Chipping can either be your saving grace or your Achilles heel, but those who identify with the latter should be proactively looking to change that narrative.

It's possible to improve your short game in as little as 30 minutes, if you have the right advice, so this short game clinic could be exactly what you need to sharpen up around the greens.

Fixing common amateur mistakes is a standard day at the office for our Top 50 coaches, so I asked Ged Walters to step in and help you improve your chips shots...

3 Common Chipping Mistakes Amateurs Make And How To Fix Them

If you struggle with your chipping, chances are you make one of these three common mistakes.

This area of the game holds many amateurs back, but you can flip that narrative and turn it into one of your strengths with just a few simple changes.

By the end of this article, and with a little short game practice, you'll be wielding the wedge better than ever before.

1. It's Not A Full Swing

On greenside chips, many golfers make a swing which is very similar in style to their normal full swing.

The problem then is that the club bottoms out far too soon and you chunk it or get panicky and flick at it.

Here, in the image on the left, you shouldn't be standing the same distance away from the ball so won't have the same rotation and speed because of the changes required at set-up.

You should feel you're a bit more upright, with thumbs pointing down at the ground, the handle a little higher and the club travelling back in a straight line.

Here, you shouldn't be standing the same distance away from the ball so won't have the same rotation and speed because of the changes required at set-up.

You should feel you're a bit more upright, with thumbs pointing down at the ground, the handle a little higher and the club travelling back in a straight line.

2. Bad Lie In The Rough

If the ball is nestled down a little, how do you get the club to cut through the grass?

Well, you need to keep the club head a little more outside the hands on the takeaway to steepen the angle of attack and help promote the little bit of wrist hinge you need – it's only slight but will help you to pick the club up a little steeper (image above - right).

This then gives you a little bit more angle to unload into the rough, which will help the club head get through the grass a little more easily to pop the ball out.

3. Slopes

On upslopes you need to feel your body leaning into the slope.

On full swings we'd say to mirror the slope but around the green, most will enjoy more success leaning into the slope.

The club is almost deadened and stopped by its divot. If you try to get the club to travel up the slope and are leaning away from the ball, fats and thins will ensue as that's one of the reasons why we hit those shots in the first place.

La Grande Mare

• GF: £200 per round
• Stats: Par 69, 5,367 yards
• W: lagrandemare.com

The Channel Islands sit off the northwest coast of France, with Guernsey a three-hour high-speed ferry crossing from Poole in Dorset. Along its western shore, a less well-known golf facility has recently completed a full transformation of its course, which opened for play this summer.

La Grande Mare is a long-term, multi-million-pound development with a state-of-the-art Performance Centre, and it will be complemented next year by a new country club, which will offer dedicated golfers' dining and bar facilities, luxury accommodation, a gym and fitness studio, a pool, a high-end restaurant with sea views and more. Its easily-confusable translation is not grand-mother, which would be grand-mère, but big pond.

The course opened as a nine-holer in 1994 and was expanded to a full 18 in 2001. The latest developments have seen the layout lengthened and reconfigured by Robin Hiseman of European Golf Design, the company responsible for the recent changes at Top 100 of the UK&I course, Portstewart, as well as two Ryder Cup hosts, Celtic Manor and Marco Simone. The work involved uses the very latest techniques to offer exceptional conditioning. Soil and turf material from the original layout were retained and reused wherever possible, while greens and surrounds have been constructed to the same specification as at Adare Manor.

The latest drainage and irrigation systems promise excellent year-round playing surfaces, while three par 5s and six short holes mean there is more than enough variety to entertain all golfers.

How can you improve around the greens? How can you lower your scores and convert bogeys into pars - or pars into birdies?

Lessons can help, of course, as will practice. However, sometimes a simple equipment change can make a huge difference, especially if your set-up isn’t working for you.

If you are throwing away strokes near the green, you may want to review your wedges - because sometimes it’s okay to blame your tools.

Discovering which wedges best fit your technique and typical course conditions can transform your game, yet it remains one of the most frequently neglected aspects of club selection.

Bounce And Grind

At this point, we must talk about bounce, the angle created between the leading edge and the lowest part of the sole.

Bounce facilitates smoother interaction with the turf or sand, preventing the clubhead from digging into the ground excessively at impact and producing heavy contact. During a wedge fitting, an expert will determine which bounce angle will suit your technique.

Generally speaking, the steeper your attack angle, the more you will benefit from one of the best high-bounce wedges.

Conversely, if you have a shallow angle of attack, you will probably benefit from less bounce, as ground contact is less prevalent.

The choice of bounce angle is also heavily influenced by the ground conditions and the specific playing surface.

Soft ground conditions generally call for a higher bounce wedge, whereas firm turf is better suited to a lower bounce option.

Then there’s grind, the process where manufacturers remove specific sections of metal from the sole of a wedge to customize how the bounce behaves.

In short, selecting the right bounce and grind is critical.

Soft Conditions

That said, certain models still suit certain playing surfaces. Our resident wedge guru, Sam De’Ath, has rigorously tested all the latest models in different conditions.

For example, the TaylorMade Hi-Toe 5 wedge has certain attributes that make it very handy in soft conditions.

Golfers looking for a forgiving club will appreciate its expansive hitting area, which inspires confidence at address and helps those struggling with solid contact.

The Hi-Toe 5 has five sole grinds, too, including the versatile ATS, our wedge guru's preferred model.

During testing, we were also impressed by the Callaway CB 12 wedge, which offered decent, well-rounded performance in a profile that will give confidence to players who need a little extra help around the greens.

The leading edge is designed to help players who often catch their chip shots fat by resisting digging into the turf, even on slightly heavy contact.

Another option worth considering is the Cleveland CBZ wedge, which features a large, confidence-inspiring footprint and a wide sole and high bounce combination for added forgiveness.

Firm Conditions

Sam highlights the Titleist Vokey SM11 and Ping S259 as his top recommendations for exceptional performance on firm, tight turf.

With the Vokey SM11, the latest Vokey model, we recommend the T Grind, which sits flush to the ground.

Designed specifically for firm turf, it is an ideal choice for inventive players confident enough to open the clubface and execute a range of shots around the green.

Meanwhile, the Ping S259’s compact head will suit a good player’s eye, while the overall performance will make it appealing to a wider range of skill levels.

In testing, we were also impressed with the spin retention, which is exactly what you’re looking for when trying to control your distance on partial shots.

This is a model you might want to consider putting in the bag if you play a lot of links golf in windy conditions, or simply if you’d like a little extra control over the ball flight.

Specifically, the T Grind is a low-bounce option that will suit firmer conditions underfoot, helping players to open the clubface and play more precise shots.

Sand And Wet Conditions

Generally speaking, low-bounce options are ideal for playing from wet, firm sand traps or bunkers that don’t contain much sand as it is easier to get the leading edge under the ball.

On the other hand, high-bounce wedges are generally more effective in bunkers with lots of sand, where you get a thick cushion beneath the ball. Certain models also have one or two design features that make them especially effective in the sand.

For example, the Cleveland RTZ 2 wedge features UltiZip technology, with sharper grooves designed to get rid of dew and sand, which is especially useful in wet conditions.

Elsewhere, we found the TaylorMade MG5 wedge also performed well in wet conditions.

Much of this is due to its saw-milled grooves, which feature steeper walls and a sharper radius. Combined with the soft face, players should be able to generate plenty of spin even from the wet rough.

Likewise, the Titleist Vokey SM11 wedges incorporate an updated face texture designed for enhanced friction.

In addition, deeper spin-milled grooves boost overall spin, turning these wedges into an effective weapon off wet, dewy turf.

This level of spin was also noticeable when we got our hands on the Mizuno Pro T-1 wedge.

Combining soft feel with Quad Cut+ grooves and Hydroflow microgrooves, it generates exceptional spin and delivers essential moisture control.

More and more golf clubs are moving to having their own proprietary house beers, sometimes even their own on-site breweries. The motives for doing so are prestige and financial.

Clubs are looking to diversify their income streams, especially as the golf trade is seasonal and bad weather can close the club’s main source of income, the course itself.

The modern consumer often shies away from generic mass-produced beverages in favour of locally crafted ones.

So golf clubs having their own beers, or even breweries, makes the clubhouse bar or terrace a hospitality destination attractive not only to golfers after a round, but to non-golfers and craft beer enthusiasts.

Moreover, not only does this give clubs freedom over their tap lists, it can bring higher profit margins.

Golf clubs with their own breweries

These golf clubs are among those with their own on-site breweries.

Ironclad Golf & Beer Garden, Hampstead, North Carolina, USA

Belvedere Country Club opened in 1970 but closed in 2020 due to financial difficulties.

Ironclad Brewery bought the site and reopened the golf course as Ironclad Golf & Beer Garden, moving the business away from the exclusive country club model, which had failed here.

The golf course was redesigned, pickleball courts came in the stead of the tennis courts, and the swimming pool was filled in and replaced by a multi-level outdoor beer garden which can accommodate more than 500 guests.

This beer garden features a stage for live music, fire tables, lawn games such as cornhole, and fresh craft drafts pumped from a custom beer shack by the driving range.

Canyon Lakes Golf Course & Brewery, San Ramon, California, USA

This public course designed by Ted Robinson Sr. opened in 1986 overlooking the San Ramon Valley and providing vistas of Mount Diablo.

It has a reputation as an easy place to lose golf balls. But humour can be restored on the patio of the brewery, conveniently close to the 18th green.

Canyon Lakes Brewery’s ten-barrel brewing system opened in September 2017, and the following year its O.B. Brown Ale, a full-bodied ale boasting rich caramel and toasted nutty chocolate notes, won the gold medal at the Best of Craft Beer Awards.

The brewery now produces 18 revolving taps of craft beers.

Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort, Pennsylvania, USA

Then known as the Shawnee Country Club, this club hosted the 1938 PGA Championship, in which Paul Runyan defeated Sam Snead in the final.

On the banks of the Delaware River in the foothills of the Pocono Mountains, ShawneeCraft produces small-batch beers.

Using ingredients grown directly on the resort's on-site farm, it focuses on authentic European-style sessionability. Its Clubhouse Kolsch won first place in the Pale German Ale class in this year’s Pennsylvania Farm Show Beer Competition.

The Fairways of Halfmoon, Mechanicville, New York, USA

The club's 18-hole course opened in 1999 and there is also a nine-hole par-3 course here and a brewery.

Two local high school teachers had started brewing in the clubhouse basement in 2013 as a hobby. By 2018 this had snowballed into the Hank Hudson Brewing Company, and in October that year it officially opened its rustic, British-pub-inspired taproom.

Glendoveer, Portland, Oregon, USA

Von Ebert Brewing was founded in 2018 by father-son duo Tom M. and Tom S. Cook, in Portland. One of its three breweries is situated at Glendoveer Golf & Tennis, where it operates a functional seven-barrel brewhouse.

Glendoveer has two courses, the East, which has been celebrating its centenary this year, as has the club, and the West which opened two years later.

Remedy Oak, Dorset, England

In 2018 Stu Betts, a former Campaign for Real Ale branch chairman began using a pilot kit to experiment with flavour profiles and recipes in 100-litre batches (roughly 175 pints)

He did so in the corner of an old farm building within the 256-acre grounds of Remedy Oak Golf Club.

When it was time to scale up into a commercial business, Mr Betts teamed up with the owner of the golf club, Bill Riddle.

Mr Riddle allowed him to redevelop an unused barn in the golf club's grounds. The first commercial batch of the flagship amber ale 1552 was brewed in October 2020 there and named after the year King Edward VI visited the historic local Remedy Oak tree.

Fraser Edmundston Golf Club, New Brunswick, Canada

This golf club dates from 1926, when a group of golfers established a course on the Madawaska River basin. But the current course dates from a commission given to course architect Albert Murray in 1947.

Microbrasserie Ateepic opened in the clubhouse in May 2022, with the taproom serving craft beers from around the province of New Brunswick.

But later that year they began their own on-site brewery and launched their first four house-brewed beers. Golfers can now sample up to 21 locally hand-crafted beers.

Golf clubs with their own house beers

For those clubs without their own brewery, they can still have the prestige of having their own house beer.

Not only does it create a sense of exclusivity, it can also reinforce the club’s history or standing. Typically the names chosen for the beers reflect this.

A proprietary house product also gives a club higher profit margins as customers willingly pay more for a speciality beer.

Royal Cinque Ports, Kent, England

One of the members at Royal Cinque Ports, Alex Cork, co-founded Match Play Brewery, with Charlie Hood, who runs his own design company, and James Justin, a branding strategist. They concentrate on coming up with custom-crafted signature club beers.

Its first collaboration was with Royal Cinque Ports, for which it designed Hut Lager, a 4.2% ABV Pilsner named after the club’s famous halfway hut, with cans branded in the official club colours.

Other subsequent collaborations have included one with another Open venue, Royal St George’s, as well as with Worplesdon, and Hesketh golf clubs.

Oakmont Country Club, Pennsylvania, USA

In 2016 Jeff Becker began secretly experimenting – he did not even tell his wife – by making craft beer with small-batch brewing equipment and learning more about the process by attending craft fairs.

When attending the Masters Tournament in 2017 he was “blown away by the control Augusta National had over its brand.” This gave him the idea of combining his interests of craft beer and golf to make house beers for golf clubs.

The upshot was that he gathered partners and founded Links Brewing.

Oakmont’s official house beer, 1903 Ale, was launched in May 2020. The name reflects the foundation year of the club that has hosted eight US Opens, and is due to host the 2033 and 2042 US Opens.

Augusta National, Georgia, USA

The famously secretive host of The Masters does not say who makes the Crow's Nest wheat ale sold only during tournament weeks, only that it is “brewed locally”.

It takes its name from the amateurs’ lodging area in the clubhouse and is served in green souvenir cups. It debuted in 2021, replacing Blue Moon, which had been the club’s featured craft beer since 2016.

St Andrews Links, Fife, Scotland

The Home Of Golf has two custom beers – Road Hole Lager and Tom Morris Scotch Ale – which were launched by the St Andrews Links Trust and the St Andrews Brewing Company in September 2019.

In many parts of the world, including here in the UK, we enjoyed a summer of marvellous sunshine, months of dry weather and very little rain. While it was wonderful to play golf in a t-shirt, the dry course conditions widespread across the country made scoring extremely challenging.

Yet those who took advantage of the longer, lighter days by going out to practise late in the evening when the air temperature had cooled will have improved their skills over the summer. And now’s the time to reap the rewards of your hard work. With the colourful autumn leaves falling comes a change to the course conditions that is very advantageous to scoring.

Those firm summer fairways have softened, the greens that were super fast are more receptive. Its target golf now and although daylight hours are shorter the temperature is still mild enough to wear a t-shirt with maybe just a gilet or lightweight jumper so that you can still swing freely.

In my opinion, autumn offers the ideal conditions to shoot low scores. Analysing the scoring average from my handicap record shows a trend that doesn’t surprise me at all. I always shoot my lowest scores of the year in September, October and sometimes well into November. I play better golf now than in any other season of the year.

As a low single-figure handicapper, the autumn conditions suit my style of play. The accuracy of my approach shots is the biggest strength of my game. I tend to hit my irons with pinpoint precision next to the flag. I know my carry distance numbers accurately and when the greens are soft the ball spins and stops quickly so I get my club selection spot-on.

My putting average also improves. The greens have a little more grass growth so they are also usually running at a more manageable speed on the stimpmeter. The difference means that I can be more aggressive and attack putts that I would have lagged with caution on lightning fast greens in the summer. When the greens are slower, a miss simply means that the ball rolls just a few inches past the hole, leaving a make-able length return.

Shorter hitters may argue that they’ve lost the advantage of the firm fairway run out on the ball. It’s certainly true that higher handicappers can come in with remarkably good scores in the summer because if they hit the ball straight it can run a long way, but in my opinion, finding fairways off the tee is just as beneficial as an extra ten or twenty yards of run.

In fact, I played several courses this summer where the fairways were so firm, fast and links-like that the ball only stopped when it hit the rough. Good drives were punished for landing on the fairway. It’s one of the cruelest elements of summer golf.

A few weeks into autumn and courses have returned to lush green, allowing tee shots struck down the middle to stay on the short grass once again. Find more fairways and you’ll set up many more chances to hit every green in regulation, along with eliminating horror high scores from accidental bad bounces that led to lost balls in the summer.

The other big advantage of the autumn is that courses bring preferred lies into play. From October 1st until the end of March (sometimes later) the Rules of Golf permit you to lift and clean your golf ball from closely mown grass and replace it on a nice lie within six inches of that spot, no nearer the hole. You can effectively and legally use the rules to make the game easier. Choose your lie wisely and it can feel like cheating!

Fairway woods are far easier to sweep away when the ball is sat on a nice lush patch of grass than a tightly mown fairway or bare lie. Striking irons off softer grass is also easier. Cleaning the golf ball will ensure that it flies aerodynamically, so you’ll maximise your chances of hitting the ball with precision.

Conversely, think of how often the ball rolls out into a bad lie in the summer, something punishing like a divot in the middle of the fairway (the one remaining unchanged Rule of Golf I think is totally unfair). We have to take these bad breaks on the chin in the summer, it’s just tough luck.

On a crisp autumn morning you’ll often find tracks on the greens left behind from the ball roll of previous golfers putting through the dew. This gives you a great green reading advantage as you can see the break of previous attempts at holing a similar putt.

Although the days are shorter, sunlight isn’t as bright, so you’re less likely to struggle to see the ball. The heat isn’t so oppressive either. I saw many golfers walk in on really hot days this year, struggling for energy in the heat, suffering from exhaustion and dehydration. The cooler autumn temperatures put us in a peak physical state for playing well. Our bodies are more equipped to cope in mild weather than extremes. We feel fitter and more agile in the autumn.

I mentioned this to a medical friend and she added that our natural circadian rhythm is calmer at this time of year, as our bodies prepare to rest and slow down - like preparing to go into hibernation! So we play at a slower pace. You may not notice it but approaching the course with a calm mentality can encourage a more fluid, rhythmical swing.

In the summer there can be so many distractions, family commitments, holidays and other thoughts going on in your mind when you arrive at the golf course. Not conducive to a calm and ready to play state. I know that I juggle many different responsibilities as a parent in the school holidays. When the kids go back, golf becomes my ‘me time’ again, a weekly escape from the pressures of daily life and it’s far more enjoyable.

As cooler temperatures arrive, the grass doesn’t grow as thick so you get shorter rough. The brutal long grass we had to endure throughout the summer months has long gone. Greenkeepers tend to cut the grass down and give it an autumn hair cut. Shaving it short makes it both easier to find your ball in the first place (and quicker) plus much easier to hit the recovery shot back out into play. Win-win.

Many courses revert to playing competitions off forward tees as the nights draw in to encourage a quicker play and allow more golfers to get round in daylight. Greenkeepers also position tee markers forward of the blocks to protect the teeing grounds, give the grass a rest and make the game more enjoyable for the vast majority of players. Shaving 10 yards or more off every hole can really add up. Any distance you’ve lost in run-out on soft fairways is made up here. In a similar way you’ll see a lot more friendly pin positions in winter. Front pins also protect the greens.

If you are a lower handicapper your chances of winning are higher at this time of year, especially if you are one of the longer hitters who carries the ball further than other players, you don’t rely on those extra yards of run out.

In my experience, competition fields tend to be smaller as the ‘fair weather golfers’ drop out on rainy days, only a handful of hardcore players will go out and mark a card in bad weather. Less opponents means that the chances of winning increases. Playing well in bad conditions increases your chances of getting a handicap cut when others struggle and score badly, affecting the course index for the day.

Along with the colourful trees it’s actually the thing I love the most about autumn golf - the courses are just a bit quieter and some days I even get to play when no one else is out there. Pure bliss.

Over my years as a PGA Professional, I’ve custom-fit thousands of golfers, seeing virtually every swing type and equipment mismatch imaginable. But every now and then, a single tweak yields results so transformative it genuinely stops you in your tracks.

That exact scenario played out recently with my good friend and Kick Point podcast co-host, Dan Parker...

Dan is a fairly typical 8-handicap player with a pretty solid all-round game, but having played together on numerous occasions, I had long felt that the 120-gram steel shafts in his Ping i230 irons were just far too heavy for him. On the course, he always seemed to be struggling to catch his arms and clubhead up to his body turn through impact. The inevitable result was a frustratingly inconsistent strike and dangerously unpredictable start directions.

So, I decided to act upon my hunch, and calling in a favor through some industry contacts, I took an educated guess and sourced Dan a set of graphite Fujikura Axiom 95 S shafts, building them up in my workshop.

Firstly, they looked fantastic installed in those i230 heads - which might sound like a minor detail, but looking good over the ball never hurts! The really exciting part, however, was how instantly and massively this seemingly innocuous equipment change revolutionized his previously troublesome iron play.

Immediately, his sporadic strike vanished, replaced by repeatable, predictable, centered contact up and down his iron set.

A previously unplayable 5-iron that offered him zero confidence transformed almost overnight into arguably his favorite club in the bag. In fact, I can recall a couple of occasions when he has nearly holed out with that club since the switch!

From a custom fitting perspective, seeing that instant lightbulb moment is what it’s all about - and watching those gains hold up across an entire season has been even more satisfying.

To me, it reinforced just how vital shaft weight and loading characteristics are to a golfer's delivery. But while the data on my end spoke for itself, the ultimate test is how it felt out on the turf. Here is Dan to explain his side of the story...

“As a recreational 8-handicapper who spends hours every week talking golf equipment alongside a PGA Professional and former custom fitter, I’ve learned that when Joe speaks about gear, it pays to listen. I generally defer to his judgment on almost all equipment matters, and as much as I hate to admit it, he's almost always spot on. But without a shadow of a doubt, the most significant recommendation he has ever made for my game has been this shaft switch.

Before Joe stepped in, I was completely bereft of confidence with an iron in my hands. The top end of my bag - specifically my 5 and 6 irons - had degenerated into an absolute no-go zone of inconsistency. Every time I stood over a long approach, I was dreading the outcome, bracing for a thin, a chunk, or a wildly unpredictable start direction.

I had lost count of the number of times on the podcast I’d heard Joe waffle on about the benefits of lightweight graphite in modern iron setups. So, when he brought up the idea of pulling my 120-gram steel shafts and installing the Fujikura Axiom 95 S graphite shafts, I was more than keen to give them a run.

Mercifully, the improvement was instantaneous.

From the very first swing on the turf, that sensation of having to physically force the clubhead to catch up with my body turn simply vanished. The relief of not having to move such a heavy object through the air was immediate, but I could still produce the same (if not more) energy to the ball. Perhaps that was naivety on my part, but I thought lighter shafts might’ve meant shorter distance. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Centred, crisp contact became the default expectation rather than a sporadic surprise, and my confidence has just grown and grown. I’m hitting the ball as far as ever (not much more, but the better strikes have eked a few extra yards out of each iron), and I’m really thinking about how to execute my shot rather than worrying if I’m going to strike the ball properly.

What was arguably my biggest weakness on the golf course has genuinely transformed into the most complimented area of my entire game. Hitting high, holding shots into greens with a 5-iron - a club I used to view with pure dread - has become second nature over this summer.

If there’s any downside, it’s that the switch has created a bit of a localised crisis at the bottom of my bag. Because we only reshafted down through the pitching wedge, my wedges still have their original heavier steel shafts installed. Moving from my effortless graphite shafts down to the wedges currently feels like picking up a completely different set of tools, making my wedge play a glaring weakness by comparison. I'm currently on an active mission to source another three Fujikura Axiom 95 stiff shafts to try and weave that same magic all the way down to my lob wedge.

Joe has repeatedly stated on the podcast that at least 70% of the golfers he saw during his days in the fitting bay were playing shafts that were far too heavy for them. Experiencing that truth firsthand has been a massive eye-opener. If you’re someone fighting an inconsistent strike, or if your iron play feels like infinitely harder work than the rest of your game, I couldn't recommend trying graphite in your irons enough. It has completely revitalized my game, and it might just do the same for yours.”

As a 3-handicap golfer, I'm relatively competent in all areas of the game but playing with the likes of colleague Sam De'Ath, who has a handicap of +4, I realise the gulf in skill between myself and an elite player. Then there's the next chasm in technique from elite level amateur to PGA Tour player, making my golfing ability feel especially ordinary relatively speaking.

Driving has always been one of my weaker areas too. But what if I could swap out my shambolic tee shots and sub in one of the best drivers of our generation? How would my short game hold up and could I shoot under par around a ‘normal’ parkland course?

That’s what I wanted to find out, so I headed to Peterborough Milton Golf Club where on every hole I dropped my ball at the exact average distance where Rory McIlroy’s tee shot would typically finish, according to his 2026 PGA Tour statistics. The goal was to shoot under par, so record a score of 70 or better.

Based on the above stats and to make the experiment more accurate, I had to randomise where the tee shots would finish (McIlroy doesn’t know, I presume, when he’s going to miss a fairway) so I used a random spinning wheel selector on each tee with 14 possible results, eliminating one each time. I then used the Shot Scope GPS app to mark where I needed to drop the ball each time.

On par threes, I used his greens in regulation stats combined with his average proximity to the hole from three distance ranges to give myself a birdie putt based on McIlroy’s typical approach shot to the green. I also randomised the miss on the one par three green he typically misses on average out of four for the round.

The experience was mind blowing. I won’t giveaway the result (you can watch it in full on the video above) but to be playing from a typical McIlroy drive was a colossal advantage and highly unfamiliar territory on a course I've played many times.

On the first hole, a par five over water and out of bounds left that typically has the nerves jangling, I was hitting a 7-iron into the green for my second shot. Whilst I didn’t make the birdie, it was one of the easiest pars I’ve ever made on that hole.

I found myself reaching for a wedge on pretty much every approach shot on par fours and I was often left with just a 50- or 60-yard pitch at most. This sounds simple but for many amateur golfers, myself included, a mid-length pitch off a tight lie is not a shot I practice much or am particularly comfortable with. So while from this distance McIlroy would no doubt be knocking his ball stiff most of the time, I found myself with frustratingly long birdie putts.

Over the course of the round I only made four birdies, two of which came on par fives where I had a mid-iron for my second shot. Which goes to show, you don’t need to have a razor sharp short game to shoot under par IF you can drive the ball especially long.

While on a PGA Tour course McIlroy’s mid and long iron approach play would come under scrutiny, on a 'normal' course like this one he’d probably only need a driver and his wedges in the bag along with his putter!

So while I felt like I experienced a lot of wasted opportunities from close range, shooting under par never felt so easy. I was surprised at how much of an advantage McIlroy’s distance was when it came to scoring, and consequently how poor my wedge play was.

If anything, it has made me want to embark on an intense speed training program to get somewhere close to McIlroy’s distance output, as the benefits are there for all to see. Oh, and practice my short game.

I’m lucky. I play golf. It’s one of the most giving, rewarding and facilitating activities that human beings in today's world can participate in. My entire life has been shaped by golf.

In my early days as a junior, great role models helped me enjoy the sport and taught me how to behave, not only within our hallowed game but also as part of the wider community and the wider world.

Through my university years, golf was central to the friendships and the associations I made.

Those were the relationships that made my adult life. I was always aware that golf rather than the course I was studying was the main event during my tertiary education.

When I left university to get a job, it was golf that secured it. The fact I had a degree was incidental. That I had worked in a pro shop to earn my beer tokens and had learned to interact with club members and visitors was the clincher.

It took a few years toiling in horrid business in London for me to realise the pursuit of money alone was unsatisfactory. I missed something. Golf.

I changed tack, left the rat race, grabbed hold of my pen and began to write. I wanted to write about the things I loved, so I wrote about this incredible game.

Twenty (more actually, but 20 sounds fine) years later, I’m somehow still doing it, and I’d like to keep going.

I cannot sing golf’s praises highly enough. I would be lost without it, and I would like to think that I am not alone in feeling that.

These are just some things golf has taught me. They are not, by any means, all I have… but they were the first five that came to mind when I sat at my desk this morning.

1. The beauty of the game

Number one. It’s just such a perfect challenge.

Nothing compares to striking a drive right out of the middle or holing a testing eight-footer. In my whole life, I haven’t felt satisfaction that compares with achieving something quite small within golf.

Ooh… that sounds bad – apologies to Mrs Bisset… she probably won’t read this so don't worry too much.

But, day to day, I’ll get my tax return done. I’ll cut some trees down. I’ll build a wall in the garden… those things are satisfying, I guess, though they’re nothing in comparison to shooting level par on the Old Course…

I say that as I actually shot one-under around the Old Course last time out a couple of week ago – that to me was beautiful.

2. Tolerance

Imperfection. I have learned to accept it. There are many rounds in which you won’t perform to your capability, and those rounds are more frequent than the ones in which you do.

You must learn to enjoy golf on the level you’re playing at, and if it’s not quite top drawer, that’s ok. Maybe next time!

You must also tolerate people. Sometimes playing partners might not be quite your cup of tea or they may not behave in a way you would like them to. But they are also out to enjoy some extracurricular activity, and they deserve to enjoy it just like you. Let them.

3. Patience

Let it come. You’ll inevitably go through challenges in golf. You’ll suffer failures. But occasionally, something great will happen. Wait for those occurrences and you will appreciate them when they do.

How many rounds start poorly but finish with a flourish? How many games are saved by a birdie in the last few holes? For me, golf can be enjoyed at this amateur level through a single great drive, or one holed putt.

You can leave the course feeling buoyed by one piece of excellence. Golf is hard and we mere golfing mortals must take pleasure from the odd display of competence or rare slice of good fortune. Relish those moments.

4. Acceptance

I’ve written about this before, but you must accept that nobody cares about what you are up to on course.

When you get that unlucky bounce or the ludicrous lip-out, your playing partners, your golfing buddies, your father even… none of them give a hoot.

They are thinking about their own unlucky bounce or ludicrous lip-out. You might think your bad break is the most awful thing that has ever happened to you… they don’t. Remember that.

5. Gratitude

Finally – be thankful. You are a golfer! You have been fortunate enough to become involved in this terribly testing, frustrating yet ultimately fulfilling game.

Like me, I hope you will have made friends. You will have pushed yourself physically and mentally. You will have enjoyed success and endured failure.

Golf is ostensibly a sport but it’s also a way of life. Those who embrace gain tremendously.

I would encourage anyone to take up this fabulous game of ours. It has opened doors for me and has made my life better.

This week is going to fun.

We head to Delhi Golf Club, for the DP World India Championship 2026, which is sure to test the players in a way that few other tracks can.

The driver will stay in the bag for many this week, with precision rewarded over power, but who will emerge victorious from a stacked field led by the returning Rory McIlroy?

Our resident betting expert went close again last time out, backing runner-up Chacarra in Spain, but he is putting almost all of his eggs in the basket of a recent Major Winner this week...

Oh, and chucking a few at a 9-time DP World Tour winner, too!

DP World India Championship 2026 Betting Tips

Bazza's Best Bets

Best Bet: Aaron Rai To Win @ BetMGM

Aaron Rai is the perfect fit for Delhi Golf Club.

This track rewards precision over brute power, but it also requires a creative touch around the greens to keep the big numbers off the card.

Those statements align perfectly with the 2026 PGA Champion, who has had a phenomenal season to this point.

A runner-up finish at the BMW PGA Championship last time out could have been even better, had it not have been for quite a conservative approach to the final two holes of the tournament, but he can remedy that this week in India.

Rai ranks 7th for driving accuracy on the DP World Tour in 2026, but he also ranks 2nd for scrambling and 24th for Strokes Gained: Tee To Green.

After a short break, and with a title to defend in Abu Dhabi in a few weeks time, I can see Rai contending once again.

Best Value Bet: Bernd Wiesberger @ BetMGM

Bernd Wiesberger has graced my card twice in the past few weeks, and after going fairly close on both occasions I am willing to make that a hat-trick of picks on a course that arguably suits him the best of the lot.

Wiesberger was 4th at Crans-sur-Sierre a few weeks ago, on a track that has great correlation with this week's venue, and he also finished 13th last week in Spain - so things are clearly looking positive for the 9-time DP World Tour Winner.

The Austrian ranks 13th in the Race To Dubai rankings and is certainly in with a shout for a PGA Tour Card in 2027, but it was his stats that sealed the deal for me this week.

Wiesberger ranks 23rd for driving accuracy, 5th for par-4 scoring, 13th for SG: Tee To Green and 3rd for SG: Around The Green - ticking literally every box.

If he can putt well in Delhi this week, I believe he can improve on his 17th place finish last season and creep into the places at the very least (at a big price).

Golf Monthly Betting Panel Picks

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Golf Monthly Betting Panel Tipping Record

In 2026, the betting panel have been taking part in the Golf Monthly Tipster Challenge.

At present, Baz leads the way thanks to three winning tips, three runner-ups, four third-place finishes and a total of 11 top-5s.

Jonny chases in second, with two wins, a runner-up pick and a series of third place finishes, while Elliott currently occupies the bronze medal position.

Matt has some work to do in order to catch the pack, but Matt had a good week at the BMW PGA Championship and the Open De France, so expect a late charge from Mr. Cradock.

All still to play for, as the winner receives a round of golf at a top-100 course of their choice!

Before, I share the full breakdown of points - a quick recap of the format.

• Each player picks two golfers per week, one favorite (any odds) and one outsider (must be 40/1 or +4000+)
• Points are awarded based on the selection's finishing position. So, if McIlroy finishes second, the tipster gets two points. If he finishes 45th, he gets 45 points.
• The tipster with the lowest number of points at the end of the DP World Tour season 2026 is the winner.
• Tipsters cannot pick the same golfer more than three times in the season and picks must be submitted before the first ball is hit (penalty for late picks).

The golf
Par 47, 4,030 yards (12 holes)

Let me start by saying that 12-hole golf is far from being a new thing. Many of you will know that The Open Championship, golf’s most venerable tournament, was played on the 12-hole links at Prestwick for its first dozen stagings from 1860 to 1872.

And one of the earliest golf courses I played was the 12-hole layout at Shiskine on the Isle of Arran on my first ever golfing holiday back in 1984.

I didn’t think much about the 12-hole element of it at the time as I’d played so few courses just two years into my golfing ‘career’ that it was all a bit new to me.

Now, 42 years later, I find myself writing about my latest 12-hole golfing experience at Mad Swans in the South Downs and pondering whether or not 12-hole golf is about to become a ‘thing’.

It stands on the site of the former Blacknest Golf & Country Club, which originally opened in 1994.

Now, under the Mad Swans franchise – which also owns Mad Swans in the Mendips at the former Farrington Park golf course – the place has been transformed from an 18-hole layout into a 12-hole course, with accommodation in both eco cabins and lodge rooms.

Mad Swans is seeking to create a different vibe around golf, so there is also ‘Putt Patch’ mini-golf (also 12 holes!), a Toptracer driving range christened the ‘Swing Barn’, a padel court, a pickleball court, e-Bike hire and two very informal and tastefully designed eateries.

It had only been open seven weeks on the date of my late July Sunday/Monday visit, but the place was absolutely rammed, with the family side of the clientele really in evidence, especially on the Putt Patch mini golf but also out on the main golf course.

Mad Swans in the Mendips opened last October and two more sites have already been acquired in the south and south-west of England, with the timescale around their development still uncertain.

But a few other places outside the Mad Swans brand also now have 12 holes, among them Chiddingfold in Surrey, Basset Down in Wiltshire, and Eastwood, not far from Glasgow, whose new name of Eastwood Twelve adds further emphasis to that slightly unusual hole count.

As for Mad Swans in the South Downs, a number of the 12 holes follow the previous fairway corridors while others plough different furrows.

Some holes are a real challenge with water a regular foe, most strikingly on the par 3s at the 3rd and 5th. A back-left pin on the 3rd is not to be messed with, while the 5th has a semi-island green. Water comes into play on more than half the 12 holes at Mad Swans in the South Downs .

You can open your shoulders on the two par 5s and maybe the tempting, short par-4 12th, where trying to drive the green will end in watery tears if you tweak it left.

The accommodation

There are two options: the twin or double rooms upstairs in the main lodge building where I stayed; and several eco cabins where Elliott and his partner stayed.

My lodge room was spacious and comfortable with an excellent shower, and I'll leave Elliott to describe the cabins: “They've been well designed with modern bathrooms and wash facilities, plenty of room for storing bags and cases, and comfortable, high-quality beds. A highlight is certainly the projector and huge pull-down screen for a movie night, while you can sit back on deckchairs outside and take in the country air.”

Dining is informal and excellent in either the Potting Shed, where we dined, or Hangout pizzeria. Both were buzzing on the Sunday afternoon we were there.

Best deal

Golf, stay and play packages start from £225 (£112.50 per person) to include a night's stay in a cabin, a 12-hole round of golf and a range session in the Swing Barn.

Padel costs £33 an hour off-peak and £40 peak (90-minute rates also available) and pickleball £15 an hour off-peak and £30 peak with 90-minute rates again available. The Putt Patch putting course is £12 for adults and £6 for children.

(Prices correct at time of publication in October 2026)

You can probably relate to this scenario - unless you are a high-handicapper like me.

You are standing in the middle of the fairway after bombing a drive down the par-5 and the questions crosses your mind... can I reach in two?

The answer for many is, sadly, no. But, how many could realistically find the putting surface... at least statistically?

Thanks to the latest 2026 Shot Scope data, we are able to make a very well-reasoned estimate and break it down by handicap index to help you formulate your strategy (and temper your expectations)...

How Likely Are Amateur Golfers To Hit A Par-5 Green In Two?

The key thing to point out here, before we go any further, is there are a number of factors that can impact a golfer's ability to reach a par-5 in two - outside of distance alone.

This feat is ‘easier’ to achieve in the dryer, warmer months, all the golf ball travels further and the roll out is more generous.

When the winter period arrives, this can often lead to distance-sapping wet and windy conditions that eliminate this an achievable option for many amateurs.

There is also the length of the par-5 to consider, which we will factor in below, in addition to the layout and design of the hole.

With all that in mind, the data provided by Shot Scope can help us to generate a fair estimate on how many golfers are able to reach a 450-, 500- and 550-yard par-5 in two…

Short Par-5 (450 Yards)

The average scratch golfer hits their driver around 285 yards, leaving just 165 yards into the green. This can be achieved with as little as an 8-iron for the second shot, so a 450-yard par-5 is well within reach for the best amateurs in the game.

For a 5- and 10-handicapper, this is also a strategy that could yield returns. A 5-handicap player could reach with a driver (261 yards) and a 4-iron (201 yards), while a 10-handicap golfer could reach with a similar combo (driver and 4-hybrid).

A 15-handicap is stretching themselves slightly further, but it’s still an achievable goal. A driver (236 yards) and 3-wood (215 yards) are required, however, and some very good strikes at that.

A 20-handicap and 25-handicap don’t really have much of a chance, statistically, so a lay-up would perhaps be the most sensible play to keep the big numbers off the card.

Mid Length Par-5 (500 Yards)

We are going to dismiss the 20- and 25-handicappers at this point, as their average distances meant they would struggle to reach a par-5 that was 50 yards shorter, but how do the rest of the pack fair?

A scratch golfer can, once again, comfortably reach. Driver (285 yards) and 4-iron (223 yards) are a great combination, with plenty in the bank to reach in two.

A 5-handicap would need two sensational strikes. They average 261 yards with driver and 236 yards with a 3-wood, so they could sneak onto the front edge with a favourable bounce.

A 10-handicap could be around 15 yards short, based on their driver and 3-wood averages, but a 15-handicap statistically has very little chance of getting anywhere near, according to the Shot Scope data.

Long Par-5 (550 Yards)

At this point, we are down to two.A scratch golfer can reach with a driver/3 wood combo - but would need a favourable bounce and wind behind.

With that being said, you can probably guess that a 5-handicapper has unfortunately come up short.

For most amateurs, unless the par-5 is particularly short, laying up and aiming to wedge it close for three is the right play.

Scratch golfers are able to combine their consistent ability to achieve a centred strike with a boost in clubhead speed, but for the rest of us mere mortals - don’t be a hero.

In the golf swing, we need to create a sequence, not various positions.

Golfers are often fed the narrative that the swing must hit certain positions, so why is there so much variety in swing shapes and styles? It's a myth that goes against the best ball striking lessons.

Elite players sequence their swings so well - they don't simply place the club in certain positions and hope this produces an efficient swing.

Below, Top 50 Coach James Jankowski explains how better sequencing can lead to a centred strike more consistently and, ultimately, lower scores in 2026...

Why Golf Swing Sequencing Matters

The way the body and club move creates the positions I referred to. The lower body starts the transition, followed by the torso, then the arms, which pull the club down.

Each segment then slows as the next accelerates, helping release the club through impact.

As the lower body and torso decelerate, that energy is transferred through the arms and into the club and ball.

The Step Drill

The step drill is a simple way to feel the correct downswing sequence. As you start the backswing, take a small step and shift slightly towards the trail side.

Before the club reaches the top, step towards the lead side to re-centre your body and allow the lower body to start the transition.

Now let the sequence unfold. The club should be the last bit of the sequence to accelerate.

Slow It Down

A good sequence is not just about acceleration in the downswing. Every segment must also decelerate before impact.

Try making either several continuous swings in a row or hitting a line of balls without resetting between each one.

After each strike, you have to decelerate the body before impact and then the club post impact, enough to regain balance and move back into the next swing.

This creates a better feeling of the impact sequence, rather than continuing to chase clubhead speed into the finish.

I was born in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, right on the Sussex border, but as I've lived much of my adult life in the latter I've played far more courses there, including all the best golf courses in Sussex – 79 vs 49 in Kent.

That former figure surprised me a little as it's more than the number of clubs affiliated to Sussex County Golf, but sadly, 11 that I have played are now closed (mostly nine-holers), while some clubs have two courses and others are not affiliated.

Anyway, I digress, but this does mean that I still have considerably more Kent courses to tick off than Sussex ones, hence my June 2026 trip with colleague Rob Smith to make my debuts at Sene Valley and Lydd, not a million miles from the famous Kent Open Championship triumvirate of Royal St George's, Royal Cinque Ports and Prince's.

Sene Valley ranks among Kent's oldest clubs dating back to 1888 (via one or two name changes along the way); Lydd among the newest, having arrived in the 1990s.

A back nine to remember

Today’s layout at Sene Valley, set on downland above Hythe and the coast, was created by Henry Cotton in the mid-1960s and Rob and I tackled it on a sweltering day before such days really became de rigueur in summer 2026.

The opening trio plays down from and back up to the clubhouse via the pretty par-3 2nd at the bottom before you venture further out from the 4th to the 7th. The 5th is a lovely short par 4 across a sideslope past some beautiful houses, while the climb to the high point on the 7th is via a hog’s back fairway to a very linksy-feeling green site. The views from here are magnificent.

The course takes on a different character from the moment you turn right after the drive on the testing dogleg-right 10th. This hole really has something about it, a 452-yarder demanding a daunting carry over a wide dip with a long club for most, and a lay-up must surely be the prudent option on many occasions.

The signature 11th is a tight-as-they-come short par 3 that wouldn’t look out of place on a Portuguese or Spanish course. There is simply no good miss here.

You then drop down for four interesting, rollercoaster holes on the lower level before climbing a little on the excellent par-3 16th where a tree-trunk bench sits behind the tee, and then climbing a lot on the short par-4 17th. That climb alone meant the post-round refreshments were very welcome indeed on a scorching day.

Water, doglegs and big greens

After driving down to the Littlestone Hotel in New Romney and watching the snoozefest that was the England-Ghana World Cup game, we retired early, safe in the knowledge we would barely see a hill of any kind at Lydd next morning.

What we would see was plenty of water in the form of ponds, waterways and ditches, more of which in a moment.

Before that, while we didn’t have time on this trip, you really should play Littlestone – or both courses at Littlestone – while in this neck of the woods. The club here also dates back to 1888 and while the Championship links eases you in gently, it finishes with a bang.

The 16th is a long, tough par 4 that turns gently left and up to the green; the 17th is perhaps the toughest of four strong par 3s playing across a gentle valley to a green protected by bunkers and mounds; and the par-5 18th is definitely a chance but must still be treated with respect.

The shorter Warren course starts with a long par 4, but there are then many shorter ones to tempt you into (sometimes unwise) attack depending on wind direction.

The young course at Lydd presents a different challenge thanks to the aforementioned water, a preponderance of doglegs to varying degrees and often quite big greens.

That water comes into play right from the start, where the seemingly short, generous opener takes on a slightly different character once you realise that anything leaking left is going to result in an early penalty area drop. Do you attack or err on the side of caution if the pull is your miss when really going for it?

After a run of strong holes, things ramp up a notch on the 5th, a longish dogleg-right where water both sides really sharpens your focus as you turn the corner. The shorter 6th turns the other way – sharply – with a big bunker short-left looming into view as you make the turn.

There’s a big sloping green on 10 as you kick off the back nine on a mid-length par 3, with the 442-yard 12th then serving up one of the most testing drives on the course into the wind, with water pinching in both sides at driving distance before the hole turns right, making you wonder about laying up and leaving a very long second.

I spurned that notion, knocked it in the water and made a very good bogey thanks to holing a long putt from the rock-hard fairway.

The final run for home is testing, with the drive on 16 particularly awkward over a reedy pond as the holes turns gently left. Erring too far right as a precaution will make the approach angle much trickier.

I came away thinking you can play this course two ways – adopt a cautious strategy to take the trouble out of play, or just keep blasting away and take whatever comes!

Sene Valley
Par 71, 6,232 yards
Green fee: £57.50wd, £62.50we; twilight £27.50-£32.50

Lydd
Par 71, 6,596 yards
Green fee: £38wd, £45we; twilight/dusk £25-£30

Littlestone (Championship)
Par 71, 6,433 yards
Green fee: £120-£160

Stay
Littlestone Hotel
Littlestone, New Romney, TN28 8LN
W: littlestonehotel.com

(Prices correct at time of publication in October 2026)

It would be fair to say the World Handicap System (WHS) has not been universally popular since its introduction to the UK in 2020.

I have written quite a bit on my concerns over the system and possible ways it might be improved. I also think there are significant potential positives with WHS in terms of inclusion and cohesion, if communication between different software works properly, that is...

From a personal point of view, though, my main gripe with WHS has been that it has made me care a good deal less about my handicap and, as a result, I have been less excited about playing regular, club-level competitive golf.

One of the reasons for that is that the handicap can change very quickly under WHS. I’m not so concerned now when mine goes up a little and I’m not so thrilled when it comes down a little.

This year my handicap started at 1.1. I played poorly for a while, and it went up as high as 3.1. I then had a few decent rounds, and it tumbled back down to 0.9.

It nearly tripled in the space of two months and then was reduced by more than two thirds in the next two months… That seems ridiculous. My handicap graph looks like the outline of the Himalaya.

The other reason I don’t enjoy club-level competition so much is that rogue scoring seems to remain a problem, despite all the efforts of the governing bodies.

I continue to witness it, and I continue to hear from people in person and online – tales of nett scores that are way beyond anything someone with a correct handicap could come close to matching, and match play contests where way too many shots have been handed out, with inevitable results.

Handicaps can be manipulated under WHS, there’s no doubt about it. Like anything in life, there will always be unscrupulous people who look to gain unfair advantage if they think they can get away with it.

The thing is, although unscrupulous people can manipulate their WHS handicap, either to pull off a little “banditry” or as a “vanity project,” they really shouldn’t get away with it.

Handicap secretaries, golf club managers and committees have the information through the WHS software to identify and sanction players who are clearly submitting bogus scores and manipulating their handicaps.

The question in the title of this article – “can and should handicap secretaries do more to spot bogus handicap submissions?” – is a loaded one…

The answer to it is this: a handicap secretary or committee can, and should, do all they can to spot bogus handicap submissions. If not, they aren't doing their job properly.

Obviously, in all occupations, some people are better at their job than others. Handicap secretaries, managers or committees can do a great deal to spot bogus handicaps, and they should use every tool available to do so. They should take appropriate action when they do spot fraudulence.

As a first step, handicap committees can conduct a “handicap review” of all the handicaps at the club or facility they are responsible for. This could be done annually or even more frequently.

The review identifies players who are consistently scoring above, or below, their ‘expected’ scoring range or where other abnormalities within a player’s scoring record exist. Committees can then make a recommended adjustment to the handicap index of each player identified, up to a maximum of two strokes.

Other reports that can be used to identify manipulation include:

– General play vs competition play scores. If a player consistently shoots significantly lower or higher scores in general play than they do in competition, that is a key indicator that someone might be trying to swindle the system.

– Deleted or withdrawn scoring intents. A report can be generated to see if players have submitted an intent to post a score but have then withdrawn that intent. That’s also an indicator of dishonest action if it happens more than once or twice.

– Players consistently not completing rounds. You can see if players are avoiding certain holes on a course. If they are routinely skipping a difficult section of the layout in general play, that could be a sign they are up to no good!

– Soft and hard caps. How often is a player hitting the soft or hard caps within WHS? If it’s a frequent occurrence, that would suggest scores are going in that are above expected on a regular basis.

You can also see from geo location and timings when a player has signed in to submit a card, when and where that score was entered, and who the attester was.

All this information can be used to identify suspicious activity within WHS and spot players submitting bogus scores to create bogus handicaps.

Committees have never had such a level of data at their disposal to deal with handicap cheats as they do now.

If a committee does feel there’s sufficient evidence that a player has been manipulating their handicap, there are various actions they can take.

If they feel it’s justified and necessary, they can freeze a player’s handicap at a particular point.

If it’s been ongoing and blatant, the committee can withdraw a handicap.

They can do that for a set time be it, a month, six months, a year… During that time, the player would not be able to submit scores for handicap purposes. That’s effectively a ban from competition golf.

There are other, less severe options.

A committee can stop certain people attesting scores. If a certain name is constantly appearing to attest questionable scores, they can be struck off as an accepted attester.

A committee can say they will only accept competition round scores from a certain player. Effectively, they can ban that player from entering general play scores.

With sufficient evidence, committees can turn to their union for support in sanctioning an individual for handicap manipulation.

Handicap secretaries and committees have all the data they need at their disposal to identify and sanction handicap cheats. They can, and should, be able to spot bogus handicap submissions.

There's always a moment in a fitting. The numbers on the screen do something you didn't expect and you realise whether the club in your hands has been quietly working for you or against you all along.

I've had that aha moment in every fitting I've done. So when I headed to TaylorMade's The Kingdom for a full bag fitting, I wasn't only curious about what might change. I wanted to know what this time's surprise would be.

Why I Wanted To Get Fitted Again

My bag has been built up over time. I got my irons three years ago and the top of my bag – driver, 3 wood, 3 rescue and 4 rescue – a year after that.

My swing has changed significantly in that time and there were two things I thought would affect my specs the most.

The first is speed. I've always had good speed but I know I’ve gathered a bit more over the last two to three years, especially after making the changes I have.

The second is my release. At my last fitting I was a big early releaser of the club. That's come a long way. There's still more to do but it's a very different move from the one my current clubs were fitted to. So my question was: if my swing has changed, have my clubs kept up?

Finding My Swing Profile

We started with driver, which I was quite excited about as it's my favourite club in the bag right now.

But the fitting doesn't start there just so you can rip a few away. Driver is where your swing profile is found. That profile is your swing speed plus your rotation – how quickly you close the face through the ball.

Golfers are sorted into three rotation buckets: low, mid and high. Combined with your swing speed, that identifies the shaft that matches your swing profile and tendencies.

As George, my fitter, explained, there's no right or wrong here. Your swing is your swing. The data simply points you towards the shaft that suits it.

As a data nerd, I love this part. My speed came in at 91-92mph. And my rotation was mid. That was my first surprise as I've only recently grooved that early release out of my swing.

With my profile identified, we tested shafts that matched it – looking for the most repeatable strike. My current shaft actually suited my profile well. But the Ventus Red + 5 S did something I'm not sure I've ever done before.

Four strikes in a row, all from the middle of the face – more central than with my current shaft, which I was hitting lower on the face. Same swing. Different shaft. And four right out the middle.

That, for me, is the power of a fitting. It doesn't try to change your swing. It matches your swing to the spec that gives you a more repeatable outcome. And repeatability is what we want on the course.

With the shaft locked in, we moved on to the head. The Qi4D Core at 9 degrees came out on top, with more ball speed, more distance and tighter dispersion than my current setup.

The Top Of The Bag Got A Rethink

Once we understood my rotation, it shaped everything that followed. My second surprise came here. I hit a 5-wood more consistently, for both distance and dispersion, than either my 3-wood or my 3-rescue. So both are coming out and a 5 wood is going in alongside my 4-rescue. Both using the same shaft profile as my driver.

If I'm honest, I've never felt like I make the most of the longer clubs in my bag. And is there anything worse than standing over a second shot into a par-5 without trusting the club in your hands? It was reassuring to know I don't need a 3-wood if a 5-wood gives me more consistent results.

Making My Bad Shots Better

My irons were the part I was keenest to see. They're three years old and I know I tend to hit the ball high.

My 7-iron speed ranged from 75 to 78mph. I still carry a bit of that shallow release into the ball, so my current Nippon Neo shaft came up a little soft. We moved to the Dynamic Gold 95. It's a similar weight but we went for a stronger tip profile.

That stronger tip is the key for my swing. It gives me a lower launch to tame that high ball flight – which can really fox me playing into a heavy wind – plus more stability through the ball. A big win.

We judged the options on two things: dispersion and carry distance consistency. It's tempting to build everything around squeezing out an extra yard or three. But I've come to realise that dispersion is the metric that matters more.

This is where the new setup came into its own. The dots on the screen gathered in a green-sized cluster. Even the shots I didn't strike as well turned into better misses. And that, for me, is everything. Making my bad shots better.

Gapping And Feel

Next came wedges, starting with the ones I hit full swings with: my pitching wedge and gap wedge. Here the focus was gapping. To keep the distances between clubs right with the new iron setup, both are going one degree stronger. It should also help bring that higher ball flight down, so I can trust it more into the green.

For my 54 and 58-degree wedges, the focus was feel. I’ll often reach for my 58 degree around the green and so with my shallow angle of attack, we moved into the SX grind with 11 degrees of bounce.

That bounce and grind will help the sole glide through the turf rather than dig in. And that's exactly what I want on those delicate shots around the green – confidence in good contact.

The Line I Didn't Know I Needed

Last but by no means least came the putter. I play the TaylorMade Spider Tour X and I love it. There's something about the feel off the face that I've never had with any other putter.

The putter fitting focused on two things. The first was launch: is the ball rolling off the face or jumping? The second was rotation: am I closing the face too much through the ball and sending it off line?

I went in knowing I mostly miss putts to the right. That could be my green reading but the putter in your hands can play a part too.

The data showed I strike my putts with the face slightly open, 0.18 degrees open to the target. That explains why my misses go right far more often than left.

Then came the real surprise. I tried a putter without the alignment line the Spider has and I aimed 4 degrees shut at address. Four degrees. And I set up to that putter believing I was square. That's a putt that never has a chance, however well I’ve read it.

That showed the line on the Spider isn't just a nice-to-have for me. It's what gets me set up square in the first place. It also tells me that drawing a line on my ball would help even more because I could track the ball's line down the line on the back of the putter.

So the Spider Tour X is staying. I'm averaging 32 putts a round with it, so on feel and performance, it has more than earned its place.

How Much Has Actually Changed?

I have a new driver head and shaft. A 5-wood replaces my 3-wood and 3-rescue. My irons have a new shaft with a stronger tip. My pitching and gap wedges are a degree stronger each. My putter hasn't changed at all.

That's a lot of change for a bag that was fitted within the last three years. Part of that is down to me. My speed has gone up, my release has changed and my specs needed to follow.

But part of it is how quickly the technology moves on. Some of my biggest wins came from options that are new, like the Ventus Red + 5 S shaft and the Qi4D Core head.

A setup that was right for me two or three years ago was right against what was available back then. Our swings change and so do the options.

Why Every Golfer Should Get Fitted

As golfers, we work hard to get the most out of our games. A fitting helps you do exactly that.

It doesn't ask you to change your swing and it doesn't bank everything on distance. It's about repeatability: making your good shots more consistent and your misses less damaging.

I made the same swings with different shafts and the difference was clear. A shaft matched to my speed and rotation gave me results I'd be over the moon with on the course.

As a single-figure golfer, I find the margins are smaller now. When there are fewer shots to find, there's even less sense in leaving any of them in the bag.

But that doesn't mean fitting is only for low handicappers. I think it’s for every golfer who feels like they’re leaving better scores out there on the course.

If you're thinking about it, here are three tips I would pass on:

1. Don’t wait until your swing is "ready." A fitting is built around getting the most out of the swing you have now. It's about repeatability, not perfection.

2. Go knowing your misses, from driver right through to your putts. If you can tell your fitter about your patterns, like my high ball flight or my putts missing right, you're giving them clues that help them do their job even better.

3. You don't need to be a tour pro or a single-figure golfer, to want the right tools for this game we love. A fitting is about getting the most out of your game so you can enjoy it even more. All with the swing you have now. Not the swing you think you need.

Follow Jess’ golf journey and see inside her fitting on her Instagram and TikTok.

Counterfeit golf equipment is not a new thing. In the mid 1990s, many of the major manufacturers moved their production of golf clubs and other equipment to China and East Asia. That gave other operations in those regions impetus to produce copies of the most popular models.

When it came to golf clubs, at first, they were largely copies – brands emerged that mimicked the shape and design of the household names. They weren’t exactly counterfeits, although they were often infringing or flying very close to infringing copyright.

By the end of the 90s, though, direct counterfeit golf clubs had started to appear. Western markets were seeing more counterfeit clubs with big brand names stamped on them.

Those early counterfeits were fairly easy to spot – the paintwork was shoddy, the weighting was off, the finish in general was substandard.

But, over the last 25 years, counterfeiters have become more skilled and fake equipment is far more difficult to spot.

A huge number (millions) of counterfeit golf clubs are now in circulation, together with an abundance of fake clothing and accessories. These are being sold on online trading platforms. With buyers seeking bargains, many are misled to purchase golf equipment that is not genuine.

Some will buy the counterfeit produce knowingly in the hope it will deliver similar levels of performance (it won’t.) But the majority are seeking the real deal.

Counterfeit clothing has been around for decades and there are plenty of fakes out there when it comes to golf apparel and accessories.

How do you tell the difference between genuine and counterfeit golf equipment?

Online purchases

If you’re buying online, then it can be difficult to tell what you’re going to be paying for. If you don’t get the product in your hand, you’re always accepting a level of risk.

Is the price too good to be true? If it’s way cheaper than you can find a particular product anywhere else, it probably is too good to be true.

How is the photography? Counterfeit equipment will often be photographed poorly to hide the subtle differences. Or the photography will simply be substandard.

With clubs - Are there shots of the grips, the ferules, the sole plate? If limited photography is available, that is a red flag.

Make comparison if you can. Find an image on the manufacturer’s website and look for details. Do the graphics match, are the lines consistent, is the grip/shaft the same if it’s a club you’re looking at. Are the laces the same on a pair of shoes? Is the logo in the right place on a shirt or jacket?

Or has the seller just used a generic image? Is the image clearly lifted from a manufacturer’s site. If so, that could be a concern if it’s being sold on a trading platform.

Where are the products coming from? If they’re going to ship directly from China for instance, that should cause suspicion. When it comes to clubs, although the manufacturers use Chinese and East Asian factories for components, assembly and shipment occurs in the USA.

With equipment in hand

Look closely at the quality of construction. Do the materials look good of an appropriate quality?

With clubs - Are the ferules on cleanly? Are the grips of good feel and quality? Are the shafts from a recognised manufacturer and do they look real? Do the clubs come with the right accessories? If there is a headcover, does it look genuine?

Look for the serial number – Firstly, does the club have one? Secondly, is it clear and does it look genuine?

Does the club feel right in the hands?

If it’s clothing or other equipment – How is the quality of the fabric and stitching? Are the logos real or stamped on? Again – try to find an image to make a comparison – does it look the part?

If you have a chance to try the equipment

When it comes to clubs, performance will tell you all you need to know. If you’re looking to buy a new driver and you get a chance to test it – if it doesn’t produce the right results, you probably won’t buy it, and if it doesn’t produce decent results when claiming to be a product from a major manufacturer then it could well be a fake.

Counterfeit clubs will not have gone through the rigorous testing processes of real kit – they will not have the right weighting, they won’t feel good, they won’t deliver optimised ball flight and distance. Testing equipment is the ultimate way to spot a counterfeit.

11. Never Up, Never In

This admonishment points out that for a ball to drop into the hole, it has to get up there in the first place and an under-hit shot won’t. All true. But it is also true that not all shots that come up short are bad putts.

A lag putt which finishes within two feet of the hole has to be considered mission accomplished. A tricky downhill putt on a slick green that comes up short may not be the worst result in the world, when an overhit shot may have rolled several feet past the hole or even off the green – which can lead to the next saying...

10. Still You

Or sometimes this is rendered as ‘dead sheep’, as in ‘still ewe’. Furthest from the hole putts first and when someone overhits a putt so badly that it is still them who is furthest from the hole, they probably won’t welcome someone in your group pointing this out quite so readily and cheerfully.

9. One!

The ball falls off the tee and someone calls out ‘one!’ as if that counts as you first shot. It doesn’t. They know and you know it – that is the, ahem, joke. It’s not really that funny and it certainly isn’t original.

8. Other groups

It is amazing how loudly some people talk to those who are really quite close to them. If someone is a few feet away, you don’t need to address them in a voice which carries over 50 yards.

You are not giving a speech at a public rally; you are having a normal conversation. If I am concentrating on my shot, I don’t want to be disturbed by someone elsewhere on the course bellowing away unnecessarily.

7. Reload

A bit like ‘still you’ – I know I have played a bad shot, you don’t need to rub it in quite so crassly.

6. Fore!

This means a ball is coming your way. Or is it? Where is the call coming from and who is it directed to? Do I look up to see and risk getting a ball in my face? Do I just duck? Do I simply ignore it? A cry of ‘Fore left!’ is even worse.

By the time you have worked out where it has come from – so which is their left, how far the ball is likely to go and so on – it's too late to be of any relevance anyway.

5. Trees are 90% air

Yes, scientifically speaking they are in that only about 10% of the area is occupied by trunk, branches or leaves. But what relevance is that to the golfer as it does not mean 90% of shots will get through them.

A tree’s total volume may contain 90% air spaces, but it is a three-dimensional object and a golf ball has to pass through every single one of the layers of branches and leaves – unlikely to impossible, unless you punch the ball under the tree’s canopy and avoiding the trunk.

4. Is yours an official handicap? Do you put in many cards?

This isn’t a question as such, more an accusation that you are a bandit. ‘You are a high handicapper, how dare you to have just played a good drive/shot/hole. I am most offended and surprised,’ is what the subtext is.

3. Music

If I don’t want to be putt off by other groups talking unnecessarily loudly, I certainly do not want to have to listen to their music blaring out.

2. 'Good shot' when it isn’t

The story is told of Ben Hogan hitting his drive down the middle of the fairway, his inexperienced partner saying ‘great shot!’ and Hogan snapping back: "A tee shot into the fairway is not a 'great shot'."

Point is, for some it would be; for others, not so. It is great when others compliment your good play, but it has to be good play. Them praising an average shot suggest they don’t think much of your capabilities and can come across a wee bit patronising.

1. Greens have just been hollow tined

No one wants to hear that when they arrive at a golf club. Yes, we all know this work has to be done; we just want it to have been done at another time.

As a female golfer working in the golf industry, I find myself repeatedly using one word when discussing the women’s game: ‘disconnect’. When it comes to interest and participation, I certainly don’t want to downplay the momentum we are seeing.

For example, England Golf reported that in 2025, female players submitted over 151,000 additional scores - a 14% increase - and so far this year, nearly 1,000 new female golfers have subscribed to its iGolf platform.

Since launching five years ago, iGolf has proven to be a genuine gateway, transitioning nearly 30,000 players into full club memberships, of which 1,698 are female. The pipeline is clearly there, but still many clubs miss the mark when guiding new players through the transition from beginner to member.

The pathway remains predictable: a short course of lessons, an academy membership, and then a sudden expectation to conform. The moment newbie golfers make the transition to full membership, the set-in-its-ways reality of club life hits.

I’ve heard long-standing members at my golf club commenting that the new, younger members are not "part of the ladies’ section," meaning they aren't out there playing every Tuesday morning. But they aren't opting out to be difficult; they simply can't play then due to work and family commitments, choosing instead to tee off at a time that actually suits their lives.

This shouldn’t be a point of concern or criticism. Instead, clubs should be asking a much more constructive question: how are we adapting to accommodate and welcome this new generation of members in order to keep them?

Recently, someone at my club remarked to me, "You haven't put many cards in lately." It was a casual comment, but it made me step back and reflect on how my own attitude towards golf, and the way I want to play the game, has shifted. Does it really matter? I’m not trying to protect my handicap, and I’m certainly no bandit, I just want to enjoy the game on my own terms. For me, that means having the freedom to submit a card as and when I feel like it, rather than feeling any pressure to do so.

We need to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach. Clubs should be creating a welcoming space where women can enjoy the sport and play it in a way that fits their busy lives, rather than constantly feeling judged by outdated standards of what a real golfer should be.

Coupled with this cultural mismatch, the lack of flexibility creates a serious value-for-money issue as membership costs continue to rise. When I renewed my membership last month, I had to justify the expense yet again. Like many people juggling a busy life, I simply don't use the facility as much as I should.

If clubs are going to demand higher fees, they have to deliver genuine value in return, which means offering flexible tee times, modern clubhouse environments, and diverse playing formats that actually fit the lives of modern, paying members.

Interestingly, when I interviewed US-based former tour player turned broadcaster Mel Reid earlier this year, she was quick to bring up the soaring cost of club fees.

"The problem that I have with golf now is that while we are making really good progress, it has become so expensive in the US," Reid says, noting she saw this shift firsthand at her former club in Jacksonville, Florida.

"It was really young when I first got there in 2020, but now it’s almost like we are weaning out the 25-to-40-year-olds with families because they just can't afford it. Golf needs to be a lot more accessible because it's getting stupid again, getting back to what it was in the early 2000s: rich, old, white dudes."

It is a trend we cannot afford to see get out of control in the UK. If traditional golf clubs don’t wake up to the financial and lifestyle realities of modern players, they will end up pricing themselves right back into the past. Only by fixing this disconnect can we connect the game to a more positive, inclusive future.

Is your golf club accessible to everyone and adapting to modern culture? We'd love to hear your comments below.

As we head into the business end of the DP World Tour season, the captivating Open De Espana takes centre stage.

This event always guarantees a little bit of drama and some welcome sunshine as the colder days draw in for many.

With a strong field on show, many are battling to earn a place in the season-ending playoffs, or perhaps even a PGA Tour card for 2027.

After assessing the form and exploring key trends, our resident betting expert has landed on two names that he believes have a great chance to win in Madrid this week...

Open De Espana Betting Tips 2026

Bazza's Best Bets

Best Bet: Eugenio Chacarra To Win @ BetMGM

This is one of those national opens where the home talent tends to shine, so I am backing arguably the most in-form Spaniard in the game, Eugenio Chacarra.

Chacarra is having a phenomenal season, ranking 3rd in the Race to Dubai rankings thanks to two wins and four further top-5 finishes.

His recent form has also been impressive, with a third place finish at Le Golf National and a fourth place finish at Crans-sur-Sierre, both of which have strong correlation to this week's venue.

His record around this track isn't great, but I can't work out why. He ranks 8th in the field for SG: Tee To Green and is relatively long and straight off the tee.

Perhaps he hadn't quite hit his stride in previous seasons, but I fancy him to really kick on and challenge for his home Open this week.

Best Value Bet: Bernd Wiesberger @ BetMGM

I backed Bernd Wiesberger at Crans-sur-Sierre and I was pleased with an impressive fourth place finish.

I am siding with the Austrian again as I believe his is overpriced this week, especially considering he ranks as the 11th best player on the DP World Tour this season.

Wiesberger has finished 12th and 16th here in the past, but he was also 13th at the Catalunya Championship this season.

This track should suit Wiesberger, who ranks 15th for driving accuracy, 14th for SG: Tee To Green and 8th for SG: Around The Green.

If he can fire up the flat stick, the 9-time DP World Tour winner could get into double digits for his career and edge closer to a PGA Tour card in 2027.

Golf Monthly Betting Panel Picks

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Golf Monthly Betting Panel Tipping Record

In 2026, the betting panel have been taking part in the Golf Monthly Tipster Challenge.

At present, Baz leads the way thanks to three winning tips, three runner-ups, four third-place finishes and a total of 11 top-5s.

Jonny chases in second, with two wins, a runner-up pick and a series of third place finishes, while Elliott currently occupies the bronze medal position.

Matt has some work to do in order to catch the pack, but Matt had a good week at the BMW PGA Championship and the Open De France, so expect a late charge from Mr. Cradock.

All still to play for, as the winner receives a round of golf at a top-100 course of their choice!

Before, I share the full breakdown of points - a quick recap of the format.

• Each player picks two golfers per week, one favorite (any odds) and one outsider (must be 40/1 or +4000+)
• Points are awarded based on the selection's finishing position. So, if McIlroy finishes second, the tipster gets two points. If he finishes 45th, he gets 45 points.
• The tipster with the lowest number of points at the end of the DP World Tour season 2026 is the winner.
• Tipsters cannot pick the same golfer more than three times in the season and picks must be submitted before the first ball is hit (penalty for late picks).

The stark reality of top professional golf is that most players will not win – in a given tournament, in a season, perhaps even across a whole career.

Three of the four Majors have fields of 156, as does the Scottish Open. The standard full PGA Tour or DP World Tour event used to comprise 156 players, before fields were dropped this year to 144 players, only one of whom could win.

But a lot of the field still receives prize money at tournaments – and in LIV Golf all the field won prize money.

Prize money is earned on the PGA and DP World Tours by all those who make the cut in a tournament. The cut is typically made after the first two of the four rounds and, for a standard PGA and DP World Tour event, it is the top 65 and ties who go through to the final two rounds.

Typical payouts

In a standard DP World Tour event, the winner receives 17% of the total purse, and a stand-alone 65th-place finisher receives roughly 0.24%. On the PGA Tour, you are looking at figures of 18% and 0.215% respectively.

On the PGA Tour, a stand-alone 10th-placed finish wins 2.725% of the purse, and on the DP World Tour it is a roughly similar percentage.

So, if a player gets through to the weekend, the prize money comes in. Not in huge bundles necessarily, but it still flows.

The last full field event this year in the regular PGA Tour season was the Wyndham Championship. It was won by Michael Brennan, who got $1,530,000. Runner-up was Beau Hossler (more of whom later), who won $926,500.

The five golfers tied in 7th got $249,475. The three in 19th, $112,625. The nine golfers tied in 29th, among them Denny McCarthy (more on him later, too), were awarded $51,047. Peter Malnati, in 80th and last place, won $15,725.

Changing world

With the rocketing of tournament purses, and the advent of LIV Golf, much money can be made by the modern generation of tour pros.

Jack Nicklaus won 73 PGA Tour events, including a record 18 Majors, but that only places him a plummeting 351st on the PGA Tour career money leaders list. His official tournament earnings are $5,734,031.

So, who is the answer to the question in the title?

The answer

It is Cameron Tringale. He has amassed $36,669,634 in total career prize money.

In 12 winless seasons, and 338 starts, on the PGA Tour, he won $17,310,004. He then signed up to LIV Golf, where he has again failed to win, and won a further $18,309,252.

The 39-year-old has played in 16 Majors, making the cut nine times with a best finish of T14 at the US Open of 2022, which is the only time he has made the top 25 in a Major. He has won a further $1,050,378 in his Major appearances.

Tringale, however, won an unofficial Tour event, the Franklin Templeton Shootout in 2014, with Jason Day. This was a three-day 54-hole strokeplay event for teams of two.

Proxime accessit

The career money list of those without even an unofficial win on any top-tier global golf circuit is headed by Denny McCarthy. Twice a loser in play-offs, at the 2023 Memorial Tournament and the Texas Open of 2024, he has won $23 million.

This places him above Patrick Rodgers, who has four second-place finishes on the PGA Tour and $20.75 million in prize money.

But both these players have a win each on the Korn Ferry Tour. Beau Hossler, at the Wyndham Championship, earned his fifth runner-up position on tour, two of which came in play-off losses. Winless on the PGA Tour and the Korn Ferry Tour, he has now won $15.48m.

By way of a further indication of how purses have rocketed on tour, if you were to adjust Jack Nicklaus’ winnings by cost-of-living inflation, his $5.73 million equates to roughly $30–$40 million today. Or about the amount Cameron Tringale has won.

With somewhere in the region of 170 courses designed and revised, Willie Park Junior was one of the most accomplished contributors of all time to the world of golf. Many know and love his creation at Sunningdale Old, but his work lives on all over the UK&I and further afield.

Burhill (Old)

• GF: Burhill (Old) 18 holes: £145 Mon-Thu, £150 Fri-Sun
• W: burhillgolf-club.co.uk

Six years after creating the Old course at Sunningdale and 20 years after the first of his two Open Championship victories in 1887, Willie Park Junior designed and led the construction of the original 18 holes at Burhill in Surrey. This parkland course runs through the most magnificent specimen trees, is very well bunkered both visually and strategically, and features plenty of doglegs that place a premium on accurate driving.

The greens are relatively small with plenty of contours, some obvious and some less so. The beautiful Grade II-listed clubhouse is this year celebrating its 300th anniversary, and with its excellent New course offering a completely contrasting test of golf, Burhill makes for the consummate golfing venue with its 36 holes among the best courses in Surrey.

Huntercombe

• GF: 18 holes: £145wd, £165we
• W: huntercombegolfclub.co.uk

This classic design not far from Oxford was originally heathland with barely a tree on site. While many have grown up over the years, it has retained all the original and unique design features that make it a pilgrimage site for course architecture enthusiasts.

Chief among these are the ‘pots', the 100+ areas where Park created hazards best described as grass bunkers of varying size. They contribute immeasurably to both the visuals and the strategy. Proudly celebrating 125 years in 2026, Huntercombe is very much one of a kind and all the better for it. It is fully deserving of its place in the Golf Monthly Next 100 Courses in the UK&I.

Berkhamsted

• GF: 18 holes: £125-£150
• W: berkhamstedgolfclub.co.uk

Today's layout at this Hertfordshire club may be more the work of Harry Colt and James Braid, but the original nine holes Park designed in 1890 laid the foundations and style template for its evolution. As at Huntercombe, the routing makes the fullest use of mounds, hollows, gorse and heather.

Unusually, there are no sand bunkers at all, and several holes call for you to play over Grim's Dyke, a huge defensive earthwork believed to be over 2,000 years old. Berkhamsted is lovely and offers golf in as natural an environment as you'll find anywhere.

Bruntsfield Links

• GF: 18 holes: £180wd, £220we
• W: bruntsfieldlinks.co.uk

Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society is recognised as the fourth-oldest golf club in the world. Founded in 1761, it moved to Musselburgh from its original home in 1876 and then to Barnton five miles north-west of Edinburgh city centre in 1898.

Willie Park Junior was responsible for the design here before later modifications by Alister MacKenzie, James Braid and Fred Hawtree. Mackenzie and Ebert have recently upgraded this lovely, undulating parkland layout, creating two new back-nine par 3s, the second of which at 16 calls for a carry over a pond.

City of Derry

• GF: 18 holes: £50wd, £70we
• W: cityofderrygolfclub.com

City of Derry Golf Club, which opened in 1912, is home to 22 holes of parkland golf with fine views of the adjacent River Foyle and towards the County Donegal hills. The main Prehen course owes its roots to Park, although it was later remodelled by Ted Pope and Eddie Hackett in the 1970s.

Park's influence remains, mainly in the bunkering but also the narrow entrances to the greens that require accurate approach work. The signature hole is the par-3 8th, The Crow's Nest, playing down to a must-hit green.

Current World Number 1 Scottie Scheffler wasn’t even born the last time an individual was handed a scoring penalty for slow play on the PGA Tour.

After the third round of the 1995 Honda Classic, Glen Day was penalised one stroke for slow play violations and his score changed from 71 to 72.

It’s so long ago that when asked about it more recently, Day couldn’t recall the details of what had happened. In that event, Day eventually finished 10 behind tournament winner Mark O’Meara – who complained about slow play during the competition!

Day was famous for being a little deliberate on the golf course. In fact, the great Jack Nicklaus once referred to him as “Glen ‘All’ Day.”

The Day incident wasn’t the last time a slow play penalty was handed out by the PGA Tour – it has happened more recently in a team event. In the first round of the 2017 Zurich Classic pairs event, Brian Campbell and Miguel Angel Carballo received a one-stroke penalty for a second bad time. They opened with 74 and missed the cut.

It wasn't officiated by the PGA Tour, but in the 2013 Masters, Guan Tianlang was penalised a shot for slow play. The 14-year-old Chinese amateur received a bad time on the 17^th hole of his second round but still made the cut. He finished 58^th.

That seems to be a theme of the very rare slow play stroke penalties that are handed out - when they are (infrequently) applied, it tends to be to players who are not in contention.

Which rules official/s would be willing to step in and throw in a one-stroke penalty that altered the outcome of a Major Championship?

The fact that it’s so rare for slow play stroke penalties to be given would suggest that slow play is not a problem on the PGA Tour. And, on the face of it, statistics corroborate that.

The target time for 18 holes on the PGA Tour varies by venue. Of course it does. Depending on the layout of the course, the length and difficulty of the course and the distance between tees and greens, more or less time will be allowed.

But the average target round time on the PGA Tour is four hours and 45 minutes.

In 2025, the median round tee time for rounds played on the PGA Tour was four hours and 46 minutes. So, overall, they’re playing as quickly as they’re expected to (near as damn it).

As a whole, the players do adhere to the pace-of-play policy: they are warned about being out of position when they are behind, if they don’t get back into position they are put on the clock, on which they should take 50 seconds per shot if they’re first to play and 40 seconds if they aren’t first to play. Two bad times and they would receive a one-stroke penalty.

Players might be slow (some more than others) but they speed up quickly when they are warned, so they never receive one of those penalties.

There are various financial penalties for cumulative warnings through the season, but, as we know, most PGA Tour players aren’t too worried about financial penalties. They’ll take them on the chin.

But, to avoid stroke penalties, they speed up when told to and they make it round, pretty much, within the recommended time limit. They are professionals and they will take every advantage they can get without compromising their score.

The 'problem' of slow play is still much talked about, though - spectators, commentators and players themselves continue to complain about it.

What’s going on then? The players are not being penalised as they’re adhering to the rules. The issue around slow play on the PGA Tour is this: four hours and 45 minutes is too long an average target time for players taking 70 shots per round to complete 18 holes...

I was a referee at Regional Open Qualifying this year at Craigielaw, where target time for 18 holes was four hours and 16 minutes.

I only had to advise a few groups they were out of position, and they quickly got themselves back into position. By the end of the day (it’s a long old day for Regional Qualifying, with players teeing off from 7am to 3.30pm), the average round time was pretty much bang on the target (just a few minutes off) and only a couple of groups had been put on the clock.

The average standard of play was considerably lower than on the PGA Tour, so more shots were being taken. There were more lost balls, and more searching for balls than in a tour event. But the players took as long as they were given to avoid penalty. Nobody complained about having to rush!

If the PGA Tour gave the players less time to complete their rounds – say an average of four hours and 20 minutes – I think they would match it (or come close to it). At first, there would be more groups given warnings for being out of position, and more groups being put on the clock.

But they would quickly get used to a brisker pace of play – walking more swiftly between shots and less general dawdling.

I don’t think there’d be a requirement to alter the allowed shot times too much. If you time it, 40 seconds from it being your turn to striking the ball isn’t ridiculous. Although it could be five seconds less, I would say, so shot-time allowance could be reduced to 35 seconds.

I really think that if the target times were reduced and players had to adhere to them or else be told they had fallen 'out of position' and face possible penalties, we would see play speed up accordingly. As I say, these guys are professionals and they will do what it takes to avoid unnecessary penalties.

And the PGA Tour players are among the best in the world. If they take an average of 70 shots per round and are given 35 seconds per shot each, that’s just over two hours for each three-ball to play all their shots.

If the target time for a round were to become four hours and 20 minutes, that would leave two hours and 15 minutes of walking time. For PGA Tour athletes, that should be plenty.

To speed up play on the PGA Tour, target times should be reduced and allowed shot time reduced marginally. The players will speed up accordingly to avoid penalty. Professional golfers will take the time they are given. Give them less and they will speed up.

Although club custom fitting is becoming more and more popular, not everyone can afford the luxury of buying an entire bespoke set of clubs, therefore standard packaged sets are still commonly sold in our golf shops.

A typical package set tends to be made up of a driver, fairway woods, hybrids, a set of irons, and a putter. For men, this usually means a driver, 3-wood, a hybrid or 5-wood, and a 4-iron to sand wedge.

Women's package sets, on the other hand, frequently swap out the harder-to-hit long irons like the 4-iron in favour of additional high-loft hybrids, often starting the iron set at a 5-iron or 6-iron instead. Together, these sets cover off all the shots you need to play the game and are perfectly suitable for most players, particularly those at the entry level who are just learning the ropes.

Yet a few years into playing it’s amazing how often golfers have clubs they hate, like their 3-wood, yet are still carrying it. Golfers who literally never touch the longest iron in their bag because they find it too hard to hit, or the player who looks totally wrong holding their putter and as a result has an awful technique because it actually needs to be cut down two inches.

Have you ever stopped to think what harm these badly suited clubs are doing to your game? How many shots could you save if you simply switched them out for something much easier to use and more suited to your build and swing? A custom fit might seem costly but changing just a couple of clubs could be transformational. Here are four clubs that come as part of a standard set to consider changing.

1. 3-Wood

Often referred to as the hardest golf club to hit in the bag. Many golfers carry a 3-wood for just one or two occasions in their round when they ‘might’ use it to try to hit the green from a long way out. Or they have it on standby if they have to ditch their driver because they are having a wayward day off the tee and the shorter-shafted, more lofted 3-wood should be more accurate.

The reality is that the 3-wood’s low profile face means that the strike has to be fairly precise, especially from tight turf. Even the most skilled single-figure handicappers can mess this shot up.

To hit a long club with relatively little loft, and strike it cleanly from the fairway requires good contact. For the majority of mid-to-higher handicappers a higher-lofted 5-wood or a low-lofted hybrid can be considerably easier to hit and far more useful. You’ll sacrifice a few yards but you’ll find it much easier to hit.

2. Long Irons

Most standard sets of golf clubs are sold with 8 irons (SW to 4-iron) but many golfers hardly ever use their longest irons as the smallish face and less loft make them harder to hit. It requires more speed to launch a long iron and good technique to square the smaller head.

The 4 and 5 iron are usually the most unused as they are the most unforgiving clubs in a standard set. That’s why it’s becoming more and more common to find modern hybrid sets that replace the long irons with utility clubs. These rescues have bigger, more forgiving heads, specifically designed to make long shots easier to launch and more forgiving.

Although there are more modern game-improvement irons with wider soles, more offset and higher MOI specifically to reduce the penalty for off-centre strikes, the typical club player would still get more enjoyment from the game if they ditched their longest irons and carried a couple of utility clubs instead to bridge the gap between iron and fairway wood.

3. Standard Length Putter

A standard length putter sold off the shelf is typically 34 inches but this is really built for golfers of average height (around 5'6" to 5'8"). If you are taller (6'0" and above) you should be using a putter that is 35 inches or even a little longer, and on the contrary, if you are shorter (under 5'4"), then a 33 inch putter or less is ideal. One inch might seem like a minimal difference but the consequences for both the set up fundamentals and the stroke mechanics can be severe if your putter is the wrong length.

There are a few tell-tale signs that your putter is the wrong length. Firstly, poor posture. You either have to stand too upright or you’re hunched way over the ball. Secondly, your elbows crowd your body. The arm hang, when in good putter posture, should be free.

If you find yourself having to grip up or down the handle a long way to be comfortable then the length is wrong. With poor posture your eyes will move from the ideal position directly over the ball-to-target line to inside or outside of this. This will make it difficult to read putts and aim accurately. You’ll probably also have difficulties getting the putter to sit flat on the green.

Considering how much manufacturers talk about custom fitting, putter fitting often gets overlooked by consumers. We’ll spend thousand on a custom-built set of irons with the right shaft, loft and lie but we’ll happily pick up any putter we like the look of in the shops and try to make it work.

So check the signs and also think about the head shape. A mallet putter is generally more stable than a blade. It’s another factor to consider.

4. 56-Degree Sand Wedge

A full set of irons includes a sand wedge and it is nearly always a 56-degree with a high degree of bounce. From most typical situations in sand it should work. However, if you struggle in bunkers then you should consider replacing it with a more lofted wedge, like a 58 or 60 degree.

The extra loft will make it easier to get more height and carry steep bunker lips, helping you to get out. Equally, the amount of bounce designed into a standard 56-degree sand wedge won’t necessarily suit the type of sand you typically play from. More compact, heavy sand requires a wedge with less bounce, for instance.

Just like all the other clubs in your bag, you can get custom fit for your wedges. This service looks at all aspects of your short game and the types of specialist wedges that could help you. This is something typically chosen by better players as they recognise the scoring gain to be made from wedges that have specially-designed grooves for sharper spin control but it really can save every standard of golf significant shots and help you to become more confident and skilful around the greens.

I'm going to say something controversial here... I am pleased the PGA Tour season is over and I can now enjoy an exciting European stretch of top-tier golf.

The DP World Tour has been in the PGA Tour's shadow for some time now, slipping far from the glory years of the European Tour, but there are still three lessons I believe the Stateside circuit could learn from their international counterparts.

With the spotlight shining on the season-ending stretch for the DP World Tour, now feels like the perfect time to ponder those reflections and share my analyis - let me know if you agree (or not) in the comments below...

1. Culture

The camaraderie on the DP World Tour is one of its most endearing elements.

The group comes across like a tight-knit bunch of travelling pros who enjoy each other's company, rather than the transactional, flat atmosphere that is sometimes associated with the PGA Tour.

Clearly, there will be cliques and those who prefer solitude - but from what I see, the vibe is very friendly.

The lower prizes offered on the DP World Tour, in relation to the astronomical money on the PGA Tour, almost certainly plays a part in that.

Money isn't really spoken about as openly, perhaps because there is less to shout about, but I like that about the DP World Tour broadcast. Quite frankly, the audience doesn't care what the winner is playing for - they just want to see good golf.

On the worldwide circuit, many players travel together, use the same hotels and spend time together away from the course - perhaps to save on costs, but also to share an experience while travelling the world.

On the PGA Tour, however, it feels more business-first. Some players rent properties or stay in their own homes, attend the course to work and head home to spend time with their teams. For many, money is no obstacle.

Again, I know that there are groups of players who bond and share the experience of PGA Tour life together - but the overall feeling is different, in my opinion.

Camaraderie among the US Ryder Cup team has been raised as a concern by some in the past, and perhaps the culture on tour has something to do with that.

I am aware that the PGA Tour isn't going to reduce prize pools in a bid to improve camaraderie between their players, and you can't force players to mix against their will.

But, I do think that the DP World Tour is a good role model and the relationships between players has clearly had a positive impact on the performance of the European Ryder Cup team.

2. Social Media Brand

The DP World Tour gets this absolutely spot on.

I love their content on social media. Things like 14-club challenges, 'keepy-uppy' down the line attempts and 500 ball hole-in-one chases (see below) are very entertaining, but they also do a great job of showcasing their talent as human beings.

They utilise life on tour videos and raw player reflections after significant moments to help highlight player personalities, their sense of humour and, importantly, their vulnerabilities.

The PGA Tour feels, again, far more 'professional' - but not in a good way.

Highlight reels, press conferences and shots of the day feels very bland in comparison to the light-hearted approach from the former European Tour.

Watching two top DP World Tour professionals trying to drive a golf ball down an airport runway is far more enjoyable to watch than final round highlights of the Rocket Classic - and is certainly more likely to engage a new audience of fans.

The PGA Tour could learn a lot with regards to its social strategy, starting by taking itself a little less seriously.

3. The Closing Stretch

I realise that the PGA Tour are making changes to their season from 2028 onwards, but until that comes into effect and the progress is measured, the point stands that the DP World Tour season-ending stretch is far more compelling.

I love watching players take on Crans-sur-Sierre, Wentworth, Le Golf National, the various courses the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Yas Links and the Earth Course - the variety of styles, conditions and cultures is incredible.

When you compare that to the end of the PGA Tour season and the FedEx Cup Playoffs, it comes up short.

If you offered me the 3M Open, Rocket Classic, Wyndham Championship, FedEx St. Jude Championship, BMW Championship or Tour Championship - not one single event would make me switch over from the tournaments offered on the closing stretch of the DP World Tour.

The tracks are repetitive and the experience is tedious.

I am actually looking forward to the changes being made on the PGA Tour, especially the new Tour Championship format, but they have some way to go in order to match the broad, global appeal of a truly international tour.

I would love to see the PGA Tour travel a little more, or at least showcase more variety in track design/layout. It's not a high-profile event, but the Black Desert Championship was a step in the right direction.

That model needs to be rolled out further and elevated to bring the best players in the world to amazing courses that United States has to offer.

Until my last lesson I’d assumed that the green baskets at the driving range had just one job – holding golf balls.

However Josh Mayo, my coach, clearly has a better imagination than me. What to me is simply a receptacle for 100 white spheres of guaranteed frustration is to Josh a superb training aid for golfers struggling with their swing.

There are still many issues for Josh to sort out with my golf, but something he has quickly identified as an issue is my movement - or lack of - throughout the golf swing sequence.

And, in particular, the issue is with my stiff old hips. Going through the transcript of my hour-long lesson, Josh mentioned them 33 times. Shakira I’m not, but clearly they aren’t lying...

The Golf Range Bucket Drill

So, what am I not doing? “Your primary issue is scooping or throwing the club with your arms,” explains Josh.

“This leads to inconsistent strikes and face angles - with a closed face being your most common issue.

"What you’re struggling to do at the moment is shifting your weight and rotating your hips through the ball.”

I’m making the common high-handicapper mistake of thinking that simply swinging my arms harder as the club face makes contact with the ball is what produces distance and direction.

My brain still hasn’t got used to the idea that the club and the rotation of my body should really be doing most of the work, not my arms.

Something that Josh told me very early on. “Your arms should simply follow your body's rotation, not initiate the power.”

And that’s where the bucket comes in. “It is a very simple exercise,” says Josh.

“Grab a bucket with some balls in it by the handle, stand as you would when addressing the ball and rotate backwards by pushing down into your right foot and pushing that hip backwards, and then rotate forwards with the weight in your left foot and ending with the bucket facing down the range.”

“The important thing is that you’re using your hips to rotate and get the bucket moving, you’re not using your arms.

"The momentum of the bucket is dictated by where your torso is. You also need to engage your core and transfer your weight, meaning that your body and the bucket will be working together.”

It’s a pretty decent workout to be fair, but it does quickly illustrate to me what I should be doing when I swing the club.

Far too often my hips end in pretty much the same position as they start, with my finish still quite side on.

Swinging the bucket helps me get attuned to driving those old joints forwards so that my belt buckle ends facing down the range at the end of the sequence.

"The point of this is so that rather than trying to control an outcome like distance or direction, you’re controlling the input,” explains Josh.

“If you execute the movement correctly and improve your tempo, rhythm and body sequencing the physics of the swing will naturally produce consistent distance and direction."

Of course, swinging a bucket back and forth isn’t the same as swinging a club. As Josh mentioned, "tempo is important".

So with the bucket down and the club in hand, he reminds me of something that a number of people have told me - but that I’ve tended to ignore as soon as I get on the course.

“Maintain a deliberate, smooth tempo where the backswing – which starts with the arms and shoulders – takes twice as long as the downswing,” he says.

“Count one, two on the backswing and then three on the downswing as those hips rotate to help prevent a snatchy transition.”

At the driving range and on the course, slowing myself down and then trying to implement my drill movements with a golf club is definitely starting to yield some improvement.

Of course, Josh and I still have plenty to work – swinging a bucket of balls isn’t the answer to my closed club face. But that’s for next time.

Every golfer steps onto the tee wanting to post their best score, yet most of us leak unnecessary strokes through simple, avoidable errors. Bad habits and poor decision-making happen quickly, but the fix is just as straightforward once you recognise where you're going wrong.

Thanks to the fantastic female data and analysis from Shot Scope, I’ve highlighted five key mistakes and how a few simple changes in club selection and gaining a better understanding of your yardages could see a transformation in your game.

Build Confidence On The Tee

A 25 handicap golfer will hit just as many fairways as a scratch handicapper (57-58%) yet the carry distance is 167 yards for the higher handicap and 237 yards for the scratch golfer. Each woman will therefore have a different plan for the hole as there will be differing distances left to the green (197 yards and 150 yards respectively).

Most golfers don’t actually know their carry distance, leading to first-tee panic when it's time to step up and hit the ball. Too many players step onto the course without a strategy beyond getting the shot over with as quickly as possible. Instead, build a pre-shot routine that instills confidence and a setup designed to hold up under pressure.

Aim for a safe part of the hole that’s within your driving carry distance. It’s important to take into account carrying over trouble and where to play the next shot from. Without a plan (whatever your handicap) can lead to big trouble.

Develop a pre-shot routine where you visualise the shot, rehearse it and execute it with confidence. A routine is crucial throughout your whole game including putting.

Does Your Ball Always Come Up Short?

Shot Scope data proves the majority of female players (regardless of handicap) come up short of the green or the pin, with scratch golfers hitting 62% of greens in regulation versus the 25 handicapper managing only 10.9%. Given shot allowance that’s expected.

But too many golfers are under clubbing because they only rely on the best ever shot as a base for their yardage. Clubbing to your perfectly hit 7-wood rather than taking the average will see you come up short more often than not. So get smart with your club choices and begin to really groove those yardages.

Take into account the yardage to the middle of the green when using a GPS, acknowledge the wind and the slopes and how you are feeling. I’m constantly aware that if I am lacking energy I club up, if I’m feeling fresh and energised I’ll hit the ball further. Think about what the actual distance is you need to hit the ball and always opt for more club, as most trouble is at the front of the green as a general rule.

Planning needs to start as you walk to your ball. Looking from a distance will help you see the bigger picture and you’ll usually have made an instinctive decision before you get to the ball. Your gut is usually right, so leave the heroics in the bag and play smart.

To accurately determine your club distances, you can use launch monitors like the Shot Scope LM1, or visit a modern driving range. Additionally, track your yardages on the golf course by noting down how far your shots travel under various playing conditions.

Taking Too Little Loft For Approach Shots 

A 30-handicap golfer will only hit the green 1% of the time with a 3-wood. A scratch golfer only hits the green 18% of the time.

That’s a stat that speaks volumes, proving that grabbing a 3-wood to gain the most yardage and try to chase the ball onto the green might put you in more trouble. Instinctively thinking, “hit the club that goes the furthest” can lead to big numbers and potentially wreck scorecards.

Choosing a more lofted wood, or even a hybrid could be the smarter option. Positional play will win the day more often than not, sometimes the green doesn’t have to be the target.

If you can hit less club and nestle the ball just short of the green, you might find you have an easier chip and run, or even better, you can putt it.

For many female golfers, especially higher handicaps, there is little difference in length between a 3-wood and 5-wood. I suggest carrying a friendlier fairway club, like a 4 or 7-wood. More lofted options can send the ball further thanks to increased carry. They also mean more forgiveness and more versatility especially on hillier courses.

Have A Club Cull

Many women carry 14 clubs, but slimming this number down means less decisions to be made and ultimately your game becomes simpler.

Too many players I coach have a 5-iron, 5-hybrid and a 7-wood. The difference in distance between these clubs is negligible, they all do a similar job.

Shot Scope data tells us that a scratch handicapper hits 7-wood 166 yards, 5-hybrid 164 yards and 5-iron 164 yards. Therefore, she only needs one of those clubs in her bag.

A 30-handicapper hits a 7-wood 96 yards, 5-hybrid 91 yards and 5-iron 89 yards, so again, there really is no point having all of them. Get really confident with one club and ensure you finish your swing to maximise swing speed.

My advice is to book a playing lesson and a gapping session. A pro will help you to find the perfect bag setup. As your game improves, gaps will appear and then you’ll have reason to treat yourself to a new toy to fill the yardage gaps.

Choosing To Show Off Instead Of Playing Smart

Choosing to hit a full sand wedge is always risky, so getting smart with your shot choice round the green will save your score.

Master the chip and run to keep your ball lower and out of trouble. Also develop a great half shot and you’ll find your strike is cleaner and you’ll hit more greens.

As your handicap drops, begin to learn how far the full sand wedge and lob wedge go, as you’ll find they stop faster. However, if striking your irons crisply isn’t your forte, then you could be asking for trouble if you catch the full shot skinny. There’s a lot of momentum in a full swing and not a lot of loft on the base of your club.

Instead, shrink the swing and change the game plan. Opt for less loft, a landing spot that is before the green perhaps, and be risk adverse by getting in touch with your hip-to-hip swing.

Experiment with different clubs on the practice ground and begin to learn how far each club carries compared to how far they run. (Usually a 7-iron will fly 25% and run 75%, a 9-iron 50-50 and a sand wedge will fly 75% and run 25%.) These are general guidelines

Working on shorter swings will also improve your long game by focussing on your weight transfer and width as it’s ultimately the impact zone.

The difference in short game success from high to low handicappers is huge. According to Shot Scope, a 5-handicapper will get up and down from 10-20yds 48% of the time, whereas a 30- handicapper will only see success 15% of the time. It becomes evident that if you want to see gains in your game you need to hit the short game area.

So there you have it. This may give you some food for thought on your own game and help you hatch a plan to see some improvement in the next 6 months. Remember so much can be done with what’s in your bag and how you use it.

When I started playing, around 30 years ago, driving ranges were mostly inhabited by solitary golfers, grinding on their techniques in search of a secret move to unearth better performances.

Now, these venues are as much about entertainment as anything else. Food, drink, music and the gameification of the range golf experience have combined to open the sport to a new generation of players.

Since it was founded in 2000, Topgolf has had a huge hand in this transformation and quarter of a century on, the company now has more than 100 locations worldwide.

Topgolf CEO, David McKillips, recently finished his first 100 days in the role. We caught up with him to discuss the company's future plans and its lofty ambition to strengthen the pipeline of new players flowing into the game.

You don’t come from a golfing background but an entertainment one, so how have you found the golf industry?

I’ve had such a warm welcome from the governing bodies, the tours, the brands. It’s been a great experience to be among the avid golfers that I’m learning more about, and the social golfers – of which I am one.

What can the sport learn in general from the entertainment business?

To embrace entertainment in all aspects of the fan experience. The number one reason people come to Topgolf is to have fun. That’s the experience we deliver and that we’re going to continue to lean into. I can compare it to some of the things I’ve been able to represent, whether it’s movies or theme parks or family entertainment centers.

I understand there's a strategic pivot coming for the company. Can you explain more about what that looks like?

Yes, it is for Topgolf to look at all areas of the sport through the lens of full entertainment. I consider us the ultimate destination of sports, entertainment and golf. One of the pivots is to lean back into that golfer who loves the sport or Topgolf and that, frankly, I think is where we can invest more into – whether that’s more virtual courses, a new membership platform, member-member tournaments, member-guest tournaments, tying in with big names, whether it's professionals or YouTube golfers. We are that destination for everyone to enjoy the sport.

What are your specific goals?

To develop 10 million new, committed golfers in the next 5 years – and I think that’s very achievable. We’ve got great plans to expand our youth development programs and lean into the fastest growing area of golf, which is young females, through creating new programs that are dedicated to those specific audiences. It will grow the game holistically.

How can Topgolf get people into the wider aspects of golf?

Of those non-golfers who came to Topgolf and subsequently took up the game, 75% of them attribute Topgolf as part of their entry into the game. We’re the gateway to golf. We’re accessible, we’re affordable: we provide the clubs, the balls, the platform. If the first time you come it’s fun, and if people coming into the game are enjoying it, they’re going to get the itch to do more. So they’re going to end up on green grass eventually.

We need to see it holistically. We need to have partnerships that start with the casual golfer - the first-time female golfer or youth golfer. At Topgolf we have 42 million visits each year and about a 50/50 split between men and women, but when you take out the corporate accounts, so just folks coming in, we over-index to female golfers more than anyone else.

Why do you think this is the case versus other, more traditional formats of the game?
Because it's fun and it's not intimidating.

Do you feel a sense of responsibility to the game because of the audience you are connecting with?
I understand our responsibility to the game of golf. It's unbelievable, and I didn't realize it until I talked, not only to our golfers and our guests, but to the people in the industry. People want to work with us and they want to root for us and they just know that we're bringing a young, new demographic to the sport. We're seeing a huge boom.

How do you effectively benchmark yourself against other amateur golfers?

You could compare your stats against how many greens in regulation the average golfer hits or how far the average player drives the golf ball - but this only gives us a snapshot of one part of the game.

We all want to achieve a centred strike more often and improve our chipping around the greens, but sometimes amateur golfers can be a little hard on themselves when it comes to evaluating 'success' on the course.

In the video and article below, Golf Monthly's Dan Parker breaks down the data by handicap index and shares useful benchmarking points that you can use to assess how you are performing on the course in 2026...

What Qualifies As A Good Round Of Golf For Your Handicap?

When walking off the course, we think we know when we've had a good or a bad round. But are you actually being too hard on yourself?

Are your expectations in fact too high? Well, these benchmarks, courtesy of data from Shot Scope, might just change your perspective.

25-Handicappers

Let's start with the 25-handicap golfer.

The average score for a 25-handicapper is 29-over-par - meaning on a par 72 course you are outperforming the benchmark if you shoot 100 or better.

As a high handicapper, you're going to drop shots. You're going to have some bad holes.

But did you know that if you make fewer than eight double bogeys a round, you're gaining on your competitive set? It's a statistic that just goes to show that blowup holes are okay.

You're also better than the average 25-handicap if you average less than seven on par-5s and get up and down from inside 25 yards more than 35% of the time.

20-Handicappers

Moving on to a 20-handicap, the average score is around 23-over-par.

You are better than average if you hit one of every two fairways, two-putt on every green in regulation you find and hit your approach shots closer than 65 feet from 100 yards.

Again, when you break it down and look at the numbers, this feels achievable.

15-Handicappers

For 15-handicaps, they are gaining on the average by driving the ball further in total than 237 yards or by hitting their ball to closer than 17 feet from 50 yards.

That's something we can all practice and improve. In fact, even hitting the green from this distance 50% of the time would be better than the average 15-handicap.

The average score for a 15-handicapper is 18-over-par, so bogey golf is good golf!

10-Handicappers

The average score for a 10-handicapper is 12.96, so let's call it 13-over-par.

A 10-handicap gets up and down from the bunker only 20% of the time on average.

So, if you play four bunker shots and save par once, you're performing better than average versus 10-handicappers.

Likewise, if you make six bogeys or less during the round, that's a gain, too.

5-Handicappers

If you play off a handicap of five, you need to shoot seven-over-par or better for your round to be considered better than average.

A five-handicap only hits 41% of greens in regulation on average.

So, if you hit eight greens a round, that is progress. Also, if you manage anything less than 30 putts per round, that's also an above-average performance on the greens.

Scratch Golfers

Finally, we have scratch golfers who may not have their ball as much on a string as you might think.

For example, if you hit more fairways than you miss, that's an improvement on the average scratch golfer.

Also, if you have an average proximity to the hole on approach of less than 25ft, you are outperforming some of the best amateurs in the game.

The average score for a scratch golfer, perhaps surprisingly, is two-over-par. It just shows that a couple of shots over your handicap can, and should, be considered good in most weeks.

As someone who revels in exploring new and uncharted areas of the UK&I in search of more memorable courses to add to his golfing CV, I was excited to head up to south Derbyshire in July for a short trip with three old friends. And when I say old, I do mean old! John is a pal from my own club, Tandridge, while Richard and Peter are our mates and sworn (and frequently sworn at) enemies from Walton Heath. We have known one another forever. This is an area lacking in Top 100 courses, but more than making up for it in natural beauty and delightful but less well-known golf.

• The Lion Hotel: Belper, DE56 1AX
• W: thelionhotelbelper.co.uk

Based at the Lion Hotel in Belper, we enjoyed dining under the very attentive and friendly eye of Kat, as well as sampling a couple of the many and varied pubs and restaurants dotted around town.

Matlock

• Par 70, 6,087 yards
• GF: £55wd, £70we
• W: matlockgolfclub.co.uk

Our first game was the most northerly of the three at Matlock, which I'd played before on a cold, wet February day 15 years ago. I remembered liking it despite then not seeing it in the best light, literally or figuratively. Returning on a blissfully warm, bright summer's day allowed me to savour this lovely Tom Williamson design to the full.

My golfing preferences are views and variety, and Matlock delivers on both in oversized spades. In terms of style, you can't pigeonhole the course, which has moments of moorland, periods of parkland and more than a dash of downland. It's not long, but elevation changes and the need to approach from the correct angle mean it plays every inch of its yardage.

My favourite holes were the superb, rollercoaster par-4 6th to a perfectly sited green by Cuckoostone Grange, and the last of the three par 5s, the 13th, which crosses an attractive jungle en route to a green tucked into the hillside. We all rated it very highly, and it is worth bearing in mind that there is a 3-bedroomed cottage on site that would also make for a great base for a small golfing group.

Ashbourne

• Par 71, 6,306 yards
• GF: £45wd, £50we
• W: ashbournegolfclub.co.uk

Following a stroll around the National Trust estate at Ilam Park, our next game was at Ashbourne. The club dates back to 1886, but only settled on its current design and lovely hilltop location, with far-reaching views to Dovedale and the Weaver Hills, in 1999. The ups and downs are a little more pronounced than at Matlock, with the par 3s at 6 and 9 – the latter a real cracker – both playing way more than their yardage.

The three holes from the 11th are all very memorable, starting with the panoramic views from the lovely elevated tee on 11. The tricky par-4 12th then has an attractive but inconveniently positioned pond halfway! A 260-yard carry will see you over, which is why we all laid up before our best player chunked his ball to a watery grave.

The short par-4 13th plays back up the slope, so you'll only just see the top of the flag for your pitch. This is a friendly club with an attractive course that offers something to golfers of all abilities.

Chevin

• Par 70, 6,062 yards
• GF: £37-£47wd, £50-£60we
• W: chevingolf.co.uk

Our final game was just down the road from Belper at Chevin, a club founded in 1894 whose first nine holes were designed by William Lowe, brother of George, the original architect at Royal Birkdale and Royal Lytham. As you drive in alongside the railway, you have no idea quite what adventures await you up in the hills.

I rarely recommend a buggy, but would make an exception here. There are some heart-pumping climbs, especially at the excellent 3rd and then the two holes that close out the front nine. The rewards for your Edmund Hillary efforts are fabulous views from Chevin Ridge in all directions.

There are plenty of interesting holes all the way, such as the drivable par-4 6th – played to a green beside an old chimney installation from the railway tunnel 100ft below – and the pretty 14th, which, at 161 yards, is the longest of the four par 3s. And we all loved the penultimate hole, a gorgeous par 4 with an elevated drive.

Reflecting over a drink in the clubhouse afterwards, we all agreed we had greatly enjoyed the whole experience here. For charm, character and even charisma, Chevin scores very highly indeed. In addition, this extremely scenic but less celebrated area is an excellent location for a trip.

When things are going well, they tend to go really well.

In July 2026 I picked a winner and four top-3 finishes in four events, but that red-hot form is surfacing once again.

Last week, I successfully tipped Matt Fitzpatrick to win the Open De France in this column, following similar success two weeks earlier with an incredible 11-shot victory from Shane Lowry at a big price.

Chasing a hat-trick of wins in September, I have doubled down my efforts and jumped head first into the data.

The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is often a tough one to call, with amateur participation and a three venue rotation, but I believe I have found two great value tips who boats plenty of worldwide wins on their respective resumes...

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship 2026 Betting Tips

Bazza's Best Bets

Best Bet: Alex Noren To Win @ BetMGM

I could quite easily have gone back-to-back on Matt Fitzpatrick here, after successfully tipping him to win the Open De France last week, but I decided to opt for a player at almost double the price.

To win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, you've got to be a good putter. The famous three course rotation is made to play fairly easily, by its own lofty standards, in order to support the participation of amateurs.

That means that fairways are generally easy to hit, as are the relatively soft and fairly receptive greens, so it can turn into a putting contest.

Enter, Alex Noren. The Swede ranks 3rd for SG: Putting on the PGA Tour this season and has been playing some great golf.

He was 15th last time out, at Wentworth, but has also posted a 3rd place finish at the FedEx St. Jude and a 7th place finish at the Wyndham Championship in the last couple of months.

Noren has also played these courses well over the past few years, having finished runner-up in 2022 and twice 12th in the past five years. Noren has won in Scotland in his career already, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him go close again this week.

Best Value Bet: Sepp Straka @ BetMGM

This pick could easily have been Lagergren or Detry, but I went for Straka as he seems to be overpriced.

Straka hasn't been at his best in recent months, but in a DP World Tour field I cannot fathom how the four-time PGA Tour winner should be so big on the odds board.

Straka started 2026 on fire, banking a T2 at Pebble Beach (great correlation) and a T8 at The Players, but things have since gone quiet on the form front.

Still, Straka made it to the second FedEx Cup Playoff event this season and finished 15th last time out at the BMW PGA Championship - so there are encouraging signs.

Straka has some links golf pedigree, finishing 7th in Scotland a couple of years ago and runner-up at the 2023 Open Championship - so with things heading in the right direction this could be the time to jump on a player who has featured in the last two Ryder Cups.

Golf Monthly Betting Panel Picks

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Pick One: Robert MacIntyre To Win @ BetMGM

I don't tend to be a fan of picking champions to defend as there's often too much extracurricular activity involved, but I feel too strongly that MacIntyre's rivals (as it relates to the hot favorites) won't win that I think he's the best choice.

The left-hander appears to have recovered from that cyst he mentioned towards the end of the PGA Tour campaign and has produced two pretty good results in his past two starts - one of which was on a links course (T14th - Irish Open).

His numbers as it relates to all areas of his game have been solid as well this year while his body of work on links courses throughout his career makes me reasonably confident he will at least contend here in 2026.

Pick Two: Alejandro Del Rey To Win @ BetMGM

Picking an outsider this week has genuinely been the most challenging of the entire season, but I'm happy with Alejandro Del Rey as my sleeper pick at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

The big-hitting Spaniard hasn't missed a cut since June and enters this event off the back of a T15th at the BMW Championship, so I'm hoping that's filled him with confidence.

Perhaps the clinching factor for me, though, is his record in Scotland.

In three Scottish Open appearances and two previous cracks at this, Del Rey has ended between 15th and 25th in four of them and was T60th in the other.

If he can produce a solid week with his irons, I'd expect him to build on that record with another top-20, perhaps.

Pick One: Robert MacIntyre To Win @ BetMGM

Since withdrawing from the FedEx St. Jude Championship, MacIntyre has produced some fine results, including a T7th at the BMW Championship, as well as a T14th at the Irish Open and a T10th at the BMW PGA Championship.

He comes into the week as defending champion, having won by four strokes in 2025. What's more, this is an event where past form plays a big part, noted by Tyrrell Hatton's three wins, as well Ryan Fox, who has a win and runner-up finishes.

Back on home soil, I really like MacIntyre's chances this week.

Pick Two: Jacob Skov Olesen To Win @ BetMGM

He may have missed the cut in his last start at the BMW PGA Championship, but prior to that he finished T7th at the Irish Open, T2nd at the British Masters and had two top 16s.

There's something about links golf that brings out the best in the Dane, who finished T5th in this event last year, thanks to rounds of 64, 70 and 70.

Both my picks are left-handers and, for me, I think they offer great value in a strong field this week.

Golf Monthly Betting Panel Tipping Record

In 2026, the betting panel have been taking part in the Golf Monthly Tipster Challenge.

At present, Baz leads the way thanks to three winning tips, three runner-ups, four third-place finishes and a total of 11 top-5s.

Jonny chases in second, with two wins, a runner-up pick and a series of third place finishes, while Elliott currently occupies the bronze medal position.

Matt has some work to do in order to catch the pack, but Matt had a good week at the BMW PGA Championship and the Open De France, so expect a late charge from Mr. Cradock.

All still to play for, as the winner receives a round of golf at a top-100 course of their choice!

Before, I share the full breakdown of points - a quick recap of the format.

• Each player picks two golfers per week, one favorite (any odds) and one outsider (must be 40/1 or +4000+)
• Points are awarded based on the selection's finishing position. So, if McIlroy finishes second, the tipster gets two points. If he finishes 45th, he gets 45 points.
• The tipster with the lowest number of points at the end of the DP World Tour season 2026 is the winner.
• Tipsters cannot pick the same golfer more than three times in the season and picks must be submitted before the first ball is hit (penalty for late picks).

When I first considered this topic, the thing that popped immediately into my head was, “a hip flask, obviously!” That says more about me than the requirements of the average golfer, I guess.

I do think it’s sometimes useful to have a hip flask in the bag, for extreme moments of on-course celebration or desolation, but it’s not appropriate to suggest it’s an item “every” golfer need in their bag. Juniors, for instance, probably ought not to have one!

So, it’s an early one to include in the 'items golfers don’t need in their bag' section. Moving on to the essentials…

The Basics

Obviously, you can’t play golf without a golf club and a ball, so you definitely need at least one of each in the bag.

But let’s say that’s probably not quite enough. Golfers need a selection of clubs to help them navigate a course effectively from tee to green.

You might not opt to take the full allowance of 14 clubs. Some prefer to play with a half set (particularly if they’ve chosen to carry their bag.)

But, on most outings, you might as well start the round with a selection of clubs that will give you the best chance to score well.

So, a driver and a fairway club, a hybrid or long iron, a set of irons from 4 or 5 to 9-iron, a selection of wedges and a putter, or variation on that...

Then, you should take enough balls to see you through the 18, or more, or fewer holes you’re planning to play on your outing. You don’t need to take two dozen (unless you’re playing Carnoustie in a 40mph wind) but you need enough so you don’t run out!

That’s really it for the absolute basics – you need clubs and balls to play golf.

The Nuts and Bolts

There are certain items that hold your golf game together and these can make all the difference to your enjoyment of the sport.

Most people (sensibly) choose to play from a tee peg when they start a hole. So, it’s sensible to have some of those in your bag. There are plenty of options to choose from – the classic white wooden tee peg through to the plastic castellated options that give you different heights depending on what club you have selected. You need 10-20 tees in your bag.

On the greens, you will need a ball marker of some type (a coin will do) and a pitch mark repairer to care for the course.

A towel for cleaning clubs and ball can really improve your play, allowing you to remove excess dirt that might affect the quality of your strike.

You should have a couple of pencils for marking score cards and a marker pen for marking your ball.

Not all players choose to wear a glove, but most find that it helps with grip. Leather gloves are my favourite in decent weather and, for me – a rain glove is an essential. They provide grip in even the wettest weather and are a real “game changer.”

Rain gear is crucial if the weather looks dodgy. An umbrella and lightweight rain suit can help you to keep playing in challenging conditions.

Technology now means you can take some of the uncertainty out of golf. A distance measuring device DMD (either a laser rangefinder or GPS) will give you crucial information on yardage, so you can choose what club to hit.

If you’re out on course for four hours or more, you need sustenance. You should take some liquid and some food to keep you going.

The Extras

Conditions can change quickly on the course (certainly if you’re playing in the UK) … It’s good to be prepared. You should have a peaked cap and sun block packed for when the weather is good.

If the weather looks like it could turn, pack more layers to keep warm, also a beanie/bobble hat, a buff and some mittens can save your day. For extra comfort on colder days, pack some handwarmers so you don’t lose the feeling in your fingers.

Your distance measuring device is a key item – make sure you have a back-up battery, so it doesn’t let you down mid-round.

Many modern drivers and fairways have adjustability functions. Although you can’t alter them during a competitive round, you can fix them if the fitting becomes loose. It’s sensible to have a tool to do so.

Something for cleaning your grooves is a good idea. Some will take a brush, others might even take a special, sharpening tool for getting right in and removing all the dirt.

There are many other gadgets and gizmos on the market that you might consider adding to the bag but those above are what I think are the essentials.

What you don’t need

It is, of course, personal preference when it comes to filling your golf bag with accessories and ancillary equipment and who am I to judge what you take out? I will a little though…

Here are a few items I would never have in (or on, or around) my bag – Iron covers are wrong and can only lead to poor golf. Rubber tees tied together with string are not a favourite of mine. A manual score counter that clicks through as you go doesn’t look great. One of those squidgy ball cleaner things is rather naff.

Other things you don’t need – too many golf balls (as mentioned before.) Lugging around two dozen scabby old balls is a waste of time.

You don’t need thermal gear in mid-summer. What you also don’t want in mid-summer is old chocolate bars or bananas melting and rotting in your golf bag pocket.

Carrying old ball packets, empty containers or any golf card or course planners from courses you’ve previously visited is a waste of valuable space.

Basically – keep your bag organised. Think about what you need for the round or day ahead. Streamline where possible and carry the items that will help you play your best and enjoy your outing to the fullest.

Team USA taking home the Presidents Cup for an 11th consecutive time came as a surprise to precisely no one. Now, I admit, Sunday’s singles delivered genuine excitement as the Americans mounted a comeback after falling behind across the first three days, and that’s the raw, unscripted beauty of match play we all adore in the Solheim and Ryder Cups. But let’s be honest, on paper, the Americans were always heavily favoured to outclass the International team.

Look at the stark World Ranking gap across the two teams. For example, World No. 7 Chris Gotterup was matched against Christiaan Bezuidenhout, ranked down at World No. 104. Granted, Gotterup only scraped through with a 1-up win, proving that anything can happen in match play, but that level of talent disparity across the board in Sunday’s singles was simply too wide to bridge.

Strip away the Sunday drama, though, and you're left with a reality that the Presidents Cup has a relevance problem. We all love the partisan noise, the fist-pumps, and the heartbreak on the 18th green that make team golf so electric. So why does this event often feel flat by comparison?

The answer lies in total predictability. The US has now won 14 of the 16 contests, tied once, and lost just a single time all the way back in 1998. When an event’s outcome is practically written into the script before the first tee shot is struck, fan interest naturally wanes. Take Europe out of the equation on the men’s side, and the International team loses its main competitive edge.

The spectator apathy was impossible to ignore. Wyndham Clark openly blasted the "dead" atmosphere during the early sessions, complaining that great shots were met with total silence because the galleries just weren't engaged. Can you blame them? When fans feel like they're watching players go through the motions toward a predetermined result, the energy dies.

If we want to save the Presidents Cup from irrelevance, we need to completely reimagine it. In my view, the solution is clear. Make it a mixed event.

It’s an idea that has been mooted before, and was even discussed during the event when International player Min Woo Lee admitted he would love to see a mixed format and the chance to play alongside his sister Minjee.

Removing Europe cripples the men’s International side, but on the women’s side, it creates a world-class line-up. Think about the depth in global women's golf. Bring in the world’s leading players from South Korea, Thailand and Japan, combine them with the likes of New Zealand’s Lydia Ko and Australia’s Minjee Lee, and suddenly the International team isn't just competitive, they might actually start as favourites.

Imagine mixed foursomes and fourballs: Nelly Korda and Scottie Scheffler taking on Lydia Ko and Hideki Matsuyama. It would have the potential to transform an otherwise dull US victory into a genuine, high-stakes nail-biter. Fans would jump at the chance to watch an ‘us versus them’ battle where the outcome isn't a foregone conclusion.

Of course, suggesting a mixed Presidents Cup immediately raises an obvious question: why is the golf establishment so terrified of putting men and women on the same stage?

The appetite from fans and players is clearly there. You only had to look at the Olympics in Paris to see it. The players, and major broadcasters like NBC, spent the entire fortnight begging for a mixed competition, pointing out how ridiculous it was that stars like Korda, Scheffler, and Justin Rose were all at Le Golf National without ever sharing a tee time.

The IOC eventually listened to that overwhelming demand, officially approving a 36-hole mixed-team event for the 2028 Los Angeles Games at Riviera. Yet, across the rest of the golf landscape, an infuriating resistance remains. The Scandinavian Mixed, a breath of fresh air on the European schedules, was quietly scrapped.

Even modern, forward-thinking projects fall into the same trap. TGL had a blank canvas to build a tech-infused, contemporary league from scratch. It was the ultimate opportunity to launch a mixed product where men and women competed side-by-side. Instead, they played it safe, launching a men’s league first before announcing a separate women's league for later this year.

When you strip away the romantic ideals of growing the game, the hurdles usually boil down to two things: power struggles and calendar chaos.

The PGA Tour owns the Presidents Cup. Turning it into a mixed event means bringing in the LPGA, which inevitably leads to awkward conversations about spotlight, control, and crucially, revenue sharing. Is the PGA Tour willing to slice up its commercial pie to share it with the women's game?

Then there is the scheduling nightmare. The Presidents Cup sits firmly in a Solheim Cup year. Asking the elite women players to squeeze another massive team event into an already packed calendar is a big ask.

Despite the logistical headaches, something has to change, whether it's redesigning the Presidents Cup or inventing a totally new global event. Imagine an ultimate clash bringing together the finest Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup stars every four years. Golf desperately needs to rewrite its narrative.

Match play brings out the best in golf. Mixed match play would bring out the best in the sport's biggest personalities. The game doesn't just need new audiences, it needs to excite the ones it already has.

It’s time for the powers-that-be to stop playing it safe, set self-interest aside, and give us the global, mixed spectacle golf deserves.

Would you like to see a mixed Presidents Cup? Let us know in the comments box below.

As a huge fan of almost every sport and a particular supporter of this great game, I believe there's hardly anything better than a full day of live action back to back without interruption and a healthy stretch of golf at its heart.

But on the flip side, competing events on different channels or streaming sites are a source of real frustration, with fans forced to flick between sports rather than honing all in on one.

It's like picking which of your own children you'd like to spend time with... I'd imagine.

So when one of the sports (and hardly the biggest on the planet) decides to compete against itself almost every week, you have to wonder what's going on behind the scenes that's allowing this to happen.

In so many ways, golf is not at all like other sports. There are competing tours all around the world which each claim to be the best and the whole point of the game is to do as little of it as possible.

But with so much potential as one of the world's fastest growing sports, I can't help but feel golf would be in much ruder health if there was a little more collaboration and a little less squabbling going on.

The fact it continues to fight itself when there's not that many eyeballs on it to begin with, especially compared to the likes of the big four and soccer, is just crazy to me.

Of course I understand to a point that competition is good, but all we hear as golf fans is the respective tours banging on about "growing the game" via their own selfish means.

Hold on a second, everyone. Have you thought about working together for a second to really allow the sport to thrive? For a number of reasons, I can't imagine so.

The closest we've come to real teamwork in recent years is the PGA Tour, Asian Tour and DP World Tour agreeing to form a kind of global fall series. It might not be the perfect plan but it's progress at least.

For the rest of the year, it seems like every week is a clash between two or three excellent golf tournaments.

We've written on a number of occasions how golf is shooting itself in the foot over scheduling clashes, particularly when it comes to women's Majors.

The question of whether tours talk to each other in order to try and avoid these clashes comes up now and again, but it's quickly forgotten about and life moves on. I find that so frustrating.

However, after our latest entry into the space where it was suggested golf is missing a trick over scheduling conflicts, I decided to go to source and ask a tour's CEO once and for all whether they bother speaking to each other and if more could be done to help everyone enjoy a healthy slice of the golfing pie.

So, Asian Tour CEO Cho Minn Thant, tell the lovely readers whether tours talk to each other over schedules...

"We talk a lot," he told me during a recent interview. "Sometimes it's possible to shuffle them around and sometimes not.

"We just couldn't avoid the [Asian Tour's] Hong Kong Open and [DP World Tour's] Genesis Championship [in October].

"But, for example, we talked to the Australian Tour and we look at where the Australian PGA Championship and the Australian Open are and try not to clash the Saudi International with those two tournaments because we've got such a big crossover in membership between us and the PGA Tour of Australasia.

"We try and do our best not to clash our bigger tournaments with the bigger tournaments in Japan and Korea as well. It's not always possible."

Certain factors make clashes unavoidable and I completely understand it's going to happen from time to time.

That's fine. But what I can't abide is women's Majors and the Solheim Cup having its moment in the sun blocked out by a men's tour event.

And as we now know, it's obviously possible to prevent that from happening. It just requires a little foresight and a dash of common sense.

Thant continued: "We try to sort it 8-10 months in advance. So we had this situation last year where the Hong Kong Open happened to be the same week as the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship.

"Even though the Asian Amateur is an amateur event, it's also an Open and Masters qualifying event in Asia, but so was Hong Kong. And we moved Hong Kong so that it wouldn't clash with the Asian Amateur, just because The Masters and The Open were involved in both tournaments.

"I know there was a clash between the Presidents Cup and the Asian Games this year... and Tom Kim was listed to play in the Asian Games but is obviously a part of the Presidents Cup as well.

"I think the Asian Games moved on account of the Presidents Cup, so it is possible. And I think if Tom Kim had to pick between those two events, it would have been impossible, so I'm glad they moved it."

So there you have it. In a nutshell, it is absolutely possible for various tours to communicate just a little bit in order to serve the game as a whole.

Will they start to do it moving forward? I won't hold my breath. For now, it's the women's game and the fans who will suffer most.

Every golfer knows that horrid, ringing sensation that runs through your hands when thinning a wedge on a frosty morning. Six months later, there’s the effortless distance that seems to come naturally in the middle of the summer on a boiling hot afternoon in July.

But how much of that is the golfer, and just how much distance are we gaining or losing based on the temperature of the golf ball?

To find out exactly how much you need to be clubbing up in the cooler months or potentialy taking less club in the summer, I took it upon myself to head over to the Golf Monthly Performance Lab using a Foresight Sports QuadMax launch monitor to crunch the numbers with hot, cold, and room-temperature golf balls.

The goal was to quantify exactly how extreme temperatures manipulate spin, launch and speed across three different ball constructions - the 2-piece Titleist TruFeel, the 3-piece Srixon Q-Star Tour, and the 4-piece Callaway Chrome Tour X. Each ball was tested with a pitching wedge, 7-iron and driver at three temperatures: Cold (5°C), Room Temperature (17°C), and Hot (50°C).

Where Should Your Short Game Thrive?

Being able to preempt spin and launch is paramount to being able to shoot lower scores, particularly with your scoring clubs (wedges and short irons). While there are many external factors to consider when playing onto a green - slope, firmness, and grass type, to name a few - believe it or not, the temperature of your golf ball could be playing a big part in how it performs too.

In order to keep the balls as cold as possible for the test, each dozen balls was left in the fridge overnight until they were about to be hit. The same was done with the golf balls left in the oven at 50°, taking out each dozen only when they were ready to be hit immediately.

In cold weather (5°C), the 4-piece Chrome Tour X generated 7,883 rpm of spin with a pitching wedge, however, when heated to a blistering 50°C, that same ball jumped to 9,983 rpm.

A nearly 2,000 rpm difference is absolutely huge and could easily be the difference between having your ball dancing around the pin or landing and scuttling towards the back edge, leaving you with a troublesome two-putt.

The 2-piece Tru Feel experienced an even more drastic transformation. At 5°C, it produced just 4,466 RPM, but at 50°C, it nearly doubled to 8,791 RPM. While it’s more than likely golfers will face softer conditions when playing in cooler temperatures, this kind of spin differential is something that simply cannot be ignored.

Not only will you see a huge difference in how the ball reacts on the green, but I also noticed changes in its flight and launch when conducting this experiment.

The cold temperature will naturally harden the ball's cover and core, limiting the friction and deformation of the ball through impact required to generate backspin. Conversely, in the heat of summer, the ball cover will likely soften, allowing the grooves to grip better.

Not only does spin climb with the increase in temperature, but the launch angle actually flattens out (the Tru Feel's launch dropped from 30.5° in the cold to 26.5° in the heat). While 4° doesn’t sound like a lot, that’s a fairly big difference in ball flight and will make judging the ball flight and therefore distance fairly difficult.

The Mid-Iron Winter Distance Tax

Moving into the 7-Iron was where I really started to see just how much the temperature was affecting the carry distance of each ball.

At our room temperature baseline of 17°C, the premium Chrome Tour X carried a respectable 179.3 yards. When subjected to the 5°C cold test, carry distance plummeted to 170.2 yards, which is pretty much a club less for me, with my 8-iron yardage hovering around the 168-yard mark. This straight away backed up that feeling of needing to club up in the winter months here in the UK.

The 3-piece Q-Star Tour followed a similar trajectory of lacking distance when the balls were chilled at 5°. Dropping from 179.9 yards at room temperature down to 173.9 yards in the cold.

Interestingly, the 2-piece Tru Feel was the outlier here, actually maximizing its carry (180.7 yards) in the cold, compared to producing just under a yard less when tested at room temperature. This is likely due to the lower compression rating of this ball, resisting the extreme hardening that affects how multi-layer balls perform.

The old ‘club up in the winter ’ adage is something that I feel, for the most part, was proven correct during my experiment. I would put money on the fact that the majority of three-plus layer balls would react in a similar way to the Q-Star Tour and Chrome Tour X when faced with a 12° Celsius drop.

The next time you’re out on the course in the winter, make sure to give the ego a check, take a club more, and I guarantee you’ll start hitting more greens.

Unexpected Results From The Tee

Now this may be the part of the experiment that actually surprised me the most. When standing on the tee box in the summer, it feels like every bunker that’s typically out of reach is suddenly in play and that the ball travels forever. While we’ve already proven temperature affects how far a ball is going to travel, our test proves this is only true up to a certain point.

As expected, the cold weather killed driver carry. Much like with the irons, the ball is likely not compressing and exploding as designed, and crucial yards are left on the table.

The Q-Star Tour carried just 273.5 yards at 5°C, but jumped 10 yards to a more than respectable 283.5 yards at 17°C. However, when we baked the balls to 50°C for 2 hours, distance actually decreased with all three of our test subjects compared to when hit at room temperature.

The Chrome Tour X peaked at room temperature, delivering a massive 168.5 mph ball speed and 294.1 yards of carry. Yet, at 50°C, ball speed dropped to 165.6 mph, and carry fell to 287.1 yards - a loss of 7 yards was certainly not what I was expecting.

The Q-Star Tour (283.5 yards down to 279.6 yards) and TruFeel (282.0 yards down to 280.1 yards) both suffered the same fate when overheated, but why is this the case?

I can only assume it’s much like when the golf balls were chilled, and therefore the core and layers don’t perform as initially designed. However, this time around the golf ball's core is becoming too soft.

The powerful smash at impact with the face of the driver requires the ball to compress and rapidly rebound to generate maximum ball speed. At 50°C - a temperature easily reached inside a car during a summer afternoon- the core softens, failing to provide the deforming and explosive energy transfer needed to maximise distance.

Look After Your Balls

While all golf balls from the outside may look the same, there’s a reason manufacturers spend billions of dollars every year looking into layering, covers, and dimple patterns to make sure they perform year-round.

However, after this experiment, there’s no denying the golf ball reacts drastically differently depending on its temperature, and that’s something worth noting if you’re someone who enjoys testing themselves on the course in all conditions.

While ground conditions will have a big say on how far the ball is travelling from a total-distance standpoint, knowing roughly where your ball is going to land will have a big impact on how close your ball ends up to your intended target.

I think it’s safe to say that if you want to optimize your scoring year-round, you must manage your golf ball's temperature. While this is admittedly impossible to keep on top of while actually on the course, hopefully the above data will at least help you prepare for making adjustments when selecting what club you will hit off the tee or into the green depending on what time of the year you’re playing and the conditions you face.

There are, however, a few things you can do to help get your round off to a more predictable start.

When gearing up for a game in the winter, remember to pack your mittens and a beanie hat, but most importantly, bring your golf balls inside overnight as opposed to leaving them in the garage. Starting your round with a room-temperature ball will preserve your driver distance and help maintain wedge spin when needed.

Vice Versa, in the heat of summer, stop storing your golf bag and balls in your car, where they have the opportunity to bake for hours, if not, days on end. Once again, bring your equipment inside to stop that bleed in ball speed and distance off the tee.

Keeping your golf balls at room temperature is where I believe you have the best chance at producing repeatable carry distances and predictable results when your ball hits the green, giving you the balance of distance, speed, and control.

If I was having bunker problems on the golf course, short game guru Dan Grieve would be the first person I'd turn to for advice.

In this video and article, the world-class coach shares a superb short game clinic that aims to not only improve your bunker play, but also assist you in dialling in your distance control from the sand.

We recently bought you Dan Grieve's 5 best chipping drills, which is a great one-stop-shop for getting up-and-down from around the green, but the tips in this step-by-step guide can help you to become a sand saving superstar.

Dan Grieve has already fixed one amateurs short game in just 30 minutes - now it's your turn...

Dan Grieve's Formula For Perfect Bunker Shots

1. The Setup

We've got to make sure we get the basics right. A lot of golfers panic in the bunker, which can lead to a big weight shift and ultimately trying to hit it too hard.

That makes it very hard to control the low point of the swing and get the strike you desire when you're moving around that much.

Instead, I like a solid base. Address the ball with the same stance width as you would with driver, so wider than your shoulders, then have your trail foot slightly flared out.

In the video below, you will see my front foot is flared out around at 45°, which allows me to really push the lead knee over the foot.

When trying this yourself, feel as though you’ve got diagonal downward pressure where everything is moving down and through that lead foot.

The pelvis is forward, and if the lie has a nice bit of sand to it, you want to slightly reverse your shoulders. That allows you to splash it.

The variable really is what you do with your shoulders depending on the lie. If the bunker has very little sand in it, then you want to lean more into the shot over that lead side, which helps the club dig more into it. Again, the video will illustrate this for you.

Start with the ball position around one ball inside your lead heel and open the club face. It’s very important you don't grip it and then twist it; open the club face and then take the grip.

Also, make sure the shaft is more or less in line with the back of the ball. It’s important to get a good distance away from the ball, as that allows me to get my hands nice and low.

By having your hands almost between your knees, that puts lots of cupping in your lead wrist - which will help you hinge and release the club.

They're the setup basics which will allow you to use the ground well and hit the shot from a good platform to then execute the swing.

In the swing, it's important to do two things: you need to blend in a turn of the body with a hinge of the wrists.

When I play a bunker shot I am really looking to put some cup into the left wrist, as a right-handed golfer.

If I've done that correctly, the club face should look at my face. If the club face is looking down, I’ve likely arched my wrist; if I cup this wrist correctly, it's looking back at my face.

That's a really simple way of checking, but do it with an effective turn built in. I see some players who just pick it up, which isn’t going to produce the results you want, so you have to feel like you turn as well at the same time.

In the downswing, your right elbow should stay quite close to you and you release the club back to the original start position.

As you do that, the toe of the club will naturally square up. In the video, as I release the shaft, you can see I am not trying to hold onto the loft. The opposite, in fact - I am releasing the loft.

The toe releases and then the club face looks back at you. If you can just very simply concentrate on that ‘face-to-face’ position, with the right release and a bit of chest turn - you'll hit some top quality bunker shots.

2. Short-Range Bunker Shots

When it comes to distance control with bunker shots, there are some nuances you need to be aware of. Let’s start with a short bunker shot. The one I’ve given myself in the video above is quite tricky - on a down slope with only a 5-yard carry.

The first thing to consider is club selection. I've gone with my 60° because I need to get as much spin as possible. Also, when I'm trying to hit a short bunker shot, I'll go down the grip.

Remember to stand a little bit further away than a normal shot and really sit down into it to lower the hands. The lower you get, the more cupping you put in your wrist.

You can also open the face up a little bit more for this shot, which along with the other factors above makes it quite difficult to send this ball long.

My hands stay in a little box, which you can see in the video, so we're not traveling too much from side to side.

From there, I just make a normal swing; I’m not going to hit it too hard. Then, we can start to get controlled shots from difficult positions.

3. Mid-Range Bunker Shots

We're now focusing on the mid-length bunker shot, which I’ve set to about 15 yards. We've done the 5-yard one, where my hands were really low and I really opened the club face.

I don't need to be as aggressive in terms of opening the face or lowering the hands quite so much for this shot. Ultimately, because we want the ball to go forward more, it doesn't necessarily need to go quite as high.

So, I've changed club and gone to my 56-degree. As you can see in the video, I'm now at my regular hand position - still low, but not as low as I used them for the really short shot.

I need a slightly longer swing this time, and a little more speed with the chest. I start to think about controlling the distance of the shot with the speed of my chest. Basically, how hard I'm working the sand will dictate how far I start to hit the shot.

I would probably struggle to get that with the 60-degree to the pin I’ve selected. So, if you're a player using your 60 everywhere for all-length bunker shots, I think this will really help you to improve your distance control.

4. Long-Range Bunker Shots

Right, on to the long bunker shot - the hardest shot in golf, so they say. Now, it is the hardest shot in golf if you're trying to attempt this with a really lofted club such as your 60 or 58; you would really have to play a world-class shot.

Sometimes, you've got to do that because you might have no green to work with. But in the situation outlined in the video, which I think is generally what we get on a long bunker shot, we have green to work with. Again, let’s go down in loft.

We used a 60 for the short one, a 56 for the mid, and now I’ve got a 52. A 50 or 52 would also be an excellent choice if you carry either of those lofts.

This time, again, don't open the face quite as much. We're progressively squaring that face, so it's still a touch open, but we still want to use the bounce.

You can also stand a little bit closer now. The wrist angle isn't quite as pronounced; it's going to help me produce a bit more energy moving forward and less of the sand working upwards helps me hit a long bunker shot.

This requires more speed in the chest rotation. Focus again on the setup we worked hard on at the beginning, really putting the pressure down.

That’s key for this one because I do think subconsciously when you've got a long bunker shot, players lose the ground too much because they're trying to get the ball out to that long pin.

The hips go and then you can hit the ball first. We've all done that, and it's just game over, isn't it? Really root your feet down, get the right club in your hand and just make a regular swing - it’s about trusting the loft of the club to get the ball there.

For many golfers short game practice is the same as the new exercise and health regime you promise you’ll start once you are home from holiday, but for now you are going to enjoy yourself.

Only instead of being on holiday you are at the golf range smashing drives and hitting full swing shots. You promise yourself you’ll practice some short game next time, only next time comes and goes, then before you know it you are out on the course and faced with the consequences of your practice choices and a chip shot you have absolutely no feel for.

But lack of practice isn’t the only thing that can make the short game harder than it needs to be. Now more than ever before we are bombarded with rules and advice about how we should chip, pitch and play from around the greens and some of those ‘rules’ can actually make the game more complicated, not less.

Here are five of the most common ones I see shared amongst golfers as gospel, which are often misinterpreted or simply not true!

Play Your Chips Off Your Back Foot

This is a favourite of many and one of the most misunderstood. Moving the ball back can help produce a lower flight and encourage ball first contact, but putting every chip off the back foot can cause problems. It can encourage leaning the handle excessively forward, de-lofting the club and producing a shot that comes out too low and runs too far, or worse, a fat!

Instead, think about matching the ball position to the shot you want to hit. The ball slightly back can work beautifully for a low running chip, while moving it more towards the middle can help you launch the ball a little higher and land it softer.

There isn’t one perfect ball position for every short game shot, you need to get comfortable with experimenting how the ball position affects the ball flight and how it behaves when landing.

Open The Clubface To Add Loft

Opening the face can be incredibly useful, particularly when you need to get the ball up quickly but for the vast majority of chips, it’s simply not required. Opening the face comes with extra risk, it changes not only the loft but also the way the club interacts with the turf and the direction the face is pointing. Plus it can get messy quickly with duffed chips or knifed ones through the green.

Most golfers I coach see a huge improvement by setting up to the ball with a square clubface and simply using the loft their wedge already has. A well struck chip shot with a softer ball and wedge with good clean groves can work wonders.

You Need To Get Underneath The Ball

This one has ruined countless chips and many scorecards. When you try to implement the get under the ball advice it often leads to one thing - the dreaded scoops! Because how can you possibly get the club underneath the ball and up without using your wrists to scoop? Then it’s even more confusing when you end up thinning or topping the ball.

Hitting good quality high shots and bunker shots is golf’s equivalent of a trust fall. You have to let the club's loft do the lifting for you. Your job is to strike the ball with the club travelling slightly down and through the shot, rather than trying to physically lift it into the air. I tell my golfers to think of squashing a bug under the ball, so you hit down and brush through, which will pop the ball up nicely.

Keep Your Head Down

This without doubt is one of the worst pieces of advice golfers give to each other after seeing someone mess up any golf shot. To the point where I think people say it reflexively, like saying bless you after a sneeze. Yet I can count on one hand how many times throughout my coaching career I’ve ever had to say that to a client.

Around the greens, becoming overly focused on keeping your head still can create tension and restrict the natural movement of your body and arms, it kills flow. Your head doesn’t need to be completely stationary throughout the shot.

Instead, focus on making a smooth motion, allowing your body to respond naturally to the swing and target. Like in other racket sports, be focused on the ball you are trying to hit, then allow your body and head to move naturally through as the club finishes.

You Need To Use The Same Wedge For All Your Chip Shots

When starting golf I understand the temptation of turning to the same club for all your chips, but once you have been playing a while, it’s important for your progression to expand your horizons and try different clubs for a variety of shots.

Your wedges are like a set of artist’s brushes, each one offers something a little different and opens you up to the world of short game creativity. Rather than changing your technique dramatically, try using the same chipping action but with a different club.

A lower lofted club can produce a lower, more releasing shot, while a higher lofted wedge can help you fly the ball further and stop it more quickly. Experimenting with different clubs while keeping your technique consistent can give you far more options and help you find the shot that best suits the situation.

So, rather than getting caught up in what you’ve been told you should do, start by looking at the shot in front of you and asking yourself: what does this shot require? Look at your target and imagine you’re throwing the ball. Would you bowl it along the ground, throw it overarm to go further, or throw it high to land softly? Your answer can help you choose the right club and shot without overcomplicating things. The more you practice reacting to what you see, rather than trying to play every shot with the same club and technique, the more feel and confidence you’ll develop around the greens.

“Golf can be a fickle game.” I should probably have this simple statement from Callaway UK’s master fitter Keith Simmonds tattooed somewhere that’s visible every time I step on to the first tee or hit the driving range.

Why did Keith need to remind me of this universal golfing truth? Earlier this summer I’d visited Callaway’s European Performance Centre in Surrey for a full bag fitting.

Afterwards, I was sure that once I’d swapped my mish-mash of best package set hand-me-downs and second hand clubs, I’d be pulling out my Quantum Max driver and hitting one straight down the middle of Lansdown Golf Club’s first fairway. Or impressing my coach Josh Mayo with the unerring accuracy of my new Opus SP Chrome wedges.

The reality was different. A fully cognisant 53-year old high-handicap golfer who struggles with consistency, hits one in five (if I’m being generous) off the centre and whose club face is usually as closed as your local Woolworths, isn’t suddenly going to start hitting like Jon Rahm because they’ve got a set of golf clubs built to their exact requirements. The golfer, not the gear, is the problem here!

So, I returned to Callaway to ask their experts for some advice on bedding in new clubs and what I (and other improving golfers) should really be expecting with a new setup. Unsurprisingly, guaranteed eagles are not mentioned.

Difficult days are part of golf, new clubs won’t change that

“Patience and learning is required as you become familiar with your new equipment,” explains Keith. "But don't be discouraged if everything doesn’t click immediately. Changing an entire set of clubs is a significant adjustment, particularly when you’re still developing your game. There will be good days and bad days.”

“Don't expect every shot in your early sessions to be perfect, but try to understand how the clubs feel, how they perform and how they can help your game. The most important thing is to persevere and enjoy the process.”

“Before heading out for a round, spend some time getting comfortable with each part of the bag at the driving range,” advises Keith. “It can be tempting to try everything at once,” he says. “My advice is to keep it simple.

If you’re having golf lessons, then your coach or club pro can be particularly valuable in the early stages of using new clubs. They already understand your swing and can help you recognise and develop the new sensations that come with your equipment.”

Start with your putter

I have to admit, my Odyssey Ai-Dual #7 putter wasn’t the first club I’d imagine that Keith would suggest that I should pull out of my bag. But a ‘gentle’ introduction to your new gear, rather than going full swing straightaway, actually makes a lot of sense.

“I think a new putter is a great place to start when you have a new set,” Keith explains. “Spend some time getting comfortable with the new weight, balance and feel. Simple drills can help reinforce what you learn during the fitting and build confidence with one of the most important clubs in the bag.”

With hindsight, this makes a lot of sense. I just wanted to go and hit the new irons and woods. That was only going to set me up for disappointment. While the new Odyssey wasn’t going to make me Sam Burns, I would most certainly not have seen as many hooks.

Sweat the short stuff

For my first session with the new clubs, the logical starting point to me felt like the new wedges, so at least I was almost right! During my fitting, Keith paid particular attention to my pitching technique and we settled on Opus SP 54° and 58° wedges, both with 10 degrees of bounce.

“During the fitting we saw an immediate improvement in both contact and distance control,” recalls Keith. “That’s something you can continue to build on in practice. Focus on tempo and strike first, then start to understand how changing your technique can alter the trajectory and distance you get from each wedge.”

Iron out deficiencies

Once warmed up with pitching, the next step, advises Keith, is to work through the irons. During the fitting, I’d tried both steel and graphite shafts of different lengths and weights and settled on standard length, 60 gram True Temper Denali Silver shafts and Quantum Max heads.

“Start small and build gradually. Begin with half shots, focusing on strike and tempo, before progressing into relaxed full swings, advises Keith. “The pitching wedge is a good starting point, gradually working up through the set towards the 6-iron.”

“Give yourself three or four balls with each club rather than trying to hit a large number of shots. The aim is to understand the ball flight and distance of each club, rather than simply hitting as many balls as possible.” I’d actually been hitting a lot of balls with each club before moving up the bag, so point noted.

“Longer irons may take a little more time, and that’s completely normal. One of the benefits we saw during your fitting was the improvement in strike and speed from the graphite shaft, so with some practice, I’d expect those gains to become increasingly familiar.”

Into the woods

One of my most consistent clubs in my old bag was the 5-wood, a pre-loved Callaway XR, and on Callaway’s Foresight simulator the most fun I had was trying new woods. So much so, that I’ve ended up with a 3,5 and 7 Quantum Max Fairway Wood setup, with irons ending at 6.

“You produced some really good ball flights with the Quantum Max 5 wood and 7 wood,” says Keith, “I’d encourage you to spend plenty of time with these on the range. You’ll need to get used to the higher launch and carry distances, particularly when hitting into greens. As your confidence grows, you’ll start to see how these clubs can give you options that you didn’t necessarily have with your longer irons.”

Slow down your driving

Like many golfers, the driver is the club I struggle the most with - custom fitted or not. That’s something Keith recognises and his advice is simple.”There’s no need to rush it. You actually showed a natural ability to strike your fairway woods well during the fitting, so work with your coach and gradually become more comfortable with the driver which will help you turn it into a much stronger part of your game. But it will take time!”

Play around on the course

“I’d recommend playing a few social rounds before taking them into a competitive environment,” says Keith. In my case, competitive just means scoring rounds with my mates. I’m not using my high-handicap to help me win club competitions! Even though, what Keith says about ‘competition’ rings true.

“When you’re playing competitively, your focus naturally shifts towards scoring, which can make it harder to experiment and learn how your new clubs behave.”

“Casual golf gives you the freedom to try different shots and learn what works for you. For example, spend some time understanding how your new woods fly into greens from the fairway, and then experiment with them from the tee on a par three.”

“I’d also suggest experimenting with them from both the fairway and the tee. Try the 5-wood and 7-wood on a par three and see how the different trajectories and distances compare with shots from the fairway.”

Trey Niven's Tips

What's In My Bag

Since speaking to Keith and Trey I have spent more time on the range, had a couple more coaching sessions with Josh Mayo and, of course, played some actual rounds of golf and, I’ve got to say, things are starting to click with my clubs. Curiously, I think the new clubs are also starting to change my attitude to the game.

Firstly, from the driver through to the pitching wedge the Quantum Max set, with their standard length graphite TT Denali shafts – 50 gram Frost SLV for the driver, 60 gram for the woods, and 60 gram 26 Silver for the irons, have a consistent swing feel. Something that my previous mix of three brands and shaft types certainly didn’t.

Clearly, I am not qualified to really comment on how golf clubs perform, but the Callaway’s have a pleasing weight to them which, even if my swing doesn’t yet do them justice, does provide me with a lot more confidence and, for me, consistency.

When I had my fitting with Keith, we made the decision to top out at a 6 iron, and add a 7-wood. That’s not a decision I regret – it is quickly becoming one of my go to clubs and I’m finding it really versatile. At some point, I’m sure I’ll be removing the old 5 hybrid from my bag.

As Keith said, mastering the driver is an art in itself. Luckily, I’m finding that the 3-wood is serving me well from the tee. There’s context here of course, they aren’t all straight and long, but I’ve seen a marked improvement in my ability to get my first shot away safely.

I’m also a big fan of the Golf Pride MCC Grey +4 grips,with two fitting tapes, we settled on. I have to admit, before the fitting I hadn’t given the grips on my clubs much thought. “The grip influences everything from how you position the clubface to how you release the club through impact,” explains Keith. “More importantly, having that same familiar feel throughout the set will help you become comfortable with the new clubs more quickly.” He’s not wrong, and if I do use the hybrid the standard grip feels all wrong.

Of all the new clubs, and despite Keith’s advice, the Odyssey Ai-Dual #7 putter is the one I’ve actually spent less time practicing with than I should. It’s not a technical analysis, but it does have a far more solid feel than the two putters I’d used before, with a lovely weight as I swing. It’s yet to stop me recording too many three+ putts, but it isn’t the tools!

That said, last week I recorded my best ever score over 18-holes. Coincidence?

Nominations have officially opened for the 2026 Women in Golf Awards, marking five years of celebrating the trailblazers, innovators, and leaders transforming the landscape of the golf industry.

Since launching, the annual awards have grown into a cornerstone event for the sport, providing a respected platform to honour excellence across all corners of the game - from greenkeeping and grassroots initiatives to executive leadership and digital content creation.

The 2026 ceremony will take place at Belton Woods in Lincolnshire on Friday, 27 November 2026, where three finalists from each category will gather following an independent judging process.

Celebrating Impact Across the Industry

This year’s awards feature nine distinct categories, supported by major industry bodies and brands:

Brand of the Year (in partnership with the British Golf Industry Association)

Woman Content Creator (in partnership with The Loop)

Women’s Initiative (in partnership with The Professional Golfers’ Association)

International Woman (in partnership with Perry Ellis)

Woman in Leadership (in partnership with The Golf Club Management Association)

PGA Member/Assistant (in partnership with The TGI Golf Partnership)

Rising Star (in partnership with Titleist & FootJoy)

Unsung Hero (in partnership with England Golf)

Women in Turfcare (in partnership with BIGGA)

Reflecting on the milestone, Founder of the Women in Golf Awards Nicole Wheatley emphasised the broader impact the event continues to have on the sport's future.

"As we celebrate five years of the Women in Golf Awards, we're proud to continue shining a spotlight on the remarkable individuals and organisations helping to shape the future of our industry," said Wheatley. "This event recognises excellence, dedication and leadership, but it is also inspiring the next generation of talent across the industry.

"We encourage nominations from men and women across every corner of the industry and look forward to uncovering the exceptional stories that emerge year on year."

How To Nominate

To maintain rigorous standards of fairness and credibility, all submissions will be evaluated by an independent judging panel made up of industry experts, established leaders, and influential figures from across the sport.

Whether highlighting a rising star on the turf team, an innovative brand campaign, a grassroots mentor, or an inspirational leader, peers and colleagues are encouraged to submit their entries before the four-week window closes.

Nominations Window: Open now until 12 October 2026

Awards Ceremony: Friday, 27 November 2026 at Belton Woods, Lincolnshire

Submit Entries: www.womeningolfawards.co.uk

Over the last couple of months we’ve seen high profile Temporary Immovable Obstruction (TIO) rulings at the top of the men’s and women’s games. The first came during the final round of the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, the second at Bernardus during the Solheim Cup. Both created more than a rumble of disquiet on social media, so now the dust has settled, I thought it was worth delving into.

Scottie Scheffler needed a strong finish to stand a chance of winning the Open. He went for the 17th green in the final round in two but tugged his approach shot. It missed the greenside grandstand to the left and crossed into a TIO area. Even though his original ball was never found, he was entitled to a free drop from the point at which it crossed. Scottie being Scottie, he took the drop, pitched onto the green and made the birdie putt to keep his chances alive. For the absolute avoidance of doubt, Scheffler did nothing wrong here.

The second incident came at the Solheim Cup in September. During the foursomes matches on the first day, the European pairing of Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Celine Boutier pushed their drive to the right on the 16th. The ball finished in a penalty area but to the right of a stream.

Boutier's path out of this area was blocked by a temporary bridge and as such, she was given a free drop to the side (but still in the penalty area). After the ball rolled into the stream twice upon dropping, she was allowed to place her ball.

Over the last few years, the biggest events in golf have grown beyond all comprehension and so too has the infrastructure. With this comes greater rules-related complexity as these vast, temporary structures loom large. What happens when a player hits a ball into one of these areas is not an easy problem to fix.

That's why I have sympathy with the officials tasked with marking out the course, and yet there was something about these incidents that made me feel uneasy. Notably that the pros are offered a significant advantage over regular golfers. Seeing a top pro given such favourable relief, I'm not sure is a good look for the game.

There's another problem too. As we all know, one of the greatest challenges of the game (for all levels of player) is overcoming the mental test it poses. A tight fairway with trouble on both sides is intimidating. If you knew you could miss on one side and get a favourable drop, that same shot suddenly becomes easier.

The problem is that with such generous TIO areas, there's a danger of ‘de-jeopardising' tournament golf. As a fan, I want to see dramatic highs and lows. With the pros performing at such an elite level, it can all too often feel as if there is no danger to catch out the best players.

Do the ruling bodies need to take a tougher approach? Could these spots be marked out as out of bounds or penalty areas? Honestly, I'm not sure where my own mind is on this one, so please tell me what you think in the comments box below.

I'm a long-time member of a good golf club with a high quality course, but it doesn't quite have the stature of some of the country's best venues.

It's not ranked inside the top 100 courses, despite having a challenging and picturesque track that I genuinely enjoy playing every week and have rarely ever heard a bad word about.

I often ponder why my 'hidden gem' home course doesn't quite get the recognition and plaudits it deserves, and I think it might be in the finer details.

We've likely had plenty of course reviewers play at some point and we're regularly welcoming visitors and other clubs via matches and tournaments.

I imagine they always enjoy the course but I think people could leave the club with better memories and a feeling of 'wow, that was special' if it were just for some small details.

Golf Monthly has previously written about the small things that can make a golf club 1% better, and my themes are along the same lines.

If every tiny detail improves the experience by 1%, a golf club can quickly move to the next level from a lovely hidden gem to a must-play that achieves renowned status.

These all cost money and I'm aware that isn't readily available during these financially testing times. The price of golf fees continue to increase and a Covid-19 bubble bursting would be devastating for clubs.

Many clubs are already very expensive for golfers so these finer details could at least help justify the cost for some members and visitors to sustain traffic and finances for the future.

So, what would my small improvements be? I've listed six, and let me know in the comments what small details you think helps to elevate a golf club.

1. Logos

I recently played one of Golf Monthly's UK&I Top 100 courses that has been on the ascent in recent years, and the amount of logos on show was striking.

From the coffee mugs to takeaway cups, practice green pins, tee markers, bins, ball washers and even the golf balls used as locker key rings, they were everywhere.

Said club even had its own logo'd tees, ball markers and pitch forks to take on the 1st tee, which is another touch that makes things feel special.

It might sound like they had gone a bit overboard, but I think the complete opposite.

It felt like you were at a special venue and one that has taken time to go the extra mile.

Sure, some logo'd takeaway coffee cups probably only cost a few hundred pounds but they do make a difference.

And when you add that up across all areas of the clubhouse, locker room, practice facilities and course it really does create an elevated experience.

Generic items you see everywhere else means it all just blends in, whereas bespoke items give the impression that you're not at an 'ordinary' establishment.

When you add it all up it costs a lot of money, but it is an investment that leaves customers with a higher chance or returning or recommending to friends.

It might sound a bit silly, but it worked on me!

2. A house lager

And to continue the 'bespoke' feel, a thought I had recently was how cool it might be to have some special club ales.

A lager or IPA with the golf club's name and logo attached would be another detail that would elevate the experience - and this is something I have seen at other top clubs around the country. The tap and glass could have the club's logo on as well.

I have no idea how this would be arranged and I'm sure it would be costly and involve contacting brewers, but it might be worth it to leave a lasting impression.

Even adding local ales to support local breweries would be a nice touch to differentiate them from the usual drinks we see everywhere in pubs and bars across the country.

Again, this might be costly - and everything on this list is - but it all adds to the experience for the members, guests and visitors.

3. Paths

If we're going to talk about details, the paths are always going to come up.

Gravel pathways that bleed into the rough with no definition shows a lack of attention to detail, which you rarely see at the top clubs.

Greens, fairways and general course conditioning are and should obviously be the priority for greenkeepers, but a pathway that has clearly been shown full attention is a great way to showing golfers that the course they're playing on is a premium one.

I've seen artificial grass pathways that look smart, as do the rubber tarmac-style ones. I think the key is edging and real definition, which is done well with things like well-maintained wooden panels or barriers.

4. Flower beds

A flower bed can make a huge difference on a golf course, particularly around tee boxes as long as they don't get in the way or make mowing more difficult.

This is likely something members can help with or a general club maintenance staff member and is another way to show that presentation is a priority.

Tee boxes can often be fairly boring parts of the course so anything to spruce them up makes a difference - and who doesn't love pretty flowers?!

5. Practice facilities

There are two extremes when it comes to the practice facilities, with the top clubs featuring beautiful grass ranges with pyramids of Pro V1s and the more entry level venues featuring a poorly conditioned mats and battered golf balls.

My club is somewhere in the middle, but the range balls can certainly be improved. The current ones are old non-range balls in bad condition, so much so that they can damage your clubs.

A nice, covered range with fresh, good quality balls can go a long way. I'm not asking for Trackman technology or unlimited Pro V1s but the range is somewhere a lot of golfers visit, so it's worth leaving a good impression.

As mentioned above, logo'd flags on the practice green are nice details, and a good short game facility with green contours you'd actually see on the course and proper bunkers is another thing many will appreciate.

A full-spec short game area likely costs tens of thousands, though, so it is tricky for clubs to commit to. I would use it a lot, but whether it's an outlay worth investing in is a question for those higher up.

6. Entrance

Everyone who steps foot on property comes through the entrance, and it's possibly an under-looked area at clubs, including mine.

Sure, a new car park will cost tens of thousands to re-tarmac or gravel, but it it worth a small investment to tidy up, re-plant or re-paint?

Is the 'Welcome to X Golf Club' sign looking a bit tired and what improvements could be made to give visitors the very best impression? They're questions clubs could think about asking themselves if they don't already.

Not all clubs can afford a grand, gated entrance with a million-pound car park but the details matter so any small improvements could make a big difference.

For decades, golf has been one of the most notoriously male-dominated industries in sport, both on the fairways and behind the scenes. Historically, women accounted for a tiny fraction of golf governance, tournament administration, and club management.

Even today, in critical sectors like turf management, figures from the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) show that fewer than 1% of greenkeepers are women. Across wider course maintenance and turf roles globally, female representation hovers around just 2% to 4%.

When it comes to professional golf, a game that most players have dedicated their entire lives to, what actually happens if the pro scene doesn't work out?

For a long time, having a viable "Plan B" within the golf industry wasn't easy, especially for women. If you didn't make it on tour, the options to transition into a rewarding, sustainable career behind the scenes were severely limited.

However, the tide is turning. Driven by initiatives like The R&A’s Women in Golf Charter and leadership development frameworks, the game is undergoing a major cultural shift. From tournament directors and club secretaries, to Level 4 rules referees and greenkeepers, women are not just entering the workforce, they are shaping the future of golf.

Such was the case for former LET professional Elizabeth Mallett. Despite enjoying a stellar amateur career playing for England, she turned professional, struggled, and left the tour after three years. Today, the 32-year-old has carved out a successful niche behind the scenes, working as a DP World Tour tournament official and Level 4 Rules referee.

The Birmingham-based referee said her love affair with the game started at an early age. “I hit my first ever shot on my ninth birthday,” she recalls. “My dad said: ‘Do you want to go to the driving range?’ I had no idea what that was but I went along anyway. We went into the shop and he said, you can have anything you want. As the irons were numbered I chose the one with a nine on the bottom and a putter. The rest is history.”

It didn’t take long for Mallett to get extremely good at golf. In fact, she won her first national title aged just 12. The win catapulted her onto the elite amateur golf circuit and she was a member of the England team from the age of 10 to 21.

The highlight was winning back-to-back English Girls’ titles in 2009 and 2010, followed by the individual championship at the 2012 European Girls’ Championships.

Mallett then went to play college golf in the USA and spent four years at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, where she became an All-American. She shot up through the world rankings inside the top 100 and after graduating managed to secure her LET card. But that’s when things got difficult.

“Golf is my passion, I always wanted to play, so when I graduated I went to Q-school and got my LET card but it was a big step up from the playing side of things,” she admits. “The professional game is called professional for a reason - you've got to have a good all-around game.”

Mallett’s best LET finish was 78th and she suffered several disappointing missed cuts along the way. So, after a few years of trying she decided to change career path and put her communications degree to use, joining the DP World Tour as a tournament office manager and recorder. “It was the best decision I ever made,” she says.

Her DP World Tour colleagues suggested that with her skill set and playing background she would make a great referee. After a lot of hard work, learning, testing and putting her knowledge into practice, she achieved R&A Level 4 qualified referee status. This led to her making the history books as the first female referee representing the DP World Tour at the recent Solheim Cup.

“It was incredible to be a part of the officials and experience the Solheim Cup first-hand inside the ropes as a referee walking with the players,” she enthused. “There are very few tournaments a year that create that type of electric crowd atmosphere aside from the Majors, so being part of the Solheim Cup was very special. The game of golf has given me so much - friendships, experiences, travel - it was just amazing to be able to give back through the rules and what I'm doing now.”

As a referee, there’s a lot of pressure to make the right decisions, but this is something Mallett insists came fairly naturally to her, having been on the other side of the fence as a player.

In refereeing there is a lot of judgement required beyond what is written in the rules. “You've got to make that decision. I have genuine empathy with what the players are going through. There’s so much on the line. The outcome of a ruling can really impact your score, the rest of your round. They're playing for a lot of money, ranking points and so on.

“I’ve had a few challenging situations where players are in disbelief about how the rules are written and applied. It’s my role to help with rules scenarios and get the ball back in play. I haven’t had any controversial ones, thank goodness.”

Mallett says her mindset leading into the Solheim Cup was to make sure that her refereeing preparation was extremely detailed. She studied the rules for the match play format intensively, looking at previous rules incidents at the Solheim Cup to help her prepare. “I was really conscious of my responsibilities in being chosen to represent the tour and repaying the trust that the tour had given me. It was very important to me to do a good job.”

Sadly, at club level many players don’t have the same interest in learning the rules, many with a poor knowledge of the most basic, fundamental Rules of Golf. For Mallett, empowering players with that knowledge is key to helping them understand the game and improve performance.

“My advice to women and girls in the game would be to encourage them to get involved with learning the rules right from the start, alongside taking golf lessons, because it's so crucial. It’s something I wish I'd have done as a teenager, because it really helps your understanding of the game and it can even save you shots when you're out there.”

Knowing the rules is also part of good golf etiquette. Golf is a game of tradition, which is something to be upheld for the next generations to come. Yet sometimes even rules situations require a bit of intervention and with so much technology now available, just like other sports (think of the sensors on a tennis court and VAR in football) there’s been a big change in how rules decisions are made in the last decade.

“I did two weeks back-to-back on the PGA Tour this year and they are leading the way with tech,” she explains. “It’s becoming more and more applicable to the job. I actually called on a TV referee during the Solheim Cup to ensure where the golf ball had crossed the penalty area because it happens so quickly, and we're all human.”

It is an evolution that extends well beyond the rules and refereeing. For Mallett, transitioning into tournament operations opened up a whole new perspective on where a passion for golf can lead, and she sees a bright future for the next generation of women entering the industry.

“The one good thing is that there are a lot more opportunities for women in golf now,” she says. “There's certainly been a huge push in female participation, lots of campaigns to get women and girls playing golf, which is fantastic. I think that's put more of a spotlight on the careers and pathways for women within golf.”

Beyond playing, it is clear there are countless opportunities for women in golf, a movement that continues to gain momentum. To foster these pathways, The R&A launched its Women’s Leadership programme for ambitious career women, with Mallett among those graduating this autumn.

“It’s a great programme built around developing leadership skills,” she explains. “Things like handling conflict, working in fast-paced environments, managing teams. Leading, inspiring and collaborating with others.”

As for what’s next for Mallett, she says she’s still riding the bubble of post-Solheim Cup excitement and hopes that the professional job she did will lead to many more opportunities in the future

“I'd love to referee at a Ryder Cup,” she says. “In the meantime, I’ll be continuing to referee tournaments on a global stage and tournament directing. That's my focus really going forwards.”

The 2026 Presidents Cup takes place from the 24th September to the 27th at Medinah Country Club in the United States. Looking to wrestle back the Cup after 10 consecutive losses, the International team features the world's best from countries like Australia, South Africa, Japan, South Korea and so on.

Just like the Team USA apparel, the International gear is designed by B.Draddy and Zero Restriction and we can actually buy it which is great to see. B.Draddy will provide the team with polo shirts, and layering options including cashmere sweaters, quarter zips and vests, whilst Zero Restriction will provide the waterproof jackets, rain pants and vests as well as some other pieces. Every piece will be embroidered with the Presidents Cup logo and the International Shield as well, which has become the teams logo for the previous few events.

I've actually tested a lot of different products from the two brands and I can attest the quality is outstanding so clearly there has been no compromise in terms of apparel performance here. Below are some of my top picks from the International team gear, and my personal favorites are the 007 Cashmere sweater, Marsay top and TKO Hoodie.

“One of the greatest privileges of being International Team Captain is finding ways to unite 12 players from different countries, backgrounds and cultures,” said Geoff Ogilvy, 2026 International Team Captain. “Designing the team uniforms is a unique opportunity to help foster that connection. We wanted to create something that brings the players together, reflects the pride we have in the Shield and reinforces the sense that we're competing for something bigger than ourselves. B. Draddy and Zero Restriction did an outstanding job creating a collection that reflects who we are as a team while also giving the players the performance and comfort they expect. When our guys arrive at Medinah, they stop competing as individuals and become part of something bigger than themselves, and these uniforms reinforce that connection and pride.”