy. He is regularly in the mix in golf’s
career Grand Slam.
biggest events, has notched up top tens like
Of course, I’d love to see Tommy get his
they’re going out of fashion on the PGA Tour,
Major breakthrough but if I had to choose, I
despite not yet winning over there, and
would root for the Northern Irishman. He’s
boasts an impressive Ryder Cup strike rate.
our best golfer and I want to see him where
He has now paid his dues on the world
he belongs, donning a Green Jacket or
stage, and while that is no guarantee of Major
lofting the Claret Jug. We’re approaching ten
success, he has thus far in his career always
years since Rory’s last Major and that is far
gone on to achieve at the
too long for a player of his
next level. He is a real fan
outstanding ability.
favourite and would be a
If he could get over the
We put the same question
hugely popular winner if
line in a Major this year, we
to our X followers...
he were to add a maiden
could see another flurry of
Major Championship to
titles from Rory, like he
his hugely impressive CV.
delivered from 2011 to 2014.
No disrespect to Rory,
As a golf fan, I’d love to see
but it’s Tommy for me.
one of ours at the very peak
of the game for an extended
TOMMY
spell. Rory has something to
FLEETWOOD 51%
prove, and I hope he does it
because, to corrupt a
RORY MCILROY
well-used golf punditry
49%
phrase, he’s the best player
yet to win five Majors.

OFIVE MINUTES WITH…

Matt
Fitzpatrick
Where are your favourite
‘stops’ out on tour?
I’ve got too many. I love The
Masters, love Harbour Town,
love the European Masters.

Interview Elliott Heath Photography Getty Images

What is Billy Foster’s best
trait as a caddie?
Honesty. He’s very honest and
direct – he tells it how it is. It’s
sometimes brutal, but you’ve
got to take it the right way. It’s
never done personally – it’s to
help me get better.
What would you say his best
call for you has been over
the years?
He’s had plenty, he really has. I
just think we work really well
together. We both tend to
agree on the shots. It’s very rare
that we’re completely against
each other. Very, very rare.
And his worst call – can you
think of any of those?
No, he doesn’t really give me
any weird calls. No duff
numbers, never.
What would you say
his worst habit is?
His worst habit is that he’s

always so bloody slow. He’s like
30 yards behind us every hole.
What is Billy’s favourite
story to tell?
The story I ask him to tell is the
one about the psychologist
and Darren Clarke at The
Masters. It involves a lot of
curse words.
And Billy’s best Ryder
Cup moment?
I think he’s got too many to
choose from. I think ’06 with
Darren was very special to him,
and I think the times he had
with Seve Ballesteros were also
very special.
Would you rather win The
Open or see Sheffield United
win the Champions League?
I think I’d rather win The Open.
Sorry, lads!
What about Billy - Leeds
United or The Open?
Win The Open, 100 per cent.
Who is your favourite
playing partner on tour?
We both enjoy playing
with Tyrrell Hatton.

O THE GAME

OSTAY AND PLAY

The Manor House
The idyllic village of Castle Combe in Wiltshire is home to The Manor House
Hotel and Golf Club, one of England’s very best stay and play resorts

By Nick Bonfield

The Manor House,
West Street,
Castle Combe,
Chippenham,
Wiltshire, SN14 7HX
T: 01249 782206
E: themanorhouse@
exclusive.co.uk
W: exclusive.co.uk/
the-manor-house

OThe golf
Par 72, 6,204 yards
The Manor House Golf Club is
about a three-minute drive
from the centre of the stunning
and quintessentially English
village of Castle Combe. I’m
struggling to think of a layout
where fun is more to the fore
– a product of the risk-reward
nature of the course and the
many changes in elevation,
which are particularly
prevalent on the par 3s.
The short holes at 2 and 17
are especially noteworthy, the
former playing down and over a
river with little margin for
error! The 17th is then one of
the most memorable par 3s

but dangerous
uphill par 4 that’s
on the cusp of
reachable. You
could leave with
anything from
eagle to doublebogey or worse
on both, and that
also applies to
The majestic Manor House
the reachable
par-4 8th, whose
you’ll find, playing steeply
tee is one of the best spots on
down to a green overlooked by
any course I’ve played.
towering trees beyond.
There are so many good
OThe hotel
holes here, with 12 and 13 also
The Manor House Hotel sits
deserving of a mention. The
right in the heart of the village
former is a brilliant risk-reward
and is a majestic five-star
par 5 and the latter a tempting
property adorned with
multi-coloured foliage on the
outside. The 14th-century
On a good day you
structure is set in 365 acres of
might be able to drive
parkland and its 21 bedrooms
the short par-4 13th
and suites are complemented
by 29 sumptuous cottages.
The rooms and suites are as
good as anything you’ll find –
how often do you get a screen
in the wall so you can watch TV
while you soak in the bath? –
and the on-site restaurant,
Bybrook, offers Michelin-star
dining in an exquisite setting.
OBest deal
The Manor House golf break
package includes bed and
breakfast in a Cosy room, a
£35pp dinner allocation at The
Castle Inn, use of the driving
range and 18 or 36 holes. Prices
are from £195pp for 18 holes
and from £220pp for 36 holes.

24

O THE GAME

OUNDER THE MICROSCOPE

World Handicap System revisions:
what has changed for 2024?
The World Handicap System (WHS), introduced in November 2020 in the UK&I, is being tweaked in the quest
for greater accuracy, consistency and equity. We discuss the most eye-catching changes for 2024...

algorithms or calculations, and
while that seeming lack of
transparency may not change,
we are being assured that the
2024 revisions will increase
the likelihood of a PCC
adjustment, with revisions to
the national associations’
computation platforms due to
be completed by April 1, 2024
– a very welcome change.

A new ‘Expected
and changes to
the Course
Handicap
calculation in the
UK&I are among
the revisions to
WHS from 2024

Words Jeremy Ellwood Photography Kenny Smith

Score’ facility

OWhy have changes been
made to the WHS?
Claire Bates, The R&A’s director
of handicapping says: “We’ve
made good progress in the early
stages of WHS but there are
always areas that can be
improved as we gather more
information and data from
around the world. We’ll continue
to work with handicapping
bodies and national
associations to ensure that the
WHS provides a system offering
a sensible balance between
inclusivity and integrity.”
OWill the Playing Conditions
Calculation (PCC) be modified?
Nearly all regular competitive
golfers will at some stage have
looked at their handicap
record after a particularly
testing day and been baffled
to see a PCC of zero! Nobody
seems to really understand its

OWhat if I only play nine holes?
The full details are not yet
known, but the system will now
feature improvements to the
method used to handle scores
for the other nine holes based
on your ‘Expected Score’
rather than net par plus one
additional stroke – potentially
good news if you put in a
nine-hole card and play a
blinder. Expected Score – an
automated calculation
personal to each player – will
also be used to calculate an
18-hole Score Differential
when not all 18 holes are played
for a valid reason.
ODo competitions have to be
nine or 18 holes?
A variation to Clause 3.2 in the
WHS rules will allow the
playing of handicap-counting
rounds over a non-standard
number of holes. This will mean

handicap-counting
competitions could now be
played over any number of
holes between nine and 18,
with rounds of fewer than 18
holes scaled up to 18 using the
new ‘Expected Score’ facility.
OWill the Course Handicap
calculation change?
The current Course Handicap
calculation in the UK is
Handicap Index x (Slope
Rating/113). From April 2024,
the calculation will also factor
in any difference between
Course Rating and par (either
way) to become Handicap
Index x (Slope Rating/113) +
(Course Rating – par).
OWhat if I play on a shorterlength course?
The minimum length to be
eligible for a Slope Rating and
Course Rating for 18-hole
courses is being halved from
3,000 to 1,500 yards and for
nine-hole courses from 1,500
to 750 yards. While this drive to
expand the reach of WHS and
enable more golfers to obtain
and use a Handicap Index is
admirable, it remains to be seen
whether or not genuine parity
and transferability can be
achieved between courses of
such widely differing lengths.
25

THE GAME

There is much
less blue on show
than we saw in
Paradym, with Ai
Smoke boasting
a palette of
blacks and greys

The carbon chassis is now 15
per cent lighter than in the first
Paradym drivers from 2023

OLAUNCH OF THE MONTH

Callaway Paradym
Ai Smoke range from £299

The face on the Triple
Diamond model is designed
specifically with faster swing
speeds, centre strikes and a
positive attack angle in mind
26

By Dan Parker

This time last year, Callaway
announced a ‘paradigm’ shift in
technology in its new flagship
family of golf clubs. One year on
and it has continued to utilise its
powerful Ai software to further
develop its Paradym series.
OFour new driver models – Triple
Diamond, Max, Max D and Max Fast
– make up the extended Paradym
Ai Smoke range. The new Ai Smart
Face has been designed using
swing dynamics from real golfers
– Swing Code as the brand has
termed it – that cover 250,000 real
golf swings and over a million data
points to feed into its Ai software.

OThis modelling has allowed
Callaway to create unique driver
faces in each head to suit the
requirements of a specific swing
movement. For example, the Swing
Code for the Max D and Max Fast
drivers denotes a player who has a
path from the outside, swings
down on the ball, and has an
impact range from low heel to high
toe. Meanwhile, the Max driver’s
Swing Code is for golfers who
deliver a slightly out-to-in path
and more upward angle of attack,
and who use most of the face at
impact. Finally, the Triple Diamond
is coded for a mostly middled
strike with an upward attack angle.

Q&A: BRIAN
WILLIAMS
Vice president of
R&D at Callaway
What feature
moves this range
on most from the
prior generation
of Paradym?
We’ve created a
new way of
designing and
modelling golf
clubs to more
closely reflect
how golfers
actually deliver
the club in the
real world. The Ai
Smart Face now
has sweetspots
not just in the
centre of the
face, but all over
the face in areas
that some golfers
end up finding
more often than
the middle.

built using the same
Swing Codes as in
the drivers

OThe Paradym Ai Smoke fairway
woods follow the same pattern as
the drivers with four new models
designed to optimise launch and
spin for different kinds of golf
swings. Three hybrids offer plenty
of versatility, while three new iron
models – Max, Max Fast and Max
High Launch – have been
introduced in the gameimprovement sector of the iron
market to fit an even broader
range of golfers.
OOn sale from January 26, the
Paradym Ai Smoke drivers start at
£569, fairway woods at £379,
hybrids at £299 and irons at £899.

headlines the Max
Fast iron’s design

The new irons boast

The Ai Smart Face in
the fairway woods is

A deeper cavityback configuration

Tell us something
people would be
surprised to learn
about the range...
We designed
50,000 different
iterations of Ai
Smart Face
before finalising
the one golfers
will be using in
the new range. To
harness all the
data we had, we
created over
80,000 lines of
custom code to
feed into our Ai
computer. This
allowed us to
fine-tune the
equipment to
meet the exacting
specifications we
set ourselves.

a contemporary
design with a longer
blade length and
thinner topline

“ C A L L AWAY ’ S N E W S W I N G C O D E
SY S T E M I S A FA S C I N AT I N G
DEVELOPMENT IN GOLF CLUB
D E S I G N . I T H I N K I T C A N O N LY
BE TO THE BENEFIT
OF GOLFERS WITH A WIDE
RANGE OF DIFFERENT SWINGS”
DA N PA R K E R , G M STA F F W R I T E R

27

ONEW LAUNCHES

Ping G430 Max
10k driver £599
By Dan Parker

GM SAYS
An ultra-high moment of
inertia combines with a
low-spin design to offer
levels of forgiveness and
stability that all golfers
will welcome.

The new driver boasts
Ping’s largest profile to
date, yet still remains
within the 460cc limit

The G430 Max 10k
retains Ping’s now
iconic turbulators
on the crown

28

OIt’s rare to see Ping launch a new driver model
outside of its normal two-year cycle, so the G430
Max 10k should give us a lot to get excited about. The
10k in the name denotes this is Ping’s highest-MOI
driver so far, eclipsing the 10,000g-cm2 combined
moment of inertia threshold achieved in the G400
Max, which was launched in 2017. In plain terms, it
means the Max 10k is Ping’s straightest and highestMOI driver to date.
OA fixed 28g back weight drives mass down and
back in the head to increase forgiveness and
optimise the centre of gravity position, lowering spin
and ensuring ball-speed preservation across the
clubface. Being able to incorporate such a large
weight at the back of the head is all down to savings
of 5g elsewhere on the weight front, courtesy of the
carbon crown. Finally, a shallower and thinner forged
face is optimised for more flexing to ensure faster
ball speeds and consistent spin rates across the face.
OThe Max 10k also has Ping’s biggest head profile to
date, while still staying within the 460cc volume limit.
It maximises the heel-to-toe and front-to-back
dimensions, while creating an eye-pleasing shape
that should sit nicely square to the target line.

THE GAME

Ping ChipR Le £170
Built at the length of a putter and with
the loft of a 9-iron, this chipper
promises a short-game solution for
female golfers of all skill levels.

Wilson Staff Model X ball
£52 per dozen
With further optimisations over the
previous version, this ball is designed
for those who seek a firm and fast feel.

BEST
GOLF
HOODIES

Puma Mattr
Colourblock – £55
Made from a light,
moisture-wicking
ú’¥Əĭ´ƴşüÝƏĭŔĔƴw_%ƴ
50+ protection.

Wilson Staff Model ball
£52 per dozen
At ten compression points softer than
the X version, this ball is designed for
golfers who already generate ample spin.

Puma Slipstream G RF shoe £109
Puma’s Slipstream shoe has been given
the Rickie Fowler touch, with hints of his
long-renowned fondness for orange.
FootJoy
ThermoSeries
Full Zip – £110
Thermal fabrics and
a full zip make for a
versatile garment.

Srixon AD333 ball £28 per dozen
The 11th generation of this now iconic
golf ball has had its compression
marginally lowered via a reformulated
core to add a hint of extra speed.

Big Max Aqua Tour 4 cart bag £299.99
A fully waterproof tour-style bag with a
feature-packed pocket configuration for
the fully equipped golfer looking to take
everything with them on the course.

Big Max Aqua Eight stand bag £219.99
A fully waterproof stand bag with a
seven-way divider, six spacious pockets
and an ultra-lightweight design.

Macgregor Paramount Hybrid
stand bag £84.99
Built with a four-way top and two
full-length dividers, this lightweight bag
is ideal for a half or three-quarter set.

Adidas Cold.
Rdy – £69.99
Made from 95%
recycled polyester
ǫĭƹħƴ’ƴƝşúƹƴČÝÝ´Ýƴ
inner.

Galvin Green
Desmond – £109
Breathable fabrics
make this lightweight
hoodie a versatile
option in warmer
weather.

29

O THE GAME
OLOVE TO PLAY

OEssentials
GF: up to €190,
resort guests
only, stay-andplay packages
available
Stats: par 72,
6,599 yards

30

LA RESERVE AT
HERITAGE GC

Mauritius is a stunningly beautiful island
that is home to a surprising number of
excellent golf courses. Not resting on its
extremely green laurels, the exciting
news is that there is a brand new
addition to the treasure trove on offer
here, with the recent opening of a
second course at The Heritage. This is on
a magnificent plot of raised ground close
to the south-western corner of this
tropical paradise, and it complements

the highly regarded first design from
2004, Le Chateau.
Billed as the first contemporary links in
the Indian Ocean, La Reserve is a
collaboration between architect Peter
Matkovich and former Open Champion
Louis Oosthuizen. Enjoying a more
elevated setting, there are sea views from
every hole and the course is packed with
drama, risk and reward. The designers
have drawn inspiration from some of the

world’s greatest links, with the holes
running over former sugar cane fields
planted with native grasses to create rich,
rolling grasslands and encourage
ecological diversity. To celebrate its
opening, it hosted the 2023 AfrAsia Bank
Mauritius Open, an enormous vote of
confidence for such a newcomer.
Words Rob Smith
Photography Jacob Sjöman

31

OOPINION

Wayne Riley
A former member of
the European Tour
and two-time winner,
Wayne is part of the
Sky Sports golf team.
He writes exclusively
for Golf Monthly

G’day everyone. I hope you enjoyed the festive period
and Happy New Year to you all. I also hope you’ve
entered 2024 with more clarity than what’s happening
at the top of the men’s professional game, which
continues to be a mess. Will we get a resolution soon?
Don’t bet on it. The PIF, PGA Tour and DP World Tour
have already extended the deadline for reaching a
concrete agreement from the end of 2023, and while a
new date hasn’t been made publicly available, it’s
believed all parties are hoping to have something
formalised by the Players Championship.
I’ve spent a lot of my life in and around the pro
game, but I don’t have a clue what’s going on. I really
like Jay Monahan, the commissioner of the PGA Tour,
as a person, but I’m amazed he still has a job. I think
the complexity of the negotiations is playing in his
favour, as it would take any newcomer a long time to
get up to speed. The PGA Tour members don’t seem
to know what’s going on and that lack of clarity isn’t
good for any business. The PGA Tour is effectively a
members’ organisation, but it seems like we’re
getting to the point where they’re going to be told
what’s happening, rather than having any sort of
input. Are they just going to have to accept the new
status quo without being able to vote on it?
Something else I don’t understand is why a fourth
entity – the Strategic Sports Group – is in the mix.
According to Monahan in a letter sent to PGA Tour
members, “The PGA Tour policy board unanimously
directed management to pursue exclusive
negotiations with SSG… our goal for 2024 is to reach
agreements with SSG, PIF and the DP World Tour.”

“There is just so much
to be ironed out, it
makes my head hurt”
32

The PIF is the world’s largest
sovereign wealth fund, so I’m not
sure why the PGA Tour needs
funding from SSG – a consortium
of billionaires – if it’s entering into
a partnership with the Saudis.
Perhaps Monahan et al don’t want
the PIF to have too much influence
– Monahan wrote about PIF, SSG
and the DP World Tour being
“minority co-investors in PGA Tour
Enterprises”, a new for-profit
organisation. But as LIV Golf
showed with the shock signing of
Jon Rahm, its owners are prepared
to act and disrupt if things aren’t
going how they want. There is just
so much to be ironed out, it makes
my head hurt.
So what do I think will happen?
Well, 2024 is gone – schedules are
already in place across the tours
and contracts have been signed. If
change is going to happen, it will
be from 2025 at the earliest.
I think there are three possible
outcomes. The first is that the PGA
Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf
share the annual calendar. In that
scenario, the traditional tours
would run from, say, January to
August, with LIV then taking over
until the end of the year. Who
knows what that would mean for
the DP World Tour, whose season
doesn’t finish until the DP World
Tour Championship in November.
Another possible outcome is LIV
and the PGA Tour/DP World Tour
alternating in windows throughout
the course of the year. You just
have to look at international
cricket to see how that could work
– test matches, one-day
internationals and T20s all form
part of the calendar and the
different formats aren’t confined
to specific parts of the year.
And the final outcome, the one
that no one wants, is for no
agreement to be reached. I can’t
see how anyone benefits if that
were to happen.
All we can do is wait and see. On
another note, it wouldn’t be a
start-of-year column without me
attempting to predict – probably
unsuccessfully, as usual! – the
men’s Major winners in 2024. I like
Viktor Hovland for The Masters,
Scottie Scheffler for the US PGA
at Valhalla, Rory for the US Open at
Pinehurst and Tyrrell Hatton for
The Open at Royal Troon. I think
Hatton will have a great year.
Watch this space.

OOPINION

Alison Root
Alison Root is Golf
Monthly ’s women’s
golf editor. You can
find her on Instagram
@rootalison

The golf ball rollback means that depending on our
swing speed and ability, we’ll all lose a degree of
distance with shots from tee to green. So, is this new
plan really in the best interests of the women’s game?
The aim is to reduce the impact that increased
hitting distances have on golf’s long-term
sustainability, which I understand, but female
professionals were probably hoping the rollback
Model Local Rule proposed last March would be
passed, as this was only going to apply to the men’s
pro circuit. At that time, there were no bifurcation
plans that would have affected the women’s game,
because there’s still plenty of headroom on courses
for the distances females hit the ball.
But, following feedback to the PGA Tour, that
proposal was rejected. From 2028, we’re all in the
same boat, and will have to play a new distanceconforming golf ball. A statement released by the
USGA and R&A explains that average tour and elite
male players are expected to see a reduction of nine
to 11 yards, with a five- to seven-yard reduction for an
average LET or LPGA player.
I question the word average when referring to female
tour players. What about the big hitters such as Lexi
Thompson, Emily Pedersen, Nelly Korda and Anne van
Dam, who drive the ball an average 275 yards? This is
almost the exact same average driving distance as a
young elite male player, or even some PGA Tour pros.
The average driving distance of female tour players
has become progressively longer over recent years,
and what players and audiences have gained from this
progression is the potential excitement and drama

“For women, any
extra yards off the
tee are invaluable”
34

that can unfold on risk/reward
holes during big events.
As if the Solheim Cup wasn’t
exciting enough, remember the
280-yard drivable par-4 1st hole at
Finca Cortesin in Spain, which
presented a ‘do I, don’t I’ scenario.
Or, the par-4 18th hole at
Carnoustie during the 2021 AIG
Women’s Open. That hole requires
two seriously good shots to reach
the green in two, while avoiding
the Barry Burn.
The ability to watch as many of
the world’s leading female players
as possible execute the most
amazing golf shots is something
we don’t want this new ball to
jeopardise. A do-or-die approach
in men’s and women’s golf is what
makes it so exciting and no doubt
helps to inspire the next
generation of players.
Tournament organisers could
move tees slightly forward to
create the same risk and reward
options, but what’s the point of
doing that? Also, this doesn’t help
any big-hitting female recreational
golfers who might currently enjoy
similar personal challenges on
holes at their home clubs.
The change in testing speed is
expected to have a minimal
distance impact – five yards or less
for recreational golfers. This is
based on research that shows an
average swing speed of 93mph for
men and 72mph for women.
If this is the case, will we even
notice any difference? The thing is,
distance is what we all strive for.
We all want to be able to reach the
greens more quickly and easily, so
any extra yards we can squeeze out
of our shots are invaluable.
For women, driving is often our
strength. We can usually hit the
ball fairly straight off the tee
without too many problems, so the
last thing we want is for even a
minimal amount of distance to be
taken away. This game is hard
enough and it should be enjoyed.
For some players, especially those
in their senior years, a few yards
could make a difference in whether
or not they can carry the ball
across rough to reach a fairway.
We’ve got a few years to digest
this before the new ball comes into
play and perhaps try to improve
our technique to claim back any
loss of distance. Personally, I think I
need to hone my short-game skills,
but that’s nothing new!

Photography Getty Images

Ernie Els has enjoyed a stellar career. Here, the Big Easy
talks to Garrett Johnston about his playing highlights,
his rivalry with Tiger, career Mulligans and more...

36

E R NIE EL S

37

started to recognise me more in
the game. As a person, I was so
grounded with the lifelong friends
who were around me and when
you have friends like that, even
with success you don’t change.
You go back home and you still do
the same things with them. So
from that perspective, I don’t
think I’ll ever change.

ow do you reflect on your Major
Championship wins and
especially the first one at the
1994 US Open?
When I look back now, my Major
wins were all very special. Majors
define you so much over your
career. The 1994 US Open was a
battle. I messed it up on the 18th
hole. I made big mistakes in the
play-off. It was one of the
toughest victories ever. It took 92
holes. Looking back now, that win
was very, very important because
if I didn’t win that tournament,
things could have turned out a lot
differently in my career. I was 24 at
the time. Winning the US Open
gave me a lifetime exemption on
the European Tour and a ten-year
exemption on the PGA Tour, which
means a lot.
How did life change?
I think my whole life changed
because I wasn’t after money any
more. I think I made $320,000 for
that win. I was set financially, and I
thought, ‘Now I can go after my
dreams.’ It also helped that people

What stands out to you now
about your US Open win in 1997?
I remember making a clutch putt
on the 18th. It was nerve-wracking
stuff but that was the most
comfortable I ever felt in a Major. I
played with Monty on that Sunday.
I felt a little more established, I
was close to being number one in
the world. I believe I was the only
one of the final guys to par the
17th hole that day. I had to make
some clutch putts down the
stretch. Parring 18 with a fivefooter, that was a strong finish. I
remember my parents being
there. That was a really special
time with my dad on Father’s Day.
What sticks in your mind most
from your two Open triumphs?
I think at Royal Lytham in 2012,
when I came back and beat my
good friend Adam Scott, that
moment when I made the birdie
putt on the 72nd hole was pretty
amazing and something that will

Still going strong 35
years after teeing it
up in the 1989 Open

A special moment alone with the
Claret Jug at Royal Lytham in 2012

stick with me. That was a memorable roar from the
crowd when I made that putt. It was one of the
loudest I’ve heard on a golf course. That win, I think,
was one of the most special moments of my career. I
really had a lot of special feelings from making that
putt and winning the Claret Jug again.
When would you like to have a Mulligan for your
career if you could?
Oh yeah, early on. Obviously 1994 was my breakout
year winning the US Open at Oakmont. In 1995 I had
another really good year going. As it turned out, I
never would win the US PGA Championship, but at
Riviera that year, I led by three strokes going into the
final round. I was playing really, really good golf that
week. I had an off day on that Sunday. And in terms of
moments, I remember horseshoeing my putt out on
the 16th hole, the par 3. And then I bogeyed 17, the par
5. You just can’t do that, and I ended up missing that
play-off between Steve Elkington and Colin
Montgomerie. I still think back to that day and
wonder. If I could have done better in that final round,
I could have got that championship under my belt
and things could have been a bit different for me.
A lot of players, if you asked that same question,
there would be some tournament that got away from
them, and the 1995 US PGA Championship is
obviously one that got away from me. The next year at
The Open at Royal Lytham, I was making that big

38

E R NIE EL S
charge on Sunday and then I bogeyed 16 and 18 and
Tom Lehman won that one.
In 2004, The Masters got away from me with Phil
making that unbelievable putt on the last hole. I was
also in the final group of The Open Championship
when Todd Hamilton beat me at Royal Troon. Also, at
the US PGA Championship again, on the final hole I
hit a shot through the fairway and into an almost
unplayable lie after a perfect drive and could only
make a bogey there. You know, there were definitely a
couple that got away from me, but I feel very
fortunate to have still won four Majors.
Is there any particular loss from 2004 that stung
more than the others?
I think they all sting a little bit now that I think about
it. A tournament I never won was The Masters. In
2004, I felt I was playing some of my best golf ever. I
had a legitimate chance to win all four Majors.
Although 1994 was my breakthrough year, in 2004 I
was in my prime. I was doing a lot of really good
things with my mental and physical game. David
Leadbetter had my swing going beautifully, I was
hitting it far and was doing a lot of things very well.

But not winning The Masters,
that will forever be a sour taste in
my mouth. It’s such an amazing
event with so much prestige and
it means so much, but the better
player won that day. I finished
second to Phil while playing one
of my best rounds ever that
Sunday [67], making really clutch
putts and some birdies on the
back nine. That really hurt.
At the US Open I just played a
disastrous final day at Shinnecock
Hills. That loss really hurt. My
good friend Retief Goosen won.
At The Open Championship I felt I
really should have won. Todd just
stuck in there. I was waiting for
Tiger often denied
Els, as here in the
1998 Johnnie
Walker Classic

him to go away and he just
wouldn’t. I missed a few shots I
think I should have made. I lost in
that play-off to Todd. I threeputted the last green of the US
PGA Championship to miss out on
a play-off too. That year really hurt
me – it was a tough one to be so
close and not get a Major.
You obviously played in the Tiger
Woods era. Looking back now, do
you have any regrets about times
when you went up against him?
Well, I think if anything, my regret
would be when I went up against
him as captain in the 2019
Presidents Cup. Tiger was playing
great back then and was Team
USA’s playing captain. I think the
one mistake I made was when I put
my hot guy of the week [Abe
Ancer] against Tiger in the singles.
That [decision] backfired

“TIGER ASKED IF I THOUGHT HE WAS
R E A D Y T O T U R N P R O . I S A I D ‘ A B S O L U T E LY ’ .
I N O W J O K E T H AT I R E G R E T S AY I N G T H AT ! ”
against me. I should have put a softer guy against
Tiger. That’s the one regret I have. But that’s Tiger.
You’ve spent a lot of time with Tiger over the years.
Tell us a story about a particularly memorable
moment you had with him…
Yeah, Tiger - we go back a long time, and I’ve played a
lot of golf with Tiger over the years. I remember even
back to when he was an amateur in the mid-1990s. He
won the US Amateur like three times and he played in
a lot of those big Majors in 1996. We had a lot of good
times together and played a lot early on while he was
still at Stanford. We, as pros, could see that this guy
was going to be an absolute superstar and he just
wanted to reconfirm that through me.
I was having a beer in the locker room, which was
right behind the 18th green, after the prize-giving
for the 1996 Open Championship at Royal Lytham.
He sat next to me, and no, he didn’t have a beer too
– he was still too young. He asked me what I thought
about his game and whether I thought he was ready
to turn pro. I said ‘absolutely’ and now I joke that I
regret saying that [laughs]. But he wouldn’t have
listened to me if I had said he wasn’t. But he’s always
been a good friend and one of the greatest
competitors ever in the game.

Els claimed the 1994
US Open after a
three-man play-off

40

E R NIE EL S
What made Tiger so good? You
witnessed it first-hand...
Tiger was the greatest closer
you’ve ever seen in this game.
He was very dominant in the
early 2000s. In 2000 he did
great work with Butch Harmon.
His swing was just right on. He
was hitting the ball
unbelievably well, but he really
started getting his confidence
with the putter. He knew those
greens so well at Pebble Beach.
He was just phenomenal.
His dominance was just so
impressive. He just never
wavered. His ability to just stick
with a gameplan and have his
mind and body do exactly what
he wanted to do was just
phenomenal. We could see a shot and pull it off most
of the time, but under pressure, I don’t think I’ve ever
seen a man hit shots the way he did coming down the
stretch over the last three or four holes. He would hit
a phenomenal shot – the most impressive shot struck
all week – and he somehow could do that in the last
three holes many, many times.
Look at all those wins he had at Bay Hill when he
made a putt down the hill there on the last hole. It was
just incredible that he could summon it when he
needed to. If you look at Firestone in 2000, he hit that
final approach shot to a foot in the dark. The shot at

A REMARKABLE CAREER
We look at some standout stats from Els’ time in the
upper echelons of the world game…

39

At Lytham in 2012, Els set a new
record for Open rounds in the 60s

4

He was the first man to shoot four
rounds in the 60s at Royal St
George’s in 1993, a feat he
managed again at Troon in 2004

76

Els has recorded 76 worldwide
wins, including senior golf

€ 2 7, 5 3 2 , 9 2 0 . 5 6
His career earnings on the DP World Tour

35

Els has amassed 35 Major top tens,
including four wins

758

He spent 758 consecutive weeks
in the world’s top ten

2011

He was inducted into the World
Golf Hall of Fame 13 years ago

be that one. But Tiger being Tiger,
he ended up making that putt.
After that, I then made that putt
on top of him, which was huge.
Then it got too dark to continue
and they made the right choice. To
have that honour – to play me
versus Tiger – was brilliant and
something that we will never
forget. I remember Tiger saying
that it was the most pressure he
ever felt in his career, so it meant a
lot to everybody.

Els’ closest calls in The Masters
came in 2000 and here in 2004

the Canadian Open he hit out of
the bunker was ridiculous. These
types of shots just stand out and
he did it over and over again. It
was the ability to absolutely
control what you can control but
also believe that you can pull a
shot off, and he did it at will.
The putts he made again and
again when it mattered were just
incredible. I think the only guy that
could come close to him in
making all those pressure putts
was Jack Nicklaus. If you look at
their careers of making putts in
the clutch, they would be very
even, because I know that Jack
made his fair share in the last few
holes. But Tiger just did it over and
over again and that’s why he won
82 times on tour and 15 Majors.
You faced Tiger in the 2003
Presidents Cup in a memorable
winner-takes-all play-off that
ended in darkness with the
trophy being shared. How do you
look back on that now?
Yeah, it was crazy pressure,
especially for me being at home in
South Africa and for Tiger also.
Nobody wants to be the reason
that your team loses. Being out
there in a play-off was a huge
honour – to play for your team and
your flag. It was brilliant in that
regard but our play was not great.
We just kept making big putts and
grinding out pars when it was
getting dark.
Then, eventually, Tiger made
that amazing putt from left to
right that died into the hole. If I
thought he was going to miss one
that day, I thought it was going to

What do you make of today’s
swing speeds?
The one thing that’s changed
immensely in the last five or ten
years in the game has been swing
speeds. It’s unbelievable. Now,
swing speed – and ball speed – is a
big trending thing in our game,
even on the PGA Tour Champions.
Some of these players are just so
fast with their speed. The speed
that I am seeing from even
younger teens is just phenomenal.
I played with a 15-year-old at
Pebble Beach and his ball speed
was over 180mph.
This speed chase is just not ever
going to end, and these young
guys don’t even swing with 46in
clubs – they’re often hitting with
45in clubs. They are finding a
more athletic way of swinging the
club and that’s the biggest thing
that’s changed in the last five or
ten years in the game.

Els won his second
US Open in 1997

41

IS IT
RIGHT TO
ROLL BACK?

42

GOL F BA LL R OL LB AC K

Contributing editor Fergus Bisset considers the
governing bodies’ recent announcement of a universal
golf ball rollback to be phased in from 2028

Photography Getty Images

n December 6, 2023, The R&A and
USGA announced the biggest
change in equipment testing of
the last 20 years – one that will
affect golfers at all levels. The golf
ball will be rolled back by changing
its testing criteria.
Currently, golf balls in testing
cannot travel more than 317 yards
(plus a three-yard tolerance) with
a testing swing speed of 120mph,
a spin rate of 2,520rpm and a
Ľ’ǓŔ´ħƴ’ŔĔĽÝƴşúƴŪǼƚżƴ%ƏşŊƴǎǼǎåÆƴƹħÝƴ
overall distance a ball can travel
will remain the same for testing,
but the swing speed will be upped
to 125mph with a lower spin rate of
2,220rpm and a higher launch
’ŔĔĽÝƴşúƴŪŪƚżƴqħĭƝƴǫĭĽĽƴŊݒŔƴ’ƴ
relative reduction in hitting
distance for all golfers using the
new specification of ball.
While the testing procedures
ǫĭĽĽƴ¥Ýƴ´ħ’ŔĔÝÍƴĭŔƴǎǼǎåÆƴĔşĽúƴ¥’ĽĽƝƴ
released in 2027 and earlier will
still be permitted in amateur play
until January 2030 to allow
golfers, manufacturers and
retailers time to adjust.
Distance has been on the radar
of the governing bodies for
years and Golf Monthly has
been following the debate for

43

GOLF B AL L RO LL BA CK

Rory McIlroy is
the most highprofile tour pro
to welcome the
forthcoming
ball rollback

ŔĭĔħƴşŔƴƹǫşƴÍÝ´’ÍÝƝżƴ.ŔƴǎǼŪåÆƴqħÝƴcƴ’ŔÍƴ
USGA launched a comprehensive Distance
Insights Project which involved extensive
review, research, testing and consultation. That led
to an announcement in March this year of a proposed
Model Local Rule (MLR) that could be used in elite
events to ensure competitors played a limiteddistance golf ball. In that proposal, the testing
procedures were going to be slightly more stringent,
with a testing swing speed of 127mph, a spin rate of
ǎÆǎǼǼƏŵŊƴ’ŔÍƴ’ƴĽ’ǓŔ´ħƴ’ŔĔĽÝƴşúƴŪŪƚżƴqħ’ƹƴMHcƴǫşǓĽÍƴ
effectively have led to a bifurcation in The Rules
¥ÝƹǫÝÝŔƴÝĽĭƹÝƴ’ŔÍƴƏÝ´ƏݒƹĭşŔ’ĽƴĔşĽúżƴ%ÝÝÍ¥’´Ļƴǫ’Ɲƴ
sought on that proposal and it was not positive,
especially, one assumes, from manufacturers
concerned at the financial and logistical challenge of
creating two separate production lines for golf balls.
In fact, feedback was clearly negative enough for The
R&A and USGA to think again and come up with the
new proposal of a universal rollback.
Slightly modified testing conditions
(from the MLR proposal) have been
announced in an attempt to lessen
the impact on the average golfer.
In the announcement, the
governing bodies suggest that the
longest hitters are expected to see a
reduction of up to 13-15 yards in drive
distance. Average professional tour
and elite male players are expected to
see a reduction of nine to 11 yards,
with a five- to seven-yard reduction
for an average LET or LPGA player.
The change in testing speed is
expected to have a minimal distance
impact of five yards or less for most
recreational golfers. Research shows
an average swing speed of 93mph for
male golfers and 72mph for female
players, but, of course, amateur
players with above average swing
speeds will see greater reductions.
The announcement also suggested
that around 30 per cent of balls
currently in play would be conforming to the new
ƹÝƝƹĭŔĔƴŵƏş´ÝÍǓƏÝƝƴƹħ’ƹƴǫĭĽĽƴ¥ÝĔĭŔƴĭŔƴǎǼǎåż
WHAT THEY SAID

Brian Harman
won The Open
despite not
being one of the
longest hitters

44

OMartin Slumbers, CEO, The R&A
“We are convinced that this decision is one of the key
ways of achieving a sustainable future for golf,
protecting the integrity of the game and meeting our
environmental responsibilities. The measure we are
taking has been carefully considered and calibrated
while maintaining the ‘one game’ ethos deemed to be
so important to the golf industry. Importantly, it also
keeps the impact on recreational golfers to an
absolute minimum.”
OMike Whan, CEO, The USGA
“Governance is hard. While thousands will claim that
we did too much, there will be just as many who said
we didn’t do enough to protect the game long-term.

But from the beginning, we’ve been driven to do what
is right for the game, without bias. As we’ve said,
doing nothing is not an option. We would be failing in
our responsibility to protect the game’s future if we
didn’t take appropriate action now.”
OTitleist
“We are concerned that the golf ball rollback overly
impacts golfers and does not fully reflect the input of
those closest to the game. There have been requests
to align on what data is used and how it is used to
draw conclusions prior to any equipment changes
being made. Many important stakeholders do not see
distance as a problem the way the governing bodies
do, and therefore come to differing conclusions
about how to proceed to ensure the best possible
outcome for the sport.”
ORory McIlroy
“I don’t understand the anger about the golf ball
rollback. It will make no difference whatsoever
to the average golfer and puts golf back on a path
of sustainability.”
OBrittany Lincicome
“We aren’t asking football players to run slower or
tennis players to not hit the ball so hard. It just
seems silly.”
OAnnika Sorenstam
“I haven’t heard an amateur ever say, ‘Oh, this course
is really short.’ I think this really is a PGA Tour issue.”
FERGUS’ VIEW
The vast majority of the 65 million golfers on the
planet don’t need their hitting distances curtailed.
%ĭĔǓƏÝƝƴúƏşŊƴĽÝ’ÍĭŔĔƴƝħşƹīŊşŔĭƹşƏĭŔĔƴƹÝ´ħƴ´şŊŵ’ŔDZƴ
Arccos, based on 20 million driver shots, suggest
average amateur driving distances for men actually
´’ŊÝƴÍşǫŔƴ¥ÝƹǫÝÝŔƴǎǼŪåƴ’ŔÍƴǎǼǎǎƴúƏşŊƴǎǎƬżĎƴƹşƴ
225.9 yards. Similarly, the average woman drove it 179
DZ’ƏÍƝƴĭŔƴǎǼŪåƴ¥Ǔƹƴǫ’ƝƴÍşǫŔƴƹşƴŪƦƦƴDZ’ƏÍƝƴĭŔƴǎǼǎǎż
I think Rory was being a touch harsh on amateur
golfers with his statement, particularly those whose
main strength is hitting the ball a decent distance.
%şƏƴƹħşƝÝƴǫħşƴ´şǓĽÍƴş´´’ƝĭşŔ’ĽĽDZƴŊ’ĻÝƴĭƹƴƹşƴ’ƴŵ’ƏƴĈƴĭŔƴ
ƹǫşƴşƏƴƹħÝƴúƏşŔƹƴÝÍĔÝƴşúƴ’ƴƝħşƏƹƴŵ’ƏƴĎÆƴşúúÝƏĭŔĔƴ’ƴŵǓƹƹƴ
for eagle, their advantage will be diminished. Even

Martin Slumbers
says the rollback
has been carefully
considered

shorter hitters and aging players, who may currently
be able to sneak over the stream on the 12th or the
bunkers at the 11th, might not be able to when five
yards are knocked off their drives. All that can only
serve to lessen people’s enjoyment of golf and that’s
not a good thing.
And what about costs? Generally, new R&D and
production processes mean additional costs. I have a
horrible feeling about who those costs will be passed
on to – the average consumer.
The only people who are really outhitting golf
courses are the top-level professional men. Knocking
13 or 15 yards off them isn’t exactly going to kill them!
It’s totally right, though, that we can’t keep extending
golf courses for the top male professionals (see the
åÆǼǼǼīDZ’ƏÍÝƏƴúşƏƴƹħÝƴkşǓƹħƴúƏĭ´’ŔƴTŵÝŔƴ’ƹƴĽ’ĭƏƴ
Atholl). Lengthening courses is not sustainable nor is
it possible in many instances. Building new monster
courses is not environmentally sound. But surely
there are other ways to curtail the top dogs.
I don’t understand why tournaments can’t set up
courses for the top male professionals so they don’t

“ T H E O N LY P E O P L E W H O A R E
R E A L LY O U T H I T T I N G G O L F
Twckkƴcƴq,ƴqT_Ĭ
LEVEL PROFESSIONAL MEN”
always reward very long hitting. End the fairway at
300 yards, put in pot bunkers (why can’t bunkers be
deeper?), narrow fairways and grow up the rough. At
this year’s Open, Brian Harman displayed that when a
course is set up correctly for top-level men’s
tournament golf (as Royal Liverpool was), a relatively
short hitter can triumph by displaying different
golfing skills, rather than simply long hitting.
I put that point to Slumbers when we met last
October. His response was, “I think it’s an abdication
of responsibility to say, ‘Let’s do nothing with the golf
ball and just get everyone to change their golf
courses.’” But we’d be talking very few courses – just
those where top-level pros play. Those venues tend
to have the money, don’t they? I really don’t think it’s
unrealistic for the leading courses – ones that aspire
to or already host pro events – to make changes that
would curtail hitting distances from the back pegs.
Consider the US Open where set-ups are famously
challenging. Yes, long hitters often prevail (most elite
male pros are long hitters), but they must also display

other golfing skills as well to get the job done. They
need to be able to scramble well and normally have to
deal with firm greens.
I just think it’s possible to make any hole demand
more than just power via a combination of hazards at
driving distance, a narrower fairway, more punishing
rough and a less accessible pin position. It shouldn’t
be impossible, should it? If a long hitter can also deal
with those challenges, then fair play to them. And, if
some courses remain forgiving, then we will just see
low winning scores in those tournaments. What’s the
big deal with that?
I think the universal ball rollback is an extreme
solution to a niche problem. To alter the game for
every golfer on the planet to (slightly) curtail a few
bombers at the very top of the men’s game seems an
unnecessary overkill. I love watching the top men hit
it miles, but not always – some holes should require
more strategy. I don’t want courses getting longer
either, that is not the way forward… did I mention pot
bunkers and longer rough at 300 yards out?

There is a limit
to how much
more our great
courses can
and should be
extended

45

Words Fergus Bisset // Photography Getty Images

We pick out a dozen professional golfers who might
make a splash in 2024, either by announcing
themselves on the world stage or by
winning at the very highest level

Poised for a
breakthrough season

OMaja Stark
Stark has already enjoyed success on the Ladies
European Tour with six victories and she earned 2.5
points from four games in the 2023 Solheim Cup. She
hasn’t yet fully made her mark on the LPGA Tour but
looks destined to do so in 2024. She has steadily
climbed the Rolex Rankings over the last five seasons
and now sits comfortably inside the top 50. Expect
her to push into the top 20 by the end of 2024.
Best moment so far
Playing in her first Solheim Cup must have been a
thrill and performing so well demonstrated her
potential. Stark secured a crucial win in the singles,
beating Allisen Corpuz in the third-to-last match – a
vital win that helped Europe to retain the cup.
Why she made our list
Stark may have experienced top-level success
already, but she hasn’t quite yet made the
breakthrough that most believe her capable of – i.e.,
winning a big event on the LPGA Tour and moving into
the upper echelons of the Rolex Rankings.
46

12 TO WATCH IN 2024

OPierceson Coody
A former world amateur number one,
Pierceson Coody is not just a funky
name – he is the grandson of Charles
Coody (1971 Masters Champion). By
topping the PGA Tour University
rankings, Coody gained a spot on the
Korn Ferry Tour. He won twice on that
circuit in 2023 and will play on the
PGA Tour in 2024, along with his twin
brother Parker. Many pundits have
picked Pierceson as one to watch and
we are among them.
Best moment so far
Securing PGA Tour playing rights must
be the big one. He has three Korn Ferry
Tour wins and lost a play-off for the
2022 NCAA Men’s Golf Championship.
But when he finished tied 6th in the
Utah Championship in August last
year, he knew he was PGA Tour-bound.
Why he made our list
Anyone reaching number one in the
World Amateur Golf Ranking must
have huge potential and this 24-yearold is no different. Known as a great
driver of the ball, he has the power to
compete with the top players and he
clearly has the golfing pedigree!

Pierceson Coody hit the
top of the World Amateur
Golf Ranking in 2021

47

ORose Zhang
Rose Zhang is one of the most exciting prospects in
golf right now. The 20-year-old turned professional
in May last year after a stellar amateur career that
included victory in the 2023 Augusta National
Women’s Amateur. On joining the paid ranks, she won
on her very first LPGA Tour start, in the Mizuho
Americas Open. She was only the second player to
win on debut, following Beverly Hanson in 1951. She
finished in the top ten in three Majors in 2023.
Best moment so far
In April of 2023, following her victory in the Augusta
National Women’s Amateur championship, Zhang
reached 141 weeks as the world’s number one-ranked
amateur. No player has ever spent more time at the
top of those standings.
Why she made our list
Zhang has clearly already achieved a great deal as an
amateur and did win straight away after turning pro,
so you could argue she should be in our ‘heading to
the next level’ category. But the rest of 2023 was a
little quiet and she will feel she has something to
prove in 2024. She has the game to dominate fields.

Rose Zhang won on her
LPGA Tour debut in 2023’s
Mizuho Americas Open

OFreddy Schott
Germany’s Freddy Schott will be little-known to all but
the most diehard golf fans. The 22-year-old turned pro
in 2021 and had a poor first season on the Challenge
Tour. He did better in 2022 and earned DP World Tour
playing rights for 2023. Although he had some good
finishes, he didn’t retain his card. But he went back to
Q-School and produced some superb golf to win the
event and secure his status for 2024. Under the
highest pressure he closed with rounds of 64 then 65.
Best moment so far
It has to be eagling the last at Infinitum in Spain to win
Q-School. He holed it from some 25 feet to finish two
clear of the field. He’ll draw on that clutch effort as he
makes his way through the 2024 campaign.
Why he made our list
He’s faced adversity and proven he has what it takes
under pressure. He’s a powerful player with the ability
to go low. He could be a dark horse to watch out for in
some of the bigger DP World Tour events this season.

12 TO WATCH IN 2024
Heading for
the next level

OLudvig Aberg
Few players have generated such excitement on their
arrival on the world stage. In a short space of time,
Aberg has already shown his extraordinary potential
and 2024 could be the season he steps up a gear. He
only turned pro in June 2023 but has already won on
both the DP World and PGA Tours – the Omega
European Masters and RSM Classic respectively. His
talent is so clear that Luke Donald picked him ahead of
more established players for the 2023 Ryder Cup.
Best moment so far
This came in the Ryder Cup. Partnered with Viktor
Hovland in the Saturday foursomes, the Scandinavian
duo steamrollered the ‘dream’ pair of Scottie Scheffler
and Brooks Koepka by a record-breaking 9&7 margin.

Ludvig Aberg made his
Ryder Cup debut before
teeing it up in a Major

Why he made our list
He’s yet to even play in a Major so we can’t quite put
him in our ‘Major expectations’ category just yet, but
nobody would be surprised if he contended in one or
more in 2024. He’s a modern player, an exceptional
driver of the ball and a prolific birdie-maker.

ONicolai Hojgaard
Hojgaard’s memorable 2023 culminated
in his DP World Tour Championship
victory in Dubai. He has been touted as a
future star since he and twin brother
Rasmus turned pro in 2019 and Nicolai
now has three DP World Tour wins to his
name. He is yet to enjoy any real success
in the Majors, but surely has the game to
change that. Although he only managed
to secure half a point in the 2023 Ryder
Cup, he gained valuable experience that,
together with his Dubai victory, sees him
well placed to step up a level in 2024.

OTom Kim
Kim Joo-hyung or ‘Tom’ Kim has been a
professional for over five years, despite
being just 21, and has already proven
himself an effective winner. He won on
the Philippine Tour aged just 16 and has
won on the Korean Tour, the Asian Tour
and three times on the PGA Tour,
including back-to-back Shriners
Children’s Opens. In fact, he has already
won 12 professional tournaments. He
played on the 2022 Presidents Cup team
and was joint runner-up in the 2023 Open
Championship at Royal Liverpool.

OLinn Grant
The Swede is one of the most technically
gifted players in the women’s game. She
has only been a professional for two and
a half seasons but has already shown her
winning ability. She has five victories on
the Ladies European Tour, all secured in
the space of just over a year, and in July
of 2023, she claimed her first LPGA Tour
title – the Dana Open. Grant was both
Rookie of the Year and the Order of Merit
winner on the 2022 Ladies European
Tour. She made her LPGA debut in the
2018 US Women’s Open as an amateur.

Best moment so far It must be that win
in Dubai. The Dane’s scintillating
final-round 64 moved him clear of the
pack to win by two from Matt Wallace,
Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland.

Best moment so far In 2022, Kim won the
Wyndham Championship in August and
the Shriners in October to become the
second youngest two-time PGA Tour
champion behind Ralph Guldahl.

Best moment so far In June 2022, Grant
cruised to victory in the Volvo Car
Scandinavian Mixed event. With four
rounds in the 60s, she finished nine clear
of Henrik Stenson and Marc Warren.

Why he made our list He’s a power player
and a great putter, a combination that
will serve him well in the big events he’ll
look to contend in this year. He surely has
the self-belief needed to kick on in 2024.

Why he made our list Kim can go low – he
had a closing 61 in his Wyndham victory.
His approach play is so good, he keeps
giving himself chances. He can mix it in
Majors, too, with two top tens in 2023.

Why she made our list She’s yet to
properly contend in a Major but Grant
clearly has the necessary skills. She’s a
long hitter and a great iron player, ranking
5th for GIR on the 2023 LPGA Tour.
49

12 TO WATCH IN 2024
Major
expectations
OMax Homa
The Californian has been a late bloomer in the pro
ranks, only really starting to see top-level success in
2019 at 28 years of age. But, in just under five years, he
has made his mark at the pinnacle of the game,
reaching a high of 5th on the Official World Golf
Ranking. He’s won six times on the PGA Tour and, last
November, claimed the Nedbank Golf Challenge on
the DP World Tour. His record in Majors is not great but
he finished top ten at Royal Liverpool in 2023 and has
proved he has the game to excel at the highest level.
Best moment so far
Homa won all four of his matches in the 2022
Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow, three of them by just
one hole to show his grit and competitive spirit,
including his singles victory over Tom Kim.
Why he made our list
A look at Homa’s PGA Tour stats from the last couple
of seasons is enough to demonstrate what a great
all-round game he has. There are no chinks in the
armour and, importantly, he is an excellent putter.

50

Xander Schauffele tasted success
in the Japan Olympics in 2021

OCharley Hull
It’s hard to believe Charley Hull is
only 27 as she’s been a familiar
face for over a decade. She turned
pro in 2013, two months before
her 17th birthday and made an
immediate impact as LET Rookie
of the Year. It looked like she was a
dead cert to become a Major
champion but she hasn’t yet been
able to convert. But in 2023 she
demonstrated her potential to win
at the very highest level, finishing .
T2nd in the US Women’s Open and
then solo 2nd in the AIG Women’s
British Open. She finished 4th on
the LPGA Tour money list and
broke into the world’s top ten.

Viktor Hovland finished
a stellar 2023 season
on an incredible high

OXander Schauffele
The American is one of the very
best male players in the world not
to have won a Major but he has all
the experience and skill to rectify
that in 2024. He’s a seven-time
PGA Tour champion and has spent
almost all of the current decade
inside the top ten on the Official
World Golf Ranking. He has
finished in the top ten in 11 Majors,
including four top-three placings,
and has only played in 26 Majors in
total, so that’s an impressive
performance sheet. It may be a
while since he last won, but he did
have the joint lowest 72-hole
score in the 2023 season-ending
Tour Championship.

Best moment so far
Hull enjoyed tremendous success
at a young age and was selected
for the 2013 Solheim Cup aged just
17 – the youngest ever participant.
Hull helped Europe win on US soil
for the first time beating home
favourite Paula Creamer 5&4 in a
memorable singles match.

Best moment so far
In 2021, at Kasumigaseki Country
Club in Japan, Schauffele became
the first American to win Olympic
Gold since Charles Sands in 1900.
Schauffele closed with a superb
67 to end the event a shot ahead of
Rory Sabbatini.
Why he made our list
One of the great all-rounders in
world golf right now, Schauffele is
particularly strong in approach
play and with the putter. He has a
proven track record in Majors and
has been close on a number of
occasions. He has the skill and
temperament to win any one of
the big four events in men’s golf.

Charley Hull en route to 2nd place in
the 2023 AIG Women’s British Open

Why she made our list
Hull is a great competitor and
does everything well. If you look at
her stats, there’s no standout area
but no weaknesses either and
that’s what you need to win Majors.
She’s contended in 2023 and will
be ready to step up to win in 2024.

OViktor Hovland
In the men’s game, Hovland must
be considered the favourite to
become the next first-time Major
Champion. The Norwegian had a
stellar year in 2023, winning the
Tour Championship on the PGA
Tour, together with the FedExCup.
He contended at both The Masters
and the US PGA Championship
and produced some superb golf in
the Ryder Cup at Marco Simone
Golf and Country Club in Italy,
winning 3.5 points from his five
matches and playing a very big
part in helping Europe to secure a
memorable victory.
Best moment so far
Although winning the 2023
FedExCup must be considered his
greatest achievement to date, that

triumph was really set up at the
BMW Championship at Olympia
Fields the week before the
season’s finale. In the closing
round there, he shot an incredible
61, which featured no fewer than
12 threes, to get the better of
Scottie Scheffler and Matt
Fitzpatrick by two shots.
Why he made our list
Hovland is a true all-round player,
particularly so since improving his
chipping dramatically with help
from coach Joe Mayo. The
26-year-old is a superb ballstriker and a brilliant competitor.
He rightly believes he has the
beating of any player, and the
confidence he has derived from
winning the FedExCup in 2023 will
only bolster that belief.
51

Mike Harris heads to Pebble Beach in California
to join the Porsche Golf Circle community on a once-ina- lifetime trip to mix the best of golf and motorsport

Photography Porsche Golf Circle

52

PEB B LE B E AC H WITH P OR SC HE

53

very golfer dreams of playing the world’s most iconic
courses. The Old Course at St Andrews, Augusta
National and Pebble Beach would be high on the list
for most. The trio have all been made famous through
their hosting of epic Major Championships across
many decades won by the greats of the game... Tiger
Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and co.
For the members of the Porsche Golf Circle, those
dreams have become reality in the last two years, with
visits to St Andrews and Pebble Beach. In October
2022, Golf Monthly’s contributing editor Fergus Bisset
had the opportunity to join Porsche’s golf community
and play at ‘The Home of Golf’ and, a year on, I found
myself standing on the 1st tee at Pebble Beach.
Excited (and nervous) doesn’t come close to
describing how I felt. The fact that I hit a stone-cold
top off the 1st with my driver was unsurprising. That I
walked off the tee with a smile on my face and
laughing with my playing partners for the day –
George from New Jersey and Jens and Mark from
Germany – was equally predictable. Porsche Golf
Circle events are about fun, friendship and
experiences that will last a lifetime.
ODay 1 Hello California!
The famous Lodge at Pebble Beach was the base for
the event and after checking in to my room (complete
with tantalising glimpse of the golf course and the
Pacific Ocean beyond), it was time to head to the

Mike with the Porsche Golf Circle crew at Pebble
54

official welcome and cocktail
reception in the card room at
Pebble Beach.
As locations for a welcome event
go, this was spectacular and we
enjoyed a glass of champagne
overlooking the 18th before
settling down for a wonderful
three-course dinner. Paul Casey
was the guest of honour and he
took the time to chat to everyone,
sharing stories of both his stellar
career as a professional and his
love of Porsche cars. He has quite a
collection of both global tour wins
and fast cars from Stuttgart, so the
conversation flowed.
As I returned to my room, I
looked at my watch and did a quick
calculation on the time difference
back in the UK. A snooze on the
plane aside, I worked out that I’d
been up for nearly 24 hours. That’s
what excitement and anticipation
do to the body!

favourite par 4 that he designed.
It’s not hard to see why.
With the Pacific to your left, you
drive to a fairway that gives you a
glimpse of a unique green sitting
between two dunes, which is just
ten yards wide but 55 yards deep,
with a big step to a lower back
level in the middle. The flag was
right at the front of the green,
making the approach even harder.
After another stunning par 3 that
plays back towards the ocean, the
course turns inland and changes in
character as it starts to play
between the trees of the forest.
Many comparisons have been
made to Augusta National and
they certainly stand up to scrutiny.
The holes weave between the
towering trees, with dramatic
changes in elevation and white
sand bunkers that sparkle beside
fairways and around greens.

ODay 2 Hidden delights
After breakfast in the gallery café
overlooking the 1st tee at Pebble
Beach, it was time for the short
journey to Spyglass Hill. This
Robert Trent Jones Snr creation,
which opened in 1966, has been
made famous as one of the
co-hosts of the annual Pebble
Beach Pro-Am event.
With its stunning mix of holes
that forge out to the ocean before
heading inland to weave through
the Del Monte Forest, Spyglass is a
visual treat as well as being a very
challenging golf course. I was
teeing it up with Karen from
Mexico and Mark from Germany
and, after a warm-up on the range
under the watchful eye of Paul, it
was time to head to the 1st hole, a
sweeping downhill par 5 that eases
you into the round
On the 3rd tee, everybody got
the chance to take part in a ‘beat
the pro’ competition against Paul,
who was in great form and laughing
and joking with everybody in
between shots. However, like the
true champion he is, he was able to
get dialled in and focus on the job
at hand when it was his shot – no
more so than when it was our
group’s turn and he produced a
world-class wedge that finished
just two feet from the flag.
After the fun of the par 3, it was
time to refocus and take on the
brilliant par-4 4th. This hole is
apparently Trent Jones Snr’s

The iconic short par-3
7th at Pebble Beach with
its Pacific backdrop

PEB B LE B E AC H WITH P OR SC HE

High fives and smiles from Paul
Casey on the ‘beat the pro’ hole

Ɖ . q ƴ ƒ  k ƴ w N k w c _ c . k . N & ƴ q ,  q ƴ . ƴ , . q ƴ  ƴ k q T N  Ĭ  T H  ƴ q T _ ƴ T % % ƴ q ,  ƴ Ū k qƴ
ƒ . q , ƴ M ‰ ƴ  c . ‚  c ż ƴ q ,  q ƴ . ƴ ƒ  H F   ƴ T % % ƴ q ,  ƴ q   ƴ ƒ . q , ƴ  ƴ k M . H  ƴ T N ƴ M ‰ƴ
%    ƴ  N  ƴ H  w & , . N & ƴ ƒ . q , ƴ M ‰ ƴ _  c q N  c k ƴ ƒ  k ƴ  a w  H H‰ ƴ _ c   .  q  H  Ɗ

55

PE B BL E B EA CH WITH PO RS CH E
Mark and I put in solid rounds (I managed to par
all the stunning par 3s en route to an 86), but Karen
was the undoubted star of our group, playing some
superb golf and underlining why she was a singlefigure golfer. In the evening, we headed out to the
Folktale Winery and Vineyards, some 20 minutes from
Pebble Beach, where we got to try some of the
amazing wines produced there before a wonderful
four-course dinner, with prizes given out to celebrate
the achievements of the winners from Spyglass Hill.
ODay 3 Taking the racing line

translates to ‘special request’ and the programme
allows owners to take personalisation to the next level.
There were a host of cars on display that had been
through the Sonderwunsch process, most notable of
which was the 911 Sally Special, a collaboration
between Porsche and movie makers Pixar to create a
real-life version of the iconic Sally Carrera, one of the
stars of the famous animation film Cars. It was an
incredible feat of design and in 2022 the car was
auctioned for $3.6m, with the money going to charity.
Dinner that evening was at the Salt Wood Kitchen, a
delightful restaurant tucked away in the Marina Dunes
just north of Monterey. The food was superb – the
grilled California trout was my culinary highlight of the
trip – and the chat was lively as guests relived the
excitement of the day at the Porsche Rennsport

Saturday offered something totally different... a trip to
the WeatherTech Laguna Seca racetrack for the
Porsche Rennsport Reunion, which is the largest
gathering of Porsche race cars (over 300) and fans
Some of the
(more than 91,000 over four days). The event had it all,
from the unveiling of the new Porsche 911 GT3 R
300+ Porsches
rennsport (of which only 77 will be made, each priced
at Laguna Seca
at a cool $1m) to a music concert and races involving
vintage Porsche racing cars and even tractors.
The event had a real community feel, with members
of the Porsche Golf Circle meeting up with members
of other Porsche Clubs, including the Pioneers Circle,
a group of enthusiasts who are holders of Porsche
NFTs (non-fungible tokens). The diversity of the
Porsche community was really something to witness.
The highlight of my day was undoubtedly a ‘hot lap’
sitting in a 911 GTS alongside Porsche factory driver
Mathieu Jaminet. It was actually two hot laps, which
was a good job as the first one was frankly terrifying. I
didn’t know when, or how hard, Mathieu was going to
brake around the twisting Laguna Seca track, which
includes the famous ‘Corkscrew’ turns where the track
drops down 60ft in height in just 450ft of track.
On the second lap, I knew what to expect – like
going from 148mph to
35mph to make one turn
– and loved every second
of it. Exhilarating doesn’t
come close to describing
the experience.
Before heading back to
Ɖ T N ƴ H  _ ƴ q ƒ T Æ ƴ . ƴ F N  ƒ ƴ ƒ ,  q ƴ q T ƴ  ˆ _   q ƴ î ƴ H . F  ƴ & T . N &ƴ
Pebble Beach, I visited
% c T M ƴ Ū Ď å M _ , ƴ q T ƴ DŽ Ĉ M _ , ƴ q T ƴ M  F  ƴ T N  ƴ q w c N ƴ î ƴ  N ƴ
the Porsche
Sonderwunsch
H T ‚   ƴ  ‚  c‰ ƴ k   T N ż ƴ  ˆ , . H  c q . N & ƴ  T  k N ƌ q
exhibition. The word

TMƴHTkƴqTƴkc..N&ƴq,ƴˆ_c.NƊ

Reunion and looked ahead to the
round at Pebble Beach the next day.
ODay 4 Creating memories

The Porsche Rennsport Reunion
was a memorable experience
56

And so the wait was over – it was
time for the Porsche Golf Circle
competitors to tee it up at the
world-famous Pebble Beach Golf
Links. The weather was set fine
with the morning marine layer
burning off to reveal blue skies and
just a gentle breeze. Perfect
golfing conditions…

Nervous excitement was the
order of the day on the 1st tee as
competitors prepared to take on a
course that has hosted so many
famous events and witnessed so
many historic moments, including
Tiger Woods’ incredible, recordsetting 15-stroke victory in the
2000 US Open – the first of his
three national championships.
Pebble Beach is a fantastic test
of golf, but one of the biggest
challenges is to keep focused on
playing your shots and not get too

About the
Porsche
Golf Circle

Mike en route to a closing
par on 18 at Pebble Beach

distracted by the amazing views,
especially from the 4th tee
onwards as the course breaks out
of the trees and runs alongside
Stillwater Cove.
From the 4th through to the 10th,
the holes hug the coastline tightly,
with fairways running down to the
cliff edges and greens perched on
glorious spots overlooking the
Pacific. There can be no finer
stretch of coastal golf in the world
and it was an incredible experience
playing these holes. The fact I
played them in just two-over-par
made them even more special, but
frankly you could be playing poorly
and still have a smile on your face.
Walking off the 10th green and
up to the 11th tee – a beauty of a
short par 4 – you begin a stretch of
holes that are slightly inland and,
although not as dramatic as those
you have just played, they are
highly strategic designs, rewarding
tee shots that are hit to the correct
side of fairways. We were fortunate
to have caddies and their course
knowledge was invaluable,
especially on those all-important
lines off the tee and on the tricky
greens, where putts often broke in
different directions to that which
you expected them to.
As with all great courses, there’s
a sting in the tail and 17 and 18 are
two of the toughest tests. The
famous long par-3 17th, where

Watson chipped in for birdie to all
but seal the 1982 US Open,
demands a precise shot to evade a
huge bunker protecting most of the
front of the green and a necklace of
smaller bunkers over the back.
Then, with the Pacific running
the entire length of the fairway, the
18th is one of the most iconic, and
dangerous, holes in golf. Any pull
or hook will meet a watery grave,
and while this encourages you to
play to the right, if you’re too
conservative, your second shot will
likely need to go over or round an
annoyingly well-placed tree. Even
though it’s then only a short-iron
in, there’s another tree plus deep
bunkers to contend with. Aim for
the centre of the green and
commit! I had a pleasing par, par
finish for another mid-80s round.
Before a well-earned drink, it
was time for some photos – happy,
smiling people with a backdrop of
the ocean. Glorious stuff! The final
magic moment came with our
farewell dinner and prize-giving at
Coastal Kitchen in Monterey,
where we enjoyed a six-course
tasting menu, toasted the winners,
reminisced about the round and
took lots of photographs.
ODay 5 Until next time
As I headed up the famous Pacific
Coast Highway to San Francisco to

The Porsche Golf Circle
community was founded in 2017
with the aim of bringing together
people from all over the world
who share a passion for golf and
Porsche. It’s open to everyone and
membership benefits include tips
and tutorials from brand
ambassador Paul Casey and
highlights from the worldwide
events that happen throughout
the year. All this and more is
accessible through a free app that
can be downloaded for Apple and
Google devices and global
membership stands at over 4,000.
The Golf Circle builds on
Porsche’s relationship with golf,
which dates back to 1988 and the
introduction of the Porsche Golf
Cup, where golfers from all over the
world who are Porsche customers
have the chance to play in national
competitions. The winners qualify
for a World Final at the stunning
Club de Golf Alcanada in Mallorca.
For the past eight years, the
brand has also been the lead
sponsor of the Porsche European
Open in Germany, fittingly won in
2019 by brand ambassador Casey!

Vintage Porsches in race mode at Laguna Seca

get my flight back to London, I had the chance to
reflect on a quite amazing few days in California.
Not only did I get to play two of the world’s greatest
golf courses, and spend the day at the Rennsport
Reunion event, but I also made new connections with
golfers from countries as far apart as Mexico and
Germany and got to experience how the Porsche Golf
Circle community interacts, both in person and
virtually through the app.
Passions like golf (and amazing sports cars) really do
have a way of bringing people together. You know that;
I know that; and Porsche most definitely knows that.
57

INSTRUCTION

HOW TO
HIT THE
PERFECT
DRIVE
Photography
Olly Curtis

Key tips and pointers to take
your driving up a level in 2024

OBy Top 50 Coach Tom Motley with Michael Weston

If you want to hit the ball sweetly and accurately off the tee, you
have to nail the basics. This might sound obvious – and it might
sound less exciting to work on – but there’s a reason why pros
and tour players talk so much about how important it is to
master the fundamentals.
In this article, I’m going to delve a bit deeper into the basics to
help you improve your understanding of a perfect driver swing.
It’s easy to get lost in technical information, but hopefully you
can pick up one or two tips here that you can take to the range.
Of course, everyone has a different golf swing and some of us
are limited as to what we can do physically. However, I’m
confident that you will find a nugget or two here that will help
you to drive the golf ball a lot better in 2024.

OFFICIAL DATA
PARTNER

59

OHOW TO HIT THE PERFECT DRIVE

The set-up
WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION

1

This is the type of set-up
you should be looking to
adopt, with the pressure
feeling like it’s 50/50
between the feet. I tell a lot of my
students, especially those who don’t
have so much mobility in their hips, to
flare the lead foot out slightly, which
opens up the hip joint and allows it to
move laterally and rotate comfortably.
If the lead foot is square or slightly
pigeon-toed, it can lock the lead hip joint
and limit its lateral movement. As a
result, the lead hip often pulls up and
back, and the foot spins out. Eight out of
ten recreational golfers I see do not have
the ability to rotate around that
point with the foot square.
This flaring of the lead
foot is a bit of a band
aid, but it’s worth
doing if you’re not
going to go and
see a physio to
really open up
that hip joint.

For many, flaring the lead
foot out, as here, will help
the hip joint move laterally
and rotate comfortably

Set the ball about half a
ball’s width inside the
heel of your lead foot
60

SPINE TILT

2

I like to see that the
neck, eyes, sternum
and centre of the pelvis
have matching angles. I
call this ‘setting the eyes’. When there’s
curvature in the spine versus the neck,
it creates unwanted movement. When
you’re next setting up with the driver,
think of it like this: “I just want to tip a
little bit of water out of my right (trail)
ear.” This will help you settle into the
right position. This slight spine tilt
away from the target will help provide a
positive angle of attack, which is what
you want with your driver.

Try to retain matching
angles from the centre
of your pelvis upwards
with a slight spine tilt
away from the ball

HOLDING THE CLUB

3

The arms should just hang down, relaxed – not rigid or too far out in front

Many golfers create a
problem in the swing by
setting the wrong levels
with the forearms. I like
to get people thinking about bringing
that right (trail) shoulder in from
underneath the left hand to take the grip,
rather from round and over the top. It’s
important that you don’t have the butt of
the club too close to your body,
otherwise you’re going to need to find
some space in the downswing to get
back into the ball properly.
61

OHOW TO HIT THE PERFECT DRIVE

Taking it to the top

EXTEND WITHOUT SWAYING

5

You should keep the arms fairly straight in the
takeaway, which allows the ‘set’ to happen
naturally in the backswing. The key point to
remember when taking the club back is that you
don’t want a lot of lateral sway away from the ball. The lower half
pretty much wants to maintain its position; it just rotates around
its central point. Once the hips sway away from the ball – a
common mistake among golfers – it then becomes a real lottery
as to whether or not you can return the club square to the ball.

Think ‘wide arms’ during the takeaway
62

GRIP PRESSURE

4

In terms of grip strength,
I always say that if you
hold the club up in front
of you, you want to be
gripping it hard enough that someone
can’t pull it out of your hands, but not so
hard that they could pull you over. You
don’t want the level of pressure that
you’re putting on your grip to feed on
into your forearms as tension. If the
forearms are relaxed and you’ve got a
firm grip, that’s a good benchmark. There
are no veins popping out of my forearms,
here! My grip pressure is about a 5/10 (10
being very tight).

Note how my hips
have rotated at the
top of the
backswing

UP TO THE TOP

6

When people ask me for
backswing tips, I simply
say it’s best just to think
about maintaining your
width throughout; that way, the wrists

will hinge naturally. I put it like this: you
want to feel like your trail arm is always
seeking to be straight, knowing that it
can’t be, so you’ve always got that level of
pressure through the right arm to keep
that connection. If you take that pressure
away, that’s when the arms tend to fold.

The knees work like
pistons, with the
trail knee flex
reducing and the
lead knee flex
increasing

STARTING DOWN

7

It wouldn’t hurt for you
to rehearse getting into
this position. I like my
students to think about
pumping into the lead foot. Get to the
top of your swing and then get used to
pushing into your left foot – it will feel like
you’re resisting your upper body. What
you don’t want to do is feel like you’re
moving the upper body forwards to
pump into it. Imagine the force going
diagonally from the trail shoulder – not
vertically down or laterally forward – but
diagonally to the ball of the lead toe.

From the top, feel
like you’re pushing
into your lead foot
while resisting your
upper body
63

OHOW TO HIT THE PERFECT DRIVE

Back down and through

DOWNSWING

8

Above are two typical
‘death moves’ I often see
among club golfers. The
most common is where
the player hangs back and then, in an
effort to hit up on the ball, gets ‘scoopy’
with the hands. Compare these to the

DRIVING DATA

OMen’s average driving distance (yards) by handicap

280 259 245 233 222 213
Tour pro Scratch

64

5

10

15

20

247
OAverage driving
distance (yards) of a
5- to 9.9-handicap
male between the
ages of 30 and 39

image on the left, where I’ve transferred
my weight into my lead side. If you’ve
been accused of ‘scooping’, don’t think
‘hit up’ as this can encourage golfers to
back up and hit off the back foot, which is
when you get that ‘scoopy’ action. Rather,
think ‘hit out’. If you’ve nailed your set-up,
the outward path/swing direction should
take care of the angle of attack.

OMen’s fairways in regulation (%) by handicap

54 51 49 46 44 41
Tour pro Scratch

5

10

15

20

THE ‘STRAIGHT ARM’ DRILL

9

There are hundreds of different driver drills, but I
like this one because it helps with so many
different aspects of the swing, and teaches
good ‘feels’. It’s called the ‘straight arm’ drill,
where the idea is to hit no more than half swings, and build up
the pace. Here’s a challenge for you: hit ten balls at half speed to
within a 30-yard gap; ten balls at three-quarter speed to within a
35-yard wide gap; and then ten balls at full speed into a 40-yard
gap. Tracks your scores. Perhaps you can find the ideal speed to
help you hit the fairways more often on those tight driving holes
around your home course.

FINISH

10

A lot of people ask me
what the importance of a
good finish is. Really, the
finish is a by-product of
what’s gone before. Work on the basics
and the practice drill here, and that will
give you a good chance of finishing in a
position like this, where you feel like
you’re in balance and extended, with your
chest facing the target.

241 228 216 205 196 188
0.04.9

5.09.9

10.014.9

15.019.9

20.024.9

25.029.9

OAverage driving
distance (yards) of a
5- to 9.9-handicap
female between the
ages of 30 and 39

OWomen’s average driving distance
(yards), 50- to 59-year-olds

Data provided by Arccos

229

OMen’s average driving distance
(yards), 50- to 59-year-olds

201 195 182 171 166 156
0.04.9

5.09.9

10.014.9

15.019.9

20.024.9

25.029.9
65

O INSTRUCTION

By Top 50 Coach
Ben Emerson
Shot on location at
Infinitum Golf Resort

OLONG GAME

How good is your
clubface control?
For those of you who
struggle with clubface
control with the driver, I
want to give you a nice
drill to have a better
awareness of where that
clubface is pointing. Something like 85
per cent of the reason why the ball goes
in a certain direction is based on where
that clubface is pointing. In other words,
if it’s pointing right, the ball is going to
start right. I’ve got three balls set up here
to help give you a clearer understanding
of why the clubface is king...

1

Photography Tom Miles

Experience ‘bad’
to find the ‘good’
Deliberately
trying to hit bad
shots with the
first two balls
should give you a
greater awareness
of what a good
shot feels like

66

I want you to try and
experience the clubface
going everywhere, so I
want you to purposely
hit some bad shots. That
sounds odd but I need
you to experience the bad to find the
good. With the first ball, have the club
pointing dead at the target so you can’t
cheat. Make a really slow swing, at about
40 per cent of your normal speed, and hit
it with an open face.

2

Become fascinated
with where the face is
pointing and where in
the swing it’s opening

Use those experiences
to now hit one straight

Close things down to
deliberately hit it left

With the second ball, do the complete
opposite. Set up straight at the target as before
and now feel the ball going left. Again, with an
exaggerated slow swing, feel the clubface
closing down, hit the shot and watch the ball go
off to the left. What felt different to the first
one? We’ve now experienced both ends of the spectrum and
seen both sides of the trouble so hopefully you’re beginning to
gain a clearer understanding of what’s happening in your swing.

3

Finally, try to hit one with a square clubface.
Hopefully you can see the logic here and can
find the middle ground and get used to that
clubface returning square. We know what a big
slice and big hook feel like and want to train the
brain to get that clubface working down the
correct path. We spend time trying to hit great shots on the
range but, by purposely looking bad, you’ll gain a better feeling,
understanding and awareness of what the clubface is doing.

4

67

O INSTRUCTION

Photography: Tom Miles, Howard Boylan, Vicky Jones

OASK THE EXPERTS

68

How do I stop
digging at my chips?
Use the bounce
Using the bounce
in the sole to slide
through the turf is
a better option
than the driven,
digging action
which has little
room for error.

By Top 50 Coach Dan Grieve
This is a great drill for any ‘handle
draggers’, whose tendency is to drive
their hands at the ball when chipping,
creating a lot of shaft lean and little use
of the bounce. When you chip, especially
if you want it to land softly, you want the
clubhead to release – and this means

swinging the club. To get the feel of this
release, use this ‘trail hand only’ exercise.
Hold the club in just your trail hand, with
your other hand on your trail shoulder.
Swing without a ball and you’ll begin to
feel the clubhead release. Then hit some
balls using this drill. When you have this
feel, put both hands back on the club and
you should be able to feel more release.

How can I
Ɲǫĭƹ´ħƴşüƴĭŔƴ
between shots?
By Top 50 Coach Lysa Jones
Annika Sorenstam developed one of the
strongest mental games and she would
look at the dimples on her ball and try to
count them. It simply gave her a
distraction from what was happening
around her on the course. If you’re
beginning to feel anxious, strike up a
conversation with your playing partner
about anything – just entertain yourself
to quieten the voices inside your head.
To help you stay focused, make sure you
have a sip of water on every hole and
then, every fourth hole, something to eat.
The pre-shot routine
On the card, circle every hole where you
stuck to your pre-shot routine to monitor
how well you’re preparing for each shot.

How do I get the pace of the greens?
By Top 50 Coach Alex Elliott
I want you to get your putter firing on the
1st hole rather than you suddenly
discovering something midway through
the round. When we go to the putting
green, most of us head to a hole as we
want to get those little tiddlers in every
single time, which makes sense as it
builds our confidence. But I want you to
change your pre-round routine. Instead, I
want you to get a real feel for the pace.
The idea is simple – putt your first ball
out there somewhere, then, with the
second ball, putt it and try to get it to
just touch the first one. Vary the slopes
and direction, too, to give you a better
overall understanding of the greens.
Pace is crucial
You are very likely going to hit at least
18 putts where pace is key. By getting a
better handle on how the greens are
running, you’ll be putting yourself under
much less pressure out on the course.
69

Bruise don’t dig
The sound at
impact is very
different with this
shot because
when you get it
right the club is
simply bruising
the grass and not
digging in at all

O INSTRUCTION
The ball pops up
almost vertically
if you get it right

Photography: Kevin Murray

OSHORT GAME

By Top 50 Coach
Gary Alliss
Shot on location at
Bramshaw
Golf Club

How to use
the bounce
When you’ve got very
little green to work with,
using the bounce in the
sole of your wedges to
full effect is a great way
to help you get it close.
Generally, you’ll need a slightly fluffy lie
as it’s almost impossible to play this shot

1

70

off a really tight lie because of the way
the club passes under the ball. But if turf
conditions are right, the leading edge
kind of gathers the ball, then from
impact to separation you’re using the
bounce to release the right hand under it
and pop it up almost vertically (above) so
it lands dead even without any spin.

At first glance you might
well think that I’m
scooping at it here, but
the crucial difference is
that my weight favours
the left side slightly at
address and then finishes there too. If
you scoop at it, your weight goes

2

backwards through impact. With this
shot, you’re looking to get the clubhead
to overtake the hands, but while your
body is moving forwards not backwards
through the ball. With practice you can
send the ball quite high and get it to land
really softly without taking on the riskier,
fuller-swing, cut-up shot.

The clubhead
should overtake
the hands

At address, try to keep
things almost dead
square with no shaft
lean, so even if you thin
it a touch it will still land
quite well. It’s one of the
few shots in golf where you almost want
to encourage the hands to work
independently rather than as a unit. To
play it from slightly worse lies, try
moving your left hand to the left a little
on the grip and your right hand to the
right to further encourage the wrist
action needed to play this shot well.

3

71

O INSTRUCTION
OSIGNATURE SHOT

Collin Morikawa’s
soft fade

By Top 50 Coach
John Howells
Photography
Getty Images,
Howard Boylan

OWhat is the shot?
As is the case for many
of the world’s elite
players, it’s a fade that
Collin favours, in which
the ball starts slightly
left of target and curves
to the right. It’s a shot that he and his
coach, Rick Sessinghaus, have worked
on diligently. When winning his two
Majors – the 2020 US PGA and 2021
Open Championship – he had his soft
fade perfected. It’s a shot you’ll see him
play week to week; he has complete
trust in it and he can clearly depend on
this small left-to-right movement in the
most high-pressure situations.

1

72

OHow does he play it?
Collin has an extremely
weak left-hand grip. The
left hand is rotated
counter-clockwise on
the grip at set-up; it’s
not a neutral left-hand
grip – it’s obviously weaker. What he’s
able to do is get that match-up of
making sure the left wrist is bowed at
the top of the backswing, which you can
see in the main photo on the left. Note
how the palm of his left hand is closer to
his forearm than his left knuckles are.
That very weak left-hand grip, combined
with a bowed left wrist in the backswing
and a bowed left wrist in the downswing,
gives Collin the ability to hit strongflighted fade shots.

2

OWhat can you learn?
Perhaps you struggle
with a weak left-hand
grip, but you’ve never
been able to change it;
or perhaps you’re
curving the ball too
much to the right with an open clubface.
If this sounds like you, it might be worth
trying to impersonate Collin.
Try to have your left wrist bowed a
little bit at the top of the backswing and
in the downswing, a sensation that will
probably feel very strange to start with.
I’d suggest hitting easy 80-yard 8-irons
at first to get used to the feeling. You’ll
find the bowed left wrist gets the
clubface a bit stronger looking at the top
of the backswing. If you maintain that
bowed left wrist in the downswing, it will
minimise the slice you often get on your
iron shots and turn it into a small fade, or
even a straight flight with no curve.

3

73

RULES

Sometimes it can be a very
close call between a ball
being in or out of bounds

By David Wilson
rules manager
at The R&A

OFROM THE TOUR

WHEN IS A BALL
OUT OF BOUNDS?

74

errant drive on the 16th, Coody’s
ball came to rest between two
white OOB stakes. After checking
using a string line between the
stakes, it was confirmed that part
of Coody’s ball was the courseside of the line, so he not only
avoided the long walk back to the
tee, but was also able to complete
the hole with a par and finish T2nd
just behind his twin brother!
If there is any doubt that your
ball in play may have gone OOB,
you can play a provisional ball
under stroke and distance to save
time. This is not the ball in play, but
rather is played on the provision
that if your original ball is OOB,
then it becomes the ball in play. If
the original ball is in bounds, you
simply pick up the provisional ball.
Make sure you indicate your
intentions clearly to those you’re
playing with, such as by saying:
“I’m playing a provisional ball.”

OUT OF
BOUNDS
ESSENTIALS

O If your ball is out
of bounds, you
must proceed
under stroke
and distance.

OThe boundary
edge is defined by
the course-side
edge of boundary
objects or
white lines.

OIf your ball might
be out of bounds,
play a provisional
ball to potentially
save time.

Photography: Kenny Smith, Getty Images, Rob Smith, Jeremy Ellwood

David Wilson, rules manager at The R&A, unpacks the
ins and outs of out of bounds with reference to a
specific moment on the Korn Ferry Tour last year.
Something all golfers will have experienced is
hitting their ball out of bounds (OOB). When this
happens, you get a one-stroke penalty and proceed
under stroke and distance; you must return to where
your previous stroke was made or, if you have played a
provisional ball, that ball becomes the ball in play.
By definition, the course is the entire area of play
within the edge of any boundaries set by the
Committee and all areas outside the boundary edge
are out of bounds and not part of the course. The
boundaries may be defined by boundary objects such
as rows of white stakes, fences or walls, or even by
white painted lines. The edge of the boundary is
defined by the course-side edge of the boundary
objects or white line, meaning the objects or lines
themselves are out of bounds. There is no free relief
available just from a boundary object and neither are
you permitted to move them.
Assessing whether a ball is in or out of bounds can
sometimes be a close call, as evidenced by what
happened to Parker Coody in the Korn Ferry Tour’s
2023 Price Cutter Charity Championship. After an

YOUR QUERIES RESOLVED
In a recent game, my friend Alan hit his ball
to the rear of the green, marked it and
popped it in his pocket. When he went
back to replace it, he couldn’t find his
bright red marker and we struggled too in among the
colourful autumnal leaves. I know it’s a maximum
search time of three minutes for a lost ball, but Alan
had his ball safely in his pocket, so how long for a lost
marker to allow it to be brought back into play? We
eventually found it a few yards from where Alan had
us looking but what do the rules say in this situation?

Q

OR&A
WINNERS
Each month, the
readers whose
queries are
featured will
receive three
R&A Titleist Pro
V1 golf balls and a
leatherette putter
cover with Royal
Liverpool 151st
Open branding.

Roger Whitaker, Kendal, Cumbria

A lost ball-marker on the green would not
be subject to the three-minute search time
in the same way as searching for a ball. As
the ball-marker has been lost or moved by
an outside influence – in this instance, wind and leaves
– Alan would be entitled to search for a reasonable
amount of time and then, if not found, could replace
his ball on its original spot or estimate that spot if
needed. In any instance, there is no penalty.

A

What happens if your
ball-marker is too wellcamouflaged to find?

David Wilson, The R&A

In this scenario, do you
move the stake or take a
free drop away from it?

At our club, the greens
staff have put metal
stakes with ropes in
front of the greens to
stop buggies getting too close. If
your ball ends up close to a stake,
or the rope or stake interferes
with your stance or swing, can
you move the post, play your shot
and replace it, or do you have to
take free relief and drop away?

Q

John Baker, via email

The stakes and ropes
are, by definition,
movable obstructions,
so if you have any
interference you may move them
to play your shot and then replace
them afterwards. You may also
move them if you feel they may
interfere with your line of play, as
long as you don’t unreasonably
delay play. If your ball is resting
against a post, or any other
movable obstruction, and when
you remove it your ball moves, you
replace the ball without penalty.

A

David Wilson, The R&A
75

RULES

In common parlance, golfers use
the word ‘tee’ interchangeably to
describe both the little wooden,
plastic or bamboo peg you perch
your ball on and the area from
where you start each hole. The
Rules of Golf only use ‘tee’ when
referring to the former, with every
reference to the latter using the
term ‘teeing area’.
The teeing area has a very
precise definition – it isn’t the
whole of the mown tee box but
rather a rectangle that is two
club-lengths in depth, with the
forward-most points and
outer-most sides of the teemarkers defining its outer limits.
It’s worth pointing out that a
‘club-length’ now means the

ORULES REFRESHER

longest club you’re carrying that
round other than your putter, so
the teeing area’s dimensions can
vary slightly from player to player.
For example, if you’ve chosen to
leave all your misbehaving woods
in the car, you won’t be able to go
quite as far back from the front
edge of the tee-markers as
someone carrying a driver.
A ball is considered inside the
teeing area even if only a tiny part
of it overlaps those outer
extremities, and there is nothing
to stop you standing outside the
teeing area to play as long as your
ball remains within it. This allows
you to utilise its full width
(depending on the size and shape
of the tee-markers) to help you hit

“A BALL IS INSIDE THE TEEING AREA
E V E N I F O N LY A S M A L L P A R T O F I T

THE TEEING
AREA
your preferred shot shape more comfortably,
perhaps where trees encroach.
Playing from outside the teeing area or the wrong
set of tee-markers is the same offence under Rule
6.1b. In stroke play, you incur the general penalty (two
strokes) and must correct your error by playing a ball
from inside the teeing area before making a stroke at
your next hole, or before returning your scorecard if
it’s your final hole. All strokes played with the ball from
outside the teeing area don’t count, but if you don’t
correct your mistake in time, you’ll be disqualified.
In match play, there’s no penalty, but your opponent
may immediately request that you cancel the stroke
and play another ball from within the teeing area. This,
of course, may depend on how good or bad your
tee-shot was or how generous they’re feeling.
Finally, any time your ball is lying in the teeing area
of the hole you’re playing, you may re-tee it anywhere
within that teeing area. So, if your foursomes partner
almost misses it and it just topples off the tee, you
may re-tee it if it is still inside the teeing area.

OVERLAPS THE OUTER EXTREMITIES”
The ball must be inside the
teeing area but you may
stand outside it to play

76

IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE

TEST YOUR
KNOWLEDGE
1
On the 9th tee, Fergus uses his
wrench tool to adjust the loft on his
driver, then hits his tee shot down the
fairway. What is the ruling?
A.
B.
C.

There is no penalty.
Fergus receives the general penalty.
Fergus is disqualified.

2
Jezz hits his ball into the rough and
identifies it without marking the ball’s
position first. What is the ruling?
A.
B.
C.

1

There is no penalty.
Jezz receives a one-stroke penalty.
Jezz receives the general penalty.

3

2

Fergus just misses his birdie putt and
then taps in for par using the back of
his putter. What is the ruling?
A.
B.
C.

There is no penalty.
Fergus receives a one-stroke penalty.
Fergus receives the general penalty.

Photography: Kenny Smith - shot on location at Charleton Golf Club, Fife

4
Jezz’s ball is in the bunker, and when
entering, he has to steady himself
with his club on the steep slope,
grounding the club in the bunker.
What is the ruling?

3

A.
B.
C.

There is no penalty.
Jezz receives the general penalty.
Jezz is disqualified.

4

OQUIZ ANSWERS
1. C – Under Rule 4.1a, a player is not allowed to change the playing characteristics of a
club in any way during the round.
2. B – Under Rule 7.3, if the player lifts the ball to identify it, the position of the ball must
be marked.
3. A – Under Rule 10.1a, the player may make a stroke with any part of the head of a club.
4. A – Under Rule 12.2b, the player may touch the sand in a bunker to stay balanced or
prevent a fall.

77

O EQUIPMENT

OREVIEWED

96%
The high-MOI

PING G430 MAX
10K DRIVER £599

G430 Max 10k
boasts a larger
footprint than
G400 Max and
frames the ball
well at address

By GM
staff writer
Joe Ferguson

Ping has been producing solid
drivers for several years now on a
consistent two-year product
cycle. To see the brand interrupt
that cycle and introduce a new
model suggests something of a
breakthrough. The driver in
question is the G430 Max 10k.
Ping says it’s the straightest and
highest-MOI driver to date,
eclipsing the 10,000g-cm2
combined MOI threshold first
surpassed by the G400 Max five
years ago. It boasts a much bigger
footprint, a fixed back weight and
a Carbonfly wrap on the crown.

In terms of the look of the head, we were sold
immediately. While its footprint is noticeably larger
than on previous models, the proportions still felt
right. The ball is framed well and the additional real
estate does inspire confidence. Other than the slight
size and shape difference, the overall aesthetic blends
cohesively with the rest of the G430 family.
The real story here is the phenomenal performance.
We would argue that this is one of the few drivers in a
world of bold marketing claims that exceeded our
expectations. The stability and forgiveness of the
head in isolation would be a hugely impressive feat,

“PING HAS PRODUCED A
C O M B I N AT I O N O F STA B I L I T Y
AND MANAGEABLE SPIN
T H AT I D I D N ’ T K N OW WA S
AT TA I N A B L E I N A D R I V E R”
J O E F E R G U S O N , G M STA F F W R I T E R

but to cultivate this while also keeping the spin so low
is genuinely remarkable.
The ball speed numbers are comparable to anything
on the market and the spin output stands up against
any of the best low-spin drivers. But the real stunner is
how those low levels of spin combine with potentially
the most stable and forgiving driver head we’ve ever
78

OUP AGAINST

The Carbonfly wrap
crown weighs a mere
13g to help optimise
weight distribution

The large footprint and
very high MOI promise
excellent forgiveness

Titleist TSR2 £529
The all-rounder in the
TSR range, the TSR2 can
be adjusted heavily to
meet exacting spin and
launch windows.

and stability...

used. Our ball speeds on mishits
barely dropped more than 2mph
and our dispersion was similarly
remarkable. We feel there is a
small draw bias in the head as our
stock fades turned into laser-like
straight balls with little to no
deviation – no complaints there,
though. It’s hard to compare it
directly against its competition
as we think this is a real unicorn in
the driver space. We’d best
describe it as similar in feel to a
draw-bias driver, but with much
less draw bias and lower spin.
The sound of the strike is
another point of difference versus
the rest of the G430 range. It is
audibly louder and slightly more
high-pitched, arguably giving a
livelier, more powerful acoustic.
We strongly feel this driver is
going to appeal to just about
every level of golfer. Cameron
Champ and Tony Finau have both
already gamed the G430 Max 10k
in competition, but its playability
will still allow this model to excel

Callaway Paradym
Ai Smoke Triple
Diamond £569
With sweetspots across
the whole striking area,
the Ai Smart Face offers
forgiveness and low spin.

... further aided by a
28g fixed back weight
that optimises centre
of gravity location

in the hands of less proficient ball-strikers. Those with
slightly less speed may need to tweak the loft up a
little to increase hang time, but this is well worth it for
the stability and forgiveness this head provides.
There have been some excellent new drivers this
season but the G430 Max 10k may be the standout.
Creating high MOI is relatively straightforward from
an engineering perspective, but to do so while
managing spin so well is truly impressive.

Wilson Dynapower
Carbon £420
An updated PKR2 face
keeps ball speed up on
mishits. Similar crown to
the G430 Max 10k’s.

OKEY TECHNOLOGY

A fixed 28g back
weight creates
high MOI by
driving mass
down and away from the
face to increase forgiveness
and optimise COG location.

1

The Carbonfly
wrap crown
weighs just 13g
in total, which
allows more mass to be
repositioned to the back
of the clubhead.

2

A thinner,
shallower forged
face has been
optimised to flex
more thus ensuring faster
ball speeds and consistent
spin from all areas of the face.

3

Ping’s largest
head profile still
stays within the
460cc legal size
limit while maximising
heel-to-toe and front-toback dimensions.

4

79

O EQUIPMENT

OREVIEWED

SRIXON
AD333
BALL
£28 PER DOZEN
The AD333 has become a really
strong franchise for Srixon, with
consumers associating it with
consistent performance and
good value for money. Widely
regarded as one of the best golf
balls around for under £30, we
were interested to get our hands
on the 11th generation of this
stalwart to see what had changed.
The simple answer to that
question is not too much. That is
not necessarily a bad thing,
however – with many golfers
across the globe trusting the
AD333, it would be foolish to
discard a winning formula.
In terms of the technology,
Srixon tells us that a reformulated
FastLayer core transitions from
soft in the centre to slightly
firmer around the perimeter,
which adds ball speed without
sacrificing feel. It almost feels
silly to mention that the
compression has been subtly
lowered from 72 to 70 to allow a
little more deformation at impact,

which Srixon says reduces
unwanted spin from the tee.
However, if you already love the
feel of your AD333, we can assure
you that you won’t notice!
Our normal ball is the
TaylorMade TP5x and the AD333
was noticeably softer in feel
around the greens and off the
putter face, which is something
we enjoyed. Spin levels on the
shorter shots were more than
adequate, with the SpinSkin
coating seemingly doing its job
well. We would say that our TP5x
maybe grabbed a touch more on
chips and pitches, but there
wasn’t a huge amount in it.
On the longer shots, we think
plenty of golfers will enjoy the
soft, springy feel, and we found
the ball to be very stable in the
wind, holding its course
admirably in some fairly severe
side winds. In direct distance
comparisons, it did fall somewhat
short of our TP5x, but it is
significantly lower in price so you

86%
The SpinSkin
coating helps to
combine a soft
feel around the
greens with more
than adequate
levels of spin

would expect something to give
in at least one performance
category. To give that some
context, we found it four to five
yards shorter throughout our
irons and nearer eight yards with
the driver.
The 2024 Srixon AD333 is a
genuinely good all-round golf ball
that represents excellent value
for money. While this model is
definitely more evolutionary than
revolutionary, that is all that was
required in this instance.

OKEY TECHNOLOGY

Words Joe Ferguson

A two-point
reduction in
compression
has allowed for
more deformation at impact,
thus ensuring prolonged
contact with the grooves.

1

80

A reformulated
FastLayer core
transitions from
a soft centre to
firmer around the perimeter,
adding ball speed without
sacrificing the familiar feel.

2

Plastic on all
AD333 packaging
has been reduced
significantly to
complement the goals of the
Srixon brand’s carbonneutral golf ball plants.

3

The EZ sensor can be
fitted to the shaft of any
putter quickly and easily

Eight different

OREVIEWED

parameters are
recorded for
each putt

CAPTO EZ
PUTTING
SENSOR £494

85%

Words Sam De’Ath

A simple colourcoded feedback
system indicates
clearly whether
or not your
putting stroke is
in a good place

We’ve become increasingly
accustomed to technology that
gathers hundreds of data points
on the full golf swing, but less so
in the art of putting. That’s why the
new Capto EZ putting sensor has
burst on to the market, aiming to
provide precise and instant
feedback on every aspect of your
putting stroke.
Capto offers a few models in its
range, with the EZ being its
entry-level offering. We tend to be
a touch sceptical about how much
of a faff some modern golf tech
can be, but the EZ was easy to set
up on the putter shaft, while
calibration and connection to the
app was a stress-free experience.
The Capto EZ model is
compatible with any putter and
reports back to your phone via the
Capto putting app, which relays
your putting metrics via the
screen. The thing that immediately
impressed us
was the live
feedback on the
screen, where
you can see a
wide range of
stats. While it

can only show you two live stats at
a time, referring back to the app
allows you to analyse all eight data
parameters from every putt in a
session. Feedback from each
stroke is delivered and graded via
a colour-coding system, with a
bright green showing your stroke
is in a good place. Its simple, visual
graphics like this made it easy for
us to adjust accordingly during a
practice session.
The sensitivity of the device was
extremely high and equally
impressive as you could get a
genuine sense for what increasing
something like shaft lean by a
degree actually feels like in
real-time. For us, the biggest
benefit of a device like this was
developing muscle memory for
what a synced-up putting stroke

feels like and then transferring
that out to the course. Our only
concern with the hardware was its
60-minute battery life, which
might limit those who want to take
part in longer putting sessions.
But this is a minor gripe and the
EZ sensor is certainly one of the
most accessible developments in
putting technology we’ve tried. A
straightforward set-up process,
easy-to-understand parameters
and seamless integration with the
app should get you on the right
track to a greater understanding
of your putting stroke.

OKEY TECHNOLOGY

The sensor gives
instant feedback
on eight stroke
parameters
including face angle, shaft
lean, arc, tempo, energy loss
and impact acceleration.

1

At just 30g, its
weight barely
registers on the
putter shaft. It’s
universally compatible and
the app works on both iOS
and Android devices.

2

The app’s scoring
feature rates each
putt for rotation,
trajectory and
dynamics to give you an
instant idea on the quality of
the putt you’ve just hit.

3

81

O EQUIPMENT

OREVIEWED

KIRKLAND
S I G NATU RE BALL
£32.99 FOR
T WO DOZEN
Costco’s Kirkland Signature balls
are something of a folk legend
nowadays. Working out at well
under £1.50 a ball, this three-piece
model seems to comfortably offer
the best value on the market, but is
the price too good to be true? We
took the latest generation onto
the course, and through some
testing on a launch monitor, to see
how it stacked up.
On the course, it compared very
similarly overall to the Callaway
Chrome Soft and Srixon Z-Star

Words Mike Bailey

golf balls we normally play with.
Irons shots flew the exact
expected distance and kept up
nicely with the more expensive
golf balls. One criticism of the
previous version was that it spun a
little too much, so didn’t help
slicers with their shot shape. The
latest version certainly has a firmer
feel and we didn’t suffer from too
much backspin on the course. On
the launch monitor, spin numbers
with a 7-iron were only marginally
above those of a Titleist Pro V1, so
a noticeable improvement there.
We also compared these two
balls on the launch monitor with
our driver and only found a drop
off of about five yards with the
Kirkland. With our swing speed in
mph hovering between the mid
and upper 90s, it’s further proof of
the improvements in this latest
version and how suited it is to the
majority of golfers.
Even with this data, we still
wouldn’t recommend this ball for
those who swing the driver over
105mph. While most at this level

88%
This latest model
has a firmer feel
and doesn’t spin
as much as
previous models
at sub-100mph
swing speeds

OKEY TECHNOLOGY

An increase in
core size over
the previous
generation
offers more energy transfer
to the ball, while still
maintaining a soft feel.

1

82

The 338-dimple
pattern has been
modified with
new dimple
depths, promoting optimum
spin characteristics and a
penetrating ball flight.

2

An improved,
marginally
thinner cover
uses a new TPU
material that is more
resistant to scuffs from both
impact and general wear.

3

probably wouldn’t consider such a
ball, we feel it would start to spin
too much and you’d see that
overall distance widen from the
five yards at our swing speed.
We think this new generation
could have done with a bit of a
design overhaul, as the
‘performance’ alignment marking
isn’t very convincing and it’s tricky
to differentiate this version from
the two that have come before. For
those completists out there, you
can just about differentiate the
new ball thanks to the two arrows
on either side of the alignment aid.
For the value on offer, it’s really
hard to argue against the latest
version of this ball. Faster-swingspeed players will benefit from a
higher-compression option, but
this all-round ball will suit most
golfers very nicely thanks to the
subtle improvements that work
well in this latest version.

ADIDAS ADICROSS
GTX SHOE £150

BUSHNELL WINGMAN
VIEW SPEAKER £219

TA KO M O 1 0 1 U
DRIVING IRON £109

Why not just buy a normal
Bluetooth speaker if you want
91%
music on the course? A very
legitimate question that is
answered by the Wingman View. This
device is a hybrid between a speaker and
a golf GPS, excelling in both facets. The
speaker is powerful enough to carry
between your four-ball and not intrude on
others while the GPS is powered by the
free Bushnell app. A remote control lets
you adjust volume from a distance and
the device can announce yardages too.

Takomo has been making
serious waves in the direct-to81%
consumer space. The 101U has
a traditional face and topline,
but a very wide sole, which won’t appeal if
you’re after a low, penetrating shot – a
little strange given the brand’s goal for
this club. But it is incredibly forgiving and
high-launching for a club of this type,
while the turf interaction is impressive.
Faster swingers may not quite find the
right flight but it offers superb value for
money and a premium, unique finish.

J.LINDEBERG VENT
500 SHOE £199

R A M  B w N . T c ƴ & Ĭ % T c  ƴ
PACKAGE SET £99.99

T R U E L I N KSW E A R A L L DAY
KNIT 3 SHOE £155

The Scandinavian brand’s first
proprietary golf shoe is a
81%
trainer-style concept with a
chunky sole and JL branding
all over. It’s very on-trend and will no
doubt pair well with J.Lindeberg’s
extensive range of funky apparel. The
outsole features an assortment of TPU
nubs shaped like the JL logo, and while
these perform superbly on grass, they do
somewhat hinder off-course wearability
on harder surfaces. This is a shame given
how good they look, but we can’t fault the
on-course performance. A solid debut.

Three options cover ages from
four to 12 years old, with
88%
left-handed versions also
available. The ‘Age 4-6’ set we
tested comes with a driver, 7-iron, 9-iron
and putter, all four of which rewarded
central strikes while offering enough
forgiveness to encourage even the most
stubborn junior. The feature-packed bag
stands out. It has six pockets including a
semi-insulated one for drinks, an external
umbrella holder and dual shoulder straps.
It should have decent longevity until the
time for club upgrades eventually arrives.

True Linkswear is the master of
the on-/off-course golf shoe
85% and we think the All Day Knit 3
is its best yet. Made from an
incredibly lightweight and comfortable
knit material, it hugs the foot nicely and
offers decent cushioning underfoot. This
is exclusively a dry, warm-weather shoe
but it excels in those conditions, offering
all-day comfort and style that very few
others can match. With lightweight and
knit materials used all over, we struggle
to see how it warrants the £155 price tag,
but can’t deny its comfort and versatility.

As a shoe/boot crossover, we
can’t fault this effort from
89%
Adidas. Waterproof yet
breathable and with plenty of
comfort, it’s made to handle the worst of
winter golf conditions. It uses a similar
spikeless outsole to the Codechaos 22,
which performs brilliantly in the wet. The
breathability of the Gore-Tex fabric
means no sweaty feet despite the totally
waterproof build. This certainly isn’t a
summer shoe but, as winter warriors, we
haven’t tested much better.

83

O EQUIPMENT

OASK OUR EXPERTS

Am I allowed to draw some
markings on my golf glove to
remind me where my hands need
to be on the club?
Sue Tomlinson, via email
This was a query that I had when I
was recently testing the Me And
My Golf True Grip glove, which is
covered with bright blue silicone
signifiers over key areas of the
hand to help with placement on
the club. That glove is approved
for use in competition by The
R&A, so that means any of the
markings you make on a glove to
help you position the hand are
perfectly legal too.

Dan’s 2024 resolution
is to master his driver

What is your New Year’s
golfing resolution?
Dean Corston, via email
I enjoy setting myself a goal at the
start of each year as it gives me
something to keep working
towards. For the last 12 months,
my goal was to stop playing ‘car
park’ golf, in which I would go
straight from the car park to the
1st tee with no warm-up and
expect to play well. But for 2024,
I’m going to commit to using my
driver more. Far too often, I find
myself dropping down to a
3-wood, still missing the fairway
and being 15 yards behind where I
could be. This year, I’m going to
master my driver.
84

ODAN PARKER ON...

CHANGING
THE LANGUAGE
OF THE GOLF
BALL ROLLBACK
We all knew a distance rollback was coming, but I was
surprised to see the governing bodies opt to tinker
with the golf ball of all things. I’m broadly in favour of
the rollback in the professional game but am much
warier about how it will affect the amateur game.
Regardless, I think the governing bodies have got
the language around the announcement all wrong
and have consequently fostered early ill will in what is
a vital decision to protect the game’s future. Though
literally appropriate to describe what’s happening, I
think ‘rollback’ creates a negative feeling that the
governing bodies are ‘taking away’ from our ability to
enjoy the game. Instead, if they talked in terms of a
‘refinement’ or ‘recalibration’ of the rules, I think the
conversations would have benefited from a more
constructive start.
I’ve borrowed from a moment in history to try and
prove my point, specifically 1974, when The R&A
made the larger 1.68in diameter ‘American’ ball
mandatory in The Open. Diving into the Golf Monthly
archive, I found more positive language around that
proposal, with ‘unification’ being used over ‘rolling
back’. It wasn’t until 1990 that The R&A outlawed the
smaller 1.62in ball completely, when it then knocked
The 1.68in ball at
the 1974 Open

By staff writer
Dan Parker

up to 20 yards off drives. A survey
from February 1990’s Golf
Monthly showed 73.2 per cent of
readers thought golf balls in 1990
went further than they did ten to
15 years previously, which can’t
have been true considering how
much further the old 1.62in ball
went. This either shows how
unbothered people were about
the rule change or that, ultimately,
distance is all relative when
everyone is playing the same
conforming ball.
Granted, the 1974 measure
wasn’t brought in with the sole
aim of reducing distance, but I
think there’s a case that the
governing bodies handled that
rule change better than the
current situation. Language aside,
looking back to 1974 and 1990 has
reduced my anxiety about what to
expect from the 2030 golf ball.

HEAD
TO
HEAD

2024
GPS WATCHES

SHOT SCOPE

GARMIN APPROACH

G5 £149.99

S12 £159.99

A barely noticeable bezel combines with a
generous screen size to offer a premium
look. It comes with two different straps and
you can choose from 12 colours in total.

9

While it doesn’t have a touchscreen, the G5 is
easy to navigate via its four buttons. That
generous screen size makes the graphics
clear and easy to read at a glance.

9

Styling

Ease of use

All the basics are covered with the added
functionality of distance to doglegs, lay-up
points, shot-distance measurement, plus a
digital scorecard that enhances usability.

8

Features

One of the most stylish budget GPS watches
out there, yet still feature-packed and
versatile. The modern graphics and decentsized screen add to the overall appeal.

9

Overall
appeal

You want versatility on and off the course
You want a modern interface and graphics
You want more strap colour options

8

It’s a very similar design concept to the G5
but with a larger bezel and buttons that make
it slightly clunkier. We think it looks a little
more like a golf watch than the G5 too.

8

Working identically to the G5, we’d say the
graphics are a touch more rudimentary. Big
Numbers mode is a nice feature though,
making the key info appear larger on screen.

9

Shares the same functions as the G5 while
also offering manual pin placement. It can be
linked with the CT10 club-tracking sensors
for a deeper level of post-round analysis.

8

While not as versatile as the G5, the S12 does
offer a little more functionality and the
ability to add shot-tracking. Pin placement is
a key additional feature on the Approach S12.

You want to add shot-tracking capabilities
Go for this if...

You want a more lightweight watch
You want a movable pin placement option

85

O EQUIPMENT
OGROUP TEST

BEST GOLF NETS
In recent years, there has been a
huge increase in home golf
practice. Being able to work on
your game from the comfort of
your own home is an attractive
proposition, and the practice net
is an important component for
the home practitioner.
While we have tested a swathe
of different nets over the past few
months, the six featured in this
group test represent our
favourites for various reasons.
OEase of set-up
All of the practice nets arrived on
the doorstep in packages of very

different sizes and shapes, which began to make us
wonder how different, and indeed difficult, they
would be to set up.
The Forb ProFlex Pop-Up net assembly was
relatively straightforward. Despite some
disappointingly basic instructions, we got the net to
its usable state in around four minutes. Three long
fibreglass poles slot into pre-fabricated plastic
joints to form the frame and then the net simply
attaches at each corner onto the hooks provided.
The Gagalileo and Dexon 3M nets were almost
identical in terms of construction and a little more
fiddly to set up. On both nets, two fibreglass poles
have multiple joints that need to be threaded
through and crossed over one another, which is a
little frustrating and time consuming when
compared with the others.

Three very different examples
of the best golf nets available

86

By GM
staff writer
Joe Ferguson

The Spornia SPG-8 XL net was
the quickest to go up. We didn’t
really know what would be a
realistic set-up time, but we
certainly didn’t expect what we
got here. We pulled the SPG-8 XL
out of the bag and as if by magic,
an 8ft x 8ft x 8ft net appeared fully
assembled before our eyes.
Without a doubt the easiest
set-up of the bunch.
The heaviest of the lot was,
unsurprisingly, the Forb ProFlex
Pop-Up Driving Cage. However, it
was surprisingly easy to put
together and in all took us a
maximum of four minutes to
complete. The main chassis of the
cage easily unfolds to form a
sturdy base with the netting
already attached. All you need to
then do is slot together the

Assembly was remarkably quick for all the nets on test

“ L O O K S A R E N ’ T A H U G E LY I M P O R T A N T F A C T O R , B U T
I T ’ S V I T A L T H E N E T A E S T H E T I C A L LY A N D L I T E R A L LY
F I TS T H E S PAC E YO U ’ R E G O I N G TO U S E I T I N ”
fibreglass poles, place them into pre-fabricated slots
and attach the net to the poles. The structure is then
up and ready to be used.
The Putting4Par Golf Net is also relatively simple
to construct. You just thread two fibreglass rods that
come in 15 connected segments diagonally through
the top of the net. This does take a little time, and it’s
difficult to do by yourself, so you’ll want to enlist
another person to help.
GM pick: Spornia SPG-8 XL
OLooks
This might seem a strange category for a functional
piece of practice equipment, but we feel the
aesthetics are relevant for something that will take
up residency in your garden or garage for an
extended period of time.
The Forb Proflex Pop-Up net is the simplest
looking of those in this group test. It is essentially a
square fibreglass frame with one flat sheet of netting
attached, and we enjoyed the minimalist approach
taken by Forb. The green accent colour of the net
itself blends nicely into most outdoor settings and
will not be too intrusive to the visuals of your garden.
The Gagalileo and Dexon 3M nets both have a little
bit more going on in terms of their looks. The shapes
are more akin to that of a small camping tent than a
golf net, but this isn’t an issue in our eyes. The black
and red accent colours of the Gagalileo bring a more
contemporary look, probably just giving it the edge
over the Dexon. Both the Gagalileo and Dexon
feature a secondary target panel that attaches to the
hitting area, offering some additional stopping
power and a handy visual aim point. The Spornia

SPG-8 XL is certainly the most
imposing of the bunch, with its
8ft x 8ft frame providing a fairly
hefty structure when fully
assembled. Its all-black
colourway is very modern and,
with some additional features, it
will sit well in most settings.
A slightly larger footprint will
make the Forb ProFlex Pop-Up
Driving Cage a little more difficult
to house subtly in the garden, but
we didn’t find the structure too
obtrusive. Because the support
poles are slim and all the panels
are netted rather than solid
sheets, you can still see through
the cage, which makes it seem
less imposing in the garden.
While it was far from ugly, we
found the Putting4Par Golf Net
didn’t quite have the premium
look of some of its competitors in
this particular fight. That said, it
probably did have the most
interesting of the targets to hit at,
which was a plus.
GM pick: Forb Proflex Pop-Up
Golf Net
OPerformance
Starting with the Forb Proflex
Pop-Up net, the performance and
features here were fairly basic. As
described, the design is very
simple with one flat piece of
netting to hit at. There are no side
or top panels to stop any stray
shots, which would be a slight
concern depending on the
setting. The net itself has a fair
amount of give to it, spreading
backwards quite a distance when
receiving a ball, so this would
need to be factored in when
deciding on the placement in
your garden.
The Gagalileo net was a good
performer with some neat
features that helped elevate our
experience. The design of this net
means you are hitting into a tent
structure, which offers some
excellent side and roof protection
for mishit shots. The impact net
itself is sturdy and can be
supplemented by a further panel
that offers a bullseye-style target
to really sharpen your aim.
The net absorbs impact very
well, with minimal bulging and a
relatively quiet impact noise.
The Spornia SPG-8 XL is an
exceptionally strong87

performing practice net packed
with useful features. The netting
itself is high quality and robust
and, much like the Gagalileo, the
hitting area is protected by an
additional thick panel, which acts
as both a shock absorber and a
handy target. It features some
side netting, too, to catch
any wayward strikes and
the bundle we
ordered also came
with additional
long side panels
for added
insurance.
Another
excellent feature
of the Spornia net,
which to us
showcases
exceptional attention to
detail, is the sloped bottom
section. The area the ball gathers
into post-impact is conveniently
sloped back towards you so all of
your balls obediently return much
closer to you than with other
nets, where you have to delve
around yourself to retrieve them.
The Dexon 3M net is slightly
limited in performance as we
found that you could only safely
hit irons with real golf balls. It
certainly wasn’t strong enough to
take Bryson-style driver shots,
but it’s durable enough to
withstand iron play and the foam
balls provided allow you to hit
harder into it if required.
A nice feature of the
Putting4Par Golf Net is the
alignment stripe on the floor of
the ‘tent’, which helps you focus
your aim on a point at the back of

WEIGHT
SIZE IN
STORAGE BAG
SIZE
ASSEMBLED
PRICE

88

Nets with target areas
give instant feedback
on the line of your shots

the net. As for the material, the
net itself is made from an
industrial-grade nylon fabric,
which means it should be able to
take a beating for a long time.
Hitting into the Forb ProFlex
Pop-Up Driving Cage was very
much a stress-free experience, as
the deep side and roof panels
make it nearly impossible for a
stray shot to cause any issues.
Forb has even added a second
sheet of netting that is
positioned a foot in front of the
back panel for an added layer of
ball security.

OVerdict
While we were impressed with each net in
different ways, the pick of the bunch for us was,
by a decent margin, the Spornia SPG-8 XL. Yes,
it does come with a more premium price tag,
but that is certainly reflected in the quality of
the product and the enjoyment we had using it.
It was the sturdiest of our selections, had the
most features and was far and away the easiest
and quickest to assemble. It packs away neatly
and comes with a very convenient and sturdy
travel bag for mobility, something that not
every net can boast.
The roof and additional side panels give
significant peace of mind against any stray golf
balls, while the sloped base panel is a delightful
design feature that makes retrieving golf balls
that bit easier and less time-consuming.

GM pick: Forb ProFlex Pop-Up
Golf Driving Cage

FORB
PROFLEX POP-UP GOLF NET

GAGALILEO
GOLF NET

SPORNIA
SPG-8 XL PRACTICE NET

FORB
PROFLEX POP-UP GOLF DRIVING CAGE

PUTTING4PAR
GOLF NET

DEXON
3M GOLF NET

5kg

2.9kg

15kg

19kg

6kg

3.82kg

3ft x 1ft

2.5ft x 1ft

4ft x 4ft

5ft x 2ft

17in x 12in x 8in

61cm x 31cm x 20 cm

8ft x 8ft

10ft x 7ft x 6ft

8ft x 8ft x 8ft

8ft x 8ft x 8ft

10ft x 7ft x 6ft

10ft x 6.5ft x 6ft

£139.99

£79.99

£560

£279.99

£104.97

£129.99

O EQUIPMENT

CALLAWAY FUSION
%qĬ.ƴc.‚cƴ
Original launch
date: April 2007
RRP: £399
Price we paid:
£63.99
Who used it on
tour? No-one but
Ernie Els, Phil
Mickelson and
Michael Campbell
used the tour
version

ORETRO REVIEW

“It’s not a looker but it
was incredibly straight!”
Joe Ferguson tests this unorthodox driver from 2007 to see how it stacks up today
Our new Retro Review series is where we’ll be going
back in time and taking a look at some iconic pieces
of equipment to see if they still compete against their
modern-day equivalents. First up is the Callaway
Fusion FT-i driver, which caused quite a stir back
when it launched 17 years ago. When you take the
headcover off, it becomes apparent why… it’s square!
What was the tech?
The idea behind the Fusion FT-i was very much
centred around high MOI and straight hitting thanks
to the weight being spread as far into the corners as
possible due to the geometry of the driver head. A
lightweight carbon composite body helped further.
The shape itself will, and certainly did, divide opinion,
but I actually found the straight lines really useful in
terms of face alignment. The face sits very much
onset from the shaft, which is an unusual look.
How did it perform?
For comparison, I put the Fusion FT-i up against
2023’s Callaway Paradym driver and the latter model
certainly produced more appealing numbers when
testing on Trackman. However, the Fusion FT-i was not
without its own small victories. First, if you are a
player who struggles with launch and getting enough

height and hang time on your drives,
the Fusion FT-i can provide this in
abundance. The second benefit was
some truly exceptional dispersion
numbers – the Fusion FT-i produced
some very tight groupings, to the
point where I actually found it very
difficult to miss a fairway! The feel and
sound of the two drivers was very
different, with the old driver
producing a louder and more hollow
acoustic than the Paradym. I have to
say the feel off the face of the 2023
driver was more solid.
OConclusion
I thoroughly enjoyed my trip down
memory lane hitting a driver that I
actually had in the bag back in the day.
While the Callaway Paradym very
much held the advantage in key
performance metrics, the FT-i was not
without its merits. If you are a slower
swinger looking for an easy-to-launch
fairway-finding machine, then it will
still do a good job for you.

LAUNCH
MONITOR DATA
Fusion FT-i driver
Ball speed: 167mph
Spin: 3,000rpm
Height: 106 feet
Carry: 273 yards
Dispersion: 2R
Paradym driver
Ball speed: 173mph
Spin: 2,100rpm
Height: 88 feet
Carry: 289 yards
Dispersion: 13L

This content was
created in partnership
with GolfClubs4Cash,
Europe’s largest
retailer of secondhand clubs.

89

Stewart Golf’s

O EQUIPMENT

Q-Follow (£1,599)
is still the leader
in revolutionary
‘follow’
technology

OBUYERS’ GUIDE

TROLLEYS
Alphard’s Club Booster V2 (£799)
converts select push trolleys into
fully remote electric trolleys

“A S I D E F R O M T H E G O L F I T S E L F, U S I N G
A REMOTE TROLLEY BRINGS YOU SOME OF THE
M OST F U N YO U CA N H AV E O N A G O L F C O U R S E”
DA N PA R K E R , G M STA F F W R I T E R

To the naked eye, there isn’t a lot
to choose between the leading
models in both the electric and
push trolley sectors. However, our
extensive testing over the last
few years suggests the exact
opposite and that’s an exciting
prospect if you’re in the market
for a new model. The differences
may seem small but, much as
when buying a new car, a few
added extras or different styling
points can make all the difference
in your day-to-day use.
Last year, there were three
major remote electric trolley
releases, all of which carry over
into 2024. Depending on your
preferences, we think all three
serve slightly different purposes
and we had a great deal of fun
testing them. Many featurepacked non-remote electric
trolleys also carry over into 2024,
offering more compact folding
mechanisms while still utilising
excellent GPS functionality. Two
of them are featured in this guide.
The entry-level market has
been bolstered by some
alternative brands, which have
90

impressed us with their mix of
quality, innovation, functionality
and overall value for money. The
number of manufacturers making
push trolleys is also much greater
than in the electric trolley world,
so we’ve been able to test a huge
variety, all boasting subtle
differences. Various folding
mechanisms, new interpretations
on the storage area and lots of
alternative styling mean superb
variety in this part of the market.
We’ve split this guide into four
categories, showcasing our
favourites in each and
highlighting the key innovations
in the market’s standout models.

The PowaKaddy
Micra (£239.99) is
one of the bestlooking push
trolleys
out there

OKEY TECHNOLOGY

Not much
room? Compact
folding options
in each category
can really help with small
car boots or limited
storage space.

1

A 36-hole
extended-range
battery is
something
regular golfers should
seriously consider
investing in.

2

Lead-acid
batteries are still
available in some
models, but
lithium batteries are more
reliable, weigh less
and charge quicker.

3

BEST
REMOTE

Stewart Golf Vertx Remote £1,349
The best remote trolley in our
testing, the Vertx offers supreme
control on course thanks to its
new operating system. It also
folds up quickly and compactly.

PowaKaddy CT8 GPS £949
A very compact and featurepacked electric trolley that boasts
a premium touchscreen GPS and
an extremely lightweight, wireless
lithium battery.

Motocaddy M7 GPS £1,499
This is the best option if you’re
after superior GPS and remote
functionality combined. Full-hole
maps on a premium touchscreen
elevate it above its rivals.

% q w c Ĭ
PACKED
ELECTRIC

PowaKaddy RX1 GPS £1,449
The best-looking remote trolley
that boasts a lightweight, wireless
lithium battery. The GPS is solid,
but can’t quite keep up with
Motocaddy’s range of features.

Motocaddy S5 GPS £999
Combining Motocaddy’s brilliant
GPS with its quickest folding
system, the S5 also features a
battery that can be charged while
still in the chassis.

GoKart from £369
A unique design that utilises
automatic speed control in which
the trolley adjusts to and matches
your walking pace depending on
how firmly you’re pushing it.

 N q c ‰ Ĭ H  ‚  Hƴ
ELECTRIC
PowerBug NX Lithium £549

Boasts a single-action folding
system and uses robust and
lightweight materials. The rear
wheels can be inverted to save
extra space when stored.

MGI Zip X1 £549
A simple but effective design that
is a solid performer in all
categories. Like the rest of MGI’s
range, it folds down to an
impressively compact size too.

Golfstream Blue from £369
A fuss-free experience from start
to finish, this lightweight electric
trolley folds down in one step and
is controlled via just one dial on
the handle.

PUSH
TROLLEYS

Big Max Blade IP £349.99
Features one of the best folding
systems we’ve ever tested, which
allows the trolley to lie completely
flat. Despite this, there’s still plenty
of storage in the handle area.

EzeGlide Bolt 2 £189
Uses a spring-loaded folding
system that packs away into a
compact cube shape. A neat
phone holder headlines the clever
storage solutions on the handle.

Sun Mountain
Speed Cart V1R £239
While not the most compact, this
push trolley offers an incredibly
stable ride with highly functional
accessory and storage areas.
91

Words Rob Smith Photography Geoff Ellis (golfworking.co.uk)

94

O COURSES
OMUST PLAY

Denham
OEssentials
Denham,
Uxbridge,
Buckinghamshire,
UB9 5DE
Stats: par 70,
6,488 yards
GF: round: £95wd

Harry Colt is regarded as one of the
greatest golf course architects of all
time, and while his most notable designs
such as Royal Portrush and Sunningdale
New are world famous, there are plenty
of interesting and engaging designs that

are less well-known away from their
locality. One lovely such example is
Denham, which is on the south-eastern
corner of Buckinghamshire, just 20
miles from the heart of the capital and a
short drive from the M25. Despite this

suburban setting, it is remarkably
peaceful and rural.
OHeritage and design
The club was founded in 1910 and the
course was designed by Colt while he
was engaged as the secretary at nearby
Sunningdale. It bears all of his
understated hallmarks, with the result
being an endlessly enjoyable design that
follows the natural contours and lines.
His bunkers are just about the only
man-made intervention, and they are
currently the subject of a sympathetic
and very impressive upgrade by Clyde
Johnson, a protégé of Tom Doak who
worked with him on a recent entry into

the Golf Monthly Top 100, St Patrick’s
Links at Rosapenna.
Most holes have now been completed
to great effect, and soon it will all be
finished. While the early holes are
perhaps a little more open in terms of
trees, the back nine is tighter with the
holes bordering some dense woodland. It
is flanked on the southern perimeter by
the Chiltern railway line, and a throwback
to golf’s influential early days is that the
local station is actually named Denham
Golf Club. Following your round, you
should certainly take the time to enjoy
the distinctive and very attractive
farmhouse-style clubhouse, parts of
which date back to the 16th century.

OFeature holes
There are plenty of memorable holes all
the way, with two standouts on the front
nine being the pair of very demanding
par 4s at the 4th and 7th. The former is a
dogleg to the right where you round the
corner to be faced with a sea of sand,
while the latter works its way to the left
in similar fashion. Both require two very
well-struck shots to get home in
regulation while avoiding the sand. On
the back nine, the 12th is a short but
classic and very distinctive par 3 with a
drop-off on the right, while the
remodelled 15th is now an absolute
beast, in a good way, with its take-noprisoners green site.

95

Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club

O PLANET GOLF

Unique, Amazing,
Enchanting
The UAE is home to an incredibly strong line-up of courses and much more to entice the travelling golfer

The United Arab Emirates is a
gloriously warm and sunny country in
the Middle East that is home to a strong
and ever-growing array of surprisingly
varied golf of the highest order. Almost
all of the developed land is on the
shores of the Arabian Gulf, and each of
the courses is easily accessible,
making a tour very appealing.
It’s hard to believe that just 40 years
ago the only golf here was ‘sand golf’
with no grass courses in the UAE. There
are now more than 20 clubs affiliated
to the Emirates Golf Association with
newcomers still arriving, such as the
floodlit nine-hole Yas Acres in Abu
96

Dhabi, which only opened as recently
as December 2021.
Given the desert terrain, you would be
forgiven for expecting a degree of
similarity among them all. Happily, that
could hardly be further from the truth as
inventive architects and clever
construction techniques have created a
collection as varied as it is top-class.
You can follow in the footsteps of your
golfing heroes by playing at the
Emirates Club, home of the Dubai Desert
Classic, or at Jumeirah Estates, which
hosts the Race to Dubai’s seasonending DP World Tour Championship.
And 2024’s International Swing on the

DP World Tour kicked off in style with
the Dubai Invitational at Dubai Creek
with its iconic sail-shaped clubhouse.
Each of these courses offers exciting
and superbly manicured golf, with an
equally strong supporting cast including
the Els Club, Dubai Hills and the excellent
Yas Links. Low-season flights offer great
value, but it’s not just the golf that draws
families and golfing groups here.
Along with guaranteed sun, there are
wonderful hotels, endless water sports,
superb restaurants and classy shopping
facilities, all ranking among the best in
the world. Here, we highlight first-class
courses in three different Emirates...

O Emirates (Majlis), Dubai
Par 72, 6,529 yards

The Majlis course has hosted all
but two Dubai Desert Classics

O COURSES

This is the Middle East’s home of
golf and the host of the Dubai
Desert Classic, now in its 35th
year. It was designed by Karl
Litten and is a consistently
strong test of golf from start to
finish. The most photographed
hole is the 8th, with desert lining
the right and the city’s futuristic
architecture serving as a
brilliantly contrasting backdrop.
The closing hole is an excellent
risk-reward par 5 where the lake
fronting the green has sunk the
hopes of many an aspiring
champion over the years.

Saadiyat Beach was the first
beachside course in the UAE

OSaadiyat Beach, Abu Dhabi
Par 72, 6,733 yards
Gary Player’s modern
masterpiece is situated on raised
dunes a few miles outside the
city in Abu Dhabi. It is an
extremely interesting and varied
layout, and became the first
beachside course in the Arabian
Gulf when it opened for play
back in 2010. There are two loops
of nine that form a figure of eight
around the clubhouse, and such
is the originality of Player’s
striking design that several of
the holes here could easily serve
as the signature holes at most
other golf courses.

Just north of Dubai, this
Nicklaus Design course has
been built in and over a tidal
mangrove swamp. Wooden
boardwalks link some of the
holes, and a real bonus of this
wild setting is the birdlife. As
you would expect from its
provenance, it is a serious test
of golf at the same time as being
visually very strong. The course
is kept in superb condition and
there is plenty to thrill,
especially at the four excellent
short holes which all flirt with
the marsh.

Photography Kevin Murray, Getty Images

OAl Zorah, Ajman
Par 72, 6,522 yards

Al Zorah was a first for
Nicklaus Design in the UAE
97

O COURSES

OSPOTLIGHT ON

Estuary courses
ODooks
GF: 18 holes: €200
Blessed with a truly outstanding shoreline
setting overlooking Dingle Bay, Dooks is
sometimes missed by those focused on
the golfing heavyweights on Ireland’s
stunning west coast. This is their loss,
because it is a first-class links in its own

98

right and worthy of any golfer’s attention
and time.
The views alone reward a trip to this Golf
Monthly Top 200 course, but as well as
these, you get to play a genuinely topnotch design thanks to the creativity of
Eddie Hackett and Marc Westenborg. If you
are lucky, you may even spot a natterjack
toad, which is the club’s emblem.

There cannot be
many more glorious
settings for testing
your putting than
the green on the 4th
at Dooks, a par 3 that
ranges from 149 to
170 yards

Words Rob Smith

These five beauties are gloriously situated where rivers merge with the sea

OCaldy
GF 18 holes: £130wd, £150we
The Wirral Peninsula in England’s north-west is
home to some premier league golf at Royal
Liverpool and Wallasey, but the supporting
cast is also of very high calibre. Just a couple
of miles from Hoylake, Caldy borders the River
Dee and is surprisingly different in nature.
James Braid expanded the original nine holes
designed by Jack Morris, nephew of Old Tom.
Ten holes run on the clubhouse side of a
disused railway line, while the 3rd to the 10th
are reached via a bridge and offer a very
enjoyable contrast.

OFortrose & Rosemarkie
GF 18 holes: £95wd, £105we
Although the club was not officially formed
until 1888, golf began here as long ago as 1793.
The original course ran along the southern
side of Chanonry Peninsula on the Black Isle,
just over the Moray Firth from Inverness. In
1932, the ubiquitous and brilliant James Braid
redesigned and extended the holes out to the
lighthouse, from where you can frequently see
dolphins. The sensational but exposed setting
means wind is usually a feature, and the front
nine hugs the shoreline before the back nine
loops round inside.

OHeswall
GF 18 holes: £110wd, £125we
Just a short drive from Caldy down the Dee
shoreline, Heswall also runs both sides of the
same, disused railway. The original design has
changed a great deal over the years with input
from the likes of Harry Vardon, Frank Pennink
and Donald Steel. The most recent work has
involved the creation of three new holes on
the land closest to the water, as well as subtle
changes and refinement to the existing holes.
The result is an attractive and testing course
with some fabulous views out over the estuary
and across to Wales.

OPorthmadog
GF 18 holes: £50wd, £60we
This beautifully situated Welsh club was
established in 1905 and is home to the very
definition of a course of two halves. While the
front nine and the 18th are parkland, the links
holes between them are packed with drama
and outstanding views as you rollercoaster
your way through the dunes bordering the
Dwyryd. If both nines were like the front half,
you would still have an enjoyable course.
Combined with the beauty and outrageous
variety on offer coming home, you have a
course that really deserves to be noticed.
99

Photography Kevin Murray, Gordon Bruce, Oliver Ellwood

A MAJOR
MILESTONE
Some 40+ years after taking up the game, Jeremy Ellwoodƴƹĭ´ĻÝÍƴşüƴħĭƝ
1,000th course on his 60th birthday at Vale do Lobo in Portugal last October

100
100

A

t the beginning of 2023, with my
‘courses played’ tally standing at
982, I knew that barring injury,
illness or some major crisis, this
would be the year when I would hit
1,000. Those who I’d told about it were asking where I
was planning on marking this particular milestone,
but I hadn’t really given it too much thought.
Part of me wanted to go to the grandest course in
the UK&I I’d not yet played, but that would almost
certainly have meant somewhere more exclusive than
I really wanted. I then pondered going off-piste and

taking myself to some backwater nine-holer that
no-one had heard of. And then it dawned on me that,
with some clever planning, I could potentially arrange
for my 1,000th golf course to coincide neatly with my
60th birthday on October 25.
In the end, that’s exactly what happened courtesy
of a family press trip I was offered to Vale do Lobo in
Portugal, where I would play the Royal course, which I
had played previously, the day before my birthday and
the Ocean course, which I hadn’t, on the big day itself.
For both rounds, I would be joined by my 22-year-old
son, Oliver, who, having had every chance to play golf
from an early age, had finally got the bug in mid-2023.
We enjoyed a splendid itinerary of both golf and
dining over the course of four days, with the opening
golfing action taking place on the Par-Tee minigolf
course after we’d checked in to our villa on the day of
arrival. I was pleased with my score of 44 for a six-shot
victory over my son. Just above the crazy golf course
was the excellent U&Co restaurant where we ate on
that first evening before pedalling back to our villa on
the electric bikes we’d been provided with as we

The Ocean course at Vale do
Lobo was Jeremy’s 1,000th

101

Golf ‘au naturel’
on the island of
Iona in 2013

OISLAND OUTPOSTS
My very first round of golf and first
golfing holiday both took place on
the Isle of Arran in the early 1980s.
I think this sparked a real
hankering to explore more of the
island courses dotted around our
shores. The first of my three visits
to the reincarnated Old Tom
Morris links at Askernish on South
Uist came in 2008.
In 2009, I embarked on an
island-hopping family trip to the
Western Isles when my daughter
was just two, taking in Askernish

didn’t have a car. After initial
nerves had been overcome, we
couldn’t get enough of them, and
it was great to be able to cycle up
hills more like Chris Boardman
than Stan Boardman.
The next morning, after a
wayward drive on the 1st that may
have hit the buggy shed roof, I
settled in to reacquainting myself
with the Royal course, where the
famous long par-3 16th, flirting
with the red cliffs, is the star of the
show, while the excellent downand-up par 4s at 14 and 17 also
stand out. After a refreshing beer
on the terrace with my son, we
retired to Vale do Lobo’s Well
Beach Club for the afternoon, even
braving both the sea and the large
pool there despite the water not
being at its warmest.
And so to the big day and course
number 1,000, where we were out
early on the Ocean course’s
inviting downhill 1st. This course is
crammed with interesting and
pretty holes and proved a worthy
venue for the occasion. The 3rd is
a tough par 5 round to the left and
over water, and there’s water right
to ponder on both the 5th and 6th.
The run from 7 to 9 is excellent:
first a beautiful, self-enclosed par
3 in a gentle valley; then a tough
uphill dogleg-right where you
need ultimate precision on both
drive and second shot; and finally,
a par 4, where striking waterfalls
flank the steeply uphill approach.

The Ocean name begins to make
perfect sense as you come over
the top on 11 to be greeted by a
stirring backdrop of gentle waves.
You get closer still to the beach as
you descend the 14th then play
another signature par 3 along the
shore, before making your way
home on a closing par 5 where you
play steeply up to a green blessed
with a permanent grandstand.
I tried to give the non-existent
gallery the big finish they craved,
but my 12-footer for birdie slid by
to imagined groans. We’d had a lot
of fun, taken a lot of photos and
shot a few video clips that my son
later edited into a little montage.
It was a special day, and the
celebrations continued with a
sports massage, during which I’m
pretty sure I nodded off, and a
wonderful evening meal at Well,
where nothing was too much
trouble for Bruno, our waiter. The
end of the meal was marked by
indoor fireworks, a tasty medley of
desserts and a memorable
rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’. I
retired a happy man, delighted
that it had all come together and
that the good people at Vale do
Lobo had made it such a cracking
day for me and my family.
That, then, was my 1,000th
course, but what about those that
came before? You’ll be relieved to
know that I won’t be reminiscing
about all 999, but here are some
reflections on just a few of them…

Jeremy’s final
drive on the
Ocean course
split the fairway

Ɖ . ƴ q c .   ƴ q T ƴ & . ‚  ƴ q ,  ƴ N T N Ĭ  ˆ . k q  N q ƴ &  H H  c ‰ƴ
q ,  ƴ  . & ƴ % . N . k , ƴ q ,  ‰ ƴ  c  ‚   ƴ  w q ƴ M ‰ ƴ Ū ǎ Ĭ % T T q  cƴ
%Tcƴ.c.ƴkH.ƴ‰ƴqTƴ.M&.Nƴ&cTNkƊ
102

again plus Barra, Benbecula,
Stornoway, Isle of Harris and Isle of
Skye, with Harris enjoying the
most spectacular of settings.
A game on rough-and-ready
fairways in the Iona Open in 2013 is
another cherished memory, as was
Whalsay in Shetland during a 2010
adventure to play the UK courses
at the extreme points of the
compass in as short a timeframe
as possible. Playing the layout,
created by the islanders in the
1970s, was memorable but maybe
not quite as memorable as our trip
then falling foul of Eyjafjallajökull’s
ash cloud (remember that?) as we
had to switch from air to road to
complete the eastern leg at
Gorleston in Norfolk.
OOVERSEAS HIGHLIGHTS
I’ve played golf in 31 countries,
including many visits to the
age-old favourites of Spain and
Portugal. But here, I’m going to
touch on some of the more
unusual ones, starting in 2015
when I made my golfing debuts in
Austria, Norway and Poland over a
condensed ten-day spell.
“Yes, really,” I found myself
answering when people raised an

1,000 C OUR SE S
eyebrow about golf in Poland. It may be a fledgling
golfing nation, but with the green fees mere peanuts
compared to most countries and flight times of just
90 minutes to Szczecin, I’d thoroughly recommend it.
Gary Player’s Modry Las was excellent, and the three
other courses we visited were also very tidy.
Another east European highlight was the Estonian
Golf & Country Club, where I stayed and played after
catching a ferry across the Baltic from Finland. Some
1,200 miles further south, the King’s course at Royal
Bled, with the Slovenian Alps as a backdrop, enjoys a
truly magical setting, as do the Fuji course at Kawana
in Japan and the rollercoaster layout at Lemuria in the
Seychelles, which I’ve played on my long-haul travels.
OSURPRISE PACKAGES
Countless places have delivered beyond my
expectations over the years. With an afternoon to kill
in Northumberland a few years ago, I was on the
look-out for a nine-holer. I was delighted to stumble
across Wooler, where the wiggly approach road
eventually reaches a modest clubhouse, an honesty
box and a splendid moorland course with views to die
for, especially from the 7th tee. James Braid’s
Cockermouth, set high in the hills above
Bassenthwaite in the Lake District, would be in the
same mould. I absolutely loved my game there.
I’d known that courses like East Devon on the
Jurassic Coast and Pleasington in Lancashire were
well regarded, but both proved way better than that
for me, and both have been making further big leaps
forward, too, since my first visits. Then there’s
Meldrum House, a superb country house 20 minutes
from Aberdeen airport, where I first stayed in 2019.

Several hotel courses that
opened in the 1980s and 1990s
didn’t live up to the elegance
of their hotels, so I was
delighted to find that its
fine-looking course more than
matched the grandeur of the
hotel, with tremendous variety
among its picturesque holes.
OOVERALL FAVOURITES
Finally, the question I’m asked most often when
people find out what I do: what’s your favourite
course? It is actually very difficult to answer because
I’ve been fortunate to have played so many great
courses. If I’m honest, I don’t think I have one single
overall favourite, so I usually start by saying, “I’m not
sure but it would be a links course somewhere.”
Which one, though? I usually mention Doonbeg
first as it blew me away when I played it in 2003. I’d
never seen a links weave through the dunes in quite
such spectacular fashion before. I’d then say Birkdale,
the best of the north-west links for me, despite a 7, 9,
7 start on my debut there, and Royal St George’s, the
first Open Championship links I played, where I just
love the rumpled terrain. I’d then add in Royal
Aberdeen, where I feel the front nine is the finest nine
holes of links golf in the UK, and Burnham and Berrow,
which is a little bit different and boasts perhaps my
favourite links hole of all in its par-4 2nd.
But these are not set in stone - ask me again when I
get to 2,000 and you may get a very different answer,
although I suspect that, by then, neither I nor you will
remember a single word I’ve written here!

Celebrating two
milestones at
Well restaurant
in Vale do Lobo

Playing Whalsay, the
UK’s northernmost
golf course, in 2010

103

O COURSES

OON TOUR

Herefordshire
Jeremy Ellwood heads west to this beautiful but relatively unheralded golfing
county to check out a new accommodation offering at The Herefordshire GC

I’ve stayed in all sorts of accommodation on my
golfing travels, but a trip in October with my wife to
The Herefordshire Golf Club near Weobley was the
first of a kind – one of two recently installed cosy
cabins looking out over the rolling fields, operated
by a company called Outdoor Inns.
After our final approach through glorious
countryside, seemingly into the back of beyond, we
made it just in time for coffee and cake in the club’s
beautifully appointed and contemporary Causeway
Restaurant and Bar, gazing out over the intriguinglooking course I’d be tackling the next day.
OStay and play with a difference

The Herefordshire
Par 70, 6,028 yards
GF: £30-£45

Photography: Geoff Ellis, Jeremy Ellwood

Kington
Par 70, 5,873 yards
GF: £21-£38

104

Ross-on-Wye
Par 72, 6,411 yards
GF: £40-£70

Mind you, when I did step onto the 1st tee after a
very comfortable night’s sleep in the bijou bedroom,
followed by a full English and a steaming cup of
coffee on the cabin’s steps, I looked for all the world
like someone who’d never played before!
This rollercoaster hole brought to mind The Rolls
of Monmouth not a million miles away, and when I
finally got it fully airborne at the third time of asking,
we were up and away on a thoroughly entertaining
course. Two cracking par 3s at 5 and 7 – both slightly
uphill – are followed by the toughest par 4 along the
highest ground, with views back across to the
clubhouse. The 10th is a gettable short par 4, where I
clocked the club championship pin position on a
tricky, back-left shelf, while 11 swoops steeply down
to the impressive halfway hut.
Coralie Graville, the pro shop manager, told me
the downhill par-3 15th was the signature hole, but I
felt the par-5 16th playing straight up a very narrow
valley was more distinctive – I’d only ever really
played a hole like it at Came Down in Dorset. After
retiring to the cabin for a quick brew as we watched
the sun set, we then ventured into Hereford to eat
and reflect on the simple joys of staying, and waking
up, at a golf club.
OEngland’s highest 18-holer
Half an hour north-west lies Kington Golf Club, where
the course has been acquiring cult status even
among those who wouldn’t put hilltop golf high on
their lists. Me? Well, living close to the Sussex Downs,

I love it for both the views and the
sometimes overwhelming sense
of freedom.
Hilltop golf’s naysayers fear
endless climbs and a constant
buffeting, but while I can’t
guarantee the weather, I can tell
you that this wonderful course
set high up in the Herefordshire
hills isn’t as strenuous a walk as
you might imagine. The only
major ascent is on the short par-4
1st. After this, the climbs are
generally more gentle, while the
views from up on top of Bradnor
Hill are anything but. They are
nothing short of mesmerising.
There are no bunkers here, but
the fascinating mounds and
grassy hollows around the 1st
green are reprised regularly. To
the left of the opener is the
mirror-image downhill 18th,
which is eminently reachable. But
the green’s surrounds can
severely stymie you, as I
discovered after pushing my
3-wood too far right and leaving
myself no shot. My favourite
memory of Kington, though, isn’t
one specific hole, but rather the
simply sensational view away to
your right from the 9th tee.
For a final game in this quiet
golfing county, Ross-on-Wye is a
heavily wooded parkland affair
that twists and turns through
rolling countryside. Bigger
hitters’ eyes will be drawn
towards a smattering of shortish
par 4s on the card, along with
three par 5s in four holes heading
out. But coming home, four par 4s
over 400 yards may see you
having to work quite hard to hold
on to any gains on those more
gettable holes.

The Herefordshire’s closing green is
guarded by two large bunkers

Kington offers
some sensational views

“ I ’ V E S TAY E D AT A L L S O R T S
O F AC C O M M O DAT I O N O V E R
THE YEARS, BUT THIS WAS
THE FIRST OF A KIND”
J E R E M Y E L LWO O D

Ross-on-Wye’s back
nine is a real test of
nerve at times

The ideal
preparation for a
day on the course
105

OOPINION

Bill Elliott
Golf Monthly ’s
editor-at-large and
Golf Ambassador for
Prostate Cancer UK

Sometimes one can speak too soon or, in my case,
write too soon. Last month’s scribblings contained a
classic example of this when I suggested the LIV Golf
rumble appeared to be an afterthought these days.
Oops. The sudden exit of Jon Rahm to cosy up to Greg
Norman and a gang of understandably smug Saudi
Arabians blew a big hole into my mixture of boredom
and complacency about LIV. I’m still largely bored by
the whole shebang – you too? – but I may no longer
ignore it. The fact is we may now be watching
professional golf eat itself alive.
The integrity of the PGA Tour and, to an extent
therefore, the DP World Tour is threatened as never
before. Not long ago, the American circuit was
omnipotent to the point where smaller tours thought
it was too often the class bully. Not now. It may still
take a big stick to the minor circuits, but it no longer
holds all the very best golfers in its grip.
Just watch when PGA Tour TV rights contracts
come up for renewal and the smart men on the other
side of the table shake their heads and slash the price
they are willing to pay. Indeed, while you’re following
this closed-doors rumble, you may well have come to
the conclusion that it’s not worth your money either, at
which point the whole schtick comes tumbling down.
TV rights, players’ sponsorships, prize money and,
worst of all, relevance drop into a big, battered bucket
that is marked ‘the end’.
Not the end of the old game itself, obviously, but the
end of the gravy train previously known as pro golf.
Even if/when the PGA Tour and the Saudi moneymen
agree a deal, the fact remains that many of us are being

“Jay Monahan is now
in danger of losing
the locker room”
106

turned off by the amounts of
money on offer to blokes for
whacking a ball around a big field.
Of course they deserve reward for
entertaining us, but, and it’s a big
but, it currently just seems too
much gravy for what is on the plate.
Even then, it wasn’t enough for
Rahm. Whether it was $300million
or $600million doesn’t matter. It
was enough to buy his sporting
credibility. At least in my house it
was. One day he may regret it, but if
so, he can choose to regret it on
one of those blingy yachts while
reviewing a decision that threatens
to end Jay Monahan’s six-year
tenure as boss of the PGA Tour.
Monahan faced the biggest
challenge ever to hit a PGA Tour
commissioner when LIV appeared
on his doorstep. Only the fourth
man in Tour history to lead the
troops, he is now in danger of
losing the locker room. Indeed,
according to Viktor Hovland he
may have lost it already. He
recently pointed out that the
players feel disconnected from
what is going on and see instead
what he describes as “arrogance”.
Hovland rightly says the players
are the PGA Tour and that without
them “there is nothing”. Without
the very best players in the world,
there actually isn’t a lot left to
properly retain both public and
commercial interest. It’s a mess.
The published deadline of
December 31 for a completed deal
between all interested parties has
been and gone (anyone surprised?)
and a hazy extension of more talks,
meetings and corporate lawyer
stuff has been announced instead.
However this ends, it won’t end
happily for everyone involved. Of
course, this is not the most
important thing happening in our
world at present, but still, it’s not a
great way to start the new year.
One last thought... Charlie
Woods is clearly a genuinely
talented kid, but his talent is too
much in the public gaze. If he wants
to become a pro golfer, it is already
going to be hard enough just
because he is Tiger’s son. His dad
should consider letting Charlie
grow up as quietly as is possible.
Apart from that, Happy New
Year. Whatever happens elsewhere,
we’ve always got the summer and a
flurry of unwelcome slices and
hooks to look forward to. I wish you
all the very best for 2024.

9000

9001