Latest articles by Fergus Bisset
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Does Golf’s Complicated Rule Book Give Rise To Cheating… Or Is The Opposite True?Golf is a complex sport and the rules must reflect that. But is the rule book too complicated and does that allow cheats to prosper?
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My Playing Partner Rubbed His Hand On The Green To Test The Surface Before A Putt. Should He Be Penalised?Are you allowed to rub the surface of the green to test it while you’re out on the course? If not, what is the penalty for doing so?
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'At 7-Under Through 11, The Thought Of A 59 Crossed My Mind'Sponsored by The International Series
In 2026, Golf Monthly will be hearing regularly from talented 28-year-old German Dominic Foos as he vies to earn a place on the LIV Golf League via the lucrative International Series
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I Dropped My Glove On My Ball And It Moved. Is That A Penalty?If your golf glove falls out of your back pocket and drops onto your ball, causing it to move, are you in line to face a penalty?
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I Realised I Had 15 Clubs In My Bag On The 9th Hole. Am I Disqualified?You’ve accidentally left an extra club in your bag, and you don’t notice it until you’re nearly halfway round…. What do you do? Is it a disqualification?
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To Snitch Or Not To Snitch... Should You Report Slow Players And Groups To The Committee?Do you simply put up with slow play, or should you let those in charge know about repeat offenders and try to bring about change?
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I Took A Stroke From The Bunker And My Club Hit The Grass Face On The Backswing. Is That A Penalty?Will you be penalised for striking the grass face of a bunker as you take the club back? How should you proceed if you do so?
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I'm A 1-Handicap And Driving Has Always Been My Strength. Here Are My Top TipsGolf Monthly’s Fergus Bisset has spent four decades trying to perfect his technique and tactics from the tee. Here are his keys to reliable driving...
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My Opponent In A Match Crouched Down Behind The Line Of My Putt. Is That Allowed?Are you allowed to take a look at the line of an opponent’s putt? Can you be blatant about it? Is there a penalty for crouching behind the line?
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What Were Standard Iron Lofts In 2000… And How Do They Compare in 2026?Has the average loft of individual irons decreased over the last three decades and if so why, and by how much?
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Would You Prefer A Hole-In-One Or An Albatross? Have Your Say!Any golfer would be delighted with either, but if you could only achieve one, which would you pick?
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I Picked Up My Wedge Before My Playing Partner’s Heavy Putt Hit It. What Is The Ruling?Is there a penalty for moving a club out of the path of an incoming ball? If you do so, what happens next?
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What Is The Difference Between 3-, 4- and 5-Layer Golf Balls?A modern, premium golf ball is non-wound and features multiple complex layers, but how do the 3-, 4- and 5-layer options differ?
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My Ball Came To Rest on A Cart Path – Do I Have To Take A Drop Or Can I Play It As It Lies?Do you have to drop away from a cart path, or can you have a go if you think that’s the most practical option?
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I Removed A ‘Stone’ From The Bunker But It Was A Clump Of Wet Sand. What’s The Ruling?You can remove loose impediments, including stones from bunkers if you don’t move your ball, but what if you pick up a big chunk of sand?
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My 10-Point Checklist For 2026 – What I Want To Achieve This YearI've been playing golf for more than 40 years, but I still think I can get more out of the game. This is what I'm planning for 2026...
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I Marked My Ball Using The Toe Of My Putter And Then Cleaned It. Is That Allowed?Are you allowed to mark your ball with the toe of your putter? Will you face a penalty if you do so?
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My Playing Partner Repaired An Old Hole Plug On The Line Of Their Putt And Tapped It Down. Is That A Penalty?You can repair pitch marks on the putting green, but what about an old hole that has been plugged? Can you do anything about it?
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Why Do Golfers Complain So Much?Golfers have a reputation for whinging. Fergus Bisset wonders if it is justified and, if so, where does it stem from?
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Can A Playing Partner Shield You With An Umbrella While You Putt?Is it within the Rules for a playing partner or anyone else to hold a brolly over your head while you make a stroke at the golf ball?
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Debate: Can You Ever Enjoy Playing Golf In The Rain?Is it always a bad experience when you take to the fairways in a deluge or the heavens open mid-round, or is there still fun to be had?
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Who Are The Least Heralded Men’s Major Winners Of All Time?We look at players who have claimed one of golf’s biggest prizes, but whose names were not exactly at the top of people’s likely winner lists...
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How Far Would Peak Gary Player Hit The Ball With Modern Golf Equipment?A hypothetical exercise to consider how far the great South African might have hit the ball in his prime if he had access to today’s golfing technologies
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My Club Just Touched The Ground In A Penalty Area During A Practice Swing. What Is The Ruling?Is there a penalty for touching your club on the ground in a penalty area during a practice swing… Or at any other time for that matter?
