Winter Golf

Special 33
WAY S T O P L AY
YO U R B E S T
Winter gear guide G O L F T O D AY
Beat your handicap
whatever the weather

NICK DOUGHERTY
MASTERCLASS

YOUR
GAME!

TOUR CADDIE
CONFIDENTIAL
SECRETS OF THE
BAGMEN REVEALED
Contents D o n’ t m i ss
t hi s m o nt h!

34
DECEMBER 2021

Nick Dougherty
offers on-course
tips and advice to
play better this
winter

10
The Game E qu i pm en t
8 Your View 78 Tested By Golf Monthly
10 Month In Golf 84 Test Centre
20 Quick Tip 86 ʵ˘˦˧ʥʣʥʤ˅˔ˡ˚˘Ёˡ˗˘˥˦
22 Debate 91 Winter Gear Special
24 Tour Gear
26 New Launches C o u r s es
28 Love To Play
102 Must Play
Fea t u r es 104 Travelling Golfers
106 On Tour
34
42
48
Nick Dougherty
Viktor Hovland
Caddies Special
78 108
112
Long And Short Of It
Hidden Gems

52 Playing Speedgolf
56 Anna Nordqvist

Opinion
30 Wayne Riley
32 Sarah Stirk
114 Bill Elliott

I n s t ru c t i on
61 Play Better This Winter
66 Fault Fixer
68 Ask The Experts
70 Save Par
72 Swing Sequence
74 Rules
61 108
4
 FR OM Contacts
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challenging winter months that lie ahead. Then there are tips like those that ˃˥˜ˡ˧˘˗˕ˬˊ˔˟˦˧˘˔˗ˈʾʿ˜ˠ˜˧˘˗

ˁ˜˖˞ˣ˔˦˦˘˗ˢˡ˧ˢˠ˘ʡˇ˛˘ˬˠ˔ˬ˦˘˘ˠˢ˕˩˜ˢ˨˦˜ˡ˧˛˘ˢ˥ˬʟ˕˨˧˔˥˘˧˛˘ˬ˕˘˜ˡ˚
put into practice?
Checking alignment, understanding yardages, not getting technical on
˧˛˘˖ˢ˨˥˦˘˔ˡ˗ˠ˔˞˜ˡ˚˥˘˔˟˜˦˧˜˖˦˛ˢ˧˦˘˟˘˖˧˜ˢˡ˦ϛ˔˟˟˧˛˘˦˘˧˛˜ˡ˚˦˖˔ˡ˛˘˟ˣ
ˬˢ˨˜ˠˣ˥ˢ˩˘ˤ˨˜˖˞˟ˬ˔ˡ˗˪˜˧˛ˢ˨˧ˠ˔˞˜ˡ˚˖˛˔ˡ˚˘˦˧ˢˬˢ˨˥˦˪˜ˡ˚ʡʼϞˠ˟ˢˢ˞˜ˡ˚
˙ˢ˥˪˔˥˗˧ˢ˪ˢ˥˞˜ˡ˚ˢˡ˧˛˜˦˧˛˥ˢ˨˚˛˧˛˘˪˜ˡ˧˘˥ʮʼ˞ˡˢ˪ʼϞ˟˟˘ˡ˝ˢˬ˚ˢ˟˙˔˟ˢ˧ˠˢ˥˘
if I can cut down on the silly mistakes.
ʼ˛ˢˣ˘ˬˢ˨Ёˡ˗ˁ˜˖˞Ϟ˦˔˗˩˜˖˘˔˦˨˦˘˙˨˟˔˦ʼ
did and feel inspired to consider a slightly
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6
T H E G A M E
L E T T E R S
Photography: Getty Images

YOU R V IEW
T he p ick of the l et ter s and ema ils to hit the
Go l f Monthl y offices this m onth

G iv e S a n d y a ca l l A 3 6 - h o l e g em . . . and locals on the Friday. We

With the dust now settled on I read with interest the debate have had as many as 129
another Ryder Cup and a rare on whether there is still a place competitors on the day, which
thumping for Europe, calls are for the 36-hole Open in the last requires a 4.30am start.
˕˘˜ˡ˚ˠ˔˗˘˧ˢЁˡ˗˧˛˘ˡ˘˫˧ issue. At Stromness GC in Over the years, we have had
captain for Rome in 2023. Orkney, we have held a men’s entrants from as far as
I keep hearing Lee 36-hole event in August since Australia and Kenya
Westwood’s name, but sorry, 1967. It is one of the four Orkney competing. In the mid-1970s,
Lee should still be making his ‘majors’ and is undoubtedly several players from Fulford GC
case to be playing in two years. the focal point of our season. ˜ˡˌˢ˥˞Ђ˘˪˨ˣ˜ˡ˧˛˘˜˥ˢ˪ˡ
Why the fascination with We regularly have over 30 plane to take part.
someone who, in captaincy players travelling from the UK The current champion is
terms, has plenty of years in mainland to compete with Stuart Thomson, who won this
the bank to do the job? local golfers. There is also a year’s event in a sudden-death
Personally, I have long match, for the ‘friendship play-off, 45 years after his
argued the case for Sandy Lyle, quaich’, between visitors grandfather, Stuart Young, won.
the only member of Europe’s
in association with
so-called ‘Big Five’, which also
includes Seve, Faldo, Woosnam

L et te r of the M o nt h

I do love the new handicap system – it has restored the fun to

social golf. I had not seen my brother for two years, due to Covid
and shielding my husband, who has cancer. We met up last
month to play ‘millionaire’s golf’ at a coastal club, in glorious
sunshine. The course was quiet, so my husband, weakened by
chemotherapy, still joined in to hit selected shots.
Could Sandy do
a job as captain? Neither my brother nor I played particularly well; I think our
focus was on simply enjoying our reunion. My brother, however,
is both a good golfer and his club’s handicap secretary, who
and Langer, to have not held practises what he preaches: put a card in after every round!
the role. Having Lyle as captain With the new system, we both happily did this, knowing one
would allow him to clear the bad round would have absolutely no impact on our handicaps.
decks and look at his team with Used correctly, it really is a vast improvement for club golfers.
a clear eye, and he would be Jakki Moxon, via email
100 per cent focused on the job,
rather than the grind of playing
week to week. Marking a card
won’t ruin the fun
I think there is too much
loyalty between players and
˧˛˜˦˖ˢ˨˟˗˕˔˖˞Ё˥˘˜˙ʿ˘˘˛˔˦˧ˢ
make picks on emotion. Sandy
knows what he is doing and he
has the respect of the players.
It would be a wonderful story
and more than deserving for
ˢˡ˘ˢ˙ʸ˨˥ˢˣ˘Ϟ˦Ёˡ˘˦˧ˣ˟˔ˬ˘˥˦ʡ
Just let the captain be the
captain, rather than a player!
Chris Wilkins, via email

8
 Crossword compiled by Tait

C ROSSWO R D
It is also a social event where
many friendships are made
and renewed – and brings
business to our small town. I 20 Reed.
˔ˠ˖ˢˡЁ˗˘ˡ˧˧˛˔˧˧˛˘ Coltart, 17 Rules,
tournament will continue for ˂˟˔˭˔˕˔˟ʟʤʧ
many years to come. Lake Nona, 12
Eric Sutherland, Orkney
George’s Hill, 6
Cleek, 5 St
Ro ry is just t o o g ood 3 Forsyth, 4
Henrik Stenson,
It was brilliant to see Rory back Down: 1 Vale, 2
in the winners’ circle at the CJ
Cup and watch Rickie Fowler Moye, 22 Relief.
contend again, too. Rory is too
Herd, 21 La

good a player to be outside the

Hainault, 19
16 Donegal, 18
˪ˢ˥˟˗Ϟ˦˧ˢˣЁ˩˘˔ˡ˗ʼϞˠ˛ˢˣ˜ˡ˚ Troon, 15 Carts,
˜˧˚˜˩˘˦˛˜ˠ˧˛˘˖ˢˡЁ˗˘ˡ˖˘˧ˢ Tom Kite, 13
realise his ridiculous talent with 10 Snedeker, 11
further Major wins. Lytham, 9 Weir,
There are so many talented
Manero, 8

young golfers out there that

Across: 7

any victory will be hard-

earned. It’s just great to see
that Rory hasn’t lost his magic! AN S WERS
ˇ˛˘ˡ˘˫˧˙˘˪ˬ˘˔˥˦˔˥˘˦˘˧˧ˢ
be some of the best in history.
Simon Thorpe, Southampton Across Do w n
7 Moaner annoyed US Open 1 ʺˢˢ˗˕ˬ˘˧ˢˊ˔˧˘˥˩˜˟˟˘Ϟ˦ʤʨ˧˛ʛʧʜ
N o more p l a st i c .. . ˖˛˔ˠˣ˜ˢˡˢ˙ʤʬʦʩʛʩʜ 2 The Champion Golfer of 2016
I have been playing golf for 8 Familiar Royal host of ʛʩʟʪʜ
about four years and have got ˂ˣ˘ˡ˦ʛʩʜ 3 Scot who won twice on the
my handicap down to 30, 9 ʶ˔ˡ˔˗˜˔ˡˀ˔˝ˢ˥˪˜ˡˡ˘˥ʛʧʜ European Tour, in 2002 and
which means I am competitive 10 ˃˔˦˧ʹ˘˗ʸ˫˪˜ˡˡ˘˥˧ˢ˦˘˘˞ˡ˘˥˗ ʥʣʣʫʛʪʜ
in vets section competitions. ˢ˨˧ʛʫʜ 4 ʴˡˢ˟˗ʠ˙˔˦˛˜ˢˡ˘˗˜˥ˢˡʛʨʜ
But the reason for my letter is 11 ˈˆ˂ˣ˘ˡ˖˛˔ˠˣ˜ˢˡ˜ˡʤʬʬʥʛʦʟʧʜ 5 Surrey course with Red, Blue
that when I walk around my 13 Where the 2024 Open will be ˔ˡ˗ʺ˥˘˘ˡˡ˜ˡ˘˦ʛʥʟʪʟʧʜ
course, on every tee there are ˛˘˟˗ʛʨʜ 6 Florida club which hosted the
broken or discarded plastic 15 Buggies designed through ˙˜˥˦˧ˆˢ˟˛˘˜ˠʶ˨ˣʛʧʟʧʜ
tees. This must be the case at ʴ˙˥˜˖˔˔˥˧˦˖˛ˢ˟˔˥˦˛˜ˣ˙˨ˡ˗ʛʨʜ 12 Last Masters Champion of last
courses all over the country. 16 A golden opportunity at Irish ˖˘ˡ˧˨˥ˬʛʫʜ
Surely with the global effort ˟˜ˡ˞˦ʛʪʜ 14 Played one match in the Ryder
to reduce discarded plastics in 18 ʻ˔˜˟˔˨ˡ˧˧˥˔˩˘˟˟˜ˡ˚˧ˢʸ˦˦˘˫ Cup, a 3&2 loss to Tiger Woods ʛʪʜ
the environment, these should ˖˟˨˕ʛʫʜ 17 ʺˢ˟˙˛˔˦ʥʧˢ˙˧˛˘˦˘ʛʨʜ
be phased out and replaced 19 Said to have listened to Fred or 20 Animal runs up to former
with biodegradable wooden ʴ˟˘˫ʛʧʜ ˀ˔˦˧˘˥˦ʶ˛˔ˠˣ˜ˢˡʛʧʜ.
tees? They are much better for 21 Jersey Open venue from 1978
the environment. ˧ˢʤʬʬʨʛʥʟʧʜ
Alan Ranscombe, Selsey 22 ʶˢˠ˙ˢ˥˧˚˜˩˘ˡ˕ˬ˥˨˟˘ʤʩʲʛʩʜ

WIN!

ˇ˛˘˟˘˧˧˘˥ˢ˙˧˛˘ˠˢˡ˧˛˪˜ˡˡ˘˥˥˘˖˘˜˩˘˦˔ˬ˘˔˥Ϟ˦˦˨ˣˣ˟ˬʛ˦˜˫˗ˢ˭˘ˡʜˢ˙˧˛˘˕˘˦˧ˇ˜˧˟˘˜˦˧˚ˢ˟˙˕˔˟˟˙ˢ˥˛˜˦ˢ˥˛˘˥˚˔ˠ˘

9
 THE GAME
Edited by Nick Bonfield and David Taylor

10
R o r y boun c es b ac k

w i th C J C up vi ct or y

Your win at the CJ Cup was

your 20th on the PGA Tour.
What does that mean to you?

It’s pretty significant. When you

can do something to achieve
lifetime membership on Tour,
that’s great. When you look at
the bigger things in life, getting
to that level, I can pick and
choose where I play, which is
very important.

Thinking back, what would a

‘17-year-old you’ have made
of the achievement?

An objective at the start of my

career when I turned pro was to
get into the top 20 in the world.
So I’ve surpassed all of that, but
as you go on, you have to
reframe everything and you
have to keep resetting your
goals. But I think this is around
my 30th worldwide win if you
count the European Tour [ed:
29], so it’s been a pretty nice
career so far.

How do you reflect on 2021?

To have multiple wins in a year

that I would say has been a bit
of a down one for me, it’s still
been pretty good. But I want to
get back to that point where I’m
knocking off three, four, five
wins a year.

11
T H E G A M E
M O N T H I N P I C T U R E S
Photgraphy: Getty Images

Jin Young Ko overcame Hee Jeong Lim in a play-off to win the BMW
Ladies Championship – a victory that propelled her to world No.1

Denmark’s Jeff Winther

joined the list of first-time
winners on the European
Tour after his one-shot
victory at the Mallorca Open

12
 SHARPEN
GROOVE SHARPENER

REPAIR
3-IN-1 PITCH REPAIRER

Matt Fitzpatrick’s final-round 69 at Valderrama helped him beat Min Woo Lee and
Sebastian Soderberg to the Andalucia Masters title. It was his seventh European Tour win

DRAW
BALL LINE MARKER

Di d y o u k no w?
Alejandro del Rey etched his
name into the record books with ALIGN
a stunning round of 58 on day BALL MARKER AND PUTT ALIGNMENT

two of the Swiss Challenge. His

14-under return is the lowest ever
score to par recorded on a major
golf tour.
Hideki Matsuyama fired a closing 65 for a five- WWW.GROOVEFIX.COM
shot victory at the Zozo Championship in Japan 020 8240 0527
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13 TEE
L I FE TI M E GUAR AN
T H E G A M E
M O N T H I N G O L F
Photography: Getty Images

I N T H E N E W S

R&A and USGA introduce new The R&A, said: “We believe this
is the right thing for the game
at this time and it will provide
tournament organisers with
local rule to limit driver length the flexibility to choose for
themselves within the
framework of the Rules.”
As part of ongoing research be able to enforce the new Bryson has Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA,
into hitting lengths across the rule, which applies to all clubs experimented added: “We’ve worked closely
various tours, The R&A and with the exception of putters. with a 48-inch with our industry partners to
USGA have introduced a new It follows the governing driver recently ensure the future for golf
Model Local Rule giving event bodies’ 2020 Distance Insights remains strong. It’s important
organisers the option to Report, which stated that to note that it is not a ‘Rule of
reduce maximum driver longer hitting distances and Golf,’ and as such, it is not
length from 48 to 46 inches. courses are “taking golf in the mandated for the average,
At professional or elite wrong direction”. recreational golfer. Rather, this
amateur tournaments from On the news, Martin is an available tool for those
January 1, 2022, organisers will Slumbers, chief executive of running competitive events.”

Brendon Todd Mackenzie Eddie Pepperell Cameron

Hughes Tringale
Six missed cuts in The likeable
his last ten starts The Canadian Englishman’s A T11 at the

GOOD MONTH
have seen hasn’t missed a struggles have Sanderson Farms
Brendon Todd fall cut in five continued of Championship
to 100th in the months and late. He has and a T2 at the

BAD MONTH
world ranking. returned to the missed two of his Zozo represented
He’d been a world’s top 50 last three cuts a good month for
regular in the top with a T4 finish and is down in the journeyman,
100 since at the Zozo 362nd in the who’s still seeking
November 2019. Championship. world ranking. his first win.

14
T H E G A M E
M O N T H I N G O L F
Illustration: benhaslerdesigned.me

Nu mber s gam e
Since the first Masters (1934), Rory McIlroy is
the sixth player to reach 20 PGA Tour wins –
After four years, Spain’s including four Majors – before the age of 33.
Rafa Cabrera-Bello got The others are Nelson, Palmer, Nicklaus,
back into the winner’s Watson and Woods.
circle at the Open de
Espana. He shot 19-under
and beat countryman
Adri Arnaus in a play-off.

Celine Boutier claimed her second LPGA

Tour title at the ShopRite LPGA Classic. Sam Burns won his
Starting the final round five shots back, she second PGA Tour title of
made six birdies in eight holes heading to both 2021 and his career
the turn, and birdied two of the final three. at the Sanderson Farms
Championship.

Sungjae Im won the

Shriners Hospitals for
Children Open, hitting 62
greens in regulation for
his second PGA Tour win.

Danny Willett celebrated

his 34th birthday by
winning the Alfred Dunhill
Links Championship by
two strokes. It was his
eighth European Tour title
and first victory for over Jin Young Ko won the Cognizant
two years. Founders Cup with four rounds in
Charley Hull’s bogey-free
the 60s to tie Annika Sorenstam’s
65 helped overhaul Nelly
record of 14 consecutive rounds
Korda for the individual
in the 60s on the LPGA Tour.
title at the Aramco Team
Series New York.

16
T H E G A M E
M O N T H I N G O L F
By Andy Wright

T A L K I N G P O I N T

Who wi ll w in more Ma jo rs:

J o rdan Spieth or Co lli n Mori ka wa?

Four years ago, this wouldn’t It is Morikawa’s iron play that

even have been a question. makes him such a threat. For
However, given the career his career, he has gained an
trajectories of the two players average of 1.03 strokes per
since Jordan Spieth won The round on the field with his
Open at Royal Birkdale in 2017, approach play, second on the
it’s easy to see why the all-time standings only
results are so askew. JORDAN to Tiger Woods (+1.26).
Since turning pro SPIETH But rule out Spieth
in 2019, Collin 20.9% at your peril. The
Morikawa has enigmatic Texan
risen through the returned to the
ranks in quick COLLIN winner’s circle in
MORIKAWA
fashion, locking up 79.1%
2021, showing
his maiden PGA Tour flashes of his former
win after only six starts. self and running
The 24-year-old now boasts Morikawa close for the Claret
five professional wins, two of Jug at Royal St George’s.
which have come in Majors With his penchant for
with another at a WGC event, Augusta National, he could
proving he is a golfer for the easily add to his Major tally
big occasion. before you know it.

1 0 Q U E S T I O N S W I T H . . .

Favourite app on your phone?

It’s a close one between

Er i k v a n R oo y e n
WhatsApp and Instagram.

If you could have one career

mulligan... 2019 Turkish Open. I
was in a six-man play-off and
Dream four-ball? My dad, hit my tee shot on the first
brother and grandad. extra hole straight into a bush.

Best moment in golf? Playing Which three players do you

at The Open for the first time. take with you on a night out?
David Lipsky, Julian Suri and
One Major or ten European Miguel Angel Jimenez.
Tour titles? Ten titles.
What would you be doing if
Best swing tip in a sentence you weren’t a golfer? A
or less? Swing in rhythm, no musician. I’ve played guitar
matter how hard you are since I was 14. I love rock and
trying to hit it. roll, anything from The Beatles
to Foo Fighters – that’s the
You can only play one course type of music I’d love to make.
for the rest of your life...
Carnoustie. I played my first One surprising thing people
Open there. I love the layout might not know about you?
and the challenge it poses. I enjoy gardening.

18
 Photography: Getty Images

SHORT GAME
SOUND BITES
BRIEFS G M F or u m da y r ais e s
an ot h er £9 , 0 00 i n ai d

“ T I G E R HAS MA DE A REM A R K A BL E of Hel p f or H er o es

R ECOVE RY IN THE PAST F EW M ON T H S ,
B U T I T ’S MO RE S IG NIF ICA N T LATE LY. H E
Our Forum Charity Golf Day, after
K NOWS W HE N HE WA N TS TO RET U RN, A N D
its 12th staging, has now raised
H E ’S GO I NG TO M A KE IT H A PP E N.”
a total of £150,000 for wounded
A source told People magazine that Tiger Woods and sick military personnel.
was recovering well from serious injuries he
sustained in February’s car crash.
The R&A launches exhibition
and film dedicated to Seve

The life of Seve Ballesteros is being

celebrated with a dedicated exhibition
inside The R&A World Golf Museum, as well
as the launch of Seve – a documentary
“ IT I S EXTR EM ELY DISA P POINT ING TO
film profiling his life and career.
F I ND OU T TH E PGA TOU R A DO PT E D T HE
N EW USGA RULE TH ROUGH T HE ME DI A . I
D O N’ T KNOW O F AN Y P L AYE R W H O H A D
F ive - ye ar - ol d r ai s es o ver
A N Y R EP R ESE NTAT IO N IN T HIS M ATT E R .”
Phil Mickelson was critical of the USGA and R&A’s £ 6, 00 0 fo r or g an d on at io n
Model Local Rule on maximum driver length.
George Hughes raised £6,610 for an
organ donation charity after hitting 300
balls in two hours at Trafford Golf Centre.
The five-year-old tragically lost his dad
two-and-a-half years ago due to
complications from a heart transplant.

“ T H E R E ’S GO ING TO BE GOA LS S ET – A N D
I ’ M SUR E RO M E IS GOING TO B E TO P O F
T H E L I ST. I’M FUL LY EX P ECT ING TO BE STATS
T HE R E IN TWO YEA RS’ T IME .”
Robert MacIntyre has set his sights on a Ryder

64
Cup debut in Italy in 2023.

“ WO ME N ’S GO LF HAS BEE N NEGL ECT E D

TE R R I BLY A N D IT ’S NOT FAI R.” For the 24th time since the start of At 64, Bernhard Langer became the
2019, Titleist was the top choice in oldest Champions Tour winner after
Gary Player thinks the women’s game deserves every major equipment category at beating Doug Barron in a play-off at
more respect and support. the PGA Tour’s CJ Cup @ Summit. the Dominion Energy Charity Classic.

19
T H E G A M E
Q U I C K T I P Photography: Kevin Murray

By Clive Tucker

Ten minutes to tee-off

Top 25 Coach Clive Tucker suggests how best to fill the
final few minutes on the putting green before you play

Next four minutes

For the next four minutes,
focus on those testers
you’ll invariably face to
maintain momentum in
your round. Putt three balls
from different angles to
the same hole from
First five minutes two-and-a-half to three
Take three balls and putt feet to get a feel for these
them to the same hole to must-make putts. Each
get a feel for distance, putt will be slightly
before moving on to different, but if you make
another hole. Why three? all three, move the balls a
With two, if you leave the putter grip further away
first putt short, you’ll and repeat.
instinctively hit the next
one harder, but that just
means you’ve been able to
adjust. If you then repeat
that better putt with the
third ball, you’ve learned
and remembered
something.

The final minute

For the final minute, simply
knock the three balls in
from 18ins as it just feels
good to see the ball going
into the hole immediately
before you play. Do this
twice before heading out
to the 1st tee. Putts of this
length might be virtually
unmissable, but that’s the
whole point – your final
memory before you tee off
will be the sight and sound
of the ball going in!

20
T H E G A M E
F E A T U R E
Illustrations: Peter Strain

The dream level-par round:

18 straight pars or an equal mix

of birdies, pars and bogeys?

B i rdi es and 18 st ra igh t

b o geys p ar s
S A YS F E RGU S BI SS E T SA YS J EREMY ELLW OO D

A round of level-par containing six birdies Looking back, I think I have parred entire front
demands exceptional golfing prowess, while nines or back nines in my time, maybe even
demonstrating incredible potential for even tiptoed up to ten or 11 consecutive pars. But
lower scores. To birdie six holes out of 18, a never all 18, and that is something I would like
player must possess power, precision and a to achieve, even if my chances are now slim
great putting touch. One of every three holes Th e r e s u lt s as my golfing ability wanes.
completed under par is quite something. ar e in. . . I guess it is all about consistency versus
It is thrilling to make birdies; there are few inconsistency, and while I suspect I make at
better feelings in golf than sinking a putt to get least one birdie in more rounds than I don’t, I
one over on the course. Do it six times in a The dream level- fear my game and swing will never be
par round: 18
round and endorphin levels will be off the consistent enough to get me through 18 holes
straight pars or
charts. But what about those six bogeys? Well, an equal mix
unscathed. That would be the dream: to
therein lies the essence of golf’s compelling of birdies, pars survive a whole round without one single
nature: the thought that, next time, something and bogeys? shot-dropping mistake. Wouldn’t that be
truly special could happen. extremely satisfying?
A bogey is a minor blip, a small correctable But isn’t that also a bit negative, I hear you
error caused by narrowly missing a fairway or say; focusing on eliminating mistakes rather
an unfortunate three-putt. But, with practice, 18 pars 44% than making gains. Maybe, and I guess you
those minor mistakes can be limited. A mix 56% won’t get the same highs and lows of the
A level-par round is the preserve of the elite more mixed route to a level-par round. But
golfer, but the principle is the same for such a round will inevitably still bring the ups
handicap players. If you are posting scores and downs that go into making golf such an
containing several nett birdies, it is clear you Have you ever enthralling game – the disappointment of not
have the capability to improve your scoring by played an 18-hole birdieing that reachable par 5 can still be
cutting out mistakes. If you are steady on the round without countered by the gratifying, hard-fought par
dropping a shot?
pars or nett pars, there is not a great deal you on that testing 462-yard uphill two-shotter
can do to shoot lower, save for taking more you rarely reach.
risks and bringing nett bogeys and worse into The most famous round of 18 straight pars is
the equation. Eighteen straight pars may Nick Faldo’s at Muirfield in 1987, which helped
Yes 22%
sound cool, but a level-par round featuring six No 78% him clinch The Open – right down to the final
birdies, six bogeys and six pars wins. five-footer he made to retain his blemish-free
All golfers must be optimists and, with the scorecard. But I don’t think Sir Nick would have
mixed round of level par (or nett par,) there is been too bothered about how his score was
real hope to go out next time and replicate the compiled as he secured the 18th consecutive
What’s your view?
good while eliminating the bad. Email par, which saw him home by one shot from
The quest for golfing perfection is futile, but it golfmonthly@ Paul Azinger and Rodger Davis and led to him
is also compulsive. futurenet.com lifting the Claret Jug for the first time.

22
 T H E G A M E
T O U R G E A R
Photography: Getty Images
WHAT’ S IN THE
BAG?

SP TTED
Shane Lowry ON TOUR
The Irishman made his debut for Europe in No D9- i ng i t

the recent Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits Brendan Steele has been
seen testing some
new Wilson Staff D9
Forged irons.

Fairway woods
TaylorMade
SIM2, 15°;
TaylorMade M5,
Driver 19°, Graphite
Srixon ZX5, Design Tour AD
9.5°, Mitsubishi DI 8 X shafts.
Diamana
White 70 X
shaft.
A s t unni n g p ai r

Check out the Mizuno

Pro 225 HMB irons
Utility iron and FliHi long-irons
Srixon ZX U, 20°,
seen out on tour.
Nippon 120 X
shaft.
Irons
Srixon ZX5, 4-5
iron; Srixon
ZX7, 6-PW, KBS
Tour 130 X
shafts.

Putter Wedges
Ball
Odyssey Cleveland RTX
Srixon
Stroke Lab ZipCore, 51°
Z-Star XV.
Exo 2-Ball and 58°, KBS
with a Tour Wedge X Fa nt as t i c
custom Pro Black Finish fl a t -s t i ck s
X insert. shafts.
The new Odyssey
Toulon putter range for
next year has already
started being rolled out
GEAR NEWS Matt
Charley
on tour and it looks
incredible!
ROUND-UP Fitzpatrick
won at Hull
Aramco
won the
in New York
Valderrama with a
Titleist TSi3 driver, a Ping with a TaylorMade SIM2
G410 7-wood and driver, MG3 wedges
a Bettinardi and a TP Juno
Rory putter. Jeff
putter. Sungjae
McIlroy Winther
Im claimed was victorious
triumphed at
the Shriners with in Mallorca with
the CJ Cup with a
new Titleist T100 irons Callaway Mavrik Max
TaylorMade SIM2 driver,
and a Scotty Cameron woods, Apex MB irons
MG3 pitching wedge
Phantom F5 and a Chrome
and TP5x ball.
centre-shaft Soft X LS
putter. ball.

24
 T H E G A M E
N E W G E A R
By Joel Tadman

A Lamkin UTX grip

and Mitsubishi

Callaway Apex MMT shaft come

as standard

UW £299
Both hybrids and fairway woods have their The Apex UW is
flaws, but Callaway claims to have eliminated said to stop
them and combined the best features of both quicker than a
in this new club, which Phil Mickelson has hybrid into greens
already put in the bag. It’s called the Apex UW
(Utility Wood) and is being billed as a multi-
purpose club that offers a neutral ball flight and
can be used from the tee, fairway or rough.
It’s long, too, thanks to the Jailbreak A.I.
Velocity Blades that are engineered to increase
vertical stiffness near the sole of the club,
creating more ball speed low on the face where
players often mishit their hybrids. These blades
allow the Face Cup to flex on the crown for
better spin-rate consistency, and the bars are
spread to enhance forgiveness across the face.
Tungsten weighting (18g per club on average)
is used to precisely and neutrally position the
centre of gravity to promote higher launch and
steeper landing angles for better stopping
power, along with optimised spin rates, all while
reducing unwanted draw bias.
The Flash Face SS21 on every loft is uniquely
designed using A.I., with a greater emphasis on
centre and off-centre ball speeds. All these
features combine to supposedly provide 17 per
cent more consistent dispersion.
The Apex UW will be available at retail across
Europe from January 20, 2022, with an RRP of
£299 in lofts of 17°, 19° and 21°.

The Apex UW
has a clean,
compact shape
at address

GM
says
This unique club fills the gap
between a 4-iron and a 3-wood and
has better anti-left properties. Plus,
the shaft is 1.5 inches shorter
than a high-lofted fairway
wood, so you’re
getting more
control.

26
 Golfstream Express push Macgregor V-Foil Speed Scotty Cameron Phantom X
trolley £179 woods £89.99 9.5 Triple Black putter £699
A one-click mechanism aids The fairway and hybrid have a A limited-edition putter with a
quick and easy assembly. Also shallow face and engineered matte finish, while a custom
has easy-off wheels, a foot sole to help slower swingers engraving inspired by vintage
brake and folds flat to 280mm. increase launch and distance. cars helps to frame the ball.

Under Armour ColdGear Golf Adidas ZG21 Motion shoes £150 FootJoy Women’s HyperFlex
Kit from £20 Waterproof textile uppers are Boa shoe £149.99
The new ColdGear Golf Kit made with 50 per cent Offers athletic styling with
features Under Armour’s recycled materials. The Boa comfort, all-year-round
insulating ColdGear Infrared version (£160) features a performance and a snug fit
2.0 technology. ‘Y’-strap design for a secure fit. from the Boa system.

Arccos Caddie Smart Club MacGregor travel bags £49.99 Vice Guard umbrella £39.99
Distances free update The VIP Deluxe is constructed The splinter design comes in
Mishits and recovery shots are from a tough nylon fabric, four colour options – biscay
automatically deleted. Users while the VIP II Premium green, neon lime, neon red
can add in second and third (£69.99) has additional and white – and has a span of
putts for more accurate stats. padding around the top. 140cm for total protection.

BEST 2 021 GOLF TOW EL S

Titleist StaDry £42 TaylorMade Tour £24.99 Callaway Tri-Fold £11.95 Srixon Bag £12.99
Has a microfibre interior Soft and absorbent, this Made from 100 per cent This Tri-Fold towel design
with groove cleaner and a towel measures 15x24in and cotton for softness and measures 40x50cm
waterproof membrane to has multiple TaylorMade absorbency. A carabiner unfolded and includes a
keep the inside dry. logos printed on. clip aids easy attachment. carabiner clip.

27
T H E G A M E
L O V E T O P L A Y
Words: Rob Smith

Hardelot (Les Pins)

A quick trip through the Channel Tunnel opens up Patrice Boissonnas have restored the par-71
a different world, with plenty of great golf to design to its former glory through various means,
discover. One of the very finest courses in the including the removal of thousands of trees and
region is the revitalised Les Pins at Hardelot. France extensive bunker renovations.
An easy drive from Calais, it was designed by The result is a tougher and fairer challenge that
GF: €95
Tom Simpson in 1934 and is one of two excellent Stats: par 72, is at the same time far more visually impressive.
layouts here. In recent years, Frank Pont and 6,473 yards While there can be a tendency for some tree-

28
 In northern France?

Why not play...

Le Touquet (La Mer)

lined courses to be a little samey, this is not the GF: €102
case here at all. The bunkering is bold, dramatic Belle Dune
and memorable and there is excellent variety, GF: €65-€77
with four par 5s and a handful of very appealing Hardelot (Les Dunes)
short holes. For a course of this calibre, the green GF: €95
fee is very reasonable, and there is a warm Aa St Omer
welcome in the characterful clubhouse. GF: €55-€65

29
 Illustration: Peter Strain

Wayne Riley
The climax to the European It’s a difficult time for the European Tour. Keith Pelley and
Tour season is almost upon us everyone associated with the circuit have worked incredibly hard,
– and may already have taken but they’re facing an uphill battle. The tour simply can’t compete
place depending on when you financially with its American counterpart, promising Europeans
read this – and the DP World are heading to the States as soon as they can and, quite frankly,
Tour Championship generally the talent levels on the circuit aren’t as high.
delivers a suitably exciting The European Tour is almost like two tours in one. The big events
finale. Few could dispute it’s still attract top fields, something that will likely increase in the wake
one of the best professional of the strategic alliance between the European and PGA Tour – the
events that takes place Scottish Open is now an official PGA Tour event, for example. But
anywhere in the world. what about the other tournaments that are lower down the rung?
This is a statement that can Back when I was playing, even the smaller events still had a
be applied to several other Seve, a Langer, a Faldo, a Woosnam, a Norman or a Lyle. Now, that
European Tour events, but I simply isn’t the case. It’s not uncommon to see a European Tour
have to admit I’m slightly event without any players in the world’s top 50, and no one losing
concerned about the their card in 2020 due to Covid-19 has meant there are a lot of
decent but not great players
on the circuit. I’d go as far as to
say there isn’t a massive

“ I t ’s t i m e f o r t h e g a m e o f difference between the bottom

50 players on the Race to
Dubai and the Challenge Tour’s

golf to start holding Order of Merit.

Quite simply, these lower-tier
events lack any sort of razzle
p l ay e r s t o r a n s o m” dazzle and aren’t great
spectacles for the TV viewer.
On the PGA Tour, even the
‘lesser’ events have fields
tournaments on the circuit that comprised of multiple top-50 players. The disparity between the
don’t fall under the umbrella of tours really comes to the fore during these weeks.
the Rolex Series or traditional So, what’s the solution? Well, I’ve said before and I’ll say again
‘big hitters’ like the Alfred that it’s time for the game to start holding players to ransom,
Dunhill Links Championship. rather than the other way around. One idea is for the European
There can be no doubt the Tour to split its events into A, B and C tiers and require its members
gap between the European to play a certain number from each category. Obviously, the top
and PGA Tours has widened in guys can’t be expected to play many C-tier tournaments, but they
recent years – something that should compete in the odd one to help out. If they refuse then they
has been exacerbated by can’t play in the Ryder Cup, simple.
A former recent events around the There’s a bigger picture here: if younger and less-experienced
member of the world. The coronavirus players compete against the best, they will learn and improve and
European Tour pandemic has hit the the overall standard will gradually increase. That, in itself, will make
and two-time
European Tour far worse than the Tour more attractive to sponsors and fans and encourage
winner, Wayne
the PGA Tour, which has been more youngsters into the sport. The better the competition, the
is part of the
Sky Sports golf able to maintain and even better the overall standard and the higher the level of interest.
team. He writes increase prize funds. The 2022 I have so much respect for everyone at the European Tour and I
exclusively for Players Championship has a know how difficult a time it’s been of late. I’m just eager to see the
Golf Monthly staggering $20m purse. circuit get the fields it deserves on a more regular basis.

30
 Illustration: Peter Strain

Sarah Stirk
One of the enduring images Tiger Woods and has always tried to prioritise trying to live as
from this year’s Ryder Cup was normal a life as possible. He has often used that to deflect some of
Rory McIlroy in tears after his the criticism that comes his way and this is partly why the media
singles match against Xander has questioned whether he still has the drive to succeed.
Schauffele. That moment I think what the last 12 months have shown us, however, is quite
seemed to encapsulate not the opposite. His strange pursuit of Bryson-style extra yards, his
only all that had gone wrong new coaching set-up and his emotional outpouring at Whistling
for Team Europe, but also Straits all indicate to me that he’s been trying too hard to be the
where Rory was at with his perfect golfer and this has blown him off track. He was searching
game and career. A talent that for an answer to a problem which wasn’t necessarily there.
had burned so bright as a I’m not saying there weren’t issues with his game before this
young man but was now year, but he’s always managed to produce those really hot weeks.
perhaps beginning to fizzle out. Yes, he hasn’t won a Major since 2014 but he has registered 13 top
Fast-forward three weeks tens. A player of his talents should have converted some of those
and Rory registered his 20th into wins but he hasn’t been that far away, and his game was
PGA Tour title in Las Vegas certainly not in need of a major overhaul.
We all know him to be one of
the most honest and open
guys to interview on tour,

“ I t wa s fa n t a st i c t o s e e which is so refreshing from

both a media and viewer
perspective. I’ve heard Paul

R o r y p l ay i n g a t t a c k i n g , McGinley say he feels Rory is

often too honest, and some of
the attention that follows his
c a r e f r e e go l f a ga i n” comments can be a
distraction in the build-up to a
big tournament. But I think he’s
a deep thinker and very
playing the attacking, carefree conscious of how his comments are portrayed.
golf we have all come to love His words after his win in Las Vegas were very revealing when
him for. So could that display he said he went back to “just being me” and that he didn’t need
of emotion in Wisconsin have to be perfect to win golf tournaments. He’s also talked about
been a turning point? wanting to find that child-like enthusiasm he’s been missing of
Many critics, me included, late, especially with his putting and short game. It’s a well-used
have questioned his desire of line that Rory on his day is better than anyone else, but maybe he
late. His lacklustre Ryder Cup finally believes that himself. When he cuts himself some slack
display came on the back of a and lets loose like we saw at the CJ Cup, he really does look like
Sarah Stirk is poor season by his standards he could be the best in the world again.
a Sky Sports and a Major drought which I know it was only a low-scoring end-of-year shoot out, and
presenter and now stretches into its eighth we’ve had many false dawns with Rory before, but if he can
co-host of the year. Perhaps a settled and continue to tap into that freedom in his game when it really
Stirkers and
happy home life underpinned matters, we may well be talking about a significant moment here.
Radar podcast:
by vast wealth had combined, The real tests will come in the high-pressure weeks that define
Instagram @
stirkersand understandably, to blunt his careers. If he can keep going with this approach, there’s no
radarpod competitive edge. reason why another Major can’t come his way in the not-too-
or Twitter @ Rory is the first to admit he’s distant future. I have a feeling that if he can end that Major
stirkersradar never had the iron discipline of drought there will be several more to follow in the years to come.

32
 MAX
GOLF
MONTHLY
EXCLUSIVE
W ord s KIT AL EX ANDE R

YOUR G AME

Nick Dougherty shares his favourite tips to help

you shoot lower scores when it matters

34
 N I C K D OU G HE R T Y

e all want to
play well every
time we tee it
up, but the

W reality is that
very few of us
play to our
potential at all,
let alone in the
‘big rounds’ when we really want to. It
could be a club competition, an away
day at a trophy course or a special
round with a family member or golfing
buddies – these are the times when
you want to perform at a level you
know you’re capable of.
Much of it isn’t to do with the fact your
swing isn’t as good as Dustin Johnson’s
or Rory McIlroy’s. The simple truth is the
majority of amateurs don’t play to their
potential with the swing they have now.
The good news is you can shoot lower
scores the very next time you play
without making any changes to your
swing. Greater understanding of your
game, better strategy and decision-
making, a more positive mental
approach and equipment that’s right
for you can all help you play better and
more consistent golf.
To discover how to do this, we asked
TaylorMade ambassador Nick
Dougherty to give GM editor Mike Harris
a lesson around Wentworth’s famed
West course. Mike has been struggling
to play to his potential for a number of
years, with his handicap stuck around
10 despite being as low as 6 in 2012.
Dougherty is a three-time European

GM editor TaylorMade ambassador

Mike Harris Nick Dougherty

35
 Tour winner and now the face of Sky Sports Golf.
Once you’ve decided
He also shares his wisdom in the simple and
on the club and shot,
effective Tee Time Tips series on Instagram and
forget everything else
Sky Sports. Over the course of the lesson,
and totally commit
Dougherty shared a treasure trove of insights
that will help Mike – and you – play better golf...

Play to your strengths

The first part of this is identifying what your

strengths and weaknesses are. There are a
number of fantastic game-tracking watches and
devices available (I use the TAG Heuer Connected
Golf watch) to gather and analyse your data,
from the simple things like fairways hit, greens in
regulations, successful scrambles and number of
putts to more advanced stats like ‘strokes gained’.
Recording your own stats manually for a few
rounds will also give you a good snapshot.
Once you know them, simply favour your
strengths and avoid your weaknesses. If you’re
struggling with driver off the tee, use a 3-wood or
hybrid instead. If you hate playing from bunkers,
hit clubs off tees that completely take them out
of play and aim safely away from them on
approach shots. Hit more of the shots you’re
good at and fewer of the shots you’re bad at and
your scores will benefit.

Commit to every shot

Make sure you’re ‘all in’ every time

you hit a shot. There are usually
so many options and thoughts going
through your head that you don’t quite
fully commit to the shot you’re actually
about to play – and that makes it hard
to have a good outcome. Once you’ve
decided on the club and shot you’re
playing, forget everything else and
totally commit to it. This becomes even
more important when the round or
shot is really important to you because
you attribute greater consequence to
the outcome. That’s when you start
trying to guide the shot, which never
usually ends well. Stop worrying about
the consequences and simply focus on
hitting that shot with total commitment.

Get aligned accurately

This is an absolute fundamental.

If you’re not aiming where you
think, or where you want to, it’s pretty
much impossible to hit good shots on
a consistent basis. For example, if
you’re aiming to the right, as Mike has
a tendency to do, a good swing is
going to miss right. You’ll then have to
start launching the ball left to get it
back to your target and this leads to
all sorts of swing errors, like coming
over the top and slicing the ball. Check
Identify the distance to
your aim by putting an alignment stick
where you want the ball to
or golf club along your toe line at the
land, rather than the flag

36
 through a full-bag custom fitting with TaylorMade
and immediately benefited from having the
optimum set-up for him. The benefits of the
correct driver, woods and irons for your swing
and launch conditions are well documented, but
the right lofts, bounce and grind on your wedges
and a putter that complements your stroke will
also make a huge difference.

Don’t get too technical

Trying to put a good score together is not

the time to have too many technical
thoughts. One or two little prompts is fine, but if
your mind gets too cluttered, it’s going to be very
difficult to focus on each individual shot. A great
thing to do to help free your mind of technical
thoughts is to focus on your breathing. Focus on
breathing in for five and out for five, and as you
start the out breath, on the count of two, start your
swing. It also helps your rhythm and can be
effective when putting, too.

Accept golf is a hard game

The bottom line is golf is really difficult and

even the best players in the world hit bad
shots and shoot over par, so don’t put too much
pressure and expectation on yourself. Stop
chasing perfect shots and don’t be hard on
yourself when you do inevitably hit bad ones. One
bad shot will only ruin your round if you let it.
Remember the good shots after the round and
forget about the bad ones quickly.

“If you’re not aiming where Play the right shot for you

In any given situation, the right shot for you

you think, it’s impossible to might be different to the correct choice for
another golfer. Often the shot you see first is the
hit good shots consistently” one you’ll feel most comfortable and confident
with and therefore will play better. For example,
just because everyone else is hitting driver, don’t
feel pressured to follow suit if you know laying up
gives you a better chance. This approach is also
important around the greens, because you often
have so many choices. On the course, play the
range. If you’re not aiming correctly, use the stick shot as you see it and feel most comfortable.
to get yourself square to the target when you
practise. Whether your alignment is naturally
good or bad, always practise with an alignment
stick on the ground for reference.

Get custom-fit clubs

The right clubs for your game can make

your good shots better and improve your
bad shots. Your score is often determined by how
bad the poor shots are, rather than how good the
better ones are, and the quickest way to improve
scores is by reducing the bad ones. Mike went

Visualise hitting the sand

on to the green

37
Improve your posture

This is another fundamental that is really Understand bunker shots

important, and Mike benefited from
improving on the day. With poor posture, it Many amateurs struggle when they go in
becomes impossible to make a good swing. This greenside bunkers because they don’t
is often over-complicated, but there’s a simple completely understand what’s required to hit a
way to get into an athletic position. Just imagine good shot. For most club players, if you can
you’re a goalkeeper about to face a penalty. guarantee you get the ball somewhere on the
You’ll naturally adopt a dynamic position with the green first time, that will improve your scores.
weight on the balls of your feet, a little knee flex Using the bounce, the sole of the club, is really
and a good spine angle and head position. The important. Open the clubface, squat a bit more
only difference for golf is that you drop your arms and lower your hands; the loft then points
and hands to hold the club. straight at the target so you don’t have to stand
way open. Hit into the sand an inch or two behind
Identify the correct yardage the ball and it should pop out. Visualise hitting the
sand on to the green as that will keep you
There’s nothing more frustrating than accelerating through the ball. You want to hear a
making a good swing and hitting a good really nice ‘thud’ sound through impact.
shot but the ball not ending near your target
because you used the wrong club. Firstly, identify Don’t compound your errors
the distance to where you want the ball to land.
This often isn’t where the flag is – you usually It’s important that you never follow one bad
want to aim on the safe side and allow for run decision or shot with another. When you’re
based on ground conditions. playing a recovery shot, the most important
Then factor in other elements to get the thing is that you get the ball back in play. Forget
yardage that shot is actually playing. Uphill shots your ego and resist the temptation to go chasing
play longer and downhill shots play shorter. Most a wonder shot. Remember, you just missed an
rangefinders have a slope function that tells you
how much a shot is playing up or downhill. This
isn’t legal in competition, but you can use it in
practice to get a feel for how much different
slopes affect the yardage. Wind is also significant,
but it’s not always consistent. A shot played into a
certain wind will play double the yardage longer
than a shot played down the same wind will play
shorter. For example, a shot down a 10mph wind
will play around 10 yards shorter, but into that “Always play the
same wind it will likely be 20 yards longer.
The ball will also travel further in warmer
conditions and at higher altitudes. You don’t want
simplest shot you can
too much spin into the wind, either, so it’s better
to club up and swing smoothly. Take this into around the greens”
account to calculate a ‘playing yardage’ and
pick your best club for that based on the average
distance you carry each club. You can assess the
wind before play by looking at any weather
forecast for your local area and overlaying that
information on to a course map.

Know where the flag is positioned

The pin position on a green can make a

huge different to the shot you play. Knowing
the yardage is just one piece of the puzzle. Where
it is in relation to the front, middle and back of the
green and any hazards around the putting
surface is vital. If the flag is near water, you want
to be more conservative and aim well on the
safe side. When you’re between clubs, whether
the pin is at the front or back can help you make
the decision, because you want to favour the
side that gives you a wider margin for error. A lot
of courses can tell you what section of the green
the pins are cut on or have a coloured flag
system to indicate where they are.

38
 Nick’s advice covered every
facet of Mike’s game

Putt with freedom

It’s easy to get nervous and tense on the

entire fairway or green to get into this position, so greens because a putt has a finite outcome
don’t try and hit a smaller target or more difficult – you make it or miss it. Mike also admitted he
shot to get out of it. Take your medicine and feels more pressure over birdie putts than par or
ensure your next shot is from the fairway after a worse, even if it’s exactly the same putt. But you
poor tee shot or anywhere on the green following will putt better when you’re relaxed. A great way
an errant approach – even if you accept you’ll be to free yourself up is to say ‘back’ as you make
further from the hole. your backswing and ‘roll’ on the way through.
Distraction can be a wonderful thing to take your
Keep the short game simple attention away from unhelpful thoughts.

Always play the simplest shot you can Have more fun on the course
around the greens. In most cases, this
means taking as little loft as possible. Aim to land As amateurs, fun is the biggest reason why
the ball a yard or two on to the green and use the we play the game. Of course, the score you
loft required to release the ball to the hole. For a shoot is a part of that, but never attribute your
short flag, that might be a sand wedge, a pitching level of enjoyment, self-worth or relationship with
wedge if it’s a bit further and even down to a golf solely to the numbers you’re posting. A big
mid-iron if it’s a long chip. Low, running shots are part of this is also identifying why you play golf
far more predictable and easier to control than and what would make it more fun for you and
high, spiny shots – and the technique to play tailoring your approach to that. If you want a
them is simpler. Treat them like a putt with your lower handicap, properly commit and put the
feet close together, choke down on the grip and time and effort in. If you want to outdrive your
rock your shoulders to hit the ball. Your weight mates, focus on that and don’t worry too much
should favour your lead foot 60 per cent to 40 per about the rest. If you want to pull off an incredible
cent to create the desired angle of attack. shot every now and then, play more aggressively
but accept that your overall scoring and
consistency will suffer. Identify what you want
from the game and approach it accordingly.

39
 WHAT’S IN
THE BAG?
Nick Dougherty explains the clubs he uses

and why he chose them

Driver: TaylorMade SIM2, 10.5° Irons: TaylorMade P•7MC, 4-PW

I’m a high-spin player and the SIM2 As much as I’d like to move
Max spins a bit too much for me. towards blades, I like the feel I
My driver is all about forgiveness. get from these, and I have a bit
I’m already longer than I ever was of forgiveness as well. I can hit all
– I’ve earned some of that, but the shots and feel the contact
obviously technology has done and shape off the face like I
most of the heavy lifting. The great could when I was at my best. If
thing is it’s more forgiving across I’m having a bad day, these will get me out of jail.
the face, and that’s the bit I’m not as good at as
when I used to play on tour. Wedges: TaylorMade

MG3, 52°, 56° and 60°

3-wood: TaylorMade SIM2, 15°

I like the lower-spinning head and I like to carry three specialist

it’s really forgiving for a 3-wood. It’s wedges. I think of them more for
hot as well. I’ll shift my 3-wood out their capabilities around the
there 270 yards off the tee pretty greens to help me save shots, although you are
easily. It allows me to use this club going to hit full shots. My 52° is a 115-yard club,
on the holes where I’m not really my 56° is a 105-yard club and my 60° is a
feeling it with the driver. Like the comfortable 90 yards, but I’ll never hit my 60° full
driver, it has the Fujikura Ventus out. I’d rather feel in a 56°.
Blue shaft. Low spin but with loft is what I seek. I
want the ball to get up, but I don’t want it stalling. Putter: TaylorMade Spider EX

Hybrid: TaylorMade SIM2, 22° The first time I ever tried the EX, I
remember looking down and
I never used to like hybrids, but the thinking it was very easy to aim.
design is much better now – they I have it very upright, because I
sit so square and appear more want the path to be more
and more like irons when you look straight back and through. It’s
down at them, which makes me also great because it’s got the Pure Roll face on it.
feel like I can play it much more
like an iron. It fits in for my 3-iron. I Ball: TaylorMade TP5x
find it easy to hit a nice floating
shot with it and I can get it out there to around The TP5x is the lowest-spinning
245 yards. It’s got great versatility and it’s really ball I’ve played with that’s
good from the rough. I sometimes change it out high-end in terms of the
for the P790 UDI. I love that because it’s a 2-iron softness and feel. I have all the
but it’s as easy to hit as the rescue and easier to feel, control and spin around
keep the ball flight down in windy conditions. It’s the greens, but it also cuts
a great fairway finder on tough holes. through the wind a lot better.

41
42
 Pho t og r ap hy PAUL S EVERN, G ETT Y I M AGES

ZING
Word s B R IAN WACK E R

A TR A I L .

Viktor Hovland only turned pro just over two years ago, but
he is fast becoming one of Europe’s brightest stars

43
 Ea rly me m orie s

“The first Ryder Cup that I actually sat down and

watched to the end was [in 2012] at Medinah,”
recalls Hovland. “I remember a lot of those final
putts coming down the stretch very vividly and I

44
 VIKTOR HOVLAND

was sitting there watching with my dad, That Hovland has already reached the
and I remember just going nuts. There’s a heights that he has is testament to his
lot of really good memories from then, abilities, but his start in the game was
and every single Ryder Cup after that I’ve serendipitous in nature. He might have
been paying close attention. As well as never even taken up the sport if not for his
just playing college golf in the United father, Harald, who, as an engineer, spent
States, being a part of a team and a year in St Louis for work on a project.
playing for something bigger than One day, he bought a set of clubs to
yourself, I don’t think it gets any better use at a nearby driving range to pass the
than that.” time on his way to and from work. Harald
The outcome in his first as a participant enjoyed golf so much that when his
certainly could have been better: the US assignment in the United States was over,
won in a historic romp, 19-9. As for he returned to Norway with a set of junior
Hovland, he contributed just one point to clubs for his son. By age 11, Viktor was so
Europe’s cause, going 0-3-2 for the week. hooked that he wanted to play all the
He did, however, manage a half in a wildly time. As short as the summer season is in
entertaining singles match against Norway, the endless daylight provided
two-time Major winner and reigning Open plenty of opportunities to practise. In
Champion Collin Morikawa, in which the winter – when he wasn’t surfing the
two 24-year-olds tied just four holes. internet for another swing tip – he
Though Morikawa’s putt on the 17th headed to Fornebu Indoor Golf Centre.
ensured victory for the Americans, Along the way, he also took lessons from
Hovland won the next (albeit James McGowan, an Aussie who has been
meaningless) hole to pull all square. The teaching at Norway’s Drobak Golf Club for
outcome wasn’t what he’d hoped for more than 20 years. Bjornstad was also a
from a team perspective – particularly member of the club when Hovland was a
given a two-decade run of success, with junior and McGowan had helped him as
Europe having won seven of the previous well. Hovland, meanwhile, proved a tireless
nine editions of the biennial contest – or worker, and between studying swings on
the internet and his efforts with
McGowan, settled on a Dustin
Johnson-like bowed left wrist and
a pinched right elbow to generate
more power, a requisite for the
modern game.
“I really wasn’t all that good a
junior golfer,” Hovland says. “I
had potential, but I was never
the star growing up. I never really
won anything.”

T a lent s po tting

That potential was obvious to the

Oklahoma State University men’s
golf coach, Alan Bratton, who was
Hovland registered two
in Scotland for the 2013 European
halves at Whistling Straits
Boys’ Team Championship
scouting players to fill out his
roster. His sights that week were
on Norwegian team member
Kristoffer Ventura, who, at a svelt
from his own output, but the experience 6’3” and with noticeable skills, already had
was a memorable one. the look and feel of a factory-made tour
“I feel like it definitely exposed a couple player in waiting. But it was the 5’6” plump
of areas of my game that I really need to kid with his shirt untucked from the same
work on, but it has also given me high school as Ventura in Oslo who really
reassurances that my ball-striking has caught Bratton’s eye. Bratton knows
really, really been good this week,” he talent, and though Hovland’s swing and
said afterwards. “If I get a little better on look were a little different, he knew there
the greens and make a couple of putts, was something special there. Both
that can really be a big difference- players would end up at the school.
maker. But this tournament is so much Over the decades, Oklahoma State has
fun to play in, and I had a blast produced its fair share of notable players,
regardless of the result.” including Bob Tway, Scott Verplank,

45
 “I was never the star
growing up. I never
really won anything”

Hovland with Andrew Johnston.

Below: he won the US Amateur in 2018

Charles Howell III and Rickie Fowler, to name just a PGA Tour, beginning at the that if he can win, so can I.
few. While Hovland was there, he was a two-time 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational Morikawa, Hovland and
All-American and in 2018 he helped lead the and ending at the Players Matthew Wolff all turned pro
Cowboys to the school’s 11th national Championship earlier this year. the same week, at the 2019
championship. Later that summer, he won the US The latter was made perhaps Travelers Championship. Wolff
Amateur at Pebble Beach, where he never trailed more impressive by the fact was the first from the group to
during his final 86 holes and became the first the streak was interrupted by win, doing so at the 3M Open
player from Norway to capture that title. In 2019, the Covid-19 pandemic, which two weeks after the Travelers.
he was named the best collegiate player in the shut down the tour’s season for Then it was Morikawa’s turn. His
country and finished as the low amateur at the three months. first career victory came in July
Masters (T32) and US Open (12) before turning pro. When play resumed, Hovland of that year at the Barracuda
kept on rolling, in more ways Championship, just over a
Li k e a duck to w ate r than one. Rather than jet from month after turning pro. A little
one tournament to the next as more than a year after that, he
Success came quickly at the next level, too. is customary, he went old picked up his first Major at the
Hovland earned his PGA Tour card later that school (sort of), zooming USPGA Championship. Then, it
summer by tying for second at the Albertsons around the country’s highways was Hovland.
Boise Open in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. Then, in in a sporty Lexus RC F, a posh “It’s hard to deal with the
what was his 12th start as a pro coupe that boasts 472 expectations because they’re
on the PGA Tour, he drained a horsepower and can do 0-60 in usually a lot higher than kind of
30-footer to win the Puerto 3.96 seconds. The pandemic what is realistic,” Hovland said
Rico Open. Later that year, wasn’t the sole reason behind after his first victory. But the
he birdied the 72nd hole at Hovland’s decision to drive, but play of his contemporaries
the Mayakoba for his doing so gave him the flexibility – throw in Bryson
second career victory. to be on his own schedule, DeChambeau, who turned pro
There were other rather than be beholden in 2016 and won seven times,
significant achievements to the tour’s charter including a US Open, in his first
as well, notably setting a flights from one city to four years – certainly made his
PGA Tour record for the next. Plus, he was own results plausible,
consecutive rounds in keen on the idea of especially with a game
the 60s at 19 – two the open road, loud ready-made for the highest
more than the music and being level of the sport.
previous mark – in a behind the wheel. Though Hovland doesn’t talk
streak that began with a His own big and isn’t flashy, his game is
final-round 64 at the 2019 success was equal parts both. Built like Rory
Rocket Mortgage Classic and also buoyed by McIlroy, he hits driver as often
ended more than four months that of his as he can. He’s one of the best
later at the CJ Cup. There was also a peers, with the on tour in Strokes Gained:
run of 22 straight made cuts on the theory being Off-the-tee. Likewise his

46
 SCANDINAVIAN
spectacular iron play, which round, Hovland birdied the 13th
also ranks near the top. If and made a testy par save one
there’s a weak spot, it’s in his hole later before a terrific pitch
short game. On the way to to a few feet set up an easy
winning in Puerto Rico, for birdie at the 16th. That gave
example, Hovland flubbed a him all the cushion he needed

MASTERS
couple of chips en route to down the stretch.
making a triple-bogey on the “Sleeping on the lead, you
11th hole on Sunday. think about winning, and yes, it
It wasn’t long before he went was a long day and very
to work on that, too, seeking stressful,” he said afterwards. Thomas Bjorn
out answers from Pete Cowen Away from the course,
to improve how he used the though, not so much. Unlike Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn won 22
bounce in his many young times as a pro and came
wedges – in stars in golf, agonisingly close to an elusive Major at the
short, less Hovland didn’t 2003 Open. He enjoyed plenty of success in
digging and migrate to the Ryder Cup, winning three times as a
more sliding Florida or Texas player and once as captain in 2018.
under the or Arizona, all
ball. That’s hotbeds for tour Anna Nordqvist
Hovland; pros. Instead, he
always opted for a Since turning pro in 2008,
looking for a nondescript mini Nordqvist has proved she is a
solution to a mansion in big-time player. The Swede won her first
question, be it Stillwater, tournament at the 2009 LPGA
on a screen Oklahoma, just Championship and racked up further
or elsewhere. down the road Major titles at the 2017 Evian Championship
Apparently, Hovland played with from where he and 2021 AIG Women’s Open.
it’s a trait that Tommy Fleetwood in the went to school.
runs in the Ryder Cup four-balls The appeal is Henrik Stenson
family. At the understandable,
Players Championship earlier given a first-rate practice Many tried and failed before
this year, Hovland’s mother facility and the collegial Henrik Stenson became
was watching the opening atmosphere – particularly at a Sweden’s first male Major Champion in
round from Norway when she place where generations 2016. His Open Championship triumph at
called her son afterwards to remain connected to each Troon is the highlight of a stellar career
ask if he was going to get other through any number of that includes a World Golf Championship
penalised for returning his ways, from fundraisers to and Players Championship.
marker to the wrong spot on college football games.
the 15th green. Hovland didn’t “Obviously, it’s pretty popular Annika Sorenstam
know what she was talking for people, when they turn pro,
about, so he contacted the to move to maybe Jupiter, Many would argue the best
PGA Tour. They reviewed the Arizona, Dallas, other places,” female golfer in the history of the
video and he was penalised Hovland says. “I just knew that game, Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam has
two strokes. A day later, he my world was going to change, the most wins of all time and tops the
missed the cut – by, you and I didn’t want to deal with LPGA’s career money list.
guessed it, two shots. “I’m just moving to a
more disappointed that I different place Suzann
wasn’t able to play better,” he where I didn’t know Pettersen
said at the time. anyone and all
that stuff. So I just In a
W ise b eyond his yea rs kind of wanted to career
keep things similar spanning almost
He soon did play better, as I turned pro and two decades,
though. Hovland didn’t miss a made my way to Suzann Pettersen
cut for the rest of the season the PGA Tour. won 22 times all
and in June won the BMW “Now fast over the world.
International Open, where he forward a couple The Norwegian
held off a hard-charging and of years, I’m still retired in style at
far more experienced Martin there. I think it’s just the dramatic
Kaymer by two strokes. the convenience conclusion of the
How he did so spoke of it. The people 2019 Solheim Cup
volumes about his game being are awesome.” after clinching
wiser than his years. Playing in The same can victory for Europe
just his second tournament as be said about with the final putt
a pro in Europe and with Hovland’s long and of the tournament
Kaymer pulling even in the final bright future, too. (pictured).

47
 g
48
 CA D D I E S

P ho t og r ap hy GET T Y I MA GES
of a ~
Wo rds G ARRET T JOHNS TON

gman
From player tantrums to lifting Majors, we get the inside

track from four of the game’s most respected caddies

he life of a professional caddie may appear

glamorous at times and demanding at others.
These travelling freelancers have the potential
to make a lot of money in a short amount of
time, but they can also face some major dry
spells depending on their player’s form. So there
are huge variables in what you can make as a
caddie and also challenges when it comes to
managing relationships with players.
Tony Finau’s caddie, Mark Urbanek, believes
the job of caddying often comes down to
making the best educated guesses that you
can. How is the wind going to affect the shot?
How will the ball bounce on the green? How
much will the putt break? Urbanek has caddied
for 17 years and joins this caddie discussion

49
 CADDIES

with Gary Woodland’s have a player you like, you can always do. Maybe start asking the player some
bagman, Brennan Little (23 start cheering for them to do questions like “where’s the wind?” Get them in
years’ experience), Duane poorly and if you’re ever in the moment. It’s really just plodding along and
Bock (Kevin Kisner, 17 years’ that situation you know it’s trying to stay in the moment.
experience) and Michael time to get out. A lot of us guys Urbanek: You have to keep reminding
Bestor (Kevin Streelman, 22 would drink every night yourself to slow things down. No matter what’s
years’ experience). because our bosses made us going through your mind, you have to imagine
so miserable. that it’s ten times quicker in your player’s head.
What’s the best part of Urbanek: The hardest part is You have to just try and be as calm as you can
caddying? being away from your family no matter what’s going on and speak clearly,
and friends for an extended slowly and assertively.
Little: The competition. If amount of time. I’ve been
you can’t play golf at the fortunate to make so many How hard is it to step in when your player is
highest level, if you’re a caddie good friends on the road who making a mistake?
at least you can get those are caddies and players. That
competitive juices flowing. It is definitely helps. Little: Not hard at all; I want to tell him what I
hard to get the juices flowing think. He might say, “Why do you like this club?”
when you’re working a desk and you discuss it together. If I think he’s doing
job, but I think being in the mix something wrong, I’ve
and trying to help somebody never had a problem
win – just that adrenaline and saying “I don’t like it”. As
competitiveness is awesome. long as you have given
Bock: It’s the competition. him the options.
Being in the mix and having Bock: I’ve been working
that opportunity to win and be for Kisner for 12 years and
a part of something exciting. we have a pretty solid
For me that’s what I love, just routine and process. Me
being in it. stepping in during that
Bestor: I think it’s being in process is quite easy. He
different locations instead of values my opinion. We’re in
an office and making a good this together; I’m never
amount of money in a short going to give him
amount of time. I’m not a information that I don’t
people person, but you really think is right and if I
only have to get along with disagree with a certain
one person [laughs] instead of way of thinking that he has,
a team of people at a desk job. I’m going to step in. If he
Urbanek: Getting a front- steps into it and I feel a
row seat is definitely the best gust of wind and I want
thing. As a sports and golf fan, him to hold off, I’ll say
it’s awesome being right there something to back him off.
for some incredible moments Right behind you: Duane Bock with Kevin Kisner Bestor: You’ve got to pick
– some of them include my your places. You don’t
player and some include the want to argue about a couple of inches of
players we are paired with. When your player’s in the break over a 30-footer, but if it means making
hunt, how do you produce or missing a four- or five-footer then I feel very
What’s the worst thing? your best caddying? comfortable stepping in with my opinion.
Urbanek: I don’t think it’s hard to say
Little: Travel and being Little: You want to try and something and when there’s a chance of an
away from home. You live two keep things as calm and easy error, yeah it’s hard but that is this game.
lives: you have your life at as possible for your player. Bogeys you can overcome pretty quickly but
home with your family and One thing you don’t want to do doubles and big numbers not so much. I
friends and then on the road is think too much, because remember Fluff Cowan saying to me one time
with different friends. It can be obviously you want them to go about his job: “Just don’t let your man make a
a positive, but also a negative. through their regular routine. double.” Sounds simple, but it’s very true.
Bock: Definitely being away Be committed, pick a club and
from home. You’ll be on the commit to the shot. What’s been the best moment?
road for 30-something weeks Bock: Don’t change
of the year and that’s tough anything you’ve been doing; Little: The wins with Mike Weir at The Masters
on the kids. keep it simple for your player. and Gary Woodland at the US Open. I would
Bestor: It’s the greatest job Bestor: Really be in the also say the Greater Vancouver Open in 1999
in the world when your boss is moment. Get over a short with Mike, because I grew up with him.
playing well and you get along missed putt and leave that in Bock: The 2017 Presidents Cup. We were
with them; it’s one of the worst the past. When under paired with Phil [Mickelson] in three matches
jobs in the world if you don’t pressure, it’s important to go and I learned a lot from him. As we got ready for
like your boss. When you don’t through the same process you our first match, Phil came up to me and said: “I

50
 Brennan
Little on the
bag for Gary
Woodland

want us all to walk together to the first tee, when a player hits into Bestor: At TPC Avenel, the
because when these guys turn around and look something that you didn’t 17th is a par 3 over water. I was
at us, they’re going to see all four of us together. realise was there. working for Geoff Ogilvy and
They need to know they need to beat all four of Bock: I remember once in he had a chance to win. He
us and not just one or two of us.” China, I subtracted instead of had a 6-iron and I said: “I think
Bestor: Probably getting my first win with adding to the yardage on a it’s just a solid 7-iron to the
Dean Wilson in 2006 [at The International]. It was particular shot. I was seven middle of the green”. He went
his first and only win. It felt so good. yards off with a pitching with a 7-iron and left it out to
Urbanek: My player, James Hahn, beat DJ wedge and his ball rolls 40 the right and it went in the
[Dustin Johnson and Paul Casey] at Riviera in a yards from the pin to an water. I wanted to dig a hole in
play-off in 2015. It was the biggest moment for impossible place. My player the tee box and bury myself.
me because it took ten years of hard work. was like, “I know I hit that 103 Urbanek: We’re all going to
yards”. My response was, “Yell eventually make a mistake, or
What’s been the most awkward moment? at me, be mad, be pissed off do some maths wrong – it’s
– but believe me, you’re not just human nature. I think the
Little: The worst for me was in 1999 at going to be any more mad hardest thing is when you feel
Carnoustie, on the 6th hole with Mike Weir. There than I am”. Once you own up like you should have said
was a burn before the green and I forgot it was to it, you get by, but he was something and you didn’t. Or
there. Mike hit one in there and made double- livid and I wanted to crawl into when something you say
bogey – and there is no worse feeling than a hole. comes out and comes across
the wrong way.
Michael Bestor points the way for YE Yang during the first round of the 2011 Masters
Who are the best players to
be grouped with?
Little: I love playing with Pat
Perez and also Kevin Kisner.
Perez is just fun and
entertaining. He keeps it loose
and is always talking.
Bock: Max Homa. He’s just
one of my favourites out here.
So funny.
Bestor: I’ve always liked Tiger
to be honest. But there are
some pairings where you don’t
even want your player talking
to another player because the
energy is so negative.
Urbanek: Harry Higgs. He’s
such a funny guy and he
keeps things light.

51
 Speedgolf may sound like a crazy alternative to

the traditional way of playing, but as Alex Narey

discovers, it could give you a timely lift if you

are seeking to improve your game on the course

I
often try to explain to people why I love golf.
Is it the courses we play or the company
we keep? Is it the release from those
stresses of everyday life or that feeling of
escapism away from work? It is all those
things and more, but really, what I love
about golf is the ‘next shot’. Whether I am
playing poorly or playing well, the next
shot is all that matters. It is why I never
want my round to end.
But today, I’m not interested in the
next shot. Today, I want my round to
end. It is approximately 7.34am on an
early September morning and while
half the country is still asleep, I have
played 14 holes and lost seven golf
balls. The legs are shaking and the
heart is pounding. I have hit rock bottom.
Then something happens. Standing over my
third shot on the testing par-5 15th at Springs
Golf Club in Oxfordshire – and with about 120
yards to the flag – a voice shouts from across
the fairway: “Just let go. Don’t worry about the
ball. Just let go.”
53
 Free of any fear, I swing
smoothly and make a clean
connection, punching an
8-iron below the thick mist
which checks and spins back
towards the pin. Not only is it
the best shot I have hit during
this round, but it is probably
the best shot I have hit all
summer. It was creative and
quirky – not the kind of shot I
would ever think to play. I miss
the short birdie putt, but that
doesn’t matter. Encouraged by An iron off the tee
that one moment of magic, I proved the smart
play the next three holes play for safety
solidly to complete my round
in 99 strokes. Trust me, it could
have been so much worse... enough to spend time with the bike ride and marathon, followed by 18 holes at
likes of David Leadbetter and Windermere Golf Club).
T he I ron G olfer Denis Pugh,” he says. “They “Golf is a game that has been played for
were cool people and I always centuries,” Willett says. “But it is for anyone and
‘The voice’ from across the had a willingness to learn. everyone, and it does not have to be played in a
fairway was that of Luke “But while I was teaching, it certain way. It is about embracing life and
Willett, a PGA Professional and got to the stage where I asked having the willingness to embrace it.”
former head teacher at Burhill if this was the way it was
Golf Club. Willett is no ordinary always going to be; I wanted B ac k to ba sic s
golfer, and as you may have to know if I could do
gathered by now, this was no something else with the game. It is his journey playing speedgolf that appears
ordinary round of golf. This I wanted to be a trailblazer.” to be stoking his passion for the game he now
was speedgolf, a fitness- What followed was a series loves more than ever, and this is the reason I
orientated alternative to the of personal challenges; going have dragged myself out of my bed at 3.30am
standard format of electric on, in his own words, a ‘crazy to run the best part of five miles loaded with a
trolleys, bacon sandwiches journey’ which started playing pencil bag and nothing more than a driver,
8-iron, wedge and putter.
To play the round I am joined by Golf
“Speedgolf is the best lesson Monthly’s editor, Mike Harris. Pre-round, we both
seem unsure of the task ahead. We meander
and kick our heels by the putting green, while
– even for better players” Luke warms up on the nearby practice area. He
hits the odd wedge shot, but his routine
appears to be more focused on getting the
and plodding Sunday- urban golf down the middle of blood running through the veins as he jogs from
morning fourballs. Oxford Street in 2018. “That was tee to green. Approaching the opening hole, I
Speedgolf’s aim is to ‘unite about taking myself out of my reach to find a tee and pull my driver from my
two of the largest lifestyle comfort zone and seeing how bag. “I don’t use a driver,” Luke says. “Teeing the
communities in the world, golf people I teach feel, because ball up only wastes time.”
and running’. Played for many, learning to play golf My opening tee shot on the short par 4 sets
competitively, it takes the takes them away from their the early tone: an ugly hook that finds the
combination of strokes played comfort zone,” he says. adjacent 18th fairway. Luke fires his down the
plus the time it takes to Since then, Willett –
complete your round. Unlike dubbed ‘The Iron Golfer’ Luke (left) and Alex
regular golf, those pre-shot – has continued to take running through the
rituals of practice swings and the game into uncharted pain barrier
lining up your putt should be territory, like his ‘Three
ignored. There is no time to Peaks Golf Challenge’
overthink things; overthinking (climbing while golfing up
only leads to poor shots. Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike
Willett’s own journey to the and Snowdon), ‘Golfing
highest ranks of speedgolf – Coast to Coast’ (a 225km
where last month he was cycle trek from Cumbria
crowned British champion – to Whitley Bay playing 18
has been typically holes – six on three
unconventional. He turned pro separate courses – along
at the age of 18 and enrolled the way), and his ‘Iron
as a teaching professional at Golf Challenge’ (a
The Belfry. “I was fortunate 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile

54
 SPE E DGO LF
middle, as does Mike. I meet more importantly, I realise I’ve been given a true
them both on the green about ‘golfing lesson’. Forget ball position and grip
three-and-a-half minutes later. pressure; forget the result; forget the yardage.
A par follows on the par-3 Trust your swing and the rest will follow.
2nd, but then the wheels come “Speedgolf is the best lesson any golfer can
off as the breathing becomes have, even good golfers,” adds Willett. “Real
heavier. An attack of the learning happens when you just let go.”
‘unmentionables’ begins on Amid all the personal carnage, it is important
the 6th hole and I genuinely to note that Willett, for all the quirkiness and all
start to worry that I may run those crazy challenges, remains a seriously fine
out of balls. By the turn I am golfer. So fine, in fact, that he completes the
sweating profusely, but can par-72 layout in a one-under-par 71 strokes
only watch in awe as my – quite remarkable when you consider he had
playing partners continue to only three or four clubs in his bag, and no driver.
play almost regulation golf. So what next? As well as targeting the world
Sensing my struggles, Luke championship next year, Willett wants to be the
offers a helping hand. first player to break speedgolf’s 100 barrier (for
“Put the driver away to keep emotions you feel during a example, a round of 66 with a time of sub-34
it in play,” he says. “Don’t worry regular round of golf: it is not minutes). But there are even bigger aspirations.
about where the ball goes. It is about compiling a score and “I want to grow it,” he says. “It is snowboarding
all about getting over the the heartbreak of those to skiing. It is running; it is for the masses. You
finishing line today.” near-misses. Rather, it is about need pioneers and I want to be that person. It
stripping everything back and has reignited my love for the game.”
Re al ity stri kes cleaning the slate. It’s
good for the soul and,
And so it goes on: a fairway speaking quite frankly,
missed, another lost ball, good for the ticker, too.
double-bogey, triple-bogey, As I finish up on the
before Luke’s divine 18th green with the
intervention on that 15th hole, most satisfying double-
which helps me understand bogey six of my life,
what the last half hour has there is a sense of real
been about. I have satisfaction for what
approached it with the wrong we have just achieved:
attitude, but now I only see the completing a round of
benefits. Speedgolf has golf in a few seconds Finally, it’s over: Alex
nothing to do with the over 70 minutes. But feels the pain after
completing his round

WILLETT TAKES George Boxall (round one - 84 shots, 37

IT DOWN minutes and 36 seconds; round two - 81 shots,

37 minutes and 27 seconds; combined score
of 240.04).
O n S ep t e m b e r 1 9 & 20 , Lu k e w a s cr ow n e d B r it is h “I knew it was always going to be hard, but to
O p en S p e e d g o l f c h a mpi o n . H e r e ’ s h o w h e di d i t … be honest I came into it in good form and was
feeling confident,” says Willett. “I had trained
really well and was ready.”
Participants were allowed to use up to seven
Taking to the fairways at clubs, with some carrying in hand or in a small
the Springs Golf Club in pencil-style bag. Scorers in buggies tracked the
Oxfordshire, Luke Willett fired field of 17 players.
rounds of 77 and 82. His Former world champion Rob Hogan from
opening round was Ireland was a close third, while Scott
completed in 37 minutes and Richardson from Buckinghamshire made
59 seconds, while his second history by becoming the first amputee
was done in 39 minutes and competitor in the world to compete in a
57 seconds, giving him a national speedgolf championship.
combined two-day score of He completed his first 18 holes in under 75
236.56 (shots + time) to beat minutes and the next morning thrilled again,
second-placed amateur going even faster in 71 minutes, 16 seconds.

55
56
 A N NA N O R D QV I S T

Anna Nordqvist tells us about her thrilling 2021, which included

victory in the AIG Women’s Open and Solheim Cup success

f ever Europe had a lucky charm it If this year’s Ryder Cup taught us anything it
would be Anna Nordqvist. Back in was that winning away in the States – with no
2013 the Swede hit the opening tee visiting support – is a formidable task, but
shot at the Solheim Cup in Colorado Catriona Matthew’s side led throughout. In the
and, three days later, the visitors middle of it all was the three-time Major
would claim their first victory on champion and comfortably Europe’s most
American soil. Eight years later experienced player, Nordqvist.
Nordqvist was the safe pair of hands on “I asked Mat [Matilda Castren] and she said
Inverness Club’s unique 1st tee as she led she’d be happy if I hit the first tee shot!”
Europe off and, against the odds once again, Nordqvist recalls. “In 2013 I had so much
the visitors retained the famous trophy. adrenaline I hit it a good 25 yards further.

57
 A N N A N O R D Q V IS T

This year it was a good set-up for me to take the the Stars and Stripes has been year too. I felt like a half was fair,”
odds and I didn’t miss the middle of the fairway. fading on the Major winners’ she explains. “I thought I had the
When it’s raining outside or I’m tired and don’t podium and, in the past three last putt and there were a lot of
want to practise, I will always think of those years, we’ve only seen Nelly putts that I didn’t make, so that’s
moments. When I’m done playing eventually, they Korda prevail. something that I need to
will be the moments that I will look back on.” “A lot of Americans were continue to work on, but Lexi is
Next time around, Europe will have a new winning on the LPGA Tour at the one of the best players in the
skipper at the helm, with Matthew ruling herself beginning of the year and we world for a reason.”
out of a third straight stint. They will certainly were the big underdogs, but this
have some pretty big shoes to fill after the Scot summer the European girls, like All-ro und t ale nt
and her team pieced together one of the Leona Maguire, have been
greatest ever European wins. playing some really good golf. Nordqvist’s game appears
“This was one of the best teams we’ve had in Matilda Castren won on tour so, ridiculously metronomic – so
terms of personalities and players being in form,” going into the matches, we were how would she mark herself,
Nordqvist says. “We easily had 14 to 15 girls to still the underdogs, particularly out of ten, for each element?
choose from which is quite unheard of; usually with the lack of our fans, but, at “Driving: seven, irons: nine,
the last couple of players are short game:
picked to find fits for pairings. seven, putting:
“The Americans got really loud six, mental: eight
when they were making a two or or nine, physical:
three-footer to halve a hole and, seven or eight.
if you were on the other side of The consistency
the course, you were expecting is back in my
them to have won a hole but, ball-striking. I
after a while, we worked that out worked on some
and the quieter it was the better.” wrong things for
a while and my
T urni ng t he tables misses were a
bit sideways but
To give us some perspective of my short game,
how things have changed, Trish with the help of
Johnson played on eight Parker
European Solheim Cup teams McLachlin, has
and won only twice; Nordqvist been great this
has now played on the past year. My putting
seven and has emerged is where there is
victorious more times than she the room for
has lost. Had Germany in 2015, improvement.”
˪˛˘˥˘ʸ˨˥ˢˣ˘˟˘˗ʤʣʠʩʟ˚ˢˡ˘ Evian Championship winner, 2017 But it was
Nordqvist’s
ability with a
“The 2021 Solheim team was the same time,
both teams
hybrid that played a pivotal
role in her capturing the
were pretty solid Women’s Open at Carnoustie
one of the best we’ve had and it was this year. Astonishingly, she is
always going to now the first non-American to
in terms of personalities” be a good win Majors in three different
match,” she says. decades and only the third
At Gleneagles European, joining Annika
their way then they would have won five of the three years ago Nordqvist, still Sorenstam and Laura Davies,
past six. the only player to have had a to win at least three.
“I would say this year was the best. Winning on hole-in-one in the competition, “We all know what to expect
American soil is a special feeling,” she says. was out in the final match as with the last four holes at
“Having no fans and just seeing how massive the she, Bronte Law and Suzann Carnoustie,” she says. “The 15th
American crowds were, and them all being Pettersen catapulted Europe ˪˔˦˜ˡ˧ˢ˧˛˘˪˜ˡ˗˦ˢʼ˛˜˧˔ʥʥϊ
against us, made it one of the best over the line in the last three hybrid and also at 18, and I hit
performances in European Solheim Cup history.” singles. This time around, and ˠˬʤʬϊˢˡʤʩ˔ˡ˗ʤʪʡʼ˧˪˔˦
At some point soon, hopefully in Spain in 2023, for the third time, she was back playing brutally long and there
Europe will talk up their chances a little bit more in the more familiar role of No. 1 is no way around it; that’s what
given how the worm has turned in recent times. and, just like 2017, up against makes it a great course as it
All teams love to play the role of the underdog, Lexi Thompson. requires good shots under
but the ever-changing face of women’s golf is “My game with Lexi in 2017 was pressure. You can’t get away
reflected in both the Solheim Cup and the one the best in Solheim history with anything and you have to
Majors. Since the millennium the familiar sight of and both of us played well this challenge the bunkers off the

58
tee or you are going to be standing there with a
really long shot in. I played the last four holes in
two-under for the week, which I think is quite
amazing. That was one of the keys to winning.”

F ig ht i ng back

Nordqvist has often been quoted as singling out

Carnoustie and Kingsbarns as two of her Proud moment: after
favourite courses. She first played the former in the AIG Women’s
2011, but it was a round with her now husband, Open this summer
Kevin McAlpine, back in 2017, that stands out as
one of the most memorable. They played off
mats, used borrowed clubs, there were no
scoreboards and, bizarrely, it took place on was unfortunate, with
Boxing Day. Nordqvist being told after her
T e a m in g u p
“My husband is from Dundee and it was our first third shot while Lang was w i t h S wa g Go lf
Christmas together, so we went back to his informed before her approach
family,” she says. “He has a friend who works there to the last, but the Swede
and four of us played. It was four degrees Celsius handled it all with her usual Swag Golf has been producing
so we had a few layers on, but it was summer grace and style. precision-milled putters,
greens on nearly every hole and it was sunny. It “I was proud of myself how I headcovers and accessories
was such an amazing day, just awesome. That played that week. I hit 18 greens since 2018. Nordqvist began
was the last time I had played it before the Open.” on the Friday which was the working with the Swag team
Nordqvist could very easily have four Majors first time anyone had done earlier this year having used
by now and be very close to a career Grand ˧˛˔˧˜ˡ˔ˈˆ˂ˣ˘ˡ˔ˡ˗ʼ˛˜˧ʤʪˢˡ its putter for 12 months – and
ˆ˟˔ˠʡʴ˧˧˛˘ʥʣʤʩˈˆˊˢˠ˘ˡϞ˦˂ˣ˘ˡ˦˛˘ˠ˔˗˘˜˧ ˧˛˘ˆ˨ˡ˗˔ˬ˪˛˘ˡʼ˦˛ˢ˧ʩʪʡʼ she had the Swag Handsome
into a play-off with Brittany Lang only for, literally, wish the ruling would have Too putter in her bag at
a grain of sand to move in a fairway bunker and been told in a different way, Carnoustie. After her Women’s
a subsequent two-shot penalty being handed but it was almost like the fire it Open victory, Swag created
out halfway down the 18th. It was as messy as it gave me was bottled up and I the Queen Anna headcover;
used that at the Evian the she has used a variety of them
following year when I needed a at other tournaments.
Teeing off at this year’s Solheim Cup
bit more motivation. The company is primarily
“The British [Open] is the known for its milled putters
greatest Major I’ll ever win as it and is the brainchild of Nick
is so special being from Europe Venson, an industry veteran
and its history and having who believed there was a gap
watched it for so many years in the market.
– so there are no regrets.” www.swaggolf.com

59
INSTRUCTION
OFFICIAL DATA PARTNER

Play better
this winter
Neil Marr with Jeremy Ellwood

Playing this great game of

ours during the winter months
can be a very different
proposition to the heady
golfing days of summer. We’re
forced to layer up, try to keep
warm and look to deal with a
softer and wetter golf course
and everything the elements
might throw at us in the way of
wind, rain or worse. It’s
different, but it’s certainly not
impossible if you go about
things the right way.
In this winter instruction
special, Neil Marr, PGA
Professional at Meldrum House
in Aberdeenshire, shares some
tips and advice to help you
play better golf this winter. So,
when the mercury dips and
the heavens open, you’ll be
well placed to deal with the
game’s many off-season
challenges, from driving in the
wind and playing from wet
grass or sand to putting on
slower greens.
Read on if you’re keen to
keep playing to the best of
your ability over these more
testing golfing months…

61
I N S T R U C T I O N
P L A Y B E T T E R T H I S W I N T E R
By Neil Marr

1
Driving in the wind
The first thing I would say
is you should adjust your
expectations and
gameplan, as you’ll be driving it
different distances due to the
softer ground conditions and
cooler air. So, bunkers and
certain danger spots you’re
normally worried about may
be out of range.

Downwind
‘Tee it high, let it fly’ is an old
cliche, but a good one. Stand a
little wider, keep the ball
forward in your stance and set
more weight on your right side.
Do this by tilting your spine
away from the target a little to
hit it on the up and make full
use of the tailwind.

Into the wind

‘Swing with ease into the
breeze’ is the opposite cliche!
Tee the ball down a little, move
it a ball’s width further back in
your stance and grip down
perhaps an inch. Your spine
should feel more vertical at
address. Taking something off
your swing rather than hitting it
harder will help reduce spin.

Don’t swing full

tilt into the wind

Crosswinds
Skill level is a factor. Better
players may be able to hold
the ball against the wind, but
for most, I would recommend
going with the wind rather than
fighting it. Stick with what you
know instead of attempting
something unfamiliar.

62
 Judging your
lie is key

2
Irons from wet rough
Judging the lie is key. If
it’s sitting up on a tuft
and there’s moisture,
there will be less friction on the
clubface. The ball will spin less,
so consider clubbing down and
allowing for more run. From
heavy, wet rough, grip the club
a little firmer and set more
weight on your left side with
the ball further back in your
stance. The worse the lie, the
more loft you’ll need.
If the lie is so bad that you’re
just looking to get it back in
play, think clearly about your
line, target and likely distance. I
find a lot of golfers don’t think
about it fully when taking their
medicine and end up in trouble
on the other side of the fairway.
They get a little cautious with
their line but then don’t take
the right club for that more
cautious line!

3
Compacted sand
Keep the upper half
turning through the ball
The club will bounce
more at impact and
you won’t be able to
slide it through and get the ball
coming out on a cushion of
sand as easily. You need to
adjust how far you hit behind
the ball and that starts with
set-up, so have the ball further
back than for a standard splash
shot with the clubface square.
You still don’t want the club
digging in too much, so make
sure your upper half keeps
turning through the ball, even if
your lower half stays relatively
stable. Turning your feet and
knees out a little at address
helps to stabilise your feet and
hold your legs in position.

The ball should be

further back in
your stance

63
I N S T R U C T I O N
P L A Y B E T T E R T H I S W I N T E R
By Neil Marr

4
Chipping from
Have a clear idea
wet grass of your landing spot
First of all, make sure
the clubface is dry
and clean, because that’s
going to give you as much spin
as you’re going to be capable
of from this kind of lie – and
that will be less than in dry
conditions. The more water
and grass that gets between
the clubface and the ball, the
harder you’ll have to hit it, too,
as the club has to get through
those as well.
The ball tends to fly further
out of dry grass, so think of it as
more of a running shot from

wet grass as you’ll be getting

less spin (the towel in the
smaller photo is my ideal
landing spot here). If you need
to stop the ball quickly from
Flight
wet grass, remember you’ll
have to rely on height and loft,
Wet grass leads to
rather than the spin you might
less spin, so when you’re
be able to create in the dry. visualising your chip shots
And finally, spend time from rough in winter, see them
practising from wet grass to more as chip-and-runs
give your brain an idea of how than high flops. You
things might play out. If you’ve have to be able
practised, you stand a better to adapt.
chance on the course.

64
 Photography: Kenny Smith. Shot on location at Meldrum House Country Hotel and Golf Course, Aberdeenshire

5
Chipping from muddy lies
A common mistake is to lean
the shaft forward, get steep
on it and try to pick it cleanly
from soft, muddy lies, but that just
brings the leading edge into the
equation. Misjudge it a fraction and
the club will dig in and you’ll duff the
shot. From soft, muddy lies, you can
actually use the club’s bounce still
and play it in a similar way to a
bunker shot, although not a full-
blown explosion!
Adopt a more neutral set-up to
allow the bounce to do its job. This
gives you more leeway in the strike
and allows you to hit the ground a bit
behind the ball and still get a
reasonable result, in a way that you
wouldn’t by coming in more steeply
and presenting the leading edge.
People can get tense and just use
their hands and arms on chip shots.
Remember, they’re mini swings so
Getting steep can ...so adopt a more there is still a miniature turn, which
cause issues... neutral set-up helps move the weight even more on
to the left side as you finish.

6
Putting on slower greens
Grip the putter a little more
firmly – on quick greens a
softer grip tends to soften
the hit, but that’s not what you want
here. If you’re really having trouble
getting the pace, think of an
imaginary hole beyond the hole
(represented by the white disc here).
Focus on putting to that to help
adjust your pace.
Always hit a few pre-round
practice putts to get a feel for how
slow or wet the putting surfaces are.
And, if you also have a heavier
flat-stick or an adjustable one, now
is the time to put it in play… or
maybe just apply some good
old-fashioned lead tape!

Putt to a ‘hole’ Implement a

beyond the hole firmer grip

65
I N S T R U C T I O N
F A U L T F I X E R
By Top 25 Coach Ged Walters

Brush up on
your ball-striking

1
When we talk about ball-striking
quality, most of it comes down
to what the hands, arms and
body are doing. If one part isn’t
behaving itself properly, it will have
a knock-on effect. Every player is
different, but there is a simple drill I
like to get players to rehearse that
can help with their ball-striking and
improve consistency.

Grip check

Anyone with a very

‘palmy’ grip will struggle to
retain the shaft parallel to
target, as shown. This can
highlight whether
you have a grip
issue.

66
 Photography: Vicky Jones. Shot on location at Formby Golf Club

2
It is one of the most common faults: the clubface
opening too early on the backswing. I’ll often see a
bit of a roll with the forearms; the clubface stays a
little open at the top and on the downswing, and getting
it square is hard to manage. If your delivery is from the
inside you’ll hit pushes and push slices, and if you come
over the top you’ll hit slices, plus you may experience the
odd pull by over rotating the face.

3
You want to feel like you have
the clubface in position early
– so for the majority of people,
that is more closed. From this point
the lower body can turn, which is
dead easy; you won’t have those
timing issues because your body
rotation is controlling the way the
face closes through impact. I like to
encourage golfers to feel like there’s
some angle in their trail hand. In
other words, when your hands get
close to hip height in the
downswing, get your trail hand
feeling like it’s almost going to brush
the ground with the palm of your
hand as you go through impact. It’s
a good mental picture to have.

67
 I N S T R U C T I O N
A S K T H E E X P E R T S
Photography: Kenny Smith, Kevin Murray

How should I tackle a

plugged bunker lie?

By Top 25 Coach Neil Marr

It depends how firm the sand is and where the

flag is. If it’s really buried, square or close the
clubface to dig it out. Allow for a lot of run and
just accept that anywhere on the green is good.
Don’t be afraid to almost let the club stop at the
ball. Have weight on your left side throughout, as
this keeps the angle of attack steep, enabling
you to get the club down into the sand and
ensure there’s some height on the ball.

Advanced
technique

If the sand is quite soft,

an explosion shot is still
possible. It requires a
lot of strength, but
it’s certainly
doable.

68
 How ambitious
should I be with a
hybrid from the rough?

By Top 25 Coach
Peter Dawson

Strength and clubhead speed

will have a bearing, but
hybrids do make longer shots
more viable from the rough
than long-irons. Their design
helps them to glide through
the kind of rough where a
long-iron is likely to snag. But
you must still be realistic. If
your ball is sitting down in
Think heavier rough, your
iron focus should be on
just getting it back
Keep the ball in the in play with a
same position at wedge to
address as with a long-iron.
avoid
Your set-up and swing
potentially
should be the
making matters
same as with
worse by striving for
an iron.
too much distance.

How can I improve my

pitching into the wind?

By Top 25 Coach Clive Tucker

Don’t overcomplicate things

with grip positions and
different swing speeds – stick
to a proven swing that works
for you and change clubs
accordingly. We carry many
different clubs! If it’s a one-
club wind, take a 9-iron
Lower
instead of your pitching
flight
wedge and just make the
same swing. If you take the
Remember that
wedge and hit it harder, you’ll
with a lower-lofted club,
put more spin on the ball, it will
ball flight will be lower, so
fly higher and you’ll lose you’ll need to factor that
control – the complete in, especially if there
opposite of what you’re trying is trouble at the
to achieve. front.

69
 I N S T R U C T I O N
S A V E P A R
By Tour coach Zane Scotland

How to play
the flop shot
The flop is a high-risk shot, but there
are times when it’s the only way you
can get the ball close to the hole if
you’re out of position and need to
stop the ball quickly. The idea is to
launch the ball as steeply as you
can so it lands softly with minimal
release. It’s only a shot you should
take on when you don’t have any
other choice.

I like to set up with my feet and body

square to the target, or even a little bit
closed, to encourage a really shallow
swing that cuts the legs off the ball as it
slides underneath. You don’t want to
set up open because this makes your
attack angle steeper, which is the
opposite of what you want for this shot.

70
1
Ball forward and face wide open
A weak grip will
The ball wants to be at the low point of your swing help keep the
arc. Open the clubface as much as you dare. Having face open
a club with relatively low bounce will help because
this keeps the leading edge close to the ground, even as
you open the face. An open face makes it point to the right,
but you can negate that by dropping the handle lower.

The ball should be

directly below your
lead shoulder

2
Try a weaker grip
Weakening your grip, so the left hand turns more
to the left and you get the right hand a bit more
on top of the shaft, will help you keep the face
open. Make sure you open the face at address before you
take this weaker grip, rather than rotating your forearms
to open the face when you’re already gripping it.

3
Plenty of clubhead speed the ball flight. The more wrist hinge
Go through to a three-quarter and higher the clubhead in the finish
finish to make sure you don’t position, the higher the flight will be.
quit on it through impact. You Working to a specific follow-through in
can use three different finish positions the short game can help take the
from the same backswing to change nerves out of the strike.

71
 I N S T R U C T I O N
S W I N G S E Q U E N C E
Analysis by Top 25 Coach Andrew Reynolds

Bernd Wiesberger

1 2
Wiesberger has a simple, a long way from his head, which His club is still going back as
orthodox, modern swing. His helps create a nice, wide arc. It starts his hips are unwinding, which
posture is very neutral and the back low, and then the hips and creates a massive lag. He gets
shoulders are a fraction left of his foot shoulders begin to turn. Note how at his hips out of the way really quickly
line, which is going to encourage a waist high the shaft of the club going and comes on to his toes a little, the
soft fade, his preferred shot. I love how back is pretty much parallel to his toe result of lots of power coming into
he keeps the clubhead and his hands line, which is a great neutral position. the ball. I like how that right arm is still

72
 Photography: Paul Severn

THE Stroke average Greens in regulation Driving distance (yards) Driving accuracy

STATS 70.20 71.37% 296.58 59.58%

European Tour

3
tucked under his left arm a little, so it The position just after impact at the end of the swing is down to
means his shoulders are square – is fantastic; the club is still everything being right. If you have a
back to where they were at set-up. It going towards the target, his good set-up, good width and that
means that a foot or two either side hips have turned 75-80 degrees and clearance of the hips, that’s when
of impact, the club is on the ball-to- he’s still looking at where the ball was. you’ll get this beautiful finish. Not only
target line, which would make it His head then comes up to a that, you’ll hit the ball further and with
difficult to hit a ball off line. balanced position. A perfect balance greater accuracy more consistently.

73
 RULES
Words: Chris Wallace
Photography: Getty Images,
Kenny Smith, The R&A

Ball taken by spectator

Bryson DeChambeau isn’t distance) when a Rules official replacing a ball. However,
afraid to see the game from a told him that his ball had another ball may be used when
different perspective or test actually been picked up by a the original cannot be
out how some holes can be spectator. This information recovered with reasonable
played differently. His vision to came to light when a tour effort and in a few seconds, as
deviate from the traditional official reviewed the TV footage, long as the player did not
route on the long par-5 18th at which showed where his drive deliberately cause
East Lake during round three of had ended up and that a fan the ball to become
the Tour Championship had picked it up and walked unrecoverable. In this
resulted in an interesting Rules away with it. case, as the
scenario when a spectator Under Rule 9.6, if it is known or spectator had left the
pocketed his ball, as Chris virtually certain that an outside OUTSIDE scene, DeChambeau
Wallace, Rules manager at The influence (including a INFLUENCE could substitute
ESSENTIALS
R&A, explains. spectator) has lifted or moved a another ball.
DeChambeau purposely player’s ball, there is no penalty With assistance
X If an outside
aimed away from the 18th and the ball must be replaced influence moves a from the officials to
fairway and instead opted to hit on its original spot (which if not player’s ball, there get as accurate a
his drive down the far side of the known must be estimated). is no penalty and position as possible,
adjacent 10th hole in an attempt Crucially, this applies whether or the ball must be he was able to
to create a better angle into the not the player’s ball has been replaced on its estimate where his
green. His drive ended up on the found, and with the TV evidence original spot. original ball had
far side of the 10th fairway close from the officials providing X If this spot is not come to rest and
to the 11th tee. However, when he concrete evidence, the known, the player replace his
must estimate it.
arrived in this area, his ball was standard of having knowledge substituted ball on
X This is only
nowhere to be seen. or virtual certainty of what had that spot without
available when the
After an unsuccessful ball happened to the ball had player knows or has penalty. Eventually,
search, he was spared the walk clearly been met. virtual certainty of he went on to close
back to the tee (as well as the Under Rule 14.2a, usually the what happened to out his round with an
penalty under stroke and original ball must be used when their ball. unlikely birdie.

74
Your queries resolved

After finishing the 17th, I

Q put the ball I had
played in my pocket.
But then, when teeing off on the
18th, I played the ball that I was
carrying as a provisional and
not the one I had played on the
previous hole. This ball then got
lost in a bush, but my opponent
found it. He asked me which
ball I was playing and I
mentioned the ball I’d played
on the previous hole. But then I
checked and found out that I
had actually played the other R&A
ball that was in my pocket. WINNERS
What should the ruling be?
Austine Omondi, via email Each month, the
readers whose
Under Rule 6.3, a player queries are
featured will
A may play any receive an Open
conforming ball when
Championship
starting a hole from the teeing putter cover plus
area and may change balls a sleeve of three
between holes. This means that R&A logo Titleist
even though you mistakenly Pro V1 golf balls
switched balls, because you did
so between the play of two
holes, the ball you played from
the teeing area was still your You are allowed to change
ball in play. There is no balls between holes
requirement to announce that
you are changing balls My partner found his other ball had made. He
(although it is good practice to Q ball in the rough proceeded without penalty.
do so), so if you realised your literally balancing on Was this correct, or should he
accidental change when you top of another ball! His ball was have placed his ball on the
identified the ball, you would not on the ground. Rather than ground where the other ball
simply continue with that ball play it as it was lying, he was sitting?
without penalty. elected to lift it, remove the Paul Lowe, Cardiff, via email
Chris Wallace, other ball and drop his ball,
R&A Rules manager which fell back into the hole the Your partner was
A correct not to replace
the ball and there
would be no penalty in this
situation. A stray ball on the
course is simply treated as a
movable obstruction, and as
the ball was perched on top of
it, it is treated as being ‘on’ a
movable obstruction. He was
entitled to free relief under Rule
15.2, and when your ball lies on
a movable obstruction in the
general area, you may take
free relief by lifting your ball
and removing the movable
obstruction. You may then drop
your original ball or another ball
within one club-length of the
point right under where the ball
was at rest.
A stray ball is treated as Chris Wallace,
a movable obstruction R&A Rules manager

75
R U L E S
R E F R E S H E R
By Chris Wallace

Misunderstood Rules although there is no penalty for

doing this, your opponent could
cancel the stroke and ask you to
replay it in the correct order.

This month, rather than homing practice at all is permitted Sand on your line
in on one particular Rule, we’re during a round. Although some Sand is not a loose impediment,
looking at some Rules that are competitions may choose to so you usually can’t brush it
frequently misunderstood. If you prohibit it (always check the away from your line when it is on
know all these already, well Local Rules), Rule 5.5 says that in the fringe or fairway (unless it
done! But for many, there will be both stroke play and match play, was caused by another player’s
something here that can help. you may practise chipping and stroke after your ball had come
putting (no bunker shots though) to rest). However, under Rule 13.1c,
Accidental movement of ball you are permitted to remove
From emails we receive, some sand (or loose soil) on the
golfers do now believe there is “IF YOUR BALL LIES ON A putting green, even if your ball is
no penalty if you accidentally not, itself, on the putting green.
move your ball. Yes, you won’t be WRONG GREEN, YOU MUST
penalised if you move your ball Play from a wrong green
accidentally on the putting TAKE COMPLETE RELIEF” A wrong green is any green
green or when searching for it – other than the green of the hole
nor if you nudge it off a tee peg, between holes, on or near the you are playing, and there may
because it is not yet in play. But putting green last played or the sometimes be no practical
in most other circumstances, next tee, as long as you don’t reason why you couldn’t putt
you will be penalised one stroke unreasonably delay play. from a wrong green.
under Rule 9.4b for moving your But the Rules are very clear
own ball, even accidentally, Finishing off in match play that if your ball lies on a wrong
when it is in play. You must also If you putt up close to the hole green, or it interferes with your
remember to replace it on its but your opponent doesn’t area of intended stance or
original spot before continuing. concede it, in match play you swing, you must take complete
don’t have the right to tap in if Be sure to check relief under Rule 13.1f, even if the
Practice during a round your opponent’s ball lies further whether the wrong green lies very close to
Some golfers, perhaps erring on away. This would constitute sand is on the your putting green and you
the side of caution, think no playing out of order, and green or fringe wanted to putt.

76
 Photography: Kenny Smith – shot on location at The Gleneagles Hotel, Perth & Kinross

Test your knowledge

3 In stroke play, Jezz’s ball lies on a towel in a

bunker. As he measures out one club-length no
closer to the hole from where his ball lies, he
accidentally touches sand with his club. What is
the ruling?

A There is no penalty.
B Jezz gets one penalty stroke.
C Jezz gets the general penalty (two strokes).

1 Fergus’ ball comes to rest on a cart path. His

nearest point of relief is in thick rough on the far
side, so he drops on the fairway side instead
and plays. What is the ruling?

A There is no penalty.
B Fergus gets one penalty stroke.
C Fergus gets the general penalty (two strokes).

4 In stroke play, seeing that the 1st hole is clear

to play, Fergus tees off two minutes before his
official start time. What is the ruling?

A There is no penalty.
B Fergus gets the general penalty (two strokes).
C Fergus is disqualified.

2 In match play, before putting, Fergus repairs

some damage to the hole that has been
caused by the flagstick not being replaced
properly. What is the ruling?

A There is no penalty.
B Fergus gets one penalty stroke.
C Fergus gets the general penalty (loss of hole).

Quiz answers
1. C - Having dropped his ball and played from a wrong place, although not a serious breach, Fergus gets the general IN ASSOCIATION
penalty under Rule 14.7. Always remember it’s the nearest point, not the nicest point. 2. A - Damage to the hole is covered WITH THE
by Rule 13.1c as part of damage on a putting green. The player may repair a damaged hole unless the damage is natural
wear that Rule 13.1c does not allow to be repaired. 3. A - Under Rule 12.2b, there is no penalty for touching sand in a bunker
when measuring, marking, lifting, replacing or taking other actions under a Rule. 4. B - Under Rule 5.3a, if you start your
round no more than five minutes early, you get the general penalty applied to your first hole. If you start more than five
minutes early (or more than five minutes late and there are no exceptional circumstances), you are disqualified.

77
 REVIEWS Edited by Joel Tadman

Mizuno T22
Wedge £155
and 58° and the peak
GM Verdict trajectory didn’t vary too
much on full shots.
Spin control is what golfers The 48° felt very iron-like in
immediately look for when the way it set up; it is an easy
trying new wedges, but the transition from a short-iron in a
next is undoubtedly fee, both set. In the 58° you can see the
through the ground and off thicker toe section that helps
the face. Mizuno has looked to bring the flight down, but it has
cover both off with the T22. been bevelled in a way that
From the three finish options, somewhat hides its thickness.
the raw finish has that Versatility was also a
tour-authentic look but does standout feature. With four
start to rust quickly, so grinds to choose from, the
perhaps steer clear if you like choice is ample and all attack
your wedges to remain looking angles and shot types are
in pristine condition. catered for. With its
The denim copper really moderate heel and toe Looks
grew on us, but it did seem to relief, the The profile
is similar to the
scratch up quite easily. The D grind was our
old T7: traditional and
chrome will be the most favourite in our relatively compact. The
hard-wearing option and chipping loft, thicker top section in the higher
should match better with allowing gentle lofts has been hidden well There are three
most other iron sets. manipulation of and the denim copper options in the 56°
Overall, the amount of spin the clubface finish is absolutely alone, expanding the
stunning.
on a variety of shot lengths depending on the shot choice so more golfers
was excellent and we still had required without altering can get the set-up they
good control around the the turf interaction too want with their most-used
greens – even when testing on much. The S grind worked well wedge. Is this the best Mizuno
a dewy morning. on full shots, while the wedge to date? It has to be up
The flight across the lofts C and X grinds may suit there given the looks, feel, spin
was very consistent in terms golfers who are looking to be performance and raft of finish
of height. We tested a 48°, 54° more aggressive. and grinds available.

The new denim

copper finish (centre)
really stands out

The spin on offer

allowed us to
attack tight pins

78
 Up Against
Control
Testing on the
Foresight Sports
GC2 launch monitor
suggested this is a very
high-spinning wedge
on varying
lengths of
shot.

Titleist Vokey SM8 £160

A shift in CG position – thanks
The T22 wedge mostly to a tungsten toe
is available in weight – helps square the face
four grinds up to increase forgiveness.
and three
finish options

Cleveland RTX
ZipCore £139
A low-density core at the heart
of the wedge frees up 10-15g to
make the sweetspot better
aligned with the impact point.

Key Technology
1 One-piece Grain Flow Forged using HD
boron, the new T22 wedge features a
micro-layer of copper beneath the
nickel chrome for better feel and control.
2 It features a slightly more compact,
‘modified teardrop’ profile with an
extensively bevelled top edge to make it
appear thinner. The tapering of the upper
portion of the blade helps create more TaylorMade MG3 £149
consistent spin and a penetrating flight. A raw face that rusts over time
3 Mizuno’s HydroFlow Micro Grooves are and raised Micro-Ribs
laser etched to release moisture and between the grooves combine
reduce spin drop-off in wet conditions. to increase spin and precision
around the greens.

“THE BAL L J UST M E LTS ONTO TH E

FAC E OUT O F THE M I DD LE . YOU
CAN B E R EAL LY AGGR ESSI VE ON
CHIPS , EVEN WH EN IT’S WET”
Quad Cut
Grooves
maintain their
integrity for Joel Tadman, GM technical editor
longer

79
E Q U I P M E N T
R E V I E W S
By Joel Tadman

Looks
At address, the
King Tec hybrid is
large – bordering on
fairway-wood size – which
inspires confidence but
may look too bulky for
the better
player.

Cobra King Tec

Hybrid £239
GM Verdict
The King Tec hybrid doesn’t left. Distance wise, it was you can tune the club exactly
have sole rails like the comparable with the how you want.
Radspeed – but it does have Radspeed – no mean feat. With accuracy more
movable weights. To pave the We played around with the important than distance for
way for this adjustability weights, specifically moving most golfers using this club,
system, Cobra has created a one of the heavier 12g weights the ability to remove one side
larger chassis. to the toe in an attempt to of the golf course is welcome.
In the neutral-weight setting create a straighter ball flight. The turf interaction was okay,
(12g weights split) the feel off By doing this, we essentially although dirt did gather in the
the face is solid and powerful. created a hybrid that would thin channel where the
The sound is relatively tinny, not hit the ball left – a Pwrshell face meets the rest of
but if you catch one out of the common complaint with the head, which is fiddly to
middle you will certainly know many hybrids – which was remove. But all in all, this is a
about it. The reward is a useful when trouble loomed very user-friendly hybrid.
strong, towering flight that down this side of the course or
gently turns over from right to when trying to attack a
right-hand flag. You
could draw it if you
wanted to, but you Key Technology
had to work it hard.
There is, however, the 1 The Pwrshell face design utilises a thin, forged
option of extra draw 455 stainless steel L-cup insert that is
bias if you need it. hyper-flexible to promote faster ball speed
Along with the and higher launch across the face.
adjustable loft + or – 2 A carbon-fibre crown saves 10g of weight to
1.5° , you have combine high launch, reduced spin, longer
arguably as much carry and softer-landing shots.
The flight from scope as any other 3 Three adjustable weights – two 12g weights
this hybrid was hybrid bar perhaps and one 2g weight – can be repositioned to
easy to admire the Titleist TSi3 – so alter shot-shape bias or forgiveness.

80
 Looks
Behind the
ball there is a
more rounded
shape versus the Glide 3.0,
as well as the shorter blade
length and lighter finish. It
frames the ball well
despite its small
head.

towards the better player,

Ping Glide Forged although there isn’t a great

deal of difference between
how both wedges play.
It is hard for a wedge to blow

Pro Wedge £199

you away, but the pinpoint
accuracy and consistent
performance of the Glide
Forged Pro did take us by
surprise. Lower-handicapped
players should consider this
GM Verdict in reality you can hit 95 per club if price is no object.
cent of shots with these.
The Glide Forged Pro is a Nip a few chips away and
tour-inspired wedge that is the feel is really impressive –
designed to maximise there is a soft click as the club
versatility and shot-making, strikes the ball and then as the
while also producing high shots get longer it moves into
levels of spin control. feeling and sounding like a
We tested a 54° sample in muscle-back iron.
the S sole shape out on the The ball comes off low and
course and on the Foresight then checks up, so you can fly
Sports GC2 launch monitor to it further than you might
capture some performance expect – ideal if you short side
data. The S sole on the Glide yourself. The consistency of
Forged Pro is much narrower the spin performance and
Shots reacted in
than on the Glide 3.0, and has resulting distance really stood
the same way
less bounce, which provides out. Even in slightly damp on landing
more scope to manoeuvre the conditions, the flight was very
clubface and hit different consistent and the ball
shots around the green seemed to react in the same Key Technology
without the leading edge way when it landed.
rising up too high. This wedge will deliver on full 1 In combination with the precision-milled face
You also have the option of shots, but it is on those and grooves, the new emery face blast adds
the T sole – a more aggressive awkward in-between pitch more texture for added spin.
design with less bounce in shots where it comes into its 2 The S grind features moderate bounce to cater
three lofts up to 62° for players own – sliding under the ball for the broadest range of golfers, while the T
who like to get even more with ease. Arguably, it is not as grind has a narrower sole with 3° less bounce.
creative. You might think this forgiving as the Glide 3.0 and 3 There is also the option of the Eye2 wedge in
isn’t enough (most brands you could make a case for this 59º, distinguished by the high-toe design and
offer at least three grinds), but wedge being aimed more blended hosel with 1.5º less bounce.

81
E Q U I P M E N T
R E V I E W S
By Joel Tadman

Display
The screen is

SkyCaddie SX550 bright, clear and

operates with almost no lag,
similar to a smartphone. This is
due to a new faster
processor versus
the SX500.

GPS £379.95

GM Verdict hand. It is also a little

lighter too.
As soon as you load the SX550 Placing the pin on
you get the clearest and most the SX550 is intuitive
detailed graphical picture of a and, if you have been
golf hole as you are likely to given a pin sheet, you
find anywhere. We tried it out can log those pre-
on a number of different round too. SkyCaddie’s
courses and were seriously Dynamic HoleVue
impressed with the accuracy means no matter what
of yardages and the outlines of angle you are
the greens and fairways. This approaching the
was especially useful when green from, the device
playing new courses and the will re-orientate itself
full-hole map and yardages to from your position.
almost every nook and cranny While its size is
on the golf course allowed us arguably its biggest
to plot our way around with plus point, it can be a
confidence and clarity. bit difficult to use the
It can also be used pretty SX550 without a carry
much touch-free from the case or trolley mount.
opening hole to the 18th green, We used it on a carry
as the device automatically bag and on our trolley
switches holes as well as from when testing, but
fairway and green view when found it to be a bit
you have 150 yards or less in. cumbersome when
The only adjustment you do taking it in and out of
have to make is to occasionally our pocket. Due to this,
reposition the pin on the green. we would highly
Versus the previous SX500 recommend investing
model, the device is larger and in the carry case or
thinner and feels great in the trolley mount (both
£25) to have the most
enjoyable time with
the SX550.
The device comes
with a year’s free ‘Birdie’
membership, which entitles Key Technology
you to course updates
throughout the first 12 months 1 The SX550 GPS comes preloaded with 35,000
– this will cost £29.95 per year courses, which have all been walked and
after that. This is one of the mapped by one of SkyCaddie’s trained
few devices that still uses a course mappers using professional-grade
paid subscription plan, but satellite equipment.
with it comes peace of mind 2 The 5.5-inch colour HD touchscreen is the
that your yardages and maps largest of any golf GPS device.
will remain up to date, which is 3 Other features include IntelliPath for carries,
The information useful if you travel around. lay-ups, run-outs; IntelliGreen Pro for
available is comprehensive green contouring; instant
incredibly useful Wi-Fi updates and 14 hours of battery life.

82
 Sik Golf Pro C Putter Rife RX5 Distance Ball Wilson Staff Infinite

The finish on this putter won’t blow

Buckingham Putter
You won’t see shots spinning back
you away. It looks, well, unfinished, to the flag with this ball, but you will
although the Anser-style shape is experience a firm feel and excellent Certainly helps deliver a smoother
perfectly pleasing on the eye. distance off the tee and with iron and more consistent stroke,
Performance wise, we noticed how shots. As for durability, we managed principally through its
well the ball hugs the ground after to keep the same ball for 18 holes counterbalance weighting, which
your strike and how consistent the and could not detect any significant comprises a heavier head and grip
distance was. The adjustable neck scuffs or scratches, despite several weights. It is noticeably twist-
system allows you to try many visits to the trees. The ‘Distance’ logo resistant, and the three sightlines on
different styles in the same head with arrows on the side of the ball the flange certainly help you aim
proved helpful for lining up putts.
during a fitting. the face correctly.

£379 £14.99 a dozen £109

Ecco Biom H4 Boa Shoe MacGregor V Foil Speed Honma TR20 P Iron
With a new Boa option, which sees a Driver The middle model within the TR20
unique dial, lace and guide iron range has plenty of redeeming
With its matte-black finish, 460cc
configuration, this model’s already features that will appeal to a wide
head and yellow flashes on both
impressive comfort level has hit new range of abilities. The profile is
sole and crown this is a
heights. We can’t stress enough how compact enough to not be chunky
great-looking driver given the price,
good the Boa lacing system is and but also not intimidating and very
although it does sit a fraction closed
you can really customise the fit to traditional in shape. The feel is solid,
at address. The regular shaft is on
make your golfing experience even dense and powerful – it gets the ball
more pleasurable. It’s arguably the soft side, so we had to adapt our up quickly and with good distance
swing to gain more control, but it will
more convenient on top of the thanks to the tungsten weighting.
suit any golfer with a slow swing
tongue and, visually, does not Ideal for the keen golfer whose
speed or in need of more launch.
detract from the shoe at all. ball-striking is on the decline.

£199 £144.99 £1,225

83
 E Q U I P M E N T
T E S T C E N T R E
By Joel Tadman

Joel Tadman on...

ASK OUR
EX P E RT Should you try
a 48-inch driver?
How long should a golf
glove actually last?
G1zi, GM Forum

This depends a lot on the standard shaft. I hit a series of

how you rotate and shots with both on the FlightScope
store your gloves. If you Mevo+ launch monitor.
only have one cabretta The headline findings were that
glove that you use for my clubhead speed went up by
everything – practice 2.3mph with the longer shaft, ball
sessions, pre-round speed increased by 3.5mph and the
warm ups and play – average carry distance went up by
then expect its integrity six yards.
to deteriorate within a This sounds great, but there are
month or so, assuming two caveats to note. The first being
you play and practice Driver shafts are a hot topic in golf that the quality of strike certainly
once a week. right now, specifically regarding got worse. Yes, once I got use to the
One way to prolong length after the governing bodies longer shaft I was able to connect
this would be to recently proposed a new Model relatively cleanly, but hits from the
practise and warm up Local Rule from January 1, 2022, middle were still harder to come by.
with an old glove, and where organisers of professional or A knock-on effect was a reduced
use the newer one only elite amateur tournaments can ability to control direction. My
for actual rounds when limit the maximum club shaft dispersion was wider and also more
you actually need the length, excluding putters, to 46 inconsistent – a one-way miss
best grip and feel. inches. Amateurs can still use a became a two-way miss.
driver shaft up to 48 inches, so it I really enjoyed trying the longer
begs the question: is there a big driver and the results on good shots
advantage to be had? are certainly tempting me to try it
Titleist sent me a 47.5-inch shaft out on the course if I’m swinging
for my fitted TSi3 driver in the same well, but I’m not sure it’s worth the
model/flex, two inches longer than risk for an extra handful of yards.

Dry your
glove naturally
Our longer shaft produced
Should I use a half set? some interesting results
Jordan1987, GM Forum

A half set of clubs

makes the bag lighter
and also encourages
creativity, an
underrated skill around
the greens and into the
wind. Having to hit a
7-iron 110 yards allows
you to perfect that 60
per cent knock-down
shot, while chipping
with a pitching wedge
gives you more options
than you probably
practise. As long as
gaps are even through
the set, I think you’ll
enjoy the experience.

84
 HEAD TO
HEAD

Mizuno ST-G 220 Callaway Epic

Driver £449 Max LS Driver £499

Loft: 9° Loft: 9°
Shaft: Project X Hzrdus Smoke RDX 6.0 Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 70 x-stiff

Looks

Despite being the most compact of Mizuno’s A relatively more compact driver with flashes of
current drivers, the ST-G 220 is marginally more
stretched out than the Epic Max LS. The all-
9~9 colour on top that aren’t distracting. Similar
visual elements on top, like the glossy crown,
black, glossy head with the carbon fibre effect and an abundance of tech visible on the sole to
looks great, although it isn’t the easiest to align. Feel/sound bolster the shelf appeal.

Produces a noticeable ‘whoosh’ sound when Similar to the Mizuno, it has a louder, tinny
you swing it, possibly because of the way the air
passes over the weight tracks, which makes it
8~9 sound at impact that lets you know where you
have made contact. The sweetspot certainly
feel slower. The feel out of the middle is really feels large given how slightly off-centre hits
solid - you know when you catch one. Distance produce a similarly appealing sensation.

In its low-spin setting (weights split and forward), It was longer than the Mizuno, partly down to
ball speed and launch were identical to the Epic
Max LS, carrying three yards shorter. That said,
9~9 200rpm lower spin. On-course differences were
less noticeable, but there were more instances
the 45-inch stock shaft is three-quarters of an where the Epic Max LS finished slightly further
inch shorter, which will play a part. Forgiveness down the fairway.

Lacked consistency versus Epic Max LS in the Despite lower spin, the Epic Max LS seemed to
low-spin setting, but moving the two weights
back progressively enhances stability,
8~9 be a touch more playable over a wider
spectrum of shots. Mishits weren’t punished as
superseding the Callaway in its extreme severely and the spin numbers and ball flight
settings, admittedly at the cost of distance. Overall appeal were much more stable overall.

Perhaps not quite the total package of the Epic Has enough adjustability to affect direction,
Max LS, but the extra movable weight allows
golfers of different abilities to encourage a
9~9 and while spin can’t be managed as easily, it
performs as well as any driver, especially after
specific shot shape or dial in the spin and a fitting. The higher price point is somewhat
forgiveness to suit their level of play. justified through the better feel and distance.
Totals/50

43 45

85
E Q U I P M E N T
G R O U P T E S T
By Joel Tadman

Best 2021 laser

rangefinders

laser rangefinder

A
is the product
many golfers rely
on for every
single shot to get
the exact distance to the pin
quickly and accurately. We
tested 12 of the latest models
on the course at Burghley Park
Golf Club to assess the pros
and cons of each.

Styling/design
All the rangefinders on test
fitted well in our hand, some
better than others – we liked
the tacky feel of the Nikon
Coolshot 50i and the rough
texture on the GolfBuddy Laser
Lite. Weight is a crucial factor
– too heavy and it can feel
cumbersome to hold, but too We tested 12 Scope Pro L1 and Bushnell Tour the flag and displayed the
light and it will wobble around of the latest V5 Slim come in. The Zoom distances quickly, some did it
in the wind (being able to keep golf laser Focus Tour is arguably the more easily than others.
it steady is key to picking out rangefinders most premium-looking laser We really liked the simplicity
on the course
the flag quickly). with its hybrid-metallic finish of the Motocaddy Pro 3000 and
The Laser Lite and Easygreen and ideal balance of size and it didn’t scrimp on features, with
OLED Vision Pro are two of the weight. The most compact noise filtration and slope
lightest you will find, while the was the OLED Vision Pro and modes included. This blend of
Garmin Approach Z82 was the the largest lasers were the usability is also true of the
heaviest at 232g. We feel like Precision Pro R1 Smart and Sureshot Pinloc 5000 iPS, Zoom
just under 200g is the Garmin Approach Z82. Focus Tour and all the Nikon
sweetspot, which is where the Coolshot models.
Motocaddy Pro 3000, Shot GM pick: Zoom Focus Tour But for the ultimate faff-free
experience, the Bushnell Tour
Ease of use V5 Slim leads the way. With a
“A RA NG E F IN D E R CA N D O SO Most golfers press of the button, the
appreciate simple distances appear almost
M UC H MO RE T H A N J UST GI V E point-and-shoot instantaneously in the display
YOU F LAG D ISTA NC ES” functionality and and you get a bright red ring
while all these appear along with a vibration
Joel Tadman, GM technical editor lasers picked out to tell you that the flag has

86
 Bushnell Tour Easygreen Garmin GolfBuddy Motocaddy Nikon Nikon Nikon Precision Pro Shot Scope MGI Sureshot Zoom
V5 Slim OLED Vision Approach Laser Lite Pro 3000 Coolshot 50i Coolshot Lite Coolshot Pro R1 Smart Pro L1 Pinloc 5000 Focus Tour
Pro Z82 Stabilized II Stabilized iPS

Magnification x6 x6 x6 x6 x7 x6 x6 x6 x6 x6 x6 x6

Weight (g) 187 145 232 143 196 175 170 199 205 200 175 210

Range (yards) 1,300 n/a 450 (flag) 800 1,300 1,200 1,200 1,200 n/a 875 n/a 875

RRP (£) 299 249.99 579.99 129.99 249.99 359 429 499 250 199.99 229 299

features a 2D hole map on the

side of the display. Enter your
average driving distance and
an arc appears to show you
where a drive will typically
finish. Zap the flag and the Z82
shows how far on the green
the pin is. You can even link to
the Garmin app and gain
access to live wind direction.

GM pick: Garmin Approach Z82

Value
The Golf Buddy Laser Lite
seems excessively cheap at
£129.99 given it provides slope
functionality, a scan mode
and two-year warranty. For
£199.99 the Shot Scope Pro L1
does offer good value given
the choice of display colours
and slope mode, but distances
do appear more slowly than
other models in this test.
Decathlon do the Inesis Golf
900 laser for £129.99 – another
good option.

GM pick: Golf Buddy Laser Lite

been picked out. A button on

the side alters the unit of
combined with real-time
weather data – humidity, VERDICT
measurement, which is easier temperature and altitude – to
than most others, and the Shift provide a MySlope-adjusted Any of these laser rangefinders
version has another button on number specific to you at that would serve you well but if pushed
the side to toggle on slope. exact moment. The concept is to pick our overall favourite, it
amazing, but having to get would be the Bushnell Tour V5 Slim.
GM pick: Bushnell Tour V5 Slim hold of your launch monitor This is due to its simplicity and the
data for each club is a fact we play mostly in competitive
Features stumbling block. rounds on flat courses, so we don’t
For those golfers looking for The Nikon Coolshot Pro II have a need for a slope function.
something extra from their Stabilized helps those with an This may be different for you.
rangefinder, there are three unsteady hand to pick out the
models that stand out. The R1 flag more easily. With practice,
Smart, for example, partners it really works and there is a
with a free app to provide green indicator light that
Google-map style views of the flashes to let your playing
hole with a movable pointer. It partners know it is in legal
also uses a golfer’s launch mode for competitions.
angle, spin rate, and ball But our favourite was the
speed (entered manually) Garmin Approach Z82, which

87
 HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR
PER FE CT EL EC TR I C TRO L L EY
Golf Monthly has teamed up with Motocaddy to look at the things

you should consider before making a purchase

here’s a lot to consider when thinking about Billy Foster M-Series, developed
choosing your perfect electric buying an electric with his M5 GPS to fit into the
trolley. Like a tour pro choosing trolley, but it’s about DHC trolley smallest car boots.
his caddie, the trolley will be with what works for you. Comprising eight
you every step of the way, but The world’s models, the simple
as legendary caddie Billy Foster best-selling electric trolley is folding system and
says: “It never answers you back.” the Motocaddy S1. An ever- revolutionary inverting wheels
So, what should you look for present in the brand’s line-up provide the ultimate ‘car-boot
when making that big decision? since 2006, the easy-to-use S1 friendly’ trolley, perfect for easy
Golf Monthly has teamed up combines signature styling transportation and storage.
with the world’s biggest-selling electric trolley with a high-resolution, The award-winning M1 is the
brand, Motocaddy, to provide the vital answers. full-colour LCD screen and easiest-to-use compact trolley
features Adjustable Distance in the world. It boasts the
Kn o w t h e market Control and a USB charging brand’s latest high-power 28V
port, to make the most of your drive system combined with a
Entry-level model, compact-folding, packed full tech while you play. whisper-quiet 230W motor,
of features, downhill control, touchscreen, If space saving is important, producing unrivalled power,
integrated GPS, remote control, 18- or 36-hole then look no further than the reliability and endurance to
battery? There is so much to consider when compact-folding Motocaddy tackle every type of golf course.

88
 GM PROMOTION

“The Motocaddy M5 GPS is

packed full of pioneering
technological advancements” The Motocaddy
M-Series can be
stored easily
Moving on to the more is your thing, then the M7
feature-packed M3 GPS, the REMOTE is for you. The sleek
eye-catching design is the rechargeable handset
first thing you will notice conveniently clips to the trolley
before you see it offers front, frame and allows it to move
middle and back distances, forward, left and right. It also
plus key hazard information, features a handset lock to
through its high-resolution 2.8” prevent accidental use and
LCD touchscreen display. The there is a removable anti-tip
M3 GPS can also connect to wheel to keep you in control.
the free Motocaddy GPS app The M7 REMOTE also features
for alerts from your automatic Downhill Control
smartphone and Bluetooth- (DHC) to ensure the trolley
powered course updates. maintains a constant speed
If you’re a tech-loving golfer while moving down a hill, even
and the M3 GPS sounds good, on very undulating courses.
it’s definitely worth considering Established by Motocaddy
the award-winning M5 GPS. over a decade ago, Downhill 36+ M-TECH Lithium battery, making it the
Offering a fully integrated GPS Control has undergone ultimate compact-folding Smart Cart.
system built into a super- extensive advances since. The
responsive 3.5” touchscreen game-changing technology is Wha t else s hou ld I c onsid e r?
display, it provides access to now considered an essential
40,000 pre-loaded courses with feature for golfers across the Aside from the technology and features
pinpoint accuracy. globe and it can be found in incorporated in Motocaddy models, the health
Not only can it connect to the separate M1 DHC, M3 GPS DHC and performance benefits of using an electric
Motocaddy app for and M5 GPS DHC models. trolley can far outweigh those of carrying or
smartphone alerts, the M5 GPS If money is no object, the pushing clubs around the course. Reduced
is packed full of pioneering Motocaddy M-TECH combines fatigue, improved concentration and less risk of
technological advancements unrivalled functionality with injury are all benefits, plus it will make your
never seen before on a golf luxury finishes and striking game more enjoyable. Added to this is the
trolley, including score tracking, design to produce the ultimate convenience of the extra things you can carry in
hole information, shot distance in golf club transportation. The your bag, like waterproofs, drinks, snacks and
measurement and automatic M-TECH is the all-singing, golf balls, to be fully prepared out on the course.
hole advancement. It also all-dancing electric model.
offers cellular connectivity Developed to a high-end Find out more at www.motocaddy.com
providing access to specification,
Motocaddy’s new subscription- exclusive luxury
based ‘Performance Plan’, finishes include
where you’ll find a range of polished chrome,
feature upgrades, including full hand-stitched
hole mapping, automatic genuine leather
updates and statistic tracking. handle grips and
Alongside the M3 GPS, it also stealthy black and
offers the potential to save carbon-fibre styling.
lives as it can indicate the Including the
availability and location of high-performance
on-course AEDs and provide GPS and smart
golfers with CPR instructions to technology found on
administer to anyone suffering M5 GPS DHC, the
a cardiac arrest. The feature M-TECH also
has been proudly supported comes with its own
by Heart Research UK, with super-lightweight
over 700 golf clubs across the
UK now registered. The Motocaddy M7
If walking down the fairway REMOTE handset is
with all the power in your hand sleek and easy to use

89
Winter Gear Special 2021
Our showcase of the best clothing and accessories to help

keep you warm and dry out on the course this winter

Much like a soldier going into battle, confidence

levels are higher if you know you are tooled up
with the best possible equipment to take on the
task at hand. In this case, it’s trying to play well
and shoot a good score when the weather is
doing everything it can to throw you off course.
Our winter gear special shines a light on the best
new pieces of kit you should consider adding to
your wardrobe, as well as some accessories that
could make all the difference. Invest in the right
items and you won’t need to worry about the
wind, rain or freezing temperatures.

91
E Q U I P M E N T
B U Y E R S ’ G U I D E
By Joel Tadman

Waterproofs FootJoy’s HydroKnit Rain

Pullover (£150) is waterproof
but offers the comfort and
stretch of a mid-layer

A serious golfer never lets a

spot of rain get in the way of
enjoying this great game, but
in order to perform to your
best, you will need some
decent waterproofs. No player
enjoys trudging through a
deluge, but a quality set can
make all the difference –
allowing you to embrace the
challenge rather than dread
the task that lies ahead. Many
brands offer options at
different price points and Mizuno’s NexLite Flex Jacket
while a less-expensive (£140) is light, free moving and
water-resistant jacket might comes in four colours
sound tempting, it could lead
to unwanted leaks that will
leave you wishing you had paid a bit more. Generally with
rainwear, you get what you
pay for – especially when it
comes to durability. Think of
waterproofs as an investment
– over time, you will get the
value out of them once you’ve
worn them for a few off-
seasons. Always try them on
and make a few practice
swings before you buy to
ensure the sizing is fitted and
not loose or baggy. A
matching pair of trousers is
essential too. This showcase
is the ideal place to narrow Top buying tips
down your search should
you be looking to upgrade. 1 Your jacket should feel snug, so excess
material doesn’t impede your swing, but not
too tight as to restrict movement.
2 Consider short-sleeved options or those with
The Callaway Stormguard II removable sleeves for extra freedom.
Jacket (£175) is designed to 3 Never leave wet waterproofs stuffed in your
maximise your range of motion bag! Be sure to dry them naturally after every
round in the rain.

“FIND A WATERPROOF THAT DOES NOT FEEL

LIKE ONE – THAT YOU’D BE COMFORTABLE
PLAYING IN EVEN IF IT WASN’T RAINING”
Joel Tadman, GM technical editor
 W I N T E R G E A R S P E C I A L

BEST
P REMIUM
FootJoy HydroTour £225 Peter Millar Hyperlight Shield JACKET S Ping SensorDry Pro £160
Designed for cooler conditions. Rain Half Zip £195 Lightweight and windproof, it
Includes a three-panel Made of soft fabric with has additional features for
construction and DrySeal two-way mechanical stretch comfort like a brushed lining,
collar that has clever drainage and easy-care benefits. Has adjustable collar and full-
holes on the outer layer. separate stow storage pouch. length zip guard.

BEST
LIGHTWEI GH T
Galvin Green Apollo £289 JA CKETS ProQuip TourFlex Elite £129 Under Armour Stormproof
This Gore-Tex Paclite stretch ProQuip’s lightest rain jacket Golf Rain £130
jacket is characterised by its comes with a three-year Under Armour’s Storm
lightness, breathability and waterproof guarantee, a technology repels water. It is
packability. The stretch gives knitted outer fabric for also windproof and has zipped
you full freedom of movement. softness and four-way stretch. hand pockets for convenience.

BEST
J ACKE TS UNDE R
Sunderland Vancouver £120 Adidas Rain Rdy £130 £140 Puma Ultradry £110
The fabric’s own natural In this jacket, you can reach Includes a waterproof front zip
mechanical stretch optimises and twist freely as you play. and hand-pocket zips. The
movement. It is mesh lined for Utilises Adidas’ PFC-free cuffs are adjustable via Velcro
breathability and comfort. water-repellent finish. and the back is ventilated.

BEST
Galvin Green Arthur £229
TRO USERS Under Armour Stormproof £105 FootJoy HydroKnit £150
Galvin Green’s most popular Has adjustable waistband with Designed to be worn on their
waterproof trousers. They elastic tabs and snap closure own in comfort. Four-way
offer Gore-Tex Paclite protection as well as secure-zip hand stretch and feel of regular
and breathability while weighing pockets and reverse entry trousers, with the performance
just 320g. back pocket. of rainwear for versatility.

93
E Q U I P M E N T
B U Y E R S ’ G U I D E
By Joel Tadman

Mid-layers
The Under Armour Storm
Daytona (£75) comes in five
colour options – all with a
water-repellent outer layer

The FootJoy Quilted Chill Out

Xtreme (£80) creates small
pockets of warm air that retain
body heat in cool conditions

Adidas’ stylish Primeblue

Cold.rdy Hoodie (£70) has
The choice of mid-layers on proof mid-layer? You don’t a drawcord-adjustable
the market seems endless and need to sacrifice style, either, hood for extra protection
it can sometimes be difficult as many woollen-looking
to know where to start. pullovers have water-
Relatively speaking, many will repellent finishes that can
deem a mid-layer as a luxury keep a quick deluge at bay. Top buying tips
purchase, given the price, so it Different brands have
pays to invest in one (or two) various fits in the same size, 1 Vests free the arms and provide the
that does the job you want it so be sure to try them on. appropriate amount of warmth on milder
to. You may deem a Our showcase covers a days when a normal mid-layer is too much.
waterproof jacket as an small selection, so visit the 2 Think about how many layers you like to wear
unnecessary purchase, so Golf Monthly website for the – this will help you prioritise warmth or weight.
perhaps it is worth considering full rundown of all the latest 3 Many mid-layers do a good job at repelling
a water-resistant or shower- products in each category. water, which should suffice if you get caught
in a short shower.

ũ21&(<28),1'$0,'ƒ/$<(5<28/,.(
,7&$1%(&20(<285*2ƒ72*$50(17
)2502672)7+(<($5 – 626+23$5281'
$1'75<21$60$1<$6<28&$1Ū
Joel Tadman, GM technical editor
 W I N T E R G E A R S P E C I A L

BEST
TH E RMA L MID -
Travis Mathew Zachary £89.99 J Lindeberg Packlight £190 LAYE RS G/Fore Shelby £225
Combines a classy look with Fitted with durable Ripstop Lightweight, four-way stretch
technical fabrics that make fabric at the front and has fabric provides shielding from
this layer lightweight, wrinkle- Primaloft padding for the wind and unrestricted
resistant and able to disperse protection from the cold. Also motion, while the mossed
moisture quickly. offers excellent stretch. interior supplies warmth.

BEST
Galvin Green Linc £249
WIND TOPS Ping Power £90 Under Armour Storm Revo £90
A full-zip jacket with diagonal A performance-driven half-zip The durable stretch-woven
padding on the chest and wind top engineered to be fabric with lightweight
back in combination with soft wind-resistance and water- insulation provides the same
and stretchy Interface-1 fabric resistance while helping protection as a traditional
for use all year round. freedom of movement. softshell with added comfort.

BEST
Lyle & Scott Ayr Merino Glenmuir Jedburgh £85
J UMP E RS Peter Millar Crown Comfort
V-Neck £100 This zipped-neck sweater uses Interlock £115
Made from 100 per cent Merino a blend of luxury-combed Made from an innovative
wool with a grid pattern to cotton and finest cashmere cotton blend for sweatshirt-
increase breathability and for softness. Ideal balance of like comfort in a classic
maximise comfort. weight and warmth. quarter-zip style.

BEST
Adidas Frostguard £120
VESTS FootJoy Hybrid £120 Puma Cloudspun WRMLBL £90
Down insulation warms your Woven quilted construction Featuring Primaloft Gold
core while your arms stay free retains body heat while the Quilting for warmth. Also has
to swing. Bonded seams keep hybrid jersey knit fabric zip-up hand pockets with a
the heat in and a water- provides stretch. A DWR finish soft, brushed lining for comfort
repellent finish adds protection. beads surface water away. and convenience.

95
E Q U I P M E N T
B U Y E R S ’ G U I D E
By Joel Tadman

Essentials
It is often the collection of FootJoy’s RainGrip
small accessories that ensure gloves (£12) provide extra
you are able to enjoy playing grip in wet conditions
golf through the winter. Be it a
new woolly hat that keeps
your head toasty and your
decision-making sharp, or a
quality pair of mittens that
allows you to maintain some
element of feel on the club
when the temperatures drop.
A snood or neck warmer is an
underrated item, keeping the
cold from entering your body
– or you could opt for a
turtle-neck base layer for
something more fixed and less
intrusive. Spiked, waterproof
shoes are a must, of course, as Puma’s P Removable
are egg-timer tees to get the Pom Beanie (£18)
perfect tee height on those keeps you warm
pesky winter mats. A yellow and looking the part
ball might also be a good
switch, allowing you to spot it
more easily both through the The Galvin Green Ethan
air and in the grass in dim light base layer (£69) is made of
or frosty ground conditions. skintight thermal stretch fabric

Titleist’s Pro V1 and Pro Top buying tips

V1x balls (£50 a dozen) both
come in a yellow option
1 Consider switching to a firmer ball to negate
the colder temperatures in terms of distance.
The softer conditions will increase short-
game stopping power.
2 Winter gloves that you keep on while playing
reduce the faff of putting mittens on and off
and storing them somewhere while hitting.
3 Carrying your bag leaves your hands free to
hold an umbrella, keeps your temperature up
and provides a solution during a trolley ban!

“IN WINTER, I’LL SWITCH TO A CHIPPING

WEDGE WITH MORE BOUNCE TO INCREASE MY
MARGIN FOR ERROR. I ALSO OPT FOR A
THICKER, MORE DURABLE GLOVE”
Joel Tadman, GM technical editor
 W I N T E R G E A R S P E C I A L

BEST
BASE
FootJoy PhaseOne Print £60 Under Armour CGI LS AOP LAYE RS Zerofit Heatrub Ultimate £55
Golf Mock £65

BEST
Adidas Font Beanie £20
HATS Ping Camo Knit £25 Sounder Star Beanie £40

BEST
Galvin Green Dex £29 Sunderland of Scotland
SNO ODS FootJoy Print Thermal
Thermal Neck Warmer £15 Snood £20

BEST
WINTE R
FootJoy WinterSof Pair £23.50 GLOVES MacWet Climatec Rain £30 Motocaddy Hot Mitts £49.99

BEST
OF TH E
FootJoy TechSof Tour Galvin Green Tromb REST Kymira Golf Infrared
Socks £11 Umbrella £45 Leggings £80

97
 P I N G W I N T E R A P P A R E L

Stay protected
with a touch of style
Ping’s range of winter apparel will give you a fresh look in the

colder months, while allowing you to play your best

F
ocused on performance, comfort
and style, Ping’s winter apparel
range is designed to help you play
and look your best. Whether you’re
in the market for a new waterproof
jacket or a fresh pair of trousers to
see you through the colder months,
the range will protect you from the elements
while also offering a tailored fit. Ping’s
technology platform of SensorCool®,
SensorWarm® and SensorDry® fabrics deliver
enhanced levels of comfort in all playing
conditions. Golfers will feel reinvigorated and
unrestricted with their swing – and when you
feel better on the course, you play better on the
course. It’s time to take your game and look to
the next level this winter.

SensorDry® Pro – £160

The
This jacket is engineered for waterproof
SensorDry®
protection, incorporating additional features for
Pro Jacket is
one of three added comfort. It is a fully seam-sealed jacket,
waterproof with a water-resistant finish and a brushed
jackets in the tricot lining to the back of the jacket for
range additional warmth and comfort.

98
 GM PROMOTION

Norse S2 Zoned – £130 Dover – £85

Engineered for core warmth This two-way centre front- This quilted-hybrid jacket has an insulated front
and wind protection in the zipped jacket is breathable, body to provide extra warmth, in addition to the
colder weather by utilising and has stretch and warm back’s brushed stretch-fleece fabric, while the
PrimaLoft® Gold insulation properties through the sleeves help freedom of movement. The jacket
with Cross Core technology. SensorWarm® technology. has two front-zipped pockets.

Felix – £70
A Jacquard half-zip fleece, its water-resistant
and durable polyester fabric is also crease-
resistant to ensure lasting quality. The front’s
geometric camo-patterned fleece
adds to the top’s fresh look.

Power – £90 Mellor – £80

A half-zip wind top engineered A stretch fleece and 3D
to be wind- and water- honeycomb Jacquard texture
resistant, while not restricting to the front and back body
you as you play. SensorWarm® offer great levels of comfort,
technology brings thermal while its SensorWarm®
properties, while the superior technology and water-
four-way stretch main-body resistant properties mean this
fabric helps to allow greater half-zip top will offer great
freedom of movement. protection in the cold months.

Bradley Trouser – £60

Angus – £55 A slim-leg fit with a Tekfit®
This SensorCool® performance waistband for added comfort
long-sleeve polo shirt is that gives up to two inches of
designed for moisture-moving stretch. The SensorCool®
comfort in all conditions. It has technology allows lightweight
a three-button placket with a feel and comfort. There are
concealed button-down two front and two back
collar, and is crease-resistant pockets, which include a
and quick-drying. button-down back pocket.

99
 COURSES Edited by Jeremy Ellwood & Rob Smith

St Patrick’s Links

T
Words and photography: Kevin Markham

he new St Patrick’s Links shines the Opened in July 2021, the contrasts between the
brightest of spotlights on one of Ireland’s three are substantial, but be in no doubt – St
mystical beauty destinations: Co. Donegal. Patrick’s Links will stamp its mark not just on Irish
The county already boasts more than a golf but on the global order.
dozen links courses and now the
acclaimed Rosapenna Resort can add one Charting a new path
more. Here, you will find 54 holes The links is laid out on terrain occupied by two
comprising the Old Tom Morris (1893), Pat former courses from 20 years ago, but St
Ruddy’s recently softened Sandy Hills (2004) Patrick’s is entirely reimagined. The design by
and Ireland’s youngest course – the first new Doak – one of the modern greats – shows just
Irish links in 20 years – designed by Tom Doak. how big that imagination can be.

102
 MUST PLAY

This is a vast rollercoaster adventure A question of ranking

charging through deep dune valleys and A modern masterpiece as remarkable as
ESSENTIALS
soaring over more open, tumbling terrain this will make a significant dent in Ireland’s
next to Sheephaven Bay. The creative Rosapenna top-ten rankings. It will be a challenge to
envelope has been well and truly pushed Golf Resort position it among the established and
with natural, rippling fairways, raw and Downings, illustrious links because it has an air of
rugged bunkering and greens unlike County Donegal individuality that makes comparisons
anything you’ve seen before. Stats: par 71, difficult. The wide fairways (the 16th may be
Their shapes are hypnotic and every 6,490 yards the widest in Ireland) and green complexes
GF: €150. Multiple
green complex promises a putting that constantly bamboozle mean each hole
stay & play
adventure or inspires the ingenuity to try has multiple ways in which it can be played.
packages
something out of the ordinary. Make sure available. And yet it is always accessible, playable by
you bring along your creativity and let soft golfers of all handicaps. How do you allow
hands do the talking. for that in a ranking? Play it and find out.

103
 C O U R S E S
T R A V E L L I N G G O L F E R S
Photography: Getty Images, James Lovett, Kevin Murray

Rob Smith on…

ASK THE
EX P E RTS
The new golfing
Which courses that
you played for the first
landscape
time this year
impressed you most?
Ben Harvey, Birmingham is still early days and no one really
Following seven months knows how many of these new
of winter lockdowns and members will remain as such. Many
travel restrictions, I may well have joined during the
played no new courses various lockdowns as this was the
at all until mid-May. This only way to get a game. Where there
is probably a record is no or very little joining fee, they have
barren spell for me! And effectively paid an annual green fee.
although my forays This will sort itself out, but my greater
during the main playing concern is that it has become
season were restricted increasingly difficult for those who
to self-drive, I was While we are all waiting for the ‘new love playing new courses to do so. Far
nothing but impressed normal’ to identify itself, one thing we fewer tee times are available and
by the quality and can be sure about is that working rising green fees have made plenty of
diversity on offer. from home and a different way of life courses less accessible.
In the west of have led to a boom for golf. Waiting Will this have a knock-on effect as
England, I loved the lists for membership are widely it creates a barrier to entry for new
fabulous views and reported for the first time in decades, golfers? And will golf prove to be too
unpretentious charm green fees are up and definitely expensive for those who love to
on offer at both Cleeve punching above their weight in many experience new courses? We have
Hill and Church Stretton. places and access to the course for had booms before. In the 1980s,
Over on Anglesey, Bull non-members has become more hundreds of new courses were built,
Bay and Holyhead both restricted than in pre-Covid days. many of which are no longer with us.
impressed with their The positive elements of this sound No one knows how this will pan out,
originality. Closer to great for the game that we love, but is but I very much hope that all clubs
home, I enjoyed Barton there a downside for golfers that will be circumspect and make sure
on Sea and Royal counterbalances this vertiginous they don’t alienate a vital market and
climb? One general concern is that it the potential members of tomorrow.

Winchester, each of
them with a strong
Harry Colt influence.
The one that surprised
me most, though, was
the redesign at The
Caversham, the new
home of Reading GC; an
attractive course that
only opened in its latest
incarnation this year.

If you have a course-

related question for
Rob & Jeremy, please
email golfmonthly@
Let’s hope all golfers will
futurenet.com
continue to have access
to most courses

104
 Surprise package: Paultons
Golf Centre in Hampshire
MY CLUB

Dr Shaun Anderson

Tell us about the

golfing facilities on
offer at Worthing…
Jeremy Ellwood’s diary We have two 18-hole
courses laid out by
Harry Colt on the South
Late-season greens Downs overlooking the
town to the sea. The
Colt course offers a
searching examination
for all golfers. The
shorter Vardon is a fine
Autumn can be an interesting time for played just before October hit. It may complementary layout
our golf courses in the UK, with well be that the greens there were the and we also have two
conditioning sometimes unpredictable. best of all, with their smoothness and practice grounds, a
While 2021 has presented its purity of grass composition really six-hole academy
challenges for greenkeepers, with the standing out on a course that would sit course, a driving range
weather encouraging almost well below the others I’ve mentioned in and a video booth.
untameable levels of growth in the golf’s pecking order.
rough, it has also presented very It’s a decent layout, too, but further What are your
favourable conditions for the prepared proof that if you get the greens right, favourite holes?
areas of fairways and greens in many that is what people will talk about. On the Colt, it is the 10th
parts of the country. looking down from the
We often judge a course – Did you know? top of the course. You
consciously or sub-consciously – by St George’s Hill boasts one of the drive from an elevated
the quality of its greens and I had the shortest – if not the shortest – par 3s in tee with the approach
pleasure of some near-perfect ones GM’s Top 100. Its 119-yard 11th is four yards played to a tight,
in September. St George’s Hill, Royal shorter than Troon’s Postage Stamp. well-bunkered plateau
Wimbledon, Pleasington, green. The Vardon’s 8th
Wildernesse and others all left is then a short,
me with no excuses other The very short 11th undulating par 4 with
than the inadequacy of my at St George’s Hill great views and a split-
putting stroke! level, occasionally
But perhaps the biggest drivable green. An
surprise was Paultons Golf albatross chance!
Centre in Hampshire, which I
What is the best thing
about being a
Worthing GC member?
Worthing is known as a
friendly members’ club.
Sociable four-balls are
common, but the

5 10,920
enduring test of the
courses also attracts
low-handicappers. The
The number of par 5s New playing members downland turf and
in the last ten holes of Scottish golf clubs in setting allow year-
on Royal Troon’s 2020, an increase of round golf on fast
Portland course, all 6.1% over 2019 and the greens and firm
under 500 yards. first rise since 2015. fairways. A traditional
clubhouse with good
catering and local ales
awaits at the end!

105
 C O U R S E S
O N T O U R
By Jeremy Ellwood

D O R S ET
Two courses in the north of the county headline our latest visit
to this beautiful part of the world

The 4th plays

over water

Ru sh more

This fine course straddles the Dorset/Wiltshire

border, with nine holes in each but no bunkers
in Wiltshire! The entrance drive winds through a
mature deer park and there is a real sense of
grandeur about the course’s setting right from
the off, where towering sequoias frame the 1st
hole magnificently to stir your golfing soul.
You start out in Wiltshire and venture into
Dorset from the 4th, a pretty, mid-length par 3
over water. The distant views as you play the
6th – another par 3 – are spellbinding, and
there is more water to ponder as you tackle the
superb par-4 8th and the uphill 12th.
From the 13th tee, the vista of verdant
fairways and wispy golden grasses away to
your left is captivating, and the par-5 15th that
makes up much of this view is memorable.

Par 71, 6,358 yards

GF: round: £30-£50; twilight: £25-£30

SH OWSTOPP ER

G R EA T VA L U E

St ur m inster M a rs ha ll

This short, friendly nine-holer only has two holes

that tiptoe over 300 yards, but it can defend itself
in other ways. It starts with a pretty little par 3,
then a short par 4 that looks narrow but widens
out nearer the green if you’re tempted to go for
it. The short par 3s at 5 and 6 both traverse
water, and then come those two 300-yarders
– both doglegs left where the ability to hit it right
to left will be a distinct advantage if you choose
a more attacking strategy.
The short
par-4 2nd Par 32, 1,904 yards
GF: nine holes: £12wd, £13we; 18: £18wd, £20we

106
 Photography: Mike Hyde, Jeremy Ellwood, Phil Inglis

Sherborne is
full of character

She rbo rne L O CA L K N OW L E D G E

James Braid was the man Stay
behind much of the delightful The Grange at Oborne, Sherborne
course at Sherborne. The 1st is This delightful country house hotel in a
a downhill par 4 with far- sleepy hamlet a mile from Sherborne is
reaching views that you enjoy the perfect spot if you’re looking for a bit
again on the par-5 6th, an of peace and quiet. The 18 bedrooms are
almost arrow-straight hole individually and beautifully decorated in
between avenues of trees. The keeping with the building’s character,
memorable par-3 9th plays and look out over the lovely gardens or
across a slope into which the surrounding countryside. The popular
green is cut, while the 12th is a restaurant has a strong reputation for its
strong downhill par 4 with a contemporary English cuisine.
kind of hog’s back fairway.
Every hole until the end has its Where to go
own unique character, For some, the medieval market town of
including the risk-reward 14th. Sherborne in north-west Dorset is the
county’s prettiest. You can while away
Par 72, 6,436 yards many hours wandering through
GF: round: £35-£40wd, picture-postcard streets here. If history
£35-£50we; twilight: £18-£30 is your thing, the town’s imposing abbey
dates back to 705AD, while Sherborne
V IEWS A PL EN T Y Castle, with its beautiful gardens and
grounds, is well worth a visit. Rushmore
GC is just 40 minutes from Stonehenge.

Do rse t Gol f Res ort

The Lakeland and Parkland nines make up the

‘main’ course at this fine 27-hole complex
between Wareham and Bere Regis. Water comes
into play often on these two nines, although the
biggest expanse is actually on the Parkland nine,
where the testing par-4 12th loops sharply
around it. Big greens and eye-catching bunkers
are a real feature, while the shorter Woodland
nine meanders through the rhododendrons and
is pretty as a picture when they’re in flower.

Lakeland/Parkland: par 72, 6,615 yards

GF: round: £54wd, £59we; day: £59wd, £64we Dorset Golf Resort
boasts 27 holes
H I DDE N GEM

107
 THE LONG AND
SHORT OF IT

Rob Smith looks at two very different renovations which show the
passion and commitment that make up a golfing labour of love

P hot ogr aph y PA UL SE VE RN

108
 RENOVATIONS
n an era when new golf
courses are relatively few and

I far between, the next best

thing has to be a full-blown
restoration or a grand
redesign. Two such projects
came to fruition this summer; one a fabulous
and remarkably speedy revival in the idyllic
Kent countryside, the other an impressive great demand, hosting the English Open on the
long-term remodelling in Hampshire. Ladies European Tour for four years from 2004.
For a variety of reasons over recent years, there
C h art Hills had been a lack of investment and a decline in
conditioning, which resulted in the club and
This different and very original parkland design course falling from favour. Ownership changed
was the first course in the UK&I designed by Chart Hills hands at the end of 2019 when it was purchased
six-time Major winner Sir Nick Faldo. Opening for was officially by Ramac Holdings and the McGuirk family, who
play in 1993, it was a pioneer for modern, reopened in have owned Prince’s for many years. There they
high-tech, top-end courses. It was also soon in June this year have overseen a dramatic and comprehensive
 RENOVATIONS
improvement that saw the course enter the Golf inventive and every hole offers a new and
Monthly Top 100 for the first time earlier this year. frequently very testing challenge.
The new owners took the bold and obviously Oddly, for a course where the sand is such a
not inexpensive decision to close the course in major feature, two of the stand-out holes have
order to relay and restore the almost grassless no bunkers on them. The par-4 8th has a
fairways. They have worked extremely hard on beautiful stream crossing it before you reach a
upgrading every element, both on the course tricky green, and the short 17th is fraught with
and in the clubhouse. Work was brought danger with an island green surrounded by
forward and accelerated as various lockdowns water. The greens now generally play at 10 or 11
created greater and earlier opportunity to on the stimpmeter, and with the contours on
progress without disrupting the membership. some, this means they can play even faster.
As a result, it was completed a year earlier than Director of golf, Ant Tarchetti, is delighted with
originally planned and conducted largely by the way things are going. He says: “I’m
the existing greenkeeping team, along with extremely proud to have overseen this process
some additional sub-contractor work. and I am very much looking forward to the
Faldo’s design had remained so strong that future at the club, which is sure to include a
no architectural changes were required. number of additional projects and
Instead, the first stage was to completely strip developments. This is by no means the finished
the turf from each fairway, exposing the bare product, so it will be a joy to continue working
clay. The internal greenkeeping team then set towards the club’s full potential.”
about installing thousands of metres of A revitalisation on this scale takes time and
irrigation piping, before more than 33,000 there is still work to do, but course manager
tonnes of sand were shaped on to the fairway Neil Lowther and his team deserve enormous
areas to produce a four-inch capping. The credit. Chart Hills is heading very much in the
finishing team then came in to spread creeping right direction and is already better than ever.
rye seed across the sanded zones, before the
watering and fertilisation processes began. One W eybro ok Par k
particular problem was the 8th fairway, which is
low-lying and shrouded in too much shade and Back in the 1970s, Basingstoke District Hospital in
so was prone to being very wet. This has been north Hampshire had its own nine-hole course.
re-fertilised and re-sanded and, as is the case In 1992, the health authority gave notice that
throughout the course, is greatly improved. they needed the land back for housing, so its
The holes themselves are a picture, or rather members formed a new club, Weybrook Park.
18 pictures. Among them are plenty that would They migrated next door over a five-year period,
be the signature or stand-out hole at most at which point they had a perfectly enjoyable
other courses. This starts at the very beginning but perhaps less memorable 18-hole course.
More than
with a risk-reward par 5 that calls for a In 2004, member Sandy Burrell’s knowledge of,
33,000 tonnes
well-placed drive over a sea of sand, before and enthusiasm for, course design led to an
of sand were
you turn to the right down to a green with a ambitious plan to create something more
used on the lake beyond. Streams and ponds are a major substantial. This met with approval and official
Chart Hills and extremely attractive feature throughout, support from the membership the following
fairways the bunkering is bold, eye-catching and year. Although not party to the big budgets
available at some of
our wealthier clubs, by
working with landfill
company Earthline,
they were able to keep
costs down and the
project began.
Key to this was
obtaining a long-term
lease on a parcel of
adjacent farmland
which would allow the
club to build a further
nine holes. This meant
that golf could
continue throughout
most of the works, with
the end result
effectively a brand
new course of 18 holes,
the West, and the
original back nine
forming a new
 use landfill creatively to create a
top-class golf course at no cost to
the golf club, if the project is
designed well from the start. By
having an independent golf course
architect and detailed plans in
place, the club made sure they
were in control of the project
rather than the landfill contractor
and they knew exactly what they
were getting. With modern
technology, it is now possible to
create an accurate virtual model
of the golf course.”
The 17-year project at Weybrook
Park should be an inspiration to any
club seeking to improve or future-
proof its course. Given enough time
nine-holer, the East. Realising that expert The closing and dedication, it is surprising what can be
design help would be needed, the club hole on achieved. Burrell is very happy with the result,
engaged a professional architect. Ken Weybrook and says: “During the work, one of my constant
Moodie has been responsible for some Park’s West thoughts was… no weak holes! Often, even top
important upgrade work at courses such as course courses are bedevilled by one or two such holes.
Alwoodley, Moortown and Royal Blackheath, During our opening event, one visiting
and is a past president of the European professional said he was impressed with the
Institute of Golf Course Architects. According location and layout, and that as he played he
to Burrell, “Ken’s advice on the layout and mix was waiting for the weak hole, which never
of holes has been excellent. However, it is the arrived; all 18 were good golf holes. This was
attention to detail when preparing drawings great to hear as it was what I set out to achieve!”
and especially when supervising the works These two large-scale but very different
on site that has helped create a natural- projects are a testimony not only to the
looking course, which beautifully sits into the enthusiasm, generosity and energy of golf’s
surrounding landscape.” custodians, but also to the incredible amount of
Construction work started on the brand love, labour and hard work required to make
new holes, now the back nine on the West, in things actually happen. Chart Hills is a
April 2007. With limited resources and relying remarkable and very welcome reanimation on
on some voluntary work, these holes Water is in the grandest scale, while Weybrook Park shows
opened for play in 2016. At this point, the play on what can be achieved with genuine passion,
redesign and new routing of the original several of the loyalty and a long-term commitment. Both
front nine began. Happily, with the nine-hole new holes deserve a happy and healthy future.
East course not changing, a full round of 18
holes was still possible. This work concluded
in the spring of 2021, and play commenced
on the West course soon after. The grand
opening took place in June, a highlight of
which was the drive-in by three-time Ryder
Cup captain Bernard Gallacher.
The end result is a fine and varied
downland course with attractive water
features in play on several holes, and enough
change in elevation to create interest and
views without overtaxing the leg muscles.
Stand-out holes include the first real
encounter with water at the drive-and-pitch
8th, the risk-reward par-5 10th and the
excellent short hole that follows at 11. The
par-4 14th has a stream that accompanies
you all the way and which must be crossed
twice, and the final par 3 at 16 is played down
to a green with water front and right, and
sand at the back. Plenty to think about all the Sandy Burrell
way, and a great blend of challenge and fun has been
that will only get better as it matures. integral to
According to Moodie: “The project at Weybrook
Weybrook Park shows that it is possible to Park’s
makeover

111
C O U R S E S
H I D D E N G E M S
By Rob Smith

Peter Alliss designs

To commemorate the loss of the great man a year ago this month,
we look at five of his golf course design collaborations

Pyrford Lakes knuckle ride where each successful shot is

followed by an equal measure of delight and
For any golfer with a fear of water, this thrilling relief. This is a genuinely interesting and
and extremely varied Peter Alliss and Clive different course brimming with risk and reward
Looking
Clark design will be more than a little scary. where commitment is vital. As may be a
back down
It comes in to play on the vast majority of plentiful supply of spare Titleists!
the long, snaking
holes, leading to a non-stop white- GF: 18 holes: £20-£50
and treacherous close to
the front nine at Pyrford
Lakes – the course has
no fewer than 23
acres of
water.
 Photography: Andy Hiseman

Manor House
This extremely pretty Alliss design, again with
Clive Clark – who has recently received great
acclaim for Dumbarnie Links – dates back to 1992.
It is situated just outside Castle Combe in leafy
Wiltshire and is well suited to a buggy as it covers
a vast acreage of undulating terrain. There are
two outstanding short holes at 2 and 17 and the
gorgeous par-5 12th is another real highlight, with
the river, a lake and a battery of bunkers.
GF: 18 holes: £65 Mon-Thu, £75 Fri-Sun

Carnoustie – Buddon Links

Peter Alliss and Dave Thomas designed this very
sporty links/parkland hybrid 40 years ago on
land that formerly belonged to the Ministry of
Defence. Appropriately, each hole is named
after a famous battle, and the course is a shade
under 6,000 yards from the white tees. It may
only be the third most famous course at
Carnoustie, but it offers a genuine alternative to
the very stern challenges posed by its siblings.
GF: 18 holes: £75

Clandeboye – Dufferin
Over 50 years ago, Alliss and Thomas were
involved in the expansion of the original 18 holes
at Clandeboye into a pair of very enjoyable
heathland courses, the Dufferin and the Ava.
They worked with German architect Baron Von
Limburger and the result is two quite different
layouts, with the Dufferin the more testing. It runs
over land that was grazed by monks more than
1,500 years ago. If you have time, play both!
GF: 18 holes: £80wd, £100we

Old Thorns
Back in the mid-1970s, at a time when demand
for Alliss/Thomas designs was at its height, the
pair created this undulating parkland course.
Not far from the Alliss family home on the
Surrey/Hampshire border, it is also very close
to Top 100 favourite Liphook. Aside from the
many specimen trees, some of which are
scarily intrusive, there is plenty of water with
which to contend.
GF: 18 holes: £50wd, £60we

113
 Illustration: Peter Strain

Bill Elliott
Good to see Rory McIlroy with a This even applies to you and me. Some of my best golf – this, by
smile on his face to counter- the way, is relative – has followed swiftly on from some of my
balance the tears he shed at worst, most laboured rounds. While the challenge offered to Rory
the end of a, mostly, woeful in Las Vegas was on the benign side of tough, he still had to hold
Ryder Cup performance. off not just a resurgent Rickie Fowler but 14 of the world’s top 20.
His 20th PGA Tour victory – a Afterwards, Rory said he had gone back to “just being me” and
hugely impressive list that that he was delighted to find out that this appears to be plenty
includes four Majors – means good enough. This, of course, is classic McIlroy, both honest and
he is just the third current US just a wee bit daft. Of course just being himself is good enough. His
Tour player with at least 20 vague pursuit of the trail set by Bryson DeChambeau was
wins. Phil Mickelson and Dustin seriously ill-considered and certainly beyond my comprehension.
Johnson are the others. Tiger Hopefully he is properly over that foolishness and can get back
Woods has a lot more on track when it comes to those weeks rather more significant
successes than any of them than that Vegas caper. Fingers crossed he keeps his eyes focused
but we don’t know what the on the road ahead. And, of course, remembers who and what he is.
future holds for him yet. Few of you will have any problem remembering who and what
Renton Laidlaw was. Renton’s
death on October 12 added his
name to the ever lengthening

“ R e n t o n L a i d l a w ’s w a r m list of Covid victims, and though

he had been in poor health, his
passing still came as a shock.

Scottish tones introduced A brilliant broadcaster and a

gifted journalist, his warm
Scottish tones introduced many
m a ny t h o u s a n d s t o go l f ” thousands of listeners and
viewers to the old game. As a
former treasurer, chairman and
president of the Association of
Apparently, McIlroy thought Golf Writers his influence on the game stretched across several
seriously about not playing pro decades and almost as many continents via his books and his work
golf again this year, so for newspapers, magazines, BBC radio and the Golf Channel.
distressed was he at his poor Renton was never happier than when on his way to a big
play during the Whistling Straits tournament, never more comfortable than when sitting at a
thumping. This was an decent supper table with players and journalists. He helped many
understandable response to his people along the way, always finding time for the new reporter or
Wisconsin weariness, but it was the young golfer. The day his death was announced my younger
also an extremely bad idea. son James rang me to say how sorry he was to hear the news.
Whatever sport a man or When James was a boy I took him to the occasional tournament.
woman plays, the only remedy He always behaved while in the media centre as I worked but, even
to repair poor play is to grit your so, not everyone made him welcome. “Renton always found time to
teeth and get on with what seek me out for a chat. He was really friendly and fun and made
Bill Elliott is
you’ve done so well for the me feel comfortable. I still appreciate that,” James said.
Golf Monthly’s
majority of your life. Hanging Others will make more of Renton’s talent and his crazed
editor-at-
large and Golf around on the sport’s periphery enthusiasm for work but, for me, while that is impressive, James’
Ambassador feeling sorry for yourself can reflection will do as a testimony to a genuinely nice bloke who
for Prostate often mean you never actually devoted so much of his life to the promotion of golf and golfers.
Cancer UK make the return journey. We won’t see his like again. Rest in peace old friend.

114
 Travel 2022
It's time to book your next golfing getaway!
Monte Rei – one of Portugal and Europe's most iconic courses

THE ALGARVE GREECE SPAIN

The golfing Mecca Enjoy Olazabal’s masterpiece Sotogrande estate and

just gets even better! at Costa Navarino the magic of Valderrama

Les Bordes: What's it like to play Europe's toughest golf course?

 Get off to a flying start

O
ver the past 18 months, golfers
have flocked to the fairways
of their local courses as the
game has enjoyed something
of a boom despite the horrific effects of
Covid-19. There has been nothing good to
come from a global pandemic, but there is
little doubt the opportunity to get outdoors
– after months of lockdown – contributed
to more players dusting off the clubs as
numbers swelled.
But now golfers in the UK are looking
ahead to 2022 – and our Travel 2022 guide
is here to help you do just that. Whether
you are new to the game or you’re a
veteran of the fairways, the following 29
pages will hopefully offer some inspiration
to head out into sunnier climes.
From the old favourites in the Algarve
and Spain to ‘newcomers’ like Costa
Navarino in Greece, there is plenty to offer.
Of course, heading overseas may not be
for everyone, so our ‘UK Special’ section will
hopefully serve as a reminder of the many
great courses we have on home shores. 40
Wherever you tee it up, we hope our
Travel 2022 guide gets the juices flowing to
make it your best golfing year ever!

Contents

4-10 U K S PE CI A L

20- 2 7 POR TU G A L

28 - 3 5 S PA I N

38 -3 9 IT AL Y

40-43 F RA NCE

4 4 -4 6 NEW ZEALAND

4 8 -5 0 B U CK E T -L I ST B EA UTI ES

44
ADVERTISING FEATURES

Edited by Alex Narey, Nick Bonfield, David Taylor Design Kevin Eason
1 2 -1 9 AL G A R VE Contributing writers Roderick Easdale, Rob Smith, Michael Weston, Jeremy
Ellwood, Fergus Bisset Photography Getty Images, Kevin Murray, Rob Smith
36- 37 COS T A N A VA RI N O Advertising Matthew Johnston Cover image Monte Rei Golf & Country Club

3
 U K S P E C I A L
T O P V E N U E S

Something for
the weekend
While it is nice to go sun seeking, with so many top-class courses in the
UK it is never a bad idea to look a little closer to home

No r t h
The north-west coast has its
linksland gems, but the north-east is
home to some prestigious venues,
one of which is Rockcliffe Hall. In
addition to a wonderful layout, its
luxurious five-star hotel, spa and
superb cuisine all make for a
wonderful experience.
W: rockcliffehall.com

Close House is home to Lee

Westwood’s Filly and Colt courses.
No incentive should be needed to The London Golf Club’s
visit this stunning estate, but factor Heritage course
in luxury courtyard accommodation,
the No. 19 restaurant and PGA Golf S o ut h
Academy, and you have more than
enough reasons to make a trip. Bowood, in Wiltshire, is set within a Another challenging Nicklaus design
W: closehouse.com beautifully landscaped English can be found at The London Club.
country estate. A monster from the The Heritage, which has hosted a
Slaley Hall’s Hunting course is often back tees, but there are options to number of European Tour events, is
referred to as the ‘Augusta of the cater for golfers of all standards. A punctuated with dramatic tee shots
North’ and Dave Thomas’ design boutique-style hotel sits at the heart and unnerving approaches over
does deliver a certain wow factor. of the venue, and there are water. The International, meanwhile,
With three excellent restaurants on numerous places to relax – is a high-class accompaniment.
site, there is no need to head although the infinity pool might be W: londongolf.co.uk
anywhere else, especially when you the best place to unwind.
can retire to the Whisky Snug. W: bowood.org For those who have a preference for
W: slaleyhallhotel.com links golf, the south-east serves up
The great Jack Nicklaus has left his plenty of options. Head to Prince’s
mark in Cornwall at St Mellion. His and enjoy 27 holes on the Kent coast
Signature course offers high drama, while soaking up the unique
especially with the Golden Bear experience offered by the venue’s
creating his own version of Amen illustrious history. Considerable
Corner with the 10th, 11th and 12th investment has been made in
holes. The Kernow, meanwhile, is recent years, with new holes and
typified by wide fairways and large dramatic re-styling making the
greens: a perfect foil for its tougher three nines across the Shire, Dunes
and more illustrious neighbour. and Himalayas an absolute must.
Close House in W: st-mellion.co.uk W: princesgolfclub.co.uk
the North East

4
 Words Michael Weston Photography Getty Images

Foxhills Club
& Resort

Surrey is blessed with a fine

selection of heathland
courses and championship
layouts. Not many, however,
can boast 54 holes, which
makes Foxhills well worth
dedicating a couple of days
to. In fact, you’d do well to
block off a long weekend, stay
Prince’s: a classic links in the luxurious hotel and
on the Kent coast make use of the wide range
of activities, which have been
boosted by the arrival of The
Pavilion, a magnificent new
£7 million facility.
The two championship
18-hole layouts are of the
highest standard. Surrounded
by scots pines, beech and
silver birch, the Longcross
places a premium on
accuracy, while the Bernard
Hunt is another tree-lined
beauty that plays a fraction
longer, although is more
forgiving off the tee.
If you want to whip round
– or if you’re a beginner – you
can tackle the nine-hole,
par-3 Manor. Great fun,
The Belfry’s Brabazon especially if you want to
is an iconic UK layout involve the whole family.
The Pavilion cements
Mi d l an ds Foxhills’ place as a family

If you are looking for a more central With its 36 holes, Woodhall Spa, in
location, the world-famous Belfry Lincolnshire, is up there with the very
ticks a lot of boxes. Given its best. The Hotchkin is heathland golf
affiliation with the Ryder Cup, the at its finest, while the adjacent
Brabazon is a must-play for those Bracken is more parkland. Stay at
looking to follow in such illustrious the luxurious Petwood Hotel and you
footsteps, but with the leisure club, will be well looked after.
spa and restaurants, this is more W: woodhallspa.com
than just a golf resort.
W: thebelfry.com W a les
club. It features indoor and
The Forest of Arden, located in the With three courses at Celtic Manor, outdoor swimming pools, a
heart of the Midlands, is not a million you can play golf until your heart’s creche, art studio, playroom
miles away. The Arden course – content. The Twenty Ten course – and a multitude of workout
designed by Donald Steel in 1992 – is host venue for the 2010 Ryder Cup – activities. At the award-
surrounded by ancient woodlands features a number of risk-reward winning spa, meanwhile, you’ll
and natural lakes, and has played challenges that will keep you on discover an endless list of
host to a number of international your toes as well as talking long into high-quality treatments, from
tournaments. Meanwhile, the the evening back at the (numerous) manicures and pedicures to
Aylesford is a little shorter than its on-site bars. Perfect for a group sports therapy, acupuncture
sister course and gives you more of getaway with both fellow golfers and reflexology.
an opportunity to post a good score. and the family. W: foxhills.co.uk
W: marriott.co.uk W: celtic-manor.com

5
 U K S P E C I A L
N O R T H W E S T

Golfing fun at crow flies, the links count runs well

into double figures, including three
magnificent Open Championship
venues, plus a strong supporting cast
featuring four more courses ranked

the seaside... comfortably inside Golf Monthly’s UK &

Ireland Top 100.

Up in the dunes
The headline act is Royal Birkdale, with
its distinctive white art-deco
Head north west and on ‘England’s Golf clubhouse. This is no classic out-and-
back links, with the course forever
Coast’ you are blessed with some of the twisting and turning its way through
some of the tallest dunes on the
finest stretches of linksland in the world Open rota. Indeed, the three opening
par 4s – starting with perhaps The

T
Open’s hardest opening hole of all –
play to different points of the
hink of great stretches compass, affording you little chance
of links golf in the UK to settle into any rhythm. Add in as
and you may be drawn strong a cast of links par 3s as you’ll
towards Fife, Ayrshire find, with the 12th and 14th real
and especially East standout holes, and it is easy to see
Lothian. South of the why, universally, Birkdale is held in
border, we have a such high esteem.
Art deco: Birkdale’s
iconic clubhouse number of strong small Right next door lies the back nine of
clusters in Kent, Norfolk and the south Hillside Golf Club, where the drama,
west. But one region stands head and wow factor and height of the dunes
shoulders above the rest for the reach another level. Elevated tees
strength in depth of its fine links golf with captivating views abound, with
– the north-west coastline, with the 14th, 17th and 18th perhaps
Southport at its epicentre. standing out. But the hole you will
From Hoylake on the Wirral up to St probably remember most is the
Annes, a mere 25 miles north as the snaking par-5 11th, which plays from

6
 Words Jeremy Ellwood Photography Kevin Murray, Getty Images

Essentials
Royal Liverpool will
host The Open in 2023
Royal Birkdale
Stats: par 72, 6,381 yards
GF: £185-£260wd; £285we
(main season only)

Hillside
Stats: par 72, 6,558 yards
GF: £90-£190wd; £115-£220we

Royal Liverpool
Stats: par 72, 6,466 yards
GF: £135-£245wd; £280we
(main season only)

another elevated tee before rising to with the 7th perhaps the visual star: a
the sanctuary of a green backed by a mid-length par 3 to another green
striking stand of towering pines. flanked by towering pines.
While the back nine has historically Recent work by in-demand course
overshadowed the front nine, there architect, Martin Ebert, has helped to
are still many strong holes as the raise the front nine’s game. One of the
course heads out along the railway, main changes has been the Five more great
introduction of new natural dunes and north-west links…
sandy waste areas between the 1st
and 9th holes, with the 9th also
inheriting new dunes around its
reshaped green complex. Royal Lytham & St Annes
Another Open venue (above).
Links royalty The six closing par 4s includes
Ebert has been a busy bee too at Royal tough tests on 15 and 17.
Liverpool (or Hoylake), which will host
The Open again in 2023. This venerable West Lancs
links dates back to 1869 when the A challenging links, with the
original course was laid out on the par-3 12th and dogleg-left
racecourse of the Liverpool Hunt Club par-4 13th the highlights.
at the northern tip of the Wirral.
The links plays over predominantly Southport & Ainsdale
flat terrain until rising to the green on A fine test through gorse and
the par-5 8th at the far end and then dunes, with the approach to
embarking on a thrilling four-hole ride the 16th playing blind over a
along the Dee Estuary, highlighted by vast sleepered bank.
the stunning, longish par-3 11th, ‘Alps’.
Since Rory McIlroy claimed the Wallasey
Claret Jug here in 2014 there have Another Wirral links where the
been a number of changes, with the well-bunkered downhill par-3
new par-3 15th (it plays as the 17th 12th follows a superb par 4
during The Open) by far the most along a hog’s back ridge.
significant. It is a short-but-testing
beauty that now plays in the opposite Formby
direction to the hole it replaced. It may An intriguing mix of links and
be only 134 yards, but it is likely to prove heathland. The long par-4 9th
no pushover when the world’s best hit from an elevated tee is one of
The well-guarded par-3
12th at Royal Birkdale town, especially if the wind is blowing many memorable holes.
in hard off the Dee!

7
 U K S P E C I A L
S C O T L A N D

St Andrews in style

Fergus Bisset travels to the Home of Golf to play the historic

Old Course and enjoy more than a little luxury in the Old Course Hotel

T
he Old Course in St
Andrews will host
the 150th Open
Championship next July.
As the rush for tickets
confirms, everyone’s
rather excited. The Open
is coming home.
I’ve been lucky enough to have an
association with the ‘Auld Grey Toun’
for many years. Family holidays, then
university and countless golfing trips;
each time I return it feels like a part of
me is also heading home. When I
The Duke’s – an inland returned last time, I was fortunate to
gem in Fife
8
 Photography Getty Images

The 17th green and

view up the 18th

Grandstand setting: the Old

Course Hotel at St Andrews

golfing legends are

upon you.
Largely out and
back, you forge
towards the Eden
Estuary from the 2nd
hole and play across
swales and hollows
past bunkers and
march stones to the
turn. There you encounter the famous Essentials
loop, including the magnificent par-3
11th, which is devilishly protected by
Hill and Strath bunkers.
Turning for home, the 12th fairway is Old Course Hotel and
pockmarked by unseen bunkers and golf packages
the challenge ramps up on the W: oldcoursehotel.co.uk
difficult 13th – just where are you
supposed to hit it to? The 14th features St Andrews Links
the giant ‘Hell’ bunker and, just above W: standrews.com
it, the brilliantly named ‘Pulpit’ from
which you can look down into Hell. The Duke’s St Andrews
The hairs begin to rise on your neck W: thedukescourse.co.uk
as you play back towards the Old
Course Hotel down the 16th. The An inland gem...
infamous 17th awaits. Drive (hopefully)
over the old railway sheds, miss the
Road Hole bunker (and the road), tap The Duke’s Course
in and breath a sigh of relief.
The final drive is to a vast fairway, An alternative to the links of St
with the nerves still jangling as you Andrews, The Duke’s has more
take a last peak at one of the great of a heathland feel. Originally
views in golf up the 18th fairway. Try to designed by Peter Thomson,
miss Granny Clark’s Wynd and the the course was re-modelled
do so in style on a trip to stay in the Valley of Sin before putting out in front by American architect Tim
famous Old Course Hotel that sits of the curious onlookers that are Liddy, with a number of
alongside the iconic Road Hole 17th. passing by. It’s an experience every changes including five
Owned by Herb Kohler, who also golfer should have at least once. separate tees at every hole to
owns Whistling Straits – the Wisconsin And the town delivers so much maximise flexibility.
venue that hosted September’s Ryder more as there are five further courses It is a challenging track
Cup – it is one of Scotland’s very best to explore. My pick of the bunch – and where strong hitting must
hotels. From the salubrious spa to the one that should be viewed as a great come to the fore, especially on
Road Hole bar, everything is of the layout in its own right – is the Old Tom the opener – an uphill par 5
very highest order. Morris-designed New Course. protected by significant
Rooms offer stirring views across After a superb and sustaining bunkering, played to an
the sprawling links and drawing back burger in the characterful old Jigger elevated green.
the curtains on a morning, all golf Inn, the traditional hangout of the St The layout then forges into
lovers will be inspired by the prospect Andrews caddies, it was to the New the trees for a series of very
of following in the footsteps of the we headed next. heath-like holes, before the
golfing titans who have strode these The holes are challenging and 6th takes you to a green
famous fairways. It was a reminder of varied, and the flow of the layout offering a fabulous view
why I love playing the Old Course, takes the golfer on a most enjoyable downhill and out across St
perhaps more than any other track in journey around the central part of the Andrews towards Angus.
the world. St Andrews West Links. The firm, That’s the best thing about
The feeling of playing the Old undulating fairways lead past The Duke’s: gaining a totally
Course is like no other. From the well-placed bunkers to greens that different perspective of
daunting first tee shot in front of the are always true and can be fast- St Andrews, just minutes away
Royal and Ancient clubhouse to the running. The New is a course that from the town’s centre.
final putt, it feels like the eyes of demands traditional golfing skills.

9
 U K S P E C I A L
S C O T L A N D

Turnberry...
The complete package
As Rob Smith discovers, the all-encompassing resort on the Ayrshire
coast is not just home to magnificent golf

W
hile the Ayrshire The new par-3 9th is an absolute to the highest standard. There is a
coastline is packed world-beater played by and over a vast array of beautifully appointed
with a treasure deep, rocky inlet. The back nine suites, lodges and apartments. To
chest of top-class opens with a snaking par 5 that complete the package, enjoy fine
golf including follows the cliffs, followed by another dining in the 1906 Restaurant as well
Royal Troon and wow-factor beauty of a short hole as plenty of other mouth-watering
Prestwick, the jewel at 11. The lighthouse itself has been and thirst-quenching options in the
in its sporting transformed into both the perfect Grand Tea Lounge and Bar, or back
crown remains the Ailsa course at halfway house and the most over in the lively clubhouse.
Trump Turnberry. And, while golf is amazing accommodation. At the There are comprehensive spa
rightly the focus here, this stylish and same time, Ebert also completed a facilities with views out over the sea
instantly recognisable Edwardian reworking of the old Kintyre course, to Ailsa Craig, while off-course
hotel has far more to offer the transforming it into the King Robert activities include clay-pigeon
discerning traveller. the Bruce. shooting, archery, horseriding
With the nine-hole Arran, it all and off-road driving, with
The golf adds to the wonder that is Turnberry: paddleboarding and kayaking for
The Ailsa course was the setting for a special venue that should be on water lovers.
one of the greatest Open every golfer’s bucket list. W: turnberry.co.uk
Championship battles of all time:
Nicklaus versus Watson and the ‘Duel So much more
in the Sun’ in 1977. More recently, the If you can tear yourself away from
course has enjoyed a comprehensive the golf, there is another world to
upgrade by Martin Ebert. Among the discover at Turnberry. The grand
most dramatic changes made five hotel is very stylish, and as with the
years ago are those around the turn. golf courses, it has been refurbished

Turnberry’s fearsome
signature 9th hole

Essentials

Ailsa Championship course

Par 71, 7,489 (Black tees)

King Robert the Bruce

Championship course
Par 72, 7,203 yards (Black tees)

Arran (nine holes)

Par 31, 1,996 yards

10
 G M P R O M O T I O N
P O R T U G A L

The Algarve

It’s time for another

golfing adventure

D
After 18 months of lockdown, why not espite golf enjoying
something of a UK
discover another golfing world with a renaissance over the
past 18 months – with
record numbers
visit to the Algarve? If you’re looking swelling to their local
courses from Cornwall
for value for money and great to Cumbria – there has
never been a better time to start
courses, Portugal’s southern coast planning your next golfing getaway.
With many travel restrictions lifted, UK
should be your first port of call golfers are itching to head out into
sunnier climes. Whether it’s the annual
golf tour or taking the family on a
short break, packing the clubs and
playing abroad should be on all
golfers’ bucket lists for 2022!

12
 Quinta de Cima’s
Championship layout

Pestana Vila Sol

offers 27 holes

Quinta do Lago’s newly

renovated South Course

And in the Algarve, you are spoilt

for choice. From Lagos in the west
to Castro Marim in the east, the the more established layouts, like the rugged, beautiful coastline with a
southern tip of Portugal has become Old Course at Vilamoura and the number of characterful towns and
the golfing Mecca of continental region’s oldest track, the Sir Henry cities where you can base your stay.
Europe. Day after day, year after year, Cotton-designed Penina? Fly direct from the UK in just over two
golfers from the UK continue to But there are so many other and a half hours and you could be
return. They do so, primarily, because reasons to travel and play golf in playing golf within an hour of landing
they know there is an endless the Algarve. Those sun-seekers at Faro airport.
number of top-quality golf courses looking for a break in the height of Over the following pages, we will
– all maintained in the finest summer are blessed with an look at some of the best courses to
condition – just waiting to be played. average of 12 hours’ sun a day, with play, while also highlighting a number
Quite simply, you are spoilt for choice temperatures tipping 30 degrees of new developments that have
in a region that has become the Celsius, while the milder winter made the Algarve even more of a
heartbeat of European golf. months will offer a pleasant and must visit.
Do you like coastal masterpieces welcoming escape
that deliver stunning views out to the from the freezing
Atlantic like Quinta da Ria, Vale do temperatures on
Lobo or Palmares? Or perhaps you home shores. #WELCOMEBACK
prefer inland classics, characterised Fine wines, great
by an eclectic mix of towering food, the warmest of
umbrella pines and stunning, welcomes and great
#FEATUREMEALGARVE VISITGOLFALGARVE
man-made water hazards, like value for money – it’s all
#ALGARVETOURISM ALGARVETOURISM
Monte Rei or Dom Pedro Victoria? Or laid out across an
maybe you want to sample some of 89-mile stretch of

13
 G M P R O M O T I O N
P O R T U G A L

H
oward Swan’s design tumbles towards the sea and a small and award-winning clubhouse, as
at Boavista makes tract of flat linksland, which provides well as a five-star hotel with another
sublime use of the four links holes on the Praia nine. Each hotel in development.
surrounding nine has its own character, with the
landscape and Alvor a hilly parkland course with Penina’s Championship Course is
provides views of fiendishly contoured greens, while the the oldest on the Algarve. It opened in
rare beauty over the Lagos nine mixes parkland with 1966 and was designed by Sir Henry
Bay of Lagos to the dunesland. The resort includes a new Cotton on what were once paddy
east and the Monchique mountains
to the north. The front nine climbs to
the highest point of the layout and the
Penina is the Algarve’s
6th and 8th holes are played over a oldest course
ravine. The second nine features
various water hazards.

Espiche’s par-5 1st – dropping 80

feet from the tee before rising back to
the green – serves as a fine
introduction to the risk-reward nature
of this track. It also introduces you to
the challenge of its contours. For
example, two holes later you are met
with a 447-yard uphill par 4. Bunkers
guard most greens, with the putting
surfaces large and undulating,
making it a test of your short game.

Palmares has three nine-hole

layouts designed by Robert Trent
Jones Jnr, who reckoned only once in
every ten years would he get land as
good as this to work with. The land

West Algarve:
A burgeoning
collection of
courses for
all standards

The superb Faldo

Course at Amendoeira

14
 W E S T A L G A R V E

fields, to which he introduced

thousands of trees and shrubs. The
course boasts an array of raised
greens, streams and water hazards.
This par-73 layout has hosted the
Portuguese Open ten times.

With 18 holes and 27 greens,

Pestana Gramacho allows players to
play the same course without it
necessarily being the same actual
layout. This follows a redesign of the
original course by Ronald Fream and
Nick Price, which still incorporates the
natural stone outcrops, historical dry Boavista is set within
stone walling and ancient trees. a natural landscape

The first nine holes at Morgado are

relatively flat, whereas the back nine Alamos does not require big hitting, can be threaded between barranca
is played over more hilly terrain. Both but places a premium on accuracy and a fairway bunker to set up a
halves are noted for their deep with narrow fairways and small shorter approach to a long, shallow
bunkers, large greens and generously greens. Your skills with the flat-stick green. Or you can aim for the more
wide fairways. There are five par 5s are also firmly examined. There are generous landing area right of the
– the shortest of which is 529 yards superb views towards the hills of bunker, but this sets up an approach
– and four par 3s to give an overall Serra de Monchique. shot over a greenside bunker to a
par of 73. This course has hosted the green sloping away.
Portuguese Open. The Faldo Course at Amendoeira is
a desert-style layout with strategic The neighbouring course at
At 6,244 yards off the whites and options on several holes. For instance, Amendoeira O’Connor is of a
5,583 from the yellow tees, the par-71 the drive on the stroke-index-one 8th markedly different style. It is laid out
through a fertile valley and the rich
topsoil has been landscaped and
planted with mature palm trees,
affording a lush, ornamental setting.
Water hazards and big greens with
subtly contoured putting surfaces
provide the bulwark of its defences.

Away from the golf, Lagos is an

attractive town in the western
Algarve. It boasts beaches and a
historic centre with cobbled streets
and a 17th-century fort. Lagos also
has a vibrant nightlife, the focal point
of which is the marina’s lively bars
and restaurants.
The largest city in western Algarve is
Portimao, popular for retail outlets and
a relaxed atmosphere. The docks area
is now a scenic promenade leading
off tree-lined plazas. The Azulejo tile
paintings in the Jardim 1º de Dezembro
depict the history of Portugal.

#WELCOMEBACK
#FEATUREMEALGARVE VISITGOLFALGARVE
#ALGARVETOURISM ALGARVETOURISM

15
 G M P R O M O T I O N
P O R T U G A L

Central Algarve:
An eclectic mix of
stunning tracks

S et on flat land
besides Salgados
Beach and Salgados
Lagoon Nature
Reserve, Salgados is
a demanding layout with 16 holes
played over water hazards. It’s a
Set to open in the autumn of 2022,
Ombria resort’s 18-hole signature
course – designed by Jorge Santana
– wends around natural water
hazards and mature woodland. The
greens and fairways were designed
to blend seamlessly into the
tough test, especially when the wind surrounding landscape. Off-course,
blows, as the course is very open with the magnificent clubhouse was built
little vegetation. The 563-yard 6th is into the existing ruins of an old castle
considered one of the toughest holes and is the perfect spot for your
in the Algarve. post-round analysis, with wonderful
vistas, a sports bar and a restaurant.
Pine Cliffs is a delightful, beautiful pond and a bunker. Three other
nine-holer of 2,434 yards. Its four par Originally designed by Frank bunkers lurk around the green to
3s and five par 4s are laid out on cliffs Pennick, Dom Pedro Pinhal opened in gobble anything wayward. The back
200ft above the Atlantic. It is famous 1976 and was remodelled by Robert nine opens with another par 3 (125-167
for its spectacular par-3 6th, Devil’s Trent Jones Jnr in 1985. Subsequently yards) requiring a carry to the green
Parlour, which is played over an more work has been done to extend – in this case over a valley. Hit the
ochre-coloured ravine in the cliffs. Off its overall length. Traversing putting surface or end up playing
the whites it is a scary 215 yards; undulating parkland and with from the rough on an upslope.
fortunately there are other tees fairways sometimes dotted with, and
available – from the yellows it is only more often edged by, umbrella and Dom Pedro Laguna is set apart
150 yards. Atlantic pines, Pinhal now measures from the other courses in Vilamoura
6,948 yards off the in that it has few trees. Instead, the
tips. Ponds and challenge is to avoid the water
streams come into hazards. Five of the holes are, at least
play on five holes. in part, doglegs around water. One of
these is the par-5 15th, which requires
Pine Cliffs – a testing Dom Pedro Old water to be crossed on the second
nine-hole challenge Course opened in shot to set up an approach to a green
1969. The most tucked away to the right. Do we need
scenic of its holes is to point out that laguna means
probably the 4th, lagoon in Portuguese?
with various tee
options allowing it to Laguna shares a clubhouse with
be played from 124 Dom Pedro Millennium. This is not all
to 178 yards. To get it has shared as the course, which
to the large green, opened in 2000, comprises nine new
the ball has to fly a holes and a refurbished inward half

16
 C E N T R A L A L G A R V E

The Ombria course will

open for play in 2022

wander off the tee without undue

penalty. There are flat fairways and
steep ones, straight holes and single
and double doglegs, oceanside holes
and inland holes. It’s emblematic
holes are two challenging and
spectacular par 4s – the 11th and the
14th, which treats golfers to some
spectacular views – and the par-3
15th, which runs alongside the beach.

The 9th at Vale do Lobo Royal is a

par 4 with water wrapped around
three sides of the green. But the most
famous hole, probably in the whole of
Portugal, is the 16th. This par 3 involves
a carry over two chasms in the
ochre-coloured cliffs to reach the
green in one. However, there is a
bail-out option as the fairway

Dom Pedro Old Course

which had previously formed part of at Vilamoura
the original 27-hole Laguna course.
There is little water in play, and all of it
is on the back nine. The 17th doglegs
around a lake, and 18 is bordered by
water for its closings stages.

Dom Pedro Victoria has hosted the

World Cup and is the home of the
European Tour’s Portugal Masters.
Arnold Palmer was the architect and
the later stages of the round are
awash with water hazards. The 12th is
played to an island fairway and the
14th has a fairway in two parallel
parts, with water separating them.
Then 17 is the signature hole, with
water hazards and waterfalls running
down the whole of its right border
and around the green, which is
tucked away to the right. Then 18 is #WELCOMEBACK
the reverse, with water threatening
the hook shot, not the slice.
#FEATUREMEALGARVE VISITGOLFALGARVE
Vale do Lobo Ocean offers plenty
#ALGARVETOURISM ALGARVETOURISM
of variety, with tight holes mingled
with those which allow the golfer to

17
 G M P R O M O T I O N
P O R T U G A L

Pinheiros Altos offers

runs to the right of this for those who some stunning views three loops of nine,
wish to play it as a dogleg. From the ranked in order of
white tees it is 235 yards; from the difficulty – Prime,
yellows, 208 yards. Challenge and Prestige.
The last of these might
Quinta do Lago South has just appeal to those who
reopened after a £7 million renovation only want to experience
which has seen the course upgraded sand beneath their feet
to improve the views, especially later when on the beaches of
in the round, and its sustainability. the Golden Coast – it
Some holes have also had a slight has only five bunkers.
redesign, notably the dogleg 8th. The in 2009. The 18th has an S-shaped
front nine holes wind their way fairway weaving through water Pinheiros Altos offers 27 holes with
through the parkland and favour a hazards. When water is not present, three contrasting sets of nine – the
draw, while the back nine, which loop players can afford to give it a go off Corks, Pines and Olives, with the Corks
around the lake, reward a fade. This the tee as large expanses of open nine the longest of the three. You can
track has hosted the Portuguese areas ensure the wayward drive is enjoy stunning views of the region,
Open eight times. rarely punished. but watch out for the par-5 8th hole,
which is a double dogleg of nearly
Quinta do Lago North had its own San Lorenzo borders the Ria 600 yards! All three loops are
redesign in 2014, by Beau Welling in Formosa Estuary and salt water positioned within close proximity of
conjunction with former European lagoons. After a gentle opening few the beautiful clubhouse.
Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley, holes, the 5th, the shortest hole on the
who has an academy at Quinta do layout, opens up a magnificent vista Faro is the main international
Lago. The layout is notable for some of golden beaches and the Atlantic airport of southern Portugal and the
clever and attractive green Ocean. Then the stroke-index-one 6th old town’s cobbled streets are ringed
complexes and a huge lake which ups the drama. Standing on the tee, by medieval walls. The cathedral
dominates the doglegged 12th. The looking out to the sea, the temptation offers panoramic views over the city.
only other time water appears on the is to cut the corner; but get it wrong Sightseeing cruises run from Faro
layout is alongside the par-3 2nd. and you will land in dense shrub. The to Ria Formosa nature reserve. The
course is exclusive to its members nature reserve stretches for more
Quinta do Lago Laranjal runs and guests of Dona Filipa hotel and than 35 miles along the coast – a
through a former orange grove, with Amarante Formosa Park hotel. maze of lagoons, marshland, salt
five lakes and flamboyant bunkering pans, islets and channels providing
providing the main hazards. The nines Pestana Vila Sol hosted the an ecosystem that is one of the most
have been reversed since it opened Portuguese Open in the 1990s. It has important wetland habitats in Europe.

Watch out for salt water

lagoons at San Lorenzo
 E A S T A L G A R V E

East Algarve: Tranquility

and Jack’s masterpiece

A few kilometres to the

east of the city of
Tavira, Benamor is
something of a
‘hidden gem’. The
Sir Henry Cotton-
designed 18-hole layout opened for
play in 2000. It is one of the region’s
more secluded courses. There are
some wonderful views on offer of the
hills of the Serra do Caldeirao.
Iconic: Monte Rei is
one of the greats
Designed by Seve Ballesteros,
Quinta do Vale features six par 3s, six
par 4s and six par 5s. With views over three years later. The Guadiana is the natural creeks adding much
the Guadiana River, the course blends more mature of the three. character to the course.
into the area’s natural habitat. A
number of doglegs add to the Quinta da Ria resort has two Monte Rei Golf & Country Club is,
layout’s challenge. courses designed by Rocky in the eyes of many, the country’s
Roquemore, and the Quinta da Ria top course. The Jack Nicklaus
Castro Marim is another 27-hole course delivers some of the most signature North Course and the
offering with three nine-hole loops. wonderful views out over the Atlantic. magnificent clubhouse all add to
Here, you can play three different There is a nice mixture of holes here, the allure in its private and secluded
18-hole layouts consisting of the but the course’s most iconic spot hideaway. Opening for play in 2007
Grouse and Guadiana, Atlantic and comes on the 17th, with a small island and set against the backdrop of the
Guadiana and the Grouse and which is now a sanctuary for Serra do Caldeirao mountains, the
Atlantic. The Grouse was opened for endangered birds. Quinta de Cima is layout should be on every golfer’s
play in 2008; the Atlantic followed the championship layout, with several bucket list. Work will soon begin on
the Nicklaus-designed South Course.

Tavira is a wonderful destination

for your stay. Situated along the
Gilao River, there is a strong mix of
Portuguese heritage. It is well worth
a visit to the cobbled streets of Olhao
and Vila Real de Santo Antonio.

#WELCOMEBACK
#FEATUREMEALGARVE VISITGOLFALGARVE
#ALGARVETOURISM ALGARVETOURISM
Castra Marim has
three nine-hole loops

19
 S H O R T H A U L
P O R T U G A L

Quintessential Quinta

Already one of the Algarve’s most stunning venues, Roderick Easdale

plays Quinta do Lago’s majestic South course after a recent upgrade
to sample the changes at one of Europe’s most revered layouts

T
he South course at
Quinta do Lago has
reopened following a
£7 million renovation.
This upgrade was only
possible because golf
was suspended during
the pandemic. This is the
most popular of Quinta do Lago’s
three courses, which hosted the
Portugal Masters eight times between
1976 and 2001. The first of Colin
Montgomerie’s 31 European Tour wins
came here, in 1989, by 11 strokes.
One of the major changes has
been to soften the dogleg on the
The North is flanked by much-criticised par-4 8th. But the
umbrella pines
20
 Enjoy culinary delights
at Quinta do Lago

has some long treks

between holes and
you also criss-cross
the roads of the
resort several times.
The resort’s third
course, Laranjal, is on
a separate site a short
drive east. After a
pretty opener, you
come to the 2nd hole with its water Essentials
– which is not really in play – and lots
of bunkering. Both of these are to be
recurring features of the round.
The two nines on Laranjal have How to get there
been reversed from when the course Faro airport is about 25
first opened for play in 2009. This minutes away, with direct
means the most distinctive hole is flights from many UK airports.
now the 18th – an ‘S-shaped’ par 5
with water in both crooks of the ‘S’. Where to play
There is a lot of water on the site, W: quintadolago.com
but rarely should it impinge on your
strategy for playing the hole. An Quinta do Lago South
exception, other than 18, is the Stats: par 72, 7,016 yards
stroke-index-one 7th, where a lake
flanks the right of the drive and then Quinta do Lago North
has to be crossed en route to the Stats: par 72, 6,698 yards
green. A frogman was going in to
retrieve balls as we played. Quinta do Lago Laranjal
There is another golf layout at Stats: par 72, 7,042 yards
Quinta do Lago, and it is fabulous. It is
a mini golf course with nine holes Where to stay
imaginatively modelled on some of The Magnolia
the game’s most famous holes. W: themagnoliahotelqdl.com
most striking change is around the You start with Quinta’s take on the
16th green, which has been extended famous drivable par-4 10th at the What it costs
back left with the undergrowth to its Belfry, with the ‘water’ a blue-painted Rounds of golf can be booked
rear cleared to present a dramatic ditch. Augusta’s par-3 12th and par-5 on any of the courses from
view of the lake when you crest the 13th feature later on, as does the short €160pp. Magnolia Hotel offers
hill on the fairway of this par 4. par-3 7th at Pebble Beach. The final three nights B&B in a standard
The par-3 15th is played over hole is based on TPC Sawgrass’ 17th double room with two rounds
another part of this lake. The green with its island green. of golf or a €75 spa voucher
has also had undergrowth cleared The whole design is beautifully from €681; five nights B&B with
behind it, so now a safety-first tactic landscaped, with the idea to make it three rounds of golf or a €175
is offered: if you are in doubt, it is best something that would appeal to spa voucher from €1,040.
to ‘over club’. more than just children.
Much of the work on the South was Other sporting facilities at the resort
to increase its sustainability – water include the Campus, a sports centre
usage has been reduced by 10-15 per offering health, fitness and wellness
cent as a result of the changes and activities as well as tennis and padel equally good Bovino Steakhouse.
investment, according to the course courts. The resort also hosts the However, the resort had lacked any
superintendent. Paul McGinley Academy, which hotels of its own (although there are
The adjoining North course has includes a TaylorMade custom-fitting many private hotels dotted about). So
some interesting green complexes centre for those looking to invest in they have bought one of these, the
set in undulating landscape. Here, some new kit. four-star Magnolia Hotel. As this is
the holes seem less encroached Quinta do Lago has a baker’s dozen modelled on an American motel, it
upon by housing than on the South. of restaurants. We ate at the much- has a different ambience to the rest
While you can walk the South, the lauded Umami, an Asian restaurant of the resort. The hotel offers a range
North is designed for buggies as it which opened last May, and at the of stay-and-play packages.

21
 S H O R T H A U L
P O R T U G A L

A
lthough, to many, golf side and is followed by one of the beyond. The long 14th is then a unique
in Portugal equals the back nine’s three par 5s. The par-3 double-dogleg par 5 that demands
Algarve, courses of 13th is another fine short hole, playing sound course management.
the same quality can uphill and over water to a green There are opportunities to score on
be found elsewhere surrounded by sand and shrubbery the back nine, but you will have to
in the country. Often hold on to your hat
these come with the as you negotiate
added advantage Enjoy post-round fun the challenging
that they are less populated than at Quinta da Marinha par-5 18th, which
those on the south coast. The area does serve up a
around Lisbon is particularly rich in closing birdie
enticing golf offerings. opportunity but
Quinta da Marinha is in the coastal there are two lakes
town of Cascais, just over half an waiting in the lay-up
hour’s drive from Lisbon. Here, Robert zone, one of which
Trent Jones has designed a goes on to protect
thoroughly entertaining 18-hole the front and left of
course with six par 3s. The first of a narrow putting
these is the 4th, aptly named ‘ravine’, surface that sits in
which plays over a gully with front of the hotel’s
magnificent views of the Atlantic to pool. It’s a great
your left. Its par-4 predecessor – one
of the more famous holes in Portugal
– plays towards a green with the sea
beyond. The hole’s picture was used
for many years to promote
Portuguese golf tourism.
The back nine boasts four par 3s
and takes you on a serene journey
through tall trees and past lakes. The
10th features a lake running up the left

Gems of
the capital

While the southern tip of

Portugal is often the first port
of call for golfers, around the
city of Lisbon you will find
some excellent tracks

Troia – one of Europe’s

finest layouts

22
 Words Roderick Easdale

Robert Trent Jones’

Quinta da Marinha

finishing hole and a fitting end to a

fun and, at times, quirky golf course.
Away from the golf, the hotel’s pool
and outside area has to be one of the
best spots in Portugal to relax after
your round. It’s easy to spend the
entire day enjoying the excellent
service and watching fellow golfers
attempt to come through the 18th
unscathed.
The five-star hotel underwent a
significant renovation in 2020 and has
taken what was an already lovely
locale to a different level. There are
multiple places to eat and drink, with
varying accommodation offerings,
but crucially, every single room has its
own balcony – the hotel’s unique relaxing and playing golf without find a multitude of bars and
U-shape with the pool in the middle feeling the need to leave the property, restaurants through cobbled streets
ensuring a good view from each one. but the charming town of Cascais is and past pastel-coloured buildings.
In truth, you could spend a week just a short drive away, where you’ll Nearby, you will find one of Europe’s
finest courses, Oitavos Dunes. It is
sometimes described as a links but,
although on sandy soil with a coastal
setting, the course also has many
other notable characteristics. The first
few holes are narrow and played
through trees, before the layout
opens up from the par-4 5th. In this
part of the course, the views are open
and expansive. The playing surfaces,
meanwhile, are quite magnificent.
The stretch of holes from the 8th to
the 14th is as good as anywhere in
Europe. It starts with a twisting
downhill par 5 played between the
dunes, takes in a glorious short hole
and two beach-flanked short par 4s,
and finishes with a quite sublime
par 3, which is played over a ravine to
a green perched in front of the sea.
A little further north of Cascais is
Penha Longa, which has an 18-holer
and a nine-holer. Sadly, they are not
called Longa and Shorta, but Atlantic
and Monastery. The Atlantic layout
arcs, plunges and climbs to and from
a wooded vale to the rolling hillside,
giving views along the way of an old
viaduct, the Estoril motor racing
circuit, the Sintra Mountains and the
towns of Estoril and Cascais. It is a
beautiful setting with a course of
much charm, variety and challenge.
Half an hour’s drive south of Lisbon
over the River Tagus takes you to
Aroeira, whose two courses form part
of Orizonte Golf’s portfolio. Aroeira
Pines Classic and Aroeira Challenge
both underwent significant
renovation during the lockdown
period and the results are stunning.
Aroeira has been referred to as the

23
 Elevated greens test
‘Wentworth of Lisbon’ and your skills at Troia Essentials
you can certainly
understand why.
Aroeira Pines Classic – a
former host of the How to get there
Portuguese Open – has a London is well served with
calm and tranquil feel with direct flights, but you can also
holes wending through go direct from Manchester.
large pines and around Return flights from £167.
bodies of water. The par-5
1st is a great indicator of Where to play
what is to come as you
drive over a lake to a Quinta da Marinha
fairway flanked on both Stats: par 72, 6,420 yards
sides by giant trees. It is a GF: €79
lovely place to play golf and W: quintadamarinha.com
most holes are divided from
one another by these large specimens, masterpiece from Robert Trent Jones, Oitavos Dunes
which really adds to the relaxed and who believed Troia’s 3rd hole to be one Stats: par 71, 6,526 yards
secluded feel. of the best he had ever designed. It is a GF: from €65
The front nine is strong in its own beautiful left-turning dogleg par 4 W: oitavosdunes.com
right, but the back nine takes things to which nestles neatly into the
another level. Every hole is memorable, beachside landscape. Penha Longa
but the short par-3 14th over a lake, the The preceding hole is a long par 3 Stats: par 72, 6,904 yards
risk-reward par-4 17th and the to a green nestled on the edge of the GF: various packages
beautiful uphill 18th make a compelling beach. The 4th is another par 3 which available
case for being the best three. The 18th runs along the shoreline. Troia’s W: penhalonga.com
green sits just to the side of the fairways are often tight, but there is
clubhouse and the 19th hole is a little by way of rough. Instead, it is Aroeira Pines Classic
cracking spot to spend a few post-golf sand and pine trees you have to Stats: par 72, 6,634 yards
hours talking over your round. contend with en route to what are GF: from €60
Located between Sado Estuary and often small, elevated and well- W: orizontegolf.com
Arrabida National Park is Troia, another protected greens.
Troia
Stats: par 72, 6,908 yards
GF: €102
Aroeira has two fine
courses to play
W: troiaresort.pt

24
 S H O R T H A U L
M A D E I R A

Atlantic
adventure
A popular option among Europe’s regular
heavyweights, Madeira brings a great climate
with three stunning golf courses to boot

T
Twenty-seven holes
await at Santo da Serra

he 3rd and 4th holes at and shallow, and behind it lies an the back nine. The third nine is the
Santo da Serra use their equally wide but ever shallower Serras, which is newer, shorter and
spectacular setting to bunker. This hole is dramatic, flatter. From the highest to the
great effect. The 3rd is a intoxicating and scary. lowest point on the 27 holes there is
par 5 of 518 yards, which Santo da Serra has three loops of a difference of 1,000ft in elevation.
sweeps to the left with nine, all designed by Robert Trent Another course that hits the
its green clinging to the edge of the Jones. The 3rd and 4th holes are on heights is Palheiro. It is 1,600ft above
hillside, while the 195-yard 4th plays to the Machico nine and this forms the sea level, which helps to give the
a green even more precipitously front nine of the championship course some glorious vistas across
placed. The putting surface is wide layout, with the Desertas forming the island’s mountainous landscape

The vistas at Palheiro

only add to the drama

26
 Words Roderick Easdale

Porto Santo serves up

a thrilling clifftop test

and out to sea. Parts of the course Porto Santo is an island 27 miles
clamber across similarly hilly terrain, north east of the island of Madeira, Essentials
with abrupt ridges and deep valleys and part of the archipelago of
adding to the intrigue and spectacle. Madeira. Here, at Porto Santo golf
The course is laid out within the club, you can play two fine courses: a
Palheiro Estate and lies adjacent to Seve Ballesteros-designed 18-hole How to get there
Palheiro Gardens and the five-star one and a short nine-holer. Cristiano Ronaldo
hotel Casa Velha do Palheiro, a Relais There are also tennis facilities and International Airport just
& Chateaux property, ten minutes an equestrian centre at the club, but outside of Funchal is five
from the island’s capital Funchal. The there is no gentle introduction to this miles from Santo da Serra
hotel is a restored 18th-century golf course – three of the opening and ten miles from Palheiro.
hunting lodge and has a spa with four holes are long par 4s, the Porto Santo Airport is a
indoor and outdoor pools, a tennis shortest of which is the 434-yard 15-minute flight from
court and a croquet lawn. stroke-index-one 4th. The par-5 3rd Madeira and the golf course
The golf course is a delight on the requires water to be crossed to get to is two miles from the airport.
eyes, not just from the vistas its high the green, as does the par-3 5th. Alternatively, you can take
spots offer, but from the tropical Meanwhile, the par-5 10th requires the ferry from Funchal.
vegetation around the course. It feels you to play across water on both your
at times as though you are playing drive and second shot, and there is Where to stay
through a botanical garden with its also water flanking both sides of the Casa Velha do Palheiro
wide variety of trees and backdrops fairway where you are likely to be W: palheironatureestate.com
of lush, vibrant plantings. landing your second shot.
A unique aspect of the layout is But the holes for which this course Where to play
that the nines are unbalanced; the is famed for are still to come. The 13th, Santo da Serra
outward nine is almost 700 yards 191 yards off the whites, needs a Machico: par 36, 3,429 yards
shorter than the inward. There are five demanding shot over a gorge to Desertas: par 36, 3,396 yards
par 5s, four of which come after the reach the cliff-top green. Seve’s Serras: par 36, 3,193 yards
turn. These include the course’s design favours several risk-and- W: santodaserragolf.com
stroke-index-one 12th, which is 579 reward holes and one such is the 14th.
yards at its utmost and played uphill You choose how much of the chasm Palheiro
through a long valley with ridges and on this right-turning sharp dogleg par Par 72, 6,656 yards
deep hollows to an elevated, 4 you wish to take on. Be warned: get W: palheironatureestate.com
undulating green. it wrong and your ball will plummet
This is immediately followed by down the cliffs. Porto Santo
stroke-index-17 – last of the layouts The short par-3 15th completes a Par 72, 7,037 yards
five par 3s and the only short hole trio of cliff-top beauties. However, W: portosantogolfe.com
that is not played downhill. Instead, it you cannot relax. The closing hole is a
is played across a lily-covered valley par 5 of more than 600 yards with
to a large flat green. water lurking at the front of the green.

27
 S H O R T H A U L
S P A I N

The old favourites

Looking for a mix of Europe’s best and most popular courses? From the
bold to the more gentle, all abilities are catered for on Spain’s coast

Cost a Br ava Emporda Golf Club. The Links and

Forest are located in the heart of the
Costa Brava region, and they both Essentials
Costa Brava, which means ‘wild offer a varied playing experience.
coast’ in Spanish, lies in the north- With its treeless and barren
east of the country. It is one of appearance, the former has the feel
Europe’s most unspoilt stretches of of a British links, while the latter How to get there
coast, and features broad, sandy wends through a traditional Fly from London and
beaches, beautiful bays and Mediterranean pine forest. Manchester direct to Girona,
spectacular clifftop views. Should Anyone wishing to indulge in a with prices starting as
you wish to combine golf with a city more typical Spanish parkland low as £25.
break, the beauty of playing in this course would do well to visit
part of Spain is that you can base Llavaneras Golf Club, which was Where to play
yourself in Barcelona, and it is an founded in 1945. It is relatively short
hour north of here that you will find and while water frequently comes PGA Catalunya Golf
the much-heralded PGA Catalunya, into play, the course does not have Stadium stats: par 72, 7,146 yards
unquestionably one of the the same intimidation factor as a GF: €227
continent’s elite courses. number of its more famous Tour stats: par 72, 6,411 yards
The Stadium course was designed neighbours. Visitors are always GF: €171
and built with the intention of welcome here, too, and with its
hosting the Ryder Cup. The back sea-front location, there are plenty Emporda Golf Club
nine is exceptional, especially the of stunning views to enjoy. Links stats: par 71, 6,894 yards
signature 13th, where GF: €85-€105
you play from an Forest stats: par 72, 6,743 yards
elevated tee where GF: €85-€105
you can see the rolling
coastal hills of Llavaneras Golf Club
Montseny Massif. A par Stats: par 70, 5,494 yards
here will feel like a GF: €85-€105
birdie, given the long
carry that’s required to
find the fairway, while
up ahead the green is
well protected by
water.
In truth, the
‘European Tour’s
Sawgrass’ is likely to be
too tough for the
average golfer, but
there is also the Tour
course which, while
hardly straightforward,
does not quite possess
the same fear factor.
Acclaimed architect
Robert von Hagge has
also left his mark in this
part of Spain at Emporda Links – a
touch of coastal golf

28
 Words Michael Weston
Cabell Robinson’s
Las Colinas Golf & CC

Essentials

How to get there

Up to 20 non-stop flights a
day from London, with
Bristol, Manchester,
Newcastle and Leeds all
offering deals below £50.
Cost a Bl a nc a open your shoulders with the driver.
Las Ramblas, meanwhile, requires a Where to play
little more finesse as you meander
The ‘white coast’ extends 200 through the pines. Then there is La Finca Resort
kilometres along the Mediterranean Villamartin, an absolute gem with La Finca
coast through the province of over 40 years of history. Las Ramblas
Alicante, stretching from Gandia to The resort has benefited from a Villamartín
Torrevieja. Its wonderful beaches €6 million renovation project, which GF: €64-€89
attract millions of tourists every year, has seen all three layouts undergo
and given the splendour of its natural major developments – including the Las Colinas
beauty and excellent accessibility, it is restoration of bunkers and green Golf & Country Club
little wonder that the region is so complexes. With three new Stats: par 71, 6,561 yards (white),
popular with golfers, too. restaurants and a winery, plus a 6,089 yards (yellow)
Stay at sumptuous La Finca Resort, whole host of other activities on site, GF: €120
a 30-minute drive from Alicante this is very much Costa Blanca’s
Airport, and you won’t feel the need to go-to destination.
even leave the complex. La Finca, Elsewhere, Las Colinas Golf &
Villamartin and Las Ramblas combine Country Club, which is set within an as you play across a valley, comes in
to offer superb variety, and the upmarket residential development, is avoiding the large sprawling bunkers
beauty of having 54 holes to play is only a short distance away. The with distance control crucial on the
no matter what level you’re at, you fairways are large and generally undulating putting surfaces. With the
are guaranteed an enjoyable round. forgiving, so it gives golfers of all forested hills that overlook the course,
La Finca has wide and generous abilities a chance to score, or at least this is one of Cabell Robinson’s
fairways, which means you’re able to get the ball in play. The real challenge, modern masterpieces.

29
 S H O R T H A U L
S P A I N

Island life
Off the mainland at Mallorca and the Canary Islands, there are still
courses that are littered with beauty and playable all year round

Essentials

Buenavista: holiday
golf at its best How to get there
Fly direct from London,
Birmingham, Manchester,
Th e Cana r y I s l and s events in April and May, is no less Leeds and Nottingham. BA are
stunning. With wild flowers, cacti, the most popular carriers from
reddish-pink rocks and deep gullies, London with flights as cheap
If you are a regular visitor to the it is impossible not to wonder at the as £60.
Canaries, you will know it is colourful surroundings.
somewhere that is well worth taking You cannot tick Tenerife off the list Where to play
the clubs. without playing Buenavista – holiday
Anfi Tauro, on Gran Canaria’s golf at its best. Part of its charm is Anfi Tauro Golf
south-west coast, might just claim that it is a little off the beaten track, Stats: par 72, 6,917 yards
the number one spot. Set with a but Seve Ballesteros’ layout – which GF: €80
contrasting backdrop of dramatic opened in 2003 – is a joy, no matter
volcanic mountains and the what level you play at. Comprising Golf del Sur
glimmering Atlantic, it provides a six par threes, six par fours and six Stats: par 72, 6,365 yards
stern test. Although you will need to par fives, the clifftop location makes GF: €76-€92
be fairly precise from both the tee for a rollercoaster ride, and offers
and with your approach play, you spectacular views of the Atlantic Golf Costa Adeje
can’t fail to enjoy the experience. For that will live long in the memory. Stats: par 72, 7090 yards
example, the par-3 13th, which plays To win the bragging rights within GF: €62-€105
down over the rocky landscape, is a your golfing circle, it is well worth
real heart-stopper. taking a 45-minute ferry trip from Buenavista Golf
Tenerife also features a wonderful Tenerife to Gomera, which is where Stats: par 72, 6,676 yards
collection of courses, with Golf del you will find Tecina. Somehow the GF: €59-€80
Sur one of the most revered. The views here crank up a notch, with the
former Tenerife Open venue has an volcanic landscape in one direction Tecina
engaging ruggedness, its bunkers and the sea the other. All the while, it Stats: par 71, 6,937 yards
made from black, volcanic sand. has the feel of playing through a GF: €65-€100
Costa Adeje, meanwhile, which botanical garden. Island golf doesn’t
hosted back-to-back European Tour get much better.

30
 Words Michael Weston

Essentials

How to get there

Direct flights to Palma cost
as little as £20 each way. Up
to 16 non-stop flights from
London daily. Bristol,
Manchester, Birmingham and
Newcastle also fly direct.

Where to play

Son Gual
Stats: par 72, 6,842 yards
Son Gual - one of GF: €140
Mallorca’s top tracks
Golf Son Vida
Stats: par 71, 6,125 yards
Ma l l or c a five-star Carrossa Resort, not far GF: €98-€125
from the charming town of Arta in
the north-east, you are a short drive Son Muntaner
Mallorca is where you can get your from Alcanada, which certainly vies Stats: par 72, 6,895 yards
fix of golf when holidaying in the for top spot. Its lush fairways are GF: €121-€155
Balearics. The largest of the four manicured to perfection, as are the
main islands is home to a cluster of greens, and the view across the bay Son Quint
top courses, many of which are in to Alcudia is a photo opportunity Stats: par 71, 6,785 yards
close proximity to its beautiful and you won’t want to miss. GF: €90-€115
vibrant capital, Palma. Pula Golf is another terrific venue.
Many would have Son Gual at Two-time Masters champion Jose Pula Golf
number one. Set in 156 acres of Maria Olazabal may have Stats: par 72, 6,886 yards
glorious Mediterranean landscape, redesigned the layout here, but the GF: €85
the championship layout is fit to Spaniard is very much a fan of
host tournament golf of the highest making courses playable for pros as Alcanada Golf Club
level, so don’t expect an easy ride. well as mid-handicappers, and it is Stats: par 72, 7107 yards
Water is a constant danger a place that attracts many a GF: €105-€165
throughout, as are its sweeping celebrity, including one of the
bunkers, and it offers a technical island’s most famous residents,
challenge like nowhere else on the Rafael Nadal.
island. There are many memorable
holes, but the 18th might top the lot
– a thrilling par 5 to bring your round
Alcanada: fine views
to a close. and rolling terrain
There are some 20 courses to
choose from in Mallorca, but you
should make time to visit the island’s
oldest layout – Golf Son Vida, a
charming spot where many of the
game’s greats have battled it out,
including Seve Ballesteros, who
triumphed here in 1990. The course
falls under Arabella Golf Mallorca’s
umbrella, along with Son Muntaner
and Son Quint. It is a fine trio, and
while Son Vida gets a little tight in
places, golfers of all abilities have a
playable 54-hole option here, and
one that is easy to put together.
Venture to the other side of the
island from Palma – which can be
done in approximately an hour –
and there are a number of other
courses well worth playing. From the

31
 S H O R T H A U L
S P A I N

Sparkling Sotogrande
For those looking for less hustle and bustle, the exclusive
Sotogrande resort on the Costa del Sol ticks all the boxes

L
ocated in the Grand setting:
western-most point La Reserva Club
of Spain’s Costa del
Sol in the region of
Cadiz and just under
half an hour from
Gibraltar Airport is
the exclusive resort of Sotogrande.
It was back in the 1960s when
American entrepreneur Joseph
McMicking and his wife Mercedes
Zobel decided to develop the
eight-square-mile stretch of land
into what has become a destination
of choice for those in search of a
luxuriously understated lifestyle.
In stark contrast to the glitz and
glamour of Marbella with its flashy
Puerto Banus marina, the appeal of
Sotogrande’s gated communities is summer breezes. The private gated the recent Aramco Team Series. The
that residents and guests can relax communities that surround the Cabell Robinson-designed course is
in a tranquil environment. wonderful La Reserva Club de carved into the hillside and will
Sotogrande feature 24-hour capture your interest at the start
A resid en tia l en clav e security and feature a range of with a tricky downhill dogleg par 4.
unique luxury properties at different The fairways are wide, but it’s a long
Covid has taught us to reset our price points. course. A buggy is recommended.
priorities with a focus on wellbeing, La Reserva’s The Seven is an No less than seven holes feature
so a co-primary or second enclave of magnificent one-of-a- water hazards, although some are
residence at Sotogrande has all the kind homes, but if you haven’t got merely for aesthetic pleasure. The
ingredients for an effortless lifestyle several million pounds in your greens, many of which are
in a safe and secure environment. pocket, the luxury apartments and protected by deep bunkers, are
Sotogrande offers sophisticated, townhouses at Village Verde are huge and undulating, so even if you
laid-back living in a location with an worth considering. A bonus for reach the putting surface in
idyllic climate consisting of high- residents is that they benefit from regulation, it’s easy to find yourself
temperature winters and welcome access to all of La Reserva’s in three-putt territory.
facilities, including There is only one word to describe
the golf course, The Real Club Valderrama: magical. At
Relax in your own Beach with its sandy 6,475 yards off the back tees and
Seven mansion pool and lagoon and 5,330 off the front, it is not long by
a wealth of today’s standards, but the layout is
additional amenities. tree-lined and very tight – so a
confident short game is a must to
W orld-c la s s score well. There is only one par 5 on
the front nine, the 4th, which is
go lf o f fering generally regarded as Valderrama’s
signature hole with its rocky
Sotogrande’s La waterfall and two-tier green.
Reserva Club has Many holes, including a variety of
hosted a number of doglegs, are heavily bunkered or
high-profile guarded by the thousands of cork
tournaments, notably trees that are a constant yet

32
 Beach Lagoon:
La Reserva Club

Relax in luxury at the

SO/ Sotogrande hotel

charming presence. The greens are

small, deceptive and lightning fast.
Without fail, the iconic risk-reward
par-5 17th hole, where Europe
famously retained the Ryder Cup in
1997, will foster drama for your
four-ball. Whatever your score, this is
an unforgettable golfing experience.
Almenara is the on-site golf course
at SO/ Sotogrande, while other
neighbouring courses include San
Roque and Real Club Sotogrande.

Li ving t h e lif es t y le

At the heart of the resort is the new

five-star hotel, SO/ Sotogrande. The
SO brand is part of the Accor group,
It’s a tree-lined test
one of the largest hotel groups in
at Valderrama
the world, and what sets SO hotels
apart is that they do not represent
conventional luxury. Rather, a
rebellious spirit, sophistication and
style are expressed in a fashionable, SO/ Comfy king room lives up to its Stay -an d-play pa ck age
playful and entertaining way. In the name with all the luxurious extras
case of SO/ Sotogrande, the overall you could ask for, like a Nespresso The all-new Sotogrande stay-and
design and decor reflect the vibe of coffee machine, Grown Alchemist play package will allow guests to
the destination. toiletries, a fluffy bathrobe and experience the world-class
Each SO hotel – of which there are slippers. The bathroom is super triumvirate of Real Club Valderrama,
currently ten worldwide, with spacious and the rain shower is a La Reserva Club and Real Club
another 14 planned – is imagined definite winner. Sotogrande, while enjoying a
and created through an artful Every town in Spain includes a luxurious stay at the brand-new
collaboration with a renowned plaza where people gather for a five-star SO/ Sotogrande hotel.
fashion designer, for example Kenzo social experience, so MIXO is an The four-night package has been
at SO/ Mauritius and Karl Lagerfield indoor version: a contemporary and crafted to highlight the region’s
at SO/ Singapore. SO/ Sotogrande fun bar that is the hub of the hotel, premier golf offering, with rounds of
hired Spanish women’s swimwear and one of six restaurants and bars. golf at Real Club Valderrama, La
designer Dolores Cortes to inject her This hotel provides a sense of Reserva Club and Real Club
personality into the hotel. freedom, with facilities spaced out Sotogrande. Accommodation in a
There are 152 rooms, 36 of those by steps leading down to an outdoor double superior room, including
suites, and most are located in pool, then another, and across breakfast at SO/ Sotogrande, is
low-rise two-storey buildings beautiful gardens, before reaching from €2,450 per person based on
featuring a terrace or balcony. The an amazing wellness centre. double occupancy.

33
 S H O R T H A U L
S P A I N

Magical Madrid
While Spain is best known for its golf along the coast, you will find the
country’s capital is oozing with top-class courses

M
ost people visiting Spain that make it a very appealing base
will flock to its treasure for your next golfing trip.
chest of well-known
courses along or close to Santander
its lovely and lively Designed by Rees Jones and Seve
3,000-mile coastline. And Ballesteros in 2005, Santander is laid
while the various costas out on what was previously
Enjoy a fine setting at
are home to some brilliant uninspiring land. This is hard to
Real Sociedad designs, heading inland can reward imagine now as the result is an
in different ways. The beautiful city of extremely attractive course kept in
Madrid is pretty much right in the fine condition with bold bunkering
middle of the country, and offers and plenty of water. This becomes
more than enough culture, history particularly intrusive at three of the
and tourist attractions to appeal to short holes: the 7th, which is played
the most discerning traveller. It also from an elevated tee over the lake;
has a number of pedigree courses the 11th, where it lines the green to the

34
 Words & Photography Rob Smith

Retamares: wow factor

in peaceful surrounds
a couple of years ago and so the
course now opens with an absolute
cracker of a par 5 with a blind drive to
the brow before you head left and
downwards to a fabulous green with a
lake short right and a wall of bunkers
protecting the safe line to the left.
There is plenty of drama all the way,
with further highlights including the
short 5th where water will swallow up
anything right, the split fairway at 13,
and the imperious par-5 finishing
hole. Luke Donald won the Madrid
Masters here in 2010 as he
approached his peak en route to
becoming World No.1.

Strong supporting cast

One downside of golf in this region is
that it is not so geared towards visitors.
left and behind; and the penultimate by olive trees. The par 5s are also very A few clubs are ‘member and guests’
hole where it borders the front half of strong, especially the pair on the back only, but some will respond favourably
a circular green. nine. The 12th calls for as long a carry to a diplomatic and flexible approach.
Subtle elevation changes add to as you dare over water before working Two of the more private are La
the challenge and visual appeal, and your way up the slope to a green Moraleja, which has four fine courses,
the holes are attractively separated fronted by bunkers, while the closing and Real Puerta de Hierro, with two.
hole heads along to a beautifully sited Club de Campo Villa de Madrid has
green beyond yet more agua. a more welcoming policy, while the
tree-lined course at La Herreria is
Retamares overlooked by the magnificent San
This fine layout enjoys a blissfully Lorenzo monastery. The resort course
peaceful setting in the foothills to the at Encin Golf Hotel is great fun, and
north of the city and is the only course Lomas-Bosque has a lovely setting
in the region to have been designed with the back nine bordering the lake.
by Jose Maria Olazabal. Surrounded by
farmland, there are fabulous far-
reaching views to the mountains
further north.
Unusually, the course opens with Essentials
the stroke-index-one, a tough par 4
up the hill to a well-protected green.
Happily, this is balanced by the
shortest hole on the course at the 2nd, How to get there
with a chance to make up for any Up to 30 non-stop flights per
early lost ground. There are semi- day from London airports and
blind drives at the 5th and again at from as little as £36.
the 6th where a snaking stream Birmingham, Bristol,
awaits the unsuspecting. Manchester and Edinburgh
There is plenty of wow factor on the also offer direct flights.
second half, especially at the watery
10th and then even more so for the Where to play
elevated drive at the gorgeous par-4
15th. Retamares is a family-friendly, Santander
informal club where the golf is fun and Par 71, 6,456 yards
the views are more than impressive. W: golfsantander.es

Real Sociedad Hipica Espanola Retamares

There are two very strong courses at Par 72, 6,518 yards
this private members’ club on the W: golfretamares.com
northern outskirts of Madrid. Both were
designed by the brilliant and prolific Real Sociedad Hipica
Robert von Hagge, with the North Espanola
Seve has left his design
mark at Santander
edging it in terms of both design and Par 72, 6,157 yards
setting. The nines were swapped over W: rshecc.es

35
 G M P R O M O T I O N
G R E E C E

Growing in stature
Greece’s Costa Navarino continues its golfing journey with two
more courses added to its portfolio, designed by the legendary
José Maria Olazábal. It’s time to take a look ...

C
osta Navarino is further
improving its offering
with the addition of two
new layouts by José
Maria Olazábal that will
join the existing Bernhard
Langer-designed Dunes
Course, and the Robert
Trent Jones Jnr-designed Bay Course.
These two new courses will officially
open next spring. But one of them, the
International Olympic Academy
Course, will host the Messinia Pro Am
at the end of this month. Overlooking
the historic Bay of Navarino, the
International Olympic Academy
Course will measure 6,962 yards. José Maria Olazábal
details his design plans
36
 Rolling fairways of The
Dunes Course

in France. With a Greek father, Patrick fine views and many highly enjoyable
Mouratoglou relished the chance to holes, such as the 2nd, a par 4 which
expand into Greece: “I feel a profound slides gently towards the sea.
sense of patriotism; I am half-French Navarino Dunes is also home to two
and half-Greek, and during my five-star hotels, The Romanos, a
childhood, I spent several months in Luxury Collection Resort, and The
Greece every year.” Westin, Costa Navarino.
Another pleased is World No .3
Stunning: the new International tennis player Stefanos Tsitsipas, who Old classics
Olympic Academy Course has been mentored by Patrick The Bay Course offers some gorgeous
Mouratoglou: “As a Greek, I was views as you traverse its fairways. The
delighted. I have no doubt that this 2nd is a cracking par 3 nestled
will be just as much of a success as alongside the shoreline, one of
his academy in France, which I have several magnificent short holes
been a part of since I was 16. I hope it including two played over dramatic,
The two new courses have different encourages the development of deep valleys. There are six par 3s and
characteristics, as Olazábal explains: tennis in Greece.” five par 5s on this layout.
“The International Olympic Academy Costa Navarino was the brainchild At Navarino Bay an ultra-luxury
course has stunning views over the of the late Captain Vassilis destination is under construction
Bay of Navarino and is the longer and Constantakopoulos, who grew up in alongside a lifestyle venue at the
tougher of the two. It’s more compact the region of Messinia in the south- nearby site Navarino Waterfront.
and, in style, a bit posher than the west Peloponnese, and made a When both the Navarino Hills courses
Navarino Hills course. fortune in shipping. It was conceived, open to visitors next spring, Costa
“Navarino Hills has a more rural feel in large part, to ensure the people of Navarino will offer four golf courses
and takes you into the outback where his home region have employment to within a maximum distance of nine
you can enjoy a stroll in beautiful allow them to remain in the area, and miles, further enhancing its status as
nature. On the IOAC, the 12th and 16th preserve local culture and landscape. one of Europe’s finest destinations for
holes are two beautiful but Sustainability is at its core. golf. This was recognised at the 2020
challenging par 3s with great views This ever-expanding destination is World Golf Awards when Costa
over the bay. Holes 10 and 15 will also being developed across a series of Navarino was named the ‘World’s
receive much attention. distinct sites, the first was at Navarino Best New Golf Development’ for its
“On the Navarino Hills course, I Dunes where the Langer-designed Navarino Hills project.
would say the 6th hole, a downhill Dunes Course is. The Dunes offers At these awards Olazábal was also
par 5, stands out as well named as Golf Course Designer of
as the stretch from the the Year. He considers Costa
Infinity pools bring
14th to the 17th.” Navarino to be “among the most
a touch of luxury
Another beautiful places I have ever seen. It is
augmentation to the a privilege for my team and me to be
sporting facilities at allowed to design the two new
Costa Navarino came courses at Navarino Hills.
this summer in the form “I would like to congratulate the
of the Mouratoglou owners for their commitment to
Tennis Centre. The only create such an extraordinary golf
other Mouratoglou one destination and I am proud to be a
in Europe is the part of the story.”
Mouratoglou Academy W: costanavarino.com

37
 S H O R T H A U L
I T A L Y

the 9th. This par 4 is a slightly

Best in class right-turning dogleg running along

the coastline. The green, which
almost seems to be floating on the
edge of the water, is reached by
crossing an inlet that runs across the
putting surface’s front. This hole is
both beautiful and dramatic; it is also
testing when there is a sea breeze to
The Verdura resort in south-west Sicily
contend with.
Phillips has been able to re-route
delivers two fine courses, with the recently some of the holes while repositioning
some of the greens nearer to the sea.
upgraded East the star of the show Phillips explains: “The drama of the

T
coastline setting has been improved.
That 9th hole is an example of what
he East course at has happened and how we have
Verdura has undergone managed to make a fantastic new
a renovation and hole. We are proud of what has been
redesign to further achieved.”
improve the golf Moving some greens has brought
offerings at this coastal another noticeable change, as Phillips
resort in south-west explains: “One of the things that we
Sicily. The course didn’t have before, but we have now,
re-opened this autumn after the is a double green, a bit like some of
original architect, Kyle Phillips, those huge greens at St Andrews. It
returned to take advantage of some will be the new 8th hole (par 5) and
new opportunities that had opened the new 10th hole (par 4) which will
up on the site. share a green.
Part of his redesign has been the Verdura Resort is part of Rocco
creation of a spectacular new hole, Forte Hotels and a member of The

38
 Words Roderick Easdale

Essentials
Enjoy spacious villas with
private swimming pools
How to get there
Verdura is about an hour and
a half from both Palermo and
Trapani International Airports.

Where to stay
E: reservations.verdura@
roccofortehotels.com
W: roccofortehotels.com

Where to play
East course
Par 73, 7,396 yards
West course
Par 70, 7,160 yards

Leading Hotels of the World. “Sir Rocco of PGA-qualified professionals teach

is a golfer, and we were out there beginners and experienced players.
Verdura’s East course walking one day and we talked about There is also a junior academy
has been renovated doing it and he was excited about it,” where children are taught the
Phillips says. “The green is absolutely necessary practical skills, including
massive and could be very interesting full swing, short game, putting and
if you are putting on the wrong part.” bunker play – as well as basic rules
There are two 18-hole courses at and etiquette.
Verdura and when the Sicilian Open The resort extends to 230 hectares
was held here in 2012, it was played and is a member of the exclusive
over a composite course using holes European Tour Destinations network.
from both the East and West. It features 203 rooms and suites, all
The recent redesign has also seen serving up a sea view.
some holes swap course – what was Twenty new spacious private
formerly the 18th on the East is now the Rocco Forte Villas were added to this
14th on the West, for example. offering this spring, each with its
Three times the European Tour own private swimming pool set in
came here to play the Sicilian Open, landscaped gardens and with
each tournament came to a tense panoramic views of the coast.
climax – in 2012 Thorbjorn Olesen won Ideal for multi-generational stays,
by a single stroke. In 2017 and 2018, the these villas offer three or four
title was won after a play-off, with bedrooms. Each one has been
Alvaro Quiros and Joakim Lagergren individually designed and styled by
the respective victors. Olga Polizzi, director of design at
The other 18-hole course, the West, Rocco Forte Hotels.
winds its way up through the estate on As well as outdoor activities such
the front nine before making its way golf, walking, cycling and tennis on
down to the Mediterranean with some site, you can ride horses and race
exceptional ocean views along the go-karts nearby. There is also a
way. The closing holes hug the world-class spa offering a range of
coastline, but the coastline is what holistic therapies, a kids’ club and
Verdura has a lot of – two kilometres of four restaurants with gourmet and
it in fact. casual-dining options. At the
There is also a nine-hole par-3 culinary school you can learn how
course, complemented by outstanding to prepare Sicilian pizza and pasta
practice facilities including Italy’s only at a cooking lesson while savouring
European Tour-approved Performance the best regional wines under the
Institute. At the golf academy, a team tutelage of sommeliers.

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 S H O R T H A U L
F R A N C E

Beauty and the Beast

A millionaires’ playground, the exclusivity of Les Bordes makes it one of

Europe’s most alluring golf venues, with the daunting Old course now
complemented by the majestic New. Alex Narey finds out more...

T
here are some courses
that just carry an aura.
You don’t have to play
them – and in some
cases you can’t – to
acknowledge their
history and character.
Take Augusta. For most of
us, we only get to see Bobby Jones
and Dr Alister Mackenzie’s
masterpiece once a year through a
television set, and yet, via the trials
and tribulations of The Masters, we
understand its story. Where to play;
where not to play. Every hole has Sand, not water, is the
enemy on the 6th hole
40
 Don’t go long, don’t go short:
14th green on Les Bordes’ Old

Gentle start? The Old’s

sand-ringed 1st green

formerly the Baron’s private hunting short course which was also
estate. Over 500,000 cubic metres of designed by Hanse and opened in
soil were moved to shape the layout 2020 – Les Bordes’ members are now
around lakes and towering trees. treated to the full golfing experience
It was the Baron’s vision for Les for which they pay a handsome fee
Bordes to be recognised as the to enjoy.
‘Augusta of Europe’. But really, despite To celebrate the New’s opening, I
both courses’ stunning condition and was invited to play both courses at
setting, the only real similarity comes Les Bordes, staying on site at the
with their exclusivity. Following the luxury member cabins and getting a
Baron and Sakurai’s deaths in 1994 sneak peak at future investment
and 2004 respectively, the ownership plans. These include the development
changed hands and Les Bordes of an on-site luxury hotel and spa and
opened to the public as a pay-and- a village square with shops and
play venue. But as the numbers restaurants, while a number of
swelled to play the course, residential villas are set to be
conditioning ultimately went downhill. developed for the big spenders.
Since taking over the estate in 2018, The Les Bordes lifestyle may not be
the new owners – a consortium which to everyone’s budget, but it at least
consists of the principals of offers a glimpse of how its owners are
RoundShield Partners – have devoted looking to create the ultimate
been analysed as we marvel at the their time to implement their ‘golf millionaires’ playground.
course’s characteristics: the fast club and estate masterplan’, and
greens, the tributary creeks and those have developed a community at Les
springing azalea. From St Andrews to Bordes where all family members T h e Ol d c o ur s e
Pebble Beach, a golf course’s have endless possibilities for fun and
exposure is a constant reminder of its adventure. Completed on-site Exclusive, expansive, expensive. Les
character and the feat of its design. amenities include natural swimming Bordes ticks all those boxes. But what
But what about those courses we lakes and pools, beaches, really enhances the reputation of its
don’t see? In many ways, their lack of watersports, go-karting, fishing, Old course as one of Europe’s most
exposure only adds to the mystery. equestrian and walking trails. famed stretches of golfing terrain?
There can be no better example of But it is the golf that remains the Quite simply: difficulty. It is a layout
this than at Les Bordes, a private real pull and now, to complement built to affirm its intimidating and
members’ club where Robert von Von Hagge’s Old course, there is a imposing nature. Over the years,
Hagge’s magnificent Old course first second layout of equal beauty. Gil golfers have travelled here simply for
set tongues wagging after opening to Hanse’s New course was opened for the challenge that Von Hagge’s
critical acclaim in 1986. play this summer and brings more of layout poses. It is almost an
Just 90 minutes south-west of Paris a heathland feel to the American- endurance test. Like a cyclist climbing
in the Loire Valley region, Les Bordes style target golf of its older sibling. up an Alp or a runner tackling their
lies within 1,400 acres of the Sologne Unlike the Old, where water features first marathon, it would be one to tick
Forest. Texan Von Hagge was prominently on 11 of its 18 holes, the off the bucket list.
commissioned to design the layout New’s defences are characterised by Much like Spain’s Valderrama, the
by Baron Marcel Bich - the co- deep pot bunkers and huge sloping Old raises eyebrows for the sheer
founder of Bic ballpoint pens – and greens. Visually, Hanse’s design is an intensity it brings and the demands
his business partner Yoshiaki Sakurai. absolute delight, and when combined placed on each and every shot. For
The course was built on land that was with the 10-hole Wild Piglet – a devilish the very best players, the Old is

41
 S H O R T H A U L
F R A N C E

Member cabins line

perhaps the epitome of risk-reward the Old’s 18th green Personal favourite: 4th
golf. But if your game is not up to The shortest of the par 3s
scratch, it is simply a case of survival. at 165 yards from the back
Disaster can strike at any moment. tees, but 129-141 from the
For many years, Frenchman Jean whites. Water lines the right
van de Velde held the course record: of the green, so aim left
his 71 being proof of the layout’s and hope for the best.
difficulty, while members who broke
80 would get their name on the
clubhouse honours board. T h e N e w co ur s e
From the word go, you are asked
questions – and none are easy to A short buggy drive away
answer. The opening hole – the from the Old and Les
course’s stroke-index-eight - requires Bordes’ clubhouse, Gil
a drive positioned left of the fairway It is no easier on the short holes, Hanse’s New course uses the natural
before your approach to a green that with three of the par 3s demanding surroundings of the Sologne Forest
is surrounded almost entirely by sand. full shots over water, while there are and immediately you realise this is an
The run from the 2nd to the 6th hole some quirky par 4s like the 11th, which all-together different test.
– in the context of what lies ahead tempts you to cut the corner with The first course to be designed by
– perhaps offers some respite, but your drive as you chase a shorter Hanse in continental Europe, the
when you stand on the 7th tee and route into the green. Such is the clever design is no doubt inspired by the
take a glance at the course planner, design of Von Hagge’s work that work of legendary golf course
you realise you will be required to pull strikes must not only carry a deep architect Tom Simpson, who has left
out three of the best shots you have trap on the corner but also, as the such an indelible mark on a number
in your locker. This may well be the bank slopes down towards the lake, of heathland gems throughout the
Old’s stroke-index-two, but pound for anything that doesn’t have the Surrey sandbelt.
pound, it is the hardest hole on the required distance will meet a watery Hanse said: “We visited the site and
golf course and one of the most grave. Play it a second time and you fell in love with the entire property. It is
challenging you are likely to play. may not be so greedy. very different, which I think is a
It’s a par 5 that weighs in at 509 Playing Les Bordes’ Old course is a positive as members will have two
yards from the tips, but such is the challenge all golfers should aspire to very different golfing experiences.
shape of the hole as it twists 90 take on. It will beat you. But it is an “We realised there was the
degrees to the left – with the fairway experience you will never forget – potential to create some bold and
bottle-necking as you approach the even if you want to. dramatic features and strategies or
green – that mere mortals will have to options on the golf course. We could
play it as a three-shooter, as water Toughest hole: 7th Two superb shots create a layout that would be in
comes into play for your second and are needed to reach this green in two, balance with the low-profile nature of
third shots, and probably your fourth, while even reaching the putting the site, with these more dramatic
fifth, sixth and seventh. There is no let surface in regulation requires smart hole features adding drama to the
up until the ball falls into the cup. play and sweet ball-striking. golf course.”

A touch of Surrey in
France: the New course

The New’s 15th is a

tempter from the tee

42
 Featuring large bunkers,
subtle elevation changes
and incredible green
complexes, the layout
measures 7,211 yards from
the back tees but can play
shorter than its overall
length due to the firm and
fast-playing conditions.
There is a wonderful
opening to the course, with
the elevated tee shot setting The Old snakes around the
up a birdie opportunity if you lakes of the Sologne
can get a good drive away.
Unlike the Old, there is some
forgiveness with the New, notably off from the tee, while a number of deep
the tee and also with your approach traps come into play. However, a
shots. However, the big test for many good long game will be rewarded Essentials
will come on the greens, where and the 280-yard par-4 15th is one of
sweeping contours will punish the stand-out holes, with bunkers
anything that does not hit the well placed to challenge those who The Old course
required landing zone. take on the green. Par 72
From the tee, you have the It all sets up for a grandstand finish Black tees: 7,044 yards
opportunity to open your shoulders, with the closing hole, a par 5 where White tees: 6,589 yards
although driver isn’t always the best water – a rare sight on the New Ladies tees: 5,011 yards
option with placement key for your – comes into play as you take on the
approach shots. Notably, the par-4 green in two. A wonderful finish to a The New course
5th hole – the course’s stroke-index- wonderful golf course. Par 72
one – is a beast for a two-shotter at Black tees: 7,285 yards
499 yards and a whopping 516 from Toughest hole: 5th Long, long and White tees: 6,615 yards
the backs, while the layout’s eclectic long. Only the biggest hitters will be Ladies tees: 5,205 yards
nature comes to the fore two holes threatening the green in two and
later with a tiddler of a par 3 at 126 even when you’re there, it slopes Les Bordes remains a private
yards. But beware: you are faced back to front and three-putts loom. members’ club, governed
with another fiendishly sloping green separately from the rest of the
and anything long will run off the Personal favourite: 17th A great par 3 estate, and although
back, leaving you with a very difficult of 160 yards with one of the course’s membership is not tied to
up-and-down for par. deepest traps lurking at the front of property ownership, many
The back nine is far more tree- the green. Another sloping putting members have reserved
lined and, as such, more demanding surface continues to ask questions. homes on site.

Grand setting: Les

Bordes’ clubhouse

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 L O N G H A U L
N E W Z E A L A N D

Making a
statement
New Zealand’s North Island is
home to a number of superb
courses. Rob Smith samples
a handful of the best in this
beautiful part of the world

W
ith a population
of only five
million and
comprising
more than 700
islands, New
Zealand is one
of the most
beautiful and unspoilt countries in the
world. Its largest city, Auckland, and its
capital, Wellington, are both on the Cape Kidnappers where words cannot speak so loudly
North Island. With lush vegetation, Roughly halfway down the island’s as photographs, which in turn cannot
national parks, a fabulous coastline east coast, at the southern end of capture the dreamy atmosphere of
and lively tourism activities, it is also Hawke’s Bay, Cape Kidnappers is one playing one of the world’s most
home to a wealth of excellent and of golf’s most aspirational bucket-list famous and unusual courses.
diverse golf courses. We take a look at regulars. This expansive slice of It was designed by Tom Doak,
five fabulous layouts and recommend heaven opened in 2004 and is a whose relatively new Tara Iti to the
a few others along the way. complete destination in its own right. north of Auckland is also remarkable
As you arrive at and gaining universal praise. Even
the property south without the amazing setting, this
of art-deco Napier, it would be a brilliant course with each
is still another 15 hole full of character and memorable
minutes by car to in its own way. The undulations add
reach this golfing yet more interest and challenge, and
sanctuary. The there is something new facing you at
stylish every turn. Throw in the sensational,
accommodation at panoramic views, and it is easy to see
The Farm, the food, why people travel from all over the
service, and of world to play here.
course the wine, are The aerial views will initially grab
all off the charts. But your attention but there is far more to
the golf remains the the course – which is actually very
Jack Nicklaus’ classy centrepiece here. playable so long as the wind behaves.
Kinloch Club This is a course The bunkering is superb –

44
 On your bucket list? seriously impressive accommodation
Cape Kidnappers here, the catering is extremely good,
and there are many terrific far-
reaching views down over the lake
from the higher points on the course.

Wairakei
A few minutes away, Taupo Golf Club
has two fine courses, while the John
Harris design at Wairakei could hardly
be more different. There are elements
of traditional parkland, but much
more besides. Opened just over 50
years ago, it runs through what would
have originally been dense woodland.
The result is an unusual course of
great appeal and genuine diversity
with the topography offering up a
number of exciting, elevated tee
shots. Yet again there are some very
scenic views both internally and
externally, and a number of streams
and ponds add to these as well as the
challenge. Sleepered bunkering is a
particular feature, and there are
some excellent holes such as the very
pretty short 5th and the landscaped
dogleg 8th. The par-5 14th has an
enormous Scots pine to avoid before
you play up to a large, boomerang-
shaped green.

Windross Farm
As you continue north towards
Auckland, one of the best new
courses in the country is the fast-
maturing Windross Farm. It only
strategically and visually – and it is a including a closing quartet that is as opened five years ago, but within a
course that everyone will enjoy no exciting and attractive as just about year it had hosted the New Zealand
matter how they play. Another anywhere in the world. There is some Women’s Open on the LPGA Tour, won
wonderful clifftop course under the
same ownership is Kauri Cliffs, way up
to the north of Auckland.

The Kinloch Club

A three-hour drive from Kidnappers
– through photogenic, lush, wooded
hills – takes you up to Lake Taupo.
Sitting inside an old volcano, this is the
largest such body of water in New
Zealand. On its shores, look out for the
‘Hole in One’ challenge where you hit
little more than a wedge to a floating
green. A mile or so from here, the very
classy Kinloch Club boasts a fabulous
Jack Nicklaus-signature course that
covers a vast, undulating site and has
18 very individual and intriguing holes.
This is real Lord of the Rings territory,
which is a feast for the eyes and has Wairakei serves up
some absolutely cracking holes, a parkland feel

45
 Windross delivers a
by Brooke Henderson. This is test as an inland links Essentials
essentially an easy-walking
but tough, modern, inland
links. It is exposed to the
wind, very strategic, and Where to play
calls for plenty of chip-and-
runs. The par 5s are Cape Kidnappers
particularly strong, and Par 71, 6,456 yards
there are marshy, reedy W: robertsonlodges.com/
wetland areas to avoid. the-lodges/cape-kidnappers
There are also low dunes
that separate the holes and Kinloch Club
create more of a visual Par 72, 6,518 yards
interest as well as a W: kinlochgolf.co.nz
challenge. As at the Kinloch
Club, there is a very strong Royal Wellington
closing loop of four. If you Par 72, 6,601 yards
get the chance, you can slip through and Scott McPherson, a Wellingtonian W: royalwellington.com
the fence on the 17th tee to the who designed the Lee Westwood Colt
adjacent strawberry farm which course at Close House. Wairakei
serves the most delicious ice cream. There is a terrific mix of the old and Par 72, 6,460 yards
the new here, with many holes W: wairakeigolfcourse.co.nz
Royal Wellington running through mature trees and
This flying visit around the North Island striking bunkering. The newer holes Windross Farm
concludes by heading back south to closer to the River Hutt offer a wealth Par 72, 6,378 yards
the delightful harbour city of of risk-and-reward challenges, while W: windrossfarm.co.nz
Wellington. An hour north, the par 3s are all excellent and
Paraparaumu Beach is a genuine, extremely attractive. General golf club information
top-notch links, while Royal Wellington One of the most significant features www.newzealand.com/uk/golf
is an absolute cracker close to the is the characterful, undulating greens,
nation’s capital. It was almost especially at the 8th where there is a
completely redesigned a few years ‘valley of sin’ between the front and
ago by former tour player Greg Turner back of the putting surface.

Royal Wellington: a
mix of the old and new

46
 T R A V E L
B U C K E T L I S T

South Carolina to Sun City

Pete Dye’s Ocean course is a modern-day masterpiece, while Gary
Player’s course at Sun City is South Africa’s most revered track

Kiawa h Isl a nd Ocea n – US A 2021 USPGA host venue:

Kiawah’s Ocean course

The host of this year’s USPGA

Championship, won in such thrilling
fashion by Phil Mickelson – at the age
of 50! – Kiawah Island’s Ocean course
has plenty of bite to add to its bark.
Pete Dye’s creation takes you out and
back along the South Carolina coast
and with other courses also on the
Kiawah Resort (Turtle Point, Osprey
Point, Oak Point and Cougar Point)
visiting golfer are spoilt for choice.
But it is Dye’s Ocean course that
ticks the boxes, with every hole
presenting a unique challenge.
Weighing in at 7,876 yards from the
back pegs, lesser players can enjoy a
less-daunting test from numerous
tee options. Venue of the
controversial 1991 Ryder Cup’s ‘War on
the Shore’ as well as the 2012 USPGA,
the Ocean course is rightly famed as
one of America’s iconic venues. S un C i t y – S o ut h A f r i c a
W: kiawahresort.com

Best hole: 17th - Your round could well Designed by Gary Player with work Nedbank Challenge, Sun City was
come unstuck at this brute of a par 3 commencing in 1978, Sun City is developed on the rugged landscape
with water hugging the right side all arguably South Africa’s most of the Rustenburg bushveld some two
the way to a two-tiered green with renowned golf course and venue. The and a half hours from Johannesburg.
steep bunkers to the left. long-time annual host of the Entrepreneur and hotel magnate, Sol
Kerzner, had big plans
for the venue and a
huge casino and hotel
complex would
complement the
Always a test: Sun City’s championship 18-hole
Gary Player course golf course.
A monster from the
tips at over 7,500 yards
but a constant thrill
with stunning views.

Best hole: 18th - A long,

accurate drive is
needed to have any
chance of reaching the
green in two, with the
approach over water
at almost 45 degrees
to the left. Scary stuff!
W: suninternational.com

48
 Words Alex Narey

Pebble Beach’s 7th: one of

the course’s finest views

Pebble meets Paris

Play America’s premier tournament venue or tackle the towering
dunes and well-protected greens of the Albatros in France

Pe bble B e ach – US A G o l f Na t i o n a l
A l b at r o s – F ra n c e
Set on the Monterey Peninsula with
stunning views out to Carmel Bay and
the Pacific Ocean, Pebble Beach is The 2018 Ryder Cup venue plays
often acclaimed to be America’s top through sweeping dunes with a
public course. Created by Jack Neville number of elevated tees to island-
and Douglas Grant, this masterpiece style greens. Golf National, developed
has been a regular host of the US Water abounds on the on land that had previously been a
Open since 1972 and there are few 2018 Ryder Cup venue rubbish tip by Hubert Chesneau and
designs that can rival it. Robert von Hagge, lies just a short
Over the years, the course has seen drive from the hustle and bustle of
numerous changes but all have been courses can be hailed in the same Paris and was built specifically to host
done in a respectful manner to class as Pebble. A timeless classic in tournament golf. A venue built for the
maintain the layout as it was every way. grandest of occasions.
intended to be played.
With narrow fairways and devilish Best hole: 7th - A tiddler of a par 3. Best hole: 18th - Another elevated tee
rough, players must navigate a series Only a wedge is needed from an means a good drive to the heart of
of holes with daunting approaches elevated tee, but few holes possess the fairway can leave a mid-iron to
played over deep chasms with the such wow-factor with the Pacific carry water to the green. Fairway
ocean below. Playing it is not easy, dominating its backdrop. The par-4 traps lurks right. Hit those and there is
and you will have to part with the best 8th is equally stunning. no chance of hitting the green in two.
part of £500 to play here. But few W: pebblebeach.com W: golf-national.com

49
 T R A V E L
B U C K E T L I S T

Royal Melbourne:
one of the world’s best

Melbourne or Muirfield...
A heathland treat Down Under or a links classic in Scotland?

Royal Me l b ou rn e Ea s t
& We st – Au s t ra li a

Royal Melbourne West, designed by

Dr Alister MacKenzie, is perhaps
Australia’s premier inland layout.
Played through rugged heathland,
there is a touch of the Surrey classics
as you walk this hallowed terrain on
the Melbourne Sandbelt.
The course is beautifully
maintained and is a classic in every
way. The bunkering, as with all Iconic Open setting:
MacKenzie designs, is perhaps the Muirfield’s clubhouse
layout’s most prominent defence.
For major golfing events, the
neighbouring East course is used to M uir f iel d - Sc o t l a n d
create a hybrid-style layout in order
to create the necessary length for the
game’s best players. But whichever One of the most revered stretches of the course a modern lift but it
course you play at Royal Melbourne it linksland in the world, and a long-time remains one of the purest tests in the
will leave an indelible mark on your No. 1 on Golf Monthly’s Top 100 courses game of golf.
golfing journey. in the UK and Ireland. Muirfield has
delivered some of the finest moments Best hole: 17th – a right-to-left dogleg
Best hole: 15th - A splendid par 3 in Open Championship history and with a pot bunker lurking down the
played through a tight line of trees to while getting to play a round here left-hand side to catch errant drives.
a well-guarded green. This is a classic may not be the easiest, it is a The clever design leaves another
short hole that may look easy on the must-play track for all golfing purists. series of bunkers waiting for your
eye but devilish run-offs could prove Watch out for the bunkering – they lay-up, while the green is narrow,
costly for your scorecard. swallow up balls at will. A respectful which makes running the ball in tough.
W: royalmelbourne.com upgrade in recent times has given W: muirfield.org.uk

50
9000 9001